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Responding to massive media coverage calling Norma McCorvey’s life into question, people who knew her say the media’s conclusions are taking her life out of context – perhaps on purpose — in advance of the Friday, May 22 airing of the program.
MEDIA ADVISORY: For a conversation between two people who knew Norma, join Students for Life on Facebook as Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins talks with Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life, who was a decades-long friend of Norma McCorvey. The Facebook Live Event will be here at 9:15 a.m. eastern.
WASHINGTON D.C. (05-21-2020) – In response to headlines across the country about an FX production examining the life of Norma McCorvey, better known as Jane Roe in Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court case that along with Doe v. Boltonallowed for legal abortion in the U.S. up to 9 months of pregnancy, pro-life leaders who actually knew her – some for decades, some who shared their homes with her – sent an open letter to Fx Chairman John Landgraf and director Nick Sweeney expressing doubt about whether the whole story is being told and asking to see the raw footage of interviews.
An overwhelming avalanche of evidence exists that Norma McCorvey’s commitment to the pro-life cause was sincere, genuine and passionate. In light of such evidence (interviews, books, court documents, etc.), no statements in such a documentary could ever undo or reverse that commitment. Any attempt to characterize Norma as a less than genuine pro-life advocate by failing to balance statements she may have made to the film’s director with that avalanche of evidence, reduces this film to nothing more than shameful, shallow sensationalism.
Releasing the documentary after Norma’s death in a manner designed for maximum effect takes from her the opportunity to address the claims. On her behalf, people who knew her respectfully submit the following letter in her memory and in light of our memories of her.
Open Letter
To: FX Entertainment Chairman John Landgraf and the Director of AKA Jane Roe Nick Sweeney
From: The Pro-life Advocates who Actually Knew Norma McCorvey
Dear Mr. Landgraf and Mr. Sweeney,
The following is a joint statement from pro-life leaders who knew her, some for decades, some who took her into their homes and shared their lives for years, in response to widespread media reports on the FX’ AKA Jane Roe that focuses on Norma McCorvey, set to air Friday, May 22.
Not content with trashing pro-life hero Phyllis Schlafly, FX has now set its sights on a pro-choice heroine turned pro-life heroine; Norma McCorvey (Roe in Roe v. Wade). Most of us have seen caricatures of ourselves in the media made possible by selective editing, outright omissions, and direct falsehoods. An entertainment enterprise is the last place any of us would seek out for the facts on women whom we actually knew, loved and admired.
Norma was a woman who lived a complicated life and experienced many heartaches. She struggled to make her place in the world, but she never sought an abortion or had one, though the minds behind Roe v. Wade implied the opposite. She regretted the way she was used in the case that ultimately carried her name. We know this because she said so, directly, to many of us. And as we personally know, she carried her pro-life convictions with pride and passion. And in a sworn affidavit, she affirmed her convictions, signing her name to this statement: “I obviously advocated legalized abortion for many years following Roe v. Wade. But, working in the abortion clinics forced me to accept what abortion really is: It is a violent act which kills human beings and destroys the peace and the real interests of the mothers involved.”
At the end of her life, some of us engaged with Norma and were able to spend time with her. This also makes us wonder about the broader context of the conversations presented in this edited documentary designed to shock and undermine her story. We ask for the unedited footage of the exchanges, to see for ourselves just what was left on the proverbial cutting room floor.
With the strength of the pro-life movement throwing that Supreme Court decision back into the balance, the abortion industry and its media lackies are scrambling to rewrite history and shift public sentiment in favor of Roe in order to protect abortion. What does it mean to support Roe v. Wade? It means supporting an unjust and unconstitutional ruling that sanctioned the violent killings of 60 million American children and counting. It means applauding a death count that grows by the thousands each day. It means protecting the license to kill.
The bottom line is that the woman we knew personally does not resemble the woman portrayed on FX, which is why we skeptically reject a production that came out after Norma’s death, when she couldn’t correct the record for herself and which contradicted her earlier statements. Fact Check FX: your production doesn’t line up with the decades of friendship we personally shared with Norma. FX, we don’t believe you and want to see the raw footage.
We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Pro-Life Leaders who knew and worked with Norma
To see the full list of names, follow to the link where others may be added.
Students for Life of America is distributing the letter, representing a group effort of pro-life leaders.
For media interviews, e-mail Kristi at khamrick@studentsforlife.org
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Students for Life of America is the nation’s largest, pro-life, youth organization. Headquartered in Fredericksburg, VA, SFLA serves more than 1200 groups on college, universities and high school campuses in all 50 states.
