Category Archives: General

What Circles the State Each Spring? Our Pro-Life Town Halls

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By Michael Ciccocioppo, Executive Director

This was my fifth year leading the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation town hall tour around the state. I was privileged to have our education director, Micaiah Bilger, as my co-presenter this year.

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Executive Director Michael Ciccocioppo and Education Director Micaiah Bilger

Based on the feedback we received at every stop along the way, the tour was an unequivocal success. People genuinely appreciate our brand of pro-life education. And we reached hundreds of citizens in their hometowns.

We traveled 1,200 miles in seven days this month, speaking in 11 different communities, starting in Ebensburg and continuing on to Uniontown, Pittsburgh, Titusville, Erie, State College, Scranton, Nesquehoning, Easton, Philadelphia and Lancaster. We have one last stop to make in Grove City on September 16. Click here for details.

People like the way we provide the most important information on some of the hottest pro-life topics of the day with high energy, passion and plain English.

This year, we covered seven topics at each stop:

  • The state of abortion in Pennsylvania
  • Gov. Wolf’s ties to the abortion industry
  • Hope for parents whose babies have poor prenatal diagnoses
  • Abortion and medical rationing in the era of the Affordable Care Act
  • The push for doctor-prescribed suicide
  • Encouraging signs for the pro-life cause
  • What you can do to help restore the culture of life in Pennsylvania

Since each event is one-and-a-half to two hours long, we keep our talks brief and focus on the most important aspects of each topic. When people want more details, we provide them during Q&A.

Special thanks to all those who hosted this year’s pro-life town halls. Check out a slideshow of photos from all these events here.

If you or a group would like to host a pro-life town hall in your community in 2016, contact the Federation at lifelines@paprolife.org or 717-541-0034.

New PA Resources on the Threat of Assisted Suicide

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This spring, two bills that could legalize doctor-prescribed suicide were introduced in the Pennsylvania House (HB943) and Senate (SB549).

Giving helpEuthanasia advocates are targeting Pennsylvania and about a dozen other states right now, trying to push their deadly agenda. They have already succeeded in five states.

Here are a few ways you can learn more about this growing threat:

  • The Pennsylvania Coalition to Stop Doctor-Prescribed Suicide now has a website. Visit NoAssistedSuicidePA.org for facts, issue papers, videos, and other resources. And follow the Coalition on Facebook and Twitter. The coalition is a diverse network of disability rights activists, medical professionals, and other groups who believe in compassionate care of people with disabilities and terminal illness, rather than the dangerous practice of doctor-prescribed suicide.
  • We have several fact sheets available: Oregon’s Assisted Suicide Law: Safeguards Don’t Work, and Threat of Doctor-Prescribed Suicide in Pennsylvania. Read them online or request copies from our office.
  • Sign up for our twice-monthly Online Newsletter to receive regular updates about what’s happening in Pennsylvania and what you can do to help protect lives.

We are working hard to educate the public about the threat of doctor-prescribed suicide. Please help us by informing yourself and your friends.

In the Wake of Gosnell Scandal, Lawmakers Have Serious Concerns about Nominee

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By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director
gallagher@paprolife.org

More than 40 Pennsylvania lawmakers have signed a letter to Governor Tom Wolf which raises serious questions about Secretary of State nominee Pedro Cortes. Cogosnell40rtes previously served as Secretary of State during the Rendell Administration, a period of time in which the Department of State took no action against infamous abortionist Kermit Gosnell.

Gosnell was suspected of killing hundreds of full-term babies and causing the deaths of female patients in a West Philadelphia abortion facility, which was called a “House of Horrors” by prosecutors. Gosnell is now in prison after being convicted of killing three babies and causing the death of a woman. Prosecutors say they were unable to bring charges in the rest of the cases because Gosnell destroyed the evidence.

The letter from the legislators states, “To fully understand the gravity of the failures of the department throughout Secretary Cortes’ service, one needs to read directly from the grand jury’s damaging report.”

