Pro-Life Groups Applaud New Pew Poll Showing Pro-Life Movement on Abortion
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 2, 2009
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Top pro-life groups are delighted by the results of the new Pew poll showing double-digit movement from the American public towards the pro-life position on abortion. The poll found an eleven percent shift with support for abortion dropping seven percent and opposition rising four percent.
“Add today’s Pew poll results to the growing pile of evidence that the pro-life position has become the majority position in America,” Marjorie Dannenfelser told LifeNews.com.
The head of the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life women’s group, said the "politically correct language of ‘choice’ is worn out."
"This growing intensity amongst pro-lifers should send a clear message to Washington—start representing your constituents, because the Life issue is not going to shrink away," she said.
As the Pew researchers did, Dannenfelser assigned part of the credit for the pro-life shift on abortion to President Barack Obama.
"As President Obama and his allies in Congress continue to push a radical abortion agenda through health care reform, Americans across the board are waking up and realizing: this is not representation," she told LifeNews.com.
Dannenfelser encouraged “GOP leaders across the nation" to take note of this week’s poll, and all the evidence leading up to it that show the pro-life position is gaining." She says it "could strengthen the Republican Party if they would only pay attention.”
“Despite the trends in public opposition to abortion on-demand, the GOP continues to nominate leaders who don’t believe in the importance of defending life," she noted about some political contests. "It’s long past time to abandon this misguided strategy."
David N. O’Steen, the director of the National Right to Life Committee, said the Pew results combined with other polls from earlier in the year confirm the pro-life momentum.
“These results are unsurprising and track with earlier polling, including Gallup, and, most recently, a poll conducted by Rasmussen indicating that the majority of Americans are opposed to funding abortions in the healthcare bill,” he said.
He told LifeNews.com a political party should pay attention to the results — but focused on the pro-abortion Democrats in Congress who have been supporting taxpayer-financed abortions.
Despite consistent polling demonstrating that Americans don’t want government funding of abortions, pro-abortion Democrats in Congress have voted down pro-life amendments seeking to remove abortion funding in the health care bills, O’Steen noted.
“Just as the country is becoming more and more pro-life, the pro-abortion Democratic Congressional leadership is pushing to remake the entire American healthcare system in a way that would provide massive funding for abortion," he said. "Clearly, that is not what Americans want.”
In a Rasmussen poll conducted in September, 48% of Americans said they want abortion coverage prohibited in government-subsidized plans, compared to only 13% who would want it to be required.
Results from a Public Opinion Strategies poll also found a majority opposing the government-funding of abortions in the healthcare bill.
Related web sites:
Susan B. Anthony List – https://www.sba-list.org
National Right to Life – https://www.NRLC.org
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