The world, not just the United States, was rocked by the news of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s passing this weekend.  Justice Scalia had the respect of people of all political persuasions as a legal scholar who loved the United States, especially its Constitution.  His voice on behalf of Constitutional principles, and especially life, will be greatly missed on the court.

The question now becomes, will President Obama listen to the words of his colleagues in the Senate in 2003 like Senator Schumer, and then Senator Clinton who argued that judicial appointments should be put on hold until the next President is elected, or is he going to nominate a pro-abortion advocate like himself and try to force the Senate into holding hearings and confirming his nominee?  Using past actions as a guide, it’s safe to think he will nominate someone and it will be up to the Senate to hold the line and not bring that nominee up for a vote.

Even if that likely scenario plays out, the battle is not over. We need to educate ourselves on all of the candidates running for President and which ones are pro-life and will nominate pro-life candidates for all levels of the federal bench, but especially the US Supreme Court.  However, it is not enough to educate ourselves…we must take that education and share it with others.  Make sure your neighbors, friends, relatives, and fellow parishioners know where the candidates stand on the pro-life issue and the importance of choosing life.

A young woman has just given birth to a child. She’s scared and alone. She feels as if she is not able to care for the child on her own. Thankfully, there is an option available to her–Pennsylvania’s safe haven law.
Every state has a safe haven law, although the particulars vary from state to state. A distressed parent who is unable or unwilling to care for their infant can give up custody of their baby, no questions asked. They must simply bring the infant to a safe haven location and make sure they locate a person to leave the child with. In Pennsylvania, the law says you can leave your baby, up to 28 days old, with an administrative, managerial or security personnel at any hospital in Pennsylvania. The baby can be brought in by a family member, a friend, a priest or minister, a social worker—practically any responsible adult.
These laws help prevent tragic stories of babies left in dumpsters or public toilets. The parents who committed these acts may have been under severe emotional distress. The mothers may have hidden their pregnancies, fearful of what would happen if their families found out. Because they were afraid and had nowhere to turn for help, they abandoned their babies. They are more and more important with the growing instances of forced abortion. They give the mother who is being pressured into an abortion (especially a late term abortion) a third option—not abortion, but also not keeping a baby the mother may not be equipped to handle for whatever reason. Every pro-life advocate should familiarize him or herself with the law, either by reading up on it at http://safehaven.tv/states/pennsylvania/ or by calling 1-800-510-BABY.

Who, or what, do you think of when someone says the word “hero”?  If you have young children like me, you may think of the super hero cartoons they like to watch.   On further reflection real heroes include our members of our military and our first responders—police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel.  I would contend however, there is another group that don’t come to mind right away, but are no less heroic.

Consider the unwed woman who finds out she’s pregnant and instead of choosing to avoid the coming shame and ridicule, chooses to protect the life growing inside of her without knowing quite what she’s in for, or how she’s going to manage.  Think about the parents who find out there may be something wrong with the child they are so eagerly anticipating and can’t wait to meet, but risk their own convenience to have the child and love him or her for as little or long as he or she is alive.  Another example of a hero is a woman who finds out she has a life growing inside of her as a product of violence…or one that finds out the child growing inside her may put her life at risk but carries out the pregnancy anyway. Finally consider someone at the end of their life and the heroic decision it takes to live life to its fullest and not take the easy way out.

Take it one step further though.  Firefighters, police, paramedics, and even members of the military can’t do what they do on their own…they all have the support of others.  Neither can the heroes of the pro-life movement.  The unwed mother needs heroes to step up next to her and give her the support, love, acceptance and encouragement she needs.  The parents of a child with possible issues needs heroes to give them the necessary support and encouragement, as does the mother making a decision that could mean giving up her life for another.  The individual at the end of his or her life needs heroes to help him or her handle their pain and prepare for the inevitable.

So next time you think of the word “heroes” think of these ordinary people making extraordinary decisions every day.  Also, think of the heroes who are supporting them and helping them make the right decision.  Finally, consider who you can be a hero to and help choose life!

We don’t often think about the unsung victims of abortion. The pre-born children heartlessly aborted are obvious victims, but there are others as well.
There are the mothers and fathers of that pre-born child who will spend the rest of their lives wondering “what if” and never knowing. In a recent interview on ABC News singer/actress Toni Braxton talks about how she is embarrassed to have had an abortion, even though it was many years in the past.
The other group of people who are victims of an abortion no one ever wants to talk about is those whose lives that child would have touched if he or she had been allowed to live. How many doctors would we have today seeking to cure cancer or Alzheimer’s if almost 58 million children hadn’t been killed prematurely. How many more nurses to care for the sick? How many more volunteers for local nonprofit organizations? How many more friendships, marriages, and other relationships were never formed?
Pro abortionists like to talk about “victimless crimes”. The reality is, there are more victims than one can even fathom when an abortion occurs.

