The Elliot Institute News
From the Leader in Post-Abortion Research
Vol. 6, No. 5 -- March 22, 2007
Visit us online:
http://www.AfterAbortion.Info
IN THIS ISSUE:
Attacks on Pregnancy
Centers Aren't Based on Facts
Studies Show the
Real Truth About Abortion's Impact on Women
Representatives from
pro-life pregnancy centers held a briefing for federal legislators this week in
response to efforts by abortion advocates and the media to discredit and shut
down their work.
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The centers provide counseling, financial support and other assistance to women
during pregnancy and provide alternatives to abortion. The groups wanted to educate lawmakers about the services they
provide and respond to attacks on their work.
One of the most prominent recent attacks on pregnancy centers came in an article
published in Time magazine. The article, written by Nancy Gibbs, accused
pregnancy centers of providing "false and misleading information" to women about
abortion risks and using intimidation and scare tactics to pressure women to
continue their pregnancies.
However,
approximately 20
studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals in the past several
years have linked abortion to higher rates of death, including suicide;
depression; anxiety disorders; sleep disorders; post-traumatic stress symptoms;
substance abuse; and other problems.
Research from both the
United States and Finland show that women are more likely to die from all causes
after abortion than they are after giving birth. Further, while Gibbs claimed
that "many women who get abortions experience only relief," surveys showing that
women report feelings of relief after abortion also show that they report
negative emotions as well.
A survey published in the peer-reviewed
Medical Science Monitor found that 14 percent of American women
who had abortions reported feeling relieved after abortion, but they also reported negative
reactions such as thoughts of suicide (36 percent), feelings of sadness and loss
(56 percent), and feeling "part of me died" (60 percent).
In addition, the same
survey found that 64 percent reported feeling pressured by
others to abort, and that 84 percent said they were not adequately counseled
at abortion clinics, with 52 percent saying they weren't given enough
time to make the decision, 79 percent saying they were given no counseling on
alternatives, and 67 percent saying they received no counseling beforehand.
Unfortunately, the
abortion lobby continues its efforts to hamper pregnancy centers from providing
resources and support for pregnant women. Most recently, state legislators in Oregon introduced a
bill saying that pregnancy centers "misinform and mislead women to deter or
delay them from having abortions" and calling for the state to investigate their
services.
~~~
For
fact sheets on abortion
research, resources,
ads, and other
information,
visit www.unchoice.info.
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News Briefs
Man Convicted for Killing 16-Year-Old Who Refused Abortion
A New York state man was
sentenced to 22 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to murdering a
pregnant 16-year-old girl after she refused to have an abortion.
Ryan Ross, 23, admitted in court that in June 2006, he beat Karessee Ebron to
death with a baseball bat and hid her body under bags of leaves near a park.
Ross lead police to Ebron's body after police discovered his name and number in
Ebron's cell phone after his disappearance. Ross told the judge he had killed
Ebron because she was pregnant and refused to have an abortion.
The case is just the latest in a number of cases in which pregnant women have
been killed by their partners, often for refusing to abort. Studies have shown
that homicide is the leading killer of pregnant women and that women are more
likely to be attacked during pregnancy. For more information on abortion- and
pregnancy-related violence and forced abortion, including a special report on
"Forced Abortion in America," see
www.unchoice.info/Coerced.htm.
Virginia Woman Poisoned by Her Boyfriend to Force Miscarriage
A Virginia man could
face up to life in prison if he is convicted on charges that he poisoned his
pregnant girlfriend in order to cause her to miscarry after she refused to have
an abortion.
According to I-Sharii
Best, 19, her boyfriend, 21-year-old Daniel Riase, was very upset when she
became pregnant but then seemed to accept the pregnancy after she refused to
abort. However, police said Riase ordered pills used to induce abortion off the
Internet and put them in a glass of milk that Best drank. Police say Best became
suspicious after she miscarried later that night and that she taped a
conversation in which Raise admitted giving her the pills. They say they also
found an email confirmation on Riase's computer from the company selling the
pills.
Riase could face up to
life in prison on charges of malicious wounding and adulterating a drink, but
could also be charged with other crimes related to abortion and killing a fetus
under Virginia law.
