This is an article about abortion, and those most impacted by the industry. This is a chronicle about the visible invisibles - those who are seen, but literally not recognized.
In July 2010, the New York Post ran an op-ed titled Where New York's not Proud to Lead (http://nyp.st/i7GIub ). The opinion piece called attention to New York City's 2008 abortion rate, a statistic that took my breath away. Black women in New York City are aborting more of their children than are born alive. For every 1,000 black babies born alive, 1,280 died in New York's abortion dens. I did not hear about this issue in July. It did not make its way into my hands until November and when it did, though stunned, I sent the article to every leader I knew was in the fight for life. But there was no outcry, no sweeping move across the country to stop abortion in its tracks because of its discriminatory impact and fifteen hundred black babies would die in abortion dens across the nation that day and every day.
The next bit of news out of New York was more disturbing. The New York City Council had introduced a bill that would have the effect of shutting down pregnancy centers by requiring them to post notices that they do not perform abortions or provide birth control. The bill actually assigns jail time to those found to violate it, up to six months of jail time. The pregnancy centers are a resource to women that decide to have their babies. The centers provide clothing, car seats, and most if not all the tools needed to help the mom with her newborn. Members of New York's pregnancy center community report that upwards of 80% of those helped by the clinics are African American. The New York City Council, including all of the black elected representatives, have made it clear that they do not want these women to have any assistance to help them keep their babies. They have made it clear that choice only means taking the life of the child. But there was no outcry, no sweeping move across the City to stop the bill in its tracks because of its discriminatory impact and fifteen hundred black babies would die in abortion dens across the nation that day and every day.
Within days of my hearing about bill number 371, New York released its 2009 abortion statistics. The number of black babies dying in abortion mills had increased! For every 1,000 black babies born alive, 1,489 were dying at the abortionist's hand. In a flurry of press releases, attention was called to the fact that forty one percent of New York City pregnancies end in abortion. Discussion was had about the teen pregnancy rate in New York City. More discussion was had about abortion's impact on the Latino community as many of their leaders began to cry foul. But there was no outcry, no sweeping move across the country to stop abortion in its tracks because of its discriminatory impact and fifteen hundred black babies would die in abortion dens across the nation that day and every day.
The nation was stunned when news out of Philadelphia revealed a modern day "house of horrors" lead by abortionist Kermit Gosnell. From spreading sexually transmitted diseases, to blood splattered equipment and jars of baby body parts, the story was more gruesome than some of Hollywood's best horror stories. Every article referenced that he served black and brown women. Despite complaints over more than 15 years, neither the City nor state intervened to stop his butchering of women. The fact that the National Abortion Federation visited the abortion den and did nothing to warn the black and brown women has not been a source of outrage for the black community. There has been no outcry, no sweeping move across the country to stop abortion in its tracks because of its discriminatory impact and fifteen hundred black babies would die in abortion dens across the nation that day and every day.
Former Senator Rick Santorum began a debate by criticizing President Barrack Obama for supporting abortion, believing that as a black man and "as a civil rights and constitutional lawyer, [he] should be sensitive to how we define people." Al Sharpton immediately took the Senator to task in a national debate on the Hannity show. But Mr. Sharpton did not raise a hue and cry about the numbers of blacks dying in abortion mills across the country. Instead he defended the so called right to choose. So there has been no outcry, no sweeping move across the country to stop abortion in its tracks because of its discriminatory impact and fifteen hundred black babies would die in abortion dens across the nation that day and every day.
In state after state the number of abortions performed on black women is three or more times higher than their representation in the population. Yet, there are those on both sides of the issue that do not want the light to shine on the darkness that is abortion. Pro-abortion allies cry foul, saying the prolife community is racializing abortion. Black and white pro-lifers are uncomfortable shining the spotlight on the impact that abortion is having on the black community. Some pro-lifers do not want us to talk about the ethnicity of those most harmed by abortion, preferring that we use language inclusive of all babies. Neither side wants us to talk about abortion, eugenics or genocide in the same breath with African American. So there has been no outcry, no sweeping move across the country to stop abortion in its tracks because of its discriminatory impact and fifteen hundred black babies will die in abortion dens across the nation today and every day.
On the last day of black history month, February 28, 2011, hundreds of blacks gathered across fourteen states to mourn the loss of black lives to the abortion industry. Women are still dying, not as a result of a coat hanger, but at the hands of butchers called abortionists. Women are being reproductively maimed in the name of choice, as their bowels are perforated and intestines pulled out. Hysterectomies are happening all across the nation, as the real doctors attempt to repair the damage done at the abortionist hands. Yet, we did not hear about the Day of Mourning through the mainstream media, they blacked us out, not willing to risk shining the light on how anti-woman the abortion industry is. And as has been the case for the past 38 years, we do not hear about the discriminatory impact of abortion and the fifteen hundred black babies that die in abortion dens every day.
Blacks are seen going into the abortion clinic every day at a greater rate than any other ethnic group. We see it, but don't recognize it. And because we don't recognize it, the visible invisibles abort fifteen hundred black babies every day and there is no outcry, no sweeping move across the country to stop abortion in its tracks. Shhh. Don't suggest that blacks are being targeted by the abortion industry. We see it, but don't recognize it, and because we don't recognize it. . .
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