If California Shuts Down Abortion Pill Reversal, Thousands of Babies Will Die
I’ve tried my best to keep my readers up to date on the one-sided battle which pits the power of the government—in this particular case, the attorney general of California—against Heartbeat International, the largest network of pregnancy help organizations in the U.S. and globally, and RealOptions, which operate four licensed medical clinics the San Francisco Bay Area. Their crime?
They have the gall, the effrontery, the chutzpah to save over 8,000 babies thanks to the Abortion Pill Rescue Network (APRN), managed by Heartbeat. As you can imagine, the stakes are enormous.
It’s not just that it represents the first lawsuit over APR to reach trial in the U.S. which is bad enough. California AG Ron Bonta wants to extract a cool $20 million dollars, effectively (he hopes) bankrupting Heartbeat. Women all over the nation depend on Heartbeat to “provide pregnancy consultation, intervention and support; education and information on pregnancy adoption, abortion, sexually transmitted infections (STIs/STDs); services and referrals for ongoing needs.”
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In addition to posing an enormous threat to the financial underpinnings of Heartbeat, Bonta’s lawsuit also places free speech in its crosshairs. How so, you might ask?
“Heartbeat and RealOptions argue that the state’s case is an unprecedented use of consumer protection law to restrict the free flow of medical information and that no woman should be forced to complete an abortion that she no longer wants,” according to Lisa Bourne.
The Thomas More Society is defending Heartbeat and RealOptions. As they wrote
AG Bonta’s complaint is fatally defective under both California and U.S. Supreme Court precedent. Under the Free Speech guarantees of the First Amendment, Heartbeat has absolutely every right to advocate for, and help women connect with practitioners of, Abortion Pill Reversal.
In addition, Heartbeat posted “An Open Letter in Support of the Abortion Pill Rescue Network” in which “More than 200 women whose children were saved following Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) treatment voiced gratitude for the assistance they received from the Abortion Pill Rescue Network (APRN) – and disagreement with government officials suing to quash speech about APR – markedly more people have joined in to back APR,” Bourne writes.
In the letter, the grateful Moms write
Regardless of one’s views on abortion, women facing life-altering decisions should never be denied information simply because others disagree with it. Nor should they be criticized, dismissed, or silenced for seeking help.
For years, the Abortion Pill Rescue Network has connected women with healthcare professionals who provide information, answer questions, and offer care to those who inquire about the abortion pill reversal protocol. Women contact the network voluntarily, often during moments of uncertainty, fear, or regret. They deserve to be treated with compassion and respect.
Recent efforts to characterize the provision of hope and information as misconduct are deeply concerning. In a free society, women should be able to seek second opinions, ask questions, explore alternatives, and make decisions in consultation with healthcare professionals. Restricting access to information does not empower women. It limits their choices.
AG Bonta’s jihad against Heartbeat and RealOptions began June 24 and is still going strong.
LifeNews.com Note: Dave Andrusko is the editor of National Right to Life News and an author and editor of several books on abortion topics. He frequently writes Today’s News and Views — an online opinion column on pro-life issues.
