(In response to ABORTION REDUCTION article by Jonathan Merritt in Relevant Magazine: http://relevantmag.com/magazine/current-issue)
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It’s so hard to know exactly where to begin to flay the diatribe masquerading as a “new discussion”. Ironic that there is very little merit to Jonathan Merritt’s decidedly liberal (and grossly misinformed and misinforming) invective about abortion. Allow me to reveal my true colors up front, literally. I’m a biracial (black/white) thirtysomething who is a married father of three. I was adopted at 6 weeks of age and was born as a result of rape.
I’m thankful to our nation’s stalwarts in the fight against slavery. They didn’t give up because people claimed that abolition was a divisive argument. I’m grateful that singularly focused and passionate people sought not just to seek a better life for those enslaved, but to rid our society of the very law that failed to recognize their full humanity. We hardly consider that a myopic viewpoint or their actions polarizing.
Jonathan would’ve been more accurate to say that the tagline for the abortion debate should’ve been: Conning America since 1973. The Pro-Abortion industry has been intentionally propagandizing the American public for decades. Yet, somehow, efforts of those who believe the 1973 decision was an egregious assault on our true liberties, have managed to educate the public, increasingly swaying our society toward a more prolife viewpoint. Forty two percent versus fifty-one percent? A stalemate? I thought stalemates occur with something closer to a 50-50 split. Must be new math. A 51% to 42% result would ensure an unquestionable victory in any contest.
And this is just the beginning of Merritt’s seeming Pro-Obama advocacy piece.
Throughout the article, the only ones vilified are the ‘Christian-right’. There’s never a mention of those organizations, like Planned Parenthood (whom Obama supports whole-heartedly), who have poured hundreds of millions into campaigns of deceit and lobbying efforts to prevent any prolife legislation. Who in the world does Merritt think has brought ‘abortion reduction’ policies to the state level? Prochoicers? Commongrounders? It has been the effort of the very groups he spends so much time demonizing in this disingenuous piece that have worked on grass-roots levels to bring some sanity back to the ill-decided Roe v. Wade (and Doe v. Bolton) decisions.
Inextricably tied to ‘abortion reductionist agenda’ is this ‘Whole-Life’ mentality that somehow claims that caring for pregnant woman and encouraging adoption is part of some epiphany. This is nothing new. I can recall the many Pregnancy Resource Centers that I’ve worked with over the years, churches, and adoptive parents who’ve been doing this for decades. Just because an instrument of the media (albeit Christian progressive media) says it, doesn’t make it true.
There isn’t a shred of evidence that any legislation that Obama has supported has ever reduced abortion. Omitted from this article is Obama’s staunch advocacy for Planned Parenthood, federally funded abortions (as included in the HealthCare reform legislation), his opposition to protecting infants born alive due to botched abortions, and his support of the liberal SB 99 sex education bill (in Illinois). None of this shows someone who has even attempted to find common ground. SB 99, which Obama voted for, struck the language that described abstinence as the “only protection that is 100% effective against unwanted teenage pregnancy, STDs and AIDS”. It was changed to: “…abstinence is an effective method of preventing unintended pregnancy…” Thankfully, the bill never made it out of the Senate. Beyond the rhetoric is legislation with words that truly matter. How in the world do we approach an issue without being willing to acknowledge who is an ally and who is an antagonist? The point of this is, as President, his political advocacy is a continuation of what he has ardently supported during his adult public life.
I do agree with Merritt on one thing: actions speak louder. But whose actions reflect an intention to reduce abortions? Nancy Pelosi? Harry Reid? Barbara Boxer? Patrick Leahy? Barack Obama? Every single one of these pro-choice politicians adamantly supports the very organization (Planned Parenthood) that encourages promiscuity in the guise of sexual liberation and tolerance, that has legally fought against EVERY pro-life state policy from being enacted, and aggressively markets teens with factually misleading information about sexual behavior and abortion.
Who, on the left, does an ‘abortion reductionist’ partner with that has made great strides against Roe v. Wade? I would propose that the list would be extremely short. Could Merritt illuminate any recent abortion-restricting legislation that has been introduced or overwhelmingly supported by pro-choice politicians? Making adoption easier has been the goal of many conservatives—not something new that Obama is heralding. The suggestion, toward the end of the article, that prolifers need to do more than vote ignores the magnitude of effort that happens every day, in every state, to save and change lives.
