Abortion: A Decision for Death

Editor’s Note: Please visit our home page for a full listing of abortion facts.

Reprinted with permission from L.E.A.R.N. Inc.

In 1973 when Roe vs. Wade became the law of the land, the pro-abortion decision was not discussed in my home or church. I really do not recall glaring headlines announcing the decision that ultimately would cause the death of and destroy the humanity of millions of helpless human beings. This decision that would facilitate deadly and destructive actions against innocent children went virtually unnoticed in the Black community.

Shortly after that Supreme Court decision, organizations like Planned Parenthood began to spread propaganda dehumanizing the unborn by stating that during the first three months of pregnancy the fetus (Greek for “little one”) was a mass of tissue rather than a small developing baby. Subsequently, when I became pregnant two years later, though married, I chose to abort that “fetus” because I felt it interfered with my career plans. The decision to do so was made easier because I thought the fetus was not fully a live baby, but was a mass of tissue or an organism. Even though I felt guilt and unease about what had occurred, I suppressed those feelings and refused to acknowledge their validity.

It would take thirteen years and two divorces before I would confront myself about the unnecessary abortion and repent to God for my actions. Consequently, I experienced His forgiveness and spiritual and emotional healing. Occasionally during that thirteen year period, I wished for another child, but because of a tubal ligation after the abortion, this was not possible. Also during this time, I saw pictures of developing babies and of aborted babies. It was then that the full humanity of the unborn child became very clear to me. While listening to a radio broadcast in 1988 which featured Kay James, a pro-life and family activist, I learned for the first time how high the abortion rates were in the Black community. My personal decision in 1975 to abort my child had contributed to over 10 million Black babies’ precious lives being destroyed through abortion since 1973. Further research on my part revealed the social impact of abortion on the Black family through increased divorce rates; many caused by relational problems generated by emotional turmoil often experienced by both men and women in the abortion aftermath.

Abortion very often is touted as an economic solution for poor women, i.e., “Black women.” Strident, pro-abortion feminists cry for abortion as a “right” for which they must fight to keep. Unfortunately, this misleading notion has been embraced by some people in the Black community as a civil right. The Black community has not benefited either socially or economically from an atrocity that is enthusiastically promoted by those who make millions of dollars from our dead babies; and by those who seek to entice the Black community to self-genocide through abortion. Therefore, the disproportionate number of abortions by Black Americans, as compared to our percentage of the general population, is more than a social phenomenon. It is destructive and genocidal. It must be halted in order to avoid further negative impact in our community.

Black Americans traditionally have come to the aid of family and non-family members who find themselves in desperate situations, including women in crisis pregnancies. I believe my role as a Christian is to edify human life from conception to natural death, and to do my part to offer life-affirming alternatives to those whose circumstances appear desperate and hopeless. The ministry of Texas Black Americans for Life seeks to do its part to make a positive impact in our community.

Mrs. Juluette Bartlett Pack is a founder and President of Texas Black Americans for Life. She is also a founder and Chairperson of the Advisory Board for L.E.A.R.N. Inc.

Used with permission.