Okay, I am pro-life. That is pretty much a given if you know me or have read one iota of anything on this blog. There is no question. My children, ages 8 and up, know what abortion is and the sad truth that it is legal in our country. They know we are saddened by it. They've even been to Planned Parenthood with us to pray and talk with anyone who would like to talk. They know what this is about--in the way that 8 and 9 year olds should. We haven't shared gory details, but they do know that our world does not value life the way that we should.
Given all of this, I am still appalled when I see huge, detailed pictures in public of aborted baby body parts. This makes me sick!! I do not understand the reason behind this agenda. Not only does it make me sick, but it makes me angry. It makes me angry that they are so public that I have to fight for my children not to see them. My kids don't need that image in their minds. Today as I was driving out to buy our raw milk for the week, right on the side of the road in a huge, open space was one of those mobile, bill board trucks with massive pictures of bloody baby arms and legs and heads all pulled apart in an absolutely grotesque manner--big as day for my kids to see. There was no question that they were body parts--all bloody. I realize that shock value is exactly what the people who promote this are going for. I realize they are hoping to shock some poor pregnant girl who is considering abortion into keeping her baby by showing her exactly what the abortionists' knife and suction is going to do to that baby in her womb.
I agree. It's a horrible, horrible thing. It's sickeningly sad and it makes my heart ache for all those babies and for the moms who will have to live with the guilt. And I even believe there is a place for the pictures. They belong in pamphlets in Planned Parenthood (a place I know that they'll never be) and crisis pregnancy centers. They could even be put in OBGYN's offices under the caution of "adult eyes only." I believe they should be plastered up as big as day inside the courtrooms of the Supreme court so that the justices can see exactly what their laws are allowing. Parents with children would be warned before entering, of course. I'd be okay with those pictures being posted in the Oval office or in Obama's bedroom, for all I care. But they DO NOT need to be on the side of the road out in the open for my children's innocent eyes to see and question!
As we were driving up towards it, I casually glanced at it, noticing that it was something out of the ordinary. As my mind started to focus more on what it was, I quickly started grappling with how to engage my children's attention so that they wouldn't look out the window! I think I succeeded. Thankfully, no one was in the front seat. No one asked a question so I guess they didn't see it. Thank you, God, for protecting my babies' innocent eyes!
On the way back, I was thinking once again how I could keep them occupied and then noticed it wasn't there anymore. I had just been by there less than 10 minutes before. I guess the time was up or whatever, but I saw it then driving down the main road. I slowed down so that I wouldn't get near it. Imagine!! Sitting at a red light or something with those horrible images right in your children's faces!! Oh the thought makes me shudder. I can't even imagine the nightmares that my kids would have after seeing that.
It's happened one other time--about two years ago. I was driving down Pine Ridge Road and some group of Pro-lifers was out. That's great! I'm glad they are showing a presence!! They were right as everyone was slowing down for the red light. Then I noticed that they had a series of huge posters on big sticks. The first couple were beautiful--the baby in the womb sucking his thumb, a 3 or 4 month old baby in the womb. Then the pictures of the bloody, aborted parts started. It was so out of nowhere that I didn't catch it in time. Trand was in the front seat. Now, I know he was 12, but he was an innocent 12. He may not be so innocent now at 14, but I can promise he was then!! He did see a couple before I told him to close his eyes. I asked him if he saw them. He said, "no" at first because he knew I didn't want him to. But after further probing he said, "yes." We talked about it some, but at least he was 12. I knew that Jon had taken Liza-Hill down that same way just a few minutes before. I asked him if he saw them. He said "yes." Of course, he lets her sit in the front seat even though she shouldn't. I asked if she saw them, and he didn't know. I didn't want to probe and ask her and bring up anything that I shouldn't. So I never asked. She never commented to him or me so maybe she didn't. She usually pretty aware of what's going on, but she also usually would ask, "What's that?" if she saw something like that. Since she didn't, my prayer was that God protected her eyes.
So anyway, this outrages me!! Does it work? I mean, really? Have abortion rates dropped since the public parading of bloody baby body parts? Maybe it's changed one girl's mind. If so, I'm thankful for that. But surely there's got to be a better way. I try so hard to keep my children's minds innocent--shielding them from what the world has to show. And now I have to shield them from the pro-lifers too? I just don't know how anyone thinks this is okay? If I feel this way about it, I can't imagine how someone who is pro-choice feels about it!! I can't imagine what they would say about their children seeing this!! Surely they would be even more upset than me, and it certainly wouldn't provide any strides toward "lovingly" showing them why we believe what we believe.
There's got to be a better way.....
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