Letting Go of Roe by Amanda Peterman

Recently, during a conversation with a friend, she made the comment: “I agree that abortion is wrong, but my problem is that not enough people are helping women after they decide to keep their babies.”

I believe her statement reflects a large segment of society who may be unaware of the ways in which groups like Right to Life of Michigan are helping women.

Thirty-three years ago, in two separate but connected U.S. Supreme Court decisions, abortion was legalized through all nine months of pregnancy. In 1973, Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton struck down all existing state abortion laws. These decisions disregarded strong public sentiment about abortion. Only later, the public learned that Roe v. Wade was based on completely false testimony.

Unfortunately, in 1973, some judges and some Americans naively believed that the laws would make abortion rare and were designed to increase the health and welfare of women.

But now we know better.

Since that time, we have made many advances in ultrasound and surgical technology. Abortion is painful and deadly for preborn children and dangerous for women.

We now know that the leading cause of death for pregnant women is homicide from the hands of those who would coerce a woman into an abortion. Depression, substance abuse and suicide have also increased. Instead of becoming a rare decision made between a woman and her doctor, abortion has become one of the most common surgical “procedures” performed on women. More than 45 million unborn children have died because of abortion.

Roe has created the advent of hundreds of free standing abortion clinics in the United States and sprouted a multi-million dollar abortion enterprise known as Planned Parenthood. Women are also uninformed about the risks and complications inherent in the abortion procedure; some do not live to tell of their abortion experience.

Right to Life of Michigan believes women are worthy of so much more. We have heard from thousands of women who regret the “choice” of abortion.

Unfortunately, abortion has only highlighted society’s inability to deal compassionately and thoroughly with the broad range of issues surrounding women’s reproductive decisions and circumstances.

Right to Life of Michigan Educational Fund operates a 24-hour, toll-free hot line, 800-57 WOMAN. We are able to connect those with needs to community agencies in place to help. Right to Life of Michigan maintains a broad network of agencies including pregnancy centers, counseling organizations and dozens of researched, thriving adoption agencies. In addition, we work to provide a network of post abortive therapy help. Research consistently demonstrates the horrific after-effects that an abortion can have on a woman’s life. Providing a system of healing and hope can not only help women dealing with the pain of an abortion, but can better educate women before they choose to go down that destructive path.

Abortion can become a thing of the past when we take the time to focus on the needs of women who are hurting.

Our pro-woman approach not only strives to save the lives of countless unborn children, but also the well-being of women.

We are ready to let go of Roe because we are ready to hold the hand and walk with the women who deserve better.

(Contact Amanda Peterman via e-mail at apeterman@rtl.org)

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