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 sign this petition today.
Sure, abortion is always a big political issue, but the views of women who have actually had abortions are systematically been 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 program 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 us in our effort to move the concerns of women hurt by abortion front-and-center in this next election cycle.
Please sign the attached 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,
Signatures of Principal Sponsors*
(Representative Sample)