San Francisco Walks for Life

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Walk for Life West Coast

 

By Katy Schriner, intern, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation

Recently the West Coast took a stand to speak out at the 15th annual Walk for Life in San Francisco. EWTN Pro-Life Weekly broadcasted the walk, talking to many different people, including preachers, students, parents, speakers of the pro-life movement and the co-founder of the Walk for Life. The crowd ranged from locals, students and people who had traveled from different states to attend the walk. CBS local affiliate KPIX has estimated that there were about 50,000 people in the crowd.

Dolores Meehan and Eva Muntean, co-founders of the Walk for Life, were inspired to start a walk when both of them attended the March for Life in Washington D.C. in 2000. From 2004 to 2019, the walk has grown steadily, with numbers skyrocketing from 7,500 to 50,000 people attending this year. The motto at this year’s Walk for Life is “Abortions Hurt Women”. The goal that these two women set every year is to motivate people to get involved, spread the word of the pro-life movement out to the communities and to stay committed throughout the whole year. Besides discussions with the co-founders of the Walk for Life, there were other interviews being conducted with pro-life leaders before the rally including Tina Whittington, Executive Vice President for the Students for Life of America. She discusses with Catherine Hardo, anchor of EWTN, about their organization’s mission and goals. The Students for Life has 1,200 groups all across the country who work with high school and college campuses to start their own pro-life club. Their goal is to impact the high school or college campus towards life, bring resources to their campus for pregnant and parenting students, and to educate their peers on what abortion is.

As I mentioned, there were several speakers who spoke at the Walk for Life Rally who were very inspiring and touched so many hearts in the crowd in San Francisco. 40 Days for Life gave out their 40-44 Scholarship, to a college student whose mission is to end abortion and to spread the word for the future. Morgan English (sophomore student at the University of Florida) and Anna Green (junior student at the University of Idaho) were presented the $4,040 scholarship for their incredible work and dedication towards life. But the most important speaker in my view was Patricia Sandoval.  She told her story about how she had three abortions, her experience working at Planned Parenthood and how she dug herself out of her darkness with her addiction to drugs and homelessness. During her speech, she emphasized that the abortionist never told her the truth about the full side effects of Post-Abortion Syndrome including anxiety, depression, the nightmares and suicidal thoughts. There was one specific part of her speech that I believe to be the most powerful and that was when she talked about her homelessness, drug addiction and how one day her life was changed. She discussed that she felt like she was a bum and described the type of dark place she was in. Until one day she decided to switch her life around, feeling God in her life for the first time and being able to speak about her experience with everyone especially women.

Stories like Patricia’s are ones that will touch your heart and make you realize how important the pro-life movement is. There were so many people at the walk ranging in age from little babies with their parents, to college students from Stanford University, to women in mid-life. One of the coolest events that happened was having women on stage and having the audience listen to the babies’ heartbeats on stage. While there are differences between the Walk for Life and the March for Life, the most important thing is that their missions are the same and will never change, and that will be to give the voiceless a voice and to keep fighting for life!

 

 

How to Engage Your Pastor for LIFE!

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Martin Luther King, Jr.

By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director

“As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

When we think back on the history of social movements, the clergy have played an important role. We think of the soaring words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who fought courageously for the rights of African-Americans. Dr. King empowered people to take a bold step for justice in the face of tremendous prejudice.

In the 21st century, the civil rights movement of our time is the pro-life movement. It seeks to honor and protect the rights of people–from the dawn of life to the twilight of life. And while we welcome people of all different faiths, or no faith at all, it is true that clergy can have a powerful impact on the success of our movement.

