Book Review: Forbidden Grief

There is a medical procedure that has drastic physical psychological consequences. 10% of patients end up being hosptialized for psychiatric disorders at some point after the operation. The rate of PTSD in patients is similar to that of active duty military coming back from a combat zone. Study after study points to significantly higher rates of suicidal behavior, depression, psychosomatic illnesses, and a host of other maladies. This operation can lead to hemorrhaging, infertility, and even death. And though temporary feelings of relief are sometimes reported, most patients regret having this operation when they come to terms with it. Even those who simply know someone who has had this operation are often deeply affected for years to come.

Obviously we should stop this procedure immediately, make it illegal, and restrict access to it. And I even left out the worst part of all. Whenever this operation is successful, it results in the death of an innocent, defenseless human being. As you might have guessed by now, I am talking about abortion. But at first that might not have been so clear. That is because the media and abortion providers consistently reject claims that abortion has a significant negative affect on huge numbers of women.

The Guttmacher Institute, Planned Parenthood's personal "research" agency, has consistently claimed that "Abortion does not Increase Women's Risk of Mental Health Problems." This is patently false, but it has been repeated often enough to be considered true.

I picked up Forbidden Grief, a book by Theresa Burke about her experiences counseling post-abortive women, as part of our preparations for this club. It was simply one among many books related to abortion that I found on the Students for Life website. At first. But when I opened Forbidden Grief, I had a hard time putting it down. I've read a good number of books and articles about abortion, probably more than the average person. None of them prepared me for this book.

It was shocking. It rattled me to the core. I know abortion is wrong. I know that it takes a life. I'd always assumed that it took a toll on the mother, but I had no idea of the magnitude of the scars left by abortion. Theresa Burke is a medical professional who has worked with post-abortive women and men for many years. Every story she relates is heart-rending. Women who were pressured and coerced into abortion, sometimes even forced, are haunted for decades by the child they lost. Women are flat-out lied to by abortion clinic worker: told their developing child is "just a piece of tissue" or that mental health complications after an abortion are "exceedingly rare." Women think they are going crazy because they were not informed about the very real psychological consequences of having an abortion.

This book proved to me that organizations like Planned Parenthood really do not care for women. If they did, they would provide effective post-abortive counseling services instead of taking their money for the procedure and subsequently forgetting about them. Instead, abortion therapy groups like those led by Theresa Burke are the only recourse for the massive numbers of women haunted by their choice.

Forbidden Grief is eye-opening because it shows you the studies and data that pro-choice supporters do not want you to see. For instance, in a study involving women who were unexpectedly pregnant as a result of sexual assault, Burke writes that 89% of women who aborted their pregnancies regretted it while all of the mothers who carried their children to term did not regret their decision. The cases of rape and incest are often waved around, not with any sympathy for the victims, but as a way of enabling future abortions. Forbidden Grief makes it clear that abortion is simply never the answer, regardless of circumstances.

Everyone involved in any way with the pro-life movement should read Forbidden Grief. It is essential to understanding the very complex issue of abortion. Of course the essential facts are simple: abortion stops a beating heart. But we must also be prepared to embrace and support women who have had an abortion. Because they are suffering. Thousands, maybe even millions of women, are suffering in silence because their grieving has been stigmatized and belittled. Their grief is "forbidden." Therefore, in order to win the war against abortion, we must acknowledge and care for the suffering women in addition to ending the evil that killed their babies and caused all their pain. Forbidden Grief is essential reading because it allowed me to have a glimpse into what it is like for the countless men and women involved or connected to abortion.

Of Apes and Men

We've all seen the video. We've all heard the story. Over Memorial Day weekend in the Cincinnati Zoo, Harambe the gorilla was shot to death after a child fell into his enclosure. This incident has sparked international outrage. An online petition calling for an investigation into the home situation of the child has several hundred thousand signatures. Pundits ask over and over again: why did the gorilla have to be killed? Why didn't they just tranquilize the gorilla? I have even seen people suggest that the parents of the child should have been shot first.

