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On 23 Oct 10, The National Catholic Register posted commentary concerning the coercion of teenage mothers to have their children aborted. The commentary related a story where Texas parents were prevented from forcing their teenage daughter from having an abortion.
The commentary related, “On two occasions, the teenager’s mother literally dragged her to local abortion facilities, including International Healthcare Solutions and Planned Parenthood of the Texas Capital Region, demanding that her daughter take the life of her unborn child.” The commentary further related that it took a court order for the parents of the unborn child to prevent the parents of the young mother from forcing her to have the child killed.
The commentary also related another story where a young woman was pressured by her mother to have an abortion. The unborn child was saved through the response of a 40 Days for Life Volunteer. According to an 8 Oct 10 Operation Rescue article, “Tara Shaver, a pro-life activist and sidewalk counselor who is a former intern for Operation Rescue, had received a call from a woman named Gloria, who told Tara that her grandson’s girlfriend was being pressured into an abortion she did not want.”
The article related that Gloria gave Tara the seven-teen year old woman's phone number. While the young woman sat in the abortion clinic, Tara began to text her.
“Can i see an ultrasound an still tell them i dont want it done?” texted Jane (not her real name).
“Yes you dont have to do anything you dont want…you can leave now and go next door they will
help you just leave now,” replied Tara.
“my parents wont let me,” responded Jane.
The article quoted Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, who said, “This incident highlights the epidemic of coerced and forced abortions that occur with alarming frequency in this nation.” Newman continued, “Abortion clinics like Planned Parenthood are all too willing to exploit women in vulnerable circumstances in order to make a buck. More must be done to inform and protect women from being coerced into abortions they do not want. Thank God for a loving grandmother and Tara Shaver who were able to avert tragedy in this instance.”
According to a 22 Oct 10 LifeNews.com article, a Texas teenage girl received assistance from the Alliance Defense Fund to obtain a temporary restraining order to prevent her parents from forcing her to have an abortion. The article quoted Stephen Casey, ADF attorney, as saying, “No one should be allowed to decide that an innocent life--especially one that belongs to someone else--is worthless." Casey also related in a statement to LifeNews.com, “The right not to have an abortion is protected by law, and this right isn't relinquished just because someone else considers the child to be an unwanted burden."
The issue is not new as reported in a 11 Jul 08 LifeNews.com article which related that a Texas mother forced her daughter to have an abortion. According to the report, the mother forced the daughter to take a drug that caused the baby to be born prematurely. The related that the mother subsequently “buried the body of the baby in the backyard.”
The LifeNews.com report referenced a Medical Science Monitor study of American and Russian women that found that 64 percent of American women who had abortions reported that they felt pressured to abort by others. The article quoted Dr. David Reardon, co-author of the Medical Science Monitor study, as saying, “In many of the cases documented for our 'Forced Abortion in America' report, police and witnesses reported that acts of violence and murder took place after the woman refused to abort or because the attacker didn't want the pregnancy."
Reardon also noted, “Even if a woman isn't physically threatened, she often faces intense pressure, abandonment, lack of support, or emotional blackmail if she doesn't abort," Dr. Reardon explained. "While abortion is often described as a 'choice,' women who've been there tell a very different story."
Cited Articles and Posts
National Catholic Register (23 Oct 10)
http://www.ncregister.com/blog/u.s.-teens-saved-from-coerced-abortion?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NCRegisterDailyBlog+%2540The+Daily+Register%2541&utm_content=Twitter#When:17:28:51Z
LifeNews.com (22 Oct 10)
Operation Rescue (8 Oct 10)
http://www.operationrescue.org/archives/text-messaging-prevents-coerced-abortion-at-planned-parenthood/
Alliance Defense Fund (Not Dated)
LifeNews.com (11 Jul 10)
Center Against Forced Abortions (Not Dated)
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