There are 'Christian Soldiers' on the loose. They assault women in
front of health clinics. They claim to be the saviors of unborn
babies. But they are really Christian Fascists morality police with a
whole program of oppression for women and children.
Negative propaganda by the Revolutionary
Communist Party of the United States.[1]
Anti-Life Philosophy.
Anti-choice people don't care about the real-life, day-to-day
tragedies that poor women and women of color have to face all the time.
They are intolerant and judgmental towards these women and their
situations and, since they are primarily male and middle or upper class,
the anti-abortionists really can't even understand the problems that
these women face in the first place!
Introduction.
Propaganda is that branch of lying which often deceives your
friends without ever deceiving your enemies.
American journalist Walter Lippman.[2]
The Basics.
The word "propaganda" did not always have an unfavorable
connotation. As recently as 1960, the Federal highway authorities
commonly referred to their 'anti-littering propaganda campaign.'
However, the term is now most frequently used to describe a package of
information specifically tailored to further some cause by the
manipulation of emotions and the distortion of facts.
As in every other type of latter-day propaganda, Neoliberals use
generous doses of illogic, half-truths, and outright blatant lies as
essential ingredients in their recipe for effective propaganda.
The finest propagandists of all history are homosexuals,
euthanasiasts, and pro-abortionists. Their excellence in this field is
derived from long and dedicated practice. They seize any opportunity to
describe historical events in such a manner as to render them
unrecognizable, even to those who actually participated in them. And
they use propaganda with great effectiveness against those who would
dare oppose their agendas.
Types and Purposes of Propaganda.
There are basically three types of propaganda. Each is used in
specific situations with a specific goal in mind, as shown below.
(1) Positive propaganda conveys a favorable impression about the
propagandist and is intended to generate public support for him and his
cause. Pro-abortion positive propaganda has the specific objective of
making pro-aborts appear to be both 'compassionate' and 'mainstream.'
An example of positive pro-abortion propaganda is shown below.
Legal abortion will decrease the number of unwanted children, child
abuse cases, and possibly subsequent delinquency, drug addiction, and
a host of social ills believed to be associated with neglectful
parenthood.
National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL).[3]
(2) Negative propaganda dehumanizes and vilifies the propagandist's
opponent(s) and generates public hatred or distaste towards them and
their position(s). Pro-abortion and pro-homosexual negative propaganda
in particular has the objective of making opponents in general look like
uncaring and dogmatic fringe elements. Since their positions are so very
weak, most Neoliberals have very little favorable to say about their own
movements. Therefore, their propaganda apparatus spends most of its
energy maligning pro-lifers and other pro-family activists.
A typical example of negative Neoliberal propaganda is shown below.
The American Family Association has a 24-point political agenda it
would like to see attained by the year 2000. It includes the
elimination of democracy, elimination of public schools, advocates
that astrologers, adulterers, blasphemers, homosexuals, and
incorrigible children be executed, preferably by stoning. That's one
of our enemies. This is true.
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
General Counsel Julianne Ross Davis.[4]
(3) Mixed propaganda combines positive and negative propaganda for
the purpose of creating a vivid contrast between the propagandist and
his opponent(s).
An example of mixed pro-abortion propaganda is shown below. Notice
how the 'Religious' Coalition for Abortion Rights strives to cast itself
in the image of a freedom-loving group of sensitive and caring souls
that is shocked to its very core by the 'visual violence' inflicted on
it by those hideous 'anti-choice' thugs.
You've probably seen the garish brochures that anti-choice
organizations hand out. The pictures in those brochures are designed
to shock you and they do! They are designed to keep you from thinking
seriously about the real issue. Sadly, they often do. THE REAL ISSUE
IS FREEDOM!
'Religious' Coalition for Abortion Rights (RCAR).[5]
Of course, the most effective propaganda is that which contains a
kernel of truth. To this end, pro-abortionists and pro-euthanasiasts in
particular are very skilled at building a careful misinformation
campaign around the suffering of women and families who find themselves
in difficult situations. The pro-aborts invariably use mixed propaganda
to cast themselves in the role of People Who Really Care About Women.
The inevitable conclusion is that those "anti-choice fanatics"
who oppose them "do not care about women, only the fetus."
The pro-abortionists certainly do care about poor women. They
care very much. They care enough to ruthlessly milk them for all the
propaganda mileage that they possibly can, with the objective of making
pro-lifers look like uncaring, dogmatic creeps.
And, when the usefulness of these poor women has ended, the
pro-aborts simply discard them and forget that they ever existed.
Case Studies: Introduction.
People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an
election.
Otto von Bismarck.[2]
There are so many juicy pieces of pro-abortion propaganda available
for study that it would be impossible to generate a complete list of
them. But it is still useful to look at a few of the more vivid examples
of pro-abortion exploitation.
This chapter describes ten examples of how the pro-abortion movement
has callously used desperate women to advance its deadly cause.
Remember that the professional media of this country, with all of
their experience and know-how, shape public opinion more extensively and
effectively than any other entity. And they are almost uniformly
pro-abortion.
These case studies are very useful to the pro-life activist. Once a
person has read them, he will be more able to identify pro-abortion
propaganda and the associated mechanisms employed to manipulate public
sympathy.
Note that, in each case, the interests of the pro-abortion movement
are absolutely paramount. The welfare of the women involved means
literally nothing. Notice also the extensive use of lies, deliberate
misinformation, and particularly the manipulation of incomplete
information in each case.
The selected case studies are listed below along with the primary
focuses of the associated propaganda;
PRO-ABORTION PROPAGANDA CASE STUDIES
• Case Study #1: Becky Bell
Anti-parental involvement laws.
• Case Study #2: Abortion death sentence
If abortion is criminalized, this will
happen.
• Case Study #3: Sandra Cano
Using women as tools to legalize abortion.
• Case Study #4: Nancy Klein
Comatose pregnant woman's
self-determination.
• Case Study #5: Frances Kissling and 'Rosie'
The push for mandatory abortion funding.
• Case Study #6: Spring Adams
Abortion for incest and in later
pregnancy.
• Case Study #7: Barbara Dodd
Exclusion of husband from abortion
decision.
• Case Study #8: Marla Pitchford
Elimination of professional standards.
• Case Study #9: Getting the laws changed
Playing on the natural fear of women.
• Case Study #10: Smearing the enemy
The systematic slander of pro-life
activists.
PROPAGANDA CASE STUDY #1
"Freebird" Becky Bell and Her Parents.
Introduction.
A Perfect Case Study.
The pro-abortion manipulation of the facts surrounding Becky Bell's
death presents an absolutely superb example of how the facts behind a
tragedy can be subtly altered and parlayed into a successful
multi-million dollar nationwide propaganda campaign that is carefully
tailored to achieve a specific objective. This case should be studied
carefully by every student of propaganda to learn how distortions, hype,
psychology, and outright lies are used to achieve a major objective.
A Propaganda Dream Come True.
Becky Bell was a 17-year old Indiana girl who died on September 16,
1988. This much the public knows for certain. However, pro-abortion and
pro-life groups cannot agree on anything beyond these simple facts, and
nobody in the media seems to have felt the need to inform the public
about the substantiated facts behind her death.
The story given by pro-abortion groups and their willing agents,
Becky's parents, is as follows. She was "oppressed" by
Indiana's parental consent laws, which were being enforced by the
courts. She became pregnant, resorted to an illegal
"back-alley" abortion, became infected, and died. Therefore,
the pro-aborts allege that Indiana's parental notification and consent
laws killed her, and, as a result, all such laws are "bad" and
must be eliminated all over the country.
Becky Bell's death delighted pro-abortion groups, but this delight
was masked by copious crocodile tears. She was a dream come true for
them, because they had been trying for years to find some
"wedge" with which to attack parental consent and notification
laws.