Here are three simple steps to help engage your pastor for LIFE:

  • Invite your pastor to lunch, dinner, or brunch. Share with your pastor your concerns about the protection of innocent human life. In a relaxed atmosphere, you can have a pleasant exchange of ideas for advancing the pro-life cause.
  • Recommend resources to your pastor. Your pastor can certainly benefit from reading such online publications as National Right to Life  News Today. This way, your pastor can be well-informed about emerging threats to innocent life–and peaceful, successful ways to combat them.
  • Thank your pastor for pro-life sermons. It is important that we encourage our pastors whenever possible. Let your pastor know you support the clergy member’s life-affirming words.

Finally, remember the inspiring rhetoric of Dr. King during his 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech: “I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.'”

 

The New York Effect on the Pro-Life Movement

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Baby sleeping

 

By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director

In recent days, our office at the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation has been receiving call after call from people wanting to volunteer for the pro-life movement. It seems that this is the effect of the bizarre pro-abortion law in New York and the equally strange legislation in Virginia. The legislation permits abortion up to birth–and offers no protection for those babies who survive botched abortions. People are very upset about what’s going on, but they want to do something positive to counteract it. It’s inspiring!

We have also received a number of emails from people wanting to join a local chapter of National Right to Life. In all my time in the pro-life movement, I have never before seen such an outpouring of activism.

We even received an email about a family who is considering moving from New York to Pennsylvania to escape Governor Andrew Cuomo’s abortion extremist regime. The inquiry came in the form of a question: What is the forecast for Pennsylvania? Is it in danger of going the way of New York?

Fortunately, Pennsylvania has pro-life majorities in both the PA House of Representatives and the Senate. Pro-life legislation is welcomed and encouraged. We are also home to the first-in-the-nation state-assisted pregnancy and parenting program, which is administered by Real Alternatives, Inc. Hundreds of thousands of women and their families have been served by this network of pregnancy resource centers.

But the Keystone State faces its own threats. Our Governor, Tom Wolf, once volunteered as a clinic escort for Planned Parenthood. He has a radically pro-abortion position, opposing a ban on brutal dismemberment abortions, where a baby is torn limb by limb from a mother’s womb.

The Commonwealth has also been hit by a lawsuit from the abortion industry, which wants to end our long-standing ban on Medicaid-funded abortions. This despite the fact that taxpayer-funded abortions are wildly unpopular in Pennsylvania.

Nationwide, the prospect of abortions up to the moment of birth has led not only to an outcry–but also action. The New York effect is sparking a renewed interest in the pro-life movement from people who steadfastly believe that babies should be protected–both inside and outside their mothers’ wombs.

Coming to You Live at WDAC

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Michael and Katy at WDAC RadioBy Katy Schriner, intern, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation

In Lancaster, PA on January 24th, Michael Ciccocioppo and I had the opportunity to be interviewed on Spotlight with WDAC’s Greg Barton. When I first stepped foot into the studio, there were so many rooms that I wanted to explore. From what I observed, on the first floor, the studio had 3 recording studios that consist of interviews, music, recordings and more. The style of each room was very old school-like. The wallpaper, equipment, tables and chairs brought up a feeling as if I had time traveled back to the 1970’s, which I enjoyed a lot.  The topic of this podcast was the March for Life and Pro-Life issues in Pennsylvania.

I sadly could not attend the March for Life but Michael was able to go to Washington D.C., while I stayed back at the office and watched the rally with Maria Gallagher. I thought that the march overall was very moving for those who had never seen or attended the march before.  I also thought it was interesting to hear all of the discussions between the news anchors and special guests. But hearing Michael’s experience is the FULL effect of the type of environment that he was in. He describes the atmosphere as “filled with joy” where everyone was friendly and loving towards one another. In addition, he believed there were more than 300,000 in attendance at the march. He emphasized that the March for Life is the largest and longest human rights demonstration in the world. There were several special guests that appeared at the rally before the march that included Ben Shapiro, Abby Johnson, Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen with a special video guest appearance by President Donald Trump.

