Letters on this page, or words that I could possibly find, could not express the moment a child is born. If I tried I would not do it justice and invariably use some cliché that would only cheapen what is certainly priceless. I could probably describe the contractions, and some physical details, but you'd probably prefer I didn't.

I am pro-life, in that I celebrate the gift of life. However, I would never stand in judgement over someone who felt they had to give away that gift. This is something they will have to live with forever, and I suspect that on some level, even if only for a few brief moments, it is a life that will be grieved for. I don't think anyone feels abortion is a good thing, but for some a necessary evil.

Give women options

The Church who are so very adept in standing in judgement have come out blazing against abortion. The worst kind of sin, but if we all accept that it is something that should be avoided, perhaps we should try and give women options. The Catholic Church which is outspoken on abortion, also teaches that contraception is a sin. That is what I learnt in school. They recommend the 'Billings Ovulation Method', and as the joke goes, 'What do you call a woman on the Billings Method?' The answer, 'Pregnant'.

A life of hurt

So while we want to save the lives of these infants, are we saving them only to subject them to a life of hurt? Are we saving their lives while destroying the life of their mother? Our society looks down on single parents, and we do not adequately support them. An unwanted pregnancy is a life sentence for a mother who will not be able to advance her career and is unlikely to marry again as many men will see her as a woman with 'baggage'. We do not hold men accountable for children they have, and surely if we had a dollar for every dead-beat Dad, we could build countless childcare facilities.

So many children are abused, some are prostituted, and others are sent to fend for themselves on the streets. Some are left at home alone, infants and toddlers, and we often read about their gruesome deaths by fire in the paper. Strangely enough, I don't hear much from the Church on this matter.

Another option for a mother is to put her child in the hands of the State, a children's home. Having visited a number of these homes, I would have to say that I doubt very much that God smiles down on us for our treatment of these children. If they are not physically or sexually abused as we have now discovered, then they are certainly emotionally neglected, as caregivers are stretched in some cases and in others clearly just in the wrong profession.

Our children are shackled by an education system that does not educate. Those who manage to rise out of this oppressive system do so with the immense care and dedication or the funds of their parents, a working single mother and dead-beat Dad are not likely to be able to save their child from ignorance. There are so many hideous crimes and abuses against our children, they suffer so much pain throughout their lives, yet our society is largely silent on these. Instead, we choose to debate a crime that in some ways could be considered in Jamaica, just an act of mercy.