Author Archives: Matthew Wagner

Millersville Student Stands Alone to Protest Planned Parenthood

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Kaytee Moyer used to avoid the abortion issue.

KayteeMoyerBut after the Millersville University student watched the undercover videos showing Planned Parenthood harvesting aborted babies’ body parts, she decided that she could not be silent anymore.

“After watching that first video that came out, I feel like the issue blew me wide open,” Moyer told Glenn Beck’s news website The Blaze. “I have never felt so deeply for something so quickly, as when I watched those videos released.”

Moyer organized a small protest on campus with some of her friends, but when the date arrived, her friends got cold feet, according to The Blaze.

Not deterred, Moyer went ahead with the protest anyway. She stood alone at the busiest intersection in Millersville and handed out flyers exposing Planned Parenthood’s horrible abortion practices. Moyer also pinned price tags to different areas of her body as a visual statement, according to the site.

The abortion chain faces several Congressional investigations into whether it makes a profit from selling aborted babies’ body parts and whether it changes the abortion procedure to better harvest the parts – both of which are illegal. The investigations were prompted by the undercover videos released by the Center for Medical Progress.

Moyer said most students were receptive to the information. She told The Blaze that most people shook their heads in disgust when they read her flyer.

“The only negative reactions came from people that didn’t read the flyer. They saw Planned Parenthood and scoffed or crumbled up the flyer,” she said. “But the impact that I saw the knowledge having on my fellow students far outweighed those two minuscule reactions.”

Since The Blaze ran Kaytee’s story, several Pennsylvania news outlets have picked it up, too – bringing even more exposure to the truth about abortion.

Kaytee’s brave, one-woman protest is an encouraging example of how one person can  make a big difference for life.

Watch the undercover videos here. Warning: Some graphic content.

New TV Show Teaches Pro-Lifers to Answer Tough Questions

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One of the first things I did when I began working in the pro-life movement was to attend a National Right to Life Convention.

oliviagansturner91The workshop “When They Say, You Say” was highly recommended, and I quickly found out why. Presenters Olivia Gans Turner and Mary Spalding Balch walked us through the most difficult questions that pro-lifers face and taught us how to respond logically, tactfully and compassionately. Turner and Balch addressed questions like “How many children have you adopted?” and “Won’t ending abortion lead to child abuse?” and “What about back alley abortions?”

I left the workshop with an 18-page handout and pages of notes. Throughout my first year here, I read, re-read and memorized that handout. I carried it with me whenever I did presentations or interviews. It’s now in a folder at my desk, tattered and faded from use.

It helped me to think through the tough questions and understand how to articulate my position. And now I often share bits and pieces of it when I give talks.

NRLC recently developed the workshop into a TV miniseries. “When They Say, You Say” is a five-part series that will air on EWTN all this week. The show will be on at 6:30 p.m. and 3 a.m. EST. Find details here.

I’d highly encourage people to watch the show. “When They Say, You Say” was such a valuable resource for me. I hope it will be for you, too.

A Famous Granddaughter’s Struggles with Teen Pregnancy, Abortion and Adoption

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Our Celebrate Life Banquet is less than a month away, and we couldn’t be more excited about our special guest speakers. Ruth Graham and Windsor Bauders, the daughter and granddaughter of evangelist Billy Graham, have a powerful story of hope and perseverance to share.

Our Executive Director Michael Ciccocioppo had the opportunity to hear their story a few years ago, and he was profoundly touched by it. He writes:

“I literally experienced a sense of enlightenment when I recently listened as (Windsor) walked me … through her unexpected pregnancy.

“First, did Billy Graham’s 16-year-old granddaughter really become pregnant? So this even happens in such iconic families.

“Second, the survival of this child wasn’t the slam-dunk I was expecting. You mean even exemplary Christians admired by the world seriously consider aborting their offspring?

“Third, is it really that hard to place a baby that you are in no way prepared to take care of into the arms of an adoptive couple who will love, cherish and provide for every need that your child could ever experience in a lifetime? My heart broke, and I could not contain my tears for Windsor as she described her thoughts, fears and emotions through it all.

“Fourth, can it be true that this was just the first in a series of life encounters Windsor lived through? In the end she finds herself in a place where she has the humility and the courage to expose the good, the bad and the ugly to people she doesn’t even know. Why? Because if her story saves even one life – it will be worth it all!”

Please join us to hear Ruth and Windsor’s testimony about the value of every human life. It will be an evening of inspiration that you won’t want to miss.

The banquet is Tuesday, October 20 in Pittsburgh. To register or for more details, click here. We hope to see you there!

