Obama on Abortion
by Will Blakely
On January 23rd, 2009 President Barack Obama continued in his first week to show his view of “change” by reversing yet another GOP policy; one that was recently reinstated by G.W. Bush in his first term. The policy that is commonly known as the “Mexico City Policy” or “Mexico City Gag Rule,” which blocks the federal funding to all non-governmental organizations from performing or promoting abortion services in other countries. This policy was first introduced by Ronald Reagan in 1984, was repealed by Bill Clinton in 1993 for undermining efforts to promote safe family planning in foreign nations, and in 2001 G.W. Bush reinstated it claiming “…It is my conviction that taxpayer funds should not be used to pay for abortions or advocate or actively promote abortions either here or abroad.”
Apparently President Obama feels the need to spend our tax dollars for them, even though in the election he had claimed that he was going to do whatever he could to lower the number of abortions that are being performed each year. So even with the gruesome ways that abortions are performed President Obama supports them, even though only 28% of the country agrees that they should be able to be performed at anytime, and still only 54% agree with them in certain circumstances. There are two main reasons that Obama supports them. First, Obama doesn’t feel that there is a defining point on when an embryo becomes a child and the other main reason for the reversal of the policy is that he believes that by having the policy in effect, it will reduce the number of unintended and high risk pregnancies.
To counter Obama’s first argument of there is not a defining moment on when life actually begins he should maybe turn to science. Minutes after the sperm enters the egg the process of life begins and the new “baby” begins to inherit the 23 chromosomes from the father and the other 23 from the mother. These 46 chromosomes will lead to distinguishing traits that the child will have with them for the rest of their life. Some women claims that the baby is part of her body, that it is the same thing as an organ, when in fact this is actually wrong because of the traits that are within the embryo are different from the mother, so it is a different being not part of the mother. The word fetus even means “little child” or “young one.” The excuse of “it’s my body and I have to right to choose to do what I want with it” is also used. Women who claim this are absolutely correct it is their body, but the embryo in their body isn’t and they don’t have the right to do what they want to that body. Abortion is the termination of a life and since when is murder is a solution to anything?
Obama’s second main argument is that he feels that by negating the policy it will reduce the number of unintended and high risk pregnant. Over the past ten years abortions have been on a decline, without Federal funding being used to do them or supporting them, So I don’t see where he is coming from on this one. For the women who do have an unintended pregnancy, I don’t feel that they should be given the option to abort that child, expect for a few cases which I will get into. For a couple to engage in unprotected sex they must bare the consequences that come along with engaging in the act, but according to Obama its okay, the “problem” can be fixed. In essence abortion is being used as a form of birth control this wrong, abortion is not a form of birth control, the use of condoms, birth control pills, the patch, or even abstinence is birth control, abortion is murder.
For the special cases I was referring I was according to victims of rape and incest. The women who are victims of these crimes it is unfair for them to go through the process of childbirth for an act that was forced upon them. Though I still don’t condone the act of abortion I feel that this is a situation where it could be used; on the same hand rape and incest abortions account for less than 1% of all of the abortions that are performed each year.
When Obama signed this policy to allow for the funding he asked for no media coverage, I wonder why this is? In a time where we as Americans are facing a tough recession and our economy is at one of its most vulnerable points it is important that every program, every dollar is used wisely. So why does Obama want to spend close to 400 million dollars on overseas family planning and abortion funding? To me it is just another way that the Democratic Party is just spending, spending, spending.
I am very disappointed with Obama’s decision on this policy and feel that the money that is going to be spent on this could be used better such as helping rebuild our infrastructure, education, or housing, all of which were higher on the list during Obama’s campaign. To be spending money on abortions is irresponsible. With all of the money that is going to be spent in the stimulus plan it is a shame that any should have to go towards this.