We pro-lifers support women. Good riddance to Missouri law criminalizing abortion | Opinion
I am proudly pro-life, but the idea of criminalizing women who get an abortion breaks my heart. This harmful idea in no way reflects the beliefs of the vast majority of pro-life supporters in Missouri or across the nation.
Our pro-life beliefs are based on compassion and the understanding that all lives are precious and meaningful. “All lives” includes women who go through with the very painful decision to abort. Pro-life laws are meant to protect the lives of the unborn. They are not meant to penalize a woman who makes this tragic decision.
Abortion has serious impacts on the mental and emotional health of a mother. She needs empathy and love, not prison time. It would be better to identify the reasons that led to that decision and help mitigate as many as possible. When she does go through with the abortion, it’s incumbent upon all of us to come alongside and help her cope with her lingering emotions of doubt and remorse.
Women are frequently deceived into thinking abortion is no big deal. Should we punish them when they fall for this lie? Incarceration is highly unlikely to affect the number of abortions, anyway.
Many pro-choice advocates would have you believe that all we care about is the birth of the baby with no consideration given to the mother. Nothing could be further from the truth. Pregnancy care centers across the country have programs and resources available for mothers long after the birth of their child. Additionally, most of them have aftercare available for women who choose to have an abortion. That is the true heart of the pro-life movement.
To those who are ambivalent about this issue or unclear where pro-life advocates stand, let me state in no uncertain terms that putting women in prison (or worse) after abortion does not have any substantive support in the pro-life community. Multiple organizations are on the record opposing the idea, including Missouri Right to Life, Campaign for Life, Choose Life Coalition and many others. Please don’t be fooled by those who want to capitalize on a fringe idea and have you believe it’s a portrayal of where most of us want to go. It is not.
I once found myself in an abortion clinic about to end my baby’s life. Had I followed through, my life would have been filled with regret and sorrow. Experiencing that flood of emotions while in prison would have benefited no one, and I’m thankful that such an idea was not in place. We remain committed to ensuring that a policy like this is never enacted.
The Abolition of Abortion in Missouri Act deserved to end up on the scrap heap of useless and ignored legislation, just like every other extreme proposal put forth by politicians every year.
Nelly Roach is the president of Choose Life Marketing and the Choose Life Coalition. Her organization works with pro-life organizations across the country. She is based in Columbia.