According to the grand jury report, “Between 2002 and 2009, Board of Medicine attorneys reviewed five cases involving malpractice and other complaints against Gosnell. None of the assigned attorneys or their supervisors, suggested that the Board take action against the deviant doctor. In fact, despite serious allegations, three of the cases were closed without any investigation. The other two were investigated and then closed — without any action being taken.”

The letter from the lawmakers notes, “In his resume and biography Secretary Cortes takes credit for various achievements in dealing with occupational and professional licensure complaints and investigations during his tenure. Yet at the same time he takes no responsibility for the documented blatant failures of those same units under his leadership.”

The letter goes on to say, “…it is deeply troubling to us that you would nominate someone for such an important position as Secretary of the Commonwealth despite his deep ties to this national nightmare.”

You can read the full letter and see the names of the legislators who signed it here.

3 Questions Lawmakers Should Ask Pa. Planned Parenthood

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By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

When pink t-shirted Planned Parenthood activists swarm the state Capitol in Harrisburg this coming week, they will likely be talking about “reproductive justice,” “women’s health,” and “family planning.”

PlannedParenthood1But chances are they will not be speaking about a number of aspects of their own annual report, which shows just how radical the nation’s number-one abortion performer is in terms of promoting abortion, minimizing adoption, and raking in the taxpayer dough.

The 2013 Planned Parenthood annual report showed the abortion giant committing more than 327,000 abortions. So much for the old pro-abortion mantra of keeping abortion safe, legal, and rare.

For every one adoption referral, Planned Parenthood performed 174 abortions. With that kind of average, the organization is may be a peak performer in the abortion business, but is a non-starter when it comes to promoting adoption.

Moreover, cries of underfunding seem particularly strange, when the non-profit devours more than a half-billion dollars in taxpayer money each year.

State lawmakers would be wise to ask Planned Parenthood officials some pointed questions, such as:

1.) Why are your abortion totals so high?
2.) Why are your adoption referrals so low?
3.) Why does a non-profit need half a billion dollars of our constituents’ hard-earned tax money?

The pink t-shirt parade cannot conceal the ugly truth that Planned Parenthood takes the lives of hundreds of thousands of citizens each year…causes unspeakable pain for countless numbers of women…undermines adoption…and wastes hundreds of millions of tax dollars on an annual basis. Planned Parenthood Action Day is not a cause for celebration, but a reason for massive mourning.

Philadelphia Hospital Advances Treatments for Preborn Babies

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I’ve been fascinated lately by the innovative medical work being developed at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to help preborn babies.

TWICEBORNThe other day, I found out that PBS is running a mini-series about the hospital. It’s called “Twice Born: Stories from the Special Delivery Unit.”

I have not watched the series yet, but Kathy Ostrowski of Kansans for Life recommends it:

“Twice Born” focuses on treating serious medical problems detected in the womb, including invasive tumors, spina bifida, and twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. The first show was well-paced and personalized the staff, particularly one physician whose daughter has a degenerative disease.

But beyond the pathos of the medical conditions depicted, and beyond the admiration for the dedication and compassion of the medical staff, a deliberate feeling kept rising in me: THIS is what medicine naturally aspires to…how marvelous…how noble! This is what physicians SHOULD be doing!

The Philadelphia hospital has performed more than 1,250 operations on babies in the womb. I can’t help but join Kathy in thinking about the stark contrast between this hospital’s work and the abortion industry.

While Philadelphia is making amazing medical advances to save preborn babies, that same city also is killing them at an alarming rate. In 2013, almost half of all abortions (15,986) in Pennsylvania were performed in Philadelphia.

What a contradiction! Some preborn babies are treated as human beings worthy of medical attention and advancements, while others are mercilessly being killed.

Let’s hope that the work at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia will help more people to see that all preborn babies deserve life.

Come Listen, Learn and Connect at Pro-Life Town Hall Meetings

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2015ProLifeTownHall

This April will be my third time traveling across the state for our annual Pro-Life Town Hall Tour.