Until September 16, 1988, the pro-abortion strategists were faced
with a difficult dilemma. They wanted to eliminate all restrictions on
abortion, no matter how trivial. They opposed even the humane disposal
of fetal remains, any restrictions on third-trimester or sex-selection
abortions, and any hindrance to full public funding of unlimited free
abortions.
However, in the case of parental involvement laws, the
pro-abortionists had a major problem. Public opinion polls consistently
showed that a large majority of Americans approved of parental
involvement in their minor daughters' abortion decisions.
The question was this: How could they effectively attack these laws
in the face of such unfavorable conditions?
Becky Bell provided the answer to their unholy prayers.
The Campaign Kicks Off.
Pro-abortion groups immediately seized on Becky Bell's death and
stated as fact that it was directly caused by Indiana's parental
consent laws. Planned Parenthood, the Fund for a Feminist Majority, and
other pro-abortion groups launched a massive media campaign to overturn
parental notification and consent laws all over the country.
The natural advocates of this view were Becky's parents, who
announced that they would use their daughter's death as a rallying cry
against any and all parental involvement laws. After all, hadn't their
daughter died because of such "restrictive, unjust, dangerous"
statutes?
Bill and Karen Bell made a wildly distorted video targeting high
schools, universities, and state legislatures. They went on the CBS
Morning News and were even featured on television by that paragon of
dispassionate reporting, Geraldo Rivera. They testified before the
legislatures of seven states and spoke on the mall at Washington, DC,
with one of the trademark National Organization for Women (NOW)
cardboard temporary memorials to their daughter erected nearby to
heighten the emotional impact of their appeal.[6]
The NOW and other pro-abortion groups flew the Bells all over the
country and lodged them in the best hotels. In the light of this massive
effort, we must wonder if the pro-aborts were trying to assuage the
grief of Becky's parents at all, or were merely trying to keep the
flames of anger and denial burning as long and as brightly as possible
for their own purposes.
The agenda of the Bells and the pro-abortion strategists, of course,
is not limited to opposing parental involvement laws. The Bells teamed
up with Ellie Smeal of the Fund for a Feminist Majority to recruit one
million college and high school students to fight parental involvement
laws; to lobby for the wide distribution of the abortifacient RU-486,
particularly to teenaged girls; to register pro-abortion voters; and to
oppose any and all pro-life legislators.
And they bought an expensive 6-foot high white marble grave monument
featuring a angel with Becky Bell's face, kneeling, eyes turned to
Heaven, laying flowers on the grave. The letters on the grave monument
read;
REBECCA SUZANNE BELL
I AM A FREEBIRD NOW.
There is even a notebook perpetually maintained on the grave for
people who want to volunteer to help overturn or undermine the nation's
parental involvement laws.
What would this young girl (who allegedly died to protect her
privacy) think of all this publicity?
The Campaign Message.
Unwitting Tools.
The manner in which Bell's parents let themselves be used as
unthinking tools in this pro-abortion propaganda campaign is truly
stomach-wrenching. Imagine, if you will, a photograph of Bill Bell,
gazing sadly into space as he cradles a photo of his smiling, blonde
daughter in his arms. Under it, in large, bold capital letters are the
words;
THE ONLY CHOICE INDIANA POLITICIANS GAVE
BECKY BELL WAS TO TELL HER FATHER.
NOW SHE'LL NEVER TALK TO HIM AGAIN.
No prizes for guessing who paid for this sickening and blatant piece
of exploitation. Planned Parenthood who else?
This full-page, November 4, 1990 Parade Magazine propaganda
piece states that the lives of teenaged girls are in mortal peril in the
ten states that have these "dangerous" parental involvement
laws, and concludes with the tear-jerking statement "Others try to
end their pregnancies by themselves. Telling no-one. That's what Becky
Bell did. Is it the very last thing your daughter would do?"
The August 9, 1990 issue of Rolling Stone also featured the
Bells. The article, evenhandedly entitled "Teen-Abortion Laws Turn
Trauma to Tragedy," featured a photograph of both Bill and
Karen Bell this time. The father is wearing the same clothes and the
same mournful expression, and he is holding the same photograph of his
daughter as in the Parade article, leading one to speculate that
the parents must have had a rather lengthy photo session on that
particular day.
Conflicting Reports.
It is fascinating indeed to study the official documents describing
Becky Bell's death, beginning with the Marion County, Indiana coroner's
report. This document listed the cause of Becky's death as
"septic abortion with pneumonia," but the manner of her
death was, according to the report, "undetermined."
It is absolutely critical to this case to note that the term
"abortion" includes miscarriages, which in medical parlance
are "spontaneous abortions." If Becky Bell had died of an
induced abortion, the coroner's report would have listed "induced
abortion," not just "abortion" (for more detailed
information on abortion-related terms, see the glossary in Appendix C of
Volume III).
Dr. John Curry, former head of the Tissue Bank at Bethesda Naval
Hospital, reviewed the coroner's pathology report. He noted that the
report listed massive infection in Becky Bell's lungs and in other areas
of her body, but there was no evidence of infection on the outside of
her uterus or within it. He also stated that the germ that killed her
was a common pneumonia germ "... which is unlikely to originate
from a contaminated abortion procedure."[7]
The physician who personally examined Becky's body, Dr. John Pless,
head of forensic pathology at Indiana University Medical Center, stated
that "I cannot prove she had an illegal abortion. I cannot prove
she had anything but a spontaneous abortion [miscarriage]."[8]
Former abortionist Dr. Bernard Nathanson also examined the medical
evidence. His conclusion was that "There is no infection in or
around the uterus, no pus, no odor to the uterus, and no peritonitis.
The serosa of the uterus is described as "smooth and
glistening." In the case of a septic abortion, this tissue would be
shaggy and discolored ... Indeed, there is no evidence for an induced
abortion at all: no marks or stigmata of instrumentation in the genital
tract ... In short, the cause of death here was probably overwhelming
pneumonia unrelated to the abortion/ miscarriage."[9]
Finally, Dr. Curtis Harris, president of the American Academy of
Medical Ethics, consulted in detail with four leading specialists in the
fields of infectious disease, infertility, pathology, and
obstetrics/gynecology. The opinion of these five national experts was unanimous:
That Becky Bell had an incomplete miscarriage (not an induced
abortion); that her uterus was not marked or infected at all; and that
the cause of her death was pneumonia brought on by the aspiration of
vomit, and that this pathology was not related to the miscarriage in any
manner.[7]
Even Delbert Culp, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood of
Central Indiana, said that; "I heard about Becky's death right
away, but I heard conflicting opinions right away, too. I have some
reservations about hyping this whole thing when it's so mixed [up] about
what actually went on."[8]
Finally: The Ugly Truth.
All-American Girl?
Becky Bell was painted by her parents and the pro-abortion
propagandists as an all-American cheerleader, always friendly and
smiling, a wholesome girl that any Daddy and Mommy would be proud of.
The reason they did this, of course, is that people probably would not
be quite as sympathetic towards the death of an uncontrollable and
promiscuous drug addict.
Becky Bell had been fornicating for at least two years before she
died. After becoming 'hooked' on hard drugs, her parents had
hospitalized her in a resident treatment program from mid-February to
April of 1988. The weekend before she died, she was, according to the
coroner's report, "... reportedly at a party where various drugs
were being used (cocaine, 'speed,' and LSD), on the weekend of September
10-11, and later claimed that someone had put 'speed' in her
drink." Apparently, Becky Bell ingested drugs, vomited, and
aspirated (inhaled) some of the vomit. This is what caused the pneumonia
that led to her death.[6]
In an interview by Rochelle Sharp of the Gannett News Service,
Heather Clark, Becky Bell's best friend, stated that Becky had had a
miscarriage. She also said that Becky had talked about getting a legal
abortion up until the day before she died. This statement, in tandem
with the emergency room physician's statement to Becky's parents that
"We might not be able to save the baby,"[6] leads to the
inescapable conclusion that Becky Bell did not die of an abortion, legal
or illegal.
