Opinion
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April 16, 2015 (JillStanek.com) — Emily Yoffe’s “Dear Prudence” advice column recently included a letter from a “pro-choice” woman who assisted her pro-life activist friend in obtaining an abortion.

The story sounds familiar. Very familiar. In fact, stories about pro-life activists getting abortions mysteriously pop up all the time in pro-abortion literature.

The narrative is always the same.

1) A loud, insensitive pro-life protester or sidewalk counselor gets pregnant and seeks an abortion.

2) She goes to the same clinic where she frequently protests.

3) The reaction from clinic staff ranges from puzzled to amused — but never openly hostile.

4) The abortion is performed and the clinic staff always agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the pro-lifer.

5) The pro-lifer resumes picketing or protesting.

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These stories frankly fail to hold water for several reasons.

  • Why would the pro-lifer obtain an abortion from the clinic she was protesting at? She would risk being noticed by the other sidewalk counselors and prayer warriors. She would also risk the clinic “outing” her. It would make far more sense to go to another clinic.

  • Why would the abortion clinic perform an abortion on an avowed pro-life activist? Wouldn’t they be concerned that the pro-lifer might be a spy? Wouldn’t they be concerned that it might be some kind of sting operation?

  • Why would the clinic be so eager to maintain the confidentiality of a clinic protestor?

  • And in the version that appeared in Dear Prudence, the pro-lifer goes to the clinic while wearing an elaborate disguise. I doubt anyone would want to undergo an invasive surgical procedure while in disguise. Furthermore, wouldn’t clinic staff, who would be in close contact with the woman, notice the disguise? Wouldn’t they be concerned about performing an abortion on someone who was clearly trying to conceal her identity?

In the end, Yoffe (who identifies as “pro-choice”) chose to publish this letter and encourage the the pro-choice writer to confront her pro-life friend about her apparent hypocrisy. She should have done more diligence.

Reprinted with permission from Jill Stanek