Hard as they tried to keep abortion and gay rights out of the Democrat National Convention, Rev. Al Sharpton opened the can of worms in his 23 minute sermon Thursday by attacking a Bush Supreme Court that might outlaw these.
“Win Issues” for Bush
It then became news that Democrat National Chairman Terry McAuliffe appointed pro-abortion Kate Michelman to oversee filibusters against pro-life judicial candidates. Then columnists Cokie and Steve Roberts wrote of Democrat support for partial birth abortion and gay marriage, neither that popular with most Americans.
Without intending to do us any favors, even Andy Greely wrote Friday, “Heaven forbid Americans from thinking there are issues besides abortion and gay marriage.” We hope the Republicans are smart enough to see these as “win issues” and don’t try to burry them as they’ve done in the past.
A Stark Contrast: Life and Death
Locally, two things happened Thursday that stand out in my mind as starkly contrasting: At the Albany abortion mill Thursday morning, a lowlife dad cursed my wife, Ann, when she tried to explain how his baby was going to die a painful death inside the abortion mill. He snarled with a curse, “So what? Everybody dies.” He went to sit in his car to wait while his son or daughter was being cut to pieces inside the mill.
Later that day Ann and I attended the beautiful and touching funeral of Noelle Joy Bergquist, a sixteen-year-old saint who loved God and sang of Jesus and spent her short life as the Bergquist’s adopted daughter. She suffered with sina bifida, but always tried to cheer up everyone around her. She had seven other adopted handicapped brothers and sisters.
Here is her story as reported by Beth Sneller in The Daily Herald:
At her Make-a-Wish party last November Noelle Bergquist had the time of her life laughing, talking and joking with loved ones. That was the Naperville 16-year-old at her finest, her parents said — holding court as the “belle of the ball.” It’s how they will choose to remember her for the rest of their lives.
Noelle died Friday after a long battle with spina bifida. The teenager wasn’t able to recuperate after a kidney transplant, said Susan Bergquist, but “We can rejoice that she is at least free from all those machines. She is able to dance before the throne of God.”
The Bergquists adopted Noelle when she was 4 months old, one of 11 children, eight of whom are adopted. Sue and her hunband Dick began adopting children with disabilities after the Supreme Court legalized abortion in Roe v. Wade. The couple had just become Christians, and the idea of abortion, especially of children with disabilities, was abhorrent to them. “I thought we had the greatest nation, and then when they legalized the abortion of unborn babies, it took me aback,” Susan said.
Susan felt called to begin adopting the hard to place babies. Soon the Berguists had children in their home with spina bifida, cerebral palsy, mental disabilities and blindness. All the children had been rejected by their birth parents, but the Bergquists were convinced they had a place in the world.
“God never makes mistakes,” Susan said. “He has a purpose for each person’s life. We wanted to open our home and teach these children about the love of Christ.” Noelle’s birth mother found the Berquists and decided they would be good parents for Noelle.
Noelle attended Calvarly Christian School and later was home schooled. She loved riding horses, playing piano and violin, and meeting people. “Everybody just found her so friendly.” Last November Noelle had a Make-a-Wish party at Drury Lane so she could thank everyone who had supported her through her illness.
When she died Friday her parents and older siblings were with her, “Everybody had a chance to kiss her and hug her and love her,” Susan said. “It was a perfect way to say goodbye.”
Noelle Joy was buried in a wedding dress as the Bride of Christ. She was buried surrounded by hundreds of friends who were reluctant to leave her gravesite.
Earlier that day a father sat in front of an abortion mill waiting for his child to be killed , with only a stranger showing any concern. Thank God at least Ann was there.