She died of pneumonia, most likely brought on by inhaling her own
vomit at an illegal drug party.[10]
The Usual Pro-Abortion Response.
When the media campaign centered around Becky Bell first hit the
road, pro-lifers were caught completely unprepared. However, they soon
began to dig up the facts behind Becky Bell's death and confronted
pro-abortion propagandists with the truth.
When pro-life activists asked Bill and Karen Bell the awkward
questions at the few opportunities allowed them, they were met with the
standard stony stare and the immediate call for "next
question?"
The reason that Becky Bell's parents and the pro-abortion leaders
would not answer the following questions, of course, is because truthful
answers will injure their blind crusade;
• There was and is a judicial bypass provision in Indiana's
parental consent law. Why didn't Becky Bell use it?
• Becky Bell had scheduled a legal abortion in Kentucky
for September 17, the day after she died. Why would she kill
herself with an illegal abortion the day before a "safe and
legal" one had been scheduled?[10]
• Had Bill Bell pressured her into the abortion? According to
Becky's friends, she was told that if she "messed up one more
time," her father would "throw her out of the house."
• When Becky Bell was finally taken to an emergency room, why did
the attending physician tell reporter Rochelle Sharp that "I
don't know whether we're going to be able to save the baby?"[6]
• Why don't Bill and Karen Bell mention the many teenagers who
have died or been crippled because they were not required to
involve their parents in their decision to have a "safe and
legal" abortion?
What about 16-year old Erica Richardson, who lay on a table for four
hours without treatment after her bungled abortion, and then died? How
about 13-year old Dawn Ravenell, who went into shock, then a coma, and
died? How about 14-year old Erin Preston, whose junior high teacher
deliberately deceived her parents, who only found out about her abortion
when she was undergoing emergency surgery to repair the damage caused by
her botched "safe and legal" abortion? What about 17-year old
Rachel Ely, who sits in a wheelchair today because of her "safe and
legal" abortion?[10]
None of these teenagers were required to notify their parents. What
about them? Bill and Karen Bell simply act as if they don't exist,
because these poor teenaged girls don't fit into their tidy little
agenda.
And Still They Lie.
Make no mistake: The pro-abortionists know the truth behind Becky
Bell's death as well as pro-lifers do. But still they continue to lie.
Their only tactic in the face of mounting evidence that refutes their
position is to 'stay the course' and doggedly insist that Becky Bell
died of an illegal abortion.
This willingness to blatantly lie to the public reveals a very basic
aspect of the pro-abortion mentality. It shows that pro-aborts do not
trust the public with the truth if it conflicts with the pro-abortion
position. It shows that pro-aborts are utterly untrustworthy, and that
anything they say is not to be believed.
As the old joke goes, "How can you tell if a pro-abort is lying?
His (her) lips are moving."
And finally, it tells pro-lifers what they have known for a very long
time: That those who are willing and even eager to slaughter millions of
babies are perfectly willing to do anything necessary to preserve this
"right" to kill. After all, what is a little lying compared to
genocide?
Pro-lifers must remain constantly and eternally vigilant in the face
of this ingrained dishonesty, and must be willing to fearlessly and
doggedly uncover the truth behind pro-abortion propaganda and expose it
for what it is.
PROPAGANDA CASE STUDY #2
Burned at the Stake for Abortion!
Gettin' Into Gear.
After the Supreme Court's July 1989 Webster decision, the
pro-abortion propaganda apparatus shifted into high gear. The most
hysterical and blatant lies masqueraded as truth in stylish, glossy
magazines.
Isis Must Really Be Mad!
Comic Books for Adults.
One excellent example of this hysteria was "Choices," a
pro-abort fundraising comic book. It was published in 1990 by Angry Isis
Press of San Francisco for the National Organization for Women (NOW).
"Choices" was certainly not some local mimeographed scandal
sheet; it was printed on the finest bond, with a glossy cover,
introduced by Congresswoman Pat Schroeder [D.-umb], and signed by Molly
Yard, then-president of the NOW.
The primary objective of negative propaganda is to dehumanize the
opposition. To this end, "Choices" depicts pro-lifers as
hypocritical zombies and scarcely-human animals who kill, maim, and
brutalize all of those good, committed 'pro-choice' people who stand in
their way.
Going Ballistic.
The entire book is hysterically funny in its blatancy, and anyone but
the most committed pro-abort would have the common sense to see through
its hype. This comic book is already a pro-life collector's item, along
with the pro-abortion propaganda film "Holy Terror."
It is interesting that most of the really outstanding examples of
pro-abortion propaganda are distributed in the form of comic books like
"Choices" and "Abortion Eve." Perhaps the
pro-abortionists recognize that the only people who are gullible enough
to believe their nonsense operate at a comic-book level of mentality.
Killed for Her Beliefs!
The best example of heavy-handed propaganda in the book is Lamra
Walsdron's "Burning Issue," billed as "a true
story."
In this short piece, Alfiza Maumaud, a young Iranian woman, shares
her thoughts with the reader as she aborts herself illegally, bemoans
the fact that the 'conservatives' have taken over her beloved country
and ruined it, and endures an oppressive husband who insists that she
'toe the line.'
Her smirking husband turns her in to the authorities because of her
abortion. She is then stripped and examined, spread-legged, in front of
a packed courtroom (inevitably, all of the onlookers are evil, leering
old men). The (naturally) male prosecutor says that she has induced an
abortion, and the (naturally) male judge instantly sentences her to
death: "For offending the honor of her husband she
deserves the maximum sentence!" [emphasis in original].
The last two panels show her burning at the stake as she gallantly
thinks, "At least I die knowing that I didn't bring another life
into such a terrible world..."
The final panel solemnly proclaims that "In 1988, ALFIZA MAUMAUD
was burned to death in Bahramabad, Iran, for having an abortion. Little
more than a decade ago, this would have been unthinkable. But when the
forces of ignorance and intolerance gain control, history shows that
ANYTHING is possible."
At the bottom of the last panel is a quote from President George
Bush, in bold capital letters in case the reader doesn't get the point:
"I HAVEN'T WORKED OUT ALL THE DETAILS, BUT OF COURSE THERE WILL
HAVE TO BE SOME KIND OF PENALTIES."
Interesting Questions.
This little two-page piece raises some interesting questions. For
example, how could Alfiza Maumaud share her thoughts with us (especially
her thoughts as she was burning to death at the stake)? Did some
pro-abort "New Age" practitioner "channel" her
spirit? This would be the only logical explanation.
And who researched the story? At the bottom of the cartoon, credit
for "research/concept" is given to someone named
"Teri." She is the only person in the entire book who is cited
without a last name. Repeated phone calls to the national NOW office
found no such person on the staff or familiar to any other staff member.
If this bizarre story was true, one would think that "Teri"
would want credit for it, and would want to make herself available to
members of the press and public for comment. But she has deliberately
made herself mysteriously inaccessible. Why? Could the story be a hoax,
like virtually all of those presented in the "Silent No More"
story-telling program?
Do you really have any doubts as to the answer to this question?
Of course, the objectives of this silly cartoon are threefold;
• to insinuate that Christians will start hunting and killing
women for obtaining abortions, conveyed via the haunting image of
witches burning at the stake, and by implying that such hideous and
inhuman practices will happen here in the United States by quoting
George Bush on his abortion penalty philosophy;
• to paint all pro-lifers as the "forces of ignorance and
intolerance" in a slick and almost subliminal manner (classic
transference), and;
• to paint all men as vicious, power-hungry, oppressive freaks
whose primary purpose in life is to 'keep women down,' and who have no
place in the abortion debate.
The comic book "Choices" is an entire self-contained short
course on pro-abortion propaganda, and is heartily recommended for
discussion among pro-life activists and debaters. It can still be
purchased at most Neofeminist bookstores, or can be ordered from:
National Organization for Women, Box 7813, Washington, DC 20044.
