Your Baby Wants to Live

Well, this is it.

I've been putting it off for a long time. The problem is, I am one hundred percent non-confrontational. I think it's a survival trait - and it works well. Very well. But, when it comes to something like this, it's pretty weak.

You see, I like, millions, maybe billions, of other people on this planet, believe that killing unborn babies is wrong. That it's tantamount to murder. I'm not even going to pretend that I am the lone voice in the wilderness here. On this particular topic, there are so many voices that it seems like the entire world is screaming. And, so far, I've been willing to sit this one out. Not because I don't have strong beliefs on the subject. I do. Because I'm scared? Maybe. But the more I think about, the more I wish I could make a difference.

It's like this. What would you do if a total stranger walked up to you, said nothing, gave you a hundred dollars and walked away? (I'm not trying to go deep with this one. Just take the money, already.) Ok, now what would you do if a total stranger walked up to you, said nothing, gave you a little panel with a button on it and walked away? Before you throw that thing away like it's a live grenade, you realize there's a label on the front. It says "Every time you press this button, there is a 0.01% chance that you will save someone's life. There are absolutely no side effects." You look up to think it over and realize that there's a guy across the street with one just like it and he's pounding that sucker like it's Jeopardy. As the seconds tick by, you start to feel it. The guilt. Does the guy look like an idiot? Yeah, kind of. Are people walking on the other side of the street just to avoid him? Yep. Is he performing an otherwise painless task that maybe, literally one in a million (given the weirdness of the whole thing), but maybe, is saving someone's life? Well... you have to admit, the answer is yes. And you still haven't moved a muscle.

So, I'm done with it. It shouldn't be that hard, but it is. Like when your friends started to get into scary stuff back in high school and you wanted, in the worst way, to say something. But you just couldn't, and eventually, someone got hurt. Maybe someone died. I've realized that all I have to do is sit down in front of the computer every now and then and say something. It doesn't cost me anything. I'm old enough that I shouldn't be embarrassed anymore. So I'm gonna do it. And maybe, just maybe, if I press that button enough, somebody won't have to die.