A mom e-mails in response to that Philly Inquirer piece:

Dear K.Lo.,
Could I chime in here with my two cents on the post? Why does it have to be baby or college? Why do women think these are their only choices? It infuriates me that women justify their reasoning for abortion with such claims. This is not an either or situation, I can speak personally from experience. I became unexpectedly pregnant my second year of college. The father decided maybe he wasn’t ready to marry me after all and shortly disappeared. I was devastated, but could not even consider abortion – this was a life, period. I played with fire and knew the possible consequences, so took the responsibility. It was not easy, it was a bit humiliating – the pain I caused my family, the looks I endured from people and the comments, and having to take a semester off to hide myself which led to gossip about me back at school. But I survived. By the grace of God and the love of my parents. My intention was to give my child up for adoption, but must confess I was too selfish to do so. My parents supported me, but made it clear this was my choice and I would have to shoulder the responsibility. I went back to college with my son in tow. It was not easy, it was incredibly hard at times, several nights of crying, but I learned so much. I learned the real meaning of friendship. I learned that majority of college students and several professors are self-centered, oblivions. I learned the true meaning of God never gives us more than we can handle. And I learned that I had choices. That the only limits to my choices were the ones I imposed on myself.
One clear memory was sitting in a Spanish conversation class after my return, we were to debate a topic in class in Spanish – the topic was abortion. One girl’s comment was ‘I support abortion – I don’t want to be fat for 9 months’. I was dumbstruck – this is what they were thinking? So I provided a testimonial. I think the only person who ‘got it’ was the teacher. Now I only have pity for such people as that female student – if their life is centered around how they look when they are pregnant, then they have very little moral foundation.
Maybe I am an anomaly, but it still burns my bum to hear women justify abortion through such flimsy means and then to have them brainwash a child, who inherently understands that abortion is killing a baby, that abortion was the only way they could go to college – what a cop-out, what a horrid parent.
Thank you for the vent and please keep up the excellent work! Love you and NRO!!
Sincerely,
[Name Withheld]
PS. By the way, I graduated from college two years after I returned and my son is now preparing to go off to college. :) Life can have a happy ending if you want it to.

If only more girls (and women—wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age) realized that they’re allowed to let the kid live. As the mom writing says, it doesnt’ have to be baby lives OR college.