Let’s be honest…

18 U.S. Code § 2331: From the Legal Information Institute website

Let’s be honest with ourselves for a minute about the Planned Parenthood shooting in Colorado.  I’ve seen people trying to blame the entire pro-life movement for the actions of the one person.  I’ve also seen the pro-life movement trying to avoid being painted because of the actions of a single person.  Personally, I see this as one of those examples of the “chickens coming home to roost” for lack of a better phrase.

I mean, if all Muslims have to disavow extremists who act out in the name of Islam or else they’re considered terrorists themselves or sympathizers…

If Black Lives Matters has to protest every single instance of Black-on-Black violence, ignoring their focus on the treatment of Blacks by the justice system, or they’re branded as troublemakers, thugs, or racial animosity stirrers…

Then, Pro-Lifers who refuse to address the extremism within their own movement, address it in public, and disavow it at every opportunity as all other groups are being asked to do, then the Pro-Life movement is responsible for each and every single act of domestic terrorism targeted towards providers and patients at women’s health care centers.

Point blank.  Own it.

When you constantly stir up emotions in people using over-the-top rhetoric, you should expect people to act out aggressively in response to that.  When you constantly tweak people’s emotions in order to influence political decisions, you should be ready for people who are going to respond to your tweaking.

By the definition above (18 U.S. Code § 2331), which is US law, the shooting in Colorado was an act of domestic terrorism.  Refusing to call it that is a refusal to acknowledge the role we play in fostering such an environment where these acts happen.  It’s not like this is the first or even the second time such an incident has happened.

Bryn Greenwood posted tweets on Twitter about her experiences at working at a Planned Parenthood clinic.  Even though one of the clinics where she worked did not provide abortion services, they were still targeted by extremists from the pro-life movement as though they did.  One only has to say the words Planned Parenthood to get a reaction from some people.

I don’t generally post about abortion or my views on it because of the negative attention that comes with merely mentioning the word Abortion.  However, as a Christian, I feel that I have to speak out against the acts and threats perpetrated on fellow Americans.

If you don’t like abortions, don’t have one, don’t visit a clinic that offers them, and don’t pay for someone else to have one.  That’s your right.  That’s your choice.  At the same time, you have no right to stop any other red-blooded American for exercising their right to privacy and right to choose for themselves.

I don’t think the words “pro-life” and “pro-choice” accurately define the current “sides” in the abortion debate.  We should call them “pro-criminalization” and “pro-freedom” because that’s what their arguments basically boil down to.  If you don’t want abortions to be legal as they currently are, then you want them to become a criminal act, punishable by jail time or whatever.  If you want people to have the ability to choose for themselves, then you advocate for women (and men) to have the freedom to decide for themselves.

If you want to know my personal views, I wouldn’t ask or force my wife to have an abortion.  I’m not going to force any other woman to have an abortion OR carry a child to term either.  If you want to truly cut down on the number of aborted births, then you do that by educating people on all the choices they have to make in regards to health and family planning.  Whether you decide to go the abstinence or contraception route, preventing a pregnancy also prevent an abortion.

If you advocate cutting off funds and funding to clinics that work to prevent pregnancies, are you really trying to cut down on the number of abortions?

Something to ponder…