I first heard the song Nobody's Child on a Traveling Wilbury's recording. It's a powerful song, about a time when there were so many people unable to care for their children, or children with no parents at all, that orphanages were common. The song has been around since Hank Snow's original recording in 1949. It was even done by a very early version of the Beatles with Tony Sheridan. Read the Wikipedia article about the song.
So the song made me wonder if any of today's anti-abortion / forced birth zealots had ever seen an orphanage. No doubt they haven't because they no longer exit in this country. But if the anti-abortion / forced birth crowd has their way orphanages will certainly be making a comeback. How can a person think that forcing children to be born into a life where they will be unloved, uncared for, and most likely abused is pro-life?
Personally I think abortion is a tragedy, but I will always defend a woman's right to make that choice if that's what it comes down to. My idea of pro-life is that we create a society where children are so well cared for, and there is enough of a safety net to prevent people from falling into poverty, that abortion becomes a rare occurrence without the need for draconian laws. If you really care about children you'd want to make sure every born child is well fed, well housed, and well loved, before you start worrying about unborn children.
The Wilbury's version of Nobody's Child is mostly Tom Petty and Bob Dylan and it is truly one of Dylan's best vocal performances. You can feel the pain as he sings "Got no mamma's kisses, no daddy's smile... ". Give it listen, and let's pray we don't have to see orphanages spriging up in every town and village.