First the facts. The gorilla could have easily killed the child. That kind of gorilla can weigh up to four hundred pounds. Even unintentionally, Harambe could have broken every bone in that child's body. And tranquilizing the gorilla would have ensured the death of the child. If you don't believe me, look up a video of a large mammal like a lion being tranquilized. It's not instantaneous. The tranquilizer can take up to several minutes to incapacitate an animal of that size. And it makes them mad. Intelligent animals like gorillas know what is going to happen. They react violently. Shooting the gorilla without a doubt saved the life of the child.

But I am not here to talk about the reasons why Harmabe was shot. I think it is much more important to look at the reaction that came from his shooting, because it is very indicative of our culture's attitude towards life.

Where was the gratitude that the child was saved? Where was the rejoicing in the fact that the child got to go home to his parents? Nowhere in sight. Rather, we chose to react with anger at the death of a gorilla, an animal.

What better characterizes our culture's misplaced priorities? We have forgotten the unique value of human life. So-called ethicists like Peter Singer have made us believe that the life of an animal is as valuable if not more valuable than the life of a human being.

Of course the death of Harambe was unfortunate. No one is saying that it is a good thing that the gorilla died. What I am saying is that it is better that the gorilla died rather than the child. A child is worth much more than an ape. And yet in this case, their lives were treated as at best the same.

Human life is sacred. Animal life is not.

And where was this same level of outrage in Chicago? Over that same weekend, dozens were injured and four left dead from shootings in Chicago. A fifteen year old girl was murdered. Where is the anger? Where is the petition? Where is the news coverage? Where are the pundits when human life is lost?

The death of Harambe the gorilla exposes the twisted nature of our culture of disposable life. We are being told that shooting a gorilla to save a child is a far greater injustice than at least four murdered humans in Chicago. These misplaced priorities are not only insane, they are dangerous. It degrades the worth of human life in favor of animal life.

I think that the reaction to the death of Harambe the gorilla shows us that while it is a scientific fact that life begins at conception, abortion remains legal in the United States. Many pro-choice apologists will even admit that abortion takes a life. Their justification is equivocation. The life of that unborn child was simply not as valuable as the interests of the mother or the father. The life of that baby was too inconvenient. The life of that human being did not matter.

But life does matter. That is why we are here. That is why we fight. When it comes down to it, human life is infinitely more valuable than that of an ape, a dog, or any other animal. Remember that. Do not listen to the lies spread on the media, rafter hold fast to the truth. Stand with us for life. 

The Battle

First of all, I would like to thank all of you for visiting the Huntingtown High School's Students for Life of America Club blog. We are committed to educating and training a new generation of high school activists who will become advocates for the unborn and life at every stage.

Our club is affiliated with Students for Life of America, a courageous organization that provides resources to high school and college pro-life organizations. They provide a network of support and inspiration without which this club would not be possible.

We are engaged in a battle. Every day thirty-three hundred babies are killed by abortion. Thirty-three hundred. That's thirty-three hundred lives cut short, thirty-three hundred children who will never hear the sound of their mother's voice or see the sunrise.

But this is not a physical battle. We cannot protect life by taking it. We must denounce all forms of violence against abortion clinics. That is not how we will win this battle.

The battle against abortion, euthanasia, and all other crimes that violate the basic right to life is one of ideas, arguments, and culture.

We must defend this basic idea, this "revolutionary" idea that all life is sacred. From the moment of conception to natural death, all life is sacred. Any attempt to violate the sanctity of life is a crime against natural law. Natural law is unchangeable. It does not depend on what some legislators agree upon or what the courts say. Murder is never acceptable. That is why we are against abortion, euthanasia, and the death penalty.

We must argue against the insanity of the other side. All too many have been deluded by the lies of Margaret Sanger and other apologists for the culture of death. They have heard falsehoods often enough that they have become half-truths merely from repetition.

We must replace this culture of death with a culture of life. We must counter the insidious elements of a culture that does not value life with the inviolate sanctity of life. Only then will the unborn be protected. Only then will life be sacred once more. Only then will we be able to rest in peace.

Our club is committed to the defense of life. We will do whatever it takes to bring about the end to abortion and all other crimes against the sanctity of life.

If we do not defend the most vulnerable in our society, who will defend us? Abortion and euthanasia are symptomatic of a culture of disposable life. What will you do when it is your life that becomes worthless? Who will stand up for you?

Every life has inestimable worth. Every child deserves to live.

That is why we fight.