On February 22, Students for Life sponsored “Abortion Beyond Politics,” during which two women affected by abortion, Tammy Holly and Karen Holdren, spoke about their personal experiences and how they came to terms with the choices they had made. Approximately fifty-five people were in attendance. Katie Falvey, president of Students for Life said the event was held in response to how members who attended the March for Life, “were deeply moved by the testimonies from women and men from organizations such as Silent No More or Operation Outcry who had been affected by abortion.”
Prior to sharing their experiences, the two women spoke about abortion in general. They stated that Roe v. Wade was “an agenda that was pushed through,” believing that no evidence was presented during the case. Operation Outcry, the organization that they work with, is attempting to find one million testimonies from men and women about how abortion has negatively impacted their lives. Topics discussed included the link that some researchers have discovered between abortion and breast cancer and criticism of the Susan G. Komen Foundation for its refusal to admit this link along with the money it accepts from Planned Parenthood. They said that they wanted to let other women know about their experiences so reveal the truth about abortion, saying, “let us make an informed decision... you have to know everything before you make that choice.”
The first woman to share her experience, Tammy Holly, started her testimony by declaring that, “you cannot refute our stories.” Holly told a vivid story about her unplanned pregnancy and the pressure that her parents put on her to have an abortion. She said that during the procedure she screamed and was told to be quiet so she wouldn’t disturb the patients in the waiting room. Holly ended her story by holding up a small pair of sandals that she had purchased in memory of her unborn child saying, “
Karen Holdren’s story also involved being pressured into having an abortion. She had her first abortion before the outcome of Roe v. Wade came into fruition. In her case, her boyfriend convinced her to abort their child. She stated that she felt the regret very soon after her abortion when her boyfriend asked her, “Was it a boy or a girl?” Nevertheless, Holdren had another abortion after abortion was legalized.
Holdren emphasized the role that God and religion played in her decision to try and end legalized abortion. To end her remarks, she urged the crowd that they were the “remnant” of a population that had been assaulted by abortion.
After the two women had shared their stories, they expressed hope in the number of people that had attended the event and encouraged the participants to pick up information.
When asked whether the title “Abortion Beyond Politics” was a fair title for an event that clearly called for an end to abortion, Falvey stated the title, “was appropriate for the event. When titling the event, we chose it because the testimonies went to the personal side and did not just focus on the politics of the abortion issue.”
Rachel Jankowski, LSA Freshman and member of Students for Life agreed “Hearing post-abortive women speak about their experiences offers the abortion argument in a much different light, leaving any real political argument out of it,” she said.
“Their experiences are all unique, and listening to the way they felt trapped at the time of their abortions, not having anyone to help present the facts of the consequences of abortion, is heartbreaking.”
Be the first to comment on this article!