National group boots Right to Life

Colo. chapter had ripped Dobson in newspaper ads

Jean Torkelson, Rocky Mountain News

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Colorado's anti-abortion movement is in turmoil after Colorado Right to Life was dumped by its national organization Wednesday, in large part for attacking Focus on the Family founder James Dobson.

"We got kicked out for speaking the truth," said Leslie Hanks, longtime vice president of Colorado Right to Life, one of the nation's oldest anti-abortion groups. "But we have to stand for what's right and suffer the consequences."

The booting of the organization, which was founded in the early 1970s - several years before National Right to Life - signals a deep philosophical rift in the movement. It's between those who believe abortion must be stopped all at once, which is the hard-line approach of Colorado Right to Life, and those who believe abortion will be overcome by making incremental changes in public beliefs and laws.

Officials of National Right to Life banished the Colorado chapter during its annual convention in Kansas City. The vote was at the urging of a new organization, Colorado Citizens for Life.

That group was immediately accepted as the new chapter for Colorado. It was founded by former state legislator Pat Miller and longtime Colorado Springs Right to Life activist Connie Pratt.

"Colorado Right to Life wants Roe vs. Wade overturned - the whole thing - all at once," Miller said Wednesday. "All of us in the pro-life movement wish it could happen that way, but common sense says it won't."

Long-simmering resentments erupted in a coup after Colorado Right to Life and three other groups took out newspaper ads accusing Dobson of misrepresenting a Supreme Court decision upholding a ban on what opponents call partial-birth abortion.

Dobson had praised the ruling as a victory for abortion foes, but the Colorado group jeered that it would only encourage doctors to find "less shocking" methods.

"It's our contention it's a wicked ruling," Hanks said. She added that her group expected Dobson "to stick with his own pledge he made back in the early '90s saying he would never support any strategy that compromises life."

On Wednesday, Focus on the Family issued a statement calling Colorado Right to Life "a rogue and divisive group," and praised the National Right to Life organization for making "the tough decision" to kick out the group.

"Rather than use their money and energy to advance pro-life goals, (the Colorado group) chose instead to attack its allies in the cause," the Focus statement said.

Miller said anti-abortion activists began a chorus of complaints after the Dobson attack, indicating they wanted new leadership in Colorado.

"I just think it was an embarrassment when they took on James Dobson," she said.

She lamented the rift between longtime colleagues but predicted they would all work together again: "You know, these are my friends. This isn't anything personal; this is politics.'"

Miller said her new group has just begun to organize "from scratch" by sending out letters to about 200 people they know are sympathetic to their cause.

Hanks also lamented the rift but said, "Obviously, people are critical of us for causing division, but what good is unity and saying everything's great if babies are still dying?"

Hanks said her organization, with a mailing list of 14,000, would continue to use the name "Right to Life" and added, "If there's any attempt to go after our name, there truly will be a lawsuit."

torkelsonj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5055