tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29100136046966751562023-11-16T02:24:16.283-05:00The Unborn and the UninformedSome thoughts from a naïve girl's perspective. I'm a college student with chronic pain dreaming of writing a book for teenagers about abortion, because every life is beautiful and worth living. Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-41373558888437056812013-04-20T00:50:00.000-04:002013-04-20T00:50:36.402-04:00A Monster Within Me Today I have been sick for 9 months.<br />
<br />
Most of the time when I tell people how long it's been, people give me a really weird reaction. They extend pity and sympathy, which is kind, but it's not what I'm looking for. I see this as a milestone; while I'm not happy about my circumstances, the joy of the Lord penetrates the worst of circumstances. He redeems the worst people and the worst trials to make His beauty known. The nine month mark of being sick is evidence of that to me; I see not nine months of trial but nine months of grace.<br />
<br />
My life has completely changed since getting sick. It started with a stabbing pain in my left foot in the way home from a road trip with friends, an unusual and alarming pain that wouldn't go away. I was then diagnosed with a neuroma. After a while it spread to two, three...six neuromas, an unheard of diagnosis. I was diagnosed with tarsal tunnel, a pinched nerve in my ankle. But the pain spread and became unilateral (both feet), then soon I had unilateral carpal, cubital, and tarsal tunnels--pinched nerves in both of my wrists, elbows, and ankles, respectively. Another unheard of diagnosis. It spread to my lower back, arms, and made half of my left hand numb. I was tested for frightening and untreatable autoimmune diseases. We ruled out rare conditions that cause a painful and short life. The pain got worse and continued to spread--my shoulders, my neck, my face. The doctors are stumped.<br />
<br />
Daily life looks completely different now. It's structured around taking medications, putting everything on hold for doctors appointments, and canceling weeks of my life when I'm in too much pain to get out of bed. The braces around my back, elbows, and wrists restrain me like this disease has restricted my life. I know all too well the side effects of medications: getting dizzy and lost on an elevator, days of nausea, the cripling effect of brain fog, drunkenly falling out of bed, feeling like I'm losing my mind. Constant pain serves as a constant reminder for my imperfections.<br />
<br />
I know the fear of not knowing what's happening to my body, if I'll ever be well again, or if I'll ever live a normal life. There's a monster inside of me, and I don't know its name. Is it eating me away? Or are the remedies I use to make it through each day what are destroying me? Should I fear liver damage from my medications or long term nerve damage from this disease? Should I fear for my life?<br />
<br />
I hate this monster. I hate what it has done to my life. If I could kill him without destroying myself, I would.<br />
<br />
But when I don't know what to fear, I learn not to fear.<br />
<br />
I have lost many things from being sick. Opportunities, comfort, friendships, freedom, the ability to perform simple tasks, even my handwriting has changed. I say all of this because I have learned the following:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="text 2Cor-12-7">A thorn was given me in the flesh, <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29013E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></sup>a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><span class="text 2Cor-12-8" id="en-ESV-29014"><sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29014F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)"></sup>Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><span class="text 2Cor-12-9" id="en-ESV-29015">But he said to me, <span class="woj"><sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29015G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)"></sup>“My grace is sufficient for you, for <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29015H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)"></sup>my power is made perfect in weakness.”</span> Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29015I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)"></sup>the power of Christ may rest upon me.</span><span class="text 2Cor-12-10" id="en-ESV-29016"><sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29016J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)"></sup>For the sake of Christ, then, <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29016K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)"></sup>I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For <sup class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-29016L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)"></sup>when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) </span></blockquote>
I am incredibly weak, in some of the most practical and obvious ways. Some days I am too physical weak to stand and must be carried to the bathroom. Other times my medication changes my ability to think so drastically that friends and family must take care of me, help feed me, and walk me across the street because I am too sick to notice the oncoming cars. I go days, even weeks feeling like a stranger with a different personality. Even in the midst of this trial, I still struggle with turning to God but instead react to pain with anger and sin--I am so spiritually weak in the simplest ways. And goodness gracious am I emotionally weak, like I never knew I could be. I feel frail and worn out, I'm exhausted and sometimes feel hopeless.<br />
<br />
I am not complaining. I am boasting.<br />
<br />
God has allowed this to happen. This does not make me angry at Him. I get angry sometimes that I am sick, but He has continually shown me that He is still good. He allowed me to be sick because somehow, in a way I cannot understand, me being sick for 9 months is what glorifies Him the most. I hate the monster that reminds me of my fallen state and the imperfections of this world. My eyes are opened to a new level of suffering that so many experience much worse than I can comprehend, and I long for the return of Christ when sin and evil and pain will end forever.<br />
<br />
I hate this monster, but I love the Father who uses even the worst evil to teach us of His love. I now know what depending on Him for daily bread feels like. I have learned to not trust my own plans for the future, whether it's plans for the weekend or the summer or my life, I never know what my health will be doing. With so many misdiagnosises and now being undiagnosed, I have learned not to lean entirely on my own and my doctor's understanding but take comfort that God knows everything. My Maker holds my health, and I'm learning to let that be enough.<br />
<br />
I've prayed Psalms from the inside of an MRI machine. I've joked with nurses while they draw my blood and hook me up to IVs. I've almost fainted in a professor's office. I've been carried through a McDonald's. I've had to ask for help. I've had to let others love and serve me. I've seen people fail me and had to forgive them.<br />
<br />
This is not the life I would have chosen, but there is a Savior who has chosen me for it. There is a peace that passes all understanding. I am as undeserving of this peace as I am of the grace that gets me through each day and the love that surrounds me and overflows my cup.<br />
<br />
It's been nine months. Nine hard months, but nine of the richest months I've ever experienced. This isn't the anniversary of the day I lost something, but the day God moved my life in a direction I hadn't anticipated. As a Puritan prayer puts it:<br />
<br />
"I rejoice to know that all things are at Thy disposal, and it delights me to leave them there."<br />
<br />
Resting in the sovereignty of our Lord,<br />
Happy 9 months.Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-69493080254069121062013-02-11T11:57:00.000-05:002013-02-11T13:21:35.845-05:00"Sometimes I Wish I Had Cancer." I found this article today and it nearly brought me to tears. I can relate to nearly every one of these points, and every time I've tried to explain it I just can't express it right. I'm not saying this to grasp for attention, I'm grasping for understanding.<br />
<br />
I know many people have cancer, and it is definitely a dark and terrifying time. I'm not downplaying the terribleness of cancer, I just hope to help people understand that cancer is not the only or ultimate struggle. So many people experience the same sense that this article is expresses--that if only it was cancer, people would have some basis to understand.<br />
<br />
And now, an article by another woman experiencing an invisible, misunderstood illness:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
How many times have I heard people say "it could be worse, you could have cancer"... or anything of a similar vein.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
... It drives me nuts.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
One particular occasion I remember: I was speaking to a <em>head pharmacist</em>, someone with <em>a degree in pharmacology</em>, and I was inquiring about finding an effective pain killer for <em>severe chronic neuropathic pain</em>... (*1)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
My specific question was "I'm currently having to use oral morphine, it doesn't work very well, but the injections do okay, what can you tell me about the patches?"</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
The response I got? I kid you not:</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
"But that's really for cancer patients"...</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
