I am aware that many object to the severity of my language; but is there not cause for severity? I will be as harsh as truth, and as uncompromising as justice. On this subject, I do not wish to think, or speak, or write, with moderation. No! No! Tell a man whose house is on fire to give a moderate alarm; tell him to moderately rescue his wife from the hands of the ravisher; tell the mother to gradually extricate her babe from the fire into which it has fallen;—but urge me not to use moderation in a cause like the present. I am in earnest—I will not equivocate—I will not excuse—I will not retreat a single inch—and I will be heard. The apathy of the people is enough to make every statue leap from its pedestal, and to hasten the resurrection of the dead. ¹

“The Liberator” | Inaugural Editorial by William Lloyd Garrison | January 1, 1831

I memorized this literary quote for my speech class over thirty years ago. William Lloyd Garrison was an editor of the Liberator, and a strong proponent of the abolition of slavery and the women’s suffrage movement. The last line of his quote has been playing over and over again in my head, as I have pondered the abundance of information coming across my newsfeed, concerning the NYS Reproductive Health Act. It was passed just last week and signed into law by our duly elected governor, Andrew Cuomo.

I am not angry with anyone, but as Mr. Garrison so amply stated, “I am in earnest–I will not equivocate–I will not excuse–I will not retreat a single inch–and I will be heard.”

I am in earnest-

I have been sickened by the photos of my fellow NYS residents applauding the passing of this bill, moved by the multiplicity of posts touting the sanctity of life and horrified by the memes and videos of partial birth abortions. I am without a doubt Pro-life. My ideals, convictions, standards and principles spring from moral codes which I have developed over a lifetime of observation.
“I will be as harsh as truth, and as uncompromising as justice.” I stand firmly against abortion at any stage of gestation.

I will not equivocate-

Abortion is murder. Those who preform these procedures are violently taking the life of another human being. There is no difference between shoving a knife into the spinal cord of a baby inside the womb and tearing him limb from limb, and doing it after the baby is delivered, except that the cries of the unborn are silent in the womb. In the light of this harsh truth, these ministers of death could be easily categorized as organized serial killers.

The organized offender leads an orderly life that is reflected in the way he commits his crimes. He is said to be of average to high intelligence, socially competent, and more likely than the disorganized offender to have skilled employment. In many instances, he live with a girlfriend or is married. He may even be a father. He will plan his offense before the opportunity arises often for weeks, months, and even years before acting. He is aware of his growing compulsion to act out his murderous desire. He will typically use restraints on the victim, and bring a weapon with him, which he will then take with him when he leaves. Typically, the organized offender leaves three crime scenes. Where the victim is confronted, where the victim is killed, and where the victim’s body is disposed. ²

“Serial Killers: The Method and Madness of Monsters | Vronsky, Peter | 2004
Penguin Books

What happened to “first, do no harm”? Perhaps the scariest thing about this bill is the ground work it is laying for other criminal cases. Where this bill removes abortion from the penal law of NYS, future cases could hold practitioners, who still hold to a moral code, accountable for not performing abortion on demand. Does anybody remember death panels? Well, you can add preborn babies to their list of potential victims. Bishop Dolan, a self pronounce progressive, sees this law as potential ground work for stripping away the rights of conscientiously objecting health care professionals.

If our governor, senate, and assembly has their way, abortion will be legal up to the moment of birth; those large numbers of healthcare professionals who find the termination of pre-born babies repugnant will have no conscience rights to object; trained physicians will be now be required to perform the dismemberment; and a baby who survives the scalpel, saline, or suction, and is still alive, can be left to die without any care. ³

Timothy Dolan | NY Bishop

I will not excuse-

According to worldpopulationreview.com, seventy percent of the population of New York identify as Christian. The word Christian is taken from the scriptures and is interpreted “little Christ’s.” The modern definition would be, an individual who follows the teachings of Christ. In a broader sense, a Christian, regardless of religious affiliation, believes that we are all created in the image of God. Yet, recent polling would suggest that Americans are split down the middle when it comes to ProChoice or ProLife. How can these two opposing polls reconcile themselves? As a nation, we have fallen short of our Christian values. There is no excuse for our apathetic approach to the grotesque practices of abortion.

I will not retreat a single inch-

For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

Luke 12:48b

We would like to shift the blame of this murderous law to the godless justices who deliberated the Roe v. Wade decision. However, the state of NY was among one of the first states to pass abortion on demand laws. These bills were ratified and signed into law in 1967– three years before that landmark abortion decision was reached. ⁴

Certainly, we can assign the blame of this unjust measure upon our representatives and state senators who dropped the ball. But in actuality, our Republican senators have held the line for years on this bill and prevented it from being signed into law. Sadly, after the midterm election, the measure was easily passed by a Democratically controlled senate with a final tally of 92-47. I am a conservative- I believe in states rights. But, because I am a conservative I am even more convinced of individual liberty.

As a Christian members of our democratic republic, we have no one to blame but ourselves for this barbaric age in which we live. We must be diligent and learn to wield the power of our liberty wisely. We have been indoctrinated with the humanistic teaching that says we need to separate our religious beliefs from our political views. But, our country’s judicial system is based upon principles that are found in the very Bible which they now denounce. Shame on us for laying aside moral values, and casting our ballot for representatives who do not hold to the same belief system as we ourselves. Or, even worse, not voting at all and subsequently rendering pointless the lives of those who fought and died for our liberty.

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor. ⁵

Declaration of Independence

I will be heard–

I am appealing to you to share! share! share! Share your opinion on this issue. Share it on all your social media. I encourage you to forward your memes and post on your blogs. Don’t let the headlines of the day distract you from the outrage you feel about this bill. This is not the time to retreat! This is the time to bolster your support for the most vulnerable members of our society. They cannot speak for themselves and there is an all out offensive to strip away even the most fundamental right that a human being possesses– The right to life. In NY state they are pushing for an amendment to the state constitution as a safeguard against Roe v. Wade being overturned in the Supreme Court. This is all coming to a state near you. I believe that thirty-one of the fifty state have the same law on their books and some with even fewer restrictions than NY. ⁶ Feed your fury over these laws and don’t, as in times past, grow apathetic to the plight of the unborn. When that time rolls around for you to vote, research your candidates and hold their feet to the fire. Vote for candidates who still believe in the sanctity of life. Be heard!

Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it. ⁷

Edmund Burke