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Protect against Title IX and submit a comment by September 12, 2022.

The US Department of Education released their proposed changes to Title IX regulations that would dramatically change the future for women and girls in federally funded activities and programs. There are many negative impacts that will harm girls, women, and families.

A government portal has been set up for you to make a comment submission.  It is very straight-forward and easy to do.  In addition, this governmental body is required to read every submission, large and small – before they can finalize the new “Rule.”  So rest assured, your input will be read and considered.

TAKE A STAND TODAY

ufilogoToday Matt, Taylor, and I had an interesting lunch discussion on the topic of abortion. It made me think about the seriousness of it and the many perspectives that people have on this sacred topic. In a debate, it is nearly impossible to come to an agreement on this subject, but this is my take on the issue.

I will first state that I believe that an abortion, at any stage of development, is taking the precious life of a human being. Those cells are a human life, they are the cells of an individual, it is the beginning of life…the beginning of a human being.

Abortion takes away the future being’s innate right to make his or her own choices on how he or she will live and who they will become. What was once an opportunity for the individual to learn, grow, love, invent, share, and explore is taken away for the selfish purposes of their irresponsible parents. Never will the aborted life be able to pass through hard times nor feel the joy as they achieve their goals, all because 2 people didn’t think it would be convenient to take responsibility for their choices. This innocent life will never be able to exercise free will on anything, all options are shut down as the parents express their greed.

While living in Paraguay, I had the opportunity to meet with many women who had had abortions. I wish each person who considers abortion could have heard what I heard. To feel the sorrow of each woman, to share in their pain was something I will never forget. One woman told me that she had a child aborted 14 years ago, and literally, ever since that moment she had been haunted by her mistake, never had I seen anyone in such sorrow as she was. She said she had thought about it every single day, that she had been kept awake innumerable nights dwelling on her choice. She expressed to me the sadness she felt when another woman would consider abortion and how she would beg each potential mother to not repeat her mistake. I had 10 or so similar occasions, and each woman was weighed down heavily for their decision to prematurely end the child’s life.

Some will say, “but Drew, sometimes it just isn’t logical to bring a life into this world. So the lady got pregnant, she can’t deal with that financially and she has her career, an abortion just makes sense.” I would hope that these people would read my blog on act utilitarianism vs. rule utilitarianism and understand that deciding to take a life based on what is economically smart is morally wrong and strips the individual of all integrity. That class of decision making unveils a shallow and corrupted set of priorities and values. What is more tragic than trading a life for money?

Adoption, not abortion is the answer. Many people who become pregnant are not fit nor prepared to support a life. If arrangements are unable to be made so that the child can grow in a healthy, loving environment, adoption is the only moral fix to the problem. It is believed that the process of adoption is a difficult and long road, this is false. Many organizations have been set-up to ease the burden. One organization is LDS Family services, this organization is run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but is open and eager to help women of all faiths. There exist people who value life and the opportunity we all have to make choices. There are men and women who will make all sacrifice possible so that the mother and child end up in the right place. Abortion denies these facts and fuels the idea that life is meaningless. Life does matter, choices are important. Give the child a chance, let him or her make their own decisions as to who they will become.

I recognize that in some scenarios an abortion is needed to save the life of the mother, I cannot dispute that sincere consideration must be given to abortion. Under any other circumstances I consider abortion to be a selfish reaction to an irresponsible moment. If a couple decides to have sexual relations outside the bonds of marriage, birth control should be used to keep an innocent child out of harm’s way. If an unplanned pregnancy occurs, adoption is a loving and unselfish solution and a pathway to a bright future for both mother and child.