Within that podcast with Greg, Michael and I also got to discuss some issues and some goals that we hope to achieve. Recently, we have heard that the new bill in New York will allow women to have an abortion up to the point where the baby is born, which is outrageous. In Pennsylvania, we have strong representation in the House and the Senate, lawmakers who are pro-life and who will restrict any type of pro-abortion bill that will come their way. The only issue that we may have is our governor, Tom Wolf, who is pro-abortion and has shown that he will not make any efforts to change his mind on switching to pro-life. There is also another bill that is expected to be re-introduced in Pennsylvania, which is the Down syndrome bill. The bill intends that you cannot have an abortion just because the baby has Down syndrome, to prevent a form of complete discrimination. We already have a bill in Pennsylvania which states that you can’t have an abortion because you do not like the sex of the baby.

This year is the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation’s 40th anniversary, Michael points out in the podcast. Since 1979, the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation has been the largest and the longest running pro-life organization in Pennsylvania, which has made it trustworthy. It has made great strides in reducing abortion in the Commonwealth. For instance, the latest update in 2017 from the Department of Health shows the numbers of abortions in Pennsylvania have dropped down to 30,000, which is the lowest that we have seen. With all our hard work and dedication for pushing forward for Pro-Life, this October there will be a banquet to remember and recognize all that we have done in Pennsylvania for the movement. It’s incredible that our efforts to end abortion have grown dramatically throughout the decade.

Before we ended the podcast, there was one question that stood out the most, which was if someday Roe vs. Wade will be gone. Michael and I both agree that someday that Roe vs. Wade will be a thing of the past but the next mission is to have those states that are pro-abortion such as New York get laws passed protecting preborn children and their mothers from harm.

Late-Term Abortion and Infanticide: Defending the Indefensible

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newborn-1400757_960_720

 

By Maria V. Gallagher

I recall an incident that occurred when I was working as a journalist for the mainstream media. A woman from the pro-abortion lobbying group known as NARAL led a gaggle of reporters to believe that late-term abortions only occurred to save mothers’ lives.

Later, a national abortion industry spokesman admitted that the majority of those obtaining late-term abortions were teenagers. The spokesman indicated that the teens were uneasy about abortion, so they had delayed the decision to abort into the third trimester.

Now, we have a Virginia lawmaker openly and brazenly admitting that her bill would allow for abortions while a woman is in labor.  The bill will thankfully go nowhere, but the discussion is relevant nonetheless.

Here is the exchange between the lawmaker, Kathy Tran (D-Fairfax) and a fellow legislator, Todd Gilbert:

Gilbert: Where it’s obvious a woman is about to give birth, that she has physical signs that she is about to give birth. Would that be a point at which she could still request an abortion if she was so certified? She’s dilating.

Tran: Mr. Chairman, that would be a decision that the doctor, the physician, and the woman would make at that point.

Gilbert: I understand that. I’m asking if your bill allows that.

Tran: My bill would allow that, yes.

Not to be outdone, the Governor of Virginia, Democrat Ralph Northam, took the explosive situation a step further. On a radio show, Northam delivered a defense of what can only be described as infanticide: “If a mother is in labor…the infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and mother.”

To paraphrase Shakespeare, “To kill or not to kill, that is the question.”

One national poll showed that only 15 percent of Americans support late-term abortions. I would hazard a guess the number is even lower for those supporting “after-birth abortions.”

These politicians are completely out of step with the American mainstream. They express no compassion whatsoever for a baby–whether inside or outside the mother’s womb.

The time to act is now. Please share these stories of late-term abortion and infanticide propaganda with your friends and relatives. Let them know what these politicians stand for–a total contempt for the most innocent and defenseless among us.

 

Revealing What is Hidden in the Womb

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Ultrasound couple 2

 

By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation

Late last night, a friend sent me a Facebook message. Too tired to read it, I waited until this morning to view it. I was astounded.

What my friend had sent me was a video of a 4D ultrasound. Granted, it is not the first time I have seen such a video. But the image was mesmerizing nonetheless.

