OPINION (PROJECT 21 LEADERSHIP NETWORK) – As Election Day approaches, progressives are struggling to find positions on issues that resonate with voters. On most topics important to the electorate—such as the border crisis and immigration, the economy and inflation, and crime and public safety—conservatives hold a significant lead. However, one issue where the left has an advantage is abortion, prompting them to heavily lean on this topic to drive their voters to the polls. This focus has led to a narrative surrounding abortion that is both shocking and deeply troubling.
Recent progressive messaging has centered around the deaths of two black women in Georgia, Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, following their use of FDA-approved abortion medications. Progressives hope to leverage these tragedies for electoral success, but they have unintentionally highlighted the serious risks associated with these drugs, as well as a troubling pattern of denial and exploitation by the party and the media.
Contrary to media narratives, these women did not die because of the much-maligned state pro-life laws. They died after taking abortion pills marketed as safe and effective—pills that do not require a doctor’s visit or even a follow-up examination to ensure the patient’s health after use. Instead, they experienced painful complications that the abortion industry and its supporters seem all too willing to ignore.
Why did they suffer? Because of misleading information from the media regarding the safety of these drugs, combined with fearmongering about abortion restrictions in Georgia.
Regarding Amber Thurman’s tragic death from sepsis, it highlights the absence of proper medical oversight that should accompany such procedures. As ProPublica reported, “She showed up at Piedmont Henry Hospital in need of a routine procedure to clear the tissue from her uterus, called a dilation and curettage, or D&C. But just that summer, her state had made performing the procedure a felony, with few exceptions. Any doctor who violated the new Georgia law could be prosecuted and face up to a decade in prison.” However, Georgia law does allow for the removal of a deceased unborn child, which is precisely what a D&C would accomplish.