Some opponents of abortion stated that the film gave a scientific basis to their position. Reagan said that "if every member of Congress could see that film, they would move quickly to end the tragedy of abortion." The film's producers reportedly planned to send copies to every member of the United States Congress and to the Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States upon its release. The film was later distributed widely to high schools and colleges and, according to Time magazine, "embraced as an effective propaganda weapon by right-to-life organizations." The film was popular among people who opposed abortion, even being shown at the White House by then-President Ronald Reagan. The film premiered on televangelist Jerry Falwell's program, and aired five times over the span of a month on major television networks. The Silent Scream was viewed by its producer and by the anti-abortion lobby as a tool capable of swaying public opinion against abortion. This was the first time the images of an aborted fetus were given an electronic platform, as opposed to the printed form of the imagery used in prior years. Nathanson states that he believes the film is necessary in keeping women informed on matters concerning abortion. The film concludes by discussing the implications behind hiding this material from women. by the unfeeling steel instruments of the abortionist." He notes how the fetus's heartbeat speeds up and how it seems to open its mouth in a "chilling silent scream." The film culminates in the now-famous "silent scream" which is accompanied with a shrill musical accompaniment. He narrates that the fetus is unprepared for the invasion of the womb and attempts to escape the cannula, describing it as a "child being torn apart. The suction cannula is described as a lethal weapon that will "dismember, crush, and destroy" the child. As the images of an abortion appear on the screen, Nathanson describes step-by-step what is taking place, pointing out new instruments that are introduced into the uterus. Ī television screen shows ultrasound images of a fetus. He suggests that brain waves have been active for six weeks, though this is disputed by scientists. Nathanson states that the head, even at 12 weeks' gestation, will be too large to enter the suction device and shows how forceps are used to crush the skull. Nathanson displays the instruments used in a typical abortion and calmly demonstrates how each instrument is introduced into a woman's body during an abortion. He begins by stating the viewer is about to witness the "dazzling" new "science of fetology" and to witness an abortion in real time "from the victim's vantage point." The film compiled a series of still ultrasound images of the abortion of a twelve-week-old fetus (referred to as a child by Nathanson) spliced together to create the video. Nathanson, an anti-abortion (formerly pro-abortion rights) obstetrician, serves as both the medical expert and narrator of the film, describing the events of the abortion as they unfold. When critics continued to dispute that a fetus feels pain during the first two trimesters of pregnancy, Nathanson decided to make a movie, saying "I mulled it over and thought there's only one way we can resolve this issue, and that's by photographing an abortion, beginning to end." Overview Nathanson agreed with the president and issued a counterstatement. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued a statement in response to the president's comment, saying that the neurological pathways necessary to experience pain do not begin to develop until the third trimester of pregnancy. In a speech to the Association of National Religious Broadcasters in January 1984, Reagan stated that a fetus suffers "long and agonizing pain" during an abortion. Nathanson credits then-president Ronald Reagan for inspiring him to make The Silent Scream. The video has been a popular tool used by the anti-abortion campaign in arguing against abortion, but it has been criticized as misleading by members of the medical community. During the abortion process, the fetus is described as appearing to make outcries of pain and discomfort. The film depicts the abortion process via ultrasound and shows an abortion taking place in the uterus. The Silent Scream is a 1984 anti-abortion propaganda film directed by Jack Duane Dabner, narrated by Bernard Nathanson (an abortion-provider-turned-anti-abortion-activist), and produced in partnership with the National Right to Life Committee.
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