So this wont be the first time I've said this. And it probably wont be the last either.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Sometimes… I wish I had cancer.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I mean, looking at it - and I suspect much, if not all of this, is true for others too - just kinda makes <em>why </em>quite obvious:</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Commonalities:</div>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: square; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 35px;">
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I've got a shortened lifespan.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
If left untreated I <em>die</em>, pretty quickly too.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I'm in <em>immense </em>amounts of pain on a daily basis.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I'm exhausted with fatigue pretty much all the time.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I have to take tons of medications, many of which make me sick.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I feel nauseous pretty much most of the time no matter what.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I have to attend an unpleasant treatment solution for several hours multiple times a week. (In fact, at my previous clinic we were next door to the chemo unit & shared a waiting room. Oh, and it also makes me horridly sick)</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Differences:</div>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: square; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 35px;">
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I don't have a possible cure, remission or recovery (Yes, if you are lucky enough to 'survive' cancer, you live the rest of your life with the possibility of a relapse or recurrence - but at least for awhile, you get your life back)</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I constantly have to explain that I <em>am </em>sick to people.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I have to explain <em>how I</em>'m sick to people (sometimes even medical staff) and what that <em>means </em>in practical terms.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I have to answer endless questions from people (many of which are so personal they actually have <em>no right </em>to even ask them)</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I have to re-explain things to people who are ignorant, don't understand, don't listen, or <em>don't care</em>about my illness.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I struggle to receive adequate treatment for my pain.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I have been accused of drug seeking when trying to just get my meds.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I have been accused of taking illegal drugs when I take only <em>necessary </em>pills. (Taking unnecessary ones could be incredibly dangerous for me - even if they're prescribed by medical personnel, I've nearly died from a medication reaction)</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I have been accused of overmedicating myself, when I'm usually careful to the point of <em>under</em>-medicating.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I have had my needs ignored because my condition is <em>"not serious", not bad enough/that bad". "all made up", "psychosomatic", "just play acting", "being made out worse than it is" </em>or <em>"isn't real"</em>. Sometimes this has <em>actively endangered my safety, health & wellbeing</em>.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I have been told "You're not really sick" or "You're not disabled" - last I checked I am <em>unable to hold a job or pursue an education</em>.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I have also been excluded from things I should <em>by rights be allowed </em>for my disability, because I'm not "really disabled" or "disabled enough" or "don't look sick/disabled" - because I'm not in a wheelchair, blind, deaf and in my teens & twenties, obviously not elderly.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I get asked "when will they cure it?" or told "oh, doctor's will fix that"... do people not understand what the term <em>"chronic" </em>means? In case they don't and are reading this: 1. Persisting for a long time or constantly recurring (which usually means the rest of your life), 2. Having such an illness, 3. Long-lasting and difficult to eradicate...</div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; list-style-type: square; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 35px;">
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I get told my meds make me worse...</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I get told I'm not following my treatment otherwise I would be better.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I've been told I "shouldn't dwell on it" or "let it control me"</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I've been told I deserve to be sick.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I've been told that if I were more moral/religious/positive/outgoing/insert-form-of-predominant-groupthink-mentality-here I would get better or wouldn't be sick.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I've had people tell me that if I just did/tried XYZ it would solve all my problems. (Often XYZ is either something that I did try & it didn't work, or completely against my medical recommendations, sometimes it's just ridiculous)</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I've been accused of not <em>wanting </em>to get better or <em>choosing </em>to be sick.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
I have to justify practically <em>every moment </em>of my life to someone.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
But mostly, because <em>no matter</em> what I do or say, <em>no-one</em> who isn't in a similar position will understand <em>or at least accept & </em><strong>try</strong><em> to understand </em>my situation properly or even to the same extent as people do when you say those three little words: <em>"I have cancer"</em></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
So sometimes... I wish I had cancer instead.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
***</div>
<ol style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 35px;">
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
For those of you not up on the terminology from everyday use, neuropathic pain means malfunction or damage of your peripheral and/or central nervous system, that includes your brainstem & spinal cord. If you've ever had shingles, then you have a pretty good idea of what I live with on the average day, on bad days, it feels simultaneously like being electrocuted at either odd intervals, or continuously, often along with a severe burning feeling. This is in fact, exactly the type of pain that a cancer patient may experience.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="padding: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
It's probably relevant enough that I should mention: Before the exchange, I specifically told her not only about my general neuropathy, but that my main concern was my Trigeminal Neuralgia, or if you've ever heard of it, it's probably by it's more common name "The Suicide Disease" - so called because as it has been described as probably "the most painful affliction known to mankind/medical practice." and left inadequately treated (which is sadly quite common since it is frequently misdiagnosed, usually unresponsive to anything except really high doses of serious painkillers: morphine injections may or may not work) otherwise happy & healthy people have literally tried (and quite a few succeeded: multiple attempts tend to have a higher success rate) to commit suicide in order to make the pain stop.</div>
</li>
</ol>
Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-47217980372032124112013-01-28T20:51:00.001-05:002013-02-11T19:41:02.550-05:00Water is the New Sidewalk <div>
The past six months have been phenomenal--I've learned so much, depended on God in new ways, made new friends, transitioned to a new phase of life, and grown up a lot. I love my life right now. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
About a week ago, I passed the six month mark on when a weird pain started in my foot. Since then the pain has moved to nearly every other area of my body; it has manifested in many different ways, I've been to more doctors than I can remember, tried more medications than I care to think about, and been tested for diseases I hadn't known existed. It's funny, though, how normal this all seems. Wearing braces, keeping track what of time I take what medication, limping, and planning out my days to avoid walking as much as possible is routine for me now. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You can get used to doing what it takes to get by, but not the pain itself. I don't think you can ever get used to chronic pain--the stabbing pain with each step, the sudden sharp cramps, the numbness, the tingling, or the worry of noticing when something else is wrong. There are times when I feel almost hopeless--like my body is refusing to work, falling apart, shutting down on me and no one can figure out why. But I'm not hopeless, and I never will be. There really is a "peace that passes all understanding," a God-given ability to "rejoice in the Lord always," and a "joy [that] comes in the morning." </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Yesterday my pastor talked about Jesus walking on water and storms in our lives. He said that God allows storms for a reason, and when the reason is fulfilled the storm will end. He showed how when Peter focused on Jesus the storm was not important, and only when he his attention strayed from Jesus did he sink. Whatever the purpose of this particular storm, apparently it is not fulfilled. That is encouraging to me--I have learned so much already, and there is more yet to be learned. I look forward to the day when I can walk normally, run around and be goofy, not have to worry about having my orthotics and braces and all my medications each morning, wear whatever shoes I want, serve others instead of always being served, stand on my toes, prop myself up on my elbows, and not have to take breaks from sitting up to go lay down. But there is purpose for pain, there is joy in suffering, and every flare has that beautiful moment when I realize my pain has subsided. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've learned to depend on others. I've learned to discern when to ask for help when I need it and to suck it up. I've stopped caring about what other people think while I adjust my noisy back brace, limp, shake the bottle of Tums in my backpack with each step, look terrible because it took all my energy to get out of bed, and miss out on fun events because of my pain. Well, I should say, I'm learning to do all of these things. It's still a struggle, but one day I will get there. There is a time when the purpose of the storm will be fulfilled and the seas will calm. Until then, I will keep looking at Jesus and walking on water.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Well, limping on water. </div>
Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-65902836331325361852012-09-05T13:28:00.000-04:002012-09-05T13:28:23.323-04:00Protesting People ProtestingA few weeks ago, a 26 year old named William Carl Kapp decided to stand up for his beliefs and convictions in a very... odd way.<br />
<br />
When Kapp passed an intersection in Iowa, he saw an elderly couple in their late seventies holding signs protesting abortion. The sign depicted a picture of the head from an aborted baby. The 26 year old pulled over, approached 77 year old Donna Holman, and grabbed her sign from her. He destroyed it until her husband walked up holding a video camera and calling 911. He said to Donna's husband and the video camera, "you can take as many pictures of me as you want, because I'm proud of what I did." They began to argue and Kapp said, "you know what that image is on there? that image is awful! Children do not understand when they see an image like that! A four year old child, how do you explain that? That's a headless baby!" The video shows Kapp calling his employer at a lawn care company, explaining how he would be delayed coming to work in the company's water truck. He told his boss that he saw something that he felt he needed to take care of, but will probably be delayed with the police.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/HYHOjY-_t-M/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HYHOjY-_t-M&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HYHOjY-_t-M&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br />
<br />
I find this situation so interesting. Quite frankly, William Kapp's reaction shouldn't be shocking to us. He said the sign he destroyed was "awful," "horrific," and "obscene." Abortion <i>is</i> awful, horrific, and obscene. The point of graphic abortion signs is to show how grotesque the reality of abortion is. We should react in horror to images like these.<br />
<br />
However, Kapp's reaction wasn't what the sign was supposed to inspire. He is being charged with stealing and destroying personal property, as he should. While it is shocking that someone would approach an elderly woman, steal something she was holding and proceed to destroy it, I find the way the Holman's reacted even more shocking. The video, posted by the Holman's, is called "Left Wing Extremist Errorist." Kapp shows no signs of being a left-wing extremist, rather he recognized the horror of abortion. He didn't use the terminology of left wing extremists--used the word "baby" instead of "fetus." At 5:52 in the video, Kapp shakes his head and asks, "Who is your God, man?" Holman's response left me speechless: "Well he's not yours. You serve the devil. You do his work."<br />
<br />
Kapp looked stunned and didn't say anything for a few seconds. The heard thing about speaking about abortion is you <i>never</i> know where a person is coming from. If you say someone serves the devil for merely removing the sight of abortion from their eyes, how would they react if they had an abortion in their past? If they were responsible for an abortion? I think the pro-life movement would be so much more effective if we couple truth with love. We need to be sensitive with others. We need to display truth, but not in an abrasive, condemning way. If we come across as judgmental, they will retaliate. If our words sound violent, we should not be surprised if people tune us out or come back even more violently.<br />
<br />
I am really saddened by this video, and I think neither person handled themselves very well. This is really challenging for me. When this happened, the Holman was angry. A stranger 50 years younger than him approached his wife, grabbed her sign, destroyed it, then repeatedly told him that he was proud of his actions. That would make anyone angry! But we are told to conduct ourselves with love even then, when it is hardest.<br />
<br />
Everything we do to defend life will be futile without love. 1 Corinthians 13:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.<br />
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.</blockquote>
What do you think the pro-life movement would look like if we conducted ourselves with the love described in 1 Corinthians? Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-26115103947615637202012-07-27T14:45:00.001-04:002012-07-27T14:45:10.021-04:00Dear Anonymous: My Opinion on Birth Control<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfbi-Kf1MiF8pEQZQIBFVCcxpJqj7XWT9cZmijQjKT7RLOLXDJl7iFgH7xSyKLCzQVdHnh93CQ3BI7sdW7F8R3MWqIjkYYxiOaWvlEgLw9D1GklT666EK8_Um5qayWlUuA4W-xMQkH1OJ/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-07-27+at+2.43.35+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfbi-Kf1MiF8pEQZQIBFVCcxpJqj7XWT9cZmijQjKT7RLOLXDJl7iFgH7xSyKLCzQVdHnh93CQ3BI7sdW7F8R3MWqIjkYYxiOaWvlEgLw9D1GklT666EK8_Um5qayWlUuA4W-xMQkH1OJ/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-07-27+at+2.43.35+PM.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Somebody named Anonymous who apparently has no face asked me this in a comment. I sat and sat and I thought and thought, but there was no way to answer your question in a comment. So I decided to write a post about it.<br />
<br />
Birth control is a very heated argument, and it has been for a really long time. In 1879 law called the Act Concerning Offense Against Decency, Morality, and Humanity was made. It outlawed owning, obtaining, distributing, or manufacturing any literature, article, instrument, or drug that prevented fertilization or caused abortion. Contraception was not only illegal, it was super duper illegal.<br />
<br />
Zoom forward a bit to the 1960s when a woman named Estelle Griswold decided to start an illegal Planned Parenthood birth control clinic. She knew she'd get caught, but she was ready for a lawsuit. She became the defendant of, and won, <i>Griswold vs Connecticut. </i>This case stated that while the Constitution never uses the word privacy, it's one of the most basic rights of mankind. It said that the government has no right to decide what a man and wife can or cannot do in the privacy of their own bedroom. In June of 1965, birth control was legalized for married couples.<br />
<br />
Fast forward 50 years, and we're still arguing about birth control. It's more accepted in the mainstream world, but with Obama's HHS Mandate that would require all hospitals to administer contraceptives, people are beginning to take a firm stand against it. The Catholic Church is making some serious threats to shut down their hospitals so that they wont be forced to distribute birth control which is against their beliefs. It's becoming religious freedom verses reproductive freedom. There's apparently a war on women going on. It's getting nasty.<br />
<br />
All that to say, any and everything I say here I'm sure will cause trouble. But since when can people not have opinions about controversial issues? Since when can we not express them? As always, this is me expressing my beliefs, not shoving them down your throat. If you disagree, I would love to have a conversation with you in the comments. A respectful conversation, not a heated argument.<br />
<br />
And so, ladies and gentlemen, here's my opinion.<br />
<br />
Many forms of birth control should be made illegal. Before you stop reading, note that I said <i>many</i>, not <i>all.</i> I believe <i>all </i>forms of abortion should be made illegal, because it kills a human being. The truth is many forms of birth control are nothing more than abortion. As I explained <a href="http://beccafrench.blogspot.com/2012/07/pop-quiz-2.html">here</a>, the dispute as to when pregnancy begins has masked many early abortions as birth control. Everyone agrees that pregnancy begins at conception, but some say conception is fertilization and others say it's implantation. That's eight days difference, and those eight days means life or death for millions of little tiny brand new human beings. Scientifically, life begins at fertilization, but according to some, pregnancy begins eight days later. In regards to birth control, any birth control that prevents a fertilized egg from implanting on the uterus is abortion. I am whole heartedly against those forms of birth control.<br />
<br />
Birth control that prevents fertilization from happening, I believe that should be your own decision. Many religions condemn all forms of birth control for various reasons, many of these reasons I respect. As a whole though, I see no reason for the government to outlaw all forms of birth control because of some religious beliefs. Let the environmentalists be environmentalists and let the Catholics be Catholics. We should obey our convictions and beliefs.<br />
<br />
But when speaking of life, life needs to be protected by the government. Your religious beliefs cannot allow you to murder someone legally. That leaves the difficult distinction: which forms of birth control are abortifacient (meaning cause an abortion), and which are ok?<br />
<br />
