Serrin Foster on the ACLU of Michigan vs. the Coercive Abortion Prevention Act

Serrin Foster, the president of Feminists for Life is none too pleased with the ACLU of Michigan's position on a package of bills to prevent women from being coerced into abortion.

Here's an excerpt from an e-mail I received:

Sadly, Ms. Moss' statements are inconsistent with the ACLU's record of supporting the rights of women who choose to bear the children they have conceived. After stating, "Let's be clear: No one should be coerced into having an abortion or having a baby," Ms. Moss takes a very different path. "However, if the Legislature really cared about protecting pregnant women, lawmakers would put more effort into ensuring that women have the resources they need to avoid unintended pregnancies and that those who are victims of abuse can get meaningful help."

Huh? How do "resources… to avoid unintended pregnancies" protect a woman who is already pregnant? And doesn't providing "meaningful help" for survivors of abuse include protecting them from coercion? If a woman does not want an abortion, those who coerce her through threats of violence, blackmail, divorce, or loss of housing, employment, or educational opportunities must be punished. No choice isn't pro-choice.

If a woman does not want an abortion and is experiencing coercion, it makes sense to mobilize doctors to support her free choice. There is ample precedent for this approach. Legislators across the U.S. have already enacted laws that require doctors and teachers to report suspected domestic violence or child abuse. Doctors can be a part of the solution to unwanted abortions as well.

Related: ACLU of Michigan is against a measure to prevent abortion coercion