Friday, April 25, 2014

Elyssa's Story

Meet Elyssa.

She, being from Connecticut, and I, from Ohio, crossed paths at Created Equal’s Justice Ride over this past spring break. It was easy to see from the start that this sweet girl had a certain sparkle in her eye, and, like so many of us, wants to live life to its fullest. Not the world’s version of living life to the fullest, but choosing to give of her time defending those who cannot defend themselves.

Why this life? Why the time? Abortion can’t affect us now, the lying left tells us. Why do you stand outside abortion clinics and show graphic signs to college students and in high-traffic areas?

I was always told protesting or otherwise speaking outside abortion clinics was a bad thing, so I generally held that opinion. Never again.

We are all unique, but Elyssa is particularly special. Why’s that?

Elyssa’s mother became pregnant at 19. Teenage pregnancies aren’t ideal, but they are hardly uncommon. Sexual activity levels begin to increase dramatically once teens hit age 15. According to the Guttmacher Institute, Planned Parenthood’s statistical institute, in 2008 there were about 750,000 pregnancies among females age 15-19. Twenty-six percent ended in abortions.

This situation was where Elyssa’s mom found herself. Being at the stage of her life she was, and having a boyfriend that didn’t want a child, she chose early on to have an abortion. She made an appointment and went to the clinic. When she got outside the clinic, there were protesters there. They spoke with the perplexed young woman. Elyssa’s mom went inside the clinic, but after talking to the protesters, she couldn’t go through with the abortion and left.
Elyssa's compilation of her with various Justice Riders. She and I are in two photos at the bottom.
Elyssa was born, but still her mother could not take care of her at first. She lived with her grandmother temporarily until her mom took her back at age four. Her mother got married a couple years later, and Elyssa was adopted by her mom’s husband. Now her mom is her best friend, after all the circumstances they’ve been through. The child whose life Elyssa’s mom originally planned on taking is now her best friend.

“The things we had to face were not easy by any stretch of the imagination,” Elyssa told me, “but it wasn't impossible to get through. God used each roadblock in both her and my life to build us up, make us stronger, and draw us closer to not only each other but Him.”

Certainly Elyssa has not had an easy life, but she says she wouldn’t change anything because it has brought her where she is now. This young woman’s life is a stereotypical argument for the pro-choice side. “It’s better to kill a child than bring it into a tough life.” Who are you to make that decision? When people get into tough situations and choose to take their own life, you are upset about it. Yet every year, 1.2 million unborn children are killed, many for that exact same reason. Why are some entitled to the Life the Declaration of Independence declares as a natural right, while others are not afforded that opportunity and have no say in it?

According to pro-choice people, Elyssa should be dead.

Try to argue with that.

This healthy, joyful girl who is making a difference in other lives now should not be here.

I grew up in a nuclear family. My mother became pregnant on purpose. And according to the pro-choice illogic, my life is worth more than Elyssa’s. I should be here but she should not. In fact, they demonize the pro-life individuals that protested outside and convinced Elyssa's mom not to abort. They should not have been there and, it follows, Elyssa should not be either.

The issue at heart here is that, if a child from a rough situation can turn out like Elyssa, 1.2 million could too. Fifty-six million in 41 years could have.

But they should be dead, and Elyssa should be as well.

“That was her mother’s choice," you may argue, "And she chose to bear the child. She wasn’t human at that point, though.”

When did she become human? The traits Elyssa has in the photos were decided at fertilization when she received 23 chromosomes from each biological parent that created Elyssa’s unique DNA. The preborn are only “potential” in the sense that they can live up to the potential they received at fertilization, as Elyssa did.

How about Rebecca Kiessling, who was conceived in rape? Or Melissa Ohden, who survived an abortion attempt and is now a mother herself? These women hardly comprise everyone in these situations.

But they should not be here. And neither should Elyssa.

When we decide to compartmentalize whose life is worth keeping and who we should get rid of, we are guilty of discriminating against those who are poor, or from certain families, or come from certain situations. We consider people noble if they fight for equality of other people groups, but one is frowned upon for defending the preborn. There is a clear parallel between abortion and other injustices in our nation’s history and all over the globe.

Sorry, but I know every life is precious from the beginning.

Sorry, but I know that Elyssa, and Rebecca, and Melissa, and many others should be alive regardless of the circumstances of their mothers.

Sorry, but I don’t think we should kill them for being in a situation they could do nothing about.

Sorry, but I choose to accept abortion clinic protesting as an effective method. The alternative, whether pro-choice or pro-life, is telling those like Elyssa they shouldn’t be here.

Sorry, but I don’t buy into the pro-choice redefining of who is human. Hitler said Jews and the handicapped were less than human. The Supreme Court in the Dredd Scott decision confirmed that blacks are property, not humans. Liberals today say there is a certain threshold that one has to hit to be a human. And few are in agreement on what it is.

Sorry, but I choose to respect all human life equally.

Sorry, but I can’t look Elyssa in the eye and tell her she doesn’t deserve to be alive.

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