Acknowledges pain and sorrow of abortion but needs more

Contact:  The Justice Foundation, 210-614-7157

SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 29 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Justice Foundation submits the following for publication:

35 Years After Roe v. Wade:  What's New?  -- Finally, the Supreme Court is Listening

Acknowledges pain and sorrow of abortion but needs more

Thirty-five years after the Supreme Court legalized abortion-on-demand on January 22, 1973, the tide has turned. It's the beginning of the end of Roe v. Wade.

In Gonzales v. Carhart, upholding the federal ban on the horrific and gruesome "partial-birth abortion" procedure, the Supreme Court cited on April 18, 2007 The Justice Foundation's Amicus Brief (also known as a friend of the court brief) in its ruling. The brief was filed on behalf of Sandra Cano, who was "Mary Doe" of Doe v. Bolton (the companion case to Roe v. Wade), and 180 women hurt by abortion.

Citing sworn testimony that The Justice Foundation presented, and acknowledging the argument that "abortion hurts women," the Court recognized that "some women come to regret" their abortions. "Whether to have an abortion requires a difficult and painful moral decision" and is "fraught with emotional consequence," the Court said. The Court also noted that "severe depression and loss of esteem can follow" an abortion. 

In her dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote: "The Court is surely correct that, for most women, abortion is a painfully difficult decision."  She also noted that the Court majority's hostility to abortion was not concealed.

Yale Law School professor Jack M. Balkin characterized the inclusion of the testimonies of women and the message that abortion hurts women as follows: "The new rhetoric of pro-life forces [that Abortion Hurts Women] is no longer just rhetoric. It is now part of Supreme Court doctrine. That is the big news …"

What's next?  Your testimony can help restore justice and end abortion

Although the Court acknowledged the harm of abortion, it also stated it had "no reliable data to measure" the extent of the problem. The most effective way to show the Court the magnitude of the problem is to collect a much larger number of testimonies.

The Justice Foundation has collected affidavits and declarations through its project, Operation Outcry, from approximately 2000 women since the year 2000. This largest known body of direct, sworn testimony in the world that shows the harmful effects of abortion – has been submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court; the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee; state legislatures in Georgia; Louisiana; Mississippi, Ohio, South Dakota, and Texas; and, to lawmakers around the world. In the recent Supreme Court decision upholding the ban on partial-birth abortion, the Court cited The Justice Foundation's Amicus brief (also known as a friend of the court brief) and the testimony filed with it on behalf of women hurt by abortion. South Dakota, which conducted the first government study in 30 years that looked at both sides of the abortion issue, conclusively determined that abortion hurts women and should be illegal, based significantly on this evidence. South Dakota's courageous step to ban abortion emboldened lawmakers in a dozen other states to propose similar laws. Louisiana and Mississippi have passed an abortion ban, which will become effective when Roe v. Wade is overturned. The Governor of Missouri has now convened another task force to study the effects of abortion on women.  The declarations are now being provided to states and other nations upon request.

Your testimony in a declaration can be used in legal cases and in state national and international legislative efforts to end or limit abortion, such as an abortion ban, informed consent, parental consent, etc. To maintain confidentiality, first name or initials only can be used if you wish. Personal contact information is never released. A declaration form and instructions are available at: www.operationoutcry.org (Click on "Speak Up").

If someone you know has had an abortion, encourage them to complete the form found online at: http://64304.netministry.com/images/DeclarationForm-09-07.pdf

For more information about Operation Outcry or assistance with completing a Declaration Form please email us at info@txjf.org or call us at 1-866-4-OUTCRY (or 210-614-7157), ext 203.