Former Abortionist Urges Use of Political, Spiritual, Muscle
by Gerri Laird
After a homosexual lifestyle, several influential positions on behalf of legalized abortion, president of the Delaware chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW), and public relations work at an abortion clinic, Eric Harrah became co-owner of a chain of 13 abortion facilities while managing another 13 clinics.
In 1997, after many struggles with active pro-lifers, Harrah opened a clinic in State College, Pa., and walked away seven weeks later. He attributes his conversion to a local Christian pro-lifer who met with him frequently and "adopted" him spiritually.
Harrah was interviewed by The Catholic World Report in the January 1999 issue. The advice of this expert in the abortion industry is apropos in light of our own pro-life work. Harrah's public relations work included marketing the abortion facility to college campuses, military recruiters, high-school guidance counselors, private physicians, etc.
On a computer, he created 10,000 rolodex cards with name, phone number and a special tab which always stuck out inviting calls to his 1-800 number. Harrah suggests that pro-life organizations do likewise and that people for life donate more money to crisis pregnancy centers, so that they can have huge Yellow Pages ads, because the bigger ads get people's attention.
Harrah explains during his interview how the abortion industry is actually a funding mechanism for the radical left. They contribute to such groups as NOW, the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, the Fund for the Feminist Majority and the American Civil Liberties Union. In turn, these groups send clients to the supporting clinics. Racism is rampant, and women are treated as "cattle" — sometimes even wrist-banded with a number.
Harrah points out that a skillful physician can perform 60 to 70 first-trimester abortions a day. He protected himself against lawsuits by having enormous consent forms, 30 pages in length. "These women basically signed their lives away; they signed away every legal right they ever had." When a woman tries to sue, the abortionist threatens to expose her through the media so all of her friends and relatives will know she had an abortion. This usually ends the suit.
Harrah mentioned Mark Crutcher and Life Dynamics, Inc. as one of the most devastating pro-life groups — even to the point where several abortionists joined forces and hired private investigators to check into his background. Crutcher's book, Lime Five, exposes the criminal side of the abortion industry. When asked what pro-life groups are the most dangerous to the abortion industry, he mentioned crisis pregnancy centers, sidewalk counselors and people who pray outside the clinics.
Harrah sends rather strong messages to Catholics. "In the abortion industry, we didn't fear the Protestants. It was the Catholics who we hated. There was an immense hatred of the Catholic Church and of the Catholics' political muscle and of their social muscle... The Catholics realized...the very fundamental fact that the fight against abortion is never going to be won at a national level. It is going to be won at a local level. Catholic Charities is considered to be very effective. So is the Catholic adoption network. They lead the fight in adoption." Harrah entreats people to take their convictions with them wherever they go.
The interview concludes with a moving moment he experienced before the Tabernacle. "The other day I went to a function for a crisis pregnancy center to Ohio. It was a beautiful church. After it was over, two women came up to me and said they wanted to show me something. They took me to the sanctuary and showed me—the tabernacle... They said, 'Can you kneel down, and can we pray with you?' I had never prayed in a Catholic church before and I was a little bit nervous. It was such a beautiful experience for me. It actually softened my heart up a lot, because I had — still, from my time in the abortion industry — some hard feelings toward Catholics; I kind of thought of Catholics as not being really Christians. But after that experience... To tell you the truth, I felt the spirit of God so much there. I don't even remember if I could say that I have felt the spirit of God that much, any place I've ever been."
This item 861 digitally provided courtesy of CatholicCulture.org
