Vitae working to make abortion 'unthinkable'

Though a bill that would ban a type of abortion is pending in the U.S. Senate this month, one pro-life organization says its focus is elsewhere. The Vitae Caring Foundation held a dinner Thursday night to raise funds for an anti-abortion ad campaign, but they say that they have no political ambitions.

"We would love to have abortion become illegal, but our primary goal is to make it unthinkable," said Vitae regional director Maureen McHenry, whose organization does not lobby or endorse political candidates. "Our mission is to change the culture, change a woman's heart."

Vitae intended to raise $40,000 through donations from those who attended the dinner, money that would fund four to five TV ads per day for two months in the Cape Girardeau area.

Rick Horton, former pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals and guest speaker at the event, said that Vitae's work is encouraging and counters the "bad education" of women from other sources.

"The first time I saw one of these ads, I had tears in my eyes. I said that is passion, that is truth, that is influential," he said.

The House passed a bill that would ban a procedure known as partial-birth abortion on Oct. 2, and earlier reports indicated that the Senate would vote on it soon after.

"The next step is to pass the conference report and I am hopeful the Senate will vote on this soon," U.S. Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., said.

Talent and Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., have been co-sponsors of anti-abortion legislation and will vote for this bill, they said.

rgoodier@semissourian.com

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