Anti-Abortion Group Holds Mt. Kisco Gathering

A group of anti-abortion activists stood in downtown Mount Kisco on Sunday to highlight their cause.

The event, organized by the Northern Westchester & Putnam Center For Life, included people lined up by Route 117, with folks holding signs against abortion and for adoption as an alternative.

According to Alan Mehldau, a chair for the groups, the Mount Kisco gathering was part of National Life Chain, a broader occassion for the anti-abortion movement in which similar events are planned across the country.

Mehldau, a South Salem resident, sees it as a major issue, saying people who are not born can't enjoy other freedoms.

Anti-abortion activists want to see the practice curtailed, including with overturning the Supreme Court's 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade, which broadened abortion access. However, the purpose of the gathering was focused on education and awareness of the issue, something that people in the movement feel is a significant aspect of their cause. The hope is that more education will allow work against the practice.

“Because even if a law overturns something, it isn’t going to stop abortion if people don’t understand the significance of what they’re doing," said Gail Malloy, an Armonk resident who was among those at the event. Malloy, 63, said she had an abortion when she was just 15 and suffered as a result of it.

The gathering coincides with a presidential election year, when the issue often surfaces in news reports and analyses. Neither Malloy nor Mehldau feel the issue gets talked about enough, and they support candidates with a similar view as theirs.

Malloy also feels that it is tougher to be vocal on the issue given public opinion on it. However, she feels that somebody who is pro-life "isn't an activist." She added, “Somebody who’s pro-life is usually extremely compassionate, very merciful and very understanding, and I think our goal is to cherish life from the moment of conception and until it’s time for that life to go home to God.”

Another anti-abortion event is coming up in the area, according to Mehldau. The Westchester and Putnam Right to Life Political Action Committee is holding a breakfast gala at Armonk's Brynwood Golf and Country Club on Oct. 13 at 9 a.m. The event will be honoring Westchester County Exexcutive Robert Astorino.