Vicky Thorn to Discuss Generation X

By Maryanne Christiansen
Special to the HERALD
(From the issue of 10/24/02)

As the executive director of the National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing, with over 18 years of experience in post-abortion ministry, Victoria Thorn continues to study and evaluate those who seek her counsel. Their stories consistently reflect great pain and the feeling of abandonment, especially among the "13^th generation," or Generation X - men and women born between 1961 and 1985. Thorn believes an examination of several influences on this generation of young adults can help us to better understand the issues that have shaped their lives.

Following the direction of Neil Howe and Bill Strauss in their book, 13^th Gen: Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail?, Thorn outlines seven major influences shaping Generation X: readily accessible birth control, legalization of abortion on demand, increase in divorce, increase of mothers in the workplace, the zero population movement, "evil child" movies, and high societal mobility. She argues that the convenience of birth control has ushered in an open discussion of "planned" (or "wanted") children vs. "welcomed" children. The decision to plan childbearing has shifted the mindset of parents to a more controlling mode, feeding the need for abortion when a child is conceived at an inopportune time.

The children of this 13^th Generation are aware that they are survivors of a pre-birth holocaust. They have grown up watching movies that portray children as dangerous, unpredictable and evil. Population control advocates routinely teach that each new child results in more pollution, and both parents and schools send the message that children are a great burden. Thorn concludes that, "this generation is often seeking love and intimacy through sexual relationships. Many have not had the opportunity to observe a successful marriage relationship. Fearing intimacy and commitment, terrified of being abandoned themselves, they avoid committed relationships."

These factors all contribute to the tragedy of abortion. When the broken, needy, and unattached of this generation become pregnant in uncommitted relationships, they realize there are no family resources to fall back on. As abortion survivors themselves, they know the news of their "unwanted" child will not be welcome. They feel their own inadequacy in the prospect of parenting. They panic and abort.

Thorn will expound on this topic on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at St. Catherine of Sienna Church, 1020 Springvale Rd., Great Falls, VA, at 7:30 p.m. She is a bereavement counselor and a certified Pre-natal Loss Facilitator, with a degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota. For further information, contact the Project Rachel office at 703/841-2755 or projectrachel@arlingtondiocese.org.

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