What Do I Tell My Daughters About Kermit Gosnell?

I've seen bits and pieces of news about the Kermit Gosnell trial on facebook.  I've read a little bit, but mostly stayed away from anything with a lot of detail, because I just don't think I could handle it.  

So many things about this make me incredibly sad.  Whether it's babies who were murdered after being born alive, or women who weren't allowed to change their minds, or women who died due to sloppy (I can't even use the word "medical" here) procedural practices, or the fact that many of the women who came to this squalid facility were low, low income who felt like they had no hope.  

Not to mention that the clinic hadn't been visited or examined by the state since 1993.

1993.  

Or that Gosnell, according to the grand jury report, was more "careful" with white women than with African American women or Hispanic women.  As if women of different races deserved different standards of care.  Repulsive.

There are so many problems and so much brokenness.

So, how do I explain this to my daughters?  For the record, I'm not actually going to...they are innocent little girls at this point, and I realize what a luxury that is in comparison to many girls around the world and even in our town.  

Aaron and I were talking about it a little this morning and I wept thinking about having to explain to little girls who love babies what abortion is.  

Because the day will come when we have to tell them.

First, I would tell them that they people with whom they disagree are not their enemies.  People can share different opinions without hating each other.

Next, I would tell them that we respect life.  

Whether it is the life of: 

• an unborn baby, 
• an abortion provider, 
• someone who is very, very sick, 
• someone who makes bad choices, 
• children who are sold into modern day slavery

God creates life, so we respect life.  

I would also tell them about some of the generalities about the women who went to Kermit Gosnell.  They were largely poor.  They were probably very scared and desperate.  They likely felt overlooked by people who could have helped them.  Going to get an abortion from Kermit Gosnell was probably the tip of the iceberg of the problems that were in their lives.

I would encourage my daughters to look around at their friends, and see who is hurting.  Leah's little first grade buddies aren't struggling with the same things as these women were who went to Gosnell's practice.  But hurting people are everywhere.  We need to show the love of Jesus to people who are hurting.

Lastly (and I would beat this drum the loudest and hardest), Jesus died for the deplorable sins of Kermit Gosnell just as much as He died for our deplorable sins of unkindness, lying, envy, and disobeying.  

Jesus died for the sins of the drunk driver and the judge who sentenced him/her.

Jesus died for the sins of people who say one thing and do the other.

Jesus died for the sins of pimps and the children sold into sex slavery.

Jesus died for the sins of your sweet, elderly next door neighbor and the deadbeat dad.

Jesus died for the sins of Kermit Gosnell and the babies Gosnell aborted.

I know there will come a time when we need to explain the really difficult, sad things in this world to our daughters.  I'm glad that time isn't today, but I want to be ready to point their eyes to Jesus...our Savior and our Hope.

I read these articles.

I'm linking up here: