Abortion hurts. We are all stunningly aware of this fact, as evidenced by both the positive and negative reactions to the Cemetery of the Innocents memorial that occurred last Friday. The children whose lives were memorialized there are as real as the feelings of regret, grief and anger experienced by the many who have been personally affected by abortion. Unfortunately, society expects all negative feelings associated with abortion to be swept under the rug, because if they aren’t, the “dark side” of abortion is revealed. It is an extreme injustice to tell people that what they feel is insignificant and unimportant. We, as Voice for Life, feel compelled to respond to this injustice by bringing to light the reality of the emotional pain of abortion.
It takes an average of 11 years for a woman to seek healing after an abortion experience. During this time, she may suffer in silence and suppress feelings of anger, grief and depression. This suppression often leads to other serious emotional complications such as thoughts of suicide, issues with eating disorders, substance abuse and chronic relationship troubles. These feelings are especially apparent on the expected due date of the baby and the date of the abortion.
We recognize this injustice and are working to help post-abortive men and women overcome this unending cycle of emotional trauma. Silence is not the answer. Those in Voice for Life want the men and women who are hurting to know compassion, mercy, hope and most of all, love, because these are the only forces capable of transforming a great injustice into an experience of healing.
If you or someone you love is hurting, take a stand. Be a part of the change that needs to happen in our society so that this injustice comes to an end. You are not alone, and we will never stop fighting for the good of all women and men, including those still in the womb.
For information about post-abortive healing, please visit www.abortionrecovery.org, www.hopeafterabortion.com, or www.portlandheart.org.
Margaret Persing is a junior nursing major and president of the Voice for Life club. She can be reached at persing15@up.edu.
