Letter: Babies deserve our pity too

This has always bothered me. There are a lot of people who hate it when they see other people mistreat animals, such as beating, starving them or dumping them. I also feel the same way, but a lot of these same people do not even react about humans.

Small babies are being killed each and every day by abortions. I can say this without blinking an eye that I am so much for these innocent babies instead of animals. These small babies are not asking to be killed, and with all the birth control, why are there so many people getting pregnant? In other words, I, as a Christian, am so against abortion and that is why I am voting for the only person as president who believes the same as I do, and if you are against abortion, you will do the same.

On another matter, I thought people in Baton Rouge who passed agendas for the city were smart, but after witnessing the fact of the alcohol selling an extra day, I am oh so wrong. With all the murders and other crime taking place every single day in your area, why are you asking for more trouble?

Thank God that I live in Denham Springs and our mayor (Jimmy Durbin) is against bringing more problems into our city as best he can. I hope and pray that everyone will read this with an open mind.

Patricia hames

homemaker

Denham Springs

Comments

1) Comment by Gradstudent1 - 05/11/2012

First, I am a Christian so lets get that out of the way. DO..... You realize that the homeless man begging for food is a former fetus? You realize that the unadoptable child with multiple medical,problems is a former fetus? You realize the man on Death Row is a former fetus? You realize that the 10th child of that welfare mother is a former fetus? You realize that the adult in a psychiatric hospital who has no family visiting him is a former fetus? You realize that teen runaway who has turned to prostitution is a former fetus? You criticize people for caring about animals more than fetuses, but do you care more about living human beings walking this Earth than fetuses? What do you do to help any of the above mentioned humans?

2) Comment by ScotB - 03/11/2012

Well, there is a fact I did not know. I checked out Mildred's statement about African American congressman. She's right! They are every one pro-abortion. That really is surprising considering a lot of their potential voters are getting wiped out!

3) Comment by teacherguy - 03/11/2012

I simply think that a person can more effectively be pro-choice BEFORE having consensual sex as they can be after it. I'm not talking about the "special cases"...I'm talking about two willing participants who are not ready for the consequences of having a child but choose to take that risk anyway. Ask a woman who wants her child but miscarries whether or not it is simply tissue or a human being. I guess I just expect people to use common sense and responsible behavior. And DMJ...I think it is a sad day when, in an equality driven America, a woman has the "right" to have consensual sex with a man and then abort the child he put in her without giving him the option to take it if he wants. Correct me if I am wrong, but that just doesn't seem "fair"to me.

4) Comment by misterfalcon - 03/11/2012

Since 1973, over 16 million African American children have been murdered by their mothers in the womb. There are now 42 million African Americans, so the equivalent of almost 40% of the population has been eliminated by this evil procedure. Not really. That's assuming that the abortion was correlated with a further decision never to have children, seek sterilization, or to reduce the final number of children spawned during one's fertile years. Just to throw this in there, something like a 1/3 of all pregnancies go unnoticed and end in natural abortion aka miscarriage, so why not throw that in there for further golly-gee whiz-bangery. Using that figure is even sillier and (this is perhaps the only time that this sexist word is warranted) a hysterical number - in the true sense of the word.

5) Comment by Triple - 02/11/2012

@DMJ, so as a prolific poster you're  telling me that you can make the argument that constitutional protection starts at birth.  I really don't believe, that you believe what you have written.  I can argue, for example, that in the week before a full term healthy delivery, termination is based on geography and protection of life trumps other considerations. You can't convince me that a human gets his first inalienable right as he clears the birth canal, just as I can't convince you that the same be granted at conception.  Some where in the time between events a human is present, existing in the promise of a right to life.  IMO, as a society, as a species, we protect our young.  My opinion is to err aggressively away from the cutting of the cord as the defining moment for the most innocent to be shown mercy.

