Condemn them not

T

he abortion debate still lingers on. The new Constitution also brought up the debate prior to its promulgation. Many breathed fire upon realizing that the constitution had a clause that seemed to support abortion. The clause (section IV article 26). Section (4) of article 26 states thus; “abortion is not permitted unless, in the opinion of a trained health professional.” Campaigns followed thereafter describing the sanctity of life. It was thus a question of who was a qualified health professional.

To abort, or not is a question of one’s morality; their perception of right and wrong and not what society deems to be right or wrong. Research has shown that about 85 percent of women worldwide have opted for and even prefer abortion with 65 percent being young women between 16 and 27 years of age.

The question however is not whether abortion is right or wrong but whatever it is that pushes young women to go down this path yet most are fully aware of the risks involved. A story is told of a young woman who opted for the abortion path. Carol (real name withheld) was a bright third year Law student with promising career prospects. She had already attached herself to a lucrative law firm and was also in a serious relationship with a young man who truly loved and adored her.

It had been four months since the pregnancy test confirmed her worst fears. She had lived in denial at first but as the reality dawned on her, she wondered what to do with the blessing that seemed to present itself in the form of a curse. The culprit responsible had backed off towards the entry of her pregnancy’s second trimester.

Confused and all alone, she wondered whether to take courage and accept it as a bundle of joy or term it a bastard with no future hopes. Either way, she had to make a decision. Whether to keep the pregnancy or terminate it to save her reputation lay with her.Carol had been raised in a very strict Christian set up. She was drilled with bible verses to help combat the devil on a daily basis. Together with her siblings, they took the teachings seriously. After Tom (real name withheld) disappeared from the scene, all she thought of was her mother’s reaction. She would probably collapse for her daughter was heavy with a brute’s seed. Her father would probably disown her. His daughter impregnated meant a tarnished and blotted family name. Yes, he’d surely disown her!

According to her, she did not have much of a choice. Her HELB loan barely sustained her. What with an extra mouth to feed and with no support from neither her parents nor the culprit? She had to rid herself off the shame. She did!

She thought that she would be content or euphoric after the abortion, but she wasn’t. All she thought of was her aborted baby. She became physically and emotionally numb. What had she done? She wondered. She was broken. She could no longer concentrate. Her will to live had been shuttered.

She became trapped and imprisoned in her own conscience; a prisoner in a free world. She yearned for freedom, she longed to be with her baby and thus bade farewell to this cruel world.

A great man once said that life is love she had aborted that love and thus ended up being imprisoned in her own conscience becoming a  prisoner in a free world. She was  in essence a murderer.