Abortion Personalized

My sprained ankle is almost fully healed. I was concerned that I’d miss the screening of 12th & Delaware (loki, hbo, imbd) since it’s impossible to keep a leg elevated while driving to Hollywood. I did attend though, and the film was well worth the traffic. I’d recommend all Christians with HBO to see it this Monday.

Last night, filmmaker Heidi Ewing explained how her intent was to move the debate out of the courtroom to focus on the personal experiences of those whose lives are completely wrapped up in the abortion issue: pregnancy care center volunteers, abortion clinic employees, and pregnant women at a turning point in their lives. There were no celebrities. No politicians. Just two opposing street corners on opposite sides of the debate.

What I really appreciated was how the documentary showed the pro-life movement’s reluctance and inability to address the mothers’ real financial needs. In one instance, a woman on the phone complains that it’s easy for the volunteer to suggest keeping the baby when she’s not the one who has to find a way to feed and care for it. Towards the end of the film, a team of protesters rejoice that another woman changes her mind after being promised various types of material support…most of which she doesn’t receive, as the Q&A session revealed.

It’s troubling that some pro-life activists would justify willfully making promises that they have no intention of keeping when these women are desperate for food, clothing, shelter, and security, often for children they already have as well as themselves. If sidewalk counselors were just as passionate about helping resolve problems that exist prior to pregnancy, then they might be far more effective in preventing abortions later on.