PROPAGANDA CASE STUDY #3
"I Am Mary Doe."
The Backup to Roe v. Wade.
Every pro-life activist and most members of the public have heard of
the United States Supreme Court's "Black Monday" ruling of
January 22, 1973, which legalized abortion in our country the (in)famous
Roe v. Wade decision.
But few know that Roe was a decision that could not stand by
itself. It had to be buttressed by the "logic" in the Court's Doe
v. Bolton decision, which was unveiled on the same day. Doe,
the inseparable companion decision to Roe, allowed for abortion
up until the day of birth and also legalized the clinics that would be
required to do the filthy work of child killing.
Together, these two rulings are generally referred to as the Abortion
Decisions.
A Second Easy "Mark."
In the early 1970s, pro-abortion attorneys were on the lookout for a
woman who could be manipulated into becoming a plaintiff due to her
vulnerable situation. Sandra Kay Race Bensing Cano fit this description
perfectly.
Cano was pregnant and trying to escape from her abusive husband. Her
stepfather, while babysitting her previous children, had one day
delivered them into the hands of juvenile authorities, who immediately
classified them as "abandoned."
She had planned to remarry, but discovered that her divorce from her
abusive husband was not finalized.
In desperation, she turned to the Legal Aid Services Corporation, and
lawyers from the National Organization for Women (NOW) saw in her a
golden opportunity.
The NOW lawyers promised Cano that they would obtain a divorce for
her and regain custody of her children. In return, they asked her for
the "small favor" of acting as the anonymous plaintiff in the Doe
v. Bolton abortion case.
A Little Friendly Arm-Twisting.
The NOW lawyers initially assumed that Cano wanted to abort the child
she was carrying without even consulting her, but when they encouraged
her to get an abortion, she recalled that "I made it immediately
clear I couldn't do that."[11]
Despite Cano's refusal, the NOW lawyers simply made her an
appointment to abort her 25-week baby with Dr. Donald Block at Georgia
Baptist Hospital. Under extreme stress, Cano said that "I know no
matter what it cost I could not let them take my baby, so I ran
away."[11]
Cano has since described to pro-lifers how she was viciously and
relentlessly pressured to abort by the people who dishonestly refer to
themselves as "pro-choice," solely because her abortion would
make her much more believable as a plaintiff in the case.
The Aftermath.
It was obvious to all involved that Sandra Cano did not want to abort
her child, and, in fact, was against abortion in general. Cano had been
used as an ignorant tool by the abortionists to get what they wanted
abortion on demand throughout all nine months of pregnancy.
This case helped reveal the true face of the abortionists. While they
simper that they "care deeply about women," they use
vulnerable women ruthlessly whenever it suits their deadly purpose.
As Cano herself stated, "I was told this suit would help me to
get my children back and I signed papers as they were put in from of me
with that explanation I was led by the nose and never told that the
price they intended to exact from me was to legalize the murder of
little children!"[11]
The NOW attorneys naturally had the records of the case sealed,
allegedly to "protect their client's privacy,' but the real reason
was so that nobody could research the details of their deceptive and
unscrupulous practices. In 1980, Cano petitioned the Court to have the
records of the Doe v. Bolton case unsealed in order to prove that
she was the authentic "Mary Doe."
Upon examining the records, she found that the pro-abortion lawyers
had fabricated quotes and attributed them to her. "I was in shock
at what I read. The contents did not contain my words or my wants,
nothing I said or felt was there." Cano eventually went public with
her story and became a well-known pro-life activist.[11]
The reaction of the pro-abortionists was typical.
Cano endured dozens of death threats, and her car was even shot at
twice. The car eventually was stolen, her telephone wires were cut and
illegally tapped, and her home was repeatedly scrawled with pro-abortion
obscenities and splattered with blood and rotten eggs.
Satan's Empty Promises ...
The NOW lawyers made lavish promises to Cano in order to get her
cooperation, but never bothered to help her with a divorce or with her
child custody problems. As far as the National Organization for Women
was concerned, Sandra Cano was nothing more than an unwitting tool to be
used and then discarded when her usefulness expired.
PROPAGANDA CASE STUDY #4
The 'Strangers' in Nancy Klein's Life.
The Accident.
Twenty-six-year old Nancy Klein lapsed into a deep coma after a car
accident on December 13, 1988. She was five weeks pregnant at the time
and had expressed many times, and in no uncertain terms, that she was
overjoyed at being pregnant and that she wanted to carry her baby to
term.
Martin Klein's Response.
It would seem that Nancy's husband, Martin, was not so overjoyed at
the prospect of being a father, because after she slipped into a coma,
he immediately began to try to get a physician to declare that the
pregnancy was endangering his wife's health.
He first approached her attending physicians at the North Shore
University Hospital in Manhasset, Long Island.[12] However, the doctors
refused to authorize an abortion because, in their judgment, her
pregnancy was unrelated to her head injury and would not worsen it.
Klein then petitioned the Supreme Court of Nassau County to have himself
appointed temporary legal guardian of the child so that he could have it
killed.
Enter the Pro-Lifers.
At this point, two pro-life activists intervened before the Court to
save the baby's life. Among the testimony entered in favor of killing
the baby was that of Dr. Joseph J. Smith, who stated as fact that Mrs.
Klein's pregnancy was a threat to her life. However, cross-examination
revealed that Smith had not even examined Mrs. Klein![12]
Columnist B.D. Cohen (who is himself pro-abortion) pointed out that
Dr. Smith "... was not an expert on coma, had not examined Nancy,
and, in fact, has not practiced for a number of years."[13]
It is significant that Klein consulted with mega-abortionist Bill
Baird before he brought the case to court. Baird was described by Cohen
as a man "... who will fight for any abortion, any time, any place,
for any reason."[13]
The attorney for one of the pro-lifers who intervened, John Short,
filed a brief in later court action that revealed "The medical
report indicates that Mr. Klein threatened a media exposure against
North Shore University Hospital by involving noted abortion advocate
Bill Baird if the pregnancy of Mrs. Klein was not terminated."
Expert Testimony.
On behalf of her baby, no less than five physicians testified that
Nancy Klein's pregnancy was not a threat to her health. New York
Supreme Court Justice Bernard McCaffrey found that "based upon the
credible convincing medical testimony, the Court finds that as of this
time, an abortion is not medically necessary to preserve the life of
Nancy Klein." He also referred during the trial to "the
undisputed medical testimony as to the high risk to Nancy Klein's life
in undergoing this particular type of complicated abortion procedure
..."
The press, pro-abortion as always, never once mentioned the
judge's conclusions. In keeping with their usual lack of ethics, they
focused entirely on the testimony of the single doctor who was in favor
of the abortion. The media even deliberately twisted the facts to suit
their views; they inverted the number of doctors who had testified at
the hearing, reporting that five had approved of the abortion and
one had not.
The Death of Baby Klein.
Unfortunately, the judge had also given Klein authority to proceed
with whatever medical procedure he deemed necessary for his wife's
well-being. The pro-lifers filed an appeal, but the Brooklyn Appellate
Court castigated the two pro-life attorneys, John Broderick and John
Short, calling them "strangers" who had "no place in the
midst of this family tragedy."
Naturally, these words were ideal for the pro-abortion propaganda
mills, and were therefore faithfully quoted verbatim by the press over
and over and over again. With the help of abortionist Bill Baird, the
pro-life movement was mercilessly pilloried in the same press that had
deliberately withheld vital information on this peculiar case from the
public. The press referred to John Short and John Broderick as "two
vultures who swooped down upon the helpless body of Nancy Klein"
(pro-abortion columnist James Kilpatrick); "lunatics"
(Baltimore Sun); persons that engaged "in a fit of fanatic
impropriety" (Minneapolis Star-Tribune); and puppets of the
"forces of zealous self-righteousness" (Times Herald-Record).
These are yet more clear examples of media pro-abortion bias (for
more detailed information and more examples, see Chapter 126 of Volume
III, "Media Pro-Abortion Bias."