I could see one preborn baby jumping around with abandon. In another clip, a baby looked like he was waving. I saw a baby yawn and suck his thumb. What I saw, in short, was a human being showing off his humanity.

A video such as this can revolutionize the world. It provides a window into the hidden, amazing world of the preborn child. It is both informative and entertaining, and helps us to form a connection to a child that we might not otherwise have.

Technology can save the precious child in the womb. If every mother could see such a video in a supportive, loving atmosphere, how many more would choose life for their children?

Do yourself a favor and watch this incredible video (https://www.facebook.com/derekmke/videos/1799718376803503/). Then share it on social media. On a bitterly cold winter’s day, it will warm your heart and show you why the unborn child is worth fighting for

Channel Sadness Over Abortion Law into Positive Action

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Baby beautiful

 

By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director

I felt overcome with sadness when I learned that New York had passed a lethal law allowing abortions up to the moment of birth. I was doubly saddened when I discovered that babies born alive after botched abortions could be left to die in the Empire State.

But I refuse to give into despair. I know opportunities abound to protect innocent children and their mothers from the harm of abortion. So I have come up with a four-step plan I intend to follow in the wake of the New York tragedy:

  • Educate–I am doing everything possible to alert people to the dangers of the New York law. With information comes power. I have encountered so many people who are so sickened by the passage of this tragic law that they want to become more involved in the pro-life movement than ever before.
  • Contact my elected officials–I want my elected officials to know my stand on life, and that I do not want my state to go the way of New York. I am more energized than ever to defend Pennsylvania’s life-saving law, which includes informed consent, parental consent, and 24 hour waiting periods prior to abortions.
  • Support pregnancy centers–These centers reach out to women every day with life-changing support and comprehensive counseling. They provide a lifeline to women in challenging circumstances, and are vitally important in offering pregnant women life-affirming options for themselves and their families.
  • Engage in social media as never before–Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are powerful platforms for spreading a message of life and love. I refuse to give into the negativity on social media, and instead embrace a positive mindset that leads to posts which enlighten and energize my friends and followers.

New York is a national wake-up call. Pro-abortion forces would like to see abortion-up-to-birth laws in all 50 states. Working together, we can prevent that nightmare from ever occurring.

 

 

Change of Hearts in Gettysburg

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Michael Ciccocioppo at Adams County Roe event

 

By Katy Schriner, intern, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation

“There is going to come a time when people won’t listen to the truth, but will go around looking for teachers who will tell them just what they want to hear. They won’t listen to sound doctrine but will blithely follow their own misguided idea.” That is the quote that best represents the issue we have with abortions still being legal. On January 22nd, 46 years ago, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision, known as Roe v. Wade. This decision has led to the legalization of abortion in all 50 states in the U.S. As a result, more than 60 million preborn babies, HUMAN BEINGS, are not with us on earth today.

On January 22nd, 2019, citizens of Gettysburg gathered outside the Adams County Court House on a cold winter day, standing for one goal, one purpose, for Life! With an audience of about 70 people, Executive Director Michael Ciccocioppo along with two others, gave the most humbling, heart-warming presentation that these people needed to hear. The first speaker to start things off was John Santino, the husband of Ruth Santino, the Adams County Chapter, Pennsylvanians Humans for Life President. John began by giving his greatest appreciation for people coming out and talked about what it meant to be standing in front of the courthouse on that date. John reminded people that by standing up for what you believe, your voice can be heard by not just the people you are around, but by those beyond the crowd.

But the most important voice to be heard throughout this rally was Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation Executive Director Michael Ciccocioppo. His story is poignant, with his parents only being seniors in high school when they found out they were pregnant with Michael. Both of their families were very church-going people. They both were scared and ashamed, because they knew that their families would have found their behavior unacceptable. So what did they do you may ask? Well they had decided to keep it a secret from their families and once they had graduated from high school, they drove down to Hagerstown, Maryland and got married. Six months after that, Michael was born into this world! If his parents had aborted Michael and split up, Michael would’ve been a statistic–one abortion, and then that also would’ve meant that Michael’s other 14 siblings wouldn’t have existed as well. Michael proposed the idea to the crowd why they all have gathered on that day: to be a visible witness to the tragedy of so many lives lost in our society.

