Image: The Word In The House
Some might say this statement is "too little, too late." Many will acclaim it proudly. Some might deem it self-promoting. Still others might object to just about everything in it. The outgoing administration's record on the sanctity of human life is judged by many to have failed in serious and critically significant ways and critics might find this statement hypocritical.
Whatever objections there may be, I find the matter of the proclamation eminently deserving of our reflection.
First observed in 1984, National Sanctity of Human Life Day is observed on the third Sunday of January, proximate to the January 22 anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision.
Catholics and others mark this anniversary each year as a day of prayer and penance, beginning with a national prayer vigil on the evening of January 21. Check your parish schedule for local observances. At Holy Family in Concord there will be a Holy Hour for Life on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
-ConcordPastor
National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2009
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America
All human life is a gift from our Creator that is sacred, unique, and worthy of protection. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, our country recognizes that each person, including every person waiting to be born, has a special place and purpose in this world. We also underscore our dedication to heeding this message of conscience by speaking up for the weak and voiceless among us.
The most basic duty of government is to protect the life of the innocent. My Administration has been committed to building a culture of life by vigorously promoting adoption and parental notification laws, opposing Federal funding for abortions overseas, encouraging teen abstinence, and funding crisis pregnancy programs. In 2002, I was honored to sign into law the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which extends legal protection to children who survive an abortion attempt. I signed legislation in 2003 to ban the cruel practice of partial-birth abortion, and that law represents our commitment to building a culture of life in America. Also, I was proud to sign the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004, which allows authorities to charge a person who causes death or injury to a child in the womb with a separate offense in addition to any charges relating to the mother.
America is a caring Nation, and our values should guide us as we harness the gifts of science. In our zeal for new treatments and cures, we must never abandon our fundamental morals. We can achieve the great breakthroughs we all seek with reverence for the gift of life.
The sanctity of life is written in the hearts of all men and women. On this day and throughout the year, we aspire to build a society in which every child is welcome in life and protected in law. We also encourage more of our fellow Americans to join our just and noble cause. History tells us that with a cause rooted in our deepest principles and appealing to the best instincts of our citizens, we will prevail.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 18, 2009, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon all Americans to recognize this day with appropriate ceremonies and to underscore our commitment to respecting and protecting the life and dignity of every human being.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.
GEORGE W. BUSH
Republicans in general, and Bush in particular, hold their opinions in such contradiction with my own convictions that, even facing the paradox of abortion, I had hitherto abstained myself from supporting Republican candidates. My disposition in the issue took a sharp turn while reading the American History of the years previous to the Civil War and the debate over slavery. To my great surprise, I found a striking similarity between the arguments used to support keeping slavery legal and those used to support abortion.
ReplyDeleteI profoundly dislike sharp controversy and division. I’m, by character and education, a mediator. And maybe that is why I had adopted a very cautious in-the-middle kind of stance regarding the dispute over abortion. Of course, I would never defend it; but neither did I dare to openly and resolutely attack its supporters. Like in everything else, I cringe at the mere thought of being considered an extremist. I fear and abhor violence. Moderation is my banner.
I was not surprised, of course, to find that people in the South would obstinately defend the legality of the “institution” of slavery. They had a keen interest in the dispute. However, I was very unpleasantly surprised to find people in the North that, fearful of the divisions the issue was bound to cause, did not attack the legality of slavery, and tried to hush the more “exalted” and “fanatics” that would not even sit down to dialogue with the other side. They were the “moderates”, wielding strikingly similar arguments to the ones wielded by the moderates of today. I could not help feeling strong disappointment not completely devoid of contempt at their “moderation”. And then I looked at myself and my “moderation”. And fearing and abhorring violence, I hated and dreaded even more the thought of future generations looking back on me (in case I ever make it to the History pages) with disillusionment and disdain.
So I decided, reluctantly at first, and always half-heartedly, to support and publicly defend the McCain-Palin alternative. On Election Day, although I was disappointed, I couldn't totally suppress in me the contagious excitement of the celebrating crowds for such an undeniably momentous occasion in history. Though afterwards, I felt saddened at the thought of losing the arguably only good that I could find after the Bush’s years: the strides taken to overturn Roe v. Wade and, therefore, put an end to this appalling injustice in our Country’s legal system.
But now I remember Hope. Why give it all up just because an election was lost? I share many other very important values with the winner. Many more, I daresay, than with the loser. Why keep trying to accommodate the Republicans and overlook everything else for the sake of abortion instead of trying to change one (maybe two) issue in the Democrats? And that is the battle we face now. We need to win Obama’s heart.
I started my battle. I wrote a letter to Michelle. I thought that maybe if she has a change of heart, will favorably influence her husband.
As we say in Argentina, “he is not dead who keeps on fighting”. And “hope is the last thing to go.” Let’s not give it up so easily.
PS: Sorry for the lenght of this post!
"Anonymous:" Lengthy comments I receive sometimes fail to get published because they ramble on and on and way off topic. Your thoughtful essay, however, is very much worth publishing because of its thoughtfulness and depth. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you Anonymous for your thoughtful post. I pray with you to change Obama's heart as well as the hearts of all who mindlessly support abortion as the law of the land, just as our ancestors mindlessly supported slavery as the law of the land. There could be no more courageous action that this new President could do. I pray that this will happen.
ReplyDeleteI believe the past administration has been making this statement annually since at least 2003. I kept a copy posted in my cube from 2003.
ReplyDelete