A few days ago, I wrote an article for the Central Illinois Right to Life Director's Blog entitled "Alice and the Cheshire Cat - Defining Choice."
My topic was based not on any research, but just on an intuition that women in crisis pregnancy often fall victim to undue influence by significant persons in their lives, persons who for their own reasons do not wish to see a pregnancy brought to term, persons who cross the line from advise and support of a "free choice," into intimidation and coercion by verbal, emotional, and even sometimes physical abuse.
Since then, a fellow CIRTL board member, Dan Smith, pointed out actual survey research done in this area by David Reardon and the Elliot Institute.*
Their findings indicate that 64% of abortions are coerced...
Now if these findings are anywhere near accurate - even one half or one fourth accurate - then no matter where one actually stands on abortion itself, this is a situation of extreme degradation, almost beyond comprehension! For what proports to be a movement of freedom, is instead revealed to be a cesspool perculating up intimidation and even violence, overflowing with suffering that is daily heaped upon members of the very class of people it claims to liberate.
What is equally astounding is the lack of outcry from self-proclaimed protectors of women's rights, particularly those who also make up the "pro-choice" crowd. Why is that the case? Perhaps because if the charge is true, a huge chink is revealed in the suit of armor the "pro-choice" movement has been clothed in by their friends in media and government. And to draw any attention to what might be a vital weakness is to invite determined attack at that very point.
Unfortunately for their cause, the vunerability is so great that it should be clear for all to see. Fortunately, again for their cause, the sun must be in our eyes!!!
Else, why are we not attacking this glaring vunerablility with everything we have?
Indeed there are two gaps in their suit of mail - not only is an open invitation to abuse created by the very nature of the current legal abortion situation, but also there appears to be a massive cover-up of that abuse taking place - apparently many are willing to toss untold numbers of women to the wolves in order to protect the precious house of cards called "abortion rights."
The “pro-choice” movement, in large part by their self-designated title, has been somewhat successful in redirecting the focus of the abortion debate from the value of the life of the unborn child to the struggle for reproductive freedom for women. If it can be demonstrated that the atmosphere created by the legality and availability of abortion on demand is by its very nature an open invitation to the abuse of women - and moreover, that the “pro-choice” movement has ignored this dire situation in order to protect itself and its pet cause - “pro-choice” will be revealed for the sham that it is, and the battle if not actually won, can at least be returned to the proper field of conflict – the sanctity of the life of the unborn child!
* The research of David Reardon, et al at afterabortion.org
~ http://www.afterabortion.org/petition/Forced_Abortions.pdf
