Tilford Response To Indiana Right To Life

John W. Tilford
5561 Earl Young Road
Bloomington, Indiana 47408-9360

24 February 2012

Indiana Right to Life
9465 Counselors Row, Suite 200
Indianapolis, IN 46240

RE: Indiana Right to Life candidate survey

Sir or Madam:

Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the referenced survey. I will complete it to the best of my ability and enclose it with this note.

However, as all surveys, the questions often produce more clarification issues than they do meaningful answers. The “unsure” answer option, for example, implies lack of serious consideration. I wish there had been an option for “insufficient information”. Also, questions which reference past legislative issues may be quickly outdated, “out flanked” by clever House Resolutions, or overtaken by events. Accordingly, please let me share below my general thoughts regarding abortion. Using my completed questionnaire for input without that data being accompanied by these principles/observations would be a distortion of my position.

1) As a male, I have no business telling any woman what to do with her body.

2) Abortion as a means of population control is abhorrent.

3) My late daughter, Sarah, could obtain health care from only one source during the six years between the time of her total disability until her eligibility for Medicaid: Planned Parenthood. I will be eternally grateful to Planned Parenthood.

4) Countries which have totally outlawed abortion procedures have seen dramatic increase in abortions provided by unlicensed, “back alley”, and frequently unsanitary “medical technicians”. Many more fetuses are killed and many women die as a result of these total bans. I don’t condemn the rationales for these bans, I only observe the results.

5) Christians, including me, are given one very specific mission: The Great Commission. We spread the Gospel. God saves those individuals who respond positively. Better performance of our Christ-assigned mission would result (I leave this also to God) in fewer unnecessary abortions.

6) There are some circumstances which – in this male’s opinion – would tragically justify intervention, including the mother’s life being threatened.

7) I favor contraceptive measures as a means of population control and helping to assure that all pregnancies are wanted, appreciated, and proper care is provided for the newborns. I obtained a vasectomy within weeks of the birth of our second child.

8) After access to top secret intelligence message traffic regarding North Korea, pre-2003 Iraq, and after conversations with some of the Vietnam veterans I have helped; I can assure you there are much worse things done to children in this world than abortion. Restated with emphasis added: abortion is NOT the “ultimate child abuse”.

Again, thank you for the opportunity to respond.

John W. Tilford