C-FAM: Chilean Maternal Mortality Study Undercuts Pro-Abortion Claims

Abortion advocates claim that abortion is necessary to prevent maternal mortality and that it has helped maternal mortality go down.  Hogwash.  Education and better health care, not abortion is driving down maternal mortality.  C-FAM February 11 Friday Fax reports new findings in Chile to support this.  The maternal mortality rate has fallen “from 275 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 1960 to 18.7 deaths in 2000, the largest reduction in any Latin country.”  It’s not due to abortion.  From the Friday Fax:

 

According Dr. Elard Koch, an epidemiologist on the faculty of medicine at the University of Chile, Chile's promotion of "safe pregnancy" measures such as "prenatal detection" and accessibility to professional birth attendants in a hospital setting are primarily responsible for the decrease in maternal mortality. The maternal mortality rate declined from 275 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 1960 to 18.7 deaths in 2000, the largest reduction in any Latin country.

 

Because Chile is a nation that protects unborn life in its penal laws and constitution, the decline is therefore not attributable to access to legal abortion. In fact, the preliminary study shows, maternal mortality in Chile declined over the last century regardless of whether abortion was legal or illegal. Chile tightened its restrictions on abortion in the late 1980s.

 

According to Dr. Koch, "From 1960 onwards, there has been a breakthrough in the public health system and primary care" in Chile, with resources devoted to the development of "highly trained personnel, the construction of many primary health centers and the increase of schooling of the population.” Education appeared to be a primary factor in the country’s improved maternal health. Chile today touts a maternal health record comparable to those of developed nations.

 

Statistics released the World Health Organization (WHO) support such conclusions. In South America, according to WHO, Chile boasts of the lowest rate of maternal mortality, whereas Guyana, which significantly liberalized its laws in the mid-1990s citing concern over maternal deaths, has the highest.

 

Indeed, perhaps the most comprehensive analysis of the decline of maternal death rates in the developed world, a peer-reviewed article by Irvine Loudon appearing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2000 confirms that the “sudden and dramatic decline in maternal mortality rates, which occurred after 1937, took place in all developed countries and eliminated the previously wide country-level differences in national mortality rates. The main factors that led to this decline seem to have been successive improvements in maternal care.” 

 

As with Chile today, these strides in the developed world occurred at a time before access to abortion had been liberalized. Thus it appears that improving access to quality maternal health care, rather than permissive abortion laws, is what drives reductions in maternal death during pregnancy and delivery.

 

Maternal health experts such as noted obstetrician Donna Harrison, MD, point out that introducing abortion in a developing world setting without first improving basic maternal health care increases the risk of maternal death since health systems cannot adequately respond to complications from invasive surgical procedures such as abortion. Indeed, nations such as South Africa, which has one of the continent’s most liberal abortion regimes, has seen an increase in maternal deaths attributable in part to complications arising from legal abortion. 

This underscores pro-lifers claims that improving maternal health care and education decreases maternal mortality, not abortion.  Decreases in maternal mortality to abortion are not from making abortion legal, but from advances in technology and anti-biotics.  There were over one thousand deaths due to abortion decades before Roe.  By the time abortion was legalized, the number of deaths in the year before Roe was 39.

 

Low Birth Rates Undermining Greece. Result of Population Controllers' Foolishness.

Low birth rates, due in large part to the ideology of abortion advocates and population controllers at groups like Planned Parenthood, is contributing to the demise of the Greek welfare state.  There are more to come.

Abortion advocates have long argued that abortion (and massive birth control campaigns) is necessary because societies and the world cannot support increasing populations.  They've scared people into believing that the planet cannot sustain burgeoning populations and so we must "thin the herd" through abortion and birth control to make sure that we all have adequate resources. 

Not only is this untrue, but it is dehumanizing and dangerous.  It argues that we should be able to kill certain classes of human beings, in this case the unborn, so others can prosper.  As always, this endangers every class of humans.  When anyone or any class of humans become expendable, we all become negotiable.  Once we justify the killing of any human being(s) or group(s) of human beings, we make it necessary to justify our own existence.

Well, besides this, there are practical consequences to these low birth rates.  Low birth rates are contributing to the unraveling of societies and their welfare programs. Right now the most obvious and painful is Greece. Today Washington Post economics writer Robert Samuelson notes the impact of low birth rates on Greece's current economic mess and its threat to its welfare state in his column Greece and the Welfare State in Ruins.

"The threat to the euro bloc ultimately stems from an overcommitted welfare state. Greece's situation is so difficult because a low birth rate and rapidly graying population automatically increase old-age assistance even as the government tries to cut its spending. At issue is the viability of its present welfare state.