Micaiah1

Micaiah Bilger

The tour is one of the ways we bring the latest pro-life information to people all across the state. We’re planning to share up-to-date news on a variety of topics, including abortion trends in Pennsylvania, dealing with a poor prenatal diagnosis, the push for assisted suicide, the Affordable Care Act, Q&A and more.

I love the tour because we offer a pro-life perspective that people can’t get anywhere else. But most of all, I love having the opportunity to connect with people all across the state.

I love when a grandmother comes to me after a meeting and shares a picture of her grandson who was almost aborted. I love when a teenager eagerly asks me what she can do to help moms and babies. I love listening to the decades-long pro-lifers, because their stories encourage me to keep going strong. And I love talking with the people who aren’t sure where they stand on the life issues and are looking for answers.

Our Pro-Life Town Hall meetings are an opportunity to learn, ask questions, and connect with the people around us.

I hope you’ll join us in Ebensburg, Uniontown, Pittsburgh, Titusville, Erie, State College, Scranton, Nesquehoning, Easton, Philadelphia, Lancaster or Grove City. Click here for details.

And please take a moment to say, “Hello.” I’d love to connect with you.

Photoshopping Abortion

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By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

As I was perusing Twitter the other day, I saw a picture of a woman displaying a fire engine-red purse that was supposed to signify “pro-choice” fashion.

Somehow I don’t associate abortion with handbags. But I find that, increasingly in our image-driven world, abortion advocates are promoting paraphernalia to symbolize abortion. Pink tennis shoes immediately come to mind, since that was the footwear of choice for Texas politician Wendy Davis during her filibuster to prevent the enactment of common sense protections for mother and child.

Image of a baby at seven weeks

Image of a baby at seven weeks

And when the abortion industry is not accessorizing abortion, it is Photoshopping it. The aim is to crop the baby right out of the debate. The problem is, no amount of Photoshopping can conceal the stark, deadly reality of abortion: the taking of an innocent human life. Colorful imagery should not confuse us, obscuring the fact that abortion stops a beating heart.

Cleverly-designed portraits of “reproductive justice” also cannot erase the painful scars abortion can leave behind. Again and again, I hear from women who have silently struggled with the not-so-pretty-as-a-picture aftermath of abortion: in some cases, sterility; in other cases, substance abuse; in more cases than I can count, a flood of regret.

Through well-coiffed celebrities, the abortion industry tries to put an elegant face on abortion. Unfortunately, these stars cannot see the darkness that accompanies abortion — the lies, the denials, the violence. Only once in a while is the pristine imagery shattered by the horrific insider views of the abortion industry, as perhaps best demonstrated by the Kermit Gosnell case. (Gosnell was convicted in Philadelphia of killing three full-term babies and causing the death of a female patient. The grand jury suspected him of causing hundreds of additional deaths, but he could not be prosecuted for them, because he destroyed the records which could have led to more murder counts.)

Since major media outlets seem to be blinded by their own biases, it is up to the pro-life movement to shed light on the abortion industry every day that abortions take place. For the false images and to-die-for accessories will eventually fade away, as a majority of Americans come to realize that the freedom promised by abortion businesses is nothing but false advertising.

Why Support Made All the Difference to My Mom, and to Pregnant Women Everywhere

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By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

She was an only child, and both her parents had already passed from this life. Her husband was unemployed and she was struggling to take care of her year-and-a-half-old daughter. A number of her husband’s relatives expressed disdain when they learned she was pregnant.

http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-newborn-baby-meeting-parents-looking-over-their-look-surprise-face-image34534465But then there was her mother-in-law — an immigrant with limited ability to speak English. However, she made her feelings intensely clear. Upon learning of my mother’s unexpected pregnancy, she took out a bottle of wine, raised a glass, and in her heavy Italian accent said, “Anne, I salute you.”

She was the one person who supported my mother’s pregnancy — a pregnancy which resulted in a premature five-pound baby girl — the girl who became the sister I so loved.

While at times she might have felt very much on her own, my mother was not alone. Her mother-in-law, father-in-law, foster-mother, and husband all helped in the child care responsibilities — enthusiastically so. She had a solid support network, despite some naysayers. And she proved herself highly capable of the task of raising two little girls.

