|
|
||
The G.A. should not commend falsehoods Date published: 3/12/2010
The G.A. should not commend falsehoods
On March 8, in the eleventh hour, state Sens. Ken Stolle and Jill Holtzman Vogel introduced identical resolutions commending pregnancy care centers, otherwise known as crisis pregnancy centers. The legislators, in good conscience, cannot support this bogus resolution, and Virginians deserve to know about this sneaky and manipulative endeavor. Resolutions are to commend honorable behavior. Sadly, this one does no such thing. This resolution commends fake clinics and their intentional misinformation. This resolution lends credibility to these centers that we know rely upon deception, fear-mongering, and medical lies to enact a political agenda. This resolution states, "Whereas pregnancy care centers encourage women to make positive life choices by equipping them with complete and accurate information ." It is neither complete nor accurate to share that condoms have holes. It is neither complete nor accurate to state that abortion causes breast cancer, suicide, and permanent psychological damage. And it is neither complete nor accurate to state that miscarriages are far more common than they actually are, causing women to delay prenatal care. Materials obtained from at least 20 of these centers share the above misinformation, and two Washington Post stories confirmed the medical untruths as well. No reputable, peer-reviewed research institution supports any of these fallacious claims. The General Assembly cannot honor deception or the dangerous precedent it encourages. Resolutions are meant to honor commendable actions; crisis pregnancy centers do just the opposite by lying to women in difficult situations. Emily Polak Alexandria The writer is deputy director,
1. Be respectful. No personal attacks.
|
|
||||||||||||
