The March for Life: A Legacy of Love

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Mike Pence at MarchBy Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director

The world’s largest pro-life event steps out January 18, when hundreds of thousands of people are expected to converge on Washington, D.C. for the annual March for Life.

High school and college students, mothers and fathers, grandparents and children will be showcasing their opposition to Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision which brought us abortion for any reason up to the moment of birth.

Pennsylvania will be well-represented at the March, as numerous chapters of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation will be sponsoring buses to the peaceful, passionate gathering.

In honor of the March, we decided in this issue of LifeLines to feature the words of two veteran marchers who have a lifetime worth of experience championing the rights of pregnant women and their babies.

The Legacy of People for Life

“People for Life began its March for Life tradition by chartering a bus to the very first March for Life in 1974,” said Tim Broderick, President of Erie’s People for Life, a chapter of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation. Broderick also serves on the Federation’s Board of Directors.

“Since then, we have not missed a single year. When I began volunteering with our organization on a weekly basis, in January 1995, I was already aware of the bus trip, but only vaguely. I declined to go along on the bus trip that year, thinking the whole thing was just for entertainment and not ‘serious’ pro-life work. I decided to go in 1996, however, mainly out of curiosity. I found the experience moving beyond words, and I rode back to Erie on ‘Cloud Nine’ and stayed there for about a week!

“Having become more involved in leading People for Life over the years, it has been part of my job to supervise the bus trip. Thankfully, I have been able to attend each and every March for Life since my 1996 experience. It never gets old. Some of it is very routine now, but each March for Life is unique and has its own unique flavor, and it grows larger and larger with nearly every passing year.

“Our March for Life bus trip has grown as well, from a single motor coach in 1974 to as many as five of the newer and larger motor coaches in recent years. And there have been spin-offs, with at least five other groups now sending their own buses from the three-county area that we used to serve exclusively.

“As a moving and uplifting experience, perhaps the March for Life is ‘entertainment’ after all. But it has also become, without a doubt, a tremendous symbol of pro-life love–and pro-life resolve–for the entire world. Thanks to generous news coverage by our local TV news departments, our bus trip is doing its little part to bring that message of love and resolve to as many people as possible,” Broderick added.

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The Pro-Life Generation

“I have attended the March many years and I attended the first March for Life as a sophomore in college,” said Dr. Denise Wilcox, southeast regional director for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation and Pennsylvania’s delegate to the National Right to Life Board of Directors.

“We rode in a VW bus from Morgantown West Virginia. We didn’t have any heat in the bus either but we were sure our voices would overturn Roe vs Wade if we just chanted loud enough as we marched down the avenue. Now I ride in a heated coach bus, and I arrive to meet thousands of people who make me feel that this nation has so much hope and promise!

“I realize that the young people in the crowd have outnumbered my generation and I realize too that I have finally passed the torch to them. Each year the 1973 decision to legalize abortion has been weakened by state and federal legislation. I pray that I will one day see this decision overturned. Then, I can ride to DC and celebrate that day with a March to commemorate the lives that will be saved!” 

Meeting a Miracle

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Children littleBy Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director

I had the opportunity to interview a veteran of the pro-life movement. He has been volunteering in the movement for decades, beginning when he was in college. At that time, a young woman was heading up the pro-life club at Villanova University. He was captivated by the cause and the co-ed, whom he later married.

Tom has been a leader in one of the local chapters of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation for years. I asked him what made him continue with the chapter’s work. He said he has been hosting chapter meetings at his house for 30 years, so it would be fairly difficult for him to excuse himself. And he doesn’t want to.

Tom now works for one of the busiest pro-life pregnancy resource centers in the Commonwealth. Just in the last few years, they’ve seen the number of ultrasounds they perform for clients skyrocket. They are strategizing ways to grow even further.

I happened to talk to Tom on his birthday. I asked him if he would ever retire from the pro-life movement. He said he thought he would be involved until his last breath.

I am so thankful for people like Tom who are incredibly dedicated to the pro-life cause. Tom has now given most of his life to it–and he does not regret it. With people like Tom at the helm, there is no shortage of pro-life miracles that can occur.

