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| '''Rebecca "Becky" Suzanne Bell''' (August 24, 1971 – September 16, 1988) was an ] teenage girl who died of complications of an ] in 1988. Bell became pregnant but, under Indiana state ], could not obtain a legal ] without her parents' consent. Bell was afraid to inform her parents of her pregnancy and instead obtained an illegal "back-alley" abortion, subsequently dying of complications of the procedure.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="60-min"/><ref name="nyt">{{cite news | last = Lewin | first = Tamar | date = October 27, 1991 | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE5DB1739F934A15753C1A967958260 | title = In Debate on Abortion, 2 Girls Make It Real | work = ]}}</ref> Following Bell's death, her parents became advocates for the repeal of parental-consent laws; her mother stated: "I feel I have an obligation to tell people what happened to my daughter so it won't happen to them."<ref name="nyt"/> | |||
| {{unreliable sources|date=April 2014}} | |||
| '''Rebecca "Becky" Suzanne Bell''' (August 24, 1971 – September 16, 1988<ref name="now">National Organization for Women. (n.d.) . Retrieved January 22, 2007.</ref>) was an ] teenage girl whose death was attributed to an ] in 1988. Bell's parents and ] have said Bell had an ]. The doctor who performed Bell's ] said he was referring to a spontaneous abortion or ] in Bell's autopsy report.<ref name="Miller">{{cite news|last=Miller|first=James|title=In Indiana and Maryland, a tale of two abortions|url=http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1991-02-15/news/1991046187_1_induced-abortion-word-abortion-becky-bell|accessdate=15 April 2014|newspaper=The Baltimore Sun|date=15 February 1991}}</ref> The story of Bell’s death has been used to campaign against ] laws. Bell lived in ].<ref name="lewis">Lewin, Tamar. (October 27, 1991). "." ''The New York Times.'' Retrieved January 22, 2007.</ref> | |||
| == Background == | |||
| Bell became ] at age 17, but under a ] in ], ]s required parental consent to obtain an ]. Said to be unwilling to tell her parents about her pregnancy for fear of disappointing them, or go to court to receive a judicial bypass, Bell purportedly sought an illegal abortion. Bell became seriously ill and died from a massive ].<ref name="now" /> | |||
| Bell discovered she was pregnant in 1988. She went to a ] clinic in Indiana seeking an abortion, but was told that state law required consent from her parents for the procedure. She had the option of going before a judge to argue for a waiver of parental consent, but reportedly feared that her parents would find out. She had the option of traveling to Kentucky, where parental consent was not legally required for abortion, but did not have the money or means of transportation to make the trip.<ref name="60-min"/> Instead, Bell's parents believe that she obtained an illegal abortion; she left home saying that she was going to a party, and returned early the next morning, upset, feverish, and crying. Her illness worsened over the following week, although Bell initially refused to seek medical attention. She ultimately went to the hospital, where she died on September 16, 1988. Her death was attributed to a ] and resulting pneumonia, likely as a result of unsterile instruments used in her abortion.<ref name="60-min">{{cite news|title=Becky's Story|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/beckys-story/| publisher = ] | work = ]|date=February 24, 1991}}</ref> | |||
| ==Autopsy== | |||
| Statements from Jesse Giles, the doctor who performed Bell's autopsy, do not support the purported illegal induced abortion. Giles said he was referring to a spontaneous abortion when he wrote "abortion" on Bell's autopsy report, clarifying that if he had been referring to a surgical abortion, he would have written "induced abortion". Giles said he found no evidence of an induced abortion and that, in his professional opinion, Bell suffered a miscarriage. The autopsy report indicated no signs of trauma or infection in Bell’s ]. Another physician involved in Bell’s autopsy, John Pless, head of forensic pathology at Indiana University Medical Center appeared to disagree with Giles, Pless said in a ] interview that he believed the source of Bell’s infection “came from the abortion at the time the fetus was removed”. However, Pless also told the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper that "I cannot prove she had an illegal abortion. I cannot prove she had anything but a spontaneous abortion ." Bell's autopsy report listed ] along with septic abortion as her cause of death.<ref name="Miller"/><ref name="Ertelt">{{cite news|last=Ertelt|first=Steven|title=Abortion Advocates Still Peddle Misleading Story on Becky Bell's Death|url=http://archive.lifenews.com/state2785.html|accessdate=15 April 2014|newspaper=LifeNews|date=16 January 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Becky's Story|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/beckys-story/|accessdate=17 April 2014|newspaper=CBSNews-60 Minutes|date=24 February 1991}}</ref> | |||
| ==Parental consent laws== | ==Parental consent laws== | ||
