Legalized Abortion Harms Women and Children
by Ellie Dillon
Source: St. Louis Post Dispatch, 1/22/00
Today marks the 27th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision, which
legalized abortion in the United States. It is a time for reflection. Has
legalized abortion helped to solve society's ills, as promised 27 years
ago? Has abortion been good for women emotionally and physically? Have
society and the medical community accepted abortion as a positive?
Abortion was supposed to reduce teen pregnancy. But the unmarried teen
pregnancy rate has risen from 49.4 per thousand in 1972 to 99.2 per
thousand in 1990. Abortion has encouraged irresponsible behavior and sex
without any consequences. Our young daughters don't have a good reason to
say no to sex as long as abortion is an option. And abortion is a great
way for men to pursue their sexual pleasures. One study of 46,500
school-age mothers found that two-thirds of the girls were impregnated by
adult fathers with a median age of 22. These are men who prey on young
girls and then try to hide their crimes with abortion.
Child abuse rates were to drop due to the elimination of unwanted
children. But the figures show a 331 percent increase in child abuse in
two decades. Sanctioning and even encouraging parents to kill their
offspring has clearly devalued children born or unborn.
We were told abortion would "empower" women and let them make their own
choices. But research has shown that 80 percent of women are pressured by
their husbands or boyfriends or by their parents to abort their baby. Is
this empowerment?
Abortion is not a true "choice" for a woman; it is an act of despair. The
psychological impact of abortion is so profound because women are acting
against their maternal instincts and consciences. They react with guilt,
anger, depression, substance abuse and suicide. The only people who are
empowered are men. They can have sex without any responsibility to their
partner or their unborn children.
The pro-life movement is still here fighting the good fight and, we see no
reason to give up. Our numbers continue to grow as does our clout. An
article by Fortune magazine lists National Right to Life among the 10 most
effective lobbying groups in Washington. The pro-abortion groups, NARAL
and Planned Parenthood were ranked 43rd and 65th.
The effort to pass a partial-birth abortion ban has permanently changed
the terms of the abortion debate to our advantage. Many Americans for the
first time are recognizing abortion as the killing of a baby, and
realizing just what Roe vs. Wade allows. Even "pro-choice" legislators
voted to ban this barbaric procedure because they saw and heard the truth.
And now the public is learning about the trafficking of body parts from
these partial-birth abortions. Late-term fetuses are being dissected and
their parts sold for huge profits. Only 2 percent of these late-term
fetuses have any abnormalities. They range in age from 16 weeks to 30
weeks. Sometimes the babies are born alive, and the doctor must break
their neck or beat them to death. Is this acceptable?
After 27 years, it is clear that legalized abortion has been detrimental
to our society. But there is a fundamental decency in the American
character. People continue to be moved by the cruelties of abortion. The
pro-life majority will continue to unmask the atrocities of the abortion
industry, which profits from pregnant women and their unborn babies. And
eventually truth will prevail.
Ellie Dillon, Brentwood, is president of Missouri Right to Life-Eastern
Region.
Be a TLC Lifeguard
Before You Leave...
We hope you enjoy our web site and find it useful as a resource center.
Please take a moment to rate our site.
Will you help?
Will you help us continue to make this resource
available to thousands of monthly visitors from around the world?
Yes
Texans for Life Coalition
P.O. Box 177727
Irving, TX 75017-7727
(972) 790-9044
webservant@texlife.org
|