Abort73 has a good <a href="http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/which_birth_control_methods_cause_abortion/">list</a> of which birth control methods are abortifacient and which are not. I'm only going to talk about one birth control method, because it frightens me how casually it is treated. The birth control pill is a dose of hormones that does three things to prevent pregnancy. It prevents ovulation, thickens the mucus lining to prevent fertilization, and then as a fail-safe it thins the lining of the uterus to prevent implantation in case fertilization does occur. The first two steps that the birth control pill does are fine, but the third, if it comes to that, definitely causes an abortion. In fact, some of the abortion pills are nothing more than high-dose birth control pills. It saddens me that the birth control pill is thrown around so much regardless of the potential damage it is doing. Women take it for all sorts of reasons besides as a contraceptive, but it is known to have lasting damage on women's reproductive health in the future. It plays with life, putting children at risk. While they are only a few cells and can't be detected yet, but they are still human beings. We were all there once.<br />
<br />
A friend of mine is very passionate about this issue. She sent me the high-low estimates of how many accidental abortions happen because of birth control--it's somewhere between 6,704,900 and 22,141,900. This is sobering. That is a terrifying amount of legalized murder in this country.<br />
<br />
There you have it, my opinion about birth control. If you were asking about my views of fertilization-preventing birth control, I haven't figured out what I personally believe yet. When it comes time for me to make that decision I will do a lot more research, prayer, and ask a whole lot of people I respect. There, I hope that helps! Thanks for the great question!Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-83067367340808419662012-07-25T22:48:00.000-04:002012-07-26T18:36:18.533-04:00Tonya Reaves<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">***Update***</span> The local CBS television station received new documents regarding the death of Tonya Reaves. Her D&E abortion was performed at Planned Parenthood at 11 am, but after the procedure she began bleeding heavily. The bleeding continued for five and a half hours at Planned Parenthood until she was taken to the emergency room at 4:30 pm. There the doctors had to start from scratch to figure out what was wrong with her. They performed an ultrasound then another D&E. When the heavy bleeding continued they performed a second ultrasound and discovered a perforation. Tonya was taken to emergency surgery at 10:12 pm, but the bleeding was uncontrollable. Her death was completely avoidable, but after bleeding heavily for over five hours at Planned Parenthood before receiving medical treatment was too much. Once she was moved from Planned Parenthood to a hospital, even more valuable time was lost while the doctors started from scratch to discover the severity of her injuries.<br />
<br />
LifeNews quotes an emergency room doctor with 30 years of experience named Dr. James C. Anderson, M.D. He pointed out the habit of abortion clinics sending injured patients to the emergency room without giving the doctors appropriate information concerning their condition. "I have always had to evaluate the situation, come to my own conclusions, and initiate what I thought was appropriate treatment. This definitely created some time delays that were not in the patient's best interest," stated Dr. Anderson. "These delays can have life-threatening implications when dealing with hemorrhage or infection." (<a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2012/07/26/planned-parenthood-waited-five-hours-before-sending-abortion-victim-to-er/">More</a>)<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">**Update** </span>Tonya's family have found an attorney who is looking into a civil lawsuit against Planned Parenthood. (<a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2012/07/26/planned-parenthood-may-face-familys-lawsuit-over-abortion-death/">More</a>)<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">*Update* </span>Congressman Cliff Stearns has been looking into an investigation of Planned Parenthood regarding hiding sexual abuse and Medicaid fraud, and he is now pressing for an investigation regarding Tonya's death. (<a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2012/07/25/congressman-wants-hearing-on-planned-parenthood-abortion-death/">More</a>)<br />
<br />
Last <a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2012/07/23/woman-dies-after-second-trimester-abortion-at-planned-parenthood/">Friday</a>, a health young woman named Tonya Reaves went to a Planned Parenthood in Chicago for a second trimester D&E abortion. She was 24, engaged to be married, and had a son who had just turned one. She was transported to a hospital for hemorrhage. She was pronounced dead at the hospital at 11:20 PM. The autopsy Saturday determined that she died from hemorrhage caused by the abortion. Troy Newman, the head of Operation Rescue, explained, "Abortion deaths like this are completely avoidable. When a woman bleeds to death after an abortion, it is usually an indication of error on the part of the abortionist coupled with a delay in calling for emergency assistance. Planned Parenthood should be held accountable." Abortion clinics are not equipped for such emergency complications, and when an emergency does happen, calling an ambulance is avoided because it brings such bad publicity.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2012/07/25/obama-responds-to-abortion-death-more-planned-parenthood-funding/">Yesterday</a>, in an incredibly insensitive move, Obama called for more government funding for Planned Parenthood. "Mr. Romney wants to get rid of funding for Planned Parenthood. I think that's a bad idea," the president explained. "I've got two daughters. I want them to control their own health care choices."<br />
<br />
Really, Obama? You want your daughters to be cared for by Planned Parenthood? I don't often get angry, but I'm angry about this one. How many more women like Tonya have to die before things change? What will it take for the government to stop funding organizations with blood on their hands?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lifenews.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/tonyareaves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lifenews.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/tonyareaves.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tonya Reaves </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-65007832125697347122012-07-12T14:21:00.000-04:002012-07-12T14:21:53.437-04:00Pop Quiz 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://speakingofresearch.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/popquiz1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://speakingofresearch.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/popquiz1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
My last Pop Quiz was regarding the definition of the word "conception." We did have a few winners! But not a ton of responses. I'll have to keep nagging you all to get you to respond, or I'll just actually post every two weeks like I said I would :) So for our answer!<br />
<br />
All over the place, pro-lifer's have said that "life begins at conception" but the confusing definition of the word means a lot of the time they aren't saying what they think they're saying. <span style="background-color: white;">In 1965, the definition of conception changed from </span><i style="background-color: white;">fertilization </i><span style="background-color: white;">to </span><i style="background-color: white;">implantation</i><span style="background-color: white;">. In order to understand the significance of this, we have to understand the distinct difference between fertilization and implantation. </span><br />
<br />
Fertilization is the moment when the sperm meets the egg, fertilizes it, and a unique cell is created. This cell, called a zygote, has DNA different from any other DNA that has ever or ever will be created. The DNA determines gender and serves as a blueprint for what the zygote will look like for the rest of his or her life. This moment determines not only all of prenatal development, but all development after birth as well. This is the moment when, scientifically, life begins.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://c15123013.r13.cf2.rackcdn.com/2010/02/Image1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://c15123013.r13.cf2.rackcdn.com/2010/02/Image1.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Implantation happens eight days after fertilization. Once the egg is fertilized by the sperm and becomes a zygote, it makes its way to the woman's womb and implants on the lining of her uterus. This is implantation, and happens already after life begins. When the definition of "conception" changed in 1965, it moved conception to eight days after the original definition, eight days after life begins. That may not seem like a lot, but eight days has meant life or death for a lot of people when they, too, were zygotes.<br />
<br />
The definition of conception was changed in 1965, the same year birth control was legalized in America. If conception marked the beginning of pregnancy, and pregnancy could be pushed back to start at implantation rather than fertilization, then that's eight more days to work with to "prevent" pregnancy from starting. New forms of birth control (called contraception) can be known as preventative birth control rather than abortion. If we were clear that we believe life begins at fertilization rather than implantation or conception, then a lot of forms of birth control would be considered abortifacient rather than preventative. How many lives have been ended by "birth control" will never be known, but the estimates are staggeringly huge.<br />
<br />
And now, the latest and greatest question. In honor of the history of abortion (because I love it soooo much), this question will be regarding that. There are three main court cases that helped legalize abortion, which is NOT one of them? Your options are:<br />
