55 Million

My heart is breaking today, as it does many other days, when I think of the huge number of lives affected by the decision in Roe v. Wade that was made by the Supreme Court of the United States 40 years ago today.  Let's take a look at the numbers for a minute:  

• 52-55 Million: Most abortion statistics have the number of aborted babies sitting between 52 and 55 million.  That's the population of the state of Michigan 5.5 times over.  That's the population of New York City almost 7 times over.  That's the population of the state of California almost 1.5 times over.   That's almost 20% of the current population of the United States of America.  55 million sweet, innocent, wee little babies who were not given the opportunity to taste life outside the womb and are now in Heaven.
• 40-45 Million:  Most abortion statistics, including those from the Guttmacher Institute which studies reproductive health, indicate that approximately 40% of American women have had 1 or more abortions.  That's roughly between 40 and 45 million women who have been affected directly by abortion.
• 40-45 Million:  Assuming that every father of the baby was informed that his significant other was going to have an abortion (which isn't likely) that's a large amount of men who are also affected by abortion
• 200 Million: This is the approximate number of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings who never got to meet their little relative, or potentially never even knew that the abortion occurred.

It's so easy for people to claim that abortion affects only the woman who had the abortion (and only in a minor way for the women at that), but when you look at the numbers it's plain to see that is not the case.  

I don't care to start an argument or condemn, I just want people to think on that number, 55 million.  That's huge and so very very sad, especially considering that Jane Roe has since come to the realization that her worth is found in God, not man, and that abortion is not the answer.  I pray that as a society we would return to our understanding of the value of children.  

I believe, ironically enough, that President Obama said it best recently, following the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary:

"This is our first task — caring for our children. It's our first job. If we don't get that right, we don't get anything right. That's how, as a society, we will be judged.

And by that measure, can we truly say, as a nation, that we are meeting our obligations? Can we honestly say that we're doing enough to keep our children — all of them — safe from harm? Can we claim, as a nation, that we're all together there, letting them know that they are loved, and teaching them to love in return? Can we say that we're truly doing enough to give all the children of this country the chance they deserve to live out their lives in happiness and with purpose?

I've been reflecting on this the last few days, and if we're honest with ourselves, the answer is no. We're not doing enough. And we will have to change...

...We can't tolerate this anymore. These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change. We will be told that the causes of such violence are complex, and that is true. No single law — no set of laws can eliminate evil from the world, or prevent every senseless act of violence in our society.

But that can't be an excuse for inaction. Surely, we can do better than this. If there is even one step we can take to save another child, or another parent, or another town, from the grief that has visited Tucson, and Aurora, and Oak Creek, and Newtown, and communities from Columbine to Blacksburg before that — then surely we have an obligation to try...

...That's what we can be sure of. And that's what you, the people of Newtown, have reminded us. That's how you've inspired us. You remind us what matters. And that's what should drive us forward in everything we do, for as long as God sees fit to keep us on this Earth.

"Let the little children come to me," Jesus said, "and do not hinder them — for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." "

If you're interested in learning more about this topic from a Christians perspective I would encourage you to check out Abby Johnson's book, "unPLANNED".  Abby is the former director of a Planned Parenthood Clinic and this book details her amazing transition from being pro-choice, to pro-life.