As a man I am often told that my opinion is not welcome in this debate. An experience I had as a child shaped my views on the abortion issue and I don’t think it’s fair when people attempt to silence my voice or the voices of other men in this debate. It is important that nobody is denied the right to speak on this issue.
When I was 9 years old my mother had a miscarriage. I remember a little coffin, I remember flowers, I remember a ceremony, I remember a grave. I remember visitors calling to the house to comfort my mother during that time.
When I later became aware of the reality of abortion, I began to ask questions.
Are women who have abortions offered the same level of counselling and care as was afforded to my mother after her miscarriage?
Are the remains of aborted babies treated with the same respect and dignity as my sibling was?
The loss and grief I felt for my unborn sibling proved to me that the child in the womb is undeniably a human being. I learned at a young age that a tiny unborn life can make a huge impact.
As a society we need to ensure that every human life is loved and protected, especially at its most vulnerable and defenseless stage.
We must also focus now on ensuring that no woman ever feels forced, by life circumstances, into having an abortion. We can eliminate the ‘crisis’ from crisis pregnancies without ending the lives of unborn babies.
This is my goal. I will fight for a fairer and more welcoming society, for mothers and their unborn babies, every day of my life