-Griswold vs Connecticut (1965) legalized contraception under the right to privacy.<br />
-R. vs Morgentaler (1971) struck down every abortion law, legalizing it on demand through all nine months of pregnancy.<br />
-Roe vs Wade (1973) legalized abortion abortion on demand in the first trimester, and allowed exceptions in the third trimester for the woman's health.<br />
-Doe vs Bolton (1973) defined "health" to include a woman's physical, medical, psychological, mental, and familial health.<br />
<br />
Choose wisely! And looking it up is cheating. I'll try my very very hardest to post an answer and a new question in two weeks. We'll see how that works. Good luck!Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-43778628949179077502012-07-02T19:18:00.000-04:002012-07-02T19:18:00.310-04:00To Feminists: Concerning Forced Abortion in ChinaWhat if you woke up one morning in the hospital in severe pain and no one would tell you what happened. That alone would be terrifying for me.<br />
<br />
What if you were nine months pregnant, ready to deliver your second any day now, then suddenly eleven strangers come into your house to carry you away. They take you to a hospital, insert a syringe into your stomach, and after you pull it out insert another.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.lifenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/picchina13.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.lifenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/picchina13.png" width="320" /></a>Then you wake up, no longer pregnant, but in server pain. No one would tell you what happened. Later you find your uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries were removed to prevent you from having more children.<br />
<br />
This is a very real situation for thousands of women. Many, including Zhang Wen Fang, were left in a wheelchair because of complications from the surgery. She lost not only her legs and her uterus, but also her child, her health, her livelihood, and eventually the stress caused her to lose her marriage. She never found out what happened to her child.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Zhang Wen Fang shared her story with an organization called All Girls Allowed, which works in China fighting the one-child policy and the resulting problems of gendercide and sex trafficking. She tried to appeal her case to the government, but she was threatened and beaten by the police. Mr. Guo, the Deputy Minister of the Family Planning Committee (which enforced the one-child policy through forced abortions), responded by saying, "I removed the uteruses of one thousand women, and no one dared to say a word to me."<br />
<br />
How is this alright? How can we sit back while women are kidnapped, force to kill their own children, and drugged as their uteruses are stolen? I challenge anyone who considers themselves pro-women to do something about this. How is this choice, when it is forced upon women? How is this health, when it confines women to wheelchairs? How is this making women equal to men?<br />
<br />
Let's not forget the visual of what forced abortion really does:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bryankemper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/feng-jianmei-and-her-baby.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://bryankemper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/feng-jianmei-and-her-baby.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feng Jianmei, 6/3/2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Read the <a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2012/06/26/forced-abortion-in-china-confines-woman-to-wheelchair-afterwards/">Lifenews</a> article or <a href="http://beccafrench.blogspot.com/2012/06/freedom-of-choice-forced-abortions.html">similar</a> <a href="http://beccafrench.blogspot.com/2011/08/where-are-feminists-now.html">posts</a>.Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-28914802898951870552012-06-15T13:01:00.000-04:002012-06-15T13:01:24.129-04:00When the Going Gets Tough, the Simple Ability To Write Coherent Thoughts Just Abandons Me EntirelySome people have natural born talents. Some struggle with things that come very easily to others. I, however, feel like the abilities that sometimes come so naturally from me will occasionally just stop existing.<br />
<br />
I'm speaking in particular about my ability to write.<br />
<br />
It's a real shame when my capability to write multiple coherent sentences in a row absolutely abandons me, say, mid-paragraph.<br />
<br />
I'm editing chapter four about abortion history. You know, the chapter that I complain about incessantly. Because I'm not happy with any of the numerous versions of it I have written, I'm going over all of them and picking and choosing what is necessary. Sarah Weddington sued to change the abortion laws in Texas, creating the case <i>Roe v Wade </i>which<i> </i>legalized abortion in America. When I was part way through explaining Weddington's oral arguments, I wrote this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
She continued in saying that pregnancy interrupts a woman's life: areas of education, body, employment, family, and other relationships are often sacrificed because of an unplanned pregnancy. Because it so drastically effects her life, it should be her fundamental right to decide whether or not she continues her pregnancy. She keeps going on and on, but I'm sick of writing about this. Is it necessary or can I just say it sucks? </blockquote>
Oh, but it gets better. Next come's Joy Floyd's oral argument after Weddington. (He was arguing for Wade, the anti-abortion position):<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Floyd’s argument is feeble at best. When I first listened to the arguments I was expecting an epic battle for some reason. Really, it was just a pretty woman giving an emotional and passionate plea for “all women” (I wonder how she knew all women agreed with her points) and Floyd just flopping around not making any sense. He played ping pong with the justices arguing whether or not it’s a moot point because Roe delivered her baby already. “It’s a moot point,” “no it’s not, it’s for the good of all women,” “it’s a moot point,” “no it’s not, it’s for the good of all women,” “it’s a moot point,” “you’re stupid,” ect. After a while, he finally brings up the question of when life begins and whether or not abortion is murder. They just tell him that the beginning of life cannot be determined (see chapter two) and he gives it up. </blockquote>
Ahem. Using verbs such as "flopping" and "played ping pong" is not advised when writing about a Supreme Court Case. Not to mention creating your own dialogue, inserting random parenthetical thoughts that could be considered an insult toward feminists, and this killer last paragraph:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The oral arguments of Roe v Wade are pretty surprising. Weddington gives a passionate plea for women’s rights and goes on about how a pregnancy restricts her freedoms. I can’t help but picture Floyd as an awkward teenage boy who wants to be anywhere but there. </blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwTFjVQ7kzDSJMGFMsg4Eh42yy9OEb9QC66bTaBU-jaEd9Yn62QydQajIAqBKwxC7LAEwHeANXR8Y0KT_d_6hZ3oBFHZwpnUWB5RQKRs14TTiFKbC7G8w1h_vD34e7fq-COSLgg-TWNI/s1600/facepalm013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhwTFjVQ7kzDSJMGFMsg4Eh42yy9OEb9QC66bTaBU-jaEd9Yn62QydQajIAqBKwxC7LAEwHeANXR8Y0KT_d_6hZ3oBFHZwpnUWB5RQKRs14TTiFKbC7G8w1h_vD34e7fq-COSLgg-TWNI/s320/facepalm013.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
Ok, that's all. I just needed to humble myself. <br />
<br />Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-45678000281389207122012-06-14T14:04:00.000-04:002012-06-14T14:04:14.372-04:003 Down, 4 to Go!I've been editing my heart out and fingers off. My deadline is Saturday, and I've finished three chapters with four more to go.<br />
<br />
Of my completed chapters, I have 12,899 words, 33 printed pages, or 51 paperback book pages. That's just three of my nine chapters, so it's looking like this book will be around 150 pages. That's exactly the range I wanted it to be!<br />
<br />
What is a good book size for you? Do you like nonfiction books to be around 150 pages, or longer, or shorter? Let me know what you think. I can't promise I'll make changes because of your request, my goal is content over size. However, I'm curious to hear your thoughts.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hennessy.id.au/quentingeorge/archives/chained_to_desk_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://www.hennessy.id.au/quentingeorge/archives/chained_to_desk_small.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how diligent I am. Except I sit on the floor and my hair doesn't look like that and I use a laptop, not a desktop. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-6372712923880651682012-06-12T17:12:00.001-04:002012-06-12T17:12:58.571-04:00Introducing: Pop Quizzes!As I've been researching, I've been really surprised by some information that I've found. There are so many little-known facts that make a huge impact upon the abortion issue. I thought this would be an interesting way to see if these things are as little known as I expected and for you to learn a bit too. (And to hold me accountable to looking up stuff and continuing research.) I'm thinking I will update the pop quiz every two weeks, but I'll see how it goes and adjust it from there. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, without further ado, here is our first question: what are the two definitions of the word "conception"? In the pro-life movement, you hear people say "life begins at conception" all the time. But when is conception? No cheating--don't look it up! At least until after you've answered. When the poll closes in two weeks I'll write a post explaining the answer and introducing another question. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Take a guess! Don't feel shy. No one will know who you are, there's no shame in getting it wrong. This morning I probably would have too. Please choose two answers and only two answers. Enjoy! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://speakingofresearch.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/popquiz1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://speakingofresearch.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/popquiz1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-56554285996066497352012-06-12T12:19:00.000-04:002012-06-12T12:21:58.886-04:00Freedom of Choice, Forced Abortions<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Warning: extremely graphic photo below. </span><br />