In fact, he’s met some of those miracles. He spoke of the amazing feeling of being introduced to a young person whose life has been saved with the aid of a pregnancy center. It is awe-inspiring–and it demonstrates why Tom has remained with the pro-life movement for 40 years.

Here’s hoping he lives another 40!

Look Her in the Eyes

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Baby eyesBy Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director

I was captivated by a baby girl I saw recently in church. Her eyes were filled with wonder, taking in everything within her environment.

This chance encounter made me reflect upon the development of an unborn child. At just 19 days after conception, the eyes begin to develop. Imagine that.  Less than three weeks after egg and sperm have united, the birth of sight begins. It is truly incredible.

By the 9th week after conception, the preborn child will be able to squint–a quite human response.

If we could look her in the eyes at that point, would any of us say that abortion is a rational option?

The fact is, the humanity of an unborn child is established from the start. A cycle of growth and development has begun which, if uninterrupted, will lead to birth. Think of the other milestones within a preborn child’s life cycle: the heart beats at 24 days after conception…arms and legs are forming at 28 days…the skeleton is complete at 42 days.

If we could look into that child’s eyes…at any point in her mother’s womb…would we say she is undeserving of life?

It is true that much of the development of the unborn child is hidden from us most of the time. But technological breakthroughs such as 4D Ultrasound have given us a window to the womb, allowing us to see the unborn child as never before. We know so much more now than the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court did in 1973, when they issued their tragic ruling Roe v. Wade. 

Let us look at all preborn children with the eyes of love, knowing that they are as deserving of protection as each one of us.

 

A Day in the Life of the Pro-Life Movement

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NRLLifeWorthDefendingBy Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director

When the men of the U.S. Supreme Court issued the tragic ruling Roe v. Wade in 1973, I suppose they thought they had settled the issue of abortion.

But 46 years later, the issue is anything but settled.

I have been reminded of that truth this week, in my work at the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, an affiliate of National Right to Life.

Calls have been pouring in from people wanting to make a public stance against abortion. An enthusiastic college student wants to partner with us to grow his campus pro-life group. And a second student–equally on fire for life–begins a long-anticipated internship with us next week.

And that is just a tiny taste of what’s been going on in the pro-life movement in Pennsylvania as 2019 is still in its infancy.

Nearly a half-century after Roe, the ranks of the pro-life movement are swelling…people are more engaged than ever before…and young people are embracing the call to protect innocent human life.

A day in the life of the pro-life movement is filled with successes, both large and small. And nothing is as powerful as the knowledge that an innocent human life…vulnerable to destruction…has been saved.

As the journey to overturn Roe continues, countless lives are being saved along the way. And that is a cause for great hope–both for the pro-life movement and for our nation.

Actress-Director’s Greatest Regret? Her Abortion.

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Penny Marshall 2I was saddened recently to learn of the death of actress-director Penny Marshall, who proved to be a trailblazer in both playing comedy and in directing heartwarming movies. She was perhaps best known for her portrayal of “Laverne” in the hit series “Laverne & Shirley.”

Curious about her life, I decided to read her memoir, which has the comedic title My Mother Was Nuts.

I learned about her childhood in New York–how her mother ran a dancing school because she loved to entertain. I learned about the interesting chain of events that led to her directing the box office hit Big. And I learned about some unexpected pregnancies in her life and their effect on her.

The first pregnancy occurred when she was young and unmarried. Before telling her mother or her boyfriend, she “wanted to think through my options, because maybe, just maybe, I might come up with a solution.”

She went on to write, “The most obvious option was to get an abortion in Juarez. I knew some girls who’d gone there. But I ruled it out immediately.”

She went on to have a baby girl, who grew up to have three children of her own.

But that is not where the story ended.

Later in life, she became pregnant again. She spoke with a variety of people, who offered a wide range of advice. She asked herself questions such as “Would I be able to live with myself if I didn’t have the baby?”

A man she knew offered to serve as a surrogate father. She declined. And she continued to struggle with what to do.

“I had never had an abortion, and I didn’t want to be that person who did,” she wrote.

In the end, she did have an abortion. She wrote, “I did it with a heavy heart.”

She went on to write, “It’s the one thing I’ve regretted most.”

Countless numbers of other women have faced the same life-long regret. I look forward to the day when abortion is unthinkable, and their tears will be no more.

Taking a Deeper Look at PA Abortion Statistics

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Sad woman at the window

By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director

Figures recently released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health show the total number of abortions in Pennsylvania are at an all-time low.

Still, looking deeper at the statistics, certain trends emerge that are of serious concern.

For instance, late-term abortions…abortions performed at 21-23 weeks…rose to 436. Keep in mind that Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf vetoed a bill that would have changed the abortion limit in PA from 24 weeks to 20 weeks gestation to reflect changes in viability. Thanks to medical breakthroughs, doctors and nurses are able to save babies at ever-earlier stages of development. The bill would have also banned the brutal practice of dismemberment abortion, where a baby is torn limb by limb from a mother’s womb.

Meanwhile, the abortion pill RU-486 accounts for an increasing number of abortions in Pennsylvania. These chemical abortions–also known as medical abortions–account for 11,496 of the 30,011 abortions performed in the Commonwealth.

Also of concern is the number of repeat abortions in the Keystone State. Nearly half of the abortions–14,172–were performed on women who had anywhere from one to four or more previous abortions. This demonstrations the disturbing trend of abortions being used as a method of birth control.

Nevertheless, the downward dip in abortions in Pennsylvania is welcomed news. The closure of abortion facilities, advances in ultrasound technology, and the concrete support provided by pro-life pregnancy resource centers have all helped to make this miracle happen.

Good News for Mothers and Babies as Abortions Hit Record Low in PA

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Ultrasound with couplePress Release from the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation

HARRISBURG, Pa. –The annual total of abortions in Pennsylvania have reached a record low, according to figures released by the PA Department of Health.

             The yearly report shows 30,011 abortions occurred in the Commonwealth in 2017—down from the 30,881 which took place in 2016, a decrease of nearly three percent. Nearly 84 percent of the abortions occurred in five counties: Allegheny (6,140), Dauphin (1,152), Delaware (1,016), Northampton (2,772), and Philadelphia (13,999).

“The fact that abortions are now at a record low is good news for mothers and babies in Pennsylvania,” said Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, an affiliate of National Right to Life. “While every abortion is a tragedy, this historic low number is an important milestone,” Gallagher added.

The decline in abortions can be attributed to a number of factors. “Technology has created a window to the womb, thanks to advancements in Ultrasound. Women are much more likely to choose life for their babies, if they view an Ultrasound in a supportive environment,” Gallagher said.

“In addition, abortion totals in Pennsylvania would be much higher were it not for the caring pregnancy resource centers administered by Real Alternatives and other groups. These life-affirming organizations provide everything from diapers to day care referrals, along with comprehensive counseling to pregnant women,” Gallagher added.

Still, one troubling trend is the disproportionate number of abortions performed on African-American women and the rise in abortions among Latina women. A total of 12,865 African-American babies died from abortion in 2017, while 3,038 Hispanic babies were aborted the same year.

“We grieve every abortion, because it is the taking of an innocent, unrepeatable human life. Yet, Pennsylvanians can take great pride in the decline in abortions, which has been aided by the loving alternatives to abortion that exist in the Commonwealth,” Gallagher added.

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The Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation is a grassroots right-to-life organization with members statewide.  As the state affiliate of National Right to Life, PPLF is committed to promoting the dignity and value of human life from conception to natural death and to restoring legal protection for preborn children.

Pro-Life Year in Review in PA

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Baby girlBy Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director

2018 was a year of accomplishment for the pro-life movement in Pennsylvania–despite incredible odds.

