Abortion has two victims: 1 Dead, 1 Wounded
Pro-Woman Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments
“I would never have an abortion myself but I do not have the right to make that choice for other women.
This is a common argument made by those who have bought into the widespread notion that abortion is a necessary evil and is the primary component of women’s equal rights. Abortion has multiple well-documented physical and emotional consequences for women so if it’s not a satisfactory choice for you, it’s not a satisfactory choice for other women either, rather a desperate last resort.
Our country went through a terrible era when slavery was acceptable. Although some people said they didn't want to own slaves themselves, they weren't going to oppose others’ rights to own slaves. Some supporters of slavery even argued that our nation could not survive economically if slavery was abolished. Fortunately, enough people recognized that slavery was morally wrong and no one should own another human being. Someday future generations will look back on our era and wonder how anyone could rationally argue that women have a "right" to destroy the life of her unborn child.
FCLNY recognizes that many of the early feminists were strongly opposed to abortion even calling it “infanticide.” They championed women’s rights, and saw the abolishment of slavery as a moral issue. Abortion is a sign that we have failed women and FCLNY is working to empower women through creating more humane choices for women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy.
“I won’t be able to finish college if I have this child; an abortion will give me back my future.”
Many women feel coerced into an abortion by a partner, friend or parent who suggests that the only way for her to reach her potential is to abort her child. Women should not have to choose between their personal aspirations and their unborn children. Feeling forced into an abortion because of lack of practical resources doesn’t sound like much of a “choice” to us.
FCLNY supports alternatives that allow a college student facing an unexpected pregnancy to find housing and resources so they do not have to drop out of school if they choose to keep their child. Access to child care, medical attention, and housing are some of the barriers that lead many women to choose abortion. Whether a woman chooses to marry, to single parent or to place her child with an adoptive family, there are many resources that embrace life and allow both her and her child to reach their potential.
“Abortion should be safe, legal and rare. By opposing abortion rights, aren't you sentencing innocent women to die through back alley abortions?”
FCLNY is dedicated to improving the lives of women and their children. We work to remove the barriers that drive women to seek abortion, so that it indeed becomes “rare”. We also seek to educate women so they understand the development of her fetus and that abortion may increase their risks for breast cancer and infertility later in life. FCLNY seeks to educate the public about dangers to women’s health, such as the RHAPP bill in New York which would enable less-qualified medical practitioners to perform abortions in conditions which could be life-threatening to women. FCLNY finds such legislation harmful to women and continues to advocate for policies that help women and their children.
Bernard Nathanson, co-founder of NARAL, admitted that he and other pro-legalization leaders lied under oath about the numbers of women who died in “back alley abortions”. Although the death of even one women through abortion is too many, because of these extreme exaggerations in statistics, the entire NOW platform of “saving women from back alley abortions” was based on lies. Even after 35 years of legalized abortion, women still die during the procedure or from complications resulting from the procedure.
“I believe that there should be restrictions on abortion but shouldn’t we make exceptions for victims of rape and incest?
Rape and incest are certainly atrocious crimes and horrific experiences but the truth is; only 1% of all abortions occur due to cases of rape or incest. An abortion cannot erase the memory of such violent crimes nor does it erase a woman’s motherhood. Very often women report that an abortion following a rape is equally or more traumatic than the violation itself. FCLNY maintains that abortion adds insult to injury and punishes an innocent unborn child because of parentage and circumstance of conception. Women and their unborn children conceived by rape or incest deserve practical resources and support. Complete and total intolerance of violent crimes against women is the only true solution.
Isn’t abortion a more humane alternative for fetuses found to have developmental or physical abnormalities?
Everyone on earth is faced with their own personal limitations and challenges, some more apparent than others. FCLNY believes that every child, regardless of disability deserves the opportunity to reach his/her own potential and that parents require resources to support this goal. Early intervention services are continually improving and those with disabilities do go on to live productive and satisfying lives. Most of us would not tolerate the killing of a born child or an adult with disabilities because it would be a violation of basic human rights. Abortion is the violation of an unborn child’s human rights.
Isn’t it unfair to allow a child to be born into poverty?
Legalized abortion is not the solution to poverty. An unborn child’s value is based on inherent human dignity, not socio-economic status.
“Not all women want or even like children. Is it fair to condemn her to a life of motherhood because of an unplanned pregnancy?
Of course we do not want to condemn any woman to parenthood against her will. Young women and men need accurate and complete education about their bodies, particularly their reproductive systems and practical information about safe sexual behavior. As parents and as a nation, we need to assure that all young adults have an unglamourized perspective about sex and an awareness of the many consequences of pre-marital and unprotected sex. Education is the best defense against unplanned pregnancies. Once a woman becomes pregnant, however, FCLNY believes it becomes her responsibility to assure the humane treatment and safe delivery of the child. Unexpected events in our lives often require at least a temporary sacrifice of one kind or another. FCLNY understands and advocates the necessity of practical resources and support for women during this often difficult and possibly rewarding time. FCLNY supports a wide range of parenting alternatives, including grand-parenting, shared custody and open and closed adoption, all of which promote a win/win situation for mother and child.