A couple of comments about this piece in the Globe.
First, I feel like this is as pro-life as that paper is going to get in the near future. Enjoy it.
Secondly, the comments are really interesting–mostly supportive, some angry because the father wanted his daughter to have the baby at all, some angry because he wanted her to have the baby and give it away, not keep it. Altogether, interesting.
Finally, my opinion: It’s hard for me to imagine that he as the father clearly knows what a baby is (and when life begins) and he clearly has a pretty good relationship with his daughter (they are talking, he is involved in her life) and yet she doesn’t appear to really value life.
But perhaps it’s credit to having a good relationship with her that he was able to coax her away from abortion. (Does the daughter sound somewhat flippant about the whole thing to you? “I’m not keeping it.” “Ok, I will.”) But it’s all about the baby steps (so to speak, no pun intended).
In the balance, nice piece, I say.
by 
I find it very positive. I found the father’s statement that a baby would be a win-win situation for three people was a really good way to approach his daughter. I commend him for his part in this, I think he did very well.
Much as I would prefer he be pro life, it does seem pretty clear that he understands something about the wonderful power of creation to change all of our lives.
I’m not sure that this piece was “very” positive – more like a step in the right direction. I liked the fact that the dad spoke up but I wish he had stopped at that and not added, you can do whatever you want without any judgment from me. Or do you suppose he included that bit in the usual nod to the crowd that wants freedom of choice and action, no matter what the cost? As in, nobody would ever listen to him without the boilerplate statement about freedom of choice?
No wonder our birthrate is so pitiful if even a caring person like this dad couldn’t show some stirring of feeling that his grandchild would be eliminated.
While I strongly oppose abortion I would of probably said the same thing if it were my daughter. I especially liked “You can get an abortion and get on with your life, or you can bring this child to term and change at least three lives forever” you can tell his main goal wasn’t to convince her not to abort but to only let her now she have options available. Women considering an abortion do not explore their options and the truth is abortion supporters do not want them to. Hadn’t he let her know that he knew people who would adopt; she would’ve probably chosen to abort. I wouldn’t hate my daughter though if she chooses an abortion, I’d love my child no matter what. If my daughter got pregnant I’d explain to her all her available options, and even though I’d make it clear that I do not agree with the choice of an abortion, I’d explain to her that it is her choice while it is still legal and that she simply have the right to be selfish. My view is that abortion should be illegal and I hope one day it does become illegal, but as long as it is legal it is no more than a personal choice I strongly oppose.
I am ambivalent about abortion. While I do love babies and think this father took a very kind and balanced approach to his daughter, my father took quite a different tone in our upbringing that clearly influenced my sister’s decision to have an abortion at fifteen. While that was in the 1990s, he recently scoffed at the film Juno that he ‘certainly wouldn’t have had that kind of reaction if one of his daughters gave him that news’ clearly implicating the father’s lack of moral spine due to his support for Juno’s truth telling about her pregnancy and desire to carry the baby and place it for adoption.
Not only are supportive parents and communities necessary for girls to choose pregnancy over abortion, but the pro-life camp must separate somewhat from the religious arguments that alienate atheists like us facing the same choice. Still, religious communities must be more forgiving of girls who get in trouble – if moral standing is what life seems to be about, abortions will be more common in the face of lack of understanding of birth control in this politicized society that both fears sex ed and allows fashion, media and other sexualization of girls at ever-younger ages. Forcing single mothers into shunned lives of poverty and lowered opportunity also doesn’t help. Community support needs to be more obvious if you want girls and young women to reconsider the shame of pregnancy in our culture.