Breaking my silence on abortion

(G and G) I have never written an article or spoken in public about abortion. I’d like to explain why and then change course. I promise you, writing this article was very difficult.

Abortion is a major topic of concern to millions of Americans and has been a top issue—if not the top issue—in every election in my lifetime. Yet, while I have opined on nearly every issue under the sun, I have avoided discussing abortion in any substantive way in both my writings and as a candidate and party chairman.

This avoidance is not out of deception; I openly profess my Pro-Life stance. Still, it would be understandable to look at my record and question the depth of my dedication to the cause. I never meant that to be so. My intellectual journey regarding abortion policy has been long and prayerful, and it has brought me to a position about which I feel very strongly.

Why I have remained silent

So here is my explanation: I have never spoken forcefully about abortion policy because I care deeply about the feelings of the women in my life, many of whom support so-called abortion rights. My wife is Pro-Life, but there are many other women I know and love who are not. I suspect some of them may have had abortions themselves. Confronting them with my views was never something I wanted to do. In fact, I never wanted to confront any woman who has had an abortion with the truth of what I have discovered over the years. I knew that any strong articulation of my views would require she, and her partner, confront the reality that abortion ends an innocent life.

That is a terrible thing to admit, especially if you have had an abortion yourself.

However, this year’s presidential election showed me clearly that my personal policy of avoidance is no longer appropriate. There is entirely too much disinformation and propaganda regarding abortion in this country. The strategy of lying to young women to win policy battles has confused and frightened far too many. Worse still, this dishonesty has led to the death of countless innocent children.

Following the Dobbs decision, 597 U.S. 215 (2022), where the Supreme Court returned abortion laws to the states, and Donald Trump’s election, we saw the impact of the pro-abortion propaganda campaign. Many American women have been convinced—and are now terrified—that they will lose all of their rights in the post-Dobbs world. Some have gone so far as to talk of The Handmaid’s Tale, predict the end of female voting rights, or act as though women in America are now a severely oppressed class.

These women have been lied to for so long, and some have absorbed these narratives so deeply, that they have lost sight of reality. In service of a partisan agenda, they have been led to believe that the most essential right of every woman is unrestricted, conception-to-birth abortion—preferably funded by the state. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Here is the truth: Human life begins at fertilization (the germinal stage), when a new life with unique human DNA comes into existence. Once a fertilized egg implants into the uterine wall (“implantation” which happens between a few days to a week), the continuous process of human development is on. This process flows uninterrupted from conception to birth, and the developing baby remains a unique human entity throughout. In the embryonic stage (3-9 weeks), structures and organs, like the early formation of the brain and spinal cord, head, eyes, mouth and limbs, form. The fetal stage, where the remaining development occurs, lasts from about 9 weeks until birth. Children can live outside the womb from about 22-24 weeks. Such viability has occurred as early as 21 weeks. (A good description of this process is here.)

There is a lot of debate and discussion of definitions surrounding these facts. I am not a biologist, nor a doctor, so I will leave those debates to others. What I do know is this - any interruption of that process ends a human life. When that interruption occurs naturally, that is a miscarriage (the process “aborts” but that is not the common definition of an abortion). When it is willful, that is an abortion.

This is neither partisan nor political. These are just the facts.

Pro-Life people like me cannot rationalize away the ending of a human life. If all life deserves protection, then it must be protected at all stages of development – from beginning to end. Tougher still, the circumstances of a child’s conception do not justify ending its life. A true Pro-Life position holds that a baby should not be punished for the sins of his or her father, for example. From a legal standpoint, our nation operates under the premise that we should protect life and only take it in extreme circumstances and “under law.” We can debate whether that is ever justified, even for a convicted murderer. What cannot be argued is that an innocent child qualifies for that taking.

Children are not a curse

Perhaps a more pernicious misperception is that children detract from your life. In service of their agenda, abortion advocates have undertaken a campaign, whether willful or accidental, to convince women that children keep you from fulfilling your life goals. As a parent of three and grandparent of five, I can tell you without reservation that this is not so.

Having children is a blessing. They are not a distraction from your life goals, they are an essential part of living a fulfilling life. While not everyone will become parents, which is of course fine, being one is one of the most wonderful and fulfilling experiences one can have. Of course, it should not have to be mentioned that the survival of our species depends on us continuing to procreate. Good thing it is such a wonderful thing to do!

When my wife and I had our children, we were not well established. We had just started our careers, we had negative net worth, and we struggled to pay our bills. We had not seen much beyond our hometown, nor undertaken any great adventures. Still, we would not trade our children away for all the money, career success, or experiences in the world. They completed our lives, and we have found meaning in raising them. Sure, there were difficult times and being a parent can be tough. There were things we could not do, freedoms we did not have, and many things we could not afford. Yet, the life we led was immeasurably more satisfying than any we could imagine without them. We still had careers, we still had adventures, and eventually we even had financial security. Now, in our sixties, we can travel the world and see the sights, but even that doesn’t hold a candle to the enjoyment we get out of spending time with our family. While there are probably exceptions, I have never met a parent who would disagree.

It is unavoidable that some women do not want to carry a pregnancy to term. They may have other life priorities, financial instability, or be in difficult personal situations. There are the rare but tragic cases of rape or incest, which account for less than 1% of abortions. Additionally, the life or health of the mother and fetal anomalies present in about 2% of abortions, and these cases are not always clear from the start (good article on reasons for abortion here). These situations are heartbreaking, and I am not eager to pass judgment on those facing such realities. I feel for them.

The fact is, however, nearly 97% of abortions are performed for social or economic reasons.

So, here is the hard truth: Life is challenging. Sometimes, we face situations we wish had not occurred—whether due to our actions, sheer misfortune, or the evil deeds of others. Reality can be difficult, but we must face the reality of what happens in our lives, even when that reality is not our fault.

Abortion, at its core, is the taking of an innocent child’s life to avoid the consequences of that reality. This is harsh, but it is the truth.

I have come to believe that softening this truth is not in the best interest of women. It is wrong to lie to them by claiming that abortion is an essential right, that a baby is just a “clump of cells,” or that pregnancy will end their freedom, career, or happiness. Women deserve honesty about the core reality of abortion. We must speak honestly to protect women from making uninformed decisions they may regret—a decision that ends an innocent life.

I recognize that this is a tough message to hear, particularly for those who have had an abortion. However, cutting through propaganda and speaking plainly is crucial to ensure future generations understand the truth. Compassion and support for those facing these life challenges is a better strategy than continuing down the wrong path out of misplaced empathy. We can, and should, support parents who undertake this incredibly important journey. There are many ways to do this, and we should ensure that such support is widely available.

So, here is my bottom line: Abortion ends a human life. It is wrong to take a human life in service of one’s own needs, convenience, or position, even when those situations are challenging or tragic. Therefore, abortion is wrong.

Tweet This: It is wrong to take a human life in service of one’s own needs, convenience, or position, even when those situations are challenging/tragic.

The humane thing to do is to state this clearly, with compassion but also conviction, to save another generation of women and children. Silence is no longer an option.