Editor:
Re. complaint to Smithers council about parades, parties, and prolife.
No one is trying to ‘shame’ anyone for a regrettable decision that many make amidst a crisis. Finances, peer pressure, personal autonomy, boyfriend pressure, lack of support, or the lack of an understanding of what the abortion procedure really does can each be what pushes a woman toward abortion. That is why many of us try, by ads, education, support, and groups like Aborted Women Silent No More, to tell women about better choices than abortion.
And don’t say we don’t understand. Everyone has a story. Fifty years ago I took my friend for an illegal abortion because her boyfriend threatened to leave her if she didn’t go. Of course he left anyway. Four years later I was alone in a crisis pregnancy, and NO choice but to see it through. How grateful I would have been to have known there was someone out there who cared enough to offer non-judgmental help. But no billboards. No parade floats. No care centre. By God’s grace and a little help from my friends, we got through it, and my son is now 46 with adult children of his own. Life wasn’t easy but we survived the ups and downs. Life is good.
The pain of ‘choice’ must be very, very terrible if you cannot tolerate our messages of help and hope that might spare someone else such devastating loss as yours. Ignorance ensures more pain. Denial prevents healing. Peace can be yours.
Respectfully,
Elaine Taylor
Telkwa