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What I Learned from a Rainy Saturday in Central Pa.

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I was so excited. We were getting ready for a new outreach at a street festival in Central Pa. It was an event we’d never attended before in a community that we’d struggled to reach out to. Now we were finally going.

Then I saw the forecast: rain. My heart sank. It was an hour-long drive on a Saturday morning for a festival that may not happen, and I considered staying home. But the organizers didn’t cancel, so I went, silently hoping that I wasn’t wasting my time.

In the short time before the rain started, a mother approached our table and told us about her daughter who was pregnant and worried. The mother (a grandmother, really) said her daughter hadn’t been able to find support for her and her baby. Desperate, her daughter was seriously thinking about having an abortion.

We told the mother about pregnancy resource centers and gave her information to pass along to her daughter. She was grateful — so much so that she stopped back to talk a second time. The rain forced us to pack up just a short time later, but as we left, I realized that we had been there for a reason.

Time is an interesting thing. We think we need a lot of it to make a difference, but that’s really not the case at all. It reminds me of situations when people are near the end of life, maybe an older adult or a preborn baby with a terminal diagnosis, and someone suggests abortion or assisted suicide. It’s assumed that they can’t contribute much because their time is so short.

It can be easy to underestimate the impact of a person’s time, whether in small ways like a few hours of pro-life outreach on a rainy Saturday morning or in big, dangerous ways like abortion or assisted suicide.

I’m glad I didn’t give into those thoughts. If I had, that mother may not have found a glimmer of hope on that rainy Saturday morning.

Pa. Planned Parenthood Leader: We Should Be Allowed to Sell Aborted Babies’ Body Parts

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Harvesting aborted babies’ body parts and selling them for a profit? A Pennsylvania Planned Parenthood official says it should be allowed, according to the latest video released by the Center for Medical Progress.

The video catches Vanessa Russo, compliance program administrator for Planned Parenthood Keystone in Central Pennsylvania, making some highly disturbing statements about how she would like her affiliate to be involved in selling aborted babies’ body parts.

“… a company like this that wants to, wants to give our organization money for the tissue, I think that’s a valid exchange,” Russo says; and later, “I would love to see this happen somehow.”

Russo dismisses the current laws prohibiting the sale of aborted babies’ body parts, calling discussions around the issue “crap.”

She tells another Planned Parenthood official that “… we can’t consent to be bullied by ridiculous laws …”

Another clip from the video shows Planned Parenthood national official Dr. Carolyn Westhoff sharing gristly details about carving out aborted babies’ body parts.

“We’ve just been working with people who want particular tissues, like, you know, they want cardiac, or they want eyes, or they want neural,” says Dr. Westhoff to a prospective fetal organ buyer. “Certainly, everything we provide–oh, gonads! Oh my God, gonads. Everything we provide is fresh.”

The video also shows several Planned Parenthood officials worrying about what would happen if their dealings in aborted babies’ body parts went public.

This new video is the first from the Center for Medical Progress to feature an abortion advocate from Pennsylvania. It brings up new questions here in the Keystone State. Is Russo demonstrating a mindset willing to stretch or violate the laws? Does Planned Parenthood Keystone believe it should be allowed to sell aborted babies’ body parts, or will the affiliate instead apologize for Russo’s highly disturbing comments?

Watch the video here. Warning: Some graphic content.

Pope Francis in Pennsylvania — and the Pro-Life Cause

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By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director
Gallagher@paprolife.org

It’s been called the biggest event in the U.S. since the Superbowl—and tickets have been scooped up faster than tickets for a Taylor Swift concert.

popefrancis42It is the arrival of Pope Francis in the U.S. People of all different faiths and walks of life are looking forward to the pontiff visiting the East Coast from September 22-27.

Philadelphia will be one of the Holy Father’s stops, and the City of Brotherly Love has been preparing for a long time for his historic tour.

Pope Francis’ visit to Pennsylvania coincides with the World Meeting of Families, which will also be taking place in Philadelphia. If you are attending the event, be sure to stop by the National Right to Life/Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation display table. You can chat with staff members, connect with other pro-lifers, and grab some important pro-life materials.

Whether you plan to see the Pope along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway or view him from the comfort of your living room, make it a point to honor his visit by engaging in some pro-life activity. It is the gift that, quite literally, can last a lifetime.

As Pope Francis once stated, “All of us must care for life, cherish life, with tenderness, warmth…to give life is to open (our) heart, and to care for life is to (give oneself) in tenderness and warmth for others, to have concern in my heart for others. Caring for life from the beginning to the end. What a simple thing, what a beautiful thing…So, go forth and don’t be discouraged. Care for life. It’s worth it.”

