OPINION

You Can’t Kill Me Anymore

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.

I am extremely happy to be alive.  My wife and I have four beautiful children and four grandchildren.  God has blessed me with a life that has been exceptional in many ways.  From twenty years in commercial broadcasting, twelve years as a US Congressman, and thirteen years as VP of a firearms ballistic company helping build their technology into the leading ballistics identification methodology in the World, it has been a fantastic ride.

My birth mother decided not to use abortion as birth control.  Instead, she walked into the Florence Crittenden Home for Unwed Mothers and gave me my life.  Thanking God that she did is the first thing I do every morning as I ride this old rock we call Earth around the sun for nearly the eighty-fourth time.

The narrative built over the years that abortion was a “woman’s right” is invalid.  The Supreme Court just invalidated that mode of thought.

A more accurate definition of the “woman’s right to choose”  narrative would be to view abortion as a way of birth control, no different than a condom or birth control pill.  However, wrapping abortion in the emotional blanket of a woman’s right to choose has helped make the issue incendiary on both sides.  Common sense and calm, reasoned debate have not been in place since Roe v Wade was first signed into law. 

One issue both sides agree on is what action to take when a mother’s life is endangered.  Based upon the Hippocratic Oath, an oath of ethics taken by doctors for centuries “to do no harm,” a doctor who makes a well-informed decision that aborting a child is the only way to save a mother’s life, an abortion must be performed.

There will be much cheering on one side and gnashing of teeth on the other.  I pray the demonstration of these feelings is kept civil and does not run rampant out of control.

Regardless of the Supreme Court ruling, I am grateful my mother chose birth over abortion for me.  My life has had its ups and downs, but it was my privilege to have experienced those actions.  The Supreme Court took the correct direction.  Too many people have forgotten that our country’s Constitution is built on Biblical principles.  George Washington is known as the “Praying President.”

I’ll close with a political statement.  Sadly, politicians on both sides of the issue will continue to use abortion for their own personal gain.  Some will be engaged due to strong personal feelings, as they should be.  Bottom line, very sadly, it will get messy with even less honest debate than in the past.

Supreme Court, thank you for doing your job as prescribed by the US Constitution.

Thank you, mom, for letting me live.

Thank you, God, for each new day in this country of laws, not men.