By Debbie Garratt, Real Choices Australia.

Used with permission.

There was a recent ABC segment on The Drum, in which one of the most vocal advocates of abortion, Leslie Cannold, made some false and misleading statements.
 
On hearing Leslie Cannold claim that, ‘…. many, many, many millions of women die every year from highly preventable causes like unsafe abortion, like lack of access to contraception and unsafe motherhood..’ I immediately wanted to find out where and why all these women were dying and began my own research, especially given Ms Cannold’s oft made claims that greater access to abortion is the primary solution to so many of these tragedies facing women.
 
I figured the World Health Organisation was a pretty safe bet for some accurate figures, however I couldn’t find anything even close to Ms Cannold’s many, many, many millions.   In fact I couldn’t even find anything close to a single million.
 
In fact, the World Health Organisation’s Fact Sheet on Maternal Mortality informs us that around 287,000 women died from pregnancy and childbirth related causes in 2010.    More interesting is that the majority of these deaths occur in developing countries and are entirely preventable with WHO stating that:
 
‘Most maternal deaths are avoidable, as the health-care solutions to prevent or manage complications are well known. All women need access to antenatal care in pregnancy, skilled care during childbirth, and care and support in the weeks after childbirth. It is particularly important that all births are attended by skilled health professionals, as timely management and treatment can make the difference between life and death.’
 
Whilst every one of these deaths is tragic, it would seem that greater access to abortion is NOT the primary solution for the majority of these deaths after all.
 
I guess this also must bring into question the recent commentary on the USA election debates, with Romney promising jobs for women that Ms Cannold claims women will not be able to fulfil ‘without access to abortion‘.     It seems to me that if someone continues to push this idea that women can  participate to their fullest potential educationally, socially and professionally, only if they can first abort their children, that something has gone fundamentally wrong with the upholding of women’s rights.
 
To constantly suggest that the best solution to the social, health and professional challenges facing women is a surgical one that deprives women of their right to both bear children AND participate fully in life ensures that we will never have to address the practical aspects of these challenges.
 
We can just keep forcing women to ‘choose’, then denigrating and disparaging them when they don’t experience that ‘choice’ as the positive, uplifting, dance in the streets, or even ‘mundane’  event that a small and loud minority are currently celebrating.
 
I wonder if The Drum, or Ms Cannold will offer a correction to her misleading claim? 
 

Moyra Shields has written an article calling for greater abortion services in Wagga, NSW. (ABC -'Women's group 'lifts lid' on abortion restrictions', Nov 4, 2011). 

The president of the management committee of the Wagga Wagga Women's Health Centre, Jan Roberts, said that girls and women having to travel for abortions was "costing individuals and the wider community". 

Ms Roberts also said that "Unless you've got financial backing, a support person to take a trip somewhere else away from town, have the knowledge, know where to go, know who to contact, you end up letting it go and then it becomes too late and that is the bulk of situations."  Although she has not provided any evidence that this is indeed true, Ms Roberts has 'hit the nail on the head' in talking about the lack of information and support made available. If women and girls struggle to find someone to drive them to an abortion clinic, how difficult must it be for them to find ongoing practical and emotional support to continue unplanned and challenging pregnancies! How many of the women/girls who do travel for abortions would keep their babies if Wagga offered excellent support services? 

Ms Roberts says "the reality is many young women are being landed with unwanted pregnancies" - but she should be saying "unsupported pregnancies", which is closer to the mark. A phrase from Feminists for Life comes to mind ..that "Abortion is a reflection that the needs of women are not being met." 

The New South Wales Minister for Women, Pru Goward, said that "if the community wants more terminations offered locally, it needs to speak up because there should be a choice". She then goes on to describe the "pretty obvious answers" for the Wagga community: "Talk to them about options, about contraception, their right to say no"; "Talk to them about the wonderful opportunities that are available for young women and the fact that you can leave parenthood until you're in your 20s"; and "If there's no termination service in Wagga, that's something the community's really got to take ownership of and demand a change in". Interestingly, she does not make a single mention of offering pregnancy or parenting support to these girls, nor does she even mention the option of adoption. It is pretty clear what "choice" Ms Goward is all about. One would imagine that if offering "choice", Ms Goward would include a range of options.

In her statement that "teen pregnancies are particularly sad as the girls have many more years to choose to have children", Ms Goward reinforces the myth that girls become 'un-pregnant' and can put off having their babies until later. In fact, if they abort, they are still mothers - but of dead babies! 

Ms Goward also reinforces negative stereotypes surrounding "unacceptable" pregnancies, in this case teenage pregnancies. The following statements made by her (and others) are discriminating, dis-empowering and simply untrue! She said: that "To have them (babies) as teenagers when they get robbed of their own childhood"; "they deny themselves educational opportunities"; "when they often really struggle to be good mums, although many of them are good mums" (which is it?!!); "It is a very sad indictment of a community that can't offer those girls a better choice." ("Better "choice" for whom?!). She also said that "Life is not a dress rehearsal, you only get one chance at being young." Seriously, could Ms Goward be any more miserable and negative if she tried!??

One young Mum from the Riverina, Taylor, who was pregnant at seventeen said that it is unfair to make generalisations about teen Mums. She said that if Mums are to be judged, it should be on their individual merits...not that judging mothers is helpful anyway. "It is about who you are as a person". Taylor added that "My little boy has made my life amazing  - I love watching him grow and the little milestones he has. It makes me feel I have achieved so much."

Ms Roberts also discriminates against those who, for religious (or other) reasons exercise their right to practice medicine according to their conscience. She made the following statements: "A large percentage of our medical practitioners are of various Christian persuasions who will not perform these operations"; "In our public system we have the same issue. Even nursing staff are given an option on whether to participate if a termination were to happen";and "So to me it is a stranglehold of the Catholic Church on our services in Wagga."

