On a separate thread, the one about the movie “Precious,” we are having a good discussion about whether or not a 22 week abortion constitutes killing a baby.  A pro-life advocate posed the question about a week ago, asking an active pro-choicer if a 22 week pregnancy was a “baby,” and, if so, did the abortion constitute “killing?” 

That pro-choicer has, at this point, avoided the question.  He seems rather intelligent, but it bothers me that he has yet to answer this delicate question.  I have called him out on this, arguing that to be pro-choice means having to defend an abortion at this late stage (or later).  Yes, I know that most abortions do not occur at this stage, but some do.  Women do go to a clinic at that stage and have abortions and the clinic staff does not need to ask why she has waited that long.   She can come in and, no questions asked, abort a 22 week fetus. 

Now, pro-choicers can respond with generalities like “it’s the woman’s right,” which is true.  But if we ever hope to win the hearts and minds of the general public, we need to be able to look them in the face and explain what is happening with a 22 week (or even later) abortion.    

When my daughter was at 22 weeks and I looked at the ultrasound, I saw a baby.  No doubt about it.  I saw the head, the feet, the fingers.   It was certainly not a fetus.  Imagine a woman at a similar stage in her pregnancy who feels the need to abort.  That baby is very much alive at that point (although not viable) and, after the surgery, that baby is not alive.  What happened in the interim?   Do pro-choicers really believe that a “fetus” was just “terminated?”   Gimme a break.

Okay, so by now a number of my pro-choice colleagues are ready to kill, uh, abort, me now, right? 

Well, stick with me for one more second.

First of all, this country sanctions killing in certain circumstances.  The state of Utah just killed a convicted murderer by firing squad.  In some states, we allow families to pull the plug on a relative.   And, of course, we send young Americans overseas to kill Osama and his thugs.  I just put abortion into that category of sanctioned killing.  

Most importantly, however, is that the words just don’t matter!   No matter what we call it, no matter what words we put out there, it doesn’t matter to those women who feel the need to abort at that late stage (or any stage for that matter).   Indeed, to think that our saying that abortion “kills a baby” is going to enlighten women is insulting to those women.  Women know exactly what is going on.  Indeed, they are the ones who are either using those words or at least thinking them. 

Now, I’m not saying that groups like the National Abortion Federation should a new tag line on their stationary that says “We Kill Babies.”  What I am saying is that we all know what is going on so don’t be afraid to say it.  This is the proverbial big elephant in the middle of the room.  Pro-choicers need to fess up.  You’ll feel a lot better if you do.