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12 Ways to Help
Spread the Unchoice Message
#5:
Educate Your Legislators:
Tell Them to Advocate Authentic Women's Rights
If Americans knew
the truth about unwanted, misinformed or forced abortions ... they would not
push women to abort or deny them the opportunity to heal. Millions still suffer
in the wake of a procedure that was never safe ... never just ... and never
about free or fully informed choices.
Americans have been kept in the dark and many unwittingly push their daughters,
wives, sisters or friends into unwanted and dangerous abortions. Meanwhile,
countless women who have lived the abortion nightmare are resorting to despair
or even suicide. It is urgent that we educate others about abortion's injustice
and danger to everyone involved. With your help, we can stop others from pushing
abortion in lieu of authentic choices and offer renewed hope and healing to
women, men and families hurt by abortion.
Below is just one
way you can help this important effort. To see the complete list of 12 Ways to
Help, click here.
5. Educate Your Legislators:
Tell Them to Advocate Authentic
Women's Rights
Educate your political leaders by sharing
downloadable materials at
www.UnChoice.info -- including a sample
letter to
legislators. (Include
fact sheets
and
ads with your letter.)
Ask your
legislator to protect women’s rights by requiring
full disclosure, proper screening, and full
liability for abortionists who injure or kill women.
Model legislation and support documents consistent
with this strategy are posted at
www.afterabortion.info/leg/index.html.
Be sure they have a copy of quick-reference fact
sheets which shed new light on an old issue. Fill a
folder or tab-divided binder with
fact sheets,
ads, the
Coerced
Abortion flyer, the
Forced Abortion in
America report or
fact sheet,
the
Hard Cases: New Facts.
New Answers booklet and the
Research Summary.
Finally, you can schedule a meeting with your
representative, candidate or political-party
representative. They are very receptive to feedback
from voters.
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Low-Cost/No-Cost Uses
for the Unchoice Ads and Educational Materials
#1: Display Posters in Schools, Churches, Offices
and Elsewhere
You can help spread the Unchoice message by using
our ads and educational materials -- even on a very limited or non-existent
budget! Here is just one way you can spread the word. Click
here to see other low-cost/no-cost ideas.
1. Display
posters in schools, churches, offices, and elsewhere.
Hang posters or
ads
where permitted, on bulletin boards, in stores, libraries, schools, churches, as
windshield flyers, and elsewhere. (Co-op
ads and posters are available with a small space you
can use to promote your organization's event, local contacts, outreach services,
meetings or counseling centers.) You can print out the posters on 11x17 paper or
take the files to a copy center for a low-cost option.
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Announcements
Sisters of Life to Hold Respect Life Institute: "Building a
Culture of Life and Love"
How can I teach my teenage son/daughter
realistically about abstinence? My boyfriend/ husband/child struggles with
pornography – what can I do? What do I say if my college age daughter tells me
she's pregnant? How can I help my friend struggling with a past abortion?
For hopeful, practical, and
innovative responses, the Sisters of Life invite you to join them for their
upcoming Respect Life
Institute on Sat, March
31, 2007 from 9 am-4 pm at Our Lady of Lourdes High School in
Poughkeepsie, NY (includes Mass & Eucharistic Adoration). The
theme is Building a Culture of Life and Love.
Presenters include:
Cathy Cleaver Ruse, Esq., Family Research Council (Sociological Trends in
Pornography, Abortion, Marriage); Mother Agnes, Sisters of Life (Crisis
Pregnancy, Abortion, & Adoption: Understanding the Heart of a Vulnerable
Pregnant Woman); Georgette Forney, Silent No More (The Top Ten Reasons
Why Abortion is Bad for Women); and Judy McLane,
Generation Life (Teaching Youth How to Choose Chastity).
The suggested donation
is $25 (lunch included). Free admission for clergy & students. For more
information and to register, visit www.FLRL.org
or contact Sr. Lucy at (212) 371-1011
x-3195 or sr.lucy.marie@archny.org.
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Find out more about Elliot Institute books and resources, visit
www.unchoice.info/resources.htm.
To place an order, call Acorn Books at 1-888-412-2676.
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DONATIONS to the Elliot Institute can be made here
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