I consider myself to be Liberal. Well... to be honest, I'm a fence-sitter. I take a little from each side....
I've long struggled with the abortion issue. I finally formed the opinion that while I personally would never have an abortion, it is a woman's right to do so. Especially in cases of rape or incest, I think it needs to be allowable. Abortion, to me, is a matter between a woman and God. I don't think the government has the right to come between that. I know, a lot of you are probably shaking your heads in disagreement and that's ok. It's just my opinion, for what it's worth.
Today, the Supreme Court upheld a ruling which bans partial-birth abortions. The last time this came up, I don't remember much about it. I certainly didn't know what was involved in the procedure. Just a short while ago, I saw the headline regarding today's ruling and went on to read the full article. The writer from the Associated Press held little back in describing what happens during the procedure.
The procedure is not the only option available to women who are more than 12-weeks pregnant and partial-birth abortions are a violent procedure. This might be the only time you'll ever hear me say this but... I think President Bush was right in saying that it "borders on infanticide." There are other ways of performing procedures deemed necessary after the first trimester. I think the Supreme Court got it right.
I've talked with quite a few friends the last 24 hours regarding the shootings at Virginia Tech. Through the discussions we've formed a lot of opinions and shared a lot of disbelief and sadness. No answers were to be found.... In fact, I think we came up with more questions than when we started.
It's easy to be consumed by the sadness of the situation. Although I have no connection to Virginia Tech or to anyone affected by the murders, my heart breaks as I read about each of the victims and the amazing potential, talents, and brilliance they possessed. Not one of them deserved this. They were at the wrong place at the wrong time.
A few minutes ago, I read two plays that the gunman wrote. I also read several accounts of how people pleaded with him to receive some sort of mental health treatment. All of this might have been avoided, but that's an entirely different blog.
After reading those plays, I watched a Virginia Tech poet share her thoughts at the memorial today at the school. Afterward, when tears could have been shed and people could have raised their fists in anger, cheers of "Let's go Hokies" echoed through that stadium.
To listen to their chants of "Let's go Hokies!" was overwhelming, even as a bystander far removed from the situation. Watching English professor and author Nikki Giovanni pump her fists into the air and encourage the cheers gave me chills. I'll admit to getting teary-eyed for the first time since the news of the shootings broke. Although the fact that I got teary-eyed wouldn't surprise anyone who knows me....
Instead of anger, there was pride. That's a school that will mourn, and question, and yes... be angry. But that's also as school unified by this tragedy and they WILL recover.
