Open Letter Appeal to All Americans Who Care About Women
Hurt By Abortion
Dear Friends,
The people who know
the most about abortion -the women who have had abortions- are being
ignored! They have been there, done that, and hated it.
We know. The sponsors of this petition drive include women who have had abortions
and post-abortion ministry leaders who have cumulatively served tens of
thousands of women for whom abortion has brought a living hell of
psychological or physical complications.
Whether or not you have ever been involved in an
abortion, we need your help in calling public attention to
the needs of women, men, and families that have been hurt by coerced or
dangerous abortions. Please read and
sign this
petitiontoday.
Sure, abortion is
always a big political issue, but the views of
women who have actually had abortions are systematically being
ignored. Politicians want to argue about rights,
choice, and life, but the practical impact of abortion on the lives of
women, and their loved ones, is being ignored by both major
political parties.
Approximately 30 million women have had one or
more abortions. Most know from personal experience
that abortion is a poor choice. It cost them their children and their
happiness. Most are struggling with
a grief that cannot be publicly expressed. They are silenced
by shame and afraid that those who condemn abortion are just waiting for
a chance to condemn them.
These 30 million
voters are more likely to vote for pro-choice candidates, but not
because they favor abortion, or more government-funded abortions, or the
appointment of pro-abortion judges. Instead, they
gravitate toward the candidate who says "I'm pro-choice" because they
hear in this "I don't judge you, but my opponent does."
Most pro-life
candidates do nothing to offset this concern. Most say
nothing to reassure women that they are not condemning those who have
had abortions. Most say nothing to indicate a desire to help
those struggling with grief over a past abortion. Most say
nothing about helping to prevent more women from being pressured into
unwanted abortions.
A national opinion poll has shown that the majority of voters
are more likely to support such a candidate. In fact,
63 percent of women who identify themselves as "pro-choice" say
they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports
counseling programs for women who are struggling with post-abortion
grief.
Only 16 percent of the public believes abortion generally makes
women's lives better.
Most believe abortion is generally detrimental to women and that
negative psychological effects are common and relatively
severe.
Americans don't like
abortion. Most would be glad to see abortion go away, as
long as it can be done in a way that helps women. Most also
believe that those women who have already had abortions generally face
post-abortion problems and deserve help. But neither
political party is addressing these concerns.
HELP BREAK THE SILENCE!
Whether out of
ignorance, apathy, or hostility toward women who have had abortions, the
Republican and Democratic parties have both failed to acknowledge
the epidemic of coerced abortion and the significant numbers of women
injured by contraindicated abortions.
Please join in our
effort to move the concerns of women hurt by abortion front-and-center
in this next election cycle by
signing
the
petition to either or both of the political parties, asking them
to address the concerns of these women in their 2004 National Platform
statements.
Your support is needed whether or not you have had an abortion.
Your signature is
simply a sign that you care.
Thank you!
You can learn more about post-abortion programs
offering help to women, men, or families struggling with
post-abortion grief, trauma, or other symptoms by following one of
the links below:
*
Signatures represent the endorsement of the named individuals
only. Affiliations to organizations are listed for
identification purposes only.
Petition Letter
Dear Chairman:
Approximately 30 million American women have had one or more
abortions, but neither major political party has
acknowledged their unique experiences and concerns. These 30
million women, and millions more who empathize with them, represent a
growing contingency of disenfranchised voters.
Research indicates that between 30 to 60
percent of women having abortions have felt pressured into unwanted
abortions.(1) Many abortions are the result of
horrendous domestic violence. Moreover, the majority of
women who have had abortions struggle with one or more negative
emotional or physical reactions associated with their abortions, not the
least of which is the fear that others would judge and blame them if they
knew about their abortions.
The failure of this political party to acknowledge and empathize with
the emotional struggles of women who have had abortions, and the party's
failure to express concern about preventing coerced abortions,
contributes to feelings of alienation and abandonment that are common
among these women.
