Tag Archives: abortion

There is So Much Wrong with This “Right”

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Baby sleepingBy Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director

We as Americans take our rights very seriously. The right to free speech. The right to freedom of religion. The right to peaceable assembly.

But there is so much wrong with the so-called “right” to an abortion.

To begin with, each abortion ends an innocent, unrepeatable human life. It is an act of killing a defenseless human being. There is nothing right, and everything wrong, with that.

In addition, the image of a woman freely and independently exercising a “right” to abortion is deeply flawed. Research shows that, much of the time, women are pressured into abortion by a boyfriend, husband, parent, or even a grandparent. In other words, they are making a choice they don’t want. A study also indicated that the vast majority of women who experience difficulties after abortion would have chosen life if just one person had supported it–just one!

The so-called “right” to abortion also completely ignores the rights of fathers. Under Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion, a father’s right to defend the life of his child is stolen away. How many men are suffering in silence today, grieving the loss of a child they very much wanted?

Our society has suffered greatly from the loss of the more than 60 million preborn children who have died under Roe. We’ve lost doctors and diplomats, social studies teachers and scientists, and all manner of other professionals from legalized abortion.

A so-called “right” to abortion appears nowhere in the U.S. Constitution. It was invented by a group of men on the U.S. Supreme Court who did not have access to the 4D Ultrasound we have today–technology which clearly shows the development of the preborn child.

For the sake of our nation and our posterity, the so-called “right” to an abortion cannot stand. It will fall under the weight of its own hypocrisy.

A Study of Contrasts

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Contrast

               Since the beginning of September when the hearings to confirm now Justice Brett Kavanaugh began, pro-abortion activists have been in hysterics.  Paid pro-abortion protesters have been disrupting public meetings and trying to interrupt Senate proceedings.  Worse, they’re not done yet.  Congressman Jerrold Nadler, who is in line to head up the House Judiciary committee if the Democrats win a majority in the US House of Representatives, plans an investigation into Justice Kavanaugh if he becomes Chair of the Judiciary Committee.

The actions of the pro-abortion crowd stand in stark contrast to the love and quiet strength shown by pro-lifers.  We are in the midst of the fall Forty Days for Life Campaign during which prolifers hold vigils outside pregnancy centers. They take a peaceful, prayerful approach to sharing the truth about abortion.  This past weekend was Life-Chain Sunday during which dozens of life chain events were held across Pennsylvania (and hundreds all over the country).  At these events pro-lifers silently stood together in solidarity, praying for the end to the horrors of abortion.

While the confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh was a huge victory, there’s much work left to do to end legal abortion.  Consider participating in a Forty Days for Life vigil or joining your local chapter of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation and standing in solidarity with the pro-life community against the horrors of abortion. You can lovingly support those who are facing an unexpected pregnancy and remind them that there is always a reason to choose life.

Beauty is Overcoming the Ugliness of Abortion

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Child with flowersBy Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

“Beauty will save the world,” wrote author Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

I believe this is especially true when it comes to the issue of abortion.

Abortion is inherently ugly, its gruesomeness shown in the suctioning of a preborn baby’s body and the ripping apart of tiny legs and arms. It is a ghastly enterprise, perhaps best demonstrated in the story of West Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell, who was ultimately convicted of murdering three full-term babies and causing the death of a female immigrant patient, Karnamaya Mongar. Gosnell plied an ugly trade and is suspected of killing hundreds of babies by “snipping” their spinal cords.

In sharp contrast, a baby is inherently beautiful, as indicated by the “oohs” and “ahhs” which accompany the miracle known as birth. To see the face of a newborn is to catch a glimpse of heaven. It stirs the soul and lifts the spirit–as all beauty does.

With each abortion, the abortionist is killing beauty. He or she is depriving the world of an unrepeatable, intrinsically lovely creation.

The pro-life movement challenges our nation and our world to rediscover beauty–the beauty of a baby’s eyes, the gorgeousness of a smile, the preciousness of little feet.

In celebrating life we are celebrating beauty, that other-worldly attribute which will indeed save the world.

Marking the Anniversary of an Abortion Center Closure

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Hillcrest

By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

This is definitely an anniversary worth celebrating.

It has been nearly a year since the troubled Hillcrest abortion facility in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania permanently shut its doors after decades of operation.

And the city is still standing.

I mention that because abortion advocates routinely issue dire predictions when an abortion center is in danger of closing. While it is true that, sadly, Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion operation, continues to perform abortions in Harrisburg, it is also true that the city is better off without Hillcrest.

Still, even after Pennsylvania Health Department inspectors uncovered 44 pages’ worth of health and safety violations at the abortion center, they did not immediately move to shutter the facility. It was only after dedicated pro-lifers made the safety report known to the press–and determined state Senators demanded Hillcrest’s closing–that regulators temporarily closed it. Some weeks later, the facility gave up its license to perform abortions in the Keystone State.

Women in Harrisburg are safer with the closing of Hillcrest. And precious preborn babies have been spared a cruel fate inside Hillcrest’s walls. But Hillcrest’s history shows the abortion industry cannot be trusted to police itself–even when health violations are as plain as the two-feet high unmowed grass that surrounded Hillcrest during its final months.

