Pro-Life Actress Patricia Heaton Challenges Pro-Abortion Marchers

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Apr 22, 2004   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Pro-Life Actress Patricia Heaton Challenges Pro-Abortion Marchers

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 22, 2004

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Unlike many of her Hollywood friends, two-time Emmy winner Patricia Heaton, star of the hit comedy series "Everybody Loves Raymond," won’t be attending Sunday’s pro-abortion march in Washington.

"Many of the celebrities on the list are my friends," Heaton explained, "but when it comes to championing abortion, we go our separate ways."

"I find it impossible to subscribe to a philosophy that believes that the destruction of human life is a legitimate solution to a problem that is mostly social, economic and psychological," said Heaton. "In reality, most women ‘choose’ abortion because they believe they have no other choice."

Looking to bolster the number of march participants, abortion advocates have recruited a litany of pro-abortion celebrities to pump their cause.

The list ranges from musicians such as Christina Aguilera, Lisa Loeb, and Ashley Judd to actors such as Jennifer Aniston, Helen Hunt, and Lynda Carter and other notables like Ellen DeGeneres, Emme, Cindy Crawford, and Jane Fonda.

According to recent polls, the pro-abortion women celebrities don’t represent the majority of women.

A September 2003 poll conducted by the Polling Company found 54 percent of women selected one of three different pro-life views opposing all or almost all abortions. Only 39 percent backed abortion.

The results are similar to those found in a poll conducted by a pro-abortion group.

In June, the Center for the Advancement of Women released the results of a poll showing that 51 percent of women took a pro-life position. Their poll also found that keeping abortion legal was the next to last most important priority for women as compared with other public policy issues.

Heaton is not surprised by such polling, saying that women often turn to abortion because of a lack of practical resources and emotional support. Many women who have had abortions report that they felt abandoned, or even coerced into abortion.

"Women who experience unplanned pregnancy also deserve unplanned joy," said Heaton, who believes abortion is evidence that society has failed to meet the real needs of women.

Marchers say, "We won’t go back." Heaton responds, "If it is up to march organizers, we won’t move forward either. It’s time to raise the bar, not protect the status quo. Every woman deserves better than abortion, and every child deserves a chance at life."

Heaton is the honorary chairwoman of Feminists for Life, a pro-woman, pro-life group that works to find solutions to abortion that affirm the dignity of women.

"Being a mother is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life," Heaton concludes. "As a member of Feminists for Life, I want to share the joy of motherhood with other women, to enable women to make life-affirming choices for themselves and their children, and to elevate our society’s perception of mothers."

The coalition of Hollywood celebrities backing the pro-abortion March includes:

Margie Adam
Christina Aguilera
Jennifer Aniston
Curtis Armstrong
Elaine Aronson
Bea Arthur
Ed Asner
Kevin Bacon
Alec Baldwin
William Baldwin
Meredith Baxter
Shari Belafonte
Maria Bello
Polly Bergen
Thora Birch
Amy Brenneman
Betty Buckley
Jessica Capshaw
Lynda Carter
Stockard Channing
Jill Clayburgh
Kate Clinton
Glenn Close
Cindy Crawford
Sheryl Crow
Alan Cumming
Tyne Daly
Blythe Danner
Kristin Davis
Ossie Davis
Dana Delany
Laura Dern
Ellen DeGeneres
Ani DiFranco
Illeana Douglas
Denise Dowse
Fran Drescher
Kirsten Dunst
David Eigenberg
Hector Elizondo
Emme
Eve Ensler
Giancarlo Esposito
Melissa Etheridge
Morgan Fairchild
Edie Falco
Frances Fisher
Calista Flockhart
Jane Fonda
Bonnie Franklin
Janeane Garofalo
Ana Gasteyer
Indigo Girls
Annabeth Gish
Whoopi Goldberg
Lauren Graham
Maggie Gyllenhaal
LisaGay Hamilton
Ben Harper
Ed Harris
Salma Hayek
Marg Helgenberger
Isabella Hofmann
Helen Hunt
Amy Jo Johnson
Kathryn Joosten
Ashley Judd
Catherine Keener
Carole King
Swoosie Kurt
Christine Lahti
Sanaa Lathan
Sharon Lawrence
Lisa Loeb
Amy Madigan
Natalie Maines
Wendie Malick
Joshua Malina
Camryn Manheim
Frances McDormand
Ewan McGregor
Marilyn McIntyre
Sarah McLachlan
Moby
Demi Moore
Julianne Moore
Alanis Morissette
Kathy Najimy
Alyson Palmer
Joe Pantoliano
Mary-Louise Parker
Adrian Pasdar
Pink
Martha Plimpton
Doris Roberts
Paul Rudd
Susan Sarandon
Campbell Scott
Kyra Sedgwick
Martin Sheen
Cybill Shepherd
SONiA
Fisher Stevens
Gloria Steinem
Julia Stiles
Corky and Mike Stoller
Sharon Stone
Amber Tamblyn
Mary Testa
Charlize Theron
Uma Thurman
Heather Tom
Stanley Tucci
Kathleen Turner
Ted Turner
Sarah Weddington
Audrey Wells
Bradley Whitford
Alfre Woodard
Thom Yorke
Amy Ziff
Elizabeth Ziff

Related web sites:
Feminists for Life – https://www.feministsforlife.org