My parents can claim the ‘abortion reductionist’ mantle. They can claim the “We’ve Translated Belief into Action” mantle. They adopted 10 children and fostered several others. They have supported orphans from around the world. They have financially supported prolife organizations that have sought to restrict abortions through the very policies that have helped reduce the overall national abortion rates. They’ve never demonized anyone on the left for their opposing ideology. They’re not considered progressives even though they’ve contributed to providing an environment where abortion isn’t the only option. They’re what the oft-quoted ‘abortion reductionists’ would call extreme right wing. Why? Because they believe ardently that abortion isn’t something to merely be reduced, but eliminated. Just as slavery was a human tragedy, the inherent nature of abortion is the same; otherwise, why in the world are we even trying to reduce it?
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Ryan is an Emmy Award winning broadcast design and branding professional in Atlanta, GA.
For more information, visit: http://www.shouldhavebeenaborted.com
© 2009 Ryan Scott Bomberger
Showing posts with label Ryan Scott Bomberger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ryan Scott Bomberger. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
I Want My GroceryCare
It seems we have a government who increasingly, since the establishment of this great nation, feels that in order to ‘promote the general welfare’ thinks that it needs to generally promote welfare—for all.
Typically, when an American family comes across hard times, it makes the difficult choice of doing without. The normal response isn’t a shopping spree at the local mall. The painful truth is that there isn’t the money to cover the expenses, so the sacrificial act of getting by with less now is preferable to sacrificing a whole lot more down the road, when crushed under the weight of debt.
But apparently simple mathematics and economics escape our illustrious government representatives. And I’m the first to avoid blaming a particular party, because both the GOP and the Dems share the blame of shameless reckless spending and arrogant unwillingness to curb their over-spending addictions. It’s been over a half-century in the making, and it seems our disconnected leaders are suffering from a severe case of denial. Reality means nothing, so in this vein of fantasy I propose some ideas that our current administration should champion with expedience and zeal.
GroceryCare. Yup. How can we possibly talk about the right of millions to Healthcare if they’re not first fed? What kind of callous government can overlook the daily plight of every American? Before we can even speak of someone’s personal health, we must teach him or her to fish, or at least, give them some fish. Ok, a lot of fish, and plenty of hearty vegetables, and fruits, and fluids rich with anti-oxidants, and multi-grain bread to sop up the trans-fat free butter that must be on everyone’s grocery list.
Yes, we Americans have been fooled into thinking it all starts with Healthcare. We need to stand up and demand GroceryCare. It is the first step to a healthier citizen who can praise his or her government for realizing that no one should ever go hungry. And that way, we will never bite the hand that feeds us. Give and we shall receive, oh Government. Please, take away our cornucopia of grocery stores. We don’t need all of those choices. Feed us and our bellies will be full as well as our hearts—brimming over with gratitude.
And along these lines, I propose that in order to enable us to exercise our right of GroceryCare, it is glaringly obvious that we also need GasCare. How else can we get to that single source of government-issued sustenance without a means by which to get there? So, our very health is dependent upon the government’s gracious extension of another sacred right of ours—to have gas. Can you imagine what kind of health ramifications there would be if we couldn’t get our food? If we couldn’t get to our jobs? If we couldn’t travel like everyone else, freed from the constraints of costly (global-warming causing) fuel? The stress that we save our bodies, and thereby committing thoughtful preventative healthcare, is incalculable (kind of like the Stimulus Package’s effect on our economy).
But one cannot possibly broach the subject of Healthcare without the means by which so many of us make it by, every day—Credit. So, in light of the millions of Americans who are without good credit, or are seeking better credit options but are left without a way to have what others have due to the poor state of Credit, I propose PlastiCare. Yes, nearly every day, we Americans are defined by our ability to swipe that plastic. Think of all of the anxiety that can be eliminated if people know that the government is taking care of their plastic. Health experts would certainly see a sharp increase in individual and collective happiness as the barriers to materialism are leveled. The government’s been living off of credit for decades, seemingly without consequences, why shouldn’t the debt-strapped American public? Let’s subsidize it and ensure that PlastiCare gives hard-working citizens (oh, and the lazy ones too) a sense that there’s no limit to what can be achieved…I mean, acquired.
So, I beg my fellow Americans to think beyond just HealthCare. There’s a world of rights we haven’t claimed for our own. Let’s jump into that same river our elected leaders have thrust themselves into. The current is fast, furious and irresistible. Let it take us away. For we know we have a government who has already charted the course, has navigated its tumultuous turns, and will, in the end keep us all above water.
Then again, this was a literary exercise in fantasy.
=============================
Ryan is an Emmy Award winning broadcast design and branding professional in Atlanta, GA.
For more information, visit: http://www.shouldhavebeenaborted.com
© 2009 Ryan Scott Bomberger
Typically, when an American family comes across hard times, it makes the difficult choice of doing without. The normal response isn’t a shopping spree at the local mall. The painful truth is that there isn’t the money to cover the expenses, so the sacrificial act of getting by with less now is preferable to sacrificing a whole lot more down the road, when crushed under the weight of debt.
