by
Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 15,
2005
Atlanta, GA (LifeNews.com) -- Abortion advocates in Georgia are
set to hold a march in the state capital on Saturday in a rally that
comes after state lawmakers sided with pro-life advocates in favor of
legislation helping women be better informed of abortion's risks and
alternatives.
According to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report, more than 45 groups that back abortion are co-sponsoring the rally, which will begin at a Methodist Church and ends at the state capitol.
The mile long walk is intended to be a smaller version of the march national abortion advocates held last April in Washington that failed to draw as many attendees as organizers expected.
"It's an opportunity for Georgians to come out and express their views, and express that they are pro-choice, Errin Vuley, executive director of Georgians for Choice, told the Atlanta newspaper.
However, pro-life groups say that the march should be about both women and children.
"With regard to the 'Walk for Women's Lives' march, when a woman is pregnant, there are two lives," Pat Chivers, of Georgia Right to Life, told the Journal Constitution. "There's the woman's life, and the baby's life. Let's love them both. We believe in loving the woman and loving the baby."
Last month, the Georgia state legislature approved the Women's Right to Know bill, expected to receive the signature of Governor Sonny Purdue in the next few weeks.
Under the information component of the bill, women thinking about an abortion would be entitled to information 24 hours in advance, including a brochure showing the development of the unborn child. It also puts in place a parental notification requirement that parents must be told about their teenager daughter's request for an abortion.
Abortion advocates will use the rally to encourage grassroots activists to contact state legislators, who overwhelmingly supported the abortion information bill.
The
Senate approved the measure on a 41-10 vote after the House passed the
pro-life bill on a 139 to 35 vote.
Related
web sites:
Georgia State Legislature - http://www.legis.state.ga.us
Georgia Right to Life - http://www.grtl.org
