One
of the main themes abortion supporters rely on in their propaganda is
to paint the preborn child as something other than one of us -- a
problem, "just a fetus," a choice -- completely ignoring the child's
humanity. They deny human rights, reason and science when doing so, as
do our nation's laws on abortion.
This week in Crisis Magazine, HLI Director of Education and Evangelization Arland K. Nichols exposes the "ruthless
arbitrariness of abortion" with a unique story of twin girls born
months apart. The sister outside of the womb had rights and legal
protection, but legally her twin in the womb could have been murdered.
The science is clear on when life begins, but under the law, not all
have human rights.
Please read Arland's article, and find links to updates on HLI.org below.
Sincerely yours in Christ, 
Father Shenan J. Boquet
President, Human Life International
Father Shenan J. Boquet
President, Human Life International
Birth of Twins Highlights Evil of Abortion
by Arland K. Nichols
In what has become an annual ritual on January 1,
the mainstream media shared the unique story of twins born on different
days and different years. This year, ABC News highlighted Lorraine and
Brandon Begazo who were born in Washington, D.C., three minutes apart,
but in different years. A rare occurrence and feel-good story, it will
eventually become a neat bit of trivia that at the very least serves as
an icebreaker in social settings.
But might the rare event of twins being born on different days provide more than just trivia?
Consider
Maria Jones Elliot who, pregnant with twins in 2012, went into preterm
labor and gave birth to her daughter, Amy, 23 weeks into pregnancy. Amy
was a tiny 1 pound 3 ounces and was immediately whisked off to NICU in
order to save her life. Unexpectedly, contractions stopped and Amy's
twin sister, Katie, decided she wasn't ready to be born! While tiny Amy
fought to survive, her twin sister was doing very well in Maria's womb
where she continued to mature and grow. Eighty-seven days later Katie
was born with a clean bill of health! These beautiful twin sisters are
recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as twins with the most
days between births.
Putting
aside the feel-good elements of the story, consider for a moment the
status of these sisters under the law in America. While Amy was
recognized as a human being whose life was protected and worth fighting
for, in most states her twin sister would be considered a mere fetus
with no rights-a potential victim of abortion.
Here
we see plainly the ruthless arbitrariness of abortion: one twin could
legally be killed but the other is protected by law. Is location so
determinative? This common-sense example is indicative of how laws that
leave any unborn child unprotected are discriminatory and assume a
fanciful and contrived essential difference between living human beings.
The
science, after all, could not be clearer; the union of two human
gametes brings into existence a whole and unique member of the human
species who is undergoing organized and self-directed development and
growth. So the question then becomes, does this human being possess
rights as do all other human beings? And what do we owe this human
being? Is it even remotely sensible that one twin is protected by her
mother, the law, and by the wider human community while the other twin
is left unprotected?
When
the scientific facts are acknowledged, and when the right questions are
asked, the answer seems plain. All human beings are and should be
treated as the bearers of rights, deserve a "fair shake," and ought to
be protected by society and her laws. This is the intrinsic duty of
individuals and of society-to protect the innocent and to cultivate
justice. What kind of society is it that can confront both the
impersonal science and the very real unborn twin in the face, and say,
"Yes, she is a female human being but we don't have to treat her justly;
this one has no rights and does not deserve protection under the law."
If the right questions are asked and honest answers given, the matter is
shown to be clear as day. Perhaps this is why the modus operandi of
abortion-rights activists is to focus on difficult cases that pull at
the heart strings all within the context of an imaginary "war on women."
The
common objection tends to arise: "But a woman has a right to do with
her body as she wishes." Yes, a woman-and in this she is no different
from a man-has freedom and the ability to do what she wishes with her
body. But this freedom and right is not absolute, and is rather a
limited freedom or a conditional right. The just limits of that right
include not causing harm to another innocent human being when exercising
one's bodily freedom. So while a woman can do with her body as she sees
fit, she cannot do whatever she wants to another human being's body
without his or her free consent. Since the embryonic or fetal human
being is a member of the human species, she cannot justly cause harm to
that child. As the popular retort to this objection goes, "Her rights
end where another person's body begins." Ultimately this objection is
both a red herring and non sequitur.
The
reasoned and honest answers to the most appropriate questions make the
abortion advocate appear monstrous. And history has always judged, as
monstrous, the caprice and arbitrariness of a society that demands some
human beings have rights and others can simply be thrown away.
Such
a society is being judged even now by Pope Francis' oft-used
description of ours as "a throw away culture." As he recently lamented,
"Unfortunately, what is thrown away is ... often human beings
themselves, who are discarded as 'unnecessary' ... It is frightful even
to think there are children, victims of abortion, who will never see the
light of day."
The
refusal of our laws to acknowledge modern science and honor the basic
ethical demand to recognize the rights of every human being, and the
stubborn refusal to answer the right questions honestly has created
countless victims "who will never see the light of day." Shouldn't both
twins and every human being be treated equally under the law? That they
are not is a radical inequality, a grave offense, and a tragic poverty.
HLI in Africa
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Discussing Population Control with the Media in Tanzania
by Emil Hagamu
This past week our office received visitors from the media who wanted to talk about some of the current issues that affect our society in Tanzania, including population control. Read More...
Commentary
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HLI in the News: Comments on President Obama's Speech at the National Prayer Breakfast
by HLI Staff
In a speech during the National Prayer Breakfast on February 6, President Obama made statements on freedom of religion and the right to life at odds with the policies of his administration. Human Life International Communications Manager Adam Cassandra was asked by the news media to comment on the president's statements. Read More...
