Things You May Not Know About the Pro-Life Movement

Here is an interview from a Pro Life Activist in Georgia.

She is active in Pro Life groups and advocates for true personhood for the preborn as defined by Georgia Right to Life (GRTL). Because abortion has been such a hot topic in the recent public debate, I wanted to learn more about the activities of these groups.

There is a lot more to this topic than I realized. And her passion is compelling.

How did you become involved in the Pro Life cause?

I always considered myself “pro-life” until I realized that I had believed many of the lies perpetrated by the culture regarding the humanity of the preborn. I had bought into the idea that there were some instances where abortion should be “allowable”. I started digging into this issue and consciously tried to understand all sides of the argument. After much research, it became very clear that there is only one answer and that is to protect the least of these regardless of the circumstances of their tiny existence. I vowed to fight for the rights of those who have no voice to fight for themselves.

How does Georgia Right to Life and similar groups differ from other Pro Life groups?

There is a tendency within pro-life organizations to focus on providing resources and coming alongside women who find themselves in unplanned pregnancies. This is very important and should not be minimized. However, our primary goal should be education concerning what abortion is – i.e. the termination of life, as well as working to end it without exception. There is also a tendency to adopt terms like “crisis” pregnancy used by the pro abort community to speak to the issue. Pregnancy is not a “crisis” and we need to stop treating it like it’s a disease that has been contracted.

What do your groups believe in?

That abortion is much like the issue of slavery in the late 1800s. Permitting the practice in defined circumstances is devaluing some humans. All babies conceived deserve equal protection under the law regardless of the circumstances of his or her conception. Whether or not a baby is “wanted” or “expected” does not change the value of that baby in the womb.

What activities are your groups involved in?

We have been involved with educating our citizens on the issue of personhood and how the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution actually protects the preborn. We are also lobbying our State Legislature for an Equal Protection bill that would protect the rights of all preborn Georgia citizens at all stages of development.

Recently Georgia passed legislation restricting abortion. Can you explain a bit about this?

The LIFE Act or also referred to as the Heartbeat bill makes it illegal to perform an abortion once a heartbeat is detected. This bill includes several exceptions and is very hard to enforce. The abortion clinics are responsible for enforcement, so it is akin to letting the fox guard the hen house. There have been credible witnesses that have come forward regarding frequent violations of this law. However, very little has been done to hold these clinics accountable. Also, since other states like Alabama and Mississippi have closed all their abortion clinics, Georgia has become a sanctuary state for abortion and the numbers of abortions in Georgia have actually gone up since this law was passed.

Are there few abortions now in Georgia? How many abortions are there approximately yearly in Georgia?

There are still over 30000 abortions performed in Georgia every year. The numbers have gone up every year. Also, this is a lower estimate because if a doctor’s office performs less than 50/year, they are not required to report the numbers.

How is the Black community impacted by abortion?

Abortion has been devastating on the black community. Over 2/3 of all abortions in Georgia are performed on black women and Fulton County’s percentage is even higher at 76%. The black population makes up 30+% of Georgia’s population so terminating their pregnancies at a much higher rate is detrimental to black population growth. There are credible estimates that the black population replacement rate has gone below 1.6.

Tell us one of your favorite successes from abortion intervention.

I have a few that come to mind. First, I am on a prayer text with the Hope Center, a very successful and influential pregnancy resource center. This text service shares information when someone is considering abortion so that we can pray for the specific situation while still respecting the person’s privacy. There has been a significant uptick in people coming to the Hope Center and this is a result of people spreading the word about available resources women. It appears more (and men) are embracing parenthood again. This has been very encouraging. I have also had many opportunities to share my knowledge and research with friends who claimed to be “pro-choice” but had a tenuous grasp on the issue. The education provided by GRTL and other groups like Created Equal, Live Action, and Students for Life have prepared me for these conversations.

If someone wants to get involved in your cause, what should they do?

I recommend subscribing to the Personhood Alliance to get involved with this issue here in Georgia. https://personhood.org/map/georgia/