
Public officials call to protect baby boy with heart condition in viral surrogacy case
Cassy Cooke
·
One woman shares her story of coerced abortion: One of my children is missing, one is dead
This week, a woman revealed that she became pregnant during an affair with Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.), and has alleged that he wanted her to abort her baby. Murphy had consistently voted pro-life during his time in public office. However, it seems that the same may not have held true for his private life. The Family Research Council called Murphy’s behavior “disappointing and disturbing.” He has since chosen not to seek re-election.
Stories like this one, in which a woman is pressured to abort, are in no way rare. Coerced abortions are the dirty little secret of the abortion industry. Abortion advocates frame abortion as an issue of “choice,” but what happens when a woman doesn’t truly have the opportunity to choose? Lip service is paid to the idea of coerced abortion never being okay, but it’s also treated as some kind of rare event that is more of a myth than a reality.
The truth is, women are coerced into abortions — and more often than people might think. Women and girls are threatened with homelessness, or with the end of their relationship, if not with outright violence. Even Alan Guttmacher, former president of Planned Parenthood, admitted that 30 percent of abortions are the result of pressure and coercion.
One woman recently opened up on Twitter about her abortion, which took place after her boyfriend abandoned her and her parents threatened her. And her story is truly heartbreaking.
What this woman was forced to go through is tragic and unthinkable. Why did no one, at any point during this process, protect her or listen to her wishes, her choice? And what was the result? Her parents may have legitimately felt that they were doing what was best for their daughter, but all they did was orchestrate the death of her preborn child, and leave her with a lifelong trauma that may never fully heal. What’s even sadder is that this girl is not alone.
Fortunately, there are resources to help women who are being pressured or coerced into abortion. Alliance Defending Freedom, The Thomas More Law Center, and Life Legal Defense Foundation are legal organizations that help women, often at no cost, when they are facing coercion. Organizations like Save the Storks, Stand Up Girl, Option Line, and Pregnancy Line can help put women in touch with trained counselors who can connect them with resources, including prenatal care from doctors who will help take care of both mother and baby. Pregnancy resource centers can also help provide ultrasounds, baby supplies, prenatal vitamins, and emotional support.
It is never acceptable to coerce a woman into an abortion. And the people who call themselves “pro-choice” should be doing more to stop them, instead of pretending they don’t exist.
If you or someone you know is facing a coerced abortion, you have options. Here are resources that can help.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!

Cassy Cooke
·
Human Interest
Cassy Cooke
·
Human Interest
Nancy Flanders
·
Human Interest
Bridget Sielicki
·
Human Interest
Nancy Flanders
·
Human Interest
Melissa Manion
·
Human Interest
Cassy Cooke
·
Politics
Cassy Cooke
·
International
Cassy Cooke
·
Politics
Cassy Cooke
·
Analysis
Cassy Cooke
·
One woman shares her story of coerced abortion: One of my children is missing, one is dead
This week, a woman revealed that she became pregnant during an affair with Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.), and has alleged that he wanted her to abort her baby. Murphy had consistently voted pro-life during his time in public office. However, it seems that the same may not have held true for his private life. The Family Research Council called Murphy’s behavior “disappointing and disturbing.” He has since chosen not to seek re-election.
Stories like this one, in which a woman is pressured to abort, are in no way rare. Coerced abortions are the dirty little secret of the abortion industry. Abortion advocates frame abortion as an issue of “choice,” but what happens when a woman doesn’t truly have the opportunity to choose? Lip service is paid to the idea of coerced abortion never being okay, but it’s also treated as some kind of rare event that is more of a myth than a reality.
The truth is, women are coerced into abortions — and more often than people might think. Women and girls are threatened with homelessness, or with the end of their relationship, if not with outright violence. Even Alan Guttmacher, former president of Planned Parenthood, admitted that 30 percent of abortions are the result of pressure and coercion.
One woman recently opened up on Twitter about her abortion, which took place after her boyfriend abandoned her and her parents threatened her. And her story is truly heartbreaking.
