Philadelphia City Council Adopts Pro-Abortion Position, No Brotherly Love

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jun 8, 2007   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Philadelphia City Council Adopts Pro-Abortion Position, No Brotherly Love Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
June 8
, 2007

Philadelphia, PA (LifeNews.com) — The City of Brotherly Love apparently has no love for babies before they’re born. The city council has adopted a policy position backing legal abortion and saying it should be a constitutional right for women — a move that is non-binding and drew opposition from pro-life advocates.

City councils normally approve all sorts of resolutions honoring people or groups or special weeks and Philadelphia is no exception, with its city leaders passing numerous resolutions.

But the policy statement favoring abortion was more contentious and barely eked through on a 9-8 vote, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper.

The pro-abortion resolution proclaims Philadelphia as a "Pro-Choice City" which supports "women’s reproductive rights and freedom" and defends "the right to choose a legal and safe abortion as a final but critical option for women."

The proclamation has no legal impact on abortion in the Pennsylvania city but Cardinal Justin Rigali spoke out against it.

"I ask all people of good will to join me in rejecting the divisive and erroneous label that Philadelphia City Council has forced upon the citizens of Philadelphia today," he said in a statement LifeNews.com obtained.

"In a city where so many people vigorously defend life at every stage, proclaiming Philadelphia "pro-choice" is inconsistent with reality. It unfairly saddles those who support life at all stages with this shameful label," he added.

Blondell Reynolds Brown was the city council member who sponsored the resolution and she declined requests from colleagues to withdraw it because of its divisive nature.

"At the end of the day, we decide what we want the city to look like and be about," said Brown. "We as Council members will speak to our hearts and our minds and vote accordingly."

Dayle Steinberg, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania, told the newspaper that the abortion business helped Brown draft the proclamation.

Related web sites:
Philadelphia City Council – https://www.phila.gov/citycouncil