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About this blog: I am a native of Alameda County, grew up in Pleasanton and currently live in the house I grew up in that is more than 100 years old. I spent 39 years in the daily newspaper business and wrote a column for more than 25 years in add...  (More)

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Film asks when does a person become a person?

Uploaded: May 19, 2022
After the unprecedented leak of a draft Supreme Court decision that would overturn the landmark Roe vs. Wade abortion case, abortion has rocketed back into the headlines and the streets.
This week my bride and I attended the screening of the anti-abortion film, “The Matter of Life” that was showing in Dublin. The two-hour movie laid out the anti-abortion case as did a video by conservative commentator Dennis Prager that I watched before writing this. The abortion issue splits America with polls showing more than half believe it should be legal. Justice Sam Alito’s strong opinion points out the lack of constitutional basis for the 50-year-old ruling.
It's also notable that despite the generally liberal policies in Western Europe most countries have legal limits on abortion based on how far along the woman is in her pregnancy. In the United States there are no such limits and radicals such as former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam have publicly discussed keeping the baby comfortable after birth until the mother and physician could decide whether to let it live or kill it—pure infanticide.
The movie also points out that 6 million people were exterminated in the Holocaust by Nazis during World War II. An estimated 60 million babies have died by abortion since the court legalized abortion nationally. Black women, by far, have the most abortions. Star Parker, head of the Center for Urban Renewal, wrote, “The Kaiser Family Foundation reports in 2019 that 38% of abortions were given to Black women. Using this figure, 24 million Black babies — roughly half the current Black population — were removed by abortion since 1973.” Planned Parenthood has its roots with eugenics advocate Margaret Sanger.
The producer and editor interviewed many people involved in the anti-abortion movement including several who previously worked in the industry. One former private practice gynecologist described the procedure in graphic details whether it was done in the first, second or third trimester. Hearing it was nauseating as were the 50 seconds of video showing dismembered baby parts after abortions.
The physician and others in the film framed it accurately and simply: when is the baby a person? Does it depend on how big it is? So, if it’s the size of your hand from your fingertips to your wrist, does that qualify?
Our law currently is stunningly inconsistent. If a pregnant woman is killed by criminal activity, prosecutors can and do charge two murders, the women and her unborn child. Yet, that same woman can decide to abort the child legally.
There are many deflections around the issue but the central issue is when does a person become a person?
Should the draft court decision be issued, then the question reverts to the states when it resided until the Warren court overreach to make it national law. For states such as California and New York, the welcome matt will be rolled out for women seeking abortions. More conservative states will limit abortions or ban it.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s May budget revision included an additional $40 million for abortions for women coming from out-of-state. Given how dominant liberal Democrats are in Sacramento, we can expect the governor to find plenty of willing elected officials.
Newsom’s statement last week read, “California will not stand idly by as extremists roll back our basic constitutional rights,” he wrote in a statement. “We’re going to fight like hell, making sure that all women — not just those in California — know that this state continues to recognize and protect their fundamental rights”
Given that reality, one of my takeaways was the importance to non-profits and churches who offer women options to carry their baby to term. That educational mission, particularly with ultrasound, will be more important than ever. Women considering abortion who see their babies with an ultrasound are much more likely to carry the baby to term.
Personally, I believe the Bible is God’s infallible word and the scriptures are clear that God created each one of us. The movie producers point out that Steve Jobs was born to an unmarried woman who gave him up for adoption.
The same is true for Heart for Africa co-founder Janine Maxwell whose mom was 15 when she gave birth. Janine was adopted by loving Canadian parents and, after building a large advertising agency, was called by God to care for African orphans. She and her husband, Ian Maxwell, oversee Project Canaan, a children’s home in Eswatini with more than 300 children and a commercial diary, farm, and 5,000 laying hens on 2,500 acres.
Ponder what gifted have been lost in the 60,000 million deaths?
Regardless of your current position, the film is worth watching for its straight forward discussion of the issue.