Lots of Pro-Life Events Happening This Fall – Please Stand Up for Life!

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This fall is packed full of opportunities to take a stand for life in Pennsylvania.

NRLLifeWorthDefendingAnd what better time? Our nation is waking up to the horrific practices that are happening in abortion centers across the country, practices that involve killing and dismembering preborn babies and harvesting their body parts.

Now more than ever, our local communities need to be reminded of the truth about abortion. About 1.1 million babies are aborted in the U.S. every year, 32,000 of them in Pennsylvania.

Please take a stand for life and consider participating in one of these events:

PA PRO-LIFE TOWN HALL IN GROVE CITY – We’re going to be at Grove City College Wednesday, Sept. 16 for our final town hall stop of 2015. Come to learn the latest news  about abortion and assisted suicide. Executive Director Michael Ciccocioppo and Education Director Micaiah Bilger will speak and then answer questions. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the Sticht Auditorium, Hall of Arts and Letters, Madison Avenue. The event is co-sponsored by the Center for Vision and Values Marriage and Family Working Group.

LIFE CHAINS – Join a peaceful rally on the sidewalks of your town this October and help raise awareness about abortion. Life Chains will be held Sunday, Oct. 4 in dozens of towns across Pennsylvania. Many of our chapters organize Life Chains to raise awareness and pray for babies and moms. Find details here.

CELEBRATE LIFE BANQUET IN PITTSBURGH WITH RUTH GRAHAM AND WINDSOR BAUDERS — Please mark your calendars and plan to join us on Tuesday, Oct. 20 in Pittsburgh for an evening of pro-life inspiration. The guest speakers will be Ruth Graham, the daughter of Billy Graham, and her daughter Windsor Bauders. Ruth and Windsor will share how their family faced two teenage pregnancies — while being related to one of the most famous religious leaders in the world. Please register today or consider becoming a sponsor. For details, click here.

FAIRS AND FESTIVALS – Our chapters are still out tabling at community events across the state. Check out where their pro-life tables will be and consider volunteering.

40 DAYS FOR LIFE — Join a peaceful, prayerful campaign for life outside abortion centers across the state. The next 40 Days for Life campaign will kick off on Sept. 23. The following Pennsylvania cities are participating this fall: Allentown, Chester County, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Norristown, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, Warminster, and York. Click here for details.

AN EVENING WITH DR. ALVEDA KING, NIECE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. IN BRIDGEPORT — 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7 at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Bridgeport. Special guest introduction by J.D. Mullane, columnist for the Intelligencer and Bucks County Courier Times. No admission charge. A freewill offering will be taken. Dr. King’s books will be available for sale. Hosted by Bucks County Right to Life.

LIFE RUN 5K IN ERIE — Saturday, Oct. 10 in Erie. For details, click here. Benefits People for Life of Erie.

“PRO-LIFE: WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON” IN BIGLERVILLE — Thursday, October 29 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Harbaugh-Thomas Library, 59 West York Street, Biglerville. Michael Ciccocioppo, executive director of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, will get to the bottom of several pro-life issues reported in the mass media in recent months. Stories have emerged about undercover videos catching high level Planned Parenthood officials discussing the selling of aborted baby’s body parts. Stories have been promoted by a group named Compassion and Choices, which is pushing for the legalization of assisted suicide in Pennsylvania. And there will be time to answer other pro-life questions. Pennsylvanians for Human Life Adams County Chapter is sponsoring this free event. For details, contact Suzanne Landis at landissg77@gmail.com .

ANNUAL PRO-LIFE PRAYER BREAKFAST AND BASKET SOCIAL IN NEW GERMANY– 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 31 at the Immaculate Conception Church Hall, New Germany. Delores Euker will be the guest speaker. Euker is a pro-life sidewalk counselor who tells amazing stories about how babies’ lives are saved right outside abortion centers in Pennsylvania. Euker received the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation. The event is hosted by the Cambria/Somerset Citizens Concerned for Human Life. For details, click here.

CRAWFORD COUNTY CITIZENS FOR LIFE ANNUAL BANQUET — Friday, Nov. 6 at the Pampered Palate in Saegertown. Dr. Paul Kengor will be the keynote speaker. For details, click here.

Find more Pennsylvania events here.

