By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director
gallagher@paprolife.org

“You’ve got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You’ve got to be taught
From year to year,
It’s got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You’ve got to be carefully taught.”

— From the Broadway musical “South Pacific”

The lyrics above explored discrimination — but I think the sentiment also applies to the pro-abortion cause. I think you have to be carefully taught to deny the humanity of the unborn child and to accept Roe v. Wade.

I was reminded of this truism during a recent talk I gave to 7th and 8th grade religion students. I started by asking them how many abortions they thought took place in the U.S. each year. When I told them the number was estimated at more than a million, a look of incredulity crossed their faces — as if I had informed them their parents were throwing out their cell phones.

When we ventured onto the topic of euthanasia, their bewilderment increased. They could not understand why anyone would intentionally kill anyone — especially an elderly person or a person with a disability — under the guise of compassion. They were astounded.

I suppose someone on the pro-abortion side might argue that these students lacked the maturity to fully understand the issue of abortion. Yet, the same individual would probably argue that the female students would be mature enough to go before a judge and obtain a judicial bypass for an abortion.

Which is it — are young people not thoughtful enough to grasp Roe? Or are they so mature that they no longer need parental input in their decisions?

I would argue that a young person’s tendency is to treasure life — especially the lives of people younger than themselves. It is only when society brainwashes them into believing that life is random, dependent upon another’s whims, and disposable that they veer off into pro-abortion land.

After all, you have to be carefully taught.