Questioning the 'strange silence' on abortion stats

Retired New York State Assemblyman Michael Benjamin, in a N.Y. Post column, questions why recent statistics showing that 41 percent of all New York City pregnancies end in abortion have not provoked "citywide outrage." Benjamin, who is black, also highlights the staggering abortion statistics in the NYC African-American community, where 60 percent of all babies are aborted.

From Benjamin's Post column:

The local chapters of the National Organization for Women and Planned Parenthood reflexively defend this ugly disparity. Planned Parenthood says that if (Archbishop Timothy) Dolan, (Rev. Michael) Faulkner and their allies are really committed to lowering the city's abortion rate, they should support efforts to reduce unintended pregnancies, like sex education and birth control.

Yet the statistics should be sobering. Dolan says, "We've been hearing for many years from pro-choice supporters that abortion should be 'safe, legal and rare.' Well, if that's the goal, we've clearly, abysmally failed -- especially here in New York City."

Sorry: The NOW/Planned Parenthood-endorsed regime of "comprehensive" sex education, condoms and birth control has been in place for decades in New York City -- yet the abortion rate stands at 48 percent in The Bronx. The city is in the pregnancy-prevention business as well, having distributed 40 million free condoms in 2009.

None of this seems to be having the intended effect. It may be time for a different approach.

The 87,000 abortions performed in 2009 have caused me to question my pro-choice votes in the state Assembly in support of Medicaid-funded abortions. Was I an enabler of abortion as a family-planning tool?

Read the full column HERE.