Barack

Illinois Right to Life News for Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Pro-choice or pro-abortion?

A Robert Novak article published in the March 31st Chicago Sun-Times describes a Pennsylvania campaign event last weelend where Barack Obama answered a question about abortion by stating, “Nobody is pro-abortion.” Novak points out how Obama, “After quickly explaining why ‘I am pro-choice,’ he adjourned the event.”

Other politicians have tried to use this same cover of “pro-choice” rather than “pro-abortion”. Even though he did not make the statement on April 1st, it should have no more credibility than an April Fool’s joke because everyone knows that the term “pro-choice” means “pro-abortion”. Historical evidence shows that pro-abortion strategists coined the term to remove the dreaded “abortion” word from the debate.

But Obama gave absolute evidence last weekend just how pro-abortion he really is. While explaining his position about education to prevent HIV/AIDS, he stated, “But it should also include -- it should also include other, you know, information about contraception because, look, I've got two daughters, 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby. I don't want them punished with an STD at age 16, so it doesn't make sense to not give them information.”

Is that a pro-abortion statement? Since Obama views the baby as both a mistake and punishment, he obviously supports aborting it. How much stronger statement can one make? I cannot confirm whether this statement occurred earlier at the same event Novak reported on or at another one, but the two statements were both made last weekend.

Even if one unwisely accepted the concept that someone could actually be pro-choice and not be pro-abortion, Obama has demonstrated that this distinction could not possibly apply to him. He sees abortion as the solution for a mistake and a means to remove a punishment. He ignores the humanity of the unborn child and thus devalues all human life by suggesting that abortion be available as just another form of birth control. He would counsel his own daughter to abort his grandchild!

Pray for Obama’s daughters that they be enlightened to avoid the serious mistake of abortion, far worse than having an inconvenient pregnancy. Of course, if their parents were serious about teaching the value of chastity, rather than sending a mixed message of so-called safe sex, maybe the Obama daughters would see the value of respecting their sexuality and saving themselves for their husbands.

Bill Beckman, Director