As a Non-theist myself, my use of the word creator is metaphor for the earth/universe. The elements which make up our bodies do indeed come from the earth/universe and when we die if we allowed our bodies to disintegrate instead of embalming and entombing them, they would indeed return to the earth and be fodder for new creation be it plant or animal. I do not believe in an entity that is a creator.

Your thoughts are also important in this conversation. They reflect, whether you meant them to or not, another wise man’s thoughts read metaphorically–”let the dead bury their dead.” Ultimately, the family of Tsarneav did work it out within their faith community albeit under continued controversy.

Regardless of the ultrasound law’s intentions, its effects are beneficial in every instance.

Persuasion, personification, explanation, manipulation, traumatization, or any other subjective form of communication is neither necessary nor utilized while performing the ultrasound procedure. Ultrasound technology produces an image constructed from radiofrequencies and mathematics. Only the unborn child in the flesh is a more objective representation of the subject in view.

As for me…I am haunted NOT by my baby’s ultrasound image, but by the cries of other newborn infants in the grocery store, the nightmares of my young son falling into a ravine as his fingers slip from my hand, the sound of a vacuum cleaner, and memories of the abortion procedure itself. I forever yearn for that moment I set my eyes on that monitor and cried, because I am certain that, had I not been medicated, I would have told the doctor to stop, and then left that place with my baby.

As for other women…for several years I have been a sidewalk counselor at the same abortion clinic. I have watched hundreds of women come and go, in all states of mind. I have witnessed maybe two or three dozen leave the clinic smiling (sometimes even laughing) as they announce to all of us, “I changed my mind. I couldn’t do it!” A substantial number of those are either holding their ultrasound printouts, or telling us that their minds were changed by them. Some of them leave quickly, perhaps to distance themselves from the whole situation. Some of them stop to share their joy and to thank us. Some of them cry and hug everyone within their reach. Sometimes the person(s)accompanying them are also crying. One thing I know is this–not one single woman who announces that she has changed her mind or leaves the clinic prematurely appears to be upset. They always seem happy and relieved. The only people I have ever seen angry in such an instance are males who drove them there. Sadly, one such man was the teenage girl’s uncle, of whom she told me she was afraid. Interestingly, parents seem relieved, but reserved and eager to depart without fanfare.I am convinced that the “ultrasound mandate” does not traumatize abortion patients. Instead, it affords them one last chance to consider the reality of their condition and the weight of the action they are taking. Even women who are “dead set” on going through with the procedure sometimes change their minds, and again, they do not regret their decisions to allow their babies to live.

I have met hundreds of post-abortive women since “coming to terms” with my loss (which actually occurred several years after my abortion). Factors which have brought us to that point include more recent pregnancies which developed to term, pregnancies of sisters or close friends, nursing school rotations in neonatal units, and sometimes the inability to conceive.

By 4 weeks, the mammalian fetus has a detectable heartbeat, and by 7 weeks, has a neurological system and responds to tactile stimulation. Keep in mind that most women don’t realize that they’re pregnant until at least 6 weeks after conception.

Editor’s note: This has been changed in Alabama. The law currently states that all women seeking an abortion to have an ultrasound and to be shown (not wait to be asked) the photographs of this ultrasound. I agree with the Guttmacher Institute’s belief (http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/spibs/spib_RFU.pdf) that this law is a veiled attempt to personify the fetus to dissuade the woman who has chosen to have an abortion. There are better ways to reduce the need for abortions than this emotionally manipulative and traumatic procedure.