My response to The Guardian’s piece of abortion propaganda which you can read here if you like that kind of thing: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/apr/08/anti-abortion-activists-harassing-women-at-uk-clinics-during-lent

Dear Simon Murphy, I’m sure you’ll be interested to know we’ve had 7 women/couples that we know of change their minds about abortion in Birmingham this 40 Days for Life – do you think that’s because we ‘brandished models of foetuses’, ‘wielded banners’ and ‘condemned’ the women entering as ‘murderers’? Most likely not. Before every participant joins in our campaign they sign a Statement of Peace – which has never been broken. We don’t even have any posters or banners in Birmingham and I wouldn’t know how to brandish (wave in the air in a threatening way) a 2 inch long plastic foetus if I tried. So what made these women/couples change their minds except prayer (which I presume we aren’t allowed to mention)? Could it be we offered these people a real CHOICE ie another viable option other than abortion, so they didn’t feel forced into going back to Marie Stopes?

On the same day as The Guardian published their disinformation I received two messages from women/couples we are supporting at the moment who had previously been planning to abort their babies: ‘If it wasn’t for all this kind help and support I just do not know where we would be. I wish I could give you back something so that you can keep helping people the way you help us because goodness knows you do’ and ‘Thank you sooooo much. I’m so happy. It will take me some time to come to terms with how much help you have given me’. Was The Guardian interested in finding out about how these people were helped or what their experience was of the volunteers they met outside the abortion centre? Did anyone ask them which part of the foetus brandishing and banner wielding it was that made them feel so cared for that one of them told me only two days ago: ‘I have never experienced love like this before’? Sadly The Guardian was more interested in interviewing Labour MP Jess Phillips.

MP Jess Phillips had this to say: ‘For most women, myself included, abortion is not a traumatic incident and to suggest it is harder than being raped suggests that these groups know as much about victims of sexual violence as they know about abortion: nothing.’ So it is ok for MP Jess Phillips to speak on behalf of ‘most women’ (has she surveyed most of the mothers of the 9 million humans aborted in the UK since 1967 – that must have been some task!) but when a woman is quoted ina leaflet as saying ‘For me, the abortion was harder to get over than the rape’ she’s not even allowed to speak for herself. It seems only some opinions or experiences are allowed to be voiced.

I’m glad that part of the offending leaflet was printed because people can then read for themselves some of the risks associated with abortion such as:

Up to 1 in 10 abortions (approx 19,000 a year in England and Wales) result in infection of the womb.

Up to 1 in 20 (approx 9,500 a year in England and Wales) result in some of the foetus remaining in the womb and may require further treatment.

Up to 1 in 100 abortions damage the cervix (the entrance to the womb) which could affect future pregnancies (approx 1,900 a year in England and Wales).

Up to 1 in 100 abortions ‘fail’ and the foetus/baby is still alive afterwards (approx 1,900 a year in England and Wales).