By Tara Shaver,
Albuquerque, New Mexico- Many people probably don’t know that coercing a woman into getting an abortion is illegal in all 50 states. While most abortions are elective and are used as a form of birth control it is not unheard of for our ministry sidewalk teams to encounter women who are feeling the pressure of coercion to have an abortion. Some are young and their parents are forcing them to end the life of their child with the threat of being kicked out of their home. Some parents even threaten their daughters with the withdrawal of financial support or a college education if they don’t submit to an abortion.
Sometimes it’s boyfriends or husbands making the threats. Even though men are meant to lead and protect, far too often they shirk their duty and bring women to abortion centers insisting that their child’s life be ended.
Most people would agree that these forms of coercion are unacceptable and that women should be able to keep their babies if they wish despite their circumstances.
A new trend within the abortion industry, outside of state-funded abortions through Medicaid, is to promote “free” abortions which are offered through abortion fund networks. We have identified over 280 of these funds and their availability has opened up a new form of coercion. Interestingly, many of these funds are for specific people groups, for instance, some funds are only available for black or indigenous women and of course illegal immigrants.
“Ironically, we are seeing mass protests and riots burning cities to the ground over Republican immigration policies, deporting criminal foreign illegal migrants back to their home countries, meanwhile, the Democrat party and these abortion fund network groups openly support abortion policies that literally is a depopulation agenda targeting these same minority groups and funding the extermination of their children in the womb before they can become American citizens with tax dollars and charitable donations! Which one of these policies is more barbaric?” asked Tara Shaver of Abortion Free New Mexico.
These funds promise a fully paid-for abortion, lodging and travel. Some will pay for round-trip airfare and others pay for gas and lodging if the woman is willing to drive. For many, free things sound very nice, in fact, we’ve had women tell us that because their abortion was fully funded they believed it was God’s will to end their child’s life. What a tragedy.
Shockingly, some abortion funds are provided by fringe “religious” pro-abortion organizations. In addition to violating the basic biblical teaching, “Do not murder” these pro-abortion organizations also help these women break their own state’s pro-life laws that are in place to protect them and their babies. This should be grounds for these organizations to be stripped of their federal 501c3 tax exemptions!
Some women are on the fence about their decision when they arrive at the abortion center. These women change their minds once we sow hope and truth into their hearts. However, the fact that an abortion fund provided her travel and paid for her abortion makes her stricken with fear that she has to follow through. We have met some women who are genuinely experiencing coercion to obtain their abortion because of the funding they have already received. They believe that they will have to pay the money back.
This is a serious problem and we believe that it is a form of coercion. These pro-abortion networks make women feel that they have no other choice, they don’t leave room for changed hearts and minds. Women don’t need abortions, they need real support throughout their pregnancy and beyond. Having an abortion doesn’t change a woman’s situation, it just makes her the mother of a dead child.
There are so many ways that we can empower women to motherhood. As the pro-life community, we can counter abortion funds by serving pregnant women and letting them know that it’s never too late to change their minds about abortion. Abortion Free New Mexico has a Life Fund that provides many services and financial assistance to pregnant women in crisis so that they never have to feel coerced into having an abortion.
Tara Shaver is a spokeswoman for Abortion Free New Mexico and a full-time pro-life missionary who has worked alongside her husband Bud Shaver since 2010 to make New Mexico “Abortion Free.”
