To the Editor:
On Dec. 1, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) will begin hearings on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a monumental court case in the abortion arena, and one that has the potential to right a wrong, namely Roe v. Wade.
The nefarious 1973 Roe decision by the court has led to the killing of over 62 million unborn children in this nation. As members of the St. John Neumann Parish pro-life committee, we hope (and pray) that SCOTUS does indeed sentence Roe to the ashcan of legal decisions, right next to decisions such as Dred Scot and Plessy v. Ferguson.
At the moment of conception, the fetus is a human being, with all the moral and political rights due to any living person. An embryo, with a unique genetic character, is a living member of the Homo sapiens species, and on a continuum that takes that baby through all the life stages.
We live in a world built on personal satisfaction, but without wanting the responsibility, and because of that, too many unborn children have been sacrificed on the altar of convenience.
It may not be popular to admit this in some circles, and especially in the political ones. It’s hard to be a pro-life politician in this society, especially today with courage in such short supply. No wonder Nancy Pelosi refused to answer the question of whether a “15-week-old fetus was a human being.”
We live in a society today where on one hospital floor they are fighting feverishly to save the life of a premature infant, while on the floor below they are taking the life of an unborn child in an even later stage of development, and what they have done in some circles, such as the University of Pittsburgh, where they have transplanted the scalps off of fetuses and onto rodent bodies, creating what they call “humanized rat models,” has truly redefined the word “abomination.”
Innocent human life deserves the protection of law in any just society.
Yet, we do not deny our own obligation to support women who choose life for their babies. We have given a portion of the funds we have raised to such organizations, and we will continue to do so. Our responsibility does not end simply because we have persuaded pregnant women to walk away from the abortion mills. We must be with them every step of the way, and we are committed to doing just that.
Please, don’t walk away from this issue. First, support any pregnant woman within your own circle. Encourage and support them, and don’t be afraid to speak of God’s gift of life.
Second, be vocal! Contact your elected officials. Let them know that you do not support the taking of innocent life, and you certainly do not support your tax money going to pay for abortion, so support the Hyde Amendment.
Follow the legal arguments and challenges as the courts are being asked to defend these unborn children. Know what is happening, and last but not least, prayer. It really does work.
– PHYLLIS LASWELL, PAUL HARKER, MICHAEL BECK, MIKE STELACIO, PAT STELACIO, GARY TASHJIAN
Villas
