A line of cards intended to lend support and encouragement to women who chose to end the life of their preborn child further proves that women don’t walk away from that choice unscathed.
Exhale, an “after-abortion talk-line” that claims “support and respect are just a phone call away,” offers the cards on its Web site.
“I think you’re strong, smart, thoughtful and caring,” reads one card. “I believe in you and your ability to make the best decision. I think you did the right thing.”
Another reads, “May you find peace after your abortion,” and yet another says, “There are not words to express my sympathy for your loss.”
Caron Strong had an abortion. She is now national director of Operation Outcry and she’s furious with Exhale.
“Can you imagine sending a woman a greeting card for murdering her 5-month-old son or daughter?” Strong told Renew America. “No moral absolutes whatsoever. It is absolutely tragic to affirm life in one card and support the taking of life in another.”
Carrie Gordon Earll, senior analyst for bioethics for Focus on the Family Action, said while Exhale may have good intentions, the cards represent an attempt to de-stigmatize abortion.
“The cards beg the obvious question: If abortion is a good choice, why do you need a line of greetings cards to comfort those who choose it?” she said. “The message, ‘I care about the fact you're hurting’ is further evidence that abortion is an unnatural act for a women that carries unexpected consequences.”
If Exhale wants to help women, Earll added, it would do better to market the cards to women before they chose abortion so they will know that grief and regret are a likely outcome.
