http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/ToniAnne/4431 I have received quite a few email responses to the blog entry I posted a few days ago. You know the one. I am still getting comments and emails from both sides of the argument, and I want to thank each one of you for voicing your opinion. I know it takes a lot to stand up and say something on either side of this heavily debated topic. The reason for this mini-entry is simple: I hate leaving something unexplained. It is a small pet peeve of mine, and in this case, I felt that some of the people who contacted me or commented deserved a response. So here it is: Many of you pointed out that there should be a stipulation for rape and incest victims, and that I had no right to say that someone should have to endure emotional pain just to save a “fetus.” More than a few of you also pointed out that the mother and child are the ones who have to ultimately withstand the turmoil that comes along with such a situation, in the instance that the baby was given a chance to live. I see now that some of my comments seemed callous and cold to some people. I do apologize for seeming uncaring, as I am not trying to be that way at all. I completely and wholeheartedly agree that the emotional and physical pain that the mother and child would have to eventually endure is unimaginable. I would never want to go through something such as that, but I can honestly say that if I did (God forbid) have to suffer such a grave thing, I know what choice I would make. I know without a doubt that I would stop the evil right there. You see, by aborting the baby it would just add to the severity of the situation. The one who impregnated me in this situation would eventually be dealt with accordingly, whether it is by God’s law or Criminal Law. I personally believe that it is not up to me to exact revenge, and most other faiths (even non-Christian ones) follow the same rule. I would turn a bad situation into a worse one by essentially murdering someone else. This is not just a “God” issue. I had a few emails that addressed that topic. Yes, I believe in God and I love him with every fiber in my body. I also believe that to harm another person, another soul, is immoral. Whether you are an atheist, a pagan, or agnostic, I think it is safe to say you enlist in that belief. Murder is wrong. More than one of you posed a very specific question to me. “Where are you when these girls need emotional and financial help?” Yes, it is very easy for me to say all of this and let someone else deal with the ramifications. But I am not that person. I have (and will again) help whoever and however I can. I am not a rich person, but I do give what I can, where I can. My ear, my thoughts, my experiences, and my heart are free and open to the public should they need it. I have not been in as bad of a boat as the people who have been raped or involved in incest, but I have been in some very bad boats. What matters is not the size or contents of the boat, but whether or not I jumped out. I have jumped out of a couple of boats, but when I had some form of support, I did not jump. That is what matters the most and the point I want to stress to women who are in bad situations now. There is always someone there to talk to and someone to help. There is always a way to fix the problem you are in now. Two minds are so much greater than one in these circumstances. There is always another answer, I promise you. I won't promise it will be an easy answer, but I can promise that you will never regret sparing another person's life. http://www.pregnancycenters.org - 1-800-395-HELP (4357) http://www.gabrielproject.com - "Protecting the unborn... supporting the expectant mother." Gabriel Project in Victoria - 576-1156 I have received quite a few email responses to the blog entry I posted a few days ago. You know the one. I am still getting comments and emails from both sides of the argument, and I want to thank each one of you for voicing your opinion. I know it takes a lot to stand up and say something on either side of this heavily debated topic. The reason for this mini-entry is simple: I hate leaving something unexplained. It is a small pet peeve of mine, and in this case, I felt that some of the people who contacted me or commented deserved a response. So here it is: Many of you pointed out that there should be a stipulation for rape and incest victims, and that I had no right to say that someone should have to endure emotional pain just to save a “fetus.” More than a few of you also pointed out that the mother and child are the ones who have to ultimately withstand the turmoil that comes along with such a situation, in the instance that the baby was given a chance to live. I see now that some of my comments seemed callous and cold to some people. I do apologize for seeming uncaring, as I am not trying to be that way at all. I completely and wholeheartedly agree that the emotional and physical pain that the mother and child would have to eventually endure is unimaginable. I would never want to go through something such as that, but I can honestly say that if I did (God forbid) have to suffer such a grave thing, I know what choice I would make. I know without a doubt that I would stop the evil right there. You see, by aborting the baby it would just add to the severity of the situation. The one who impregnated me in this situation would eventually be dealt with accordingly, whether it is by God’s law or Criminal Law. I personally believe that it is not up to me to exact revenge, and most other faiths (even non-Christian ones) follow the same rule. I would turn a bad situation into a worse one by essentially murdering someone else. This is not just a “God” issue. I had a few emails that addressed that topic. Yes, I believe in God and I love him with every fiber in my body. I also believe that to harm another person, another soul, is immoral. Whether you are an atheist, a pagan, or agnostic, I think it is safe to say you enlist in that belief. Murder is wrong. More than one of you posed a very specific question to me. “Where are you when these girls need emotional and financial help?” Yes, it is very easy for me to say all of this and let someone else deal with the ramifications. But I am not that person. I have (and will again) help whoever and however I can. I am not a rich person, but I do give what I can, where I can. My ear, my thoughts, my experiences, and my heart are free and open to the public should they need it. I have not been in as bad of a boat as the people who have been raped or involved in incest, but I have been in some very bad boats. What matters is not the size or contents of the boat, but whether or not I jumped out. I have jumped out of a couple of boats, but when I had some form of support, I did not jump. That is what matters the most and the point I want to stress to women who are in bad situations now. There is always someone there to talk to and someone to help. There is always a way to fix the problem you are in now. Two minds are so much greater than one in these circumstances. There is always another answer, I promise you. I won't promise it will be an easy answer, but I can promise that you will never regret sparing another person's life. http://www.pregnancycenters.org - 1-800-395-HELP (4357) http://www.gabrielproject.com - "Protecting the unborn... supporting the expectant mother." Gabriel Project in Victoria - 576-1156 en-us