Nigro, Samuel A.

The Linacre Quarterly

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Samuel A. Nigro

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No, I will not Help you Get an Abortion

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The Linacre QuarterlyVolume 73 | Number 2 Article 9May 2006No, I Will Not Help You Get an AbortionSamuel A. NigroFollow this and additional works at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnqRecommended CitationNigro, Samuel A. (2006) "No, I Will Not Help You Get an Abortion," The Linacre Quarterly: Vol. 73 : No. 2 , Article 9.Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/lnq/vol73/iss2/9No, I Will Not Help You Get an Abortion by Samuel A. Nigro, M.D. The author practices child, adolescent andfamily psychiatry Republican political consultant Mary Matlin, and her husband, James Carville, were being interviewed together by television reporter Tim Russelt. They are an intriguing couple because she consults with Republicans and he is a heavy hitter for the Democrats. (They need to write a book on how to make a marriage work. Obviously, a couple must not need to agree on everything!) Their differences were stark, open, deep and well articulated. Carville rekindled my memory when he said, "There is no way that I or Democrats can ever tell a young hurting woman that she cannot have an abortion when she thinks she needs it!" Such indeed is the "bottom line" for abortionists (Anyone who accepts abortion is an abortionist, just like anyone who is for socialism is a socialist). Abortionists are afraid to say, "No, I will not help you get an abortion." They cannot believe such is anything but harmful. But. .. I remembered. In the Navy, when not at sea, I worked at the pediatric clinic of the Submarine Base Hospital (in Groton, Connecticut). It was in the early 60s and abortion was only available if two physicians certified th'at an abortion was necessary for the health of the potential mother. As in all clinics, nurses keep doctors busy by funneling patient after patient. There appeared in my office a young woman in her early 20s who poignantly said, ''I'm pregnant about 6 or 8 weeks - I cannot have another baby - I need you to help me get an abortion." I asked her to remind me who she was because I did not remember. She said that I had seen her and two preschool children several months ago in a routine visit for childhood illnesses. I said: No, I will not help you get an abortion and I do not know any doctors who would either. I think you are going through a crisis mode that will pass. Let me have you talk to one of the nurses to help make room for this baby. She turned from the soft-spoken, somber pleading tone into an angry, outraged woman verbally letting me "have it" in no uncertain terms. I May, 2006 197 listened calmly and said, "Please calm down, somehow things will turn out for the best if you make it so." She hardly listened and stormed out. The entire incident was forgotten and buried in the avalanche of all that I had to do, not only in the pediatric clinic, but for other submariner families and my own missions on the first fleet ballistic submarine, the U.S.S. George Washington. After two more 90-day missions, most of were submerged, a year had passed and I was still active, when not at sea, at the pediatric clinic treating the patients. Then there appeared a young woman carrying a very small baby saying, "I'll bet you don't remember me." I assented. She went on, "I want you to hold this baby." I asked, "Is something wrong?" She said, "No, but you must hold this baby." So, I took the child and he looked up at me and I got the usual good feelings from pressing and "honeyfying" an infant. Then I said, as I usually do, "How do you gals do this? I know what us guys do and that is nothing. But how do you gals do this?" She giggled and refused to answer, as all women do with that question. Then she said, "it as almost a year ago to this day that I was here - and I wanted you to help me get an a .. . " and her voice faded as she could not say it. And then I remembered. It was a feeble memory because so much had happened since. And I said, "It is still going to be alright! Well done! All of us owe our existence to the courage of women who can do what no man can do. Thank you for making my day." She took the baby back with a smile and joyfully said, "He is just wonderful" and she gave me a brief hug and a peck on the cheek and walked out. Stunned a moment, and open mouthed, my almost tears faded as the nurse brought in another patient. Busy again, I forgot about that until James Carville jogged my memory 41 years later. So, to the political advisors everywhere: Yes, y~u can tell women, "No, you cannot have an abortion." Get used to it. Right-to-Lifers have suffered with Roe v. Wade for over 30 years. We handled it civilly, rolled up our sleeves, and got to work. Equality demands that abortionists get to go through the same thing. America got along without abortion for 200 years before. We can get along without it again. The 30 years of abortion have been a malignant catastrophe. Abortionists always claim they want it safe and rare. What they really did was make money on it and promote it outrageously and it is not much safer, either. And there is more to it than even that. Recently, a 15-year-old high school student said to me during my child adolescent psychiatric practice: 198 So you want me to pay into Social Security for you and the other old folk?.. When you have killed 1/4th of my Linacre Quarterly classmates by abortion. I have read about the increasing numbers of old folks compared to us and we are supposed to keep you all alive and comfortable no way pretend you aborted me, too. Just like you did when you voted down my school levy. To hell with all of you. You gave my generation abortion. We are going to give you euthanasia. This youngster has a few tense issues but is rather bright, well read, with a lot of anger displaced onto adults. We should have told them all along, "No, I will not help you get an abortion." That way, so many of them wouldn' t hate us . The final solution for the Social Security financial crisis: Anyone who perfOimed, voted for, supported abortion, should not be allowed to collect Social Security or Medicare. All you have to say is: "No, I will not help you get an abortion." This should be coupled by finding a way to help the woman make room for that baby. May, 2006 199 

No, I Will Not Help You Get an Abortion

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No, I Will Not Help You Get an Abortion

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