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Anti-abortion protestors lined the sidewalks at the Madison Surgery Center Tuesday, demonstrating their discontent over the center’s plans to begin performing late-term abortions.
More than 80 protestors gathered around the surgery center, brandishing signs with anti-abortion messages and eliciting honks from passing motorists.
The rally was a joint effort by various anti-abortion groups and other advocacy groups, including Pro-Life Wisconsin, Vigil for Life and Wisconsin Family Council to oppose the surgery center’s intent to begin performing second-term abortions.
The abortions were approved by the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics’ Authority Board, Meriter Hospital, UW Hospital’s doctor groups and the Madison Surgery Center early this spring after the retirement of Planned Parenthood physician Dennis Christensen — previously the only person to offer the procedure in the Madison area.
University of Wisconsin alumna and Pro-Life Wisconsin spokesperson Virginia Zignego was impressed with the turnout, saying it was higher than she expected.
She said her reason for attending the rally was she did not think it was proper for UW to be involved with the procedures.
“I don’t think our publicly funded university should be involved in second trimester abortion or abortion in general,” Zignego said. “It’s a brutal procedure and it kills a child.”
Lisa Subeck, executive director of Pro-Choice Wisconsin, said abortion is legal and the surgery center is the perfect place for the procedures since it is an existing medical facility.
“The reality is the center should be applauded because it is stepping up and providing a critical health service for women,” Subeck said.
Steve Karlen, coordinator for Vigil for Life, also attended the rally, saying he wanted to send the message that Madison does not want late-term abortions to Meriter and the university.
Karlen added a small anti-abortion presence has been at the surgery center on a regular basis and bigger events such as the rally occur about every two months.
According to Karlen, anti-abortion rights groups rallied at Meriter Hospital in June and held a big gathering on Library Mall in January.
“We are going to be here until they scrap the plans to do late-term abortions,” Karlen said.
Another anti-abortion group’s leader was also present at the rally — Julaine Appling, the chief executive officer of Wisconsin Family Council. She said the reasoning behind the rally was to remind people of the issue and to apply pressure to the surgery center.
“Those of us that are pro-life have a responsibility to remind the surgery center and the UW affiliates and Meriter Hospital that what they are embarking on is a life-taking measure,” Appling said. “We think this is one of the things we can do to remind people in Madison and these organizations that we have not forgotten.”
Lisa Brunette, spokesperson for the UW Health, said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald the physicians who advocated for second-trimester abortion availability thought it would serve an important role in Madison.
“The physicians who brought the idea forward have done so because they wish to provide what they view as a needed service, an option that disappeared from the community when another physician retired last fall,” Brunette said.
The decision has yet to be made on when the procedures will begin.
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Let’s keep abortion legal. It’ll prevent more left-wing extremists from being born.
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I don’t care what your crazy reasoning is but yes! Let’s keep it legal.
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Baby parts? Where can I get me some of those?
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Why does The Badger Herald and other media outlets not call these people what they are: pro-life. Yes, we’re anti-abortion, but our biggest goal is the protection of life from natural conception to natural death, which encompasses abortions and euthanasia.
I like how Lisa Subeck defends UW’s stance by claiming abortion is legal. Slavery was once legal. Not allowing women to vote was once legal. All were overturned because those laws were wrong. Abortion is wrong, but so many people fail to realize this, and cover under the “it’s legal” defense.
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Because you’re not pro-life, you’re pro-birth. Most of these protesters probably favor the death penalty, but that’s not pro-life. Most of them probably supported invading Iraq for reasons that turned out to be complete lies, but that’s not pro-life. Most of them probably think the government shouldn’t do anything to help poor families, but that’s not pro-life.
Face it Adrian, you don’t give a damn about these babies once they’re born. That makes you pro-birth, not pro-life.
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Wow. Funny how “anonymous” doesn’t even know me, and even screws up my name, yet he/she had enough evidence to tell me I am not pro-life. Way to get your facts straight.
Most of these protesters, and I can say this because I know them, do not favor the death penalty, and want a pullout from Iraq as fast as anyone. Pro-life means anti-death, so to say they favor a death penalty which is not needed in America is absurd.
And yes, we do care for these babies after birth. What good would we be to tell mothers to not abort if we do nothing for them after birth? There are centers and services all over Madison to help new mothers survive and succeed after the birth of their child, but no one seems to ever seek them out.
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Adam ��”Anti-abortion” is the correct term under AP Style. Marx and the BH were just following the rules mainstream journalists in the nation follow.
The reasoning behind that, according to the Associated Press, is that “pro-life” implies judgement, just as much as the terms “pro-birth,” or “pro-choice” or “pro-whatever.” They all carry different meanings to different people.
Anti-abortion is simple and objective.
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Calling these people “Pro-Life” assumes facts not in evidence. They are anti-choice. We do not know their stance on the death penalty or war which would confirm their alleged pro-life designation.
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I agree 100%. I was all set to thank Matt Marx the BH for their excellent descriptors. In addition to the reasons you cite, “pro-life” and “anti-abortion” are not synonymous because the anti-abortion stance can be enormously destructive to life and to lives. Google “Scott Roeder” or “pregnancy following rape” for more details.
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Funny how you say pro-lifers are anti-choice. You don’t see a pregnant woman walk into Planned Parenthood for any other reason but for an abortion. And Planned Parenthood will explain to them how abortion was the right decision on their part and not provide them with any other information for an alternate outcome. However, pro-lifers help refer them to crisis pregnancy centers, offer places for ultrasounds, and help in any way that will protect both the mother and baby in the womb. Pro-lifers are more pro-choice then these so-called “pro-choicers.”
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Yeah, because PP sure sure doesn’t offer subsidized or free gyno tests, ultrasounds and other prenatal screening, or referrals to adoption clinics and government assistance for women who can’t afford a pregnancy they want to keep.
Oh wait, they do. Do your homework.
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Many of these people are against war and death penalty as well, fyi
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agree 100%.
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Dont these people have jobs they should be at?
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I would like to know if any of the protesters have ever been tested in their outspoken beliefs. I wonder if they’ve ever worn anyone else’s shoes, thought of any possible angle besides their own, been in a situation that required an emotional choice like these women?
Yes, thank you to all the virgin mothers of the following: Jesus, Dionysus, Zoraster, Krishna, Mithra, Buddha, etc. I guess I’ve never given birth to a deity, so I shouldn’t judge.
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Many women who have been to this rally and others in the past have held signs that they “I regret my abortion.” So yes, many of these protesters have been in those shoes, have had the procedure and later discovered how wrong it was, and are fighting to help prevent women from making the same mistake they did.
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Do they regret an abortion because the pregnancy was actually wanted but they were forced to have an abortion? Do they regret an abortion because everyone around them told them they SHOULD regret it, and eventually caved to being psychologically jackhammered from all sides? All the pro-choicers I’ve ever met consider a forced abortion to be as bad as a forced pregnancy.
See http://imnotsorry.net/ , a collection of testimonials from women who had abortions with 100% informed consent.
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the reason why they are not called “pro-life” is because, according to the AP style book for journalists, the correct term is anti-abortion. Marx is simply doing his job…
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Ironically, if Mary had aborted Jesus, we wouldn’t have to deal with people like this today.
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i totally had the same thought. gawd.
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not to sound cliche, but if you don’t like abortion, don’t have one.
legal or not, abortion will never, ever go away. it’s been around for thousands of years. as long as people can reproduce, abortion will exist.
keep it safe, keep it legal.
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Abortion has been around for thousands of years, huh? Can you explain to me how an abortion was performed in 74 A.D.?
To say that abortion will continue to occur if it were made illegal and is the reason it should remain legal is absolutely absurd. Even if it continued to occur, don’t you think the number of actual abortions could still decrease by 90%, and is still an excellent reason to make it illegal? Slavery was supposedly safe and legal in the 1800s, but that was overturned because it was wrong; when will people wake up and realize abortion is even worse?
I’m also disappointed so many people are covering under the moniker of “Anonymous.” Isn’t anyone willing to put their name behind their comments?
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Shouldn’t these people be a work?
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The biggest problem is people do not want to be accountable for their action. THINK before you satisfy your own needs, THINK about the new life you may be creating. Life is precious and everyone one from inception on deserves the life given to them by GOD. I applaud all the pro-life people representing many of those who could not be there…..because they were at work.
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I am a voice for that child who will never be president. Or win a Nobel for saving the planet. The child who will never paint a masterpiece, write a best-seller, or be a rock star.
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The Culture of Death has responded in some of the previous posts. To summarize their comments, one could say, Thou shalt kill.
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I have noticed everyone who is for abortion has been born. (Ronald Reagan)
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God Bless You Adam, Speaking absolute truth and 100% Honesty, How refreshing in an age where we are being brainwashed night and day by the rules of MAN, All of you folks who are attacking Adam’s views are attacking the Truth. And the truth is very simple people, when you kill a child, send a group of men to a far away land to be massacred, or take it upon yourself to murder another human being, that is not the way God would like us to behave. All of us know this and somewhere deep down in your souls it is there, the TRUTH. I will continue to pray for all of you out there who believe killing innocent lives is our right as Human beings and I will continue to have Hope that someday soon Jesus will enter your life in a way that will not give you any choice but to accept him into your hardened and lonely hearts. I have to say also that when people speak of Acceptance, Choice, Love, and all of the above, Do you really mean it? Because if a lot of you would think about it, the last time I checked, as of this moment we still live in a FREE country, that means all of us are Free to protest or to disagree with politics and Laws that we do not believe in. Where did all this Hate and violence come from in our time anyway. What is the deal, Why don’t you lefties go back to how your parents operated back in the 60’s smoke a joint and speak your mind, But stop being so Nasty, We Pro-lifers are not trying to hurt anyone all we want is to be heard and express our beliefs. I am so sick of your generalizations, Each one of us is unique and special in our own way, even you lefties, that is how GOD made us.
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Hello, Can not shut up a red headed Irish woman, Ha Ha! YES, we do have jobs, I am employed by a Jewish Carpenter and he is the best boss anyone could ask for. You might want to apply for a job with him? He takes all kinds, even lefties.
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Hello, Can not shut up a red headed Irish woman, Ha Ha! YES, we do have jobs, I am employed by a Jewish Carpenter and he is the best boss anyone could ask for. You might want to apply for a job with him? He takes all kinds, even lefties.