Technology has been instrumental in moving public opinion on abortion. From the advent of ultrasound technology, which provides stunning glimpses into life in the womb, to iPad applications that allow a pregnant mother to track her baby’s development, the pro-life movement has benefited from greater awareness of the humanity of the unborn child. Now, the latest model of Apple’s iPhone provides women with alternatives to abortion when making related abortion searches on its new voice-directed Siri technology.
Siri serves as an electronic personal assistant that responds to voice commands for owners of the iPhone 4S. Abortion advocates were outraged to find when Siri was asked questions related to abortion, the phone responded with a list of pregnancy resource centers instead of local abortion facilities.
Despite the persistent efforts of abortion advocates to drown out the positive alternatives to abortion provided by pregnancy centers, the iPhone 4S has chosen to highlight them.
The story broke after abortion advocates tested the phone in New York City, the city New York magazine labeled “The Abortion Capital of America,” where over 40% of pregnancies end in abortion (according to the Department of Health). The iPhone’s willingness to showcase pregnancy centers stands in stark contrast to the City of New York, which earlier this year sought to place hefty restrictions on their operation.
In their protests of pregnancy resource centers, self-described pro-choice advocates reveal their true goal is not to provide women with authentic choices, but rather to defend abortion-on-demand. In state after state, abortion advocates have fought tooth and nail against informed consent before an abortion. Legislative proposals offering women scientifically accurate information about her pregnancy, including the chance to view ultrasound before an abortion, have been met with firm opposition.
It boggles the mind that in a city like New York, where abortion is so rampant, abortion advocates would be worried about access to abortion. The problem is not that women aren’t able to find abortion centers, but rather that women are not receiving the resources they need to carry their pregnancies to term.
A majority of women who have had abortions say they would have made a different decision had they possessed more information or known of other resources available. These women spend the rest of their lives suffering with regret, guilt and sometimes even mental and physical health problems as a result of the abortion they should never have had. We owe it to women everywhere to make them aware of the positive, life-affirming alternatives available to them.
