Bernard Nathanson, a co-founder of what is now NARAL Pro-Choice America, passed away at the age of 84 yesterday. Nathanson, along with Norma McCorvey (the Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade) is one of the most famous converts to the pro-life cause. In addition to co-founding NARAL, Nathanson served as the director of the Center for Reproductive and Sexual Health (CRASH), New York’s largest abortion clinic. Nathanson has written that he performed more than 5,000 abortions and was responsible for more than 75,000 throughout his career.
After converting to the pro-life cause in the late 1970s, Nathanson wrote the book Aborting America, in which he states that he and other supporters of legal abortion fabricated statistics about the number of deaths due to illegal abortions in order to generate support for the pro-choice cause. This has been invaluable information for pro-lifers, since stories about back-alley abortions persuaded many Americans to tolerate, if not support, legal abortion.
In 1984, Nathanson helped produce the documentary The Silent Scream, which showed an ultrasound of an unborn child being aborted. Many were shocked by the graphic video, and it won many converts to the pro-life cause.
President Reagan viewed the film and was impressed with it: “If every member of Congress could see that film … they would move quickly to end the tragedy of abortion.”
The timing of The Silent Scream could not have been better. During the early 1980s, the pro-life movement split badly over how best to draft a Human Life Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In 1983, when a Human Life Amendment, drafted by Orrin Hatch (R., Utah) and Thomas Eagleton (D., Mo.), finally reached the floor of the U.S. Senate, it received only 49 votes — 18 votes short of passage. The Silent Scream gave the pro-life movement some much-needed momentum when many were tiring of the ongoing struggle to unify around a Human Life Amendment.
Dr. Nathanson continued to write and speak about pro-life issues well into his 70s. In fact, in the spring of 2004, I had the chance to meet him when he agreed to be the keynote speaker at a pro-life conference hosted by the Society for Law, Life, and Religion at Harvard Law School. Seventy-seven years old at the time, he made the trip in from New York that day and impressed attendees by showing a video of fetal surgery. His presence will be missed. R.I.P.
— Michael J. New is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama and a fellow at the Witherspoon Institute in Princeton, N.J.
Love you to remind me of intractable, divisive issues that are private matters made public for what purpose? So that Repubs can win the Bible Belt?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis is the litigator in me, but if he admitted that he "fabricated statistics about the number of deaths due to illegal abortions in order to generate support for the pro-choice cause", then he was not the most credible witness as to the reality of an unborn child's "silent scream" (dismissed by most as a physical not mental or emotional response to stimulus) after he switched sides. Juries don't usually buy "this time he's telling the truth".
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYounger people should simply ask for, and carry, a picture of their 3D ultrasound (if they can afford it). I have on of my daughter at 20 weeks, and she looks just like her big brother and big sister on the outside.
You can make all sorts of rationalizations about ultrasounds, but putting it into 3D...that's a baby.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse@democlash:
The point of the post (and the video) is that the fetus is a living human. As such, you can't just state abortion is a private matter and expect to make any headway. You could point out how it isn't actually alive (or human), or why, even though it is a living human, the pregnant woman still has full autonomy to decide to kill it. While not necessary, it would be enlightening to hear how this compares to infants and the severely disabled.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAfter seeing my children rendered in real-time 3D (and even just much more detailed ultrasound), I wonder why there isn't an updated version of "Silent Scream".
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse@bwarsch...Almost everyone who has ever seen an abortion done on ultrasound has become pro-life. Look up Abby Johnson. She was a former Planned Parenthood manager who recently wrote a book called "Unplanned" in which she describes her conversion to the pro-life cause after witnessing an abortion on ultrasound.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI read his auto-biography recently and found his journey of faith truly inspiring.
One question, I've seen on a few more liberal websites since his passing was announced, that "Silent Scream" was somehow "debunked". I can't find any evidence to support this.
Does any one else know?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDr Shatterhand: I believe what they are referring to is the argument that a fetus cannot feel pain and the reaction shown in the film was simply an involuntary response by a non-sentient being.
This is nonsense on stilts, of course, but that is what they are countering with. Hope this helps.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse@Mitch: I think it's because the debate has shifted from the old "baby killer" rhetoric of the 70s and 80s to human rights and compassion.
In a strange analogy, I think this is what happened to Global Warming. The "deniers" didn't kill the GW movement with protests and Constitutional amendments. Lots and lots of "How the Earth Was Made" specials on The Discovery Channel and Science Channel did. Just knowing how things work, and how big and wonderful the universe is, makes you realize how small we all are, and how precious life is on our little blue ball.
I guess we don't need a new "Silent Scream". We need more "Where Babies Come From" *grin*. Just because the Earth 4B years ago was uninhabitable, doesn't mean it wasn't the Earth.
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Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWho else is interested in or compelled to act in the matter of the inner workings of my body, aside from me? I want you and your compadres to stand clear. Freedom! It is good for you, and good for me as well. Feel free to think whatever you like about the actions of others, just don't continue to politicize and demagogue your such thoughts and preferences into a national dialog about a matter that is settled. Let's have the kids we will love, and not have the ones that no one will care for. To each his own ultrasound; have fun with yours.
I remember writing a paper about lobbies and interest groups with a focus on NRLC and Dr. Nathanson. I turned it in (got an A) and my professor, a former Congressman, mentioned that they had been neighbors.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"a national dialog about a matter that is settled"
Just thought I'd highlight the most risible of your comments.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse@democlash:
You should really consider at least attempting to make a case that a fetus is not a human being. Or that there is some human life that a person can nonchalantly end. I'm sure it sounds absurd to you, but why shouldn't we be able to kill our infants? Let's say I bring my newborn home (maybe he is disabled), and I realize things are more difficult than I thought. Or my toddler develops an expensive condition, so my wife and I will have a tough time making ends meet and finding time for both of them.
If an ultrasound illustrates that a fetus is a living human, refusing to look at an ultrasound doesn't change anything, other than possibly how sad it makes you to end its life.
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