<br />
In America, abortion is seen as a lovely thing that allows people to choose when they have children. They can plan out their families, their lives wont be interrupted by untimely babies, and women are no longer constrained by the inconveniences of pregnancy.<br />
<br />
In China, abortion is entirely something different. It's worlds apart.<br />
<br />
Because of fears of overpopulation, China has developed a one-child policy. In 1979 China adopted the policy that allowed couples to only have one child, and penalized those who had a second. This has brought on all sorts of problems, problems that we can only wait to see how they will play out in the future. One of the biggest examples is gendercide; because of the culture's emphasis on having boys and the liability it is to have a daughter, many couples abort or abandon their daughters until they can have a boy. This has created a distorted sex ratio that will leave <a href="http://www.allgirlsallowed.org/gendercide-china-statistics">50 million</a> Chinese men without wives.<br />
<br />
The horrors of the one-child policy seem to be catching America's attention more and more. Recently, a photo from June 3, 2012 was released of a woman named Feng Jianmei. She was beaten and dragged into a car by Family Planning Officials. They demanded RMB 40,000 (about 6,300 American dollars), but when her family could not supply the money they forced her to abort her seven month old baby.<br />
<br />
After the forced abortion, they laid the body next to her in bed.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bryankemper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/feng-jianmei-and-her-baby.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://bryankemper.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/feng-jianmei-and-her-baby.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This is hard to stomach. How sick that something people fight tooth and nail to defend in our country is the cause of so much suffering and injustice in another? </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/report-chinese-woman-forcibly-aborted-at-seven-months-warning-extremely-gra">LifeSiteNews article</a>, <a href="http://bryankemper.com/2012/06/12/china-woman-forcibly-aborted-at-seven-months-warning-graphic-image/">Bryan Kemper's article</a>, <a href="http://www.64tianwang.com/bencandy.php?fid-7-id-10243-page-1.htm">original picture</a>, <a href="http://www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/index.php?nav=sign_our_petition">Petition to Stop Forced Abortion in China</a>, <a href="http://www.allgirlsallowed.org/">All Girls Allowed</a>. </div>Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-28244594848284304112012-06-12T00:41:00.000-04:002012-06-12T00:41:02.954-04:00Post. (Part Two)Yesterday I edited chapter 1, today I got 2/3s of the way through chapter 2. Tomorrow I have the entire day to work on it, so my goal is to finish two, edit three, and start four tomorrow. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Things have been going remarkably well lately. I feel so blessed. God is providing me with not only the patients to sit still for hours on end, but the ability to make quick decisions and fast changes and move on. I hate editing because I struggle so much with that, but lately I've been flying through it. It feels so good, especially after how tough last week was! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My goal is to get my book to proof readers soon, hence the crazed editing right now. If anyone knows of a good way I can print in bulk (preferably inexpensively and quickly), then please let me know in the comments! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Goodnight, dear reader. You are loved and not forgotten! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
(P.S. The title of this post still shows my inability to think of good titles.) </div>Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-34090151588034239292012-06-10T23:24:00.000-04:002012-06-10T23:24:45.099-04:00Post.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xYhZUOEd8z5Ukpen8FO22qDqJ6JHhxRdTz7FgipH-0k4l_wqG4Blh136Hr4fz1uwuoTXUalcRV-TdkuvnbbIs3hwu2PXCQ1Vgh8HUjApd6gZn71bx14eNL_C_7XSPvgBGTQGY0kz6fnZ/s1600/472054_10150840094252443_264283183_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xYhZUOEd8z5Ukpen8FO22qDqJ6JHhxRdTz7FgipH-0k4l_wqG4Blh136Hr4fz1uwuoTXUalcRV-TdkuvnbbIs3hwu2PXCQ1Vgh8HUjApd6gZn71bx14eNL_C_7XSPvgBGTQGY0kz6fnZ/s200/472054_10150840094252443_264283183_o.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at me, I'm a party animal. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This past week I had my highschool graduation party. The French family does not take the topic of graduation parties lightly, so I spent a whole lot of time cooking and cleaning and doing other such homely tasks as spray painting a twister board on my lawn and eating cookie dough.<br />
<br />
This week I am attempting an entire book edit in a week. I have a looming deadline of the end of June, which is shortened by a family vacation, so I'm trying to get everything ready for proof readers by... Friday. Originally my list of things to do included rewriting a chapter, researching and outlining and drafting and editing (at least once) my two last chapters, and editing the remaining six. However, due to said graduation party and a <a href="http://beccafrench.blogspot.com/2012/06/when-i-want-to-burn-everything-ive-ever.html">pathetic spout of discouragement</a>, I'm only managing to somewhat-research and outline the two chapters, edit the chapter I wanted to rewrite (which is much smarter and I feel dumb for not just doing that in the beginning), and edit the remaining six. All. Of. That. To. Say. :<br />
<br />
This week is so much editing. <br />
<br />
I'm off to my editing cave, I'll try to crawl out at some point and let you know how I'm doing. Or write about my feelings or a movie or an article I just read or <a href="http://beccafrench.blogspot.com/2012/03/what-writing-really-looks-like-or.html">how pathetic I feel when I write to much</a>. Right now I'm feeling good, I just finished editing chapter 1! Solid start. Now back to work.<br />
<br />
(The title of this post shows my inability to think of good titles.)<br />
<br />
((Photo credit to Mrs. Huntington.))Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-12837064721158723032012-06-05T16:40:00.001-04:002012-06-05T16:40:56.811-04:00When I Want to Burn Everything I've Ever Written<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://logisticsmonster.com/wp-content/uploads/burning-book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://logisticsmonster.com/wp-content/uploads/burning-book.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
You know what I hate? Spending hours writing, then at the end of the day deciding all of what you wrote needed to be trashed. It's all worthless. It can't be used, and salvaging it would take as long as it took to write. Monkeys could have sat at a computer and typed random letters, and come up with something better than this.<br />
<br />
It's on this kind of day I want to stand on my roof and scream for the entire world to hear, <br />
<br />
"IT'S NOT WORTH IT!"<br />
<br />
However, like every other day like this that I've experienced, it usually means I just need to move on. Copy and paste the 4,205 words of nonsense and an entire week of work to a file of such passages, and work on something else. I wonder if actually printing the pages and burning it would help me feel better. I bet on a good day I could think of some nice way to conclude this post with something meaningful that would make me feel better, but nothing's coming to me. So I conclude with the wise words of April Ludgate: "hard work never pays off."<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://blog.creativedepartment.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/april.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://blog.creativedepartment.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/april.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-54754417603351170072012-06-03T21:30:00.000-04:002012-06-03T21:30:00.705-04:00New Ministry: And Then There Were NoneOne of my favorite things about the pro-life movement is the diversity with in it. Abortion is a massive topic that touches every area of life--health, law, industries, economy, religion, the list is endless. Because it is not any one topic, there are hundreds of pro-life organizations and ministries that work on fighting abortion in all different ways. Many accuse the pro-life movement of only caring about the fetuses but kicking the mothers' to the curb. I've seen that to be entirely untrue. Many, if not most pro-life groups focus on the mother. This can mean teaching the truth about abortion, urging women to choose life, helping them in practical ways through their pregnancy, helping them after the baby is born, helping them if they choose adoption, and supporting women who have had abortions.<br />
<br />
However, there seems to be a new aspect of abortion that seems rather untouched by ministries. That is, until now.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_ZJSGBr4Ffi1G4LHSYxJq0UvT5ec-fkUnZtRyjlPz7HX5yanWpKzB1MM_FTdImqWoQO0I-29-5ZyGcvqSP_s4HqFEqddRKL05cHpmhQBjwHUuNwoEuvWHzxozLR8WExF_-rkQbg17MzX/s1600/2010-Unplanned-Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_ZJSGBr4Ffi1G4LHSYxJq0UvT5ec-fkUnZtRyjlPz7HX5yanWpKzB1MM_FTdImqWoQO0I-29-5ZyGcvqSP_s4HqFEqddRKL05cHpmhQBjwHUuNwoEuvWHzxozLR8WExF_-rkQbg17MzX/s400/2010-Unplanned-Cover.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