A recent
national poll commissioned by a
pro-woman advocacy group
found that most Americans support government
involvement in providing post-abortion counseling programs,
funding research into abortion complications, and prevention of coerced
abortions. It also found that 63% of
women who describe themselves as pro-choice say they would be more
likely to vote for a political candidate who would supports grief
counseling programs for women who experience emotional
problems after an abortion.
Despite this high degree of empathy from the American people toward
these key concerns of women who have abortions, these issues continue
to be ignored by both major political parties.
To correct this oversight, I ask that you will support the inclusion
of the following two paragraphs into the Party's 2004 National Platform:
We are deeply concerned that many women are being coerced into
unwanted abortions.(1) These coercive pressures often come
from male partners, parents, or others. Studies show that
women who are pregnant are more likely to be verbally abused, beaten,
or kicked out of their homes.(2) Some become targets of homicidal
attacks or other acts of violence intended to cause a
miscarriage.(3) In fact, homicide is now the
leading cause of death among pregnant women.(4) Similarly, coerced abortions and
brutally induced miscarriages have become two common forms of domestic
violence. Victims of incest and rape are also being
pressured into unwanted abortions by sexual predators whose only
concern is to cover-up their crimes.(5)We therefore support and encourage
new legislative efforts that will facilitate the prosecution of these
abuses of women. As a positive first step to encourage
prosecution of attacks on both women and their unborn children,
Congress has passed, and President Bush has signed, the
Unborn Victims of
Violence Act of 2004, also known as,
Laci and Conner's Law.
Even when a woman freely consents to an abortion, her
decision is often in conflict with her own moral beliefs, her desire
to have the baby, or both. Any psychological conflict between
fundamental beliefs and actions can result in profound feelings of
regret, grief, despair, and more.(6)
Research has shown
that abortion is associated with elevated risks of depression,(7) anxiety,(8) psychiatric hospitalization,(9) divorce,(10) drug abuse,(11) alcoholism,(12) suicide,(13) and death from all causes.(14) Therefore, we believe greater
compassion and support are indispensable to the process of healing the
pains and traumas caused by abortion. To this end, we
applaud the many privately funded programs providing post-abortion
counseling to women, men, and families suffering from the negative
effects of past abortions. We encourage state and federal
health departments to provide support or make referrals to these
programs. We also support the efforts of congressional leaders to
provide federal grants for post-abortion counseling programs and for
the additional research that is necessary to document the full extent
of abortion-related complications.
No person of good will could object to the language above. Certainly,
people on both sides of the political controversy surrounding legal
abortions should be able to agree that women should not be subjected to
coerced or dangerous abortions. People on both sides should also be able
to agree that those women, men, and families that are negatively
affected by grief, guilt, or other psychological or physical injuries
following abortion should receive competent and compassionate care.
Yet these issues have been mostly neglected in the past due to the
great polarization caused by the ongoing political battles over
abortion. Now is the time to clearly address these concerns.
I thank you in advance for your support of including this important
policy statement in the Party's platform.
(To prevent false signatures, an
automated confirmation link will be e-mailed to you. You
need only to click on that link to confirm your signature.)
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I can be of additional help:
I am a
public figure and wish to be included on your
public
figure list.
I am a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.
I am a delegate to the Republican National Convention.
None of the above,
just send my petition to:
Ken Mehlman, Chairman of the Republican National
Committee
Howard Dean, Chairman of the
Democratic National Committee
Both
Chairmen (Notify both party chairmen of my support.)
If you are a public
official or celebrity and wish to have your name added to our
published list of Additional
Endorsers, please call Amy at (217)525-8202 or fax
(217)525-8212.
HOW YOUR INFORMATION
WILL BE USED
Your name, city, and state will
be delivered with the petition to the political party or parties you
have designated. Your e-mail address WILL NOT
be sold, shared, or used for any other purpose, but will only
be used to send you additional information about this petition, news and
fact sheets regarding coerced abortions and abortion complications, and
similarly relevant issues regarding our ongoing efforts to call public
attention to post-abortion issues. If you find this petition of
interest, we guarantee you will find this additional information to be
of interest, too. You may, however, opt-out at any time using a
personalized opt-out link included in every e-mail.