On Friday, February 10, 1989, Martin Klein took advantage of his
new-found notoriety on Ted Koppel's Nightline as he announced to
millions of Americans, "I believe they've already begun the first
stage of the procedure."
Baby Klein, at one pound and 18-1/2 weeks, was dying.[14]
Klein, at the urging of pro-abortionists, filed suit against John J.
Short, John J. Broderick, and the North Shore University Hospital, where
Nancy Klein had been cared for. This filing was purposely blown up into
a big media event.
Eventually, New York State Supreme Court Justice Harry Kutner
dismissed Klein's harassment suit, calling it "without merit."
According to Judge Kutner, Klein's claims against the hospital were
"frivolous" and "retaliatory," and ordered him to
pay legal costs and attorney fees for the defendants.
Naturally, when Klein's frivolous suit was dismissed by the Court,
there was not a peep about the story in the national media.
Conclusions and Lessons Learned.
The hypocrisy of the pro-abortionists in this case is truly
astounding, even in light of their own incredibly low standards. They
say that the decision should rest solely with the woman and her doctor(s).
Yet, in this case, both the woman and her doctors opposed the
abortion. The only person who wanted the abortion was the husband,
Martin Klein. In other words, this was an involuntary (forced) abortion.
The pro-abortionists usually want to shut the husband out of all such
decisions, but took his side in this case because he wanted the
abortion. This shows once again that the pro-abortionists are not
pro-choice (or pro-woman), because they invariably side only with
the person who wants the abortion, regardless of sex. This is the true
meaning of "pro-choice."
There is a very sad postscript to this story. Nancy Klein first lost
consciousness, then her baby, and finally her husband. Martin Klein
displayed the touching depth of his concern for his wife when he dumped
her on her parents in June of 1991 and filed for divorce in early 1992.
Despite killing her child without her consent and then abandoning her,
Klein had the colossal nerve to state that "My commitment to Nancy
continues to remain as strong as ever."[15]
Perhaps he is confusing commitment to his wife with commitment to himself
and his own 'quality of life.'
PROPAGANDA CASE STUDY #5
Kissling and Hyde.
For Rosie Jiminez, it is already too late. Working to support her
young daughter and going to school to improve her life, Rosie could
not afford a pregnancy. Because of congressional legislation
restricting the federal Medicaid funds she depended on for her health
care, she also could not afford a legal abortion. Rosie was forced to
go to an illegal abortionist. Her death was tortured, bloody and
unnecessary.
National Abortion Rights Action League.[16]
Introduction.
After Congress passed the Hyde Amendment (which greatly restricted
Federal abortion funding), anti-life propagandists darkly and earnestly
predicted that literally "tens of thousands" of women would
die if this Federal Medicaid abortion funding were cut off. So Frances
Kissling (president of 'Catholics' for a Free Choice) and other
pro-aborts desperately searched for an illegal abortion victim to prop
up their spurious claims.
The exhaustive and intensive search took several months, but they
finally found "Rosie."
Rosie: Twice a Victim.
On October 3, 1977, 27-year old Rosaura ("Rosie") Jiminez
of McAllen, Texas died due to complications caused by an illegal Mexican
abortion. Due to the attention generated by her death, the Centers for
Disease Control formally investigated the incident and issued a detailed
report in December 1977.
The report found that Rosie's 1977 abortion was her third in the past
five years. She had 'slept around' with literally dozens of men as her
fiancee languished in jail, and even tried to conceal and deny her final
abortion when dying in a hospital bed.
The report concluded that she actually possessed the money she needed
to obtain a legal abortion, but had slipped across the border to
Mexico for the sole purpose of preserving her confidentiality. She had
done the same thing in 1975 when Federal abortion payments were still
available.
Incredibly, Kissling contradicts herself and tells the true story of
Rosie's death in the 1979 book entitled Rosie: The Investigation of a
Wrongful Death. This book stated that local health authorities,
Planned Parenthood officials, and abortion mill owners acknowledged that
many women went 'over the border,' even though the illegal abortions
were more expensive at $100, compared to $75 at the San Antonio
Reproductive Health Services, Inc., a local legal clinic.[17]
Taking Advantage of a Death.
Despite the fact that Rosie literally gave her life to preserve her
privacy, pro-aborts held a major Washington press conference in the
Spring of 1979 to announce a pro-abortion funding campaign centered
around Rosie.[18] Present at this orgy of pointed anger and
self-righteousness were Ms. Magazine editor Gloria Steinem,
National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) president Karen Mulhauser,
Uta Landy of the National Abortion Federation (NAF), and Ellen
Frankfort, co-author of the book about Rosie Jiminez.
All over the country, pro-aborts still talk about Rosie and dedicate
marches and other events to her, not because they give a squat about
her, but purely for the propaganda value and to elicit public sympathy.
One would certainly think that, with "tens of thousands of women
dying every year," the pro-aborts could find a more recent and more
appropriate example than Rosie, who died more than a decade ago!
PROPAGANDA CASE STUDY #6
Incest, Murder, and Abortionists, Oh My!
Plumbing the Depths of Sleaze.
Perhaps the tackiest, sleaziest, and most exploitative example of
pro-abortion propaganda ever seen in this country originated in Oregon
in mid-1989.
The details were written up in the state's largest daily newspaper, The
Oregonian, under pro-abortion columnist Margie Boule's byline. The
story appeared in the August 27, 1990 issue under the heading "An
American Tragedy."
Background.
The story revolved around a sixth-grade Boise, Idaho schoolgirl,
Spring Adams. She was 13 years old, the eldest of five children, and she
alleged that her father had raped her. She became pregnant. Doctors in
the Boise area refused to do abortions past 12 weeks for free (Spring
was 16 weeks along), although one abortionist told her he would do the
procedure for $800. Since the family didn't have that kind of money, the
Idaho Health Department called an abortion mill in Portland, Oregon,
that specialized in late-term abortions.
The call went out to Oregon's pro-abortion 'community' for help.
Unfortunately, while this 'community' took two weeks to marshal its
ballyhooed vast resources, Spring's father killed her with a shotgun and
then shot himself.
Staged Reaction to the Killings.
Boule's column described in stomach-emptying detail about how members
of Oregon's pro-abort 'community' cried, responded with "numbed
shock," and were "absolutely, totally stunned" by
Spring's death. The piece concluded by saying that the pro-aborts in
Oregon immediately began to set up a trust fund for incest victims,
because, as Nancy Sampson of Oregon NARAL said, "There will be
another one. There always is."[19]
The purpose of Boule's sickening propaganda, of course, was to make
the pro-aborts look compassionate and the pro-lifers look like unfeeling
dolts.
However, her column conveniently failed to answer a few nagging
questions posed by local pro-lifers. If 'pro-choice' is so much in the
majority, and has so many resources at its caring and compassionate
command, how come it took two full weeks for Oregon pro-aborts to scrape
up the resources to 'help' just one 13-year old girl kill her preborn
baby? Also, if Spring was really in such bad shape, why couldn't the
'caring' pro-abortion community find an abortionist to kill her child
for free?
The answer to this last question is obvious, of course: Abortion is a
business, not a public service, as any former abortionist or
abortion clinic worker will testify.
PROPAGANDA CASE STUDY #7
Exploitation in the North.
Pro-abortionists use propaganda in every country in order to
eliminate laws against abortion. One excellent example occurred in
Canada in July of 1989 and involved Gregory Murphy's attempt to get an
injunction to stop his girlfriend, 'exotic dancer' Barbara Dodd, from
obtaining an abortion.
An Ontario court granted his injunction, but the action was
overturned by the Ontario Supreme Court on July 11. Barbara Dodd who was
only 22, got her third abortion that same day at the high-volume Henry
Morgentaler abortion mill. Morgentaler aborted her for free, and
pro-abortionists trumpeted this fact in the press all over Canada and
the United States. Every pro-abort group used this single free abortion
to generate just as much good will as they possibly could, portraying
themselves as compassionate, caring individuals willing to help any
woman in need.
