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| Funny, sad and true. |
Conservatives throw mud at "bleeding-heart" Liberals but when it comes to the plight of the unborn (insert dramatic face), Conservatives wrote the book on hearts that bleed.
Grab hold of your party-line politics and take a little walk with me down a very likely what-if lane.
Even when someone is responsible, established and does everything right, accidents can still happen.
Here's a slice of real life:
Imagine a 36-year-old married woman with a 50-year-old husband, both have full-time jobs and also two part-time sources of income which are
heavily taxed since it’s considered self-employment.
Let's say the husband has an 18-year-old son from a
previous marriage. He pays over $500 a
month in child support and his son lives with them approximately 50% of the time. They're fortunate to have a smart kid who starts college at a top local university in the fall.
Even with multiple sources of income and financially conservative living, they barely make ends meet.
The husband had cancer nine years ago and they had no health insurance during the duration of his treatment. They're in debt from medical bills and
now about to pay for books and tuition in addition to paying
the $500+ child support for another four years. (In many cases, non-deadbeat fathers pay for the sins of the losers and are ordered to give money to the mothers until the child is 22 or 'emancipated' meaning not attending school.)
The shitty part of this story is where people must share their intimate details with lawmakers in order to make a point. The married couple always uses birth
control. But birth control is NOT infallible. It can
and does fail, that’s why the manufacturers must disclose such on the packaging.
Now don't tell me you expect this struggling but happily-married couple to abstain. Come on. Totally unrealistic. They're in love, attracted to each other, married (this is sooo important to you, right). Are YOU going to abstain from having sex with your spouse? No way and if you say yes, you're a damn liar.
So what happens should birth control
fail, pro-life lawmakers? If this woman cannot
terminate an accidental pregnancy, what are her options? Carry the child to term knowing it is high
risk at her age? Here's another detail about our wife, she's physically challenged (insert your own ailment, fibro, RA, lupus...).
Can you imagine how a pregnancy will impact her, a 36-year-old disabled woman
who works 60-80 hours a week and already struggling to support her family? Do you care?
No, you care about the unborn more than you care about someone who pays
taxes, already has a step-child to support and a husband who is 50 and not
interested in raising another child at his age.
Tell me how that makes sense. Tell me why you would rather allow an
unwanted pregnancy to destroy her life than let her have an abortion. Tell me why you would rather this scenario
for all women.
Assuming the pregnancy itself doesn't kill both the woman and the unborn child, are YOU going to adopt these
babies? No. You’re not.
You would rather they end up on the streets with her little accident in
her arms, having to beg and borrow just to feed the child. Please tell me how that’s better than terminating
a pregnancy.
And that is IF she has a healthy baby. But if you factor in her age and the fact that she is disabled and already under a lot of stress, there's a strong likelihood she will have a child with special needs, she may have a premature child. There's something she needs like a kick in the teeth, more stress.
Since conservative lawmakers are none too fond of government assistance programs, this disabled 36-year-old new mother with a special needs child who has lost her part-time income because there are only 24 hours in a day and perhaps lost her husband as well because the stress tore their marriage apart (oh, what about the FAMILY conservatives so dearly love to 'preserve'), where does she go now?
No, that's not the right question.
Where does she go now with her special needs child?
That's the right question. One job that doesn't pay the bills, a child whose expenses are higher than average because of medical needs or challenges, no husband and no assistance programs...
Homeless shelter maybe? A relative might let her stay there for a couple of months until she can find a shitty apartment and that will be their existence. The child will eat a lot of ramen noodles, maybe get the occasional hot lunch at school (remember, no more assistance programs, no more reduced-cost lunches for low-income children), hopefully get a decent education, provided the child is not mentally challenged...
Can the mother take her child on a vacation to see the world, experience different places and people? Don't make me laugh, that costs money. The woman couldn't afford to take a vacation with her husband before she got pregnant.
But, you know, public school, shitty apartment and maybe some hand-me-down books and toys will make for an enriching life. When the mother isn't keeping her nose to the grind, trying to earn every penny she can until her body gives out and she can't work at all. (Meanwhile she hopes her child will be able to live independently or with another sympathetic relative once the mother loses the shitty apartment - even slums cost money.)
Yes, that is SO MUCH BETTER for everyone than just terminating an unwanted pregnancy. Right. So much better for YOU, pro-lifer. The struggling woman and her hungry child will sleep so much better at night knowing you're happy that she chose "life."
Note:
I am neither Republican nor Democrat. I'm a registered Independent.
Here are a few of my independent positions:
I own guns and support the right to bear arms.
I am pro-gay.
I am pro-choice.
I am atheist and I support freedom of religion as long as there is separation of church and state.
I want lawmakers who are fiscally conservative, transparent and ethical.
I think our government has grown too large and needs to be dramatically reduced.
I support our military.
I support legalizing marijuana.
I think the welfare system needs reform, not elimination.
I vote my conscience.
I pester the ever-loving hell out of my elected officials and encourage all of you to do exactly the same.
