Hollywood Legend Jane Russell Slams Abortion In Interview

LifeSite ^ | Wednesday May 28, 2003

[nickcarraway]

LONDON, May 28, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The UK Life League, a British pro-life group has reported that Jane Russell, the 1940s and '50s Hollywood movie star and pin-up girl, now aged 82, gave an interview this week slamming abortion. "People should never, ever have an abortion. Don't talk to me about it being a woman's right to choose what she does with her own body. The choice is between life and death," said Russell.

Describing her shock at finding herself pregnant at 18: "The only solution was to find a quack and get an abortion. I had a botched abortion and it was terrible. Afterwards my own doctor said: 'What butcher did this to you?' I had to be taken to hospital. I was so ill I nearly died. I've never known pain like it." Russell says that due to the abortion she was not able to have any other children.

[RAT Patrol]

So you never look at a 25 year old and wonder what your child would have looked like if he/she had lived?

[Lorianne]

I only know 3 people personally who have had abortions. Each regrets the decision but all still support abortion as a legal choice.

There is also a thread at Salon called: Abortion, A Chosen Loss which has over 3,000 posts from women who have had abortions. If you read the thread you'll see most of them have regrets/sadness but very few of them have changed their view on abortion as a legal choice. So it's not an either/or proposition apparently. Still it's enlightening to read their stories, hear their pain.

http://tabletalk.salon.com/webx?50@106.mYPFaZ1VC0t.2@.596c4c83">http://tabletalk.salon.com/webx?50@106.mYPFaZ1VC0t.2@.596c4c83

[shaggy eel]

I'm not looking for a fight. My point is that if the "majority" of women were as regretful as you all say, abortion would be more rare than it is. That's all.

,,, I should imagine having an abortion is a bit like getting VD. You don't shout about it from the rooftops. Here's Jane Russell, in the closing years of her life, admitting that she did the wrong thing. Now whether it's the wrong thing ethically or the wrong thing for her, taking into account the disappointment she faced by not being able to have kids later, who knows? The point is there is remarkably little upside for abortion. She could have brought the kid - and more into the world and enjoyed superb relationships with them and any number of other people they, in turn, could have brought into her life. Clearly, not for her.

By the way, I'm adopted. I missed the plastic garbage bag and got to show up on FR all these years later. Am I placed well enough to list my thoughts on this? Don't answer that particular question if you're not looking for a fight.

[RAT Patrol]

I guess the think I don't understand, maybe you can explain, is why someone like you was not willing to sacrifice 7 or so months so a child could live. You could have given him up for adoption. I don't get that. Why did the baby have to die to make you feel better? I am not meaning to be mean. I really want to know, from you perspective.

[cpforlife.org]

Mother Teresa of Calcutta -

"Abortion kills twice.
It kills the body of the baby
and it kills the conscience of the mother.
Abortion is profoundly anti-women.
Three quarters of its victims are women:
Half the babies and all the mothers."

[valleygal]

The reason they say they regret it but support abortion rights is a defense mechanism.

Some really fascinating stories have come from the ex-abortionists who are now pro-life. Bernard Nathanson and abortion clinic director/owner Carol Everett to name two. Hear them speak before. It was pretty powerful. Nathanson co-founded NARAL so he know he's now considered a real traitor.

[shaggy eel]

My point is that I don't believe they are in the majority. If you have valid statistics to point me to please do.

,,, there's a big difference between not believing they are in the majority and knowing it. If you have valid statistics to point me to please do.

[Lorianne]

Ok my link didn't work

Go to
Salon.com
Table Talk
Mothers Who Think
Mother's Attic (archived discussions)
Abortion A Chosen Loss

There you will find over 3,000 posts from women who have had abortions. If we really want to be able to say what "most" women feel about abortion, we need to listen to real women who have had them. I read every post and there is a lot of regret and sadness in them.

[onedoug]

If you have valid statistics to point me to please do.

Okay.

"Please spare me the lectures, the website referrals," the child, "etc. Oy."

Valid enough?

[Woahhs]

I'm drawing from many of my contemporaries who had abortions too. Of course the people who come into counseling centers will have their regrets. My point is that I don't believe they are in the majority.

Damn! How many "contemporaries" did you have?

[RAT Patrol]

I know one woman who lies about it and one woman who cries about it. (That turned out sooo Jesse Jackson, lol.) I think you could list both of them in the regret category.

On the other hand, I've known many more women who've faced unwanted pregnancies and gave birth without regrets. Nine members of my own family started out as unwanted pregancies - my oldest sister, 7 nieces and 1 nephew. My best friend adopted a child who was the result of an unwanted pregnancy. I contacted the natural mother for my friend when her daughter was 18. She was thrilled.

[Taffini]

Photo by George Hurrell -- the man was a genius


He was so good he probably could have made Clinton, either one, look good. It would have taken longer, the airbrushing and all, but he could have pulled it off.

Before I found a book on his work, I believed that these stars from the early years really looked that good. He made them look perfect.

[Hildy]

Honestly? Until you just mentioned it, I never thought about it, not even once.

[habs4ever]

ping

[Woahhs]

So you never look at a 25 year old and wonder what your child would have looked like if he/she had lived?

Honestly? Until you just mentioned it, I never thought about it, not even once.

Ya know...this is the first thing you've said I wouldn't dispute.

[onedoug]

In the immortal words of Bob Hope on his 100th birthday, "Grrrrr!"

[Hildy]

The operative word is "valid"

[Saundra Duffy]

Saw Jane Russell at a CRA event (California Republican Assembly). She is still gorgeous and she is very sweet and spiritual. God bless her.

[onedoug]

Uh...spare me.