Contact: Cheryl Ciamarra, Alabama Citizens for Life, 205-447-1160
MONTGOMERY, Ala., March 1, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is submitted by Cheryl Ciamarra of Alabama Citizens for Life:
"I was 16 years old when I had an abortion. I never saw an ultrasound of my baby, nor did the clinic give me any type of information concerning the procedure. If I would have known what my child looked like or how the procedure was performed, I would have chosen to keep my baby. Abortion not only kills unborn children, it forever scars the parents of those children. I have been forgiven by my Savior, but I still live with the knowledge and heartache that I killed an innocent child. I believe that if more women were shown the ultrasound, it would help them realize the reality of the child. It's the same as holding your child for the first time when it's born or feeling it kick for the first time while still in the womb. Until you see your child for the first time, it can seem like it's not real. Ultrasounds show you that it is real. Also, women should know exactly how an abortion is performed beforehand. They should be told the risks to themselves as well. I wish I would have been given all of this information BEFORE my abortion. " A. A.
That is the actual testimony of a young lady who experienced abortion in AL. The majority of women experiencing abortion in Alabama are under 25 years of age. Most have never been pregnant before and do not understand fetal development or even what an abortion entails. Can you hear her regret and emotional pain? Alabama Citizens for Life hopes other women will avoid abortion, an unnecessary elective procedure, when given accurate information.
Abortion providers are afraid of ultrasound images because it is the most objective, accurate information that can be provided to a mother, a visual image of her child within her womb. Studies show women who view their ultrasounds often choose life for their child because the visual image helps them to realize it is a tiny human.
Women who have asked to see their ultrasounds have been told by ultrasound technician staff to "ask the doctor." However they do not see the doctor until after they have been medicated and prepped for surgery on the table. Some mothers may be in emotional crisis and not even think to ask. The burden should not be on the vulnerable patient. This law places the responsibility to provide accurate medical information on the physician who is being paid to perform the surgery.
The law clearly states the woman may choose to avert her eyes.
Alabama has a vital interest in both the health of mothers and the lives of unborn babies which is why we need SB12.
AL State Legislators are receiving email petitions such as the one below filled with multiple factual errors spread by pro abortion lobby. Secular media are propagating the lies. My replies to the false accusations are in parenthesis. This is an attempt to stop SB12 Women's Right to Know and See Ultrasound Display Bill in Alabama
"Withdraw SB12 from Legislative Debate, Consideration, and Vote This procedure is not medically necessary (ultrasound is medically necessary to confirm uterine pregnancy and rule out ectopic pregnancy [100% undetected ectopic pregnancies are fatal to women] according to the National Abortion Federation 2003 report 99% of abortion clinics are performing ultrasounds routinely {113 in this survey report} for health of women which is why it was made a law in Al in 2002) and is instead merely a political tactic to undermine women's reproductive options (there is NOTHING in SB12 that takes away a woman's right to choose to have an abortion ) and a blatant attempt to legislate morality (the main focus of the bill is to give mothers objective accurate medical information - visual image of their baby, visual facts are neither moral or immoral they are truth and reality) and emotionally damage women. (It is well documented that abortion providers in AL are not providing accurate medical information to women, 6 of 7 AL abortion providers have violation discrepancy reports online. Planned Parenthood staff in Birmingham is even recorded on tape stating they can "bend the rules" i.e. not report parental notification or obtain consent and cover up statutory rape of a minor - 9 of 9 minor records no parental consent form signed, getting facts to women BEFORE an abortion is most humane) It seeks to make ultrasound (trans-vaginal or abdominal) a requirement (ultrasound has been a requirement in AL law since 2002) and requires the practitioner to share the images with the woman receiving abortion services (standard medical informed consent is the responsibility of the paid medical provider), even if it is necessary to remove a miscarried fetus (law only applies to living fetus, if the child has already died it clearly does NOT apply) or ectopic pregnancy. (medical emergency exceptions insure this bill does NOT apply to ectopic pregnancies) Should physicians not comply, they could be charged with a Class C felony (this is the same penalty for lack of informed consent as current law - no change , no increase in penalty) and/or fined up to $15,000 (Not sure where they came up with this figure - not in this bill? another inaccuracy). In the US, we are given the right to refuse certain medical services and this legislation attempts to violate and remove those rights because of the moral objections of others who are not receiving the service. (the state of Alabama has a vital interest in the life of the unborn child, because of the serious nature of terminating that life as well as potential risks to the mother's own health, as women are shown videos prior to birth by law in AL this is reasonable to insure mothers who choose abortion are fully informed prior to that irreversible decision.) This legislation is unconstitutional and therefore violates the Fourth Amendment." (Ultrasound display laws have passed in 5 states and not been struck down in ANY, upheld twice by the 5th circuit court of appeals in Texas)
As you can see multiple inaccuracies are being spread by a liberal pro-abortion media campaign driven by the well funded pro-abortion lobby, Abortion is BUSINESS and they are afraid of loosing profits if women see the truth about what is growing inside of them.
Alabama Citizens for Life's mission is to spare women and their children from abortion. Getting the visual ultrasound image in the line of sight of the mother will save lives, as she is the only person who can make a decision to save the life. SB12 is highly effective, which is why there is such a fierce, ruthless smear campaign underway against this bill.
Now is NOT the time to retreat. The truth will win out over time and a healthy debate in Alabama will bring the truth to light.
