"X and her husband went to the hospital because she had an aching in her leg. Her doctor was alarmed after examining her, telling her she had developed blood clots and could not carry the pregnancy to full term. He said they’d have to give her blood thinners in order to get rid of the clots and that they would endanger the baby. X had lost her first baby; the child was born with many physical problems and died at two or three weeks old. X was already the mother of four teenage children. This would have been her sixth."
This and the following statements were made during an interview with Judy Dushku by journalist, Susan Mazur.
Judy Dushku has been a professor of government for over 40 years. She now teaches at Suffolk University in Massachusetts and is Fulbright Senior Specialist there.
Dashku was also a friend of X and the Bishop at the time.
X and her husband decided to abort their the child to protect the mother's life, but first consulted their Bishop. When the Bishop came to the hospital, X thought it was for comforting.
"He said – What do you think you’re doing?"
"She said – Well, we have to abort the baby because I have these blood clots."
"And he said – Well what about the life of the baby?"
"And she said – I have four other children and I think it would be really irresponsible to continue the pregnancy."
X was extremely distraught, and after talking it over with her husband, decided to go ahead with the abortion. After that she left the church.
Suzan Mazur: She’s okay now?
Judy Dushku: Yes.
Afterwards, Dashku confronted her friend, the Bishop, who angrily broke off their long friendship.
Years later in 1994, Dashku saw that the Bishop now supported abortion and called for a meeting.
"And he said – Yes, come to my office.
I went to his office and I congratulated him on taking a pro-choice position. And his response was – Well they told me in Salt Lake City I could take this position, and in fact I probably had to in order to win in a liberal state like Massachusetts."
Yes, the Bishop was Mitt Romney. But who was "they"?
Judy Dushku:"I asked him the same question. And he said “the Brethren” in Salt Lake City."
...
Suzan Mazur: Is a member of the LDS church answerable first to the church and then to family and professional calling next?
Judy Dushku: Yes, but with an understanding that loyalty to family is very important. My husband is not a Mormon and no one in the church would criticize me for my loyalty to him.
Yes, Flipper Romney flops when instructed by The Church of Latter Day Saints. This will probably not go over well down at the evangelical revival tent, on FOX News, or at the RNC for that matter.
Source: Suzan Mazur has written for the editorial pages of Newsday and the Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as Maclean's, CounterPunch and Scoop. She has been a guest on Fox Television News with Paula Zahn and Bill O'Reilly.
Note: I published a similar essay 4 years ago and saved it. I thought it might be recyclable, and it is.