As an online writer, I come across a fair number of memes. Some of them are cleverly arranged to convey a well thought out message. There’s also ones like this:
The sign on the left conveys an obvious fact: it’s pretty hard to hold “pro-choice” beliefs (or hold anything at all) if somebody’s already killed you. The logic behind the sign on the right, however, is a little more hazy.
The second message seems to imply that holding pro-life values is somehow incompatible with being pregnant–an odd notion. For although their efforts certainly aren’t easy, pregnant women who choose to give birth are unambiguously engaged in a pro-life act. Of course, expectant moms do face plenty of frustrating challenges. Dealing with Nancy Pelosi can be one of them.
Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth is a decorated vet who lost both her legs to insurgents in Iraq. The Illinois Democrat is also pregnant and has been advised by her doctor to avoid travel. So, instead of heading to Washington for her party’s leadership vote, Duckworth asked if she could vote by proxy instead. House Minority Leader Pelosi was unsympathetic.
“The rules of the caucus,” Pelosi explained, “are the same as the rules of the House — no proxy voting — and [allowing Duckworth to vote] would require changing rules of the caucus as different from rules of the House.”
Very well then, can’t the rules be changed? After all, Nancy Pelosi has talked at length about helping women overcome obstacles, so you would think she’d be willing to accommodate pregnancy.
Nope. “You’re going to establish a situation where we’re going to determine who has a note from the doctor that’s valid or not. It’s really a place we shouldn’t go.”
In fact, Rep. Pelosi doesn’t seem that enthused about mothers being involved in politics at all, remarking, “I was one of the ones who said to Congresswoman Duckworth, ‘Don’t come back here. This is a most glorious experience of your life, the center of the universe will change for you when you have this precious new baby.’ ” Given that the senior Democrat opposes limits on late-term abortion, she must see the transition from killable non-person to “precious new baby” as being fairly abrupt.
In contrast, pro-lifers realize that new moms are sometimes in need of aid and care. You can help provide that by volunteering or making a donation at your local pregnancy care center–a place where women can get valuable support. You can also offer encouragement through something as simple as a kind word, a cheerful gift, or a seat on the bus. Because while Nancy Pelosi might lack understanding, that shouldn’t stop the rest of us from being ready to show it.