One week ago, Wednesday, January 27th , was International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This date was chosen because it is the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in Poland in 1945 where over a million people died.

It IS however, more than a little providential that this day of remembrance falls so closely on the heels of the anniversary of the beginning of our own holocaust here in the United States…the legalization of abortion in Roe vs. Wade. While we mourn the lives of the million people who were killed in the death camps, it’s equally important to remember the almost 58 million who have died here in the United States since 1973.

What makes the proximity of the dates even more providential is how the same illogic that was used to justify the murder of Jews in the 1940s is being used today by pro-abortion advocates to promote the genocide of the minority community. Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, and many other pro-abortionists supported the idea of eugenics—the purification of the human gene pool, and argue even to this day that abortion is one way to do that. Perhaps that’s why almost 80% of Planned Parenthood facilities are so close to (if not in) minority communities. For more information about the black genocide, visit www.blackgenocide.org.

One week from today we head into another period of remembrance of our own holocaust here in the United State, 40 Days for Life. I encourage each of you to find a location near you at which you can participate here. Thank you for all you do to support choosing life!

Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards is featured in an article for the February edition of Esquire Magazine. Besides feeling the need to spend some time in a decontamination unit after reading the article, there are a few particular points of sadness.

In the article, Richards several times references highlights of her childhood and even states at one point “It was a pretty wonderful childhood”. While it’s good to know she had such a great childhood, as pro-life advocates, it’s sad to think of the MILLIONS of pre-born babies who won’t get to enjoy such wonderful childhood experiences.

Richards also reminisces about organizing migrant workers in Los Angeles and says the women she organized are the same ones who count on Planned Parenthood. What she doesn’t address is the history of eugenics her organization (particularly its founder Margaret Sanger) has and their role in wiping out generations of minority pre-born babies.

Finally, Richards talks about how pro-life efforts by Congress are simply designed to put women in their place. She is wrong again…the pro-life movement is about empowering women so they don’t think of their pre-born child as a burden and ensuring they are empowered to choose life.

Overall, this interview can engender feelings of disgust, anger, or sadness. All one can really do is pray for Miss Richards that she will see the errors of her way and become an advocate for choosing life.

Hello!  I thought I would take a minute and introduce myself as the new Education Director (hence chief blogger) for the PA Pro Life Federation.  Since you’ll be reading a lot from me, I thought it would be a good idea to know a little about me, my background, and why I’m pro-life.

First, a little about me…

I have a lot of titles, although the most important are “Father” to my two boys Russ (9) and Nathaniel (4) and “Husband” to my beautiful wife of 13 years Lisa.  We live in Mechanicsburg with our dog Odie (the REAL master of the house).  I am active in my church, Trinity United Methodist in New Kingstown), my son’s cub scout pack (Pack 180), a local nonprofit organization called New Digs Ministry that is committed to helping people who are rebuilding their lives by providing furnishings and household goods, absolutely free of charge.  I also do what I can to support pro-life candidates of all parties.

How I got here…

I grew up in a very conservative Christian household as the oldest of 4 (two brothers and a sister).  We were all homeschooled most of our early education, and I finished up at Harrisburg Christian School in Linglestown.  Growing up with that background, there was never any question in my mind of the definition of “right” and “wrong” or of when life began, but my first real exposure to the abortion issue was in high school when for our Social Studies class we had to write a research paper on the Roe VS. Wade decision from a judicial, moral, and ethical perspective.  I went on from there to college, first at Harrisburg Area Community College, and then at Bloomsburg University.  I have since spent my life in various professional roles, most recently running my own business doing communication and political consulting for various nonprofits and public figures.

Why I’m pro-life…

Most of it has to do with my religious background and beliefs.  I believe life begins at conception, and it deserves to be protected the whole way to natural death.  I also believe we have a moral and ethical, if not biblical, obligation to stand up and defend those who can’t defend themselves.  Now, as a father, I understand even better the miracle of life, and I feel a deep personal obligation to making this a better world for my boys…and to me that starts with making sure we choose life!

That’s enough about me for now.  I look forward to meeting each of you, and working with you in the weeks, months, and years ahead.  If there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us either by email at lifelines@paprolife.com, or by calling us at 717-541-0034.  I hope you enjoy my future blog posts (which I guarantee won’t be this long) and I look forward to your feedback!