New Mexico—Let’s Remove the Plank from Our Own Eye
Vince Torres, Executive Director
Two weeks ago, on the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law legislation legalizing abortion up-to-birth in New York. Last week, in Virginia, Delegate Kathy Tran presented similar legislation. In a committee hearing clip that went viral, Delegate Tran was asked if the bill would allow for an abortion during labor, just moments before the baby would be delivered. Her response— “My bill would allow that, yes.”
The New York law, combined with Delegate Tran’s testimony and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s disturbing defense of infanticide, have drawn the ire of people across the country—and right here in New Mexico. Over the past several days, my social media feeds have been dominated by New Mexicans expressing outrage over what they see happening in New York and Virginia, and appropriately so. Even I have taken to Facebook and Twitter to condemn these acts and demand change.
And yet, I cannot help but feel that our contempt is a bit disingenuous. After all, we condemn abortion up-to-birth in other states while living in a state that has allowed abortion up-to-birth since 1973. We rebuke pro-abortion politicians in other states after overwhelmingly electing pro-abortion politicians in New Mexico just a few months ago. And we attack abortion-related atrocities happening elsewhere (i.e., Kermit Gosnell), while turning a blind eye to the atrocities happening in our own backyard (i.e., Curtis Boyd).
New Mexico—when it comes to abortion, we need to remove the plank from our own eye. Here are the facts.
- We live in a state that already allows abortion up-to-birth.
- We live in a state with the fewest restrictions on abortion in the nation.
- We live in a state where minor girls can obtain abortions without their parents’ knowledge.
- We live in a state where elective abortions are performed well into the third trimester.
- And we live in a state where current legislation—House Bill 51—is attempting to remove abortion protections for women and force doctors and medical professionals to participate in abortions against their conscience.
Am I suggesting that we remain silent on the injustices happening elsewhere? Of course not. I am, however, suggesting that unless we are willing to engage and speak against the injustices happening here at home, our contempt is misdirected in priority. What about protecting our New Mexico women? What about protecting our New Mexico children? What about keeping our New Mexico officials accountable?
To those of you who are speaking out and engaging against New Mexico’s radical abortion status—thank you. Please keep it up and encourage your family members, friends, and churches to do the same. Please share this message with them and ask them to sign up for our email alerts.
To those of you who are silent, please consider this—if all of us redirect some of our disapproval from legislation and politicians in other states, to legislation and politicians in New Mexico, we can and we will make a difference. But until that happens, we remain in many ways like the brother, admonishing his brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” while simultaneously disregarding the plank in our own.
“…first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” -Matthew 7:5
