Cecile Richards, I have a say:
When I was conceived many years ago, my parents had a lot of things going against having me. They were still in college, and even with the support of their parents, they were saddled with debt, and their jobs at the time consisted of flipping burgers at fast food restaurants. By all rights, having me made no financial sense at all. But they did. They choose life for me, and therefore, I have a say.
When I was only a few years old, my parents discovered that I had a mental disorder known as Aspergers Syndrome, a form of autism that manifests itself in the form of social awkwardness, intense interests and learning disabilities. And it is becoming clearer to me each day that people with mental disorders are being looked down upon, especially by Planned Parenthood, who by their own admission, consider mental disorders a factor in determining whether to get an abortion. But my parents chose life for me, and therefore, I have a say.
In college I discovered, using data from Planned Parenthood-supported Guttmacher Institute, that 13% of all abortions per year are conducted because of a perceived physical or mental defect (compared to a sum of 1.5% aborted because of rape or incest, two things you most often use to justify your position). And then I think about that wrongful life suit, about the family who claim that they would have aborted their child if they knew she had Down Syndrome. Down Syndrome, which constitutes a death sentence for an average of 93% of babies in the womb, all because they had a mental disorder. All because they weren’t the “perfect”, healthy baby.
Cecile, I am a man with a mental disorder, and I have a say. You may or may not think I am a second-class citizen. You may or may not think my parents should have aborted me because they didn’t have enough finances to support me. You may or may not think that I should have been aborted because I have a mental disorder. But Aspergers Syndrome does not prevent me from being a man, endowed with certain, inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Therefore, I have a say.
And I say I am fed up. Now many like you may say that because I am a man, abortion does not concern me, but it does. I am fed up watching many wonderful babies like myself never have a chance at life because they were not perfect in your eyes. I am fed up watching you voice your concerns over the cost of raising a mentally-disabled child. I am fed up with your advocating a preference for perfect babies.
There’s another word for that philosophy: eugenics. That’s what your own founder Margaret Sanger advocated for. That’s what tyrants throughout history have advocated for. Have you not considered the human cost? When we devalue a group of people because of their race, or gender, or even their physical and mental abilities, where does it end?
And I say I completely and utterly reject the lies you help spread and the doctrines you help push for. My parents thought I was good enough to be born, and God thought I was good enough to be conceived. Who are you to say otherwise? Who are you, to think you are an authority to speak over who should live and who should die?
You do not speak for me. You do not speak for families. And most of all, you do not speak for life. But I come from two families that do. My family, and the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. And because of their love and devotion to the truth, I have say.
God Bless.
A collection of voices expressing thanks that their parents chose life and are thus able to stand up and say "I have a say!!"
I Have A Say Thanks to My Mom and Dad!!!
Being the oldest of 11, I am so thankful, especially now, for my Mom and Dad saying "yes" to life! Growing up, we never had a ton of money. My Dad was a high school chemistry teacher and my parents decided from the beginning that they wanted to have one of them home with us. My mom gave up her teaching career, and raised me, followed by 10 others! My Mom also taught all 11 of us at home for part of our childhood before we would head off to Nativity Catholic Grade School. My Dad worked long hours, eventually earning other degrees so that he could first become dean, then principal, and finally, when I was a sophomore, he was named Roncalli High School's first president. My Dad and Mom both sacrificed SO MUCH for us.
I remember, even as a young person, getting stared at by people, and I remember the comments they would make. I can still hear a dental receptionist asking my Mom "Are these all yours? You know how children are made right?" followed by a real insidious but ditzy chuckle, followed by a secretarial gum crackle. My Mom and Dad were always tight budget wise, and I'm sure at times ached with a desire to not have to take bags of clothes from other families so that we could have clothes. I'm sure my Mom and Dad had desires to simply go to Nordstrom and buy us and give us all our own new clothes and Gameboys and Reebok Pumps etc. I'm sure they at times really wished they could just get a new car and not have to drive a fifteen passenger van around. I'm sure at times they wanted really badly to just go to a restaurant and sit back and enjoy a big expensive meal instead of having to cut coupons and craft together economic meals on the stove.
But they chose life for us, and they chose sacrifice for themselves.
I often think about that ditzy secretary now when our family gets together almost every weekend for dinner to laugh and hang out. Some of the siblings might be out of town or busy with other obligations, but inevitably, all weekend long, every weekend, our family gets together. Sometimes, when we're out at a restaraunt, I see the couples who are alone with each other. They hardly talk to each other and the loneliness is palpable. A part of me feels bad that we're having so much fun with our 8 tables shoved together, telling stories, laughing good hearty and healthy laughs. Sometimes I wonder if one of the couples sitting in the restaurant quietly and solemnly is that dental secretary - who now has piles of money and can eat wherever she wants, but doesn't have hardly anyone to share it with. My heart breaks for the people who are alone, especially the ones who are alone because, when they could have been having children, they instead bought into the contraception lie and lived for themselves only.
I have a say today, and so do my ten younger brothers and sisters, because my parents chose life. Mom and Dad - thanks a million!!!
I remember, even as a young person, getting stared at by people, and I remember the comments they would make. I can still hear a dental receptionist asking my Mom "Are these all yours? You know how children are made right?" followed by a real insidious but ditzy chuckle, followed by a secretarial gum crackle. My Mom and Dad were always tight budget wise, and I'm sure at times ached with a desire to not have to take bags of clothes from other families so that we could have clothes. I'm sure my Mom and Dad had desires to simply go to Nordstrom and buy us and give us all our own new clothes and Gameboys and Reebok Pumps etc. I'm sure they at times really wished they could just get a new car and not have to drive a fifteen passenger van around. I'm sure at times they wanted really badly to just go to a restaurant and sit back and enjoy a big expensive meal instead of having to cut coupons and craft together economic meals on the stove.
But they chose life for us, and they chose sacrifice for themselves.
I often think about that ditzy secretary now when our family gets together almost every weekend for dinner to laugh and hang out. Some of the siblings might be out of town or busy with other obligations, but inevitably, all weekend long, every weekend, our family gets together. Sometimes, when we're out at a restaraunt, I see the couples who are alone with each other. They hardly talk to each other and the loneliness is palpable. A part of me feels bad that we're having so much fun with our 8 tables shoved together, telling stories, laughing good hearty and healthy laughs. Sometimes I wonder if one of the couples sitting in the restaurant quietly and solemnly is that dental secretary - who now has piles of money and can eat wherever she wants, but doesn't have hardly anyone to share it with. My heart breaks for the people who are alone, especially the ones who are alone because, when they could have been having children, they instead bought into the contraception lie and lived for themselves only.
I have a say today, and so do my ten younger brothers and sisters, because my parents chose life. Mom and Dad - thanks a million!!!
