Change a Law or Change a Life...Is There A Better Way to Spend Big Dollars?

This week marked the anniversary of Roe V. Wade. Abortion is a topic that seems to divide our nation, even dividing families and friends.  I hear much about the need to overturn this decision in our court system.  Many people voted for our current president because he stated he was pro-life.  That fit their desire to have a pro-life president in hopes of overturning this law.  My view this week is a different view.  Why do we need to overturn this law? I am sure many have valid reasons and may decide to educate me on them.  

My thought is this.  Alcohol is illegal for people under the age of 21.  That didn't stop me from consuming alcohol, I began to drink at the age of 13.  Speeding is illegal but people do it all the time.  Think about it.  What would make more of an impact, making abortion illegal or educating the women facing the choice?  When I say educate, I mean true education, medical, scientific and psychological. All sides of the issue.  Post Abortion Syndrome was never discussed with me at either of the abortion clinics I went to. No discussion about emotional baggage or PTSD.  There was no discussion about risks and complications.  There were people who held up signs at one of them about abortion being murder, which did nothing to educate me.  It just made me think they were radical and angry. I was numb to them.

What would be different if the pro-life movement spent more money in local communities? Providing resources for pregnancy resource centers and educating women with good unbiased information.  I am not sure but I think it would matter.  I think women are smart.  We need good information to make good choices.  There should be pregnancy resource centers in every area.   They should be as well funded as Planned Parenthood. Then there could be more counselors, nurses, and doctors doing the educating.  There could be more connecting women who don’t want children but are carrying one, with women who can’t have them but desperately desire a child.   The possibilities are endless.

When demand drops, supply lessens.  That is simple economics.  Yet too often this issue of abortion is tied to dollars.  Politicians come and go, the question I am raising is where is the most impact going to be felt?  Changing the law or educating and helping the women affected by the law? 

I love people on both sides of this discussion. Many women would carry their babies if they knew they had the money to do so. Some would place for adoption some would parent.  Seeing all the people at this year’s march, made me think.  Many of my friends who go to Washington are active in their local communities if there is a pregnancy resource center there.  Imagine if each person at the march this year all did help one woman in an unplanned pregnancy, what an impact on our nation that would be.