War Over New York Crisis Pregnancy Centers Far From Over



NEW YORK – Chris Slattery of Expectant Mother Care, one of the main pro-life crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) involved in the attempt by the pro-abortion New York state attorney general to interfere with the operation of the pro-life centers, has warned that reports of a conclusion to the battle are premature.

“I believe, now, that the boasting of victory in the battle of the CPCs vs. the NY State Attorney General was a big mistake and dangerous,” Slattery said. “Our supporters now think it's all over; we've won, and Spitzer's a reasonable guy, and call off the pressure.”

While New York Attorney General Elliot Spitzer has withdrawn the subpoenas against nine New York CPCs following an agreement with one of the small centers, Birthright, Slattery warns that “this model is an outrageous violation of the CPCs' freedom of speech. It completely restricts our crisis counseling against abortion.” A spokesman for Spitzer explained that although they were withdrawn, the subpoenas could be reissued later if settlement talks prove fruitless.

Moreover, South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon was quoted on the “Alan Keyes is Making Sense” TV program on the MSNBC network on February 27 as saying that Spitzer “implied that they [the CPCs] were involved … with the murder of abortion providers in the state of New York, which I thought was an outrageous accusation or implication to make.”

Other crisis pregnancy centers are rejecting the Birthright decision to trust and work with Spitzer. In an interview with Cybercast News Service, Jacque Wagner, director of CareNet Pregnancy Centers of Western New York in Utica said she is leery and disappointed with Birthright's decision. “I think they sold themselves out … [and] I don't think they have set the precedent for the rest of us; I think [Spitzer] is just trying to put that spin on it.”


(This article courtesy of Catholic World News. To subscribe or for further information, contact subs@cwnews.com or visit www.cwnews.com.)

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