Abortion and Mental Health

Since this post may be controversial by its very nature, I want to make my position concerning abortion clear from the outset. I don’t favor abortion as a method of birth control. However, I do support a woman’s right to choice. “Tea Party” supported changes to State laws for the purpose of preventing abortion rights and generally, a woman’s right to health care exams and birth control assistance is extremely disturbing. But most disturbing are recent stories having to with woman who have taken their own lives because of postpartum depression and it moved me to write this blog post.

In early October, Miriam Carey, tried to crash the White House gates. A a high speed chase followed and Miriam Carey was killed in a hail of gunfire when Capital Police finally trapped her.  Police found a child about a year old in the back of the car but no weapons.

A search of Ms. Carey’s home revealed that she was taking prescription medications for postpartum depression with delusion. Interviews with family and friends revealed that Ms. Carey believed that President Obama had her “under electronic surveillance” according to the New York Times.

Recently, Governor John Kasich of Ohio signed an anti abortion law attached to the State budget that required a 24 hour wait between counseling and the actual abortion itself. As a part of the counseling, counselors are required to show the patient an ultrasound displaying the beating heart of the fetus.

In a story reported from Ohio a 24 year old woman who had become pregnant for the third time requested an abortion. She and her family reported that she had suffered from postpartum depression and they were not prepared to risk another child given the extent of her disability with the first two children.  Under the laws governing abortion in Ohio she was counseled and made to watch an ultrasound of the beating heart. Then she was forced to wait 24 hours before the procedure could take place.

How is it that ‘pro-lifers' are pro-life prior to birth but postpartum the child or children born, may suffer by having basic needs denied them. The ‘Tea Partiers’ are perfectly comfortable allowing children to go hungry and without medical care, housing, or schools to balance the Nation's budget. They consider a safe place for supervised play frivolous and would rather children wander gang riddled community parks in unsafe neighborhoods. 

Their policies are down right hypocritical. They want to prevent abortion but they are willing to allow starvation for our Nations children, they are willing to allow pain and suffering rather then provide medical care. Pro-lifers are comfortable denying our children schooling, thereby causing ignorance and driving them into a life of disabling poverty, ill health and starvation. 

If ‘Tea Partiers‘ are going to force live birth, let them also provide assistance for the care of these children. We are a Country that declares a mission of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” as "unalienable rights” for all members of society. 

‘Tea Party’ public policy are inhumane, cruel and beyond human understanding for those who have never known these indignities.

When life begins is also beyond human understanding, and another life event perplexing to most humans'. What causes a perfectly healthy woman to suddenly suffer delusions, postpartum also escapes our understanding. Mental illness is a human experience that is beyond our comprehension, . Why are people suddenly robbed  of their sanity? No one really knows. The loss of one’s common sense and mental health is a torment that no one should endure. 

There Harvard University stars like Senator Ted Cruz who support  policies that demand live birth but deny children basic rights in the name of God. 

Personally, I think God would be ashamed. After all, are we not our brothers keeper!