Last month, the Yale Hotel in Michigan tried to become an abortion destination for women in Pro-Life states. Time Magazine reports the controversial marketing move. The decision was met with disappointment by many, but abortion activists love the idea and are now offering to drive women seeking an elective abortion to Michigan to end their preborn children’s lives.
In a Facebook post, the hotel’s general manager Shelly O’Brian wrote, “We cannot do anything about the way you are being treated in your home-state” after listing several states that recently passed strong Pro-Life laws. She continued, “But if you can make it to Michigan, we will support you with several nights lodging, and transportation to and from your appointment.” Interestingly, O’Brian never mentions the word “abortion” in her post, but based on context, this is what she is facilitating.
The Yale Hotel is in the town of Yale, Michigan, which does not have an abortion facility, but the location is a short drive to Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses. In response to O’Brian’s surprising decision to open the hotel as an abortion lodging, one woman commented that people were celebrating abortion. O’Brian’s reaction was telling. She wrote, “Dorothy, no one is celebrating abortion. If I had my way, there would never be another. But, I live in the real world, and the sad truth is, that not all pregnancies go as planned and without it, many women will suffer and/or die.”
Tragically, a woman in Michigan did die, not from lack of abortion but from legal, so-called “safe” abortion. The family of Cree Erwin-Sheppard, the 24-year-old woman killed by a botched abortion at Planned Parenthood, continues to seek justice. Abortion is not necessary, and O’Brian could join the Pro-Life movement which is working to build a Culture of Life where there will “never be another” abortion. Not merely because they would all be illegal, but because killing an innocent human being would be unthinkable.
Other abortion businesses in Michigan have also been marred by scandal, including one that called 911 five times in six months. At other abortion facilities in the state, the bodies of 17 babies killed in abortion were discovered in the dumpster, prompting an investigation of the facility. Figuring out what to do with the bodies is a significant problem for abortion facilities. One Michigan abortionist joked about sending abortion patients home with the body of their deceased baby, saying, “Um, we thought, we’ll give it to everybody in a gift bag – they can take it home, figure out what to do with it. It’s their pregnancy, and why is this our problem?”
As Live Action noted, the Yale Hotel is part of the problem: “instead of saving lives, it helps women take the lives of their preborn children.” Abortion activists claim that legal abortion is necessary to ensure that the lethal procedure is “safe,” yet at the same time they laud people who encourage women to cross state lines to undergo an elective abortion and even glorify anti-Life radicals who committed illegal abortions.
Many Pro-Lifers spoke up, asking O’Brian if the Yale Hotel would offer free lodging to a mother who chooses Life for her child or if her offer was only for abortion, like so many other “pro-choice” positions. O’Brian replied, “I have a gutted space that would be perfect for a small apartment. If you and your anti-abortion friends can raise enough money for it to be finished, I’ll take her in for her entire pregnancy and 6 weeks recoup time.” She seemed skeptical that Pro-Lifers would be willing to contribute to supporting mothers who choose Life, but they already do. Pregnancy resource centers across the country offer resources and support to mothers and their families throughout pregnancy and the first several years of a child’s life. O’Brian asked the Pro-Lifers, “Are you willing to put your money where your mouths are?” The answer has already been a resounding “yes.”