Here are some of the highlights:

  • Teens Reached–The Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation achieved the magnificent milestone of reaching more than 600,000 teenagers through our innovative partnership with the website TeenBreaks.com. In a number of cases, TeenBreaks connected teens with local pregnancy resource centers which could meet their needs.
  • Media Presence Expanded–The Pennsylvania pro-life movement expanded its reach to Pennsylvania citizens through hundreds of online articles, radio commentaries, and podcasts.
  • Pennsylvania abortions dropped to their lowest level on record. While even one abortion is too many, we rejoice that abortions have reached a record low in the Keystone State.
  • Social Media Presence Blossomed–We now post regular daily updates not only on the social media platforms Facebook and Twitter, but on Instagram and Pinterest as well. This has allowed us to reach a whole new audience with our life-affirming message.
  • Down Syndrome Protection Act passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives by an overwhelming bipartisan majority. The bill would have banned abortion for the sole reason of a Down syndrome diagnosis. Unfortunately, the PA Senate never voted on the bill, but there is always hope for next year.
  • Pro-life majorities maintained. Despite an especially challenging election year, Pennsylvania maintains pro-life majorities in the state House and state Senate.

With these achievements, there’s no telling what we can accomplish in 2019!

This Can Hurt a Lot

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Busy Philipps

By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director

In her memoir, This Will Only Hurt a Little, actress Busy Philipps reveals that she had an abortion when she was a teenager.

At the time of what would have been her baby’s due date, she went on a tour of Europe. She speaks of her feelings following the abortion:

“I still cried regularly in bed at night, sure not only that I had murdered a baby but that I was also going to hell. How would God ever forgive me? How would my own father? How would I?”

Whenever Busy visited a cathedral during her trip to Europe, she would “light a candle and pray for forgiveness. Pray for my baby. Pray that God would allow me to have beautiful children in the future.”

At the Vatican, she found herself looking into the eyes of Pope John Paul II. He “then took my cheeks in his hands and said something softly in Italian, I guess? A prayer for me.” She remembers that his eyes were soft, and “that he really had love for me.”

The exchange occurred on her due date.

Women who have had abortions need healing and hope. When they cry out to heaven, we must be ready to respond to their tears with compassion.

Sadly, from the rest of the book, it appears that she believes in keeping abortion legal. I pray that one day she will recognize that the state should protect women and children from going through what she and her baby underwent. Meanwhile, let us as pro-lifers always approach women who have had abortions with the tenderness of Pope John Paul II.

 

What’s in Store for 2019 on the Life Front?

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Baby ChristmasBy Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director

As 2018 draws to a close, the New Year remains a mystery in many ways. Still, 2019 can be a year of encouraging progress on the pro-life front. Here are some of the events and activities that are in store for the year ahead:

  • The March for Life is of great importance–this year and all years. The March steps out in Washington, D.C. on January 18th. Hundreds of thousands of dedicated individuals–many of them high school and college students–are expected to flood the streets of the nation’s capital in a peaceful, prayerful show of solidarity for pregnant women, babies, and fathers.
  • Judges will still be key. President Donald Trump has promised to nominate judges to the federal bench who will uphold the Constitution and who will not be activists, such as those who claimed a false “right” to abortion in Roe v. Wade in 1973. In Pennsylvania, voters will have the opportunity to cast ballots for judges for the Supreme Court, the Superior Court, and Commonwealth Court.
  • Local chapters will bring the pro-life message to their communities. Local chapters of National Right to Life and the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation will be proclaiming the sanctity of innocent human life at fairs, festivals, and other events in their counties.
  • Students will be engaged and energized through pro-life contests. Both National Right to Life and the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation sponsor essay contests for students. You can find details here and here. In addition, high school students can take part in the National Right to Life Oratory Contest if they have won a statewide contest, such as the Pennsylvania Pro-Life oratory competition mentioned here.
  • Social Media will be buzzing with pro-life news and information. You can find both National Right to Life and the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. You can also become part of the regular online discussion by sharing spectacular pro-life videos and articles with your friends and followers.

Working together, we can make 2019 a year of growth and significant accomplishment for the pro-life movement–and save lives and change hearts in the process. Happy 2019!