6) Comment by emilyasc - 02/11/2012

There are a few problems with your reasoning, Patricia. I understand why people are against abortion. I really do. As the child of parents who struggled with fertility issues, I was raised believing that having children is a gift. Even as someone who is pro-life, I think abortion is horrible, and I really would like to see a day when abortion isn't needed anymore. Unfortunately, if what you're really concerned about is reducing abortion rates, you will vote for someone who wants to keep abortion legal. Why? Well, the World Health Organization (a non- political organization whose job it is to monitor health situations worldwide) has reported that in areas where access to abortion is not legal, the abortion rate does not go down. In fact, it says pretty much exactly the same. Women who would have gone to an OB/GYN or clinic instead go to unskilled abortion practitioners or try to self-abort. Both of these options are incredibly dangerous and would lead to women dying from a medical procedure that, if performed by a trained professional, is one of the safest known to man. No, making abortion illegal won't stop abortion. It will just make it more deadly, to both the woman and the babies that you want to protect. There is a reasonable set of solutions to bring down the abortion rates, though. Recently a study was released that looked at abortion rates in St. Louis. St. Louis made the bold step of providing birth control to anyone who wanted it, regardless of means. They found that the abortion rates decreased by two thirds. That is not an insignificant number. This is additionally reinforced by the fact that abortion rates in Massachusetts dropped significantly after (ironically) the passage of Romneycare, which made birth control much more accessible. Experts expect that Obamacare will have the same result, because it also makes birth control much more accessible. But that alone is not enough. We also need to teach our children about their bodies and how they work. Comprehensive sex education in our schools would reduce unwanted pregnancies drastically. When people are armed with the knowledge of how their bodies work, they are less likely to have unprotected sex and get pregnant in the first place. I know many people object and say that it's wrong to teach teens how to have sex, but studies show that teens who receive comprehensive sex ed become sexually active later in life than teens who don't. This is because sex ed gives teens the knowledge they need to protect themselves, and make wise decisions. If you are informed about the consequences of having sex as a teen, you are far more likely to wait so that you don't have to experience those possible consequences. Abortion is not a good thing. No one, not even people who are pro-choice, like abortion. It's horrible that people end up in a position where they have to make that decision. But there is a way to reduce abortion rates, and significantly, if we will have all sides come to the table and accept the facts as they are. Only then will we really make a dent in abortion rates in this country.

7) Comment by DMJ - 02/11/2012

The pro-choice reasoning is this: until a baby is born, it's party of the mother- literally, legally and physically. It's no one else's business what she does with her own body. She is protected by the fundamental right to privacy. When does a fetus become a person? When it's born....not before. Is abortion immoral? Who's to say? That's between the woman, her doctor and her god (if applicable). Politicians should have no say in the matter. Still unclear?

8) Comment by Preppy6917 - 02/11/2012

Soooo......rape is god's will, but abortion is an abomination? Why do you worship this entity again?

9) Comment by Triple - 01/11/2012

Mildred!  Bravo!  Of course your usual colleagues will take exception to your characterization of the act as evil, being a pseudo-religious term.  My understanding of the pro-choice reasoning is the fetus, human potential, is terminated because no consciousness, no brain activity is detectable, so no human exists. One poster wrote that the fetus prior to the third trimester is merely a "blood pumping machine", not yet protected by the constitution.  Until a first trimester human life is recognized as the most innocent among us, the most helpless, the most deserving of protection, abortion will be legal.  Women have rights, mothers take responsibility, often young pregnant girls would rather be women and not mothers.  Of course, every child deserves to be wanted, if we are pro-life we must support robust social programs to nurture the unwanted when responsibility is missing.  Complicated,  life should be the first priority, but a close second is care.

10) Comment by Mildred Citizen - 01/11/2012

Since 1973, over 16 million African American children have been murdered by their mothers in the womb. There are now 42 million African Americans, so the equivalent of almost 40% of the population has been eliminated by this evil procedure. There was a time when slavery was an accepted practice in this nation, too. Just because the present day laws make it legal does not make it anything other than the evil act that it is. What is even more appalling is that every single Democratic African American congressman supports abortion.

11) Comment by DMJ - 01/11/2012

Seriously...what if Romney becomes a liberal again? No telling...

12) Comment by Whatnow - 01/11/2012

Nice letter Ms. Hames. Thank you.

13) Comment by Tea_Slayer - 01/11/2012

"Baton Rouge will soon be the next greatest city to move AWAY from" Bye Bye phil...

14) Comment by shad-o - 01/11/2012

So protect the fetus at all costs right? You do realize that there are prominent members of the group you align yourself with (including Ryan and Romney) who don't support "abortion" even when it would save the life of the mother or if she becomes pregnant from rape or incest. I bet you love your guns and the death penalty too! Hypocrite. Nothing but a giant hypocrite who smugly uses your "Religious Beliefs" to justify horrible actions.

