For my heavenly Father, because you created me for this. For my attorney "mom", you make me want to be the best at this, and for the young women in my life I call "sister" especially C & K because you give me reason to desire better, this is for you.
A few minutes ago I was forced to read a case I've read so many times, the case was argued before SCOTUS *That's the Supreme Court* in 1992. The case, known as Planned Parenthood of S.E. Pa. v. Casey *505 U.S 833 (1992) was argued before the Court when I was five years old. In this case, the Court basically upheld Roe v. Wade * 410 U.S. 113 (1973). Roe protected a woman's "right" to have an abortion under the Fourteenth Amendment.
I'll be honest, sometimes I'm frustrated reading court opinions. I get frustrated because justices use dense and convoluted language to say very simple things i.e. "This is legal" or "This is unconstitutional" Tonight, though I REALLY read the Casey opinion, and I was furious.
The case revolved around five limitations imposed upon women seeking abortions in Pennsylvania. One of the provisions was that a woman must notify her husband before terminating her pregnancy, and, ironically, the court held that this provision was unconstitutional...really? Are you KIDDING ME?
Pretend for a second, you are a father, you have given a piece of yourself, and that piece sleeps beneath the heart of a woman. You don't know about the sleeping piece of yourself, and you never will, at least, not until every bit of your extension has been extinguished, because you have no right to protect what is yours, simply because it sleeps beneath a heart not beating in YOUR chest, is this really the law upon which we pride ourselves? REALLY?
Deep breath... The Court had the nerve to uphold a woman's RIGHT to terminate a pregnancy by saying that " No State shall deprive any person of life, liberty, and property without due process of law." *The due process clause-14th Amendment* The Court continually spouted about liberty. Liberty of the woman this, rights of the woman, that. Here's my question: What happened to life?
Further down in the case, the justices speak of abortion as a life altering decision which may cause difficulties, etc. If this is true, why do they seek so fervently to protect a "liberty" to destroy a life, when CLEARLY BOTH are protected under the 14th amendment?
You mean to tell me, Supreme Court, that I, as a mother, or future mother rather, and a sister of future mothers , have a right to create something with EVERY function I have, every ability I possess, and EVERY BIT as much LIFE as I have, and then, because it must be first kept alive by virtue of MY EXISTENCE, I am allowed to destroy it if I wish for the sake of "bodily integrity?" The law protects this? You're telling me I can sit on the bed with my little sister and tell her that by virtue of the LAW of our country, her FREEDOM to protect the INTEGRITY of her body has more merit then the life GOD created which will someday grow beneath her heart? Are you serious?
First of all, our society gives our young women too many reasons to question their bodies, their figures, their worth, as it is, and to me, this case seems to treat pregnancy as a bodily inconvenience. Of course, it's not easy, I know, and I'm not down playing the difficulty of carrying another life inside of oneself, but I'm not the older sister who will just let this one slide, it makes me venomous. It reminds me of a story I EXPERIENCED only a few days ago.
I was at a restaurant with a friend, and we sat next to a young woman in a letter jacket. On her lap she held a small child, a boy, who resembled a Precious Moments figurine. I talked to him lovingly and his mother proceeded to tell me that she found out she carried the baby, whose name was Tommy, the day she graduated high school. As she recounted her beginnings with the angel on her lap, I thought of all of the young women in my life, some of whom I consider sisters, and whom I couldn't love more if we had the same last name. I knew they were probably studying dutifully in their rooms. One, the one who is probably the closest to a sister, for many reasons, came to mind specifically. She's in high school, and she's going to change the world. My only job in her life is to remind her that I believe this, pray for her, and watch her do it.
So many opportunities await her, and she knows it, so she has set her face to the calling the Lord has given her, whatever that may be, and she waits...
Another is in college, she desires to help young women in college and invest in their lives, I get the honor of investing in hers. While these girls are fighting the standards of a broken and immoral society, and while I am loving them and offering (hopefully) the best I can give them by way of prayer and encouragement, they are fueling my fire, too.
It is because of girls like these two that I am continually reminded to speak out on behalf of young women and helpless children. My studious 16 year old little sis reminds me that some girls understand it is not their "right" to make decisions to avoid consequences, it is their privilege to yearn for what is righteous. I am reminded, too, that some girls are not like her, some girls have no one to cheer for them. While I'm figuratively on my knees for her, crying out to God to make her the one who stands up tall, while I'm believing that she can and will, there's a girl covered in darkness, question, and heartache, trying to make a decision of life or death, which will BIND her forever, and our Court says this is a question of liberty? I think not.
My children already have names, and they say I can decide to terminate one child and wait for a more "convenient" time to use those names? Right.
In light of this, I say to all of my little sisters, PLEASE: Be yourself, cherish the INDIVIDUAL GOD has made you to be. LOVE others fervently and WORK HARD at whatever He has called you to achieve, but in your pursuit, remember that advancing His kingdom, through family, and through shining your light, is your privilege, neither is yours to destroy. And, I hope you will realize even now, that being a parent is not about YOUR LIBERTIES, it's about someone else's life... Children are a heritage from the Lord, you are part of that heritage, and have been given an opportunity to walk it out to a future generation...walk proud...
I love you.
The mother lion roars,
L'chaim *To Life*
Courtney
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