| Following Bell's death, her parents, Bill and Karen Bell, have campaigned against parental consent laws, which they blame for their daughter's death. The Bells worked with the ], which credited them with helping to turn public opinion against a parental-notification law in Oregon.<ref name="nyt"/> In response, according to '']'', the anti-abortion movement attacked "the Bells' motives and the character of their dead daughter".<ref name="60-min"/> ], a controversial physician and anti-abortion advocate, argued that Bell was "dating a high-school drop-out" and "got into the drug scene" before her death.<ref name="60-min"/> Willke claimed that Bell had a "normal miscarriage" rather than an induced abortion, a claim which was dismissed by the forensic pathologist who conducted Bell's autopsy.<ref name="60-min"/> | |||
| Becky's parents, Bill and Karen Bell, have since become outspoken opponents of parental consent laws, which they blame for their daughter's death. As of 1991, the Bell's have lobbied in 23 states and appeared on ]s.<ref name="lewis" /> Additionally, Bell's mother submitted an ] to ] for use in the 1998 book ''Choices: Women Speak Out About Abortion''. The following is an excerpt from her piece: | |||
| Bell's mother submitted an ] to ] for use in the 1998 book ''Choices: Women Speak Out About Abortion'': | |||
| <blockquote>Bill and I decided to speak out; we thought we could prevent other girls from dying. We appeared on 60 Minutes. The anti-choice crowd came after us. They followed us. There would be crowds of people with their fetuses in a bottle, and some would say that Becky didn't die the way we said she did. They loosened the lug nuts on our car. In ], they shot a hole in the building where we were speaking. They cared more about a ] than about my daughter. I thought, "I'm not afraid of anybody, because my daughter is dead and you can't hurt me anymore."<p> | <blockquote>Bill and I decided to speak out; we thought we could prevent other girls from dying. We appeared on ''60 Minutes''. The anti-choice crowd came after us. They followed us. There would be crowds of people with their fetuses in a bottle, and some would say that Becky didn't die the way we said she did. They loosened the lug nuts on our car. In ], they shot a hole in the building where we were speaking. They cared more about a ] than about my daughter. I thought, "I'm not afraid of anybody, because my daughter is dead and you can't hurt me anymore."<p> | ||
| People ask me what I would have done if Becky had told me the truth. I would have been mad, and I would have said, "Becky, you just ruined your life. What are the neighbors going to think?" That would have been my first reaction because that's who I am. But then I would have asked her, "Beck, do you want to get married? Have a baby? Have an abortion? What do you want? What can you live with, hon?" We would have worked it out. But I never got the chance.<ref name="msfc">Bell, Karen. (1998). . In ''Choices: Women Speak Out About Abortion.'' Seattle, WA.: Seal Press. Retrieved January 22, 2007.</ref></blockquote> | People ask me what I would have done if Becky had told me the truth. I would have been mad, and I would have said, "Becky, you just ruined your life. What are the neighbors going to think?" That would have been my first reaction because that's who I am. But then I would have asked her, "Beck, do you want to get married? Have a baby? Have an abortion? What do you want? What can you live with, hon?" We would have worked it out. But I never got the chance.<ref name="msfc">Bell, Karen. (1998). . In ''Choices: Women Speak Out About Abortion.'' Seattle, WA.: Seal Press. Retrieved January 22, 2007.</ref></blockquote> | ||
| Abortion rights advocates have also used the story of Bell’s death to campaign against parental consent laws. The ] referred to Bell as "the first known victim of parental consent laws”. ] used Bell’s story in television ads arguing against such laws. The ads show photographs of Becky Bell, while Bell’s mother can be heard saying in the background: “My Becky, a little girl who loved us so much, she died because of the parental consent laws”. Words then appear on the screen which read: “Stop parental consent laws, they’re not as safe as they sound”. <ref>{{cite news|title=Becky's Story|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/beckys-story/|accessdate=17 April 2014|newspaper=CBSNews-60 Minutes|date=24 February 1991}}</ref> ] have criticized the use of Bell's story in this sort of advocacy as misleading. <ref name="Ertelt"/> | |||
| In the debate over parental consent laws, Bell’s death has been compared to the death of Erica Richardson. Richardson died approximately six months following Bell. However, Richardson, a 16 year old girl from ], died following a legal induced abortion, reportedly because her vagina, cervix and uterus were punctured, causing ] and ]. Richardson, unlike Bell, was able to obtain a legal abortion without her parent’s knowledge or consent, since neither were required in the state of Maryland at the time. Anti-abortion advocates argued Richardson, whose legal abortion was confirmed, was a better example than Bell, regarding the implications of parental consent laws or lack there of. However, Bell’s death received significant nationwide media coverage, while Richardson’s death attracted little media attention. <ref name="Miller"/><ref>{{cite book|last=Alcorn|first=Randy|title=Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments|date=1992|publisher=Random House, Inc|url=http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Life-Answers-Pro-Choice-Arguments-Expanded/dp/1576737519}}</ref> | |||
| Referring to use of Bell's story by abortion rights advocates, a ] article has referred to Bell as a "poster girl", saying abortion rights supporters have "shrewdly marketed" the story of Bell's death to keep "passions high" in the "bitter debate over abortion". <ref name="lewis" /> | |||
