Life Chain

Sunday, October 7, 2007

This won’t be news to anyone local, but my town is one of diversity. This was proven again to me today as I spent an hour this afternoon standing with many, many others on the sidewalks in front of one of our banks holding signs saying: "Abortion Hurts Women," "Life...the First Inalienable Right," and "Adoption...the Love Option." Cars, a motorcycle, SUV’s, trucks, and vans carrying African Americans, Asians, Caucasians, and Hispanics passed by as The Life Chain stood silently, patiently delivering its message. We were acknowledged with thumbs up, smiles and waves, and horn honking.

The message is one that I don’t take lightly. It is a strong belief I’ve carried for years, one that I believed when, years ago, a friend in a faraway town became pregnant and feared her husband would insist on an abortion. They had planned to never have children, you see. My husband and I had wanted more children, and I asked her to give me time to talk with my husband about adopting hers; but they kept the baby and, of course, they adore him. He’s a wonderful young man now.

It’s a belief I consider every time I think of the abortion of another friend in another faraway town during the promiscuous teen years of her life. She never married, never had children, and grieves still for the baby she killed.

It’s a belief I consider every time I think of Ethel Waters who, for many years, sang hymns with the Billy Graham Crusades. Ethel was a product of rape. Of a 12-year-old girl. Ethel’s was one of the most beautiful singing voices you could ever hope to hear.

A wise man once said, "If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything." So today some of us stood for those who can’t stand for themselves. How long that will be our right is yet to be seen, but for the moment, that is our right; and there are many brave men and women on foreign soils standing shoulder to shoulder to make sure we have that right for as long as possible.