A pro-life activist is crying foul after her image was allegedly used without permission by a pro-abortion ad campaign, which has been shared by politicians like Gavin Newsom and Hillary Clinton.
Macy Petty was present at the Supreme Court when the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision was announced, overturning Roe v. Wade, in support of protecting preborn children from abortion. She fell to her knees, weeping in joy when the decision was announced — yet that image has been used in a campaign promoting California’s Proposition 1, which would enshrine abortion as a right within the state constitution.
The ad ostensibly showed the reaction of women to Roe‘s fall, claiming people are “mad, sad, and scared.” It is during the “sad” portion that Petty’s image was shared:
No matter where a person lives or how much money they have, women—not politicians—should be able to make decisions about their own lives. That includes abortion care and miscarriage management.
Californians should vote YES on Prop. 1 to protect fundamental rights. #yesonprop1 pic.twitter.com/787j92Mlqv
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 18, 2022
And Petty was not happy. In an Instagram post, she criticized both the politicians and the “Yes on Prop 1” campaign for manipulating and sharing the video clip of her.
“In the full video, it is obvious I am crying tears of joy upon the announcement of the Dobbs decision,” she wrote. “I am holding a ‘Students for Life’ banner and am with friends who are also holding pro-life signs. In your campaign video, you portrayed me in an evil light and distorted my emotions as part of your political game.”
She continued:
You selected the portion in which I fell to my knees in tears. At this moment, I witnessed a miracle. I was overwhelmed. As I continued to witness history, I pondered how lucky I was to witness such an event. I thanked the Lord for this decision and for opening my eyes to the evil of abortion. This is what brought me to tears.
You have manipulated these emotions. You have disrespected me as a woman and an engaged member of society. Although I am distinctly pro-life in the full video, you consciously chose to portray me as pro-abortion. In the video you note ‘we’ are ‘sad.’
I am not ‘we.’ I strongly oppose Prop 1. Do not include me in your efforts to further manipulate women and violently take life from the most vulnerable and innocent among us.
… Could you not find an early 20-year-old who was truly sad about the Dobbs decision? You must manipulate the film of an obvious opponent of your campaign? Perhaps this is the indicator that America is truly pro-life.
Petty and the California Family Council are demanding an apology for the use of her image in the ad, and for her image to be immediately removed. “It is awful,” she said in an interview with the California Family Council. “They are totally manipulating those emotions and trying to promote the killing of innocent children because of my tears.”
“It’s so sad,” she added. “… I’m pro-life. And yet they’re using my face to say, look! 20-year-old girls have their rights stripped away and are so upset about it! No. Don’t include me in your ‘we.’ Don’t say that ‘we’ are mad or ‘we’ are sad and ‘we’ want you to vote for this, because we don’t. Don’t include me in this.”