But their pretty little propaganda bubble popped with a bang only a
week later. On July 18, Dodd held a major press conference and announced
that "I was pressured by pro-choice groups to abort ... I now
profoundly regret what I did. I feel terrible. I wish I could have had
the time to think about it ... No one called after it was over. No one
cared."[20]
Dodd also accused pro-aborts of "... using me to promote their
cause" and urged Chantal Daigle, another woman in the midst of a
court battle, not to have an abortion.
This is entirely typical of pro-abortionists; they wail that they
care deeply about women in trouble, kill their babies for free, milk the
event for all it is worth, and finally dump them and forget them.
Perhaps the slogan of the 'pro-choice' movement should be "find
'em, pressure 'em, abort 'em, and forget 'em."
PROPAGANDA CASE STUDY #8
Kentucky Self-Abortion.
A series of events that made headlines all over the nation in 1978
began when Kentucky college student Marla Pitchford found herself
suddenly not wanting to carry through her already-advanced 26-week
pregnancy. She journeyed to a Louisville abortion mill, which turned her
away because her pregnancy was too far along. In desperation, alone in a
motel room, she aborted herself with a knitting needle on June 9,
1978.[21]
Amidst a splash of publicity, she was tried for 'practicing medicine
without a license.'
The intent of the Kentucky law under which she was charged was to
make it illegal for people other than licensed physicians to perform
abortions, in order to make sure that abortions were as safe as
possible.[22]
Pro-abortion groups seized on this trial as a great opportunity to
overturn even the mildest restrictions on abortion; i.e., that only
licensed physicians could perform the procedure. The intent of the
pro-abort groups was to legalize self-abortion or to allow abortion by
minimally trained personnel.
Predictably, pro-abortionists rallied to Pitchford's cause and paid
her legal fees in an attempt to demonstrate the "inhumanity"
of any and all abortion laws even those designed to protect the life and
health of women! This support also demonstrated that the
pro-abortionists do indeed vigorously lobby for third-trimester
abortions (remember that Pitchford was in the early third trimester of
pregnancy).
Pro-abortion attorney Flora Stuart revealed the workings behind the
case at a University of Kentucky Law Month Panel. She stated that
Lexington's Reproductive Freedom League (an affiliate of the National
Abortion Rights Action League) was "... a far-Left group who wanted
Marla to lose the case."[22] This would supposedly cast her in the
role of an innocent victim, lending impetus to attempts to overturn
abortion laws.
Stuart said that one pro-abortion group even paid one of Pitchford's
attorneys the sum of $10,000 to 'throw' (deliberately sabotage) her case
so she would be found guilty. Stuart said that "These
[pro-abortion] groups did not care about Marla."[22]
Stuart had also called the National Organization for Women for
support and had been told that, if NOW was going to help, the case had
to be one that would cause a splash of publicity and "advance the
cause of abortion rights."[22]
According to perjured testimony at her trial, Pitchford wanted to
keep her baby but was forced into abortion by her fiance, Dwight Mundy.
The real story was that the prosecution had threatened to charge
Mundy with attempting to illegally abort her unless he testified against
her.
To the disappointment of the "women's rights" groups,
Pitchford was acquitted by a jury in less than an hour on grounds of
temporary insanity. Assistant prosecutor Tom Lewis stated that "I
am not unhappy with the verdict. I have a tremendous amount of sympathy
for the defendant in this case."[21]
PROPAGANDA CASE STUDY #9
Terror in Italy.
In 1976, on a quiet Spring day in the manufacturing town of Seveso,
Italy, villagers noticed a thin layer of extremely fine grey dust
covering their homes, gardens, and cars, but ignored it and continued on
with their business.
One week later, the national government revealed that a significant
percentage of the dust had been the pesticide Dioxin, considered at that
time one of the deadliest substances on earth.
Despite the fact that no studies had been performed on the
mutagenicity (birth defect-causing potential) of Dioxin, Italian
feminists saw a great opportunity to drive a wedge into their country's
strict abortion laws. They had learned from the United States' Sherri
Finkbine case that nothing motivates people like the fear of birth
defects.
A month after the Dioxin release, a busload of Neofeminists descended
on Seveso and launched a relentless propaganda campaign directed at
every pregnant woman in the village, playing up the risk of birth
defects and urging immediate abortion for everyone. Eventually, 36 of
Seveso's women did abort more than two-thirds of the women who were
pregnant in the town at the time.
34 of the 36 babies aborted were available for post-mortems, and a
team of five Italian and two German doctors found no birth defects
whatever among them.
One Italian woman who refused Neofeminist demands to have an abortion
told reporters that they had urged her to abort "... to help the
cause of the abortion bill in Parliament."[23] When the women
realized they had been betrayed, they angrily sought out the
Neofeminists but, upon hearing the results of the post-mortems, they had
quietly vanished back into their sewers.
PROPAGANDA CASE STUDY #10
Descriptions of Pro-Lifers.
The Purpose of Negative Propaganda.
Everyone who has studied negative propaganda in any depth knows that
it is usually aimed at or used to dehumanize an enemy.
The commonest and most simple type of propaganda simply slanders and
smears the 'enemy.' If the enemy can be made to look subhuman, he is
easier to hate and to kill.
The largest propaganda campaign of all time has been directed against
the unborn in the last quarter-century. Of course, a necessary part of
this strategy is to discredit the defenders of the unborn as well.
Most people have seen the products of the U.S. propaganda campaign
during World War II that depicted buck-toothed, squinty-eyed "Japs;"
greasy-haired, shiftless-looking "Dagos;" and menacing,
sharp-toothed "Krauts." Before the War, the Ku Klux Klan
circulated posters of bulgy-eyed, stupid-looking "niggers" in
order to whip up prejudice. During the war, of course, the Nazis
referred to Jews and Gypsies as "infections" and
"infestations."
Propaganda is the language of hate. And, since pro-abortionists are
filled with hatred and death to begin with, it comes naturally to them.
Prime Target: Pro-Lifers.
Anti-life forces smear pro-lifers constantly with the willing
assistance of a virulently pro-abortion press. Every long-time pro-lifer
has occasionally been hurt to find that his or her friends, co-workers,
or even fellow churchgoers have created a stereotype in their own minds
about pro-lifers a stereotype that is mindlessly and obediently applied
to them as well.
The incredible descriptions of pro-life activists that the pro-aborts
feed to their faithful followers are laughable. The average pro-abort, if
he would only think about his rhetoric, is not actually naive enough
to believe such garbage (although this question is certainly open to
debate).
The pro-abortion leadership is purposely lying to their loyal minions
to get them primed and fired up for action. This is necessary, because
the pro-abortion movement is basically motivated by selfishness. It is
hard to inspire a person who has as his or her primary motivation
self-indulgence. This is why you will rarely find such nonsense written
by the pro-life side.
Some of the countless thousands of examples of extreme pro-abortion
propaganda directed against pro-lifers are shown below.
The forces that seek reversal of Roe v. Wade are the obvious
product of religious zealotry and misogyny [hatred of women]. There is
behind the sanctification of the fetus a scarifying agenda that seeks
to deny women our personhood, sexuality, and power over procreation;
to divert the all-too-slow march of women of all colors toward
self-determination and equality; and to reestablish state power to
dictate who is an eligible reproducer and sexual partner ... Thus,
even with a right to abortion, women cannot have full liberty and
equality without the social conditions that assure that their
reproductive and sexual decisions reflect genuine and joyful choices
rather than reluctant necessities or painful compromises. Roe v. Wade,
therefore, does not represent the final realization of the goal of
reproductive freedom, but rather a crucial step along the way.
Ms. Magazine "Special Report," April 1989, page 92.
