Abortion clinic

I went to an abortion clinic with Stephanie, Ester and Mike on Saturday.

Stephanie goes a lot and told me to expect one group of protesters to have posters of aborted babies and microphones. She was right. As I drove up, one man stepped a little closer to my car with a disgusting picture of a baby. Another guy yelled at me not to do it as I parked in the parking lot.

Of course I wasn't there for myself, which they realized when I moved my car to the street. Protesters aren't supposed to park in the parking lot I guess. I waited on the other three to get there and we stood on the sidewalk (we aren't allowed near the building).

We didn't yell or call people murderers as they walked in the door like the other group did. We just asked people as they drove up if they wanted some information. A few people took it, but most didn't. One man said he and his girlfriend (?) would read it before they went in, but I think her mind was made up.

I honestly think the other group of people (all guys) have good intentions -- they made some true, hard-hitting points -- but I think their approach is all wrong. Maybe a mic is the only way to be heard sometimes, but yelling at people just turns them off. Yes, deal with the issue, but also consider the people involved. And evangelizing, while important, might not be the best place to start in such a situation.

One Hispanic woman brought her daughter to give out information. Another older lady sat in a lawn chair, videotaping the protesters. Stephanie said she puts videos on YouTube to show how crazy "we" are.

On the flip side, two security guards hung around their SUVs, smoking, playing a guitar or turning on loud music to drown out the mic. One got into an argument with one of the protesters and threatened to blow him away. (So that's OK, but you agree with abortion?) He ripped up one of Ester's handouts after asking if he could have one.

Some women looked upset driving up. One couple had a little girl in the backseat. Most avoided eye contact or drove into the parking lot as quick as possible.

I’ve never been in their shoes, so I can't pretend I know what they are going through, but I do know that ending an innocent life is wrong.

We see it on the news all the time: a person murdered at the bus stop, a parent drown his 3-year-old. We shake our heads and know it’s wrong, but what happens when abortion comes up?

Maybe a woman says she isn't ready to be a mother. I can relate to that. I’m 24 and married, I have a job, and I’m not ready to be a mom, either. I’d like to be someday, but babies take time, energy and money. They’re a lot of work.

But a pregnant woman is already a mother. A baby begins forming at conception. It has a heartbeat at 21 days old. It wouldn’t be easy to swallow if I found out today I was going to have a baby, but it would be my responsibility and Pete's, too. Actions have consequences.

One woman said she wasn't there for an abortion. I think she drove a friend.

Maybe a person doesn’t personally agree with abortion, but thinks people should make their own decisions.

If a person came up and held a gun to your friend’s head, what would you do? Hopefully you would plead with that person not to shoot. But if he then turns to your friend’s child, what do you do then? Say, “Well that’s OK, as long as her mom agrees”?

Just because you can’t see the baby or doctors hide the ultrasound doesn’t mean there’s not a life in there.

Maybe a woman was raped or the baby is deformed. I can't imagine dealing with that and hope that people in that situation know there is support for them. Yet God says no child is a mistake. There’s a plan for each one of His children. We may not understand it yet, but He has our best interests at heart and uses situations, even like that, for good.

Abortion isn’t the easy way out; it’s not a solution to any anxiety, anger or pain. This is a decision that follows a person a lifetime and ends the life of another.

One boy, probably about 17, drove his girlfriend on Saturday. I didn't hear all he said to one of the protesters, but it was something along the lines of "well, we didn't want it." It's not asking a waitress to hold the tomatoes; it's a person.

My friend had an abortion last year at the age of 21. She wonders what her baby would look like, how he or she would smile or if her son or daughter would have her sense of adventure and bad sense of directions.

I don't know the people who went to the clinic Saturday, but I care about them. They have options; some couples would love to have children but can’t. There are doctors who will see them for free and others who will help care for that child. An innocent child shouldn't suffer because it's inconvenient for the parents. We all have a right to life.