I often hear pro-abortion advocates and politicians claiming that a bunch of men are trying to interfere with women’s reproductive decisions by passing pro-life legislation.
This is a bunch of bunk.
Item 1–The decision to abort a baby is not a reproductive decision. It is a decision to end the life of an innocent human being–often, a girl human being, who will never be able to have a child of her own after her own life has been snuffed out.
Item 2–Research has shown that as many as 60 percent of abortions are coerced, meaning that women are being forced to have abortions they do not want as a result of pressure from relatives, friends, or “significant others.” These women are not making a free will decision. Other people are making the decision for them, subjecting them to the possibility of bodily injury, emotional damage, and a lifetime of regret.
Item 3–Pro-life women are making gains in public office. We have had pro-life women in Governors’ offices, Congress, the U.S. Senate, and state legislatures. By our count, pro-life female state representatives in Pennsylvania outnumber pro-abortion female reps. If pro-abortion politicians say they are speaking on behalf of “the women of Pennsylvania,” they are clearly mistaken.
Item 4–The staff I work with is about 80 percent female. The president of our board of directors is a woman. Staff and volunteers at pregnancy resource centers around the state generally use the ladies’ room. The pro-life movement in Pennsylvania is largely female-driven. Not to say that abortion is only a woman’s issue–it clearly is not, and I have profound respect for all the men who are committed to protecting the lives of the most vulnerable. But woman power is alive and well in the pro-life movement.
Some of the most eloquent, most passionate spokespersons for the pro-life cause are those women who had abortions, and who now regret them. To ignore their voices is to undermine the cause of female empowerment.
CLICK LIKE IF YOU’RE PRO-LIFE!
Women are at the heart of the pro-life movement. They always have been and they always will be. So, let’s get to work, ladies, and show the kingpins of the abortion industry that we can, and must, be heard.
LifeNews.com Note: Maria Vitale is an opinion columnist for LifeNews.com. She is the Legislative Director for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation and Vitale has written and reported for various broadcast and print media outlets, including National Public Radio, CBS Radio, and AP Radio.