Abby Johnson was a Planned Parenthood clinic director for 8 years. She began as a volunteer clinic escort, then worked her way up until she ran an abortion clinic. Then one day, she was helping an abortionist perform an abortion. The abortionist wanted to use an ultrasound in order to see what he was doing inside of the woman, and Abby was the one performing the ultrasound. She was shocked by what she saw--not a clump of tissue, but a baby, fighting to stay away from the harmful abortion instruments.<br />
<br />
With the help of people praying outside of her clinic during the first 40 Days for Life campaign, she quit her job. Despite the financial difficulties, the lawsuits from Planned Parenthood, the embarrassment of leaving her friends and coworkers to begin working with the "enemy," she walked away.<br />
<br />
She later wrote a book titled <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unplanned-Dramatic-Planned-Parenthood-Eye-Opening/dp/1414339402/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338430133&sr=8-1">Unplanned</a></i> that tells the entire story--from the Planned Parenthood booth at the volunteer fair in college to her praying with 40 Days for Life outside of her old clinic for the first time.<br />
<br />
Now for the exciting news: God is using Abby's experience working for Planned Parenthood and dodging bullets trying to get out. In a month she is beginning a new pro-life ministry that tackles ground we've never touched before: a ministry to help clinic workers emotionally, spiritually, legally, and financially. They will provide legal protection from attorneys, funds necessary to quit their jobs and still provide for their families until they find a new job, emotional support, and spiritual counselors to help them on the road to healing.<br />
<br />
If you say you're pro-life, you need to be pro-<i>all </i>life. Including the lives (both material and eternal) of clinic workers, abortionists, men and women who suffer from past abortions, and pro-choice advocates. As well as the young, the old, those of a different race than your own, the handicapped, the depressed, the orphans, and the widows. It's a tall order. I'm excited the horizons are expanding for the pro-life movement and a new group of people will be reached.Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-35987081963624835272012-06-01T15:30:00.000-04:002012-06-01T15:30:01.180-04:00Life and Death and Apollo 13I'm really becoming a fan of finding places in our culture where human life is valuable.<br />
<br />
I'm a little behind on things, but I only saw Apollo 13 for the first time a few weeks ago. Anyways, it was great, and one thing in particular really struck me. When it looked as if Apollo 13 wouldn't be able to land back on earth, the entire world was captivated by the story. People put their normal lives on hold, gathered around their televisions, and prayed for these lives that hung in the balance. For three lives. Yet how often do we not care about far more than three lives that are hanging in the balance? While it's discouraging sometimes when people don't care about stopping the thousands of deaths each day from abortion, it's refreshing to see the world care about the lives of these three men.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m38/jovsg/TV%20and%20Film%20Images/apollo-13-movie-still-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m38/jovsg/TV%20and%20Film%20Images/apollo-13-movie-still-14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-30356999599593630992012-05-31T16:37:00.001-04:002012-05-31T16:44:23.251-04:00Prenatal Discrimination Act<a href="http://penndems.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/stop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://penndems.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/stop.jpg" width="200" /></a>PRENDA, the Prenatal Discrimination Act, has failed. It would have made sex-selective abortions illegal, but the two-thirds majority needed failed with 246 yes and 168 no. (Read more <a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2012/05/31/democrats-defeat-bill-to-ban-sex-selection-abortions/">here</a>).<br />
<br />
What's more, today Live Action released another video in their War On Baby Girls series. This time, in New York City, yet another Planned Parenthood employee counsels a woman seeking to abort if her baby is a girl. She says having another girl would be horrible because she wants a boy. What will Planned Parenthood do now? They keep saying they are against gendercide, they seemed to luck out last time by having already fired the employee of the previous video, what will be their next move?<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Abby Johnson of Live Action, author of <i>Unplanned</i>, and former Planned Parenthood clinic director, said, "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">The counselor in this video is a licensed social worker. In this video you will hear her encourage the pregnant women to get a Chorionic Villi Sampling test to determine the gender of her baby. Here's what the counselor doesn't say...CVS testing is very risky...miscarriage rate is 1 in a 100 procedures. Oh well, it's not like they really care about the unborn or risks...or informed consent."</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/6Fz2KLSxDzc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And yes, this has been my second post of the day and it's only 4:30. That's what happens when interesting things are happening in abortion news and I'm trying to draft that darn chapter four about abortion history. </div>
<br />Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-87756170512507441862012-05-31T14:00:00.002-04:002012-05-31T14:05:13.876-04:00Planned Parenthood: "Every Child a Wanted Child" Except If It's Bad Publicity<a href="http://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/048.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Two days ago Live Action released a <a href="http://beccafrench.blogspot.com/2012/05/gendercide-war-on-baby-girls-part-1.html">video</a> exposing Planned Parenthood's willingness to help women have sex-selective abortions. A Live Action actor came into a Planned Parenthood, explained to the employee that she wanted a boy but would abort a girl, and caught the employees reaction on film. The results, honestly, don't shock me much after watching Planned Parenthood handle themselves in the past. They agreed to go through testing to discover "the sex of the pregnancy" (the word "baby" is always avoided within Planned Parenthood's walls), and abort if the child is a girl. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">However, Planned Parenthood released a statement saying that they fired the employee in the video soon after the incident, before Live Action ever released the video. They said the employee did not handle the situation well, and as they strive for the best quality care for their patients, they let her go. But it still raises a question: if Planned Parenthood's goal is to make every child a wanted child (by aborting the unwanted ones), then what if a girl is unwanted while a boy would be? As they refuse to admit that they are involved in gendercide, they contradict one of their main ideas. They can't have it both ways. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Planned Parenthood said in one of their statements regarding the situation, "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Planned Parenthood cares about staff, and conducts retraining or other personnel action responsibly." As Jill Stanek <a href="http://www.jillstanek.com/2012/05/breaking-planned-parenthood-fired-employee-following-sex-selection-sting/">pointed out,</a> they're caring about their staff by throwing them under the bus and not taking responsibility for their mistake? </span></span>Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-50169376983028260282012-05-30T20:00:00.000-04:002012-05-30T20:00:03.225-04:00Gendercide: "War On Baby Girls, part 1" from Live ActionLive Action is a pro-life organization that performs under-cover investigations of Planned Parenthood, America's largest abortion provider. So far they have exposed Planned Parenthood involved in <a href="http://liveaction.org/traffick">human trafficking</a>, <a href="http://liveaction.org/monalisa">covering up sexual abuse</a>, <a href="http://liveaction.org/planned-parenthood-racism-project">accepting racist donations</a>, and giving women <a href="http://liveaction.org/rosaacuna">inaccurate medical information</a>. Yesterday they released another project called War On Baby Girls. The first video in the series, in a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas, shockingly shows the clinic employee helping a woman plan how to abort her unborn child if its a girl, but continue with the pregnancy if it's a boy. Then she helped her abuse Medicaid in order to fund this sex-selective abortion.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/U2H3ZDnBtuw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Stay tuned for more videos in the War On Baby Girls series. In the meantime, you can sign <a href="http://protectourgirls.com/">this petition</a> to ban sex-selective abortions nationwide. 100 million girls are missing today. There are 100 million more boys in the world today due to this gendercide. What happened to equality, women's rights, and feminism? Girls are being killed just for being girls. That has to stop now.Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-14331615906675938022012-05-29T14:01:00.000-04:002012-05-29T14:01:11.915-04:00Chapter 4Today's goal: write chapter four (currently titled "'73") in under 5,500 words in four and a half hours.<br />
<br />
