Victim of violent rape explains why she chose life
You can’t look around a room and tell who was conceived with wine and roses and who was conceived on a street corner.
We’re all human beings; we all have value.
~ Liz Carl (pictured right), as quoted from the June 25 episode of the Emmy Award winning pro-life television show Facing Life Head-On (episode can be viewed at link)
Backstory about Liz from FacingLife.tv producer Heather Gims:
Liz was brutally raped and discovered she was pregnant during her senior year of high school. She made the courageous decision to continue with the pregnancy and make an adoption plan. It has been five years since Liz gave birth and she is now completing her degree in psychology and one day hopes to counsel women in cases of crisis pregnancy, adoption and rape.
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Beautiful.
If you look at people on death row and in prison, you will see a disproportionate number of those conceived on the street corner. ”Accidents” often end up homeless or worse.
That’s turning personal tragedy into victory! Her main point is brilliant. How many people out there were really conceived in transports of love? I’d put it at a decent 50%, but not more. Not to say that the other 50% were conceived by rape, but the circumstances were probably less than ideal, love-wise.
Liz Carl made her choice and that is fine. However, it is true that many would have aborted. Shouldn’t we at least discuss going on contraception when a girl hits puberty?
I think many would like to know that if they were raped, they would not get pregnant.
Jamie says:
June 26, 2012 at 7:44 am
That’s turning personal tragedy into victory! Her main point is brilliant. How many people out there were really conceived in transports of love? I’d put it at a decent 50%, but not more. Not to say that the other 50% were conceived by rape, but the circumstances were probably less than ideal, love-wise.
(Denise) You would be unlikely to find people conceived under good circumstances in prisons and on Death Row. As I’ve pointed out before, the road to Death Row of poor, ghastly Lisa Coleman started when she was conceived of a 12-year-old girl incestuously raped.
Amen!!
Love wins!!
Liz – may God richly bless you!
I once talked with a girl who was pregnant as a result of rape and was carrying the baby to term and giving it up for adoption. In explaining why she was doing so, she asked this question: If today you discovered that your father was a rapist, would you kill yourself? Most people would say no. She said she couldn’t make that choice for the baby she was carrying either. She chose life.
This is a beautiful testimony and reminds me of another person who was also raped and decided to have her baby– four years later the mother passed out from an asthma attack and suddendly the phone started ringing. Her daughter picked up the phone and it turned out to be grandpa. When the little girl said, oh hi Grandpa –he replied how’s everything–she replied — Mommy’s on the floor. If it wouldn’t have been for this little girl’s existence–her mother would have died.
I will pray for your little one that you so bravely carried and loved. I will also pray for you, that God will reward your loving sacrifice. This story’s ending has not yet been told…
The subject of rape comes up quite often here.
What can we do to decrease the number of men becoming rapists?
What are the best treatments for those who rape to prevent recidivism?
I’m glad the part of this child that was HER won out. Bless her and her testimony.
I’m so very proud of Liz! If you haven’t heard her speak before, she’s a phenomenal speaker — VERY dynamic! We met when she was active with Cardinals for Life at the University of Louisville — just months after she had her baby. I was speaking on her campus. Now, 4-1/2 years later, she’s spoken around the world, sharing her story and leading youth. You can find more videos of her on youtube and of course, her story is written out on my website.
But we’ll do well to do everything in our powers, individually and collectively, to avoid occassions that expose ppl. , esp young women, to unnecessary danger( of rape).
Karen, I hereby declare that I am going to copy/share/steal that story and use it to attempt to help pro-aborts to see the immense error in their ways (to put it lightly).
You don’t mind, do you? :-)
Good girl, a gift to a couple that can not have CHILDREN,OR JUST WANT ANOTHER CHILD!!!!GOD BLESS YOU LOVE
Dr Vincent, I IFIORA says:
June 26, 2012 at 1:46 pm
But we’ll do well to do everything in our powers, individually and collectively, to avoid occassions that expose ppl. , esp young women, to unnecessary danger( of rape).
(Denise) What are some ways to do that?
Also, I think there needs to be more discussion about preventing men from becoming rapists and treatment for rapists so they don’t repeat their crimes.
Maestro, please use the story! I don’t mind at all. Whatever we can do to open the eyes of those who don’t understand!
Karen, I’d love to as well. That’s a beautiful point.
My heart is so glad to see such courage and grace amidst such a devastating situation. See her joy? That is the result of sacrificial love, that is the result of life! How beautiful it is! How different from those angry, broken, weeping women who chose to abort their children and who defend it to their last breath.
As dear Carla always says, love wins! :)
If the child grows up to want to learn about her biological parents, will she be able to form a relationship with her biological father?
By that time, it is likely he will have served his prison sentence, assuming he was caught and convicted.
It was her choice.
I know. Too bad, right? It’s unfortunate that that child didn’t have the right to live regardless of what her choice might have been.
xalisae says:
June 26, 2012 at 7:54 pm
I know. Too bad, right? It’s unfortunate that that child didn’t have the right to live regardless of what her choice might have been.