| ==''Lifestories: Families in Crisis'' episode== | ==''Lifestories: Families in Crisis'' episode== | ||
| On August 15, 1992, ] aired an episode of '']'' based on Bell's death, which was entitled "Public Law 106: The Becky Bell Story". ] portrayed Becky Bell, ] portrayed Karen Bell and ] portrayed Bill Bell.<ref name="imdb">"." ''IMDb.com''. Retrieved January 22, 2007.</ref> | On August 15, 1992, ] aired an episode of '']'' based on Bell's death, which was entitled "Public Law 106: The Becky Bell Story". ] portrayed Becky Bell, ] portrayed Karen Bell and ] portrayed Bill Bell.<ref name="imdb">"." ''IMDb.com''. Retrieved January 22, 2007.</ref> | ||
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| *] | *] | ||
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| ==References== | ==References== | ||
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| * (Pro-choice) | * (Pro-choice) | ||
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Revision as of 19:34, 18 April 2014
Rebecca "Becky" Suzanne Bell (August 24, 1971 – September 16, 1988) was an American teenage girl who died of complications of an illegal abortion in 1988. Bell became pregnant but, under Indiana state parental-consent laws, could not obtain a legal abortion without her parents' consent. Bell was afraid to inform her parents of her pregnancy and instead obtained an illegal "back-alley" abortion, subsequently dying of complications of the procedure. Following Bell's death, her parents became advocates for the repeal of parental-consent laws; her mother stated: "I feel I have an obligation to tell people what happened to my daughter so it won't happen to them."
Background
Bell discovered she was pregnant in 1988. She went to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Indiana seeking an abortion, but was told that state law required consent from her parents for the procedure. She had the option of going before a judge to argue for a waiver of parental consent, but reportedly feared that her parents would find out. She had the option of traveling to Kentucky, where parental consent was not legally required for abortion, but did not have the money or means of transportation to make the trip. Instead, Bell's parents believe that she obtained an illegal abortion; she left home saying that she was going to a party, and returned early the next morning, upset, feverish, and crying. Her illness worsened over the following week, although Bell initially refused to seek medical attention. She ultimately went to the hospital, where she died on September 16, 1988. Her death was attributed to a septic abortion and resulting pneumonia, likely as a result of unsterile instruments used in her abortion.
Parental consent laws
Following Bell's death, her parents, Bill and Karen Bell, have campaigned against parental consent laws, which they blame for their daughter's death. The Bells worked with the Feminist Majority Foundation, which credited them with helping to turn public opinion against a parental-notification law in Oregon. In response, according to 60 minutes, the anti-abortion movement attacked "the Bells' motives and the character of their dead daughter". John C. Willke, a controversial physician and anti-abortion advocate, argued that Bell was "dating a high-school drop-out" and "got into the drug scene" before her death. Willke claimed that Bell had a "normal miscarriage" rather than an induced abortion, a claim which was dismissed by the forensic pathologist who conducted Bell's autopsy.
Bell's mother submitted an essay to NARAL Pro-Choice America for use in the 1998 book Choices: Women Speak Out About Abortion:
Bill and I decided to speak out; we thought we could prevent other girls from dying. We appeared on 60 Minutes. The anti-choice crowd came after us. They followed us. There would be crowds of people with their fetuses in a bottle, and some would say that Becky didn't die the way we said she did. They loosened the lug nuts on our car. In Arkansas, they shot a hole in the building where we were speaking. They cared more about a fetus than about my daughter. I thought, "I'm not afraid of anybody, because my daughter is dead and you can't hurt me anymore."
People ask me what I would have done if Becky had told me the truth. I would have been mad, and I would have said, "Becky, you just ruined your life. What are the neighbors going to think?" That would have been my first reaction because that's who I am. But then I would have asked her, "Beck, do you want to get married? Have a baby? Have an abortion? What do you want? What can you live with, hon?" We would have worked it out. But I never got the chance.
Lifestories: Families in Crisis episode
On August 15, 1992, HBO aired an episode of Lifestories: Families in Crisis based on Bell's death, which was entitled "Public Law 106: The Becky Bell Story". Dina Spybey portrayed Becky Bell, Debra Monk portrayed Karen Bell and Craig Wasson portrayed Bill Bell.
See also
References
- ^ Lewin, Tamar (October 27, 1991). "In Debate on Abortion, 2 Girls Make It Real". New York Times.
- ^ "Becky's Story". 60 Minutes. CBS News. February 24, 1991.
- Bell, Karen. (1998). Becky Bell: A Mother's Story. In Choices: Women Speak Out About Abortion. Seattle, WA.: Seal Press. Retrieved January 22, 2007.
- "Lifestories: Families in Crisis Public Law 106: The Becky Bell Story." IMDb.com. Retrieved January 22, 2007.
External links
- National Abortion Federation: Patient Stories: Parental Involvement (Pro-choice)
- IMDb: Lifestories: Families in Crisis (Becky Bell episode)