There are some controversies that are just unavoidable. As much as people attempt to stay politically correct there is really no such thing. As a result, speaking truth to power is sometimes the best and only policy.

A Louisiana advertising company recently came under fire for posting a controversial billboard on Blacks and abortion in New York that stated, “The most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb.”

Immediately, everyone from Whoopi Goldberg and Al Sharpton to groups like Planned Parenthood expressed outrage believing that the ad was being insensitive to Black women. However, as hurtful as that ad may be to some women who have made that difficult decision, the truth hurts and in order to stop the pain we have to first admit there is a problem concerning Blacks and abortions.

And whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, there is a serious epidemic when it comes to Blacks and abortions and we as a community need to find a solution to the problem.

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, abortions are the leading cause of deaths amongst African Americans. Recent statistics from the CDC show that abortions attributed to 14 million lost lives amongst Blacks, while heart disease, cancer, accidents, violent crimes and AIDS accounted for only five million lives lost.

Furthermore, while Blacks only comprise 13 percent of the U.S. population, Black women accounted for one-third of all abortions.

While I empathize with any mother (especially the victims of rape and incest) who have made the difficult decision to end a pregnancy, we must not forget to empathize with the child who did not get to enjoy the life God had for them because of the decision of another person.

Many pro-choice supporters believe that a woman should have control of their body, but I would have to counter that nobody should have control of the body of another, and that baby in the womb is another body entirely and not just the body of the mother.

Normally, when an act or institution is responsible for the deaths of that many Black children, civil rights leaders like Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson would have been up in arms in effort to stop any act of violence against Blacks, whether it was Black-on-Black or at the hands of another race. But when it comes to Blacks and abortion and other hot button issues, those same civil rights leaders are so scared of hurting someone’s feelings that they do not even attempt to address the problem head-on.

The truth of the matter is our children are seeing their lives and potential cut short because people are too scared to speak about Blacks and abortion, which is the latest form of Black-on-Black violence. And regardless of where you stand, to the left or to the right, we have to find some way to stand together for the future of our children.

Bushwick Bill of the Geto Boys rapped “that once you give life, life is bigger than yours,” in the 2005 song “I Tried.” And any parent that has ever raised children will admit that any good parent would put the life of their child before theirs any day of the week. I would argue that no one besides the Almighty should determine whether someone lives or dies.

Author Bio: Todd A. Smith is publisher for ; Regal Black Mens Magazine The publication focuses on ; African American Community News Politics Sports Health The magazine features a ; Local Online Classifieds & Job Classified Black Business Directory Visit to read about ; Blacks and abortion

Category: Politics
Keywords: Blacks and abortion