Here’s Why Democrats Have Waged War On Pregnancy Centers

Auguste MeyratJuly 25, 2022

More than a hundred pregnancy centers across the country have been vandalized this year in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Nevertheless, the Department of Justice still has done nothing about this despite pledging to conduct investigations. Most politicians and the corporate media seem completely uninterested in discussing the matter, much less calling for any action.

When given the opportunity to be on the right side of this problem with a proposed resolution to condemn the violence, House Democrats promptly voted against it. They made it clear that they do not want to defend pregnancy centers. They believe violence against these places is acceptable.

Even though it’s well known that leftists like to celebrate abortion and are upset about the recent decision of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, it’s hard to fathom why they should hate pregnancy centers. These organizations help women with their pregnancies, offering all kinds of support during and after pregnancy. They aren’t harassing abortionists or marching in the streets and disrupting traffic. They are fully pro-woman and work to offer a choice besides abortion for desperate mothers.

Nevertheless, Democrats have demonized pregnancy centers. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., wants to shut all of them down because they “fool people who are looking for pregnancy termination” and “torture” expecting mothers by offering them a way to have their baby safely. Although pro-lifers have rightly criticized Warren for these remarks, many on the left tacitly agree with her.

But why? Not only is it flatly contradictory to come out as “pro-choice” and yet eliminate the choice to have a baby, but it’s also wrong to bully charitable organizations that serve vulnerable mothers. Why do pregnancy centers draw so much hate?

One reason is that pregnancy centers are bad for the abortion business. Because people are constantly bombarded by the pro-abortion rhetoric of liberation and female empowerment, they tend to forget that Planned Parenthood and every other abortion provider is a business seeking to make money. Pregnancy centers cut into their profits by taking away clients and siphoning off public funding. In response, they lobby Congress and donate to political campaigns like Warren’s in order to hamstring and shut down their competitors.

Another reason is that pregnancy centers are the most powerful refutation of abortion. They enable women to endure the difficulties associated with carrying a child and bringing it to term. They provide the material, emotional, and spiritual support necessary to have a baby. Besides giving that child a chance for a healthy and happy life, they do the same for mothers who suffer from abuse, poverty, and several other challenges.

Understanding this is essential. Although most debates over abortion often center on the question of personhood, the real reason most women seek an abortion is that having a baby is difficult. Even if a mother makes the heart-wrenching decision to put her child up for adoption, she still has to go through nine months of pregnancy and delivery. Her body, mind, and soul will be tested, and, at times, it will feel overwhelming.

Once the baby is born, these difficulties continue. Infants are needy and fragile. They continue demanding everything from the mother, who, in turn, will require a great deal of assistance from the father or whoever else is around to lend a hand. For the typical modern adult accustomed to an easy job, abundant leisure, and relatively few responsibilities, having a baby is more than merely disruptive; it is traumatic.

However, despite this, most parents will say a family is worth it. Yes, there’s often pain, suffering, and boredom, but just as often, there’s joy, fulfillment, and fun. With a child, there may be many trials, but there are no regrets. With abortion, there may be fewer trials, but regret will always be present.

This is why the goal of the pro-abortion crowd is less about explaining away the humanity of the unborn and more about making parenthood seem impossible. They will play up the rigors of pregnancy, childbirth, and childrearing while downplaying the accompanying rewards. Simultaneously, they will portray abortion as a consequence-free escape that will enable women to live their best lives.

In this most recent vote, Democrats have shown their hand. More than pro-life protests, pro-life media, or even pro-life politicians voting to outlaw abortions, they fear women who are in dire circumstances deciding to have their children. If word gets out that it’s possible to make it through pregnancy, have a child, and take care of that child in its infancy, many women may start to realize just how unnecessary and abominable the alternative is.

The pro-abortion left operates on the assumption that all women are weak, selfish, and unable to succeed as mothers. Pregnancy centers thwart these assumptions by empowering women and helping them turn what seems like a problem into a blessing with limitless potential. If Democrats choose to condemn these organizations, the pro-life movement needs to support them all the more by sharing in the work of helping mothers and building up a pro-family culture.

Auguste Meyrat is an English teacher in the Dallas area. He holds an MA in humanities and an MEd in educational leadership. He is the senior editor of The Everyman and has written essays for The Federalist, The American Conservative, and The Imaginative Conservative, as well as the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture. Follow him on Twitter.