The closest I ever came to first hand experience with abortion was when I was traveling in Eastern Europe during their economic crises, after the collapse of communism in the early 1990's. Due to the dysfunction in the society, at that time, I was placed in a room where abortions were carried out even though I only had an ear infection. In the center of room was an apparatus were the women would sit during their procedure. Till this day I can still feel the horrific feeling in that room that made me want to vomit. It was clear from conversations with the staff and doctor that the economic crises had caused a great spike in abortions. NYS Senator Diaz Sr. states an alarming statistic below claiming 49 percent of NYC Hispanic and 59 percent of NYC Black pregnancies are aborted. I find those statistics alarming and wonder how much of those abortions were due to economic realities Bronx women find themselves in, much like the women in Eastern Europe faced at that time? The individual is always responsible for their actions, however if this is truly a genocide what is our society doing to prevent women who find themselves in economic situations that I am sure heavily weigh on their decision to have an abortion? What social polices can we put in place to economically empower women, or the family structure they depend upon once blessed with a child. Is abortion solely a moral question?
Below are two press releases representing pro and anti abortion voices in our City. The first is a quote from NYC Council Speaker Quinn. The Second is from NYS Senator Diaz Sr. Please do review and let me know via your comments what the Bronx thinks about both questions raised.
Gregory
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
CITY HALL
NEW YORK, NY 10007
February 23, 2011
Release # 021-2011
Statement by Speaker Christine C. Quinn
Re: Anti-Abortion Billboard in Soho
“This billboard is nothing but a pathetic attempt to discredit Planned Parenthood. To refer to a woman’s legal right to an abortion as a ‘genocidal plot’ is not only absurd but it is offensive to women and to communities of color. Every woman deserves the right to make healthcare decisions for herself and I will continue to fight to protect this basic right and against this sort of fear mongering. What’s more unfortunate is that this billboard directs women to Crisis Pregnancy Centers, which are non-medical facilities that often mislead women about both their reproductive health and their reproductive rights. To give women as much information as possible about their own heath, I fully support local legislation to require Crisis Pregnancy Centers to clearly post what services they offer. Offensive rhetoric and deceptive actions against a woman’s right to choose will not be tolerated in our city.”
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February 23, 2011
The Truth about Genocide
by New York State Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz
This weekend I read an article online “Caution should be used when using the word 'genocide” which gives short shrift to blatant examples of genocide. The author left out reference to the history of abortion and the fact that Planned Parenthood’s founder Margaret Sanger was a proud racist and advocate of genocide by abortion.
Genocide is an ugly term used to define the evil, deliberate and systemic approach to the eradication of an ethnically, racially or religiously identifiable group. The UN’s definition of genocide includes “measures intended to prevent births within the group”.
49 percent of New York City’s Hispanic pregnancies are aborted every year. 59 percent of New York City’s Black pregnancies are aborted every year. These statistics are staggering, and it is nothing less than responsible to use the term genocide to define what is happening to our children’s lives.
Perhaps some prefer to reserve the term genocide for circumstances like the systematic slaughter of ethnic groups as seen in Armenia, Rwanda and Cambodia’s killing fields. Nevertheless, the evil behind this term can also apply to the victims of the Tuskeegee Syphilis Experiments on Black men whose lives were eliminated without the use of bullets or machetes, but with the insidious use of medical practitioners. And it also applies to the institution of abortion in the US, fulfilling Margaret Sanger’s goal to reduce Blacks and other "unworthy" lives in this country.
As part of her “Negro Project” and other such programs, she hoped that “(S)uch a plan would ... reduce the birthrate among the diseased, the sickly, the poverty stricken and anti-social classes, elements unable to provide for themselves, and the burden of which we are all forced to carry.”
While pro-abortion advocates will fall back on the changing legal definitions of what is a person, Margaret Sanger had no problem heading off the problem before these unborn Black and unborn “socially undesirable” lives started being born, started going to schools and started living in our communities.
Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is on record stating: "I can remember the days when Jesse Jackson was pro-life, and he went across the country calling abortion genocide….I personally believe that any leader, especially African-American leaders -- and I can say this because I'm African-American -- should be compelled to remember the days of slavery and to remember their responsibility toward the children we call the unborn. They are real people too, and they actually have civil rights."
Like the growing number of pro-life Democrats, I will not be silent about genocide against Hispanic and Black children in New York City or anywhere in the US. I welcome all to join us in this effort.
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2 comments:
Stay out of it until you know more and can write about it correctly. When a woman chooses to abort a fetus, that is not genocide. Abortion is legal whether (not weather) or not you or I like it.
Since you’re the expert tell us something we don't know. Firstly, I did not say I was anti-abortion. I raised the question and gave a brief experience that I had. If you want to do the same, please do. I am sure we would agree the fewer abortions we had in NYC the better. It's a serious issue and you have no right to tell anyone to stay out of the discussion. Like I said above, enlighten us.
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