If Rep. Doug Collins had his way, I would have been killed.
I challenge the Congressman to look me in the eye and tell me that my birth mother, who was brutally raped at knife point by a serial rapist, should have been able to abort me.
I am thankful to God that this happened in 1968 in Michigan when abortion, even in the case of rape, was illegal. My mother considered a back alley abortion twice, but ultimately backed out.
The fact that I am alive is because Michigan law protected me. That law was the result of courageous legislators who understood that lives such as mine are worth saving.
Despite his pious pro-life claims, Rep. Collins is not like the people who passed the Michigan law. The truth is Rep. Collins is only partially pro-life. He has no regard for children conceived by rape or incest.
He also is intellectually dishonest. When running for Congress in 2012, he sought Georgia Right to Life’s PAC endorsement. He got it after signing the organization’s “Candidate Affirmation” form.
By taking the oath, Collins pledged not to support any abortion-related legislation that contained rape and incest exceptions.
He quickly proved he’s not a man of his word the next year by voting in favor of the federal Pain Capable Child Protection Act, which included those exceptions.
This is not a political game for me. Beautiful, precious lives created in the image of God are at stake. They are just as valuable and worthy of life as any other child. They should not be considered collateral damage in the war against abortion.
As one of those children, I have no respect for politicians or pro-life organizations like Susan B. Anthony List who pat themselves on the back for saving 99 children from a burning building, but don’t even try to save the one because it might be too dangerous.
They obviously believe the goal is to look like they’re pro-life and win elections, not save lives. Former Congressman Paul Broun was correct when he said the rape exception in the Pain Capable bill creates a subclass of humans.
Such hypocrisy absolutely breaks my heart as I think about the parable of the lost sheep. “See that you do not despise any of these little ones,” Jesus said.
These people despise a whole class of little ones based solely on how they were conceived.
Rep. Collins is one of those people. I repeat my challenge: I will meet him at my own expense so he can tell me face-to-face that my mother should have been allowed to kill me.
Rebecca Kiessling is an attorney, international pro-life speaker, President of Save The 1 and national spokeswoman for Personhood Alliance