Fifty Years Later

            Fifty years ago—the Tuesday before Thanksgiving—I took my first plane trip, flying from Grand Rapids, Michigan to New York City. A blizzard in Cleveland, Ohio almost forestalled Mom and me from reaching our destination, but finally the weather cleared enough for our connecting flight to take off. 

            It was a mad dash in a taxi from the airport to Planned Parenthood.  We were hours late for my appointment, and it was almost time for the clinic to close for the day, but they took me in anyway.

            Yes, you’ve guessed right: I was there for an abortion.  I’ll spare you the grisly details.  Suffice it to say that afterward we picked up a few prescriptions for me and spent the night in a rather awful motel room.  The next day we flew back home, and on Thursday our family celebrated Thanksgiving.

            Fifty years later, I’ve decided that my baby was a girl named Charlotte.  Fifty years later, I still regret aborting her and wonder what she would have been like.  Fifty years later, my grief and shame have softened, making it possible to mark this anniversary publicly.

            Here is what I want you to know:  abortion may seem like the only solution when you face an unwanted pregnancy.  It may make logical sense, if you don’t think about the life within you as a real baby.  It may solve some short-term problems, but it leaves you with lifelong damage. 

            I was left with a damaged cervix that almost resulted in miscarriage of my second living child.  I was left with emotional trauma, depression, and shame that still bog me down at times.

            I am aware that some women claim that their abortions were liberating, but I sense that there are many more who suffer silently for a lifetime.  Here is what I want to say: abortion hurts women.  Even fifty years later.

To My Conservative Friends: Be an Informed Citizen

 

            For months before the election, President Trump warned America of the dangers of mail-in voting and widespread fraud. Hence, he advised his constituents to vote in person on election day.

            At the same time former Vice-President Joe Biden encouraged mail-in voting in as an option to avoid crowds at the polls and thus lessen the spread of covid-19.

            It should be no surprise that Republicans by and large cast their votes on election day, while Democrats utilized mail-in voting to a great degree. The election laws in some states prohibited the counting of mail-in ballots before election day.  Therefore, they were counted after the in-person votes.  The result was not surprising: mail-in ballots shifted the tide in several key states from a Trump victory to a Biden victory.

            Thereafter, President Trump has cried fraud and had his legal team mount many court challenges in various states.  All but two of the thirty challenges have been cast down by judges, many of whom are Republicans.  Yet, he persists in his accusations.

            Right-wing news media promotes the president’s conspiracy charges.  However, fact checks show time and again that claims of fraud have no verifiable evidence despite the numbers and statistics that are claimed.

            In the meantime, the Trump administration refuses to cooperate with the smooth and peaceful transfer of power.  As a result, president-elect Biden does not have access to vital security briefings.

            Voting is a hallmark of American democracy, as is freedom of the press.  Throughout his presidency, Trump has accused the media of spreading “fake news.”  However, it is important to have both conservative and liberal voices heard.  If we lose that freedom, we may lose democracy as well.

            Read the news and listen to the news, all of it.  Follow the liberal news outlets as well as the conservative ones.  Try listening to international news coverage of our election as well.  When you see alarming statistics, check their source.  Look for proof from independent sources. Be an informed citizen.