(Denise) I read of a panicked young woman who sought an abortion when it was illegal. The doctor refused it and warned against the problems abortions can cause. A few days later he read that she had committed suicide.
The law protected the right to live of the embryo or fetus. Or did it?
When she died, the unborn went with her.
@Robert
And the rape was his choice, do you support that too?
Thankyou for choosing life! So many don’t understand what happens in abortion. Good Job!
I know Liz from when we were in high school together, and her story never fails to make me smile. As an open adoptee myself, I am so grateful my birthmother chose life for me. And I know that Liz’s relationship with her sweet son is going to be as great as mine is with my own birthmom. Thanks for sharing your story, Liz. You are truly an amazing woman, and I’m proud to be able to say I know you.
U-104, obviously no, but perhaps that’s something you might as you seem to be projecting.
Robert,
If he was, I’m sure the group of mostly women here would take him to task for it, don’t you worry. I notice you have no snappy comeback for my response to your first comment. Think about it, and get back to me, m’kay?
@Robert
If i wanted to impose my will on another human at the expense if their safety i would be pro choice.
xalisae says:
June 27, 2012 at 4:28 pm
Robert,If he was, I’m sure the group of mostly women here would take him to task for it, don’t you worry. I notice you have no snappy comeback for my response to your first comment. Think about it, and get back to me, m’kay?
(Denise) How do we protect the embryo or fetus of pregnant girls and women who commit suicide?
Denise Noe,
IMHO, there should be stronger penalties for sex offenders & rapists (because of the psychological damage and life-long trauma they cause to their victims). Registered sex offenders who’ve been convicted of crime and convicted rapists should undergo castration as well as undergo intensive therapy as part of court-ordered treatment.
As for your last question, it’s long been documented that ambivaience in early pregnancy is a normal response and self-limited (Initial rejection of pregnancy is common, but that it is generally followed by acceptance at the end of the first trimester), but with that said, suicidal ideation is not a normal response and a sign of a person in crisis, which they should be referred to undergo a psychological evaluation as well as be referred for counseling services to meet their longer-term needs.
Denise Noe,
Also, regarding your last question the conscientious doctor will provide her with support and referrals to resources in the community (which they are now more than there were before the 1970’s), instead of just turning her away. Also, here’s the documentation for my above assertion on ambivalence in early pregnancy:
http://realchoice.0catch.com/library/weekly/aa070201a.htm
http://realchoice.0catch.com/library/weekly/aa052506a.htm
Rachael C. says:
June 30, 2012 at 9:37 am
Denise Noe,IMHO, there should be stronger penalties for sex offenders & rapists (because of the psychological damage and life-long trauma they cause to their victims). Registered sex offenders who’ve been convicted of crime and convicted rapists should undergo castration as well as undergo intensive therapy as part of court-ordered treatment.
(Denise) The penalties as they stand now are pretty strong. In fact, a saw a “Parole Board” in which a man who had kidnapped and raped a woman twice was applying for parole. He was asked why he did it. He replied, “I don’t know.”
Duh!! He couldn’t even give a reason! Not that a reason should get him paroled, but it’s an absolutely necessary FIRST STEP to parole. A rapist I saw interviewed on another show wasn’t greatly insightful or intelligent but was able to say, “It was a power struggle.”
Later the rapist on “Parole Board” said that for about a year prior to the crime, he had said to his uncle (who was in on it with him), “Wouldn’t it be fun to kidnap a woman and rape her for a few days?”
When asked what he thought being kidnapped and raped twice had done to his victim, he answered, “I’m sure she feels bad because of it.”
As I guessed, the parole board denied. Not only did they deny but they ruled that he can’t even APPLY for another 20 years! He remarked, “That’s a lot of time for not killing anybody. But I did this to myself.” He insisted that he planned to release her after 2 or 3 days. “There wasn’t going to be no killing,” he said. However, we can’t be sure since she escaped.
He appears not to be too smart.
I don’t support a physical, surgical castration. I do think Depo-Provera, often called “chemical castration,” can be a very useful tool in reducing the recidivism rates for sex offenders.
Rachael C. says:
June 30, 2012 at 9:46 am
Denise Noe,Also, regarding your last question the conscientious doctor will provide her with support and referrals to resources in the community (which they are now more than there were before the 1970?s), instead of just turning her away. Also, here’s the documentation for my above assertion on ambivalence in early pregnancy:http://realchoice.0catch.com/library/weekly/aa070201a.htmhttp://realchoice.0catch.com/library/weekly/aa052506a.htm
(Denise) I read a “My Turn” column in “Newsweek” by a single mother. She wrote that when she told her boyfriend she was pregnant, he gave her “his canned it’s not you, it’s me speech.” Her friends and family did not urge abortion but that she place the baby for adoption. She was happy she ignored their advice and raised the baby as a single mother, writing “I thrive in my new role.”
Liz is an amazing young woman, her strength is inspirational and her story is sad but beautiful and has a happy ending. Just goes to show that rape doesn’t have to ruin a woman’s life and that good can come out of the darkness!
By far one of the best individual people I’ve ever met, truly grateful to be her friend.