April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
EDITORIAL

Let's be pro-all life

A quiet minority in the pro-life movement have long noted the high rate at which pregnancies among African-Americans are aborted. Now, more blacks are joining ranks with their white counterparts to protest these deaths and push for change.

Last year, the Centers for Disease Control reported that, while African-Americans make up 13 percent of our population, black women get almost 40 percent of the country's abortions. Among blacks, nearly 40 percent of pregnancies end in induced abortion, a rate far higher than that for white or Hispanic women.

Now, there may be nothing to read into this disparity other than the effects of poverty, broken families and the enduring legacy of racial discrimination. But that's precisely why we should be concerned.

Some of the various groups that are often quite concerned about discrimination have a peculiar blind spot when it comes to this disparity. The proverbial man or woman from Mars who landed here would quickly assume that a long-marginalized group would only naturally suffer a higher rate of aborted lives.

The New York Times recently reported on the increased presence of black advocates in the anti-abortion movement. Day Gardner, president of the National Black Pro-Life Union in Washington, told the paper that the disparity contradicted her assumptions.

"I just really assumed that white people aborted more than anyone else, and black people would not do this because we're culturally a religious people, we have large families," Ms. Gardner said.

Abortion opponents blame a pattern borne of discrimination. They say abortion clinics are concentrated in black neighborhoods and target black women. Planned Parenthood provides federally-funded health and pregnancy services that are often a pathway to abortion.

Those who favor legal abortion disagree. The Times, in an editorial, dismissed any cause beyond "too many unwanted pregnancies." But to even say that a demographic group has a high rate of "unwanted" pregnancies indicates this group has been stigmatized. (Further, it is a sad fact that the adoption option is smaller for black mothers, since many prospective parents favor children of their own race or ethnic group.)

What if we were to say that there are too many unwanted pregnancies among people who have tan skin or are from a certain country, or are developmentally disabled or short or obese? No one says that the rich have too many unwanted pregnancies; even if unexpected, a potential birth can be dealt with and is therefore "wanted." When conditions in a group, such as poverty, make more pregnancies unwanted, let's deal with the real cause rather than offer to eliminate those lives.

Each life should be wanted. That's how we can best promote all life.


A European housecleaning

The widening circle of allegations of clerical sexual abuse in Europe can only sadden and dishearten Catholics and, indeed, all people. Of course, our dismay compares little with the harm and destruction done to the lives of any victims, their families and communities. The solution requires accountability, fact-finding, prayer and action. We live in the love of God and the faith that truth will prevail.

Angela Merkel, German chancellor, called the situation a challenge to her society - which it is for any society and not just the Church. Hopefully, lessons from the Catholic scandal can inform wider efforts to curb the abuse of minors. She also called for "truth and clarity about everything that took place."

God's light illuminates - often painfully, but only it can heal and redeem.

(03/25/10) [[In-content Ad]]

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