The debate over abortion may never reach a satisfying conclusion for anyone involved. It’s probably the most downright nastily argued social issue in the country—and neither side can boast that they’re fighting fair. But this has been a banner month for Bible-thumping right-to-lifers. First, Dr. George Tiller, a doctor who performed abortions, was shot dead in a Wichita, Kan. church while preparing to serve as an usher for the day’s service. Though most sane people (right-to-lifers included) were appalled by the murder, one Southern Baptist minister, Wiley Drake of Buena Park, Calif., thanked God that Tiller was killed—and even prayed for the death of President Obama, who spoke publicly against the shooting.

“If he does not turn to God and does not turn his life around, I am asking God to enforce imprecatory prayers that are throughout the Scripture that would cause him death, that’s correct,” Drake told Fox News Radio.
Heated arguments make for crazy people, and hey, I understand where they’re coming from. People who have passionate beliefs are liable to do crazy things. One time, I got in the face of a Yankee fan who had the audacity to tell me the “Mets suck” (I mean, they do, but fuck that guy, you know?). It was a poor decision, because I was way drunk and the dude was way bigger than me. Luckily, he just walked away, and I beated my chest and grunted like a gorilla.

So yeah, abortion. It makes people fucking psycho. Take, for instance, Beccah Beushausen, a pregnant woman blogging about her courageous decision to keep her baby. A would-be single mother, Beushausen told readers that she was determined to give birth to her child, even though she knew it had a terminal illness in her womb. Right to Life activists hung on her every word, and tuned in in droves for her regular updates. They also participated, sending gifts and sharing their own experiences. On June 7, Beushausen, a Chicago-area resident, posted that her child, April Rose, had been born successfully at home but had died hours later. The Web site received almost 1 million hits that day, according to LATimes.com.

Unfortunately (but fortunately for the “late” April Rose), it was all bullshit. The baby featured in pictures on the Web site was just a doll. To the Chicago Tribune, Beushausen admitted that she was wrong and apologized to those “who were so emotionally involved.” Beushausen actually did suffer the loss of a child, a son, shortly after his birth in 2005; however, since that incident wasn’t blogged about, it never really mattered. (Poor taste? My bad.)

Beushausen’s motivations may have had more to do with spotlight addiction than deep-held feelings on the abortion debate. She said that once her first post got 50 comments, she wanted to keep going, saying that she “always liked writing.” Even Jennifer McKinney, a Christian family blogger and Beushausen follower, couldn’t deny her way with words.

“My readers were praying for her, and I feel guilty about that. But I have to admit her stuff was beautifully written,” McKinney said.

Beuhausen will test her writing chops one more time as April Rose’s mama. She will compose one final blog post, in which she will apologize to fans. Public humiliation deserves public apology, I suppose, and why stop now when you’re getting so many hits?

And you wondered why Trent Reznor quit the Internet.

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