Conspicuous Crosses

THE PRESS-TRIBUNE, Jan.23 — Project 33, a California pro-life group, has sparked reflection and a new awareness of abortion by erecting 944 crosses in front of Foothills Community Church in Sacramento.

Project 33’s name represents the 33rd anniversary of Roe vs. Wade and the estimated one-third of pregnancies terminated by abortion since 1973.

Joycelyn Golden, a volunteer who helped erect the crosses, said she had an abortion after being raped, but contrasts that with her black ancestors, who during the slave era would still honor a child’s birth, no matter how it was conceived.

Chris Lee, a father of two, said that “people don’t think about what has been taken away [through abortion]. You don’t know what they could have contributed.”

Abstinence Works

THE WASHINGTON TIMES, Jan. 24 — Abstinence from sex before marriage has strong support from the people who matter most — teenagers and young adults, according to a new Harris Poll. The survey reveals 56% of those 18-24 and 60% of people 25-29 think abstinence programs reduce the rates of HIV and AIDS.

Meanwhile, 49% of 18- to 24-year-olds and 60% of 25- to 29-year-olds say abstinence education programs are effective in reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies.    

According to the Times story, younger-age categories were the most likely of six age groups to find abstinence education effective, which is a promising trend.

Restrictions Favored

ABC NEWS, Jan. 17 — A new poll conducted by Angus Reid for the TV network and The Washington Post reveals that 70% of U.S. respondents favor greater restrictions on abortion with only 27% saying that abortion’s availability should remain unchanged (permitted in all cases).

Thirty-three percent of respondents said that abortion should be permitted only in cases such as rape, incest and to save the woman’s life; 17% said abortion should be allowed to save a woman’s life.