Back to School and the Sacredness of Life

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Student

By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

In cities and towns across the U.S., students are returning to school–or just about to. But in all the back to school reports on the local news, no mention will be made of all the students who are missing because of abortion. It is estimated that as many as one in five pregnancies in the U.S. ends in abortion. Nearly one million American children are lost to abortion each year. It is a tragedy of epic proportions–yet all too often ignored by the mainstream media.

But back to school time can also be a time of tremendous hope. Many faith-based schools organize bus trips to the annual March for Life…host pro-life clubs on campus…and encourage students to spiritually adopt preborn babies as they pray for the little ones each day.

Those who are parents and grandparents can also use this time to instill in our offspring a great respect for the dignity and incalculable value of human life. We can make sure middle schoolers know the stages of life in the womb, and that high schoolers know the location of the nearest pro-life pregnancy resource center.

We can also use this time to educate ourselves about pro-life issues, turning to trusted pro-life organizations, such as the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation and National Right to Life, to find out the latest developments on the pro-life front. Education is power, and with our newfound knowledge we may just save a life–or change a mind.

In addition, we can recommit ourselves to working for an overturn of the tragic U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade.  Someday, the issue of abortion will return to the states, and we must be prepared to pass meaningful pro-life laws. Let us look forward to the day when Roe is just an unpleasant asterisk in student history books, and when all children have a real chance at life.

Saving Precious Lives–Online!

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20060704231516_independence day baby

By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

When the U.S. Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade back in 1973, the Justices had limited knowledge of the development of the preborn child. In the decades since then, technology has revolutionized the abortion debate. With the advent of 4D Ultrasound, mothers can view their babies smiling and somersaulting in the womb.

Technology has also proven to be an incredible gift to the pro-life movement. Parents routinely share Ultrasounds of their preborn children on Facebook. On Twitter, pro-lifers can share the latest research about abortion and euthanasia with lightening speed. Those who attend the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. can post pictures and videos on Instagram for all their followers to see. On Pinterest, those with a heart for the pro-life cause can instantaneously share breathtaking photos of a baby growing in her mother’s womb. And on LinkedIn, savvy pro-lifers can post point-by-point refutations of pro-abortion arguments in a manner that is not only persuasive, but also winsome.

Some of the dedicated pro-lifers I know have compiled large email lists of like-minded people, allowing them to share breaking news which affects preborn children, their mothers, fathers, and grandparents, the frail elderly, and people with disabilities.

National Right to Life and its affiliates have a strong presence on social media. While a number of analysts decry the negativity on various Internet platforms, pro-lifers are a positive force, educating people with the best high-tech tools at their disposal. 

So while you’re scrolling through your Facebook or Twitter feed today, why not take a few moments to post a helpful pro-life article (This article may be a start!). Just one post can save a precious life!

The Second Victim in Every Abortion

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Woman

By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

Whenever I contemplate the effect of abortion on women, I think of a friend I will refer to as “Jessica.”

A boyfriend pressured Jessica into an abortion when she was a young teenager. She felt she had no say in the matter, and she believed she was powerless.

Years later, she firmly believes that if a single person had supported a decision for life on the day of abortion, her baby would not have died. A noteworthy national poll bears that out. The survey of post-abortive women indicated that the vast majority of respondents would have decided against abortion if just one person had offered support. Just one!

Jessica has now dedicated her life to being that “one person.” I have lost count of the number of women and children she has helped through her outreach.

Mothers are the second victims in any abortion. They are left to grieve their children–often alone and in silence. I thank all the dedicated pro-lifers who reach out to these women, offering them the chance at hope and healing following their abortions.

Let us never forget the terrible wounds inflicted on women by abortion trauma. Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court case legalizing abortion, was an assault on both women  and children which cannot stand.

Oprah’s Magazine Encourages Women to Shout Their Abortions

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WomanBy Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

O magazine, the publication published by media mogul Oprah Winfrey, contains a jarring image in its latest edition. It shows a woman with a t-shirt that encourages women to “shout” their abortions.

Pro-abortion stories by the media are nothing new. But the boldness and insensitivity shown by this article are especially troubling.

Women across the country testify that they have been greatly harmed by abortion and its aftermath.

Consider the courageous women who have submitted their testimonies to the organization known as the Silent No More Awareness Campaign. Women such as Wanda from California:

“It’s (a) real LIVE human being, YOUR baby, please take it from me!  It is something you will forever regret!”

Or Erica from Hawaii:

“After the abortion, I felt humiliated.  I felt isolated and alone. Co-workers called to check on me after the procedure, but I had to lie about what it was for to protect my job. I was tired of lying and stopped taking their calls. I cried alone in my bed for days. Eventually, I had to go back to work and tried to pretend things were okay, but they weren’t.”

Or Marianne from New York:

“I want to share my story and be silent no more about all the lies that are perpetrated about abortion. They tell you that you will feel relief, but you feel terrible guilt. The pro-choice movement does a big injustice to women, feeding them lies.”