Issue Position: Abortion

Issue Position

Kay's Answer: There are three views that I personally hold as I reflect on the magnificence, glory and protection of life.

The first is my belief that life is an exclusive, miraculous gift from our Heavenly Father. We are all--- each one of us--- created equally in his image.

The second perspective is that we human beings, as the highest form of creation on the planet, have a unique and serious responsibility to regard and protect innocent human life as sacred and untouchable.

And lastly, I subscribe to the eloquent doctrine rooted in our nation's Declaration of Independence which states that we all are entitled to the universal, natural rights of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Fundamentally, abortion is an affront and indignity to these principles. Abortion destroys an innocent life. It can also injure a woman who chooses to end her pregnancy.

In 2007, there was approximately one abortion for every 7 live births in Alabama. Of the more than 9,000 abortions performed in 2007, almost 20 percent were to teenagers.

Almost half a million abortions have been performed in Alabama since Roe. v. Wade was decided in 1973. That's greater than the populations of Mobile (404,000), Huntsville (387,000), or Montgomery (366,000).

For every 1,000 live births in America, there are more than 200 abortions. Since 1973, more than 40 million babies have been aborted in the United States.

Not only does abortion end the life of an unborn baby, the largely untold consequence is that it can injure the mother's mental health as well. Women who undergo an abortion are twice as likely to have anxiety or depression, and are twice as likely to have thoughts of suicide.

To stem the loss and even reverse the course of losing more unborn babies in Alabama, we should:

* First off, do more to encourage abstinence to prevent unwanted pregnancies;

* We should reaffirm among our youth that the structure of marriage is the ideal design for having babies and being parents.

* We need to actively promote pro-life counseling centers to counter the harmful advice women and young girls receive from "family planning" clinics;

* Let's give tax breaks to Alabama families who offer foster homes for children born in our state; and

* Let's also offer tax breaks to Alabama families who choose to adopt children in our own state.

Alabama must strengthen its pro-life position by encouraging our youth to save themselves for the sanctity of marriage. If we made more in-state adoption and foster home tax breaks available, many "unwanted" children might find homes more quickly.

The Benefit To You:
Babies born into loving, stable families help produce a more healthy, happy society. Encouraging pregnant women to give birth to their babies, rather than abort them, saves innocent lives and helps reduce potential physical and mental suffering of the mothers. There are many couples who desperately want children but cannot have them biologically. The current system is an expensive and time-consuming endeavor. Greater availability of children for adoption, along with financial incentives could ease these burdens.

Source