Overall, I thought the rally in Gettysburg was a success for those who attended and also for those on the street who heard the words of these amazing spokesmen and decided to stay and listen to what they had to say. The other thing that caught my attention  was the number of different age groups and genders surrounding the courthouse. Seeing children as small as about 6 years old to elders about age 70 is incredible to witness; viewing them listening to these speakers and seeing their eyes so focused on the spokesmen is such an experience! Michael ended his talk on this note: “Our cause is a righteous cause. Our minds are smart enough to understand the science of human life. Our eyes can see the uniqueness of every human being from conception to natural death. And our hearts cry out for those who cannot cry out from their mothers’ wombs: STOP THE KILLING. PROTECT INNOCENT HUMAN LIFE. STOP ABORTION NOW”.

 

 

New York’s Abortion Law: A Pregnancy Center Director Responds

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Student

 

By Marlene Downing, Director, Hope Pregnancy Center

Wednesday January 23, 2019 held the reality of a horrific day in history. This was the day after lawmakers devastated not only the state of New York, but also the nation with a bill that allows abortion up until birth. It was not like any other day. The atmosphere was heavy with constant reminders plastered on social media platforms.

I drove up I-95 to the sound of life-affirming music. Yet, the tears would not stop flowing as so many questions about humanity bombarded me. After I pulled into the parking lot at Greater Exodus Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,  I stepped my foot out of the car and sucked in my last tear in an effort to pull it all together for the day ahead.

I then turned the key and opened the door to the HOPE Pregnancy Center Philadelphia. Performing one small task after another, I turned the lights on, opened the blinds, and turned on the Keurig. I unlocked the doors to each office beginning with the first counseling room and lastly the Ultrasound room. Peace began to fall as the phone calls came in and I prayed for the day ahead.

If these walls could talk, the unassuming building nestled next to Greater Exodus Baptist Church- where the founder, Rev. Dr. Herbert H. Lusk II, has touched the lives of thousands–would say “Don’t lose HOPE!”

The building has seen women plagued with fear, hopelessness, uncertainty and shame and watched as volunteers and workers have turned these feelings around. This has happened over and over for 10 years of service in the North Philadelphia community.

If these walls could talk–they would tell you that your work in a Pregnancy Center and any life affirming organization is surely not in vain. This building would speak to the fact that the fight is far from over!

 

 

 

 

Mourning a New York Nightmare

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Baby eyesBy Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director

It used to be that, at a time of national tragedy, people would gather around their televisions and mourn together, unified by their common values.

In 2019, Facebook appears to be the place for complete strangers to grieve in solidarity with one another.

This was certainly true when Facebook users saw the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation’s post about New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signing a bill allowing abortion up to the moment of birth.

Here are some of the heartfelt comments we received beneath our link to the story:

How can this be happening in America in 2019???

Pray for New York.

My heart is so sad. 

What is this world coming to? 

So tragic, so sad.

This breaks my heart.

The emotion is real, and it is expressed by individuals both inside and outside the Empire State. It is a profound sorrow for the babies who will be lost as a result of this horrific law.

How can an individual respond to such a tragic turn of circumstances?

Raising our voices in defense of the sanctity of innocent human life is a necessary first step. Contacting our Congressional representatives, letting them know that we want to see safeguards for life at the federal level, is another critical move. Engaging with our state lawmakers to ensure that New York’s tragic error is not repeated in other states is important as well.

Those of us united in mourning must also be united in action to fight radical pro-abortion laws in peaceful, just ways. The future of our civilization depends on it.