According to researcher Dr. David Reardon, of those women who experience difficulties after their abortions, more than 80 percent report they would have brought their babies into the world if the circumstances had been better or if loved ones had shown support.

That means the vast majority of women who regret their abortions were craving help and understanding from those closest to them, but did not receive the assistance they longed for.

The pro-life movement is essentially a pro-support movement. I have known so many parents who have selflessly come to their daughters’ aid when they were facing unexpected pregnancies. I also know many women who have benefited from the pregnancy support centers which offer not only counseling but material assistance to pregnant women (For the nearest pregnancy center in Pennsylvania, call 1-888-Life-Aid or click here).

The importance of these gestures of love cannot be underestimated. For they can provide the bridge to a better future for these women and children. In fact, the outstretched hand can rescue a woman from the brink of despair, and save a child from death at the hands of an abortionist.

Or, raised in a toast, it can simply give a woman the courage to go on and fight for her child.

Wolf Administration Removes Pro-Abortion Link

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By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

Following an outcry from legislators and citizens throughout the Commonwealth, the state of Pennsylvania has removed a pro-abortion link from its website.

Mom-and-ChildPreviously at PA.gov, visitors who went to the Information page, clicked on Health and Wellness, then Women’s Health, were directed to the Women’s Law Project, a pro-abortion legal group which opposes any restrictions on abortion.

Now, the series of clicks brings visitors to a page encouraging healthy eating, exercise, breast cancer, cervical cancer, and other issues of interest to women.

While we are grateful that the state no longer links to a site which linked to abortion facilities, we must remain vigilant. The president of the nation’s largest abortion operation, Planned Parenthood, has stated that Governor Tom Wolf previously served as a “clinic escort,” accompanying women to their abortions. His candidacy was also endorsed by both Planned Parenthood and the pro-abortion group known as NARAL.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a pro-life state, and should remain one, despite the governor’s personal views.

Airplanes, Alzheimer’s, and My Grandfather’s Last Days

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My mind jolted to a stop last week as I read an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer about Barbara Bitros.

The 64-year-old woman is a former hospice nurse who doctors say may have early signs of Alzheimer’s. Bitros, an advocate for assisted suicide, has made plans to end her life because she is afraid of living with dementia.

She told the reporter:

“I fear the long, painful, humiliating process where you don’t know who you are or who anybody else is. Nobody should ever die like that.

“I want my grandchildren to remember me as a warm and loving person who’s still capable of reading them books and making them dinner.”

I felt a dark cloud of sorrow shadow my heart as I read her words, and my mind flashed back to memories of my grandfather.

When I was about 8 years old, I watched my grandfather’s life rapidly deteriorate because of Alzheimer’s. His dementia was doubly difficult because it was coupled with trauma from his World War II days. He was rarely at peace, even before the Alzheimer’s set in.

It was more than 20 years ago, but I still vividly remember those last days with Grandpa. Mostly, I remember the times when Grandpa played with my little brother. They often sat together on the kitchen floor playing with airplanes, balls, or tops. When they were together, Grandpa was calm and happy, and the whole family felt at peace.

Even when my grandfather went into the hospital, he connected with me and my siblings in meaningful ways. Grandpa often pulled out his harmonica and played us tunes from his military days. He didn’t remember who we were; he couldn’t read books to us or play on the floor, but we knew he loved us.

Brother

Had my grandfather decided to end his life before the Alzheimer’s, my brother never would have known him. My brother was only about 3 years old when Grandpa died, and his memories of Grandpa are few and vague.

But he remembers them playing airplanes together. Flying was something Grandpa always wanted to learn but never had the means to. Inspired by our grandfather, my brother worked hard and saved his money to begin flying lessons. He flew his first solo flight before he had his driver’s license.

Thinking back, I realize how meaningful my grandfather’s life was even in those last days. It’s why I hope Bitros won’t discount the value of her life, even as her memory fades. She clearly loves her grandchildren very much. I hope that she will see that, even with dementia, she can love and inspire her grandchildren just as my grandfather did.