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The Silent No More Awareness Campaign is an American-based anti-abortion campaign of two larger organizations, Priests for Life and Anglicans for Life. It was co-founded in 2003 by Janet Morana, Executive Director of Priests for Life, and Georgette Forney, President of Anglicans for Life. Morana and Forney stated that in starting the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, they were responding to a need for a pro-life ministry in which men and women who had had experiences of abortion could offer and gain support
Contents
Events
The campaign hosts several Silent No More events, or gatherings. At these events or gatherings, large placards bearing the words, "I Regret My Abortion," "I Regret Lost Fatherhood" and "Women Do Regret Abortion" are carried by participants of said gatherings as individuals give various testimonies about their personal experience with abortion.
Each year, members of the organization gather at the steps of the Supreme Court of the United States for a candlelight vigil. Congressman Christopher Smith of New Jersey has called the campaign
"...a powerful new voice". He also said, "These brave wounded women are the new champions of life. They have refused to be silent any longer. They care too deeply about other women and their children and they want others to be spared the anguish they have endured. And to the millions of women who have aborted, they are uniquely equipped to convey the breathtaking love, healing, and reconciliation that God provides to those who ask."
Positions
The Silent No More Awareness Campaign has promoted a disproved claim of abortion–breast cancer hypothesis, which posits a connection between abortion and breast cancer.
Silent No More has joined with other groups in protesting any modifications to the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.
Statistics
The campaign began November 11, 2002. As of July 2012 the Silent No More Awareness Campaign has held 1119 gatherings in 10 countries and 48 states with 5,554 women and men sharing their abortion testimonies.
There are 1,637 testimonies posted on the campaign website, with over 214 that are shared via video. As of July 2012, there are 11,750 people registered with the Campaign representing 67 countries. Silent No More has a presence in Canada, The United Kingdom, France, Spain and Uganda.
People who do not currently wish to join the campaign are invited to 'register their regret'; 2,610 women and 323 men have said on the Silent No More website that 'they regret their abortion or lost fatherhood'.
Public notability
Silent No More has attracted the attention of certain celebrities, including actress and former model Jennifer O'Neill, and singer Kelly Clinger, both of whom now serve as national spokespersons for the Campaign. O’Neill has appeared on the television show The View to share her story.
Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King, frequently speaks on behalf of Silent No More. She has had two abortions. She has stated that, "I work in the civil rights movement of our century -- the right of every one of every race to live. [...] Abortion and racism are evil twins, born of the same lie."
The National Catholic Black Congress has also mentioned Silent No More and its effects on their website.
Angelina Steenstra is the co-founder of the Canadian Silent No More Campaign. In her testimony for the ministry, she claims that her abortion was the beginning of a series of personal decisions she would later regret, ultimately causing her infertility.
On the night of the January 2012 March for Life, Chris Smith sponsored an hour of speeches by various members of the United States Congress on pro-life issues and mentioned the impact of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign. This is otherwise known as a Special Order. Congressman Smith as well as Congressman Jeff Fortenberry mentioned the SNM Campaign in their remarks.
The Holy See's official newspaper, L'Osstervatore Romano, published an article by Frank Pavone, Pastoral Director of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, about the work of the Campaign, on May 4, 2011. This article appeared alongside coverage of Pope Benedict XVI's speech about the pain and healing that follow abortion. As the Vatican's official newspaper, it is read by many Catholic Church leaders and bishops around the world.
On August 1, 2012, there was a Special Order on the floor of Congress headed by Representative Michele Bachmann, noting the 20th anniversary of Priests for Life, and she and others also mentioned the work of Janet Morana and Silent No More. Six total members of Congress spent 35 minutes speaking about the work of Priests for Life, referring to the Campaign. These six Representatives of Congress included Rep Chris Smith, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, Rep. Jean Schmidt, Rep. Louie Gohmert, and Rep. Tim Walberg. C-SPAN broadcast the Special Order live.
Events and activities
On its website, Silent No More lists various ongoing events, such as maintaining a presence at local abortion facilities, and speaking engagements at numerous pro-life conferences and conventions. The campaign is present on YouTube, MySpace, Twitter and Facebook.