Posted on 04/13/2010 11:22:42 AM PDT by rhema
Tim Pawlenty, the pro-life Minnesota governor and potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate, is drawing cheers and jeers from pro-life and pro-abortion groups for declaring April as a month to help women negatively affected by their abortions.
As LifeNews.com first reported two weeks ago, Pawlenty and Texas Gov. Rick Perry both declared April as Abortion Recovery/Awareness Month.
Lisa Dudley, Director of Operation Outcry, a group that helps women who regret their abortions speak out, told LifeNews.com at the time that Pawlenty's move showed he has an "understanding of the consequences of abortion" and a " willingness to protect women and the unborn."
Pawlenty's proclamation “encourages and promotes healing opportunities and raises awareness of the aftermath of abortion experienced by individuals and families,”
It also recognizes that “many Minnesota organizations offer support and recovery services to those who have had abortions or who have been impacted by abortion” and that “many organizations in Minnesota promote policies that reinforce a culture of life and hope.”
“Abortion recovery programs help individuals heal by providing counseling, support groups, encouragement,” the proclamation says.
Now, Pawlenty is coming under fire from abortion advocacy groups Planned Parenthood and NARAL, which claim Pawlenty is merely pandering to pro-life groups.
Kathi Di Nicola, communications director for Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, told the Minnesota Independent that the move was “pure politics.”
Linnea House of NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota, added, “I was hoping the governor’s proclamation was an April Fool’s Day joke last week, but unfortunately, it is very real. Clearly, this proclamation is truly nothing more than Gov. Pawlenty pandering to the anti-choice organizations in the state."
Pawlenty's deputy chief of staff, Brian McClung, responded to the attacks.
“Recovery programs can help individuals heal by providing counseling, support groups, encouragement and education,” McClung said. “While critics may say this is just ‘politics,’ women who have been helped by these programs would strongly disagree.”
And Molly White, Operation Outcry leader in Texas, told LifeNews.com that women hurt spiritually, emotionally, and physically after an abortion.
"Many women and men hurt by abortion, as I was, suffer from guilt, shame, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts, to name a few symptoms," she said.
There are several resources available including A.R.I.N. www.abortionrecovery.com and The National Help Line for Abortion Recovery 1-866-482-LIFE where caring people who have experienced abortion are there to help.
The text of the full Pawlenty resolution:
Whereas: Many Minnesota organizations offer support and recovery services to those who have had abortions or who have been impacted by abortion; and
Whereas: Many organizations in Minnesota promote policies that reinforce a culture of life and hope; and
Whereas: Abortion recovery programs help individuals heal by providing counseling, support groups, encouragement; and
Whereas: Abortion Recovery Month encourages and promotes healing opportunities and raises awareness of the aftermath of abortion experienced by individuals and families.
In my experience, post-abortive men need support as well.
“Clearly, this proclamation is truly nothing more than Gov. Pawlenty pandering to the anti-choice organizations in the state.”
A real choice informs the women of their options and what they may suffer with for the rest of their life.
These people are just plan evil and in denial. It murders the baby and damages the woman mentally and sometimes physically.
Lookos like he’s not going to let huck sneak in and take away his votes for ‘12.
You know what your right. This man I know, when he’s been drinking will sometimes cry about his two babies that were aborted. Even though as far as I know he was ok with it at the time.
Whatever else Pawlenty may be, he's a dedicated, outspoken pro-lifer. He's been the strongest advocate for unborn children Minnesota has seen in a long time. He attends every Jan. 22 March for Life, and he's signed every pro-life bill that has made it through the DFL-controlled MN legislature.
Doesn’t this just PROVE that they only care about the success of the murder and not a damn about the health of the woman?
Real, informed choices are anathema to the pro-aborts. That’s why Planned Parenthood fought the Minnesota Women’s Right to Know Law and the Positive Alternatives Act.
A "horse out of the barn" effort. I have compassion for these women but there were other persons involved that were "negatively affected by their abortions".
Their grief comes up in church recovery discussions rather often and needs to be more widely addressed.
“A Dream A Lot Like Mine” at http://www.emmettgrayson.com is my small part of that in a song. It’s in the menu on the “mixpod” player if you’d like to listen
Tragic and heartbreaking. Thanks for sharing your work and your pain with others. Thankfully, in Jesus, we can be forgiven and set free. May God continue to bless you and your gift.
Thanks for listening and thanks for your kind words. Yes, through Him, forgiveness is available to all and I think most who persist in this so-called “pro-choice” lie do so because they don’t know that Great Truth.
Party of Death weeps and gnashes teeth.
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