On Tuesday, March 9, Governor Asa Hutchinson signed Senate Bill 6, banning nearly all abortions. The bill only grants an exception when the mother’s life is in danger. Supporters hope this will eventually lead the Supreme Court to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision. 

As a supporter of the bill, a conservative and a Christian, I am hopeful (though not expectant) that the Roe v. Wade decision will be overturned. I believe that each human life has been given value that is from God, making each life important. 

In recent years, abortions have become a widespread issue. Although it is often portrayed that abortions occur on rare occasions and under extreme circumstances, that is not the case. Since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, over 60 million babies have had their lives taken by abortion. This is an issue. 

Many biologists have determined that every human life begins at the moment of conception. From there the baby grows and develops a little every day. Many people agree with this, regardless of where they stand on the issue of abortion. They agree that the baby is human, but should not be classified as a person. They believe that the baby is considered a person the moment they are born, but this means that a human is considered a person solely based on location. Does that mean that someone across the world could be less of a person than someone here in Arkansas, if that classification is only based on location? Is it classified by development? If so, that means a 27-year old is more of a person than a 17-year old. 

A baby’s heartbeat can be found anywhere from four to six weeks gestation; some women don’t know they are pregnant at this point. By 14 weeks gestation, a baby has developed enough to suck their thumb. By 20 weeks gestation, and possibly earlier, a baby can feel pain. That is only about four-and-a-half months into the pregnancy. 

When we call this growing baby a “clump of cells” or “pregnancy tissue,” we take all the value away from their life. No one ever announces that they are having a clump of cells; they announce they are having a baby. We use these euphemisms to make ourselves feel better about ending the life of another. A clump of cells does not grow or kick or wiggle, but a baby does. 

Abortion clinics are not required to show the mother the ultrasound of her baby, so the mother cannot see what her “clump of cells” really is: a growing baby. However, a day before Hutchinson signed the bill, the Senate approved to require that a woman be shown an ultrasound before an abortion is performed. 

In the United States, it is illegal to kill a number of animals. According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, bald eagles cannot be killed or captured. If you break this law you could be faced with a fine of thousands of dollars and possible jail time. If you kill a bear, you could pay up to twenty-five hundred dollars and possible jail time. I find it very interesting that our nation has stricter laws on the protection of animals than it does of the protection of human life. 

We always want to fight for those who do not have a voice, and rightly so, yet we often ignore this issue. These babies cannot defend themselves and have no voice to fight with. We MUST fight for them. 

This is so much more than an issue of women’s “reproductive rights.” If we really cared about women, we wouldn’t kill them everyday in the womb. It’s not really a woman’s right issue if we get rid of baby girls for the convenience of other women. 

The “my body, my choice” argument is a confusing one. Although it is true that it is your body, you are sharing it with another. The baby should have a say in the decision, right? 

I’m very passionate about this issue. As a woman, I’m outraged that other women tell me that it is okay to kill my baby. I won’t stand by and watch while babies are slaughtered for the sake of convenience. I understand that many women are in a tough situation and struggle with the decision, but adoption is a great option. I also understand that there are lots of children in the system, but I would argue that it is a better situation for them than the alternative. 

An abortion procedure is not pretty. Although graphic (so read at your own risk), I feel the need to give you a short overview of what happens. During the first few weeks, only a pill is needed to terminate pregnancy. But after about 8 or 9 weeks, the baby is too big and too developed to pass, so a procedure is needed. In the operation room, a needle is inserted into the baby’s heart, sending them into cardiac arrest. Then, the baby is essentially vacuumed out of the womb.  It is graphic, but that is the reality of abortion. 

That makes my stomach turn. Many states allow these procedures to happen until a certain point during pregnancy; a few allow that to happen at any point during pregnancy. 

I do not want to come off as disagreeable. I sincerely write this with love and compassion. I am very passionate about this issue and that is why I am so excited about the effects of this bill. It will not take effect until ninety days after the legislative session, meaning it cannot be enforced until the summer at the earliest. However, I think this bill has taken huge strides to save more and more babies and I believe it will help stop thousands of abortions in Arkansas.