Letter to the Editor: Circumstances of Conception

There is an aspect of the abortion debate that you rarely hear about. Less than 1 percent of abortions are done for victims of rape, incest or life of the mother, yet rape is used to justify legalizing abortion. The value of human life doesn’t change due to the circumstances of its conception.

Attorney Rebecca Kiessling was conceived during a brutal knife point rape. The rape counselor set her birth mom up for an abortion, but she couldn’t go through with it. Rebecca feels she has to prove she should not have been aborted and is worthy of life. She is a spokesperson for “hard cases”.

Jennifer Christie became pregnant during a rape. She states “My son was never a ‘rapist’s child’ or a ‘product of rape’… he is my child.” She heads the group “Save the 1”, with over 600 members, mostly rape survivors or conceived in rape, incest or sex trafficking.

Conceived in rape, Ryan Bomberger was adopted into a large loving family, and now addresses his right to be here. “I am the one percent used to justify 100 percent of abortions.” He started the Radiance Foundation. Ryan also says “I’m not the ‘residue of the rapist’, I’m the resilience of my birth mom.”

Former Miss Pennsylvania Valerie Gallo was conceived in rape and raised by her birth mom. She says “… you can’t let your circumstances define your life”. She now educates women about sexual assault.

Another survivor said, “Giving birth is proof that love is stronger than hate”.

Due to the trauma of rape, survivors rarely get pregnant. But it does happen. Most survivors reject abortion. After the trauma of rape, they would be re-traumatized by the violence of abortion. Abortion doesn’t heal the trauma of rape, it adds to it. “Erasing” the baby won’t erase the rape. Rape is horrific and tragic. Victims need real help, not more trauma. “Hard Cases” do not make a basis for laws supporting abortion.

Carol Newman

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin