This article by Judy Goad appeared in the Bakersfield Californian’s Community Voices section titled, “We still must do more to protect unborn children,” on June 26, 2023.
On June 24, 2022 Roe v. Wade was overturned, yet abortions still happen at an alarming rate and abortion advocates still complain about the lack of states “protecting” abortion access and how hard it is in some states to even get an abortion.
National news articles bemoan the long drive some women have to make to another state because their home state has restricted abortion and has chosen to “protect” the innocent unborn child from death. Really, have we reached the time where we complain because those in leadership are protecting our children? That’s so incredibly sad.
These news articles document the many cases of women who have had to wait in a long line at a clinic in order to obtain an abortion. In their eyes the overturning of Roe v. Wade created a huge inconvenience for women seeking an abortion, but the articles never discuss the reality of how abortion ends the lives of a child’s life.
In my eyes, in the eyes of pro-life advocates across this country, the overturning of Roe v. Wade provided a great opportunity for us to right a terrible wrong, to come to our senses and to save the lives of the unborn. To work even harder in saving lives.
Sadly, in California, we are not there yet. We are not even close. In fact, California has gone so far as to expand the guidelines for abortion, making it easier for California residents as well as non-state residents to get an abortion.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, California is considered a “Very Protective” state, one of 5 in this category in the United States. That does not mean that California is very protective of its unborn children, no California is considered to be “very protective” of abortion laws. The category to be considered “very protective” has nothing to do with the innocent children involved but has everything to do with how easy it is to get an abortion. The easier it is, the more “protective” the state is.
Not only does California have some of the most permissive abortion laws in the country, but it is also one of the most welcoming states in terms of abortion. California invites others to come here to end their pregnancies, in essence making this state a true “killing field”.
As we reflect upon this one-year anniversary of Roe v. Wade let’s celebrate the fact that some states, not all, but some have chosen to protect the unborn children living within their communities. 16 states are considered “most restrictive” or “very restrictive” in that they have placed restrictions on the laws in their state against abortion. Restrictions against abortion are a good thing. Let’s celebrate that because of these restrictions thousands of lives have been saved.
If abortion advocates would put as much effort into making abortion unthinkable as they do in complaining about the inconvenience of having to drive across state lines, perhaps we could turn this around and make California truly “Very Protective” of the unborn children we should be protecting, not disposing of. Make no mistake, abortion takes an innocent life, and we need to protect those lives before it’s too late!
Let’s remember the overturning of Roe v. Wade as a time we stepped up and began the drive towards valuing life in all it’s stages. Let’s truly have something to celebrate!