By a strange quirk of fate, the subject in my last column was brought home to me the morning of February 4 during the Pat Campbell radio show on KFAQ during his interview with freshman First District U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Oklahoma.  During the course of the interview, the subject turned to budget circumstances and Hern stated that one of the most serious problems is the fact that tax payments into Social Security and Medicare have been for decades borrowed to cover the overdrafts of wasteful spending.  Hern stated the fact that we need far more legal immigration to make up for the currently low citizen birth rate, which is below the needed 2.1 per family to maintain our current population.

That statement hit me like a mallet to the forehead.  A call in to the station listener line necessitated my leaving a message with the screener. I said the solution to that problem would be a termination of the abortion business, which now consists in Oklahoma of four clinics, up from two four years ago.  Reports have been made that the totals nationally exceed 65 million babies brutally terminated by abortion.  Obviously my position is unalterably opposed to abortion, except perhaps in the case of necessity for the life of a mother with existing children.  However, medical progress since the infamous Roe v. Wade decision has made that situation very unlikely.

At that point, my memory finally decided to go into action and reminded me that the situation early last century in Kansas City (courtesy of the Pendergast Machine) was a great solution to the abortion problem, or even the thought of women to consider having an abortion.  As of now, it is my goal to have, at least here in Oklahoma, at least two such hospitals, operated as charities rather than political money machines.  In that style of business, it would be possible to have women (not financially able to support a baby) welcome to enter the facility at some point in the pregnancy and stay until the birth, and longer if necessary for the baby’s health and well being.

It would be understood that if the mother had a change of heart and wanted to keep the child, it would be required that she show a capability to care for and rear the child.  Of course, some of the other welfare charities could step in then with education and support. Further, some could make efforts to locate the father to see if he had any interest and/or ability to provide for both.

While living in Denver, it was well known that there was at least one charity home for women in that situation.  They could live in the facility until the birth began when the mother would be taken to one of the full-service hospitals for delivery.  The name of the one out west has decided to remain imbedded in my memory bank, but could be retrieved fairly easily if needed.  It is my firm belief that God in Heaven would look proudly on such an effort and respond with His support from above.

Frankly, it is right now beyond my level of experience to know how to begin such a project, but those opposing the open abortions now being done could put their efforts where their publicity has been and join together to reach a successful conclusion.

I remember clearly in 1980 while a primary election candidate of Oklahoma House District 67, I think, while at a meeting of the Republican Women of Tulsa County, one of the members accosted me with the statement: “Bob, if you expect to get anywhere in politics you must change your opposition to abortion.”  My reply was: “Please try to put yourself in my shoes.  If there had been open abortions in 1926 I wouldn’t be standing in front of you.”

She turned around and walked off.