Parliamentary Probity

BBC, Jan. 22 — Three Labor Party members of Parliament in Britain have decided to survey doctors about the link between abortion and breast cancer.

One of them, Claire Curtis-Thomas, referred to studies suggesting the link and stated that women have a right to know all the consequences before undergoing abortions.

Curtis-Thomas told the news service that 28 of 37 such studies carried out since the 1950s found an increased risk of cancer among women who had abortions.

“We want to see whether or not the U.K. experience either supports or refutes this evidence,” she said. “The risk as far as we are able to see is approximately double, and there are a huge number of young women choosing abortion in this country.”

Driving Unborn Aussies

THE AGE (Australia), Jan. 18 — It might soon be a criminal offense in Victoria, Australia, to cause the death of an unborn baby in a car crash.

The proposed change is part of a Department of Justice review paper on dangerous driving laws released Jan. 18.

Under current law, the death of an unborn baby in an auto accident is considered only an injury to the pregnant woman.

The Accidental Pro-Lifer

ORLANDO SENTINEL, Jan. 21 — The gesture might have been unintentional, but a mayor's recent signing of a “Life Is Precious Day” proclamation is being hailed by pro-lifers in his city anyway.

After the day's naming went into effect in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 18, Mayor Buddy Dyer said he did not remember signing the declaration last October. It only came to his attention, according to the paper, when fellow Democrats criticized him for recognizing a pro-life cause.

The mayor countered: The declaration wasn't necessarily meant to make a statement about abortion but only to commemorate the services of Orlando's First Life Center for Pregnancy, which is known for its strong pro-life stance.

Silent No More

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, Jan. 21 — Among the thousands of pro-life marchers who took to the streets from California to Washington, D.C., to mark the 31st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision the week of Jan. 19, a group outside the Colorado state capitol caught the attention of the Rocky Mountain News.

“My name was ‘Gullible,’ and this is my story,” said one of 14 speakers who came to tell their stories about their abortions and why they ended up regretting their choice.

Women who at first saw the Roe v. Wade decision as a step forward, the newspaper said, are now part of a new movement to overturn it. They formed groups such as Silent No More, who led the march on the Colorado capitol, and are becoming common at the annual marches.

The women who spoke shared a host of problems associated with abortion, including infertility and suicide attempts.