15) Comment by phil - 01/11/2012

Ms. Hames: I stand by your beliefs and also hope you know that the atheists that post here all of the time will probably do their best to put you down and put religion down also. The reality is society tends to treat our pets better than we treat our own unborn babies. Please do not harm that cute little puppy - but feel free to abort your own baby. I think our society has a lot to think about. Also we spend a fortune on very expensive pet food while children go hungry. Relative to the drinking issue I have to ask where all of those religious folks in Together BR are when real moral issues come up. I do not think I heard anything from them on the blue law issue. With the things going on in Baton Rouge, including TIF areas, possible expansion of the the RDA and the DDD, the changes in the blue laws etc, I think it is becoming obvious that Baton Rouge will soon be the next greatest city to move AWAY from.

16) Comment by dday198 - 01/11/2012

everytime i get near that bridge i get a hankering for bush beer and my first cousin.

17) Comment by DMJ - 01/11/2012

yes, thank god you live in Denham Springs...and thank Zeus I don't. And you say you're voting for someone who is "pro-life"....but are you? Are you really?? "As a nation, we recognize the right of all people to believe as they want and not to impose our beliefs on other people. I believe abortion should be safe and legal in this country... I sustain and support that law and the right of a woman to make that choice." -Mitt Romney. Oops. Sure, he's flip-flopped as he has on every other position, but who's to say he won't flip flop again? He's already disavowed several of the positions he took during the primary. Who's to say he won't suddenly become pro-choice again once he realizes overturning Roe v. Wade would be impractical and dangerous and, moreoever, a policy of severe government overreach into people's personal lives...you know....that thing that Republicans are supposed to be against? Want some advice? Don't be a one-issue voter. You're setting yourself up for disappointment. And hooray for the blue laws being overturned in EBR! Reason # 4,567 Baton Rouge is better than Denham.

18) Comment by Lannonmac - 01/11/2012

Abused, neglected and abandon babies do deserve our pity and our help, no doubt about it. But calling a fetus a baby does not make it a fact; any more than calling a fetus an adult makes it a fact. A fetus has the potential to become a baby and ultimately an adult, nothing more. According to a 2007 study by the CDC, 62.3% of all abortions takes place before the 8th week of pregnancy, 91% of all abortions takes place before the 14th week of abortion. The 9% of abortions that take place after the 14th week of pregnancy are overwhelmingly conducted because the life or health of the woman is jeopardized by continuing the pregnancy. Therefore, the vast majority of abortions take place in the first trimester, when the fetus is still in the embryonic phase of development. At this stage the fetus is about 2 ½ inches long and weighs about ½ oz. and is not viable outside of the woman’s womb. To equate the termination of a 1st trimester pregnancy with the murder of a child is simply a lie and the people that keep repeating that lie are either deliberately lying or willfully ignorant. Perhaps people that feel that a “baby” is formed at the moment of conception (about 3-4 weeks after intercourse) should devote more time and energy to helping people prevent pregnancy through use of contraception, that way there would be fewer instances of women having an unwanted pregnancy in the first place. Abortions don’t kill babies, they terminate pregnancies.

19) Comment by Straight Shooter - 01/11/2012

According to the author of this letter, Denham Springs has no abortions and no irresponsible alcohol consumption. According to her letter, "my area" is the only place where abortions, crime and alcohol abuse occur. I'm personally pro-life and against irresponsible alcohol consumption on any day of the week. Yet, I think I will stick to "my area" and not move to "her area". Has this lady not seen the daily news of meth labs in "her area"? What about the horrible news of the Livingston Parish resident cutting out a fetus of his pregnant wife's body? By the way, this lady did not witness a "fact of of the alcohol selling an extra day." She couldn't have. Alcohol was already being legally sold on every day of the week.

20) Comment by [e-mail] - 01/11/2012

tradewinns, why so hostile to babies? Abortion is not natural, and calling babies "fetuses" doesn't change that fact; I personally get physically sick at the thought of killing babies and I always wonder how the people who do it live with themselves.

21) Comment by tradewinns - 01/11/2012

take your religious fanaticism and .....keep it! and by the way, God (nature) aborts more fetuses than clinics.

22) Comment by Bighug - 01/11/2012

How well has prayer worked so far?