The New York Times headline states: “‘Overwhelmed and Frustrated’: What It’s Like Trying to Get an Abortion in Texas.”
As I read this article, my first thought was that it was nothing but the epitome of irresponsible journalism filled with propaganda. It attempts to tug at, presumably, the heartstrings of women as it discusses the many mothers who cannot kill their babies because several state governments have deemed abortions unnecessary procedures during this time of global pandemic.
For instance, a 31-year-old woman from Houston—who has three children and was just laid off from her job—had attempted to get an abortion but found the local clinic closed. According to this woman, she felt “overwhelmed and frustrated and stressed.” She told the NYT: “I just know I can’t handle another baby. I just know. I know physically, emotionally, financially.”
The article laments the fact that many women feel they need to go out of state to kill their babies. It talks about the inconvenience of travel and about the difficulties of finding an open clinic.
It then tells the story of a 24-year-old college student from Texas who wanted an abortion: “The night before she was scheduled to go in for her medication abortion, she got a call from the clinic saying her appointment had been canceled. She ended up driving 12 hours to Denver with a friend and wiping down surfaces in the cheap Airbnb they stayed in. On the way back they drove into the night” because the mother did not want to deliver her dead baby in the car.
Notice how the article mentions the fact that they wiped down surfaces in a “cheap Airbnb” as if we should feel bad for this woman and her friend for all that they went through to find a clinic that would kill her baby?
Clearly, the author doesn’t care about the baby being slaughtered or the mental health of the mother after she kills her baby. She wants readers to feel incensed for the women who have to travel for an abortion or who may be unable to get one.
Times are extremely difficult. We understand that. We are all feeling the stress of isolation, lost jobs, reduced income, and concerns about health. But stressful times are not times to make a huge decision, especially one that takes the life of a tiny child.
What this article doesn’t mention, and what pregnant women need now more than anything, is support. They need love. They need kindness. They need to know that the baby growing inside them already loves them immensely and deserves to be born. And they need to know that there are people out there who care about them and their babies. These people are willing to help as they navigate these stressful and overwhelming times.
Pregnancy help centers, like this one in Houston, are necessary services. They, and organizations like Option Line, remain open to help the mother see the humanity of the child she’s carrying and to direct her to services that can help her receive the material and emotional support she needs. These times may be frustrating and overwhelming, but the mother need not navigate them on her own. There are so many places that will help, if the mother just looks for them.
You see, it’s not about taking rights away from women. It’s about celebrating the life of a baby and empowering women to understand that they can handle a surprise pregnancy. It’s about love—pure and simple. When we, who are pro-life, look at a mother and her baby, we see two people made in the image and likeness of God. We want to protect them both. But when abortion clinic workers see these two people, they see only money.
Human beings are not commodities.
The NYT article ends with these words about the Houston mother who was looking for a place to have an abortion:
Last week she found a fund that would help pay for her travel. On Wednesday, she, her mother and her 6-month-old flew to Louisville, Ky., where there was another clinic willing to take her.
At noon on Friday, she had her abortion.
It seems that that ending is meant to evoke some relief in the reader—“Thank goodness, she was finally able to get her abortion.”
But, to the pro-life person, it evokes sadness, for it’s another dead baby added to the growing pile of dead babies—a tragic ending in a turbulent time.
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