There are "Christian Soldiers" on the loose. They assault
women in front of health clinics. They claim to be the saviors of
unborn babies. But they are really Christian Fascists morality police
with a whole program of oppression for women and children. Not only
are they against a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy they are
against birth control and against sex for women who are not married.
They claim that there is justification for their views in the Bible.
But people who hate oppression would rise up against many things in
the Bible. There are many laws and instructions and practices that
even religious people consider oppressive and would never want to be
enforced.
Check out some of the rules and laws written in the Bible. If these
things were put into practice, the world would be a cruel and horrible
place. These quotations are ammunition to be used against those who
pick up the Bible to keep women down. The Christian Fascist crusaders
against abortion should be forced to say whether this is the kind of
world they want and the kind of morality they want to impose on the
people.
The Revolutionary Communist Party's Revolutionary
Worker, October 30, 1989, page 13.
In every generation there exists a group of people so filled with
bigotry and self-righteousness that they will resort to any means even
violence to impose their views on society. Today, such fanatics
dominate a movement ironically called 'the Right-to-Life,' a movement
which threatens the most basic of human rights.
Planned Parenthood pamphlet, "The
Justice Fund," 810 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019.
Much of this negative propaganda, of course, attempts to make
pro-lifers appear to be "inconsistent;" i.e., that their
actions belie their words.
Perhaps the ultimate example of such 'inconsistency' propaganda is
when some abortionists state to crowds that they do lots of abortions on
female pro-life activists.[24] In such situations, a thinking person
must ask the questions; how would the abortionists know? Do they conduct
polls of women's political and religious attitudes as the vacuum machine
roars away? And would they really have the public believe that some
people are so schizophrenic that they would picket an abortionist and
then use his services?
One classic example of this type of nonsense is presented in Rebecca
Chalker and Carol Downer's recent book A Woman's Book of Choices;
The phenomenon that perhaps best exposes the underlying hypocrisy
of the anti-abortion movement is the very common occurrence of women
who profess to be staunchly anti-abortion yet show up on the doorsteps
of clinics as clients. Variations on this theme include men who
accompany their daughters, wives, or girlfriends to the same clinics
they regularly picket, and female anti-abortion activists who lay down
their picket signs long enough to get their own abortions.
These women can still get their abortions, but if we see them back
on the picket lines, we reserve the right to release their names to
the media," says [Sylvia] Stengle. "This makes them think
twice about their decision ... Female anti-abortion activists who get
abortions are the dirty little secret of the anti-abortion
movement.[25]
Anyone with an IQ approaching that of asparagus will be able to see
through Chalker's and Downer's transparent propaganda.
Pro-abortionists commonly gripe that many women are forced to travel
long distances just to protect their privacy when they abort. It
therefore makes no sense at all that "pro-life women" would
"very commonly" just "lay down their picket signs long
enough to get their own abortions."
The quote by abortuary employee Stengle is also very important: Not
only does it show that the pro-abort obsession with privacy is only
valid when it suits them, but the fact that no such incident of the
release of a name to the media has ever occurred shows that the
remainder of the quote is a lie.
References: Pro-Abortion Propaganda.
[1] Stereotypical propaganda in the Revolutionary Worker
("Voice of the Revolutionary Communist Party of the United
States"), October 30, 1989, page 13.
[2] Quoted in Jonathon Green. The Cynic's Lexicon. New York:
St. Martin's Press. 1984, 220 pages.
[3] National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL), "A Speaker's
and Debater's Notebook," 1974, page 11.
[4] National Endowment for the Arts General Counsel Julianne Ross
Davis, quoted in "AFA Sues NEA General Counsel." The
Wanderer, December 6, 1990, page 2.
[5] 'Religious' Coalition for Abortion Rights (RCAR) brochure
entitled "RCAR has no pictures in this brochure. You can't take a
picture of freedom."
[6] J.C. Willke, M.D. "Becky Bell Did Not Die From An Induced
Abortion." National Right to Life News, October 2, 1990,
pages 3 and 9. This article includes an excellent, detailed, and
understandable analysis of the coroner's report. If the traveling Bill
and Karen [Bell] abortion show is coming to your town, get all
medical documentation on the Becky Bell case from National Right to
Life, 419-7th Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20004.
[7] Dave Andrusko. "They Have No Shame!" National Right
to Life News, August 16, 1990.
[8] Joe Frolik. Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 9, 1990,
page 1.
[9] Bernard Nathanson, M.D. "In Memoriam: The Becky Bell
Story." Bernadell Technical Bulletin, November 1990, pages 4
and 5. Also see Nathanson's letter to Becky Moore, United Families of
Oregon, dated September 4, 1990. This and other medical documentation
regarding the Becky Bell case is available from Dr. Nathanson at 133
East 80th Street, New York, New York 10021. Telephone: (212) 737-6455.
[10] Cal Thomas. "Rush to Blame in Becky Bell's Death."
Washington Times, August 9, 1990, page G1.
[11] Joan Moseley. "I Am Mary Doe." Renaissance
Magazine, Summer 1989, pages 20 to 21 and 27 to 28.
[12] Dave Andrusko. "Klein Case: A Classic Example of
Distortion." National Right to Life News, October 31, 1990,
pages 2 and 14.
[13] Newsday, February 21, 1989.
[14] Monica Migliorino. "Martin Klein and the Ethics of
Isolation." Fidelity Magazine, May 1989, pages 12 to 16.
[15] "Man Who Sued to Save Wife Files for Divorce Decree." The
Oregonian, February 13, 1992, page A7.
[16] National Abortion Rights Action League. 4-page two-color
8-1/2" X 11" propaganda flyer entitled "Do You Want to
Return to the Butchery of Self-Induced or Back-Alley Abortion?"
Undated.
[17] Ellen Frankfort and Frances Kissling. Rosie: The
Investigation of a Wrongful Death. Dial Press, 1979, reviewed by
Elizabeth Moore in the December 1979 National Right to Life News,
page 7. See "Further Reading" for a description.
[18] John Cavanaugh-O'Keefe. "Bigotry and Fraud." Human
Life International Reports, October 1989, page 6.
[19] Margie Boule. "An American Tragedy." The Oregonian,
August 27, 1989, page E2.
[20] Toronto Star, July 19, 1989. Also see Lifeletter
#10, 1989.
[21] "Abortion Acquittal Praised." Pittsburgh Press,
August 31, 1978, page A4.
[22] Aaron Gold. "Gold Mining." Chicago Tribune,
September 4, 1978, Section 3, page 6.
[23] Donald DeMarco, Ph.D. Sex and the Illusion of Freedom.
Toronto, Canada: Mission Press, 1981. 118 pages.
[24] In Brief. "Amarillo, Texas: Medical Students Get
Pro-Abortion Fare." ALL About Issues, October 1981, page 18.
[25] Rebecca Chalker and Carol Downer. A Woman's Book of Choices:
Abortion, Menstrual Extraction, RU-486. Four Walls Eight Windows
Press, Post Office 548, Village Station, New York, New York 10014. 1992,
271 pages. Pages 28 and 32.
Further Reading: Pro-Abortion Propaganda.
All of the following books are examples of pro-abortion propaganda.
Pro-life activists (especially debaters) will benefit greatly if they
read two or three of these or other propaganda books and practice
picking out and debunking the many cases of erroneous information and
propaganda in them.
Ruth Barnett. They Weep on My Doorstep.
Halo Publishers, Portland, Oregon. May be ordered from Post Office
Box 1383, Silver Springs, Florida 32688-1383. 223 pages. This is a
fascinating account of a naturopath who committed illegal abortions in
Portland, Oregon, with the full knowledge of the authorities, for more
than 40 years. This book tells the real story of what illegal
abortions were like before Roe v. Wade: Barnett describes how
immaculate her clinic was, how few complications she had (no deaths in
40,000 abortions), how phony the "back-alley" abortion stories
are, and how she accumulated millions of dollars and lived a lavish
lifestyle. This book is a "must-read" for any pro-life
activist who wants the real scoop on the days of illegal abortions, and
not some weepy propaganda piece by fictionalized "brutalized"
women.
