Governor Palin's Pro Life Witness

Today is the 38th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade SCOTUS decision that ruled laws banning abortion were unconstitutional as a violation of privacy. President Obama defended this decision in a statement today:

“Today marks the 38th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that protects women’s health and reproductive freedom, and affirms a fundamental principle: that government should not intrude on private family matters."
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And on this anniversary, I hope that we will recommit ourselves more broadly to ensuring that our daughters have the same rights, the same freedoms, and the same opportunities as our sons to fulfill their dreams"

It seems President Obama now thinks that it is now at his paygrade to make statements about life. His words are heart wrenching and hypocritical. His policies have done nothing but intrude on privacy. To promote abortion as a way to ensure that " our daughters have the same rights, the same freedoms, and the same opportunities as our sons to fulfill their dreams" is both deeply saddening and false. How can one ensure equal rights, freedoms, and opportunities if he advocates for policies that allow for fewer daughters to be born? How can one make sure that children have the opportunity to "fulfill their dreams" when he feels that children born in less than ideal circumstances are deemed punishments? On the other hand, such words can be expected from whom Governor Palin calls "the most pro-abortion President to occupy the White House".

While President Obama makes these statements, abortion has been discussed a great deal in recent weeks. Michelle Malkin has highlighted the sickening and deeply disturbing actions of a Philadelphia abortion doctor who has been charged with murdering multiple babies and performing horrendous procedures on mothers and babies. Many of the procedures he performed are illegal and much of his horrific behavior went completely unchecked. You can read more about this here,but please be warned that the descriptions in Malkin's piece are heart breaking, vile, and sickening. Various members of Congress are promoting bills that would defund Planned Parenthood and other agencies that provide abortion services. One such bill would codify the Hyde Amendment which would block all federal funding for abortion, a concept to which President Obama paid lip service, but despite his words, did not support in action. Defunding abortion services was one of the points of the GOP's Pledge to America that they are striving to uphold. This Congress, due in part to Governor Palin's endorsements, is the most pro-life Congress in history.

Governor Palin has been a strong defender of the rights of the unborn and the pro-life movement. She speaks the pro-life message, giving speeches at "Right to Life" events and discussing pro-life issues in both of her books. So often though, actions speak louder than words. Governor Palin lives the pro-life message on a daily basis. In Going Rogue, she recounts giving life to her youngest son, Trig, born with Down Syndrome when 90% of babies known to have Down Syndrome are aborted. She even begins this book by recounting a pro life booth at the Alaska state fair where Piper served as "poster child" for their efforts. In America by Heart, Governor Palin spends significant ink on the pro-life message, a point highlighted by Kathryn Jean Lopez in her review of the book:

Palin has always been good at highlighting good things that might not otherwise get national attention, and she certainly does that in this book. She praises “unsung heroes” like the Catholic women religious Sisters of Life, “whose members not only pray for the protection of human life but do the hard, selfless work of caring for human life. They help mothers have and raise their children, and they counsel and comfort those who have made decisions they regret.”

Speaking of regret, she also mentions AbortionChangesYou.com, “a safe, nonjudgemental place for women and men who are troubled after their own abortions or those of someone close to them. It’s beyond politics or proselytizing, place that honors the legacy of feminists such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony by helping women heal."

While serving as Governor, the Anchorage Archdiocese shared this statement:

In welcoming Trig into the world, the Palin family once again serves as an incredible witness by embracing all life as a blessing -- even the challenges.

The governor proves again that she not only talks the talk about pro-life issues, she also walks the walk. She is a shining example and steward of life as a politician, unfortunately one of the few entrusted with public office.

An incredible witness indeed. It is one she has lived out both in her personal and political life. As Governor, she advocated for parental consent in abortion, and when the legislature did not support that, she supported parental notification. She does not support embryonic stem cell research. She opposes Obama's overturn of the Mexico City policy that allows federal funding for international organizations that may perform abortions as part of their services. She signed a "safe haven" bill which allowed birth parents who felt ill equipped to fulfill their role as parents an opportunity to give their child to the state. In her press release, Governor Palin shared:

“All children deserve to begin their lives in a loving, protective family,” Governor Palin said. “When that fails, it is our job as a state to make sure that children are protected"

Governor Palin's message is not just protection, but opportunity, rights, and freedoms, all of the things that President Obama claims to support, yet does not. Governor Palin believes that every life is sacred and every child should be given a chance to have life. It's not above her paygrade, nor is a child a "punishment", but a blessing. Quite possibly Governor Palin's most moving speech is her speech at the Vandenberg Right to Life event in Evansville, Indiana nearly two years ago. As she so often says, "you have to walk the walk, not just talk the talk". We can thank God that she has done just that.

Crossposted here.