Comments on: Inside a “Crisis Pregnancy Center” http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/04/30/inside-a-crisis-pregnancy-center/ In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set. Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:26:51 +0000 hourly 1 By: Nicole http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/04/30/inside-a-crisis-pregnancy-center/#comment-271257 Nicole Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:42:43 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=13150#comment-271257 I work at a pro-life pregnancy resource center and would like to clear the air at least for our center. It's possible that other centers may operate in ways that some of you have described and I apologize for that. Since we are pro-life, obviously our center strongly encourages women to keep their babies. We do not, however, force anyone to choose against abortion-obviously that is impossible. For the women that do choose to deliver their baby, we provide all the support possible, both during and after the pregnancy. We do all we can to make sure they know where to go to get quality healthcare, we provide them with maternity clothes and infant supplies, and after the child's birth we provide assistance with baby formula and diapers. If a mother is too young or financially unable to have a child, we connect them with quality adoption agencies. The many women and couples who come to us out of poverty situations are greatly helped by education and resources for economic development. Our hope is not that we would just convince a woman not to abort and leave her to fend for herself after that-we exist to give her emotional and financial relief. Since we are also followers of Jesus Christ, we also address spiritual matters because we believe that beyond this life there are matters of even greater concern. At the same time, we respect our clients and if they do not want us to address spiritual matters, we will not press the issue. Even though many of you strongly oppose what we are doing, I would like to be as bold as to say that many people who come to us walk through our doors because they do not want to abort and need places like our center to make it possible to have a child. I work at a pro-life pregnancy resource center and would like to clear the air at least for our center. It’s possible that other centers may operate in ways that some of you have described and I apologize for that. Since we are pro-life, obviously our center strongly encourages women to keep their babies. We do not, however, force anyone to choose against abortion-obviously that is impossible. For the women that do choose to deliver their baby, we provide all the support possible, both during and after the pregnancy. We do all we can to make sure they know where to go to get quality healthcare, we provide them with maternity clothes and infant supplies, and after the child’s birth we provide assistance with baby formula and diapers. If a mother is too young or financially unable to have a child, we connect them with quality adoption agencies. The many women and couples who come to us out of poverty situations are greatly helped by education and resources for economic development. Our hope is not that we would just convince a woman not to abort and leave her to fend for herself after that-we exist to give her emotional and financial relief. Since we are also followers of Jesus Christ, we also address spiritual matters because we believe that beyond this life there are matters of even greater concern. At the same time, we respect our clients and if they do not want us to address spiritual matters, we will not press the issue. Even though many of you strongly oppose what we are doing, I would like to be as bold as to say that many people who come to us walk through our doors because they do not want to abort and need places like our center to make it possible to have a child.

]]> By: Debbie Robertson http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/04/30/inside-a-crisis-pregnancy-center/#comment-251355 Debbie Robertson Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:07:53 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=13150#comment-251355 I have visited a local pregnancy center on numerous occasions and have referred friends. Their services are professional and each time I was seen by an OB-GYN. I never felt pressured by them to carry or anything like that. I'm sorry for the experiences others may have had elsewhere but it's not like McDonald's. I have visited a local pregnancy center on numerous occasions and have referred friends. Their services are professional and each time I was seen by an OB-GYN. I never felt pressured by them to carry or anything like that. I’m sorry for the experiences others may have had elsewhere but it’s not like McDonald’s.

]]> By: Anna http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/04/30/inside-a-crisis-pregnancy-center/#comment-239731 Anna Fri, 01 May 2009 16:56:06 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=13150#comment-239731 Scary, scary, scary. The mother of a friend of mine used to work for one of these places, answering the phone at a CPC and then "counseling" people not to get abortions. The part about location (capturing people's attention before they can get to Planned Parenthood) really made me think about how much of this is just about getting correct information out there. I teach in a school where most of the students are Catholic, and every time they are asked to write a persuasive essay at least a third of the papers are about how abortion is wrong and should be illegal. The saddest thing is how much of the information they put into their papers is dead wrong, like abortion causing health problems and preventing you from having children in the future. In neighborhoods like mine there is an innundation of misinformation coming from churches, familial "wisdom", and word of mouth. I try to confront this misinformation with facts, but it feels like just a drop in the bucket when faced with this wave of anti-choice propaganda and the mainstream silence on the topic. Here in New York, a CPC has an advertisement on the subways, boasting "free abortion alternatives." There is no such thing. The alternative to an abortion is a pregnancy, which, even if you put the kid up for adoption is not "free". Scary, scary, scary. The mother of a friend of mine used to work for one of these places, answering the phone at a CPC and then “counseling” people not to get abortions.

The part about location (capturing people’s attention before they can get to Planned Parenthood) really made me think about how much of this is just about getting correct information out there. I teach in a school where most of the students are Catholic, and every time they are asked to write a persuasive essay at least a third of the papers are about how abortion is wrong and should be illegal. The saddest thing is how much of the information they put into their papers is dead wrong, like abortion causing health problems and preventing you from having children in the future. In neighborhoods like mine there is an innundation of misinformation coming from churches, familial “wisdom”, and word of mouth. I try to confront this misinformation with facts, but it feels like just a drop in the bucket when faced with this wave of anti-choice propaganda and the mainstream silence on the topic.

Here in New York, a CPC has an advertisement on the subways, boasting “free abortion alternatives.” There is no such thing. The alternative to an abortion is a pregnancy, which, even if you put the kid up for adoption is not “free”.

