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Posted on 02/04/2004 8:00:33 AM PST by AuH2ORepublican
Culture & Cosmos
February 3, 2004 Volume 1, Number 26
Think-tank urges pro-life politicians to appeal to post-abortive women
A new report just issued by the Elliot Institute suggests that pro-life political candidates can find fertile ground by making a more direct appeal to women who have had abortions, estimated by some at 30 million. According to the report, post abortive women might vote for pro-abortion politicians not because they believe abortion betters the lives of women, but because they perceive pro-abortion politicians to care more for women.
The report says most “post-abortive women are 'pro-choice' only in regard to the fact that they are appalled that anyone would dare to stand in judgment over others, especially those who felt they had 'no choice' but abortion because of the pressures they faced from others or their circumstances."
Candidates and the pro-life movement at large, the report argues, must better account for these issues—that many abortions in the United States are the result of pressure. In fact, studies increasingly show that women who choose to have an abortion often do so because of pressure from family, friends and societal institutions, like school. At the same time, women who have had abortions are much less inclined to pass judgment on women in similar situations, and tend to vote for "pro-choice" candidates. Pro-abortion candidates have used this tactic to shift "the votes of 30 million post-abortive women" because they seem "deeply invested in protecting public acceptance of women who have had abortions."
Pointing out that "at least one of every four women voters has had an abortion," the report argues that the pro-life movement, and specifically pro-life political candidates, must show "post-abortive women…that you truly do understand, accept, and care about them." If candidates fail to address this, "you fail to neutralize this fear of judgment, [and] post-abortive women…are more likely to lean toward the 'pro-choice' candidate." Often facing emotional trauma and guilt from their experience, these women "are not generally concerned about protecting or expanding 'abortion rights'", and as such "are not generally voting for abortion…they are voting for acceptance." The rhetoric promoted by the pro-abortion agenda, specifically in their "concern" for women, capitalizes upon this point.
This message becomes even more poignant when combined with current statistics and polls. According to a poll conducted by the Los Angeles Times, 74 percent of post-abortive women feel their decision to have an abortion was "morally wrong." The poll also showed that if a pro-life candidate called for "government support for grief counseling programs to assist women who experience emotional problems after an abortion," 63 percent of 'pro-choice' women said they would "more likely vote for such a candidate."
This is again reflective of the need for increased messages of concern for women in general. The pro-life movement is often depicted as having concern solely for the life of the child, not the mother. To those outside the pro-life movement, their message "appears to be insensitive to the plight of women," regardless of the fact that in actuality "there is no real conflict between the best interests of women and their unborn children." Dr. David Reardon, director of the Elliot Institute, told Culture & Cosmos that pushing the pro-woman message is "long overdue…if pro-lifers will take an active role in spreading [a jointly emphasized] pro-women/pro-life message we would gain a lot more support." Further, "this is consistent with both the Church and the pro-life movement at large."
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Culture of Life Foundation 1413 K Street, NW, Suite 1000 Washington DC 20005 Phone: (202) 289-2500 Fax: (202) 289-2502 E-mail: clf@culture-of-life.org Website: http://www.culture-of-life.org
According to a poll conducted by the Los Angeles Times, 74 percent of post-abortive women feel their decision to have an abortion was "morally wrong." The poll also showed that if a pro-life candidate called for "government support for grief counseling programs to assist women who experience emotional problems after an abortion," 63 percent of 'pro-choice' women said they would "more likely vote for such a candidate."
BTW, the culture-of-life.org website has not posted its new article yet (it was distributed yesterday to e-mail subscribers such as myself), but hopefully will post it by the end of the week.
This is what the president of the Culture of Life Foundation wrote about the report and its weekly newsletter (which you can sign up for at the Foundation's website):
The purpose of the weekly Culture & Cosmos, pubished by the Culture of Life Foundation, is to bring you the latest facts and science related to the culture of life. Today we report on a new study issued by the Elliot Institute on how pro-life politicians can appeal to the large number of women who have had abortions. The Elliot Institute believes that women who have suffered the physical and emotional trauma of abortion are eager to hear a woman-centered message from the pro-life movement.
Spread the word.
Yours sincerely,
Austin Ruse President
However, I personally have found them to be incredibly judgmental of pro lifers.
It would take a very courageous person to take this stand. He/she would have to go over the heads of the antilife press and Planned Parenthood, which would be all over him/her saying "there's nothing to grieve, it was their choice, butt out."
A courageous national party could help. Not holding breath.....
Best person/persons to make this happen would be those who have had abortions who have seen that they made a grievous decision.
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I hear echoes of 'can't we agree to disagree' and 'can't we all just get along'? Sometimes one ought not agree to disagree, when the results are the blunting of the truth and the wink and nod acceptance of evil. Abortion on demand is nothing short of evil in our national midst. Evil cajoles and inveigles men and women ... and we do no one a service by setting aside the complicity in this evil in order to establish 'a new day of compromise', which is what this Elliot Institute 'think tank result' appears to call for.
Politicians would love for the voters to ignore and forget the past decades of elected representatives supporting and pushing this evil, so the politico wouldn't have to ever apologize for being so wrong ... Boxer wouldn't because she's proud of her service to Molech, but Fat Teddy, Tiny Tommy, and most of the Democrat Party along with a few Pubbies would be happy as a clam to have voters forgive and forget the evil foisted by the political power brokers. This 'think tank' advice smacks of diverting attention, of misdirection and dissembling.
Absolutely right, although that contradicts somewhat the assertion of the prior paragraph.
Women who've had abortions (and the boyfriends and husbands who may have pressured them into it) are furious at the notion that anyone would 'dare stand in judgment' of them.
And they are also terrified that society will once again come to its collective senses and realize that abortion is the murder of little children.
Hence their fanaticism in supporting pro-abortion pols: As long as those pols keep being elected with their obfuscatory 'pro-choice' blather, these pathetic people can pretend they haven't committed the murder of their own children.
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they are appalled that anyone would dare to stand in judgment over others
I bet they are the first to stand in judgement over others who own handguns. Selfish hypocrytical bi***es.
How do you get that I'm against speaking out against a heinous holocaust of alive unborn children?
I agree with you. And when they repent we ought ot accept it without judgement and when they give hints that they want to repent we ought to help them do it in a spirit of love.
I think a lot of us who weren't in that situation could have been in that situation (either pregnant or causing the pregnancy) with a few bad breaks.
Abortion is evil but generally the mother is almost as much a victim as she is a perpetrator.
worth repeating
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