Words from a sidewalk counselor

It seems to me that the sidewalk counseling movement is more religiously oriented than the pro-life movement as a whole, which probably explains why SecularProLife.org hasn’t given sidewalk counseling the attention it deserves. For that, I apologize. (Although we did try our hand at a secular sidewalk handout.)

The following is an excerpt from a piece that was originally posted on the blog of Expectant Mother Care, a chain of pro-life pregnancy clinics in New York City. Their interns take part in sidewalk counseling in addition to in-clinic services. Intern Rose Marie describes her experience as a sidewalk counselor in a way that will make people of any faith or no faith outraged.

The nurses and escorts outside the abortion clinic go to great lengths to keep girls going into the clinic from talking to us and take away any literature we give them saying, “This isn’t allowed in our center.” However, when girls come walking out of the clinic crying the nurses and escorts are nowhere to be found and we’re left to pick up the pieces.

On girl came out emotionless. She had opted for a sonogram before her abortion but wasn’t allowed to see her unborn child with her own eyes. The doctor told her she was only 6 weeks along but after the abortion she was given the sonogram picture and found out she was actually 12. When she finally decided to talk she said, “If I had known how far along I was, I wouldn’t have done it.”