"Almost every advanced country -- the United States, Britain, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, Belgium and others -- faces some combination of huge budget deficits, high debts, aging populations and political paralysis. It's an unstable mix. Present deficits may aid economic recovery, but the persistence of those deficits threatens long-term prosperity. The same unpleasant choices now confronting Greece await most wealthy nations, even if they pretend otherwise."

I don't presume Samuelson's views on abortion and other population controls.  But the population controllers' propaganda that other people, specifically unborn children, are a threat to us and our way of life is nonsense.  The situation in Greece and what confronts other low birth rate nations (to say nothing of the morally offensive notion that we can dispose of other human beings to benefit others) shows how wrong that notion has always been. 

Billboards Proclaim, "Black Children are an Endangered Species"

"Frankly I had thought that at that time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don't want to have too many of."  

7/2/09 Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

There are bill boards popping up around the country saying that“Black Children are an Endangered Species.”  You have to wonder.  Abortion is genocide for a couple reasons.  That of course doesn’t mean that particular people who abort are committing genocide.  Abortion is genocide because it targets a certain class of people for death.  With abortion, it’s unborn children.  They are targeted as a class for death.  They are in the way and can’t defend themselves.

 

 

There’s another way to say abortion is genocide.  One of my former radio guests Rev. Clenard Childress calls abortion black genocide.  The number, rate, percentage, ratio of abortion among black women is staggering.  Dave Andrusko has an article at National Right to Life about a series of billboards that say "Black Children are an Endangered Species"  Andrusko notes studies that show that black women are aborting at 5 times the rate as white women.  Black women account for about 12 percent of all women, but about 35 percent of all abortions.  Hispanic women abort at about half the rate as black women and 2.8 times the rate as white women.  I think that in some big cities like Washington DC, more black unborn children are aborted than born.

All of this has led to concern by some pro-life black Americans to post these bill boards saying that Black Children are an Endangered Species, and to others like Childress calling abortion Black Genocide.  It’s not hard to figure out why.  Is it intentional?  Childress and others think so and Justice Ginsburg’s quote doesn’t do anything to discount that belief.

Click here to read Andrusko’s short story on these bill boards popping up.  Go also to Too Many Aborted.

America Is Pro-Life On 37th Anniversary of Roe. Abortion Advocates Have Reason To Be Alarmed.

I think I'm going to start blogging again.  There's too much to comment on right now to leave to updates for the Nevada LIFE email newsletter. 

Here are comments from a press release I wrote for Nevada LIFE on the 37th anniversary of the notorious Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton Supreme Court decisions which struck down abortion laws in all 50 states, made abortion legal throughout pregnancy for almost any reason and have led to 52 million abortions. Don't let anyone (pro-abortion, pro-life or pro-choice) discourage you. We've made tremendous progress that other special interest groups can dream about.  We document below.  This is the nuts a bolts of the short talk I gave at the Second Annual Carson Douglas Pro-Life Rally.

America Is Pro-Life On 37th Anniversary of Roe. Abortion Advocates Have Reason To Be Alarmed.

The following statement can be attributed to Nevada LIFE President Don Nelson:

Today marks the 37th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton Supreme Court decisions which struck down abortion laws in all 50 states, made abortion legal throughout pregnancy for almost any reason and have led to 52 million abortions. But despite thirty-seven years of abortion on demand, abortion advocates have reason to be alarmed at the pro-life movement's progress. Thirty-seven years after Roe, America has become a pro-life nation, the young are profoundly pro-life, political efforts are failing despite control of all three branches of government, and more and more abortion limitations supported by wide majorities of Americans are being passed in state legislatures.

1. America is a pro-life nation. A series of polls over the last 10 years, including the 2009 Gallup poll, show that a majority take a pro- life position on abortion. 51 percent in Gallup described themselves as pro-life. 42 percent said they were pro-choice. More are pro-life than realize. 60 percent told Gallup that abortion should either be illegal in all circumstances (23 percent) or legal in only a few circumstances (37 percent). 37 percent said abortion should either be legal under any circumstances (22 percent) or under most circumstances (15 percent). 56 percent said abortion was "morally wrong." Only 36 percent said abortion was "morally acceptable".

2. Young people are pro-life. Nearly 70 percent of high school seniors believe abortion is always or usually "morally wrong." 80 percent say that pregnant seniors should either keep her baby (26 percent) or place the child up for adoption (54 percent). Only 13 percent proposed abortion.

3. Abortion advocates are hemorrhaging politically. State legislatures have passed hundreds and hundreds of "anti-choice" laws and regulations. These include abortion limiting laws and funding prohibitions like the Hyde Amendment, informed consent, parental involvement, clinic regulations, waiting periods, conscience protections, the born alive infants protection act, the partial birth abortion ban, unborn victims of violence act and more. These laws and regulations are largely responsible for the large decrease in abortions in the United States. Abortion advocates oppose all of these widely supported laws and regulations. And despite abortion advocates control of all three branches of government, pro-life political efforts have stopped the Freedom of Choice Act and the health care bill appears to be dead, in large part due to abortion funding provisions of the Senate bill.

4. Science and technology undermine abortion propaganda about the unborn. Ultrasound and other technologies expose abortion's lie that the unborn is a blob of tissue, a clump of cells, mere contents of the uterus, products of conception, a pregnancy mass etc. These technologies show that the unborn is a someone, not something; a person with great potential, not a potential person, unique human being not part of his mother's body. It's no wonder that abortion advocates oppose laws requiring ultra sound and materials describing the unborn to be seen and explained to women considering abortion. Some have even called ultra sound a pro-life weapon.

5. Abortion advocates are also losing their argument that abortion is good for women. 60 percent of aborting women say "part of me died." As many as 65% report symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. 53 percent say abortion is almost always a bad thing and a tiny 13 percent said abortion is almost always a good thing for women. Tomorrow, 30,000 people will be marching in San Francisco behind the banner "abortion hurts women." (note: read more about the impact of abortion at www.unfairchoice.info.)

6. Americans are finding common ground on abortion but abortion advocates aren't part of it.Wide majorities of Americans, including many who are pro-choice on abortion, support government funding bans, bans on brutal partial birth abortion and parental notification. They also support proper informed consent, waiting periods to think it over, anti- coercion requirements, conscience rights, laws that treat the unborn as a victim when assaulted by murderers like Scott Peterson and they oppose abortion alternatives provided by Crisis Pregnancy Centers and more. Millions and millions of Americans are alive today because of these limitations supported by wide majorities of Americans. Abortion advocates like Planned Parenthood, NARAL, the ACLU, NOW and others oppose them all.

Abortion advocates have reason to be alarmed. 37 years after Roe, America is pro-life and abortion advocates are getting farther and farther in the rear view mirror of growing majorities of Americans. 30-

Americans Are Becoming More Pro-life

Here is an op-ed I wrote that was published in the Reno Gazette Journal last month.

January 28, 2010
Reno Gazette Journal

Don Nelson: Americans Are Becoming More Pro-life

Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Allison Gaulden's op-ed "There are good reasons to celebrate Roe v. Wade" [Voices, Jan. 21] illustrates important differences between pro-life and abortion advocates on abortion issues, and who is shaping the direction America is heading on abortion.

First, Gaulden's reference to German pastor Martin Niemoller speaks volumes. Niemoller lamented that his failure to speak up about injustices against other groups at the hands of the Nazis led to a Holocaust and his own victimization.

Second, it's striking that a Planned Parenthood spokesperson would quote Niemoller. There have been 52 million abortions since Roe and nobody has done more abortions, operates more abortion clinics, advocated or profited more from abortion than Planned Parenthood.

Third, abortion feminists' presumption to speak for women is false. Not only do abortion feminists not speak for women on abortion since more women are pro-life, the founding feminists were, without known exception, opposed to abortion. Susan B. Anthony said that abortion was child murder. She and the early feminists would forcefully oppose the 52 million abortions since Roe and be revolted at celebrations of Roe.

Abortion advocates' opposition to parental notification, waiting periods, bans on partial-birth abortion and taxpayer funding of abortion demonstrates abortion advocates' extremism. These measures are supported by wide majorities of Americans, including many who are pro-choice. So are true informed- consent, anti-coercion screening, conscience rights, alternatives provided by crisis pregnancy centers and laws that treat the unborn as a victim when killed by murderers like Scott Peterson. Abortion advocates oppose them all.

There are good things to celebrate 37 years from Roe. Americans are making steady progress to reduce abortion. The percentage of women having abortions is down one-third. Yearly abortions are down 25 percent while our population increased 20 percent. The ratio of abortions to live births is down. Teen abortions are down a stunning 50 percent!

This dramatic decrease is largely due to the widely supported limitations. The Guttmacher Institute says 35 percent of women who would have aborted didn't because of the ban on taxpayer funding through the Hyde Amendment. Millions of Americans born since 1976 are alive today and owe their lives to these provisions opposed by abortion advocates.

Not only are abortions down, a series of polls also shows that Americans are pro-life and that America's youth are profoundly pro-life. State legislatures have passed hundreds of widely supported laws and regulations. And despite abortion advocates' control of all three branches of government, the Freedom of Choice Act is dead and the health-care bill appears doomed in large part due to the Senate version's abortion funding provisions.

Thirty-seven years from Roe, there are some things to celebrate. America is pro-life, abortions are down and Americans are moving toward a more pro-life policy on abortion.

Don Nelson is president of Nevada LIFE (Life Issues Forum and Education).