"God's Gift"

Yesterday was "Veterans Day". I celebrated by putting out my flag and taking a long look at my home and neighborhood. I live in the greatest nation on this earth; each day I thank God for our republic, and I remember the cost of freedom. Every battlefield came with a price; the most precious gift God has given us; our lives were laid down to protect our citizens from enemies who envy our nation. Life is the only thing each of us has that cannot be replaced. I sometimes spend time looking at our photo albums. During my "trips down memory lane" I see the faces of past loved ones from my life; Mom, Dad, my brother Bill, my uncles and my grandmother Nona. Each year, the face count gets a little bigger; each year there are a few less friends to see. I even spend time looking at pictures of my old pets, they are also lost loved ones, and have left an empty space in my life. Each day I give prayer for my Daughter and my Wife; I ask for health and longevity, for their lives are precious to me. They are irreplaceable to me! Life is priceless!

A couple of weeks ago, I read an article about a Florida mother who had pleaded guilty to the shaking death of her 14 week old son! To those of us who are parents and grandparents, this is an unthinkable act. Alexandra V. Tobias, 22 year old mother, said she was playing "Farmville" on Facebook and the child's crying irritated her to the point of shaking him not once but TWICE! She faces 25-50 years in prison for second degree murder.

We have had many years now of legalized abortion; and there is always talk about the merits of euthanasia. We have retreated into our living rooms, separating ourselves from our neighbors and communities. We watch television and play video games that make the taking of human life something that seems unreal. Doctor Kevorkian was the "high priest" of assisted suicide until he went to prison for some extra assistance he gave to a follower. In the last 50 years, we seem to be devaluing human life. We seem to want to take something that is God's province and use it to our own purpose; and by doing so, we have taken His greatest creation and cheapened it. Our society has turned human life into a disposable commodity; a thing that when it becomes inconvenient, can be removed from our lives.

I have never done an anti-abortion or anti-euthanasia blog before. When I read this account of a young mother with so little regard for the life of her child, I felt I had to make a statement about the position our society has taken on the value of life. At the founding, of our nation the life expectancy was somewhere around 40 years old, and back then, life was held in high regard. Today our life expectancy is around 75, and we seem to regard that longevity as a curse instead of a blessing. We regard unborn children as an inconvenience and a burden, instead of a new life and a gift from God.

I've heard all the arguments about rape, incest and economic burdens in regard to abortion; some are compelling. On the other hand, we must ask ourselves, "Has the cure for cancer or the answer to world peace been placed in a dumpster in Harlem in a plastic bag?" The next time someone asks about abortion rights, we need to raise the question of the rights of those who are unable to speak. What have we lost?