]]> By: Mighty Ponygirl http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/04/30/inside-a-crisis-pregnancy-center/#comment-239698 Mighty Ponygirl Fri, 01 May 2009 12:26:38 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=13150#comment-239698 If I didn't have a job, I would stand outside of CPCs with signs warning women not to go there, and telling them the address to the nearest Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood offers all the services a CPC does, plus more. If I didn’t have a job, I would stand outside of CPCs with signs warning women not to go there, and telling them the address to the nearest Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood offers all the services a CPC does, plus more.

]]> By: Jessica http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/04/30/inside-a-crisis-pregnancy-center/#comment-239674 Jessica Fri, 01 May 2009 07:07:08 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=13150#comment-239674 These CPCs are disgusting. At our clinic, we had a girl who actually chose to go with the protesters after they screamed at her that they could give her 'everything she needed to keep her baby'. They promised her clothes, a crib, diapers, bottles, formula, money, etc etc etc. You know what she got in the end? A single pack of diapers. She wound up coming back to us so that she could make a truly informed decision about her pregnancy and what was best for her. It's sad. I've been saying for awhile now that somebody needs to do a "Live Action" (google it, i'm not giving them traffic) undercover expose of these places for awhile now. Anybody game? These CPCs are disgusting. At our clinic, we had a girl who actually chose to go with the protesters after they screamed at her that they could give her ‘everything she needed to keep her baby’. They promised her clothes, a crib, diapers, bottles, formula, money, etc etc etc.

You know what she got in the end? A single pack of diapers. She wound up coming back to us so that she could make a truly informed decision about her pregnancy and what was best for her.

It’s sad. I’ve been saying for awhile now that somebody needs to do a “Live Action” (google it, i’m not giving them traffic) undercover expose of these places for awhile now. Anybody game?

]]> By: Amanda http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/04/30/inside-a-crisis-pregnancy-center/#comment-239672 Amanda Fri, 01 May 2009 06:26:43 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=13150#comment-239672 But, nice white families, need nice white babies! All those sluts are killing the good babies. But, nice white families, need nice white babies! All those sluts are killing the good babies.

]]> By: Morgan http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/04/30/inside-a-crisis-pregnancy-center/#comment-239637 Morgan Fri, 01 May 2009 02:50:45 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=13150#comment-239637 What really kills me about these centers is we really have a need for real pregnancy crises centers. For women who choose to have their baby, but they are poor or addicted to drugs. But no, we can't help women who choose for themselves to keep the baby. We have to spend federal money harassing people who don't want to be pregnant and leave those that actually want a baby out to dry. What really kills me about these centers is we really have a need for real pregnancy crises centers. For women who choose to have their baby, but they are poor or addicted to drugs. But no, we can’t help women who choose for themselves to keep the baby. We have to spend federal money harassing people who don’t want to be pregnant and leave those that actually want a baby out to dry.

]]> By: markd http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/04/30/inside-a-crisis-pregnancy-center/#comment-239617 markd Fri, 01 May 2009 00:41:06 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=13150#comment-239617 President Obama's hand-picked chairman of the Democratic National Committee, signed a bill including state funding for crisis pregnancy centers, which abortion right advocates calls "anti-choice organizations." I got the above from a blog called Femisex.com. This begs the question as Femisex notes: what the hell was Obama thinking giving Tim Kaine the head of the party of choice. Tim Kaine is very anti-choice and is in favor of making abortion against the law in his state! here is a link. The site is social liberal andf fiscal conservative, which may be more in keeping with my XY chromosome. http://www.femisex.com/content/dnc-chairman-funds-anti-choice-legislation-dnc-silent-massive-slap-women President Obama’s hand-picked chairman of the Democratic National Committee, signed a bill including state funding for crisis pregnancy centers, which abortion right advocates calls “anti-choice organizations.”

I got the above from a blog called Femisex.com. This begs the question as Femisex notes: what the hell was Obama thinking giving Tim Kaine the head of the party of choice. Tim Kaine is very anti-choice and is in favor of making abortion against the law in his state!

here is a link. The site is social liberal andf fiscal conservative, which may be more in keeping with my XY chromosome.

http://www.femisex.com/content/dnc-chairman-funds-anti-choice-legislation-dnc-silent-massive-slap-women

]]> By: Jennifer http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/04/30/inside-a-crisis-pregnancy-center/#comment-239589 Jennifer Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:33:04 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=13150#comment-239589 Talulah- Many, many Crisis Pregnancy Centers offer adoption referrals. I would say nearly all of them do. Every one I ever have heard of- and I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian household so I've heard of a bunch- push adoption very strongly. In fact, I would say many take that to an unethical extreme where they push women towards adoption instead of offering them the help they need to be single mothers. Talulah- Many, many Crisis Pregnancy Centers offer adoption referrals. I would say nearly all of them do. Every one I ever have heard of- and I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian household so I’ve heard of a bunch- push adoption very strongly. In fact, I would say many take that to an unethical extreme where they push women towards adoption instead of offering them the help they need to be single mothers.

]]> By: Ms. Annie C http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/04/30/inside-a-crisis-pregnancy-center/#comment-239584 Ms. Annie C Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:45:18 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=13150#comment-239584 Part of me wants to be bewildered at how these "centers" can be legal, but then I remember that places like, I dunno, New Hampshire exist. Goddamn, it's a sad sad world we live in when we have to ask "Hey, are you guys legit?" when we walk into someplace claiming to give medical attention. Part of me wants to be bewildered at how these “centers” can be legal, but then I remember that places like, I dunno, New Hampshire exist. Goddamn, it’s a sad sad world we live in when we have to ask “Hey, are you guys legit?” when we walk into someplace claiming to give medical attention.

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