The (blood) Red Badge of Courage?

This story is a sad tale of delusional hubris:

At a pivotal time in the abortion debate, Ms. magazine is releasing its fall issue next week with a cover story titled "We Had Abortions," accompanied by the names of thousands of women nationwide who signed a petition making that declaration.

... as if an abortion were a laudable feat. Are these women completely delusional?

The signatories include Ms. founder Gloria Steinem, comedian Carol Leifer, and actresses Kathy Najimy and Amy Brenneman, but most are not famous names.

Tyffine Jones, 27, of Jackson, Miss., said she had no hesitation about signing _ although she lives in a state where restrictions on abortion are tough and all but one abortion clinic has been closed.

Jones said she got an abortion 10 years ago _ enduring harassment from protesters when she entered the clinic _ in order to finish high school. She went on to become the first member of her family to graduate from college, and hopes at some point to attend law school.

"I wanted to do something bigger with myself _ I didn't want to be stopped by anything," she said in a telephone interview.

Yeah, don't let that precious little baby stop you from fulfilling your selfish interests. Suck its brain out. You deserve it!

And for this old saw - "I wanted to do something bigger...". What is bigger than birthing and seeing to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of a baby? Don't even dare bring up this argument with my wife. She will - justly - rip you a new one!

Another signatory, Debbie Findling of San Francisco, described her difficult decision last year to have an abortion after tests showed that she would bear a son with Down syndrome.

"I felt it was my right to make the decision, but having that right doesn't make the decision any easier," she said. "It was the hardest decision I've ever made."

Findling, 42, is married, with a 5-year-old daughter, and has been trying to get pregnant again while pursuing her career as a philanthropic foundation executive.

Hey Debbie - philanthropy begins in the womb. Thank God I am not now a fetus in this woman's womb! And how lucky for her 5 year old that she passed the (often flawed) tests. I write this as a 37 year old father of a 2 month old who, because his wife is nearly the same age, was presented with a littany of (often unwelcomed) information related to birth defects in kids of mothers beyond 35 years old. I didn't mind the initial info, but the seemingly unceasing "high risk" talk, when nothing pointed toward a high risk pregnancy, was very aggravating.

By the way, something I noticed: though all the medical professionals we consulted gave us the party line in regard to the possibility of having a kid with birth defects, they each seemed relieved when we indicated the results of any tests would not change our commitment to the birth. It seemed to me, at least, that most people know the right course of action and are relieved to hear a commitment to it.

Rather than this repugnant story, I'd like to see instead an article titled something like "We had babies" - stories of real courage in the face of difficulty.