One cannot but applaud the amazing efforts being done by the government to grapple with the sinister COVID-19 and save lives. Thanks to the exemplary and rightly admired work of the medical services, as well as so many others who ensure our basic needs, the number of deaths so far has been very low.
It, therefore, comes as a shock on reading the report of a UK based abortion provider (Times of Malta, April 2) that the pro-abortion lobby in Malta is exploiting the situation and trying to influence public opinion. Even in such a dire crisis, we have people who can stoop so low to achieve their ends, while others do their utmost to save lives.
Malta has been, and is, proudly pro-life, despite all its shortcomings. The people know that if women are in distress facing difficult situations when pregnant, help is available.
Life Line Malta crisis helpline on 2033 0023 supports these women and accompanies them throughout the pregnancy and beyond. A shelter for pregnant women is also available. If they are trapped in an abusive relationship, help is only a phone call away. Abortion, if anything, hides domestic violence as the perpetrator can continue the abuse confident that abortion will absolve his actions.
Helping a woman to kill her offspring is not charity. Support, love and encouragement are more humane. There are times when there is nothing that one can do to prevent loss of lives to disease but to intentionally kill is despicable.
While superhuman efforts are being made to save lives, especially of the medically compromised and elderly, we are told that women who could afford to have an abortion abroad will now have to resort to dangerous medications or illicit abortions. That is not their only choice. How about helping these women in crisis during their pregnancy instead?
Helping a woman to kill her offspring is not charity
Ignoring the morality, the logic is obscene, to say the least. It tells us that only the well-off can afford to travel abroad so we should make it available to one and all. This illustrates to what depths of depravity some of us have fallen to justify anything! Abortion takes a life and there is nothing that changes this fact.
Doctors for Choice feel that, instead of offering support to these women and saving the life of their child, we should offer them the choice of abortion. The most inappropriate term in this sordid manoeuvring is the word ‘charity’. Abortion is anything but charitable. Charity is not about taking away life but nurturing it!
Besides, abortion is highly lucrative and money driven. For example, the well-known Marie Stopes abortion service provider in UK performs 70,000 of the circa 200,000 abortions done annually in the UK. Its CEO got paid a staggering €500,000 in 2018. The ‘charity’ receives circa €560 for an abortion under 10 weeks, €800 between 10 and 14 weeks, over €1,000 between 14 and 18 weeks and circa €1,800 between 18 and 24 weeks.
Unbelievably, almost all of the abortions performed in its clinics are paid for by the British taxpayers through the NHS. No wonder the ‘charitable’ abortion industry providers are fuming when a woman changes her mind and decides to keep her child.
Imagine if Britain were to lose 200,000 lives to coronavirus per year, year after year?
One hopes that the prevailing climate of tension and anxiety will make us realise the ghastly reality of the abortion industry.
The time for talking is over. Time will tell whether the Maltese people will support agencies and NGOs that are really helpful to those in need by concretely helping the mother in distress and her offspring.
Klaus Vella Bardon, Vice chairman, Life Network Malta