For decades now, many within the abortion community have argued for the legality of lethal injections by claiming these gruesome processes were actually safe, without being aware they left young people fighting for their lives right before their eyes, buried alive and frozen to death in cold concrete for hours, sometimes even days.
In fact, a new study that will soon be published in the prestigious American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology exposes the agonizing circumstances encountered by the unborn in U.S. abortion clinics. Among a series of shocking statistics shared by the authors: In one instance, a young girl who was mistakenly given the wrong dose of anesthesia during an abortion nearly died; in another, an abortionist stated his “vital organs were not moving;” and in another abortion, a baby so far gone it was already moving after being delivered, may have survived had medical staff done things differently.
More than a decade ago, people who cared deeply about these abominable practices were shocked to learn of the lack of transparency surrounding the procedures conducted in clinics. It was only then that mainstream media began reporting on the full story of how the babies were aborted.
Shockingly, some doctor conspired to falsify late-term abortions to add a few minutes to the process, so he could add late abortions to his overall number. Others refused to do the actual procedure. Even some decided to use cutting tools like saws and power drills to abort the babies, all for profit.
Many of us had to witness these gruesome images first-hand – and the second-hand and third-hand accounts that followed. We were standing right next to the shackles and chains of shackled babies. We got to see the blood and the bruises. We went through a surgery kit and noticed bloody incubators. We saw gruesome evidence of aborted infants wrapped in sheets that would disintegrate as soon as they were removed from the walls of an abortion facility.
Is the shocking thing in the new report regarding late-term abortions? Yes. The shocking thing, however, is that the Supreme Court of the United States has been unwilling or unable to protect the unborn from this horrific practice – even for those who may have rendered different judgments.
My own family was split on the abortion issue. My father, who had been raped as a child, said he didn’t believe in abortion. The scars of that were hard for my father to reconcile, and when it was time for me to make my choice, he decided not to participate in the abortion process.
I made a decision I’ll never regret, and that decision weighed heavily on me as I developed my heart and soul as a Christian. But I have no regrets in sharing with you my personal journey to Christ. I believe there is a greater plan than abortions for every woman who chooses to use them.
I have faced some difficult challenges as a result of my decision to be pro-life, but I’ve also learned the power of faith and forgiveness. Sometimes it’s as simple as not seeking justice in court. Just last year, a senior at Boston College was sentenced to two years in prison for physically attacking and falsely accusing an opposing student of raping her.
It’s time for the Supreme Court to shut down late-term abortions in this country.
I pray that the next justice on the U.S. Supreme Court will follow in the footsteps of those who have chosen justice and love over fear and anger.
Abortion is legal in the U.S. today, and we have been here before. Let’s not let it happen again.
Al Calloway is a longtime journalist who began his career with the Atlanta Inquirer during the early 1960s civil rights struggle. He is currently the editor at large for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and can be reached at [email protected].