Taking on the Tough Questions

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Yesterday I discovered two strong pro-life columns in, surprisingly, the New York Times. Pro-life columnist Ross Douthat expertly tackles some tough questions that are often thrown at pro-lifers, questions about men and abortion, poverty, back alley abortions, and the criminal implications if abortion becomes illegal again.

Father At Home With Sleeping Newborn Baby DaughterDouthat answers a series of questions posed by abortion activist Katha Pollitt. Though long, his thoughtful columns are worth reading.

For example, Pollitt asks: “Men. You want to force women to carry every pregnancy to term, but the fact that men can easily walk away does not seem to interest you much. What are the responsibilities of men to avoid getting women pregnant, to support them while they are pregnant, to provide for mother and child? And what measures would you promote to enforce those responsibilities?”

Douthat responds:

“… one of the more commonplace pro-life arguments is that the current abortion regime is itself a gift to men who want “to easily walk away,” itself a legal and cultural enabler of male irresponsibility, on a profound, society-altering scale. Here pro-lifers are fond of citing (as I’ve been known to do) the famous Janet Yellen and George Akerlof paper linking legal abortion and rising out-of-wedlock birthrates, which suggested — quite reasonably, I think — that Roe dramatically changed male incentives around sex and marriage, and significantly weakened the relational power of women when they do get pregnant: “By making the birth of the child the physical choice of the mother,” they wrote, “the sexual revolution has made marriage and child support a social choice of the father.” That argument obviously need not imply pro-life conclusions; indeed, Akerlof and Yellen are themselves pro-choice. But it lends the pro-life view of things a certain coherence on this front: We believe in male responsibility, and we think that your preferred policies, not ours, are the ones that made it far too easy for men to wash their hands of their most primal, powerful, essential responsibilities.”

The abortion issue does involve some tough questions, and they deserve serious consideration and thoughtful responses from us. It’s these questions that often influence people on the fence to hop to one side or the other. Douthat and great pro-life thinkers like Francis Beckwith provide strong, thoughtful pro-life answers that help those fence people see the truth about abortion.

It’s important that we learn from them so we can respond to the tough questions, too. Because we’re not just defending beliefs or philosophies here, we’re defending LIVES.

Pa. Planned Parenthoods Say They’re Not Harvesting Aborted Babies’ Body Parts, but They Still Profit off Aborting Babies

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The Pennsylvania Department of Health responded this week to pro-lifers’ calls to investigate Planned Parenthood.

FIG1“… there is no evidence that any Planned Parenthood site in this commonwealth is involved in the buying or selling of fetal tissue,” wrote State Secretary of Health Karen Murphy in a letter publicized by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Instead, the Pennsylvania sites contract with medical waste vendors to dispose the aborted babies’ bodies, according to Murphy’s letter.

Pro-lifers asked Pennsylvania officials to investigate the abortion giant after a series of undercover videos call into question whether it illegally profits off the sale of aborted babies’ body parts. Other states and two federal Congressional committees also are doing investigations.

Planned Parenthood aborts more preborn babies than any other group in Pennsylvania and the U.S. That’s more than 17,000 babies a year in Pennsylvania and more than 330,000 preborn babies in the U.S., dead at the hands of Planned Parenthood.

Whether Planned Parenthood’s Pennsylvania affiliates are selling aborted babies’ body parts or not, it’s important to remember: They are making a profit killing babies in the womb. And that’s a tragedy we all should be working to end.

Six Pro-Life Teaching Tips for Parents

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I’m always on the lookout for good pro-life teaching resources for parents.

Picture1Teaching pro-life values is something I often emphasize when I give pro-life talks. I think a lot of it has to do with my own experiences.

My parents taught me to respect and value every human being. They took me to the March for Life. They adopted my youngest sister after their four older children left the nest. They actively support our local pregnancy resource center and homeless shelter. They help and show love to people who are outcasts – and so much more.

My parents have made such a positive impact on my life and my work in the pro-life movement, and I don’t take that for granted. It’s a huge task to teach children good values; and the issue of abortion, as personal and political and emotional as it is, can be a difficult topic to breach.

The other day, a friend sent me a great resource for parents that’s particularly relevant as summer ends and students head back to school or college. The short teaching guide by Students For Life gives six suggested ways parents can talk with their teens about life.

It’s critical, Students for Life says, because “47% of women entering college identify themselves as pro-life, however, only 27% remain pro-life at graduation. Furthermore, college-aged women obtain approximately 46% of all abortions nationally.”

If you’re a parent or grandparent, please consider taking a few minutes to read “6 Ways to Keep Your Kids Pro-Life.” Then, have a conversation with your student about the value of every human life.