A Rebuttal

Alright. So I promised to address WHY I think The Silent Scream is propaganda. When I first saw the film, back before I'd actually thought through the issue of abortion and just went along with the crowd I had always hung out with, and called myself anti-abortion, I was just as horrified as the makers wanted me to be. I, in fact, had to re-watch the film and find out the facts before my whole thinking the issue over was done.
That being said, once I stepped back, I could tell that it was made to 1) Hit that sensitive, emotional chord in all of us, and that made me suspicious, because I know that if all you have is emotion than there might not be anything to back it up. and 2) that led me to finding out the scientific facts about the film - I figured if they backed up the emotion than I was in for more deep thoughts.
But the scientific facts DIDN'T back up the emotion. An abortion is always sad to me; but it's because of the loss of potential and because I feel bad about some of the situations women find themselves in. I get that people don't agree.
So, I looked up what the experts said. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, teaching faculty from hospitals, etc. I tend to believe experts, they know what they're talking about.
So I looked stuff up: about 12-week old fetuses (actually, the fetus in the video was 11-weeks, but we'll just go with a week further in development, as that's what the scientists/doctors did)
The video claims:
1) The 12-week fetus experiences pain.
Facts: At that stage of pregnancy, the brain and nervous system are in the earliest stage of development. The beginnings of the brain stem, which includes a rudimentary thalamus and spinal cord, is being formed. Most brain cells aren't developed. WITHOUT A CEREBRAL CORTEX, PAIN IMPULSES CANNOT BE RECEIVED OR PERCEIVED.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists made a statement on pain of the fetus: "We know of no legitimate scientific information that supports the statement that a fetus experiences pain early in pregnancy. We do know that the cerebellum attains its final configuration in the seventh month and that mylenization (covering) of the spinal cord and the brain begins between the 20th and 40th weeks of pregnancy. These, as well as other neurological developments, would have to be in place for the fetus to receive pain. To feel pain, a fetus needs neurotransmitted hormones. In animals, these complex chemicals develop in the last third of gestation.
2) The 12-week fetus makes purposeful movements(e.g., agitated movement in an attempt to avoid suction cannula)
Facts: At this stage of prenancy, ALL FETAL MOVEMENT IS REFLEXIVE IN NATURE rather than purposeful, since the latter requires cognition, you can't perceive and know without a cortex - or a covered spinal cord and attached nerves. The same type of response ("frantic activity") would occur with any external stimulus. IN ADDITION, EXPERTS IN ULTRASONOGRAPHY AND FILM TECHNOLOGY HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THE VIDEOTAPE OF THE ABORTION WAS DELIBERATELY SLOWED DOWN AND SUBSEQUENTLY SPEEDED UP TO CREATE AN IMPRESSION OF HYPERACTIVITY. -I would like to add that THIS really made me feel that the video was propoganda!
3) The ultrasonogram depicts the open mouth of the fetus.
Facts: The mouth of the fetus cannot be identified in the ultrasound image with certainty. It COULD be the mouth though, I'll give them that. BUT
4) The fetus emits the "silent scream."
Facts: A SCREAM CANNOT OCCUR WITHOUT AIR IN THE LUNGS. Although primitive respiratory movements do occur in the later stages of gestation, crying, or screaming cannot occur even then. In fact, a child born prematurely at 26-27 weeks' gestation (24-25 weeks fetal age) cannot scream but occasionally emits weak cries. No scream- no film.
5) A fetus is indistinguishable from any of the rest of us.
Facts: A fetus at 12 weeks cannot in any way be compared to a fully formed functioning person. At this stage only rudiments of the organ systems are present. The fetus is unable to sustain life outside the woman's womb, it is incapable of conscious thought; it is incapable of essential breathing. It is instead an in utero fetus with the potential of becoming a child.
6. Fetal head at 12 weeks requires the use of "crushing instruments" for extraction.
Facts: At 12 weeks gestation (10 weeks fetal age) and eve 1-2 weeks beyond, instrumentation other than a suction cannula is not required when abortion is properly performed.
- "Brain waves have existed for six weeks" in the fetus displayed on the screen.
*Experts say that there are some electrical impulses recorded as early as 10 weeks gestation, but GENUINE BRAIN WAVES DO NOT OCCUR UNTIL THE THIRD TRIMESTER.
- "Fetal heart rate rose from 140 to 200, which is abnormally high and reflective of fetal response to "imminent mortal danger."
*Experts say that the heart rate of the fetus portrayed in the film didn't rise significantly, BUT, A fetal heart rate of 200 is within the normal range (180-200 beats per minute) for this stage. It is also unlikely (though not impossible) that the fetus even HAD a heart rate of 140 that rose to 200 because a rate of 140 is generally noted in the latter half of the pregnancy.
- The large, well,developed fetal model intermittently picked up and displayed during the narrative of the porcedure is representative of a 12-week fetus.
* Experts say that the fetal model displayed during the abortion procedure is MUCH LARGER than a fetus of a 12-weeks gestation model visualized by ultrasonography. The model compared in size to a fetus of 18 weeks gestation.
- "Many women who have an abortion suffer severe and lasting psychological damage.
* Experts say that serious emotional problems following abortion are uncommon. (Though that doesn't mean impossible either) Most women report a sense of relief, although some may experience temporary depression. Serious psychological disturbances after abortion occur less frequently than after childbirth (postpartum depression anyone?)
This is getting long, so I'll skip the stuff about the number of illegal abortions, the crime syndicate stuff, etc. If you want me to address them, I will. Just ask and I'll add it to my comments page.

Questions and Other Problems
Q: Does a first-trimester abortion take so long to perform - it seemed to go on for a very extended period of time?
A: no, an uncomplicated first-trimester abortion usually takes less than ten minutes to perform

Q: Is it appropriate to refer to a fetus as unborn child, with the same rights as other human beings?
A: No. Constitutionally, a fetus has no rights of personhood. most legal precedent in English law attributes personhood with a live birth.

Q: What about the woman who needs an abortion? She is conspicuously absent from the film.
A: The film ignored the plight of the woman seeking abortion and tries to shift focus to the fetus. Women WANT abortions - even before Roe v. Wade, why? (that's just my own little aside - are all women really morally defunct as the anti-abortion people apparently think, throughout all these centuries, when it was legal, and then illegal. Legality makes no difference except in deaths of women's lives.

Q: What about the dead fetuses in the disposal containers?
A. Most of these fetuses are so large and in such a state of deterioration that THEY ARE ACTUALLY STILLBORNS rather than aborted fetuses. It is possible that some were the result of late-term abortions but it would be rare - late-term abortions constitute less than 1 percent of all abortions and are the result of fetal abnormalities that can only be diagnosed later in pregnancy or other extreme hardship cases (why don't anti-abortion people acknowledge the small number of these. Do they not understand the law they're trying to abolish or what?)

So, I've answered why I think the Silent Scream is pure propaganda. I realize that people will read this and just snort in disbelief and derision, but I thought it through, I went to people I believed would know (medical experts) and found answers to MY questions. That doesn't mean I expect anti-abortion people to agree, just that I have the right to my opinion, obviously.
Also, I know the film was made by an anti-abortion doctor. I think that skews his credibility and also - why would someone SO anti-abortion actually FILM an abortion HE WAS PERFORMING? That seems to be rather hypocritical since he believes that abortion is murdering an unborn person, but I guess he also believes that the ends (showing propaganda to hurt women in my opinion) justifies the means (performing a procedure he says is a murder). Just a thought.