BirthorNot Couple Says Abortion Vote Web Site Not a Hoax

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Nov 19, 2010   |   7:51PM   |   Apple Valley, MN

The couple at the center of the attention of the BirthOrNot abortion vote website in what many are calling an elaborate hoax, says the vote about her potential abortion is legitimate.

Pete and Alisha Arnold set up the web site, which has received worldwide attention and subjected them to claims of creating a ruse designed to oppose abortion, to receive input on whether or not to have an abortion of a 17-week unborn baby.

A poll on the site asks simply, “Should we give birth or have an abortion?”

While both pro-life and pro-abortion bloggers say the web site is a hoax and use information about Pete Arnold’s background as a conservative political activist to make the case, Alisha tells the Pioneer Press newspaper it is legitimate and the couple has no “hidden agenda” or were not looking for publicity and attention.
“I didn’t think it would go anywhere,” Alisha Arnold said. “There are so many websites out there.”

Alisha told the newspaper that she has not had an appointment with an abortion business but would “if it’s looking like it’s going to be that way … we will definitely be looking into it and setting something up if we need to.”

Pete spoke with the newspaper and said they couple is not worried about what their baby may think if he or she finds out about the website.

“We talked about that and came to the conclusion that we would cross that bridge like talking about sex or drugs,” he said. “It’s never fun to talk about that sort of stuff with a kid, but we would bring it up. I’m sure the baby would know they have been loved as much as any child.”

Pete Arnold’s mother, Sandi Arnold also talked with the newspaper and made the vote and possible abortion appear as a realistic possibility — though they may not abide by the outcome.

“They’ll look at the vote,” said Sandi Arnold of Stanton, Minnesota, who told the newspaper she is pro-life. “They said they have the right to veto, just like the president.”

“This is a very difficult topic,” she added. Kind of like politics. And some people get really hot under the collar about it. But I never thought it would go this far, and neither did they.”

Sandi is at the couple’s home outside Minneapolis while Pete is away on business. Alisha is reportedly on bed rest because of the pregnancy and the attention from the web site.