Remember me complaining <a href="http://beccafrench.tumblr.com/post/6577957489/i-got-the-ridiculous-idea-in-my-head-at-11-30-to">here</a> and <a href="http://beccafrench.tumblr.com/post/4840673562/chapter-4-meet-your-maker">here</a> and a bunch of other times too? Same chapter, only I finally feel like I'm starting to understand the material I'm writing about. Spending a semester studying this topic, writing a research paper on it, and finally giving a speech about it really made it click. Imagine that. Unfortunately, I'm scrapping most of the previous draft I have and starting fresh. I'm so hard to please sometimes!Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-58595334478407152492012-05-26T12:00:00.000-04:002012-05-26T12:00:04.508-04:00Norma McCorvey, or "Jane Roe" of Roe v WadeMost people know that <i>Roe v Wade</i> is the case that legalized abortion. Some people know the details of the case, and even fewer know anything about the woman named "Jane Roe" who made the case happen. "Jane Roe" is a woman named Norma McCorvey. I read her book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Won-Love-McCorvey-Speaks-Conviction/dp/0785272372/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1337965013&sr=8-2">Won By Love</a></i> a few years ago, and right now I'm in the middle of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Am-Roe-Life-Freedom-Choice/dp/0060926384/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337965055&sr=8-1">I Am Roe</a></i>. Both are incredible reads, but I don't think one should be read without the other. I would definitely recommend them. The life of the woman who became "Roe" is really remarkable, and something that should be taken into account when looking at the abortion movement as a whole.<br />
<br />
Definitely go read the books. McCorvey's life is heartbreaking at times; she needed the love of Christ but could only find drugs, alcohol, and one night stands. <i>Won By Love</i> tells of how she came face-to-face with the love that she desired, and in the most unlikely place imaginable: the young daughter of a pro-life advocate who worked next door to McCorvey's abortion clinic. Through the love offered by the people who should be her worst enemy, McCorvey met Christ and eventually became pro-life. I don't think I've ever read a more moving testimony of God working in someone's life.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtC2kF9HhpAyHHqjfsofNo6EezyeJew8ulMQcLUDQgVuhExB_wPhpSo5i-BVa5mKeKZDZzQyiVyHhTVwhBCdHbWh8-Z9e5cS4-xAJzGM53YHpfW1-WviX0hbWovMPTgl-M81txdCErbR7C/s1600/325334_265433883522633_146273698771986_715867_1334947874_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtC2kF9HhpAyHHqjfsofNo6EezyeJew8ulMQcLUDQgVuhExB_wPhpSo5i-BVa5mKeKZDZzQyiVyHhTVwhBCdHbWh8-Z9e5cS4-xAJzGM53YHpfW1-WviX0hbWovMPTgl-M81txdCErbR7C/s400/325334_265433883522633_146273698771986_715867_1334947874_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-18374076531123745642012-05-22T01:39:00.000-04:002012-05-22T01:39:26.595-04:00Life and Death and...the AVENGERS!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cinedork.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/postercrop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="http://cinedork.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/postercrop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I'm not usually one for action movies. While they can be fun, completely lacking a plot is one of the most annoying things a movie can do. Even if there is a plot, not having good characters or character development or anything at all realistic is really annoying. Well, I don't know if the Avengers somehow managed all of that perfectly or if I was just in a super good movie-watching mood when I watched it, but I loved it.<br />
<br />
Maybe I just liked all different superheroes with all different back stories, habits, styles, and struggles all trying to put aside their differences and work together. Iron Man's arrogance, the Hulk's anger issues, Captain America feeling outdated, Thor being a mythical god...ect, it made for an interesting plot.<br />
<br />
Or maybe I just like the idea of superheroes.<br />
<br />
Or maybe I realized just how much superhero movies appeal to the part of us that wants the good guys to win, that wants evil to lose, that wants human life to be spared.<br />
<br />
I'm beginning to realize the parts of our culture that does value life. The Avengers have to work together in order to protect millions of people from dying at the hands of evil. Near the end of the movie, New York City is under a huge attack and many authorities wanted to drop a nuclear bomb on the city in order to keep the attack from spreading. The Avengers want to spare as much human life as they can, so they have to find a way to save the world as well as the city.<br />
<br />
I like superhero movies, cause with each daring and incredibly act they are protecting the lives of the human beings. Too many action movies show thousands of people dying during a really cool shot of a building blowing up. Superheroes value and protect human life.Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-66303642226058020372012-05-14T18:45:00.000-04:002012-05-22T01:40:11.489-04:00Life and Death and Parks and Rec<a href="http://www.knope2012.com/images/mobile-billboard/mobile-billboard-all.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.knope2012.com/images/mobile-billboard/mobile-billboard-all.jpg" width="320" /></a>Last week's episode of the best TV show ever, Parks and Recreation, brought up some interesting questions. When City Counsel candidate Leslie Knope accidentally insulted a man in a speech, only to find he had just died, people were horrified. What she said would have been fine if he had been living, but because he had recently passed away it was unacceptable. Now me, being the Parks and Rec fan and nerd that I am, couldn't help but ask questions.<br />
<br />
What is it about death that makes us respect those who have passed?<br />
<br />
We go to funerals of people we barely knew or aren't even fond of. Why is that? Why is insulting a deceased person extra offensive, even if it's the truth? Why do we honor the dead, even those whose life we never honored?<br />
<br />
I think this has to do with our understanding and value of life. Which leads to more questions.<br />
<br />
How much do you value life? If you had to put a price on it, what would it be? To what extent would you go to save the life of someone you love, somebody you know, or a stranger? Saving a life could mean jumping in a frozen lake to save a drowning person, pushing someone out of the path of an oncoming car, stepping in when a person is being mugged, preventing suicide, performing life saving surgery, being at the right place at the right time to call 911, or sending money to developing countries to provide food, water, and medicine to the poor. Whatever it may be, is it worth you sacrificing your time, energy, and resources for?<br />
<br />
We all value life to some extent. It's not entirely about courage, bravery, or sacrificing. While that's definitely part of it, I think it's mostly about our value of life. Do we ever not value life enough? That's an extremely dangerous mistake to make, but I do it all the time. Where do we need to value life more? Whose life am I not valuing?<br />
<br />
<i>(Also, congratulations to Leslie for winning the campaign.) </i>Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2910013604696675156.post-21602745508583025372012-05-09T21:00:00.002-04:002012-05-09T21:00:24.221-04:00Pro-Abortion IronyOh the irony. Everybody knows that Christians are the hypocrites of the world, and the pro-choice side is completely logical. Right?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/imagecache/page_masthead/the_white_house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/imagecache/page_masthead/the_white_house.jpg" width="320" /></a>President Obama is by far the most pro-abortion president our nation has ever seen. He invited Nancy Keenan, the head of NARAL (National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws) to the White Houses' Christmas party and he's met with Cecile Richards, the CEO of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, four times in the White House alone. He's repealed abortion laws, voted against the Born Alive Infant Protection Act (which criminalized infanticide), and gave <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUl99id2SvM">this</a> promise to Planned Parenthood. All that to say, he's extremely pro-abortion.<br />
<br />
However, this week the White House made a pretty surprising change to their security system. The Director of the White Houses' Visitor's Office, Ellie Shafer, is now including the unborn in her tours. When you're signing up for a tour of the White House and you're pregnant, you must sign in your unborn child too.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffE5d5YCSKLUoAQRiJ123k9XvguEBHWPPOIwcz2Ze7wFzoNG6zX_vo3incU2GWUxTbV6fniSWYwvN_bVu4QOOulqH5a8drRKNqNCvHSqs_-xQRUdp61x_O5MhWi1eHdkIWzGE1n1jH_gl/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-05-09+at+8.49.48+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffE5d5YCSKLUoAQRiJ123k9XvguEBHWPPOIwcz2Ze7wFzoNG6zX_vo3incU2GWUxTbV6fniSWYwvN_bVu4QOOulqH5a8drRKNqNCvHSqs_-xQRUdp61x_O5MhWi1eHdkIWzGE1n1jH_gl/s320/Screen+shot+2012-05-09+at+8.49.48+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planned Parenthood in D.C. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I find this quite ironic. You can go to the White House and have to sign you unborn baby in, then right afterwards walk 0.6 miles to the Planned Parenthood down the street and have that baby killed. Abortions in D.C. can be performed up to the due date, but the unborn are included in the headcount when giving tours in the White House for security purposes. It looks like the only safe place for the unborn is in the White House, even with the extremely pro-abortion president we have.<br />
<br />
Douglas Johnson, the legislative director of National Right to Life, pointed out to <a href="http://www.lifenews.com/2012/05/08/white-house-abortion-ok-but-visitors-must-register-unborn-children/">Lifenews</a> that when registering your unborn child, you must indicate the gender. If you don't know then you have to report it after birth. But what do you do if you abort your child? Do you have to report that, too?<br />
<br />
Oh the irony.Becca Frenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10709164104269996377noreply@blogger.com1