Local Journalism.
What is it worth to you?

Comments

Posted by Rich Buckley, a resident of Livermore,
on May 19, 2022 at 11:30 am

Rich Buckley is a registered user.

The ancient wisdom reaching back before Christ, believed a fetus became a person when the silver cord was attached. This gets messy as we bring that concept forward in time to the present. During the age of Pisces, organized religion has painted itself into the corner and defaulted on the moment of conception, for when the fetus becomes a person.

The ancients reached their understanding differently than we reach ours. Much of their knowledge was gained naturally through gnosis. Mystical and Shamanic experiences including Kundalini experienced priests could then and to this day, look at you and see all your past lives standing in a row behind you.

The corner in which organized religion has painted itself was achieved one stroke at a time with humanity's best interest as its guidance. During the Age of Pisces each new generation drifted further away from its mystical gnosis attunement to the point the church found it best for humanity and defaulted to where the church stands today... split.

To further de-mystify, over the many generations in Pisces, science split into dozens of specialties, all requiring the adherence to the scientific method. The 3-Wise Men (Astrologers, Shamans, and Mystics) that appeared at Jesus's birth in Bethlehem were the only 3 that made it, from the many who studied and understood the signs of this great event and had set about to reach the event, some even died in route.

We use different words today to express some eternal human characteristics. "Soul" means your spirit energy. The ancients would concur on that. "Connected" means your etheric body energy is still partly present. Your silver cord and your energy body is not immediately terminated when you go through the death process. So exiting is as interesting as entering, and often just a complex.


Posted by DublinMike, a resident of Dublin,
on May 20, 2022 at 10:15 am

DublinMike is a registered user.

"radicals such as former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam..." Hardly.

"keeping the baby comfortable after birth until the mother and physician could decide whether to let it live or kill it�"pure infanticide." Proven to be taken out of context.

This "opinion" is so full of ... Funny, I can't use certain words but Mr. Hunt is able to state his religious non-sense and biases without reservations.

I have, on many occasions, read his conservative comments. But, no more.


Posted by Kevin, a resident of Castlewood,
on May 20, 2022 at 12:50 pm

Kevin is a registered user.

The Christian conservatives only care about babies before they are born. They don't really care after that. Just take a look at infant mortality and poverty statistics in red states. Mississippi is worse than some 3rd world countries.

Tim and people like him are like Pharisees during the time of Jesus. These people interprete and set the laws while living in lap of luxury in their white suburban communities. Jesus rejected the Pharisees and their laws. He asked that the person without sin to throw stones at the woman who was supposedly an adulterer. In the meantime, what happened to the men?

Abortions will happen even if you make them illegal. I cannot imagine the difficulty of the decision that a woman makes to have an abortion. But it is her decision! It is between her, her God, and people close to her. Give her the safety to do so. Don't make it anymore treacherous than it already is.


Posted by Michael Austin , a resident of Pleasanton Meadows,
on May 20, 2022 at 1:49 pm

Michael Austin is a registered user.

OK. There are thousands of instances in America where a young mother gave birth then abandoned (threw away) the newborn infant in a dumpster, a river, stuffing the infant in a bag and dumping the bag with infant inside. All those infants were alive and well at birth. When those young mothers are found they are charged with murder or manslaughter. Murdering the newborn in the birth canal is no different, except it is legal.

In China young mothers abandoned (murdered) first born infant if it is not male. In some instances, the second born infant also if it is not male. I saw firsthand fetuses of newborns thrown away, (neonaticide). They were in public bathroom. A large hole in the ground with a shelter around the top end of that hole in the ground.

in America there are discarded infants, newborns left in public places. Luckily, many of them are discovered and rescued.


Posted by Jake Waters, a resident of Birdland,
on May 20, 2022 at 2:19 pm

Jake Waters is a registered user.

For you liberals on the page let me remind you that Tim has every protected right to identify himself as Conservative and Christian, and express his view. Guaranteed by the First Amendment.


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