Americans United for Life published “Studies in Law and Medicine” in the 1970s and 1980s, spotlighting issues pertaining to the human right to life across the bioethics spectrum. As Americans United for Life celebrates our 50th anniversary, we are making these issues available for the first time since their print publication.
Abortion and American Foreign Policy by Patrick A. Truman
Population growth in Latin America, as well as in the rest of the world, is not considered to be in the interests of the United States. Thus, as a matter of foreign policy, population control of foreign lands is given a high priority both by the United States government and by publicly is given a high priority both by the United States government and by publicly and privately funded nongovernmental agencies in the United States. Foremost among abortion-promoting organizations in the U.S. is the Agency for International Development, part of the US Department of State. Even during the 1960s—before abortion was legal in the United States—AID promoted abortion worldwide. Its involvement has expanded steadily since that time.
Why does it continue? In my opinion, it does so only because the citizens in the United States, particularly those who are part of the prolife movement, are unaware of AID’s abortion activities. The prolife movement is now a powerful force in the United States and has the ability to drive AID completely out of the abortion business.
Every year since 1976, the right to life movement has been successful in persuading the US Congress to pass the Hyde amendment, a law prohibiting use of federal funds for abortion in the United States. In 41 of the 50 states the movement has been the driving force behind the implementation of laws prohibiting the use of state finds for abortion. The people in the United States do not want their tax dollars spend for abortion and the prolife movement has transformed this sentiment into public policy. Once informed of AID’s protection of abortion, I am confident the pro-life movement will act to transform United States foreign policy into one that is also pro-life.