But apparently simple mathematics and economics escape our illustrious government representatives. And I’m the first to avoid blaming a particular party, because both the GOP and the Dems share the blame of shameless reckless spending and arrogant unwillingness to curb their over-spending addictions. It’s been over a half-century in the making, and it seems our disconnected leaders are suffering from a severe case of denial. Reality means nothing, so in this vein of fantasy I propose some ideas that our current administration should champion with expedience and zeal.
GroceryCare. Yup. How can we possibly talk about the right of millions to Healthcare if they’re not first fed? What kind of callous government can overlook the daily plight of every American? Before we can even speak of someone’s personal health, we must teach him or her to fish, or at least, give them some fish. Ok, a lot of fish, and plenty of hearty vegetables, and fruits, and fluids rich with anti-oxidants, and multi-grain bread to sop up the trans-fat free butter that must be on everyone’s grocery list.
Yes, we Americans have been fooled into thinking it all starts with Healthcare. We need to stand up and demand GroceryCare. It is the first step to a healthier citizen who can praise his or her government for realizing that no one should ever go hungry. And that way, we will never bite the hand that feeds us. Give and we shall receive, oh Government. Please, take away our cornucopia of grocery stores. We don’t need all of those choices. Feed us and our bellies will be full as well as our hearts—brimming over with gratitude.
And along these lines, I propose that in order to enable us to exercise our right of GroceryCare, it is glaringly obvious that we also need GasCare. How else can we get to that single source of government-issued sustenance without a means by which to get there? So, our very health is dependent upon the government’s gracious extension of another sacred right of ours—to have gas. Can you imagine what kind of health ramifications there would be if we couldn’t get our food? If we couldn’t get to our jobs? If we couldn’t travel like everyone else, freed from the constraints of costly (global-warming causing) fuel? The stress that we save our bodies, and thereby committing thoughtful preventative healthcare, is incalculable (kind of like the Stimulus Package’s effect on our economy).
But one cannot possibly broach the subject of Healthcare without the means by which so many of us make it by, every day—Credit. So, in light of the millions of Americans who are without good credit, or are seeking better credit options but are left without a way to have what others have due to the poor state of Credit, I propose PlastiCare. Yes, nearly every day, we Americans are defined by our ability to swipe that plastic. Think of all of the anxiety that can be eliminated if people know that the government is taking care of their plastic. Health experts would certainly see a sharp increase in individual and collective happiness as the barriers to materialism are leveled. The government’s been living off of credit for decades, seemingly without consequences, why shouldn’t the debt-strapped American public? Let’s subsidize it and ensure that PlastiCare gives hard-working citizens (oh, and the lazy ones too) a sense that there’s no limit to what can be achieved…I mean, acquired.
So, I beg my fellow Americans to think beyond just HealthCare. There’s a world of rights we haven’t claimed for our own. Let’s jump into that same river our elected leaders have thrust themselves into. The current is fast, furious and irresistible. Let it take us away. For we know we have a government who has already charted the course, has navigated its tumultuous turns, and will, in the end keep us all above water.
Then again, this was a literary exercise in fantasy.
=============================
Ryan is an Emmy Award winning broadcast design and branding professional in Atlanta, GA.
For more information, visit: http://www.shouldhavebeenaborted.com
© 2009 Ryan Scott Bomberger
Sunday, November 23, 2008
A Little Angel Named Aliyah
How can one describe being a daddy? The gift of life often defies the ability of language to capture the truly intense emotion that defines being a father. There are many different types of fathers. Some are present. Some are not. Some connect. Some don't. Some uplift. Some tear down. Some see a blessing. Others see a burden. I pray my life, as a husband and father (currently of 3) will always be the former in each example. I'm in awe of each of my children. They remind me of what adults should be--curious, passionate, uncomplicated, loving, and eager to learn. My newest little angel arrived in October, and she has tugged on my heart just like my other two munchkins. Love is forever an evolving thing. Just when you think you've loved with all you have, you find you've only begun to tap into that wellspring of affection.I understand how God sees us, His children, in a way no one can understand until you hold that child closely and cling to her as if you never want to let go. I get a glimpse of what it's like to want to move heaven and earth so that the ones you've created will know that you did it simply because you love them. I will do all I humanly can to be the kind of father that my children need. I pray that I will always be the husband that provides an environment where my wife can be the loving mother she is so naturally.
I've been given 3 beautiful responsibilities that will always know their daddy loves them no matter what. And although actions speak louder, I hope I never give up trying to find the words to tell them, every day, how much I love them.
Ryan Scott Bomberger is a media professional serving as a Creative Director in Atlanta, GA.
© 2008 Ryan Scott Bomberger. For more information, visit: http://www.thisisryan.com
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