What this woman was forced to go through is tragic and unthinkable. Why did no one, at any point during this process, protect her or listen to her wishes, her choice? And what was the result? Her parents may have legitimately felt that they were doing what was best for their daughter, but all they did was orchestrate the death of her preborn child, and leave her with a lifelong trauma that may never fully heal. What’s even sadder is that this girl is not alone.
Fortunately, there are resources to help women who are being pressured or coerced into abortion. Alliance Defending Freedom, The Thomas More Law Center, and Life Legal Defense Foundation are legal organizations that help women, often at no cost, when they are facing coercion. Organizations like Save the Storks, Stand Up Girl, Option Line, and Pregnancy Line can help put women in touch with trained counselors who can connect them with resources, including prenatal care from doctors who will help take care of both mother and baby. Pregnancy resource centers can also help provide ultrasounds, baby supplies, prenatal vitamins, and emotional support.
It is never acceptable to coerce a woman into an abortion. And the people who call themselves “pro-choice” should be doing more to stop them, instead of pretending they don’t exist.
If you or someone you know is facing a coerced abortion, you have options. Here are resources that can help.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!

Cassy Cooke
·
Human Interest
Cassy Cooke
·
Human Interest
Nancy Flanders
·
Human Interest
Bridget Sielicki
·
Human Interest
Nancy Flanders
·
Human Interest
Melissa Manion
·
Human Interest
Cassy Cooke
·
Politics
Cassy Cooke
·
International
Cassy Cooke
·
Politics
Cassy Cooke
·
Analysis
Cassy Cooke
·Long Personal graphic Rant feel free to ignore: My friend and I walk into the clinic. It looks like a regular clinic. 1/
The lady asks us at the desk what we want. Pregnancy tests, we both say at the same time. 2/
We’re like Romeo/Juliet. He’s 20 and I’m 16. My parents have kept us apart, now they can’t. 5/
I know I’m about 3-4 weeks along. My friend is crying. I’m not. I love the father. 4/
We both pay our $10, because PP is not cheap. Both of ours are positive. We both knew it. 3/
I’m stunned, but defiant. This is my baby. I can do this. I’m already in love with it. I’ll find away. 12/
but I already love the baby growing inside of me. She/He is due June 8th. 17/
I know that I need to tell my parents imm to get them on board to support me, so that night I sit them down.My father is oddly quiet. 13/
I sit for an 1 1/2 hours while nurse spends 5 minutes going thru procedure and &rest trying to brainstorm w/my friend how she will $400 9/
My mother is sitting up. “ I guess because you’re back it means you’ll do what I say.” 23/
My mother is not. “I was pregnant at 15, I can’t have a 16 year old pregnant daughter. God, how could you embarrass me. 14/
My feet are in the stirrups and my mind is racing over all that’s happen. Then I hear it. It sounds like an evil vacuum. 30/
I’m sitting on a swing in the playground telling myself how stupid I am I wander into the house around 2:00 a.m 22/
Oh honey, don’t worry. You won’t have to go to that nasty planned parenthood. We’ll get a doctor to do it at the hospital. 25/
and schedule my abortion for 3 weeks later. 3 weeks later I am prepped for surgery 29/
The doctor tells me to quiet down, it will be over soon. I don't. I can't. I'm killing someone. Not anyone, but MINE 32/
The procedure will be simple and quick, he assures me. They do an ultrasound to date the pregnancy, which is turned away from my face, 28/
I rush home, I call the “man” who loves me. I say “we’re pregnant.” We can be together. He screams in the phone “Fuck, get rid of it.” 10/
To this day, she’s the only liberal family member who is pro-life. I have always wondered if that was the moment for her. 39/
The vacuum continues. I feel violated, more violated than when I was raped 2 years earlier. 34/
I was reminded every time I heard my kids heartbeat, or even their laughter , that one is missing. One is dead 44/
Because I was given a "choice." I love you little one, I alway will.
Again, he assures me it will be over soon. Little did I know, the nightmare for me would never be over. 33/