Ellen Frankfort and Frances Kissling. Rosie: The Investigation
of a Wrongful Death.
Dial Press, 1979, reviewed by Elizabeth Moore in the December 1979 National
Right to Life News, page 7. Pro-abortion propaganda of the worst
kind. This book attempts to make the case that Rosie Jiminez of Texas
died of an illegal abortion because Medicaid funding was cut off. The
true story is much different, and such is even admitted in this
incompetent polemic.
Louise Kapp Howe. Moments on Maple Avenue: The Reality of
Abortion.
New York: Macmillan, 1984. Reviewed by Jenny Westberg. The title's
claim that this book presents the "reality of abortion" is
either naive or deliberately dishonest. The book gives an
Alice-in-Wonderland view of the industry. The abortionists wear white
hats; the counselors fairly ooze compassion and understanding; and the
patients undergo quick and easy "procedures," none of which
results in a dead baby. And everyone lives happily ever after,
especially the aborted women. This book is recommended for science
fiction aficionados.
Florynce Kennedy and Diane Schulder. Abortion Rap.
New York: McGraw-Hill, 1971. 238 pages. In 1970, a band of
Neofeminists pressed a Federal suit challenging New York State's
abortion laws. The suit was never decided, because it was declared moot
when the New York legislature overturned the laws in April of 1970. But
the testimony obtained had so much propaganda value that excerpts
compiled by two of the attorneys for the plaintiffs were published in
this book. The result is a veritable text on anti-life strategy,
tactics, and thinking. You will find excellent examples of aggressive
compromise (incrementalism), use of the victim status, transference, and
the begging of every possible question, along with accompanying abundant
propaganda, outrageous levels of anti-Catholic bigotry, and quaintly
archaic Newspeak.
Frederick S. Jaffee, Barbara L. Lindheim, and Philip R. Lee. Abortion
Politics: Private Morality and Public Policy.
McGraw-Hill, 216 pages. Reviewed by David LaFontaine on page 6 of
the April 8, 1982 National Right to Life News. Three pro-abortion
activists state at the beginning of their book that their own personal
views will not impact on their writing. Har har. This book is cleverly
slanted propaganda that the uninformed reader may not be able to see,
because it systematically precludes any discussion of the pro-life side
of the issue and has literally scores of footnotes (all from
pro-abortion sources, naturally).
J.A. Johnston, M.D., and D.B. Robert. Catholic Women and
Abortion: A Profile, Sample and Case Study.
Sydney, Australia: Catholic Family Life Programme, 1978. 136 pages.
Reviewed by Donald DeMarco, Ph.D., in the Spring 1980 issue of the International
Review of Natural Family Planning, pages 74 to 81. This bizarre and
muddled book shows that pro-abortionists use the same subtle
anti-Catholic bias all over the world, even 'down under.' These authors
present a purportedly comprehensive study whose numbers are impossible
to follow because they change constantly and do not even add up! The
pro-abortion bias and utter ignorance of the authors shows when they
identify the Catholic Church as a "Right-to-Life Movement,"
and when they insist that a woman who aborts her child and sterilizes
herself after using contraception during her entire period of
childbearing years to cover up numerous acts of adultery is a
"devout Catholic" because she occasionally attends Mass! This
book, a combination of inept number-crunching and outright bigoted
propaganda, is apparently what Aussie pro-aborts consider
"leading-edge research."
Thomas Merton. Enemies of Choice: The Right-to-Life Movement
and its Threat to Abortion.
Boston: Beacon Press, 1981. 225 pages. Reviewed by Felicia Goeken on
page 6 of the April 8, 1982 issue of National Right to Life News.
This delightful little work of unintentional comedy is a sure cure for
the activist blues. Packed with familiar characters (be sure to check
for your name!), this blend of sensationalism and fiction is what
the pro-aborts apparently believe is "brilliant investigative
journalism." Thrill to the realization of how little they really
know about us! This book is already turning into a cult classic, in the
same genre as the pro-abortion cult film "Holy Terror." If you
want an endless supply of silly, inaccurate and just plain comical
quotes, this is the book to read. Not surprisingly, this book is
published under the auspices of the Unitarian Universalist Association,
a virulently anti-life humanistic 'church' which has made a habit of
sponsoring sloppy journalism that would deeply embarrass any reputable
researcher.
Ellen Messer and Kathryn E. May. Back Rooms: Voices From the
Illegal Abortion Era.
St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010.
1988, 230 pages. This interesting book tells the stories of about 25
women who had abortions before it was legal in this country. Several
obvious features give it away as a pro-abortion propaganda piece; all of
the women are anonymous; pro-lifers and anyone who stood in the way of
"progressive" abortion law repeal or reform are painted as
demons; the abortionists are depicted as heroes; and there are special
chapters canonizing Lawrence Lader, Bill Baird, and the
"reverend" Robert Hare. Spend a rainy day counting the
literally hundreds of inconsistencies and physical impossibilities.
Stephen D. Mumford. American Democracy & The Vatican:
Population Growth and National Security.
The Humanist Press, 7 Harwood Drive, Post Office Box 146, Amherst,
New York 14226. 1984, 265 pages. This book is praised by Larry Lader and
Paul Ehrlich, which clues us in to its contents. Sure enough, it is a
rather unrestrained screed, filled with great quotes demonstrating the
bigotry and the totalitarian and intolerant nature of the Humanists and
population controllers. Mumford's thesis is that the Vatican and the
Catholic Church are attempting to destroy democracy and even the world
by encouraging uncontrolled breeding. All of the old tired slogans are
trotted out: The Vatican runs the United States, dissident priests are
quoted as authoritative sources, and Catholics are portrayed as mindless
drooling androids.
National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL). Legal Abortion:
A Speaker's and Debater's Notebook.
71 pages, June 1978. Superb insight into the anti-life philosophy
and how it shrinks from reality by using propaganda, Newspeak, and
profuse slogans.
Connie Paige. The Right-to-Lifers: Who They Are, How They
Operate, Where They Get Their Money.
New York: Summit Books, 1983. Reviewed by Marianne Rea-Luthin on
page 7 of the November 24, 1983 issue of National Right to Life News.
More execrable pro-abortion propaganda packaged in an attractive format.
Read this to find out just how little the pro-aborts really know about
us.
Sue Robinson. The Amendment.
New York: Birch Lane Press, 1990. This book is valuable only because
it is hysterical pro-abortion fright-propaganda at its very lowliest.
The story is set in the year 1998, after a Human Life Amendment has
passed, First Lady Mary Holt Morgan leads an "anti-choice"
group called Rights for the Unborn League, which operates heavily-armed
weapons teams that roam the cities destroying illegal clinics and
killing abortionists, their staffs, and women who have had abortions en
masse. But wait it gets worse! After setting the stage with a couple of
particularly brutal murders, the 'author' fills the rest of the book
with weepy anecdotes and inept, watered-down 'logic' to support
anti-life slogans. They're all here, folks; pro-lifers are rich,
woman-hating, Bible-thumping creeps, and pro-aborts are peaceful little
lambs. Women who have had abortions have to fearfully conceal the fact,
for fear of being executed (never mind that many leaders of the current
pro-life movement are women who openly acknowledge their exploitation by
abortion). And it just goes on and on. Read this book on an empty
stomach.
E. Dorsey Smith. Abortion: Health Care Ethics.
Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1982. 241 pages. Reviewed by Mary Kay Culp
on pages 7 and 15 of the October 24, 1985 National Right to Life News.
Among other gems, this rabidly pro-abortion nurse writes that informed
consent is "punitive," and that all pro-life nurses should get
out of obstetrics/gynecology.
© American Life League BBS — 1-703-659-7111
This is a chapter of the Pro-Life Activist's Encyclopedia,
published by American Life League.
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