HOLLYWOOD STARS DEFEND PRO-LIFE VIEWS ON TV TALK SHOWS

NEW YORK, October 3, 2002 (LSN.ca) – Former supermodel Kathy Ireland and Emmy- award winning actress Patricia Heaton of “Everybody Loves Raymond” appeared on talk shows Monday and Tuesday where both were pressed on their pro-life beliefs.

Appearing Monday Fox News Channel's "Hannity and Colmes," Kathy Ireland was unbeatable in arguing down resident liberal Alan Colmes. An excerpt from the transcript follows:

COLMES: We played a little clip from last time you were on the show. And I asked you if you had a liberal position. And for those who didn't see it earlier, you said yes, I'm liberal about the rights of the unborn child.

Now I think I'm conservative on abortion because I think the government should not be involved. And that this is not a governmental issue. It's a personal issue. So wouldn't I then have the conservative position here?

IRELAND: Is it all right for the government to allow the murder of an innocent human being? The evidence I see tells me the unborn is a human being. From the moment of conception, a new life comes into being with a complete genetic blueprint. The sex is determined. The blood type is determined.

Colmes relentlessly attempted to interrupt Ireland as she spoke, however Ireland was stronger and won her right to finish her points despite the intimidation. Eventually Colmes was able to get in the following but only to his eventual defeat:

COLMES: Well, we have a system of laws and a Supreme Court decision that does not define life the way you do. So legally, that's not how it would be defined. If you want to define it that way for your personal -- that's how you want to do it, that's fine, but that's not the standing law of this country.

IRELAND: If you can, Alan, if you can show me evidence that the unborn is not a human being, I will gladly join the pro-choice side. If you can show me any evidence. It's very clear and simple.

Last time I was on, you said we're not going to resolve this right now but it's very simple. The bottom line is this. If the unborn is not a human being, have as many abortions as you want, whenever you want. It doesn't matter. No justification is necessary. If, on the other hand, the unborn is a human being, no justification is adequate unless another human life, that being the mother, is in danger.

HANNITY: Kathy, welcome back. Sean Hannity here. You know, since the last time you were on, we had an enormous amount of e-mail from people that were frankly shocked that somebody as famous, well known as yourself, take such a strong pro- life position. Are there more of these famous people that are just not willing to state these things publicly?

IRELAND: I know it's not a popular issue. And I was always pro- choice. I'm a person who always has and always will fight for the rights of women. And even though I became a Christian at age 18, I remained pro- choice because I believed it was a woman's choice. But the moment that I learned that the unborn was a human being, not part of the woman's body..

IRELAND: ...but its own individual human being, I have no choice but to defend the most vulnerable among us.

HANNITY: Well, it's admirable, because I agree with you on the position. And especially with what modern technology now offers in terms of our ability to see inside a woman's womb.

IRELAND: You really can't argue with it. Technology has come a long way since Roe vs. Wade.

On Tuesday Patricia Heaton appeared on Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor." Almost immediately host Bill O’Reilly turned the discussion to Heaton’ s pro-life views. An excerpt follows:

O'REILLY: All right. A couple of interesting things in your book, and we -- put it this way, ladies and gentlemen. If we have somebody on here, the book's not going to be a dog. If the book's bad, we're not going to have them on here.

O'REILLY: ... that is almost 100 percent pro-choice. How does that impact on you?

HEATON: Well, you know, I'm a chairman of Feminists for Life, and so I think that, because of that, we have an interesting stand that most people don't -- haven't heard before, which is being pro-life can be a feminist issue.

The early feminists were pro-life. And really abortion is a huge disservice to women, and it hasn't been presented that way. So -- so it's a -- there's a sort of an in for me because of that take on it.

HEATON: I did. I mean, I did originally. I vote Republican because of my pro- life stance, and, of course, that was a real hot-button issue when Bill Clinton was first elected.

I mean, people really -- I wore a Quayle-Bush button, and literally people would stop and look at the button the and look at me and give me dirty looks and, you know, say nasty things to me.

O'REILLY: But, still, I mean, if Susan Sarandon or Barbra Streisand were here, I mean, they wouldn't talk to you. They would turn their back on you.

HEATON: You know what? It's not that polarized. I mean, people know me first as an actress and friend.

O'REILLY: And I believe it's been exploited by politicians. I think it's a human-rights issue.

HEATON: As -- Feminists for Life -- what we're trying to do is support women, and so what we want to do is for -- reach women on campus -- college campuses so that, when they get pregnant, they can find housing. They can find money they need to stay in school.

O'REILLY: ... would you ban it if you were a Supreme Court justice? Would you vote to ban it?

O'REILLY: OK. Now that, obviously, takes guts in Hollywood because, in Hollywood, there's a subtext that, if you don't play the game, you know, you could lose jobs.

HEATON: Yes, I've thought about it. On a personal level, as a Christian, it will not be Barbra Streisand I'm standing in front of when I have to make an accounting of my life.

Thanks for the post - and yes, it does mention that Kate Mulgrew is pro-life; so I stand corrected. Unfortunately, her husband's respect for life only extends to convicted criminals facing the death penalty, for he is pro-abortion. And she has hosted fundraisers for him and attracted liberal Hollywood money to his campaign.

I wish there were more high-profile Hollywood types willing to stand up for life, as there is never a shortage of lib actors at NOW and NARAL events. Here are excerpts from the profile of Mulgrew in that Feminists for Life publication:

Mulgrew describes herself as a liberal Democrat and adamant in her pro-life beliefs.

“Life is sacred to me on all levels. Abortion does not compute with my philosophy.”

“I practiced my belief at great cost to myself,” said
Mulgrew, who became pregnant at an early age and
placed her baby girl for adoption. They were reunited
two years ago. Mulgrew believes that losing a child
through “adoption or abortion almost always
promises the mother a legacy of shame and regret. I
have to be frank about my experience. I survived it.
Women often don’t believe that they can survive nine
months of pregnancy and place the child with an
adoptive family. Life is not always easy.” Mulgrew also
has two teenage sons.

“We need to speak compassionately to other women whose views are different,” she says. “Anger and judgment separate us.” Mulgrew believes that we need to “listen and respond with genuine sympathy. It is also important that we speak clearly and with courage.”

Mulgrew works to explore the “commonality of purpose” between women, “to help and support one another despite our differences.” By addressing the real needs of women, Mulgrew hopes to reduce divisiveness and bitterness. “Women have had enough of that,” she says.

Mulgrew is equally passionate about her opposition to other forms of violence, including domestic violence and capital punishment. “Execution as punishment is barbaric and unnecessary.” Angry at a “superpower” that executes people rather than implement policy and programs that would move the culture away from violence, Mulgrew observes that it is “in many ways, a primitive time in which we live.”

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