Dear Pro-Life Partners: April 1, 2021

Debunking the Myths – Part 3

In this third installment of “Debunking the Myths,” I will respond to those myths found in The Choice by
Danielle D’Souza Gill that embrace the concept of “A Positive Good.”

MYTH #9 - Abortion is necessary in order for women to fully control their own bodies. Without
abortion, women don’t have reproductive freedom or equality. Since men do not have to live with
consequences of free sex, women shouldn’t have to either.

Let’s look at that last line first and go with the obvious. No one has to live with the consequences of free sex if
they don’t have free sex. Most grown-ups realize that actions have consequences. This is like whining that I
should be able to eat whatever I want and not get cavities, or gain weight, or have high cholesterol…because
my spouse does. The second line is a misnomer since abortion is not the exercise of reproductive freedom, but
reproductive termination. The freedom comes in deciding whether to reproduce, and this can only happen
before the fact. Once pregnant, reproduction is a done deal. You can’t unring that bell. As for equality, the
reproductive process will never be equal. That’s just the way we were designed. Many (most?) women view this
as a gift and a blessing. The first line is a throwaway since we’ve already discussed how abortion violates
someone else's body, not just the woman's’.

MYTH #10 - Abortion empowers women. Abortion is not something to be embarrassed about but
celebrated as a reflection of our female strength and personal choices.

This myth acts as a justification for pure selfishness, with some denial thrown in. How is running from a
challenge a strength? How is removing obstacles rather than overcoming them empowering? Gill asserts,
“Every little girl should know that she does not need to kill another person to be successful, beautiful, smart, or
admirable.” Mary Wollstonecraft, one of the first feminist philosophers wrote, “women who destroy the embryo
in the womb…lack strength and dignity.” This argument demeans the unique and inherent beauty of feminine
power, destroying unborn females in the process. Kylie Jenner told Vogue Australia in 2019, “I feel like having
a daughter had made me love myself more…I want to be an example for her.” The philosopher Seneca said,
“All cruelty springs from weakness.” Cruelty such as abortion does not show strength; compassion does.
MYTH #11 - Planned Parenthood is not primarily an abortion organization; it is a women’s health
organization. Defunding Planned Parenthood would hurt minority communities, the people who benefit
from it the most.

Planned Parenthood is a women’s health organization is name only, not in practice. In the past 10 years, breast
cancer exams, pap tests, and prenatal services have dropped by 68-76%, abortion is up by 4%, and profit is up
by 600% (Radiance Foundation). According to the Guttmacher report, 862,320 abortions were performed in
2018. According to its own report, PP performed 332,757 abortions that year, meaning they were responsible
for 39% of abortions overall. During the pandemic, PP has refused to close its doors, putting women at risk,
continue to use gloves and masks that could be reallocated to hospitals, and cut back on its non-abortion
services. Planned Parenthood opposes laws that require waiting periods, parental notification, sex-selection
bans, and mandatory viewing of an ultrasound. This is not indicative of health care.
Planned Parenthood, while claiming to care about minority communities, has a rich history of eugenics, racism,
and genocide. Clinics strategically placed in low-income and/or minority communities are not there as the sole
arbiter of health care; rather, their location makes abortion more accessible. Although the African-American
community makes up about 13% of the general population, abortions in predominately black communities make
up about 33%. It was Margaret Sanger’s goal in founding what is now Planned Parenthood to “exterminate the
negro population” through birth control. Almost 100 years later, they continue to fulfill her purpose, arguably
unwittingly, under the guise of a “service” that “stand(s) up for black women.” Over 70% of PP clinics are
located in minority neighborhoods, and abortion is the leading cause of death for black Americans.

MYTH #12 – The pro-life argument is inherently a religious one, and the only people who are pro-life are
religious. Keeping abortion legal affirms the separation of church and state.

There is no doubt a religious aspect to this debate. Catholics, orthodox Jews, fundamental Evangelicals, and
strict Muslims share a common world-view on this issue. However, this argument bastardizes “separation of
church and state” which was created to protect religious freedom, not deny it. Yet pro-life agnostics and
atheists exist, as well. Anti-abortion laws could be considered a legislation of morality, but so are laws against
murder, rape, theft, etc. It would be ridiculous to assert that support for these laws stem from religious
assertions. Historically, Christians have been on the front lines in fighting heinous social ills, from slavery to
Nazism to apartheid. So, perhaps, the first part of this statement is true for the most part, but it doesn’t justify
the second.
Partnering with you for Life,

Linda Verhulst, MRL-WR