Interestingly, according to Ms Roberts, the right to "choice" only applies if you are her side of the abortion debate. 

As can be seen from yet another pro abortion article, the rhetoric has not changed. "Choice" being discussed, but with only abortion being promoted, reference to religion and the "stranglehold" of the Catholic Church,  more negative stereotypes about teenagers wasting their youth and again...no mention what abortion procedures entail or of babies. 

Life Network Australia maintains that "Women (babies and families) deserve better than abortion" (Feminists for Life, U.S), that "Abortion hurts women" and that girls/women are strong and courageous and are capable of great things, even under challenging circumstances. 

I sent the following letter to the ABC, to Ms. Goward, to the Attorney General of NSW and to my local and federal Members of Parliament:

"Hi,
As the 'Women's Council' representative for the Liberal Party of the
Deniliquin Branch (Riverina), I wish to respond to the ABC's recent article
in which there is a call for abortion services in Wagga, and insist that Ms
Goward's pro abortion comments do not represent the view of the local Liberal
Party members, or of the Riverina community. In fact, there is a very strong
pro life movement within the Riverina, with active pro life groups based in
Deniliquin and Albury.

As a Liberal Party member and a mother of five, I find Ms Goward's comment 
about teenagers "only having one shot at being young", to be grossly
discriminatory and inappropriate - supporting negative stereotypes around
"unacceptable pregnancies." In fact, I am extremely proud of the outstanding
job teen mothers do in our own community of Deniliquin.  All of the teenage
mothers I know personally do not regret their decision to have their
babies... and are fantastic mums!

I was disappointed to not read of Ms Goward calling for more pregnancy and
parenting support services, like Zoe Foundation Australia, which is based in
Mildura. This new initiative does not engage in the life/choice debate, but
recognises a strong need within the Sunraysia district, for girls to have
access to support, which simply is not available.

Indeed it is a lack of support in many regions of Australia, with girls
having to choose between their education, careers, partners, parents etc and
their babies that leaves these teens with no "choice" but to abort.

The article supported the myth that girls can put off becoming mothers until
a more convenient time, when in fact if they choose to abort, they are still
mothers - but of dead babies!

Wagga and the Riverina do not need greater access to abortion services, they
need state and local governments to acknowledge the courageous and
outstanding job teens (and other mums) do in having and raising their babies
and to support them to continue their education and employment
opportunities, should they choose to remain at school or get a job. Zoe
Foundation Australia, amongst other things, provides teen mums with
transport, baby and maternity items, support during labour - whatever they
need.

A study in Tasmania showed that the outcomes for teenage mums improved, 

as they adopted an attitude of responsibility and a drive to do well in life. Another recent collation of studies (meta
analysis) recently published in the British Journal of Psychiatry (Dr Priscilla Coleman) of some 900,000 women showed that abortion (compared to giving birth) dramatically increased problems of suicide, drug and alcohol
abuse, relationship breakdown, depression, self harm etc.

On behalf of the girls, women, families and babies of the Riverina, I reject
the call for greater abortion services in the Riverina and insist that our
teens (I have two) deserve better than abortion. I also call on Ms Gower to
keep her negative opinions about teenage motherhood to herself - a teen
pregnancy is not the end of a life, but the beginning of a new life (albeit
with challenges) with a baby.

Sonja Couroupis (address and phone number supplied).

Bill Muehlenberg has written an article that discusses the media's coverage of the killing of cows in Indonesian abbatoirs and compares it to the lack of coverage of the (barbaric) killing of babies in abortion mills all over Australia. He wrote that "In a civilised society we want to treat animals humanely. I would like to think that we would also want to treat human beings humanely as well. But that is not always the case. A new TV documentary has aroused a lot of passion about cruelty to animals, but we await a similar TV doco highlighting cruelty to unborn babies".

Concerning the cows, he wrote that "Last night the ABC aired on 4 Corners a program about how Australian cattle were treated in Indonesian abattoirs. I did not see the program but it has caused quite a stir – and evidently rightly so. The footage was apparently quite graphic as it exposed some pretty horrendous treatment of these animals."
Bill discusses the killing of these cattle according to Islamic principles, and then, continues the article about abortion.

(From the article 'Tortured Cows and Babies - Used with permission)
But another thing not being mentioned is another horrific form of slaughter which happens every day, yet without any MSM exposure and outcry.

I refer of course to the 100,000 unborn babies who are killed every year in Australia, and the 45-50 million killed every year around the world. This slaughter is really far worse, yet will we ever see the ABC or other MSM outlets running a story on this? Will they feature a full-colour, graphic, no-holds-barred documentary on this at prime time for the Australian public to witness?

I somehow don’t think so. Not only do we know that unborn babies experience pain at an early age (but are given no anaesthesia for their killing), but we know that most of the abortion methods are horrifically barbaric and painful. I have described one of them elsewhere:
http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2010/05/20/late-term-baby-killing/
And see the illustrations here:
http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/pba/PBA_Images/PBA_Images_Heathers_Place.htm

Simply to be aware of what takes place during a D&X, or late-term abortion, should put most people off from ever considering having an abortion. But this information is being wilfully, deliberately, and maliciously kept away from people. Almost no one in the MSM will run with this info, because it is simply not politically correct to do so.

The pro-abortion lobby has effectively censored out any contrary views on what actually takes place during an abortion. Undoubtedly the Indonesian authorities did not want the outside world to see what happens inside their abattoirs. In the same way, the abortion industry does not want the outside world to see what happens in their abortion mills.

We wait for the day when the world can see the truth of what happens there. The ABC may think it was brave in airing this show on the mistreatment of cattle. But we will not hold our breath as we wait for it to display some courage on an even greater calamity and cruel massacre.