75-09-B5
- Main Page \ Reagan Radio Commentaries \ 1975
| << Previous Broadcast | Next Broadcast >> |
Adoption
TranscriptOne of the arguments for abortion is that it prevents the birth of unwanted children. Who says they're unwanted? I'll be right back. During my last two years as governor, I did a weekly one-hour TV question and answer program. The questioning was done by high school students, a different group each week, chosen by the state's Department of Education. The program was entirely unrehearsed, I had no hint of what the questions would be and only met each class a few minutes before the taping began. The program was aired on the educational network and made available to our 1,100 California school districts for closed-circuit classroom use. For me I have to say it was exciting and most enjoyable to meet these young people and to discover what concerned them about government and current issues. Several times the subject got around to abortion and why the government of California opposed abortion on demand. One day a pretty, fresh-faced young lady, intelligent, sincerely concerned, asked me if abortion wasn't preferable to making a young unmarried girl have a baby she didn't want and which would therefore grow up unloved and probably turn out to be a criminal. I gave an answer which apparently she hadn't considered. I told her there were literally millions of people in this country who wanted but could not have children and who waited eagerly, sometimes for years, to adopt the baby she had described. That such a child would not be unloved-very much the opposite was true. There were always some raised hands and unanswered questions after the cameras were turned off and I always tried to stay around to answer them even though we were no longer on the air. Well this day another, equally attractive girl had her hand half-raised. I called on her, but she didn't have a question instead she said, "I am adopted. I think a great deal of my folks and I think they feel the same about me." And then she added this unforgettable line-"I'm glad no one killed me." I've just finished reading about the young mother in Columbus, Ohio who is dying of cancer. She has three handsome, lovely children: Sherry, age 12, Joey, who is 10, and another daughter, Amber, six. There's no question about the love in this family. The mother made her situation known through the press. She wants someone who will take her children, keep them together and most of all love them. The story I've just been reading quotes a spokeswoman for the hospital where the 32-year-old mother is dying. She says "This is the first time anything like this has ever happened. We were totally unprepared." They have had to call in volunteers to handle a flood of mail from couples who want to take in her children. They are not unwanted nor will they be unloved. God bless America. This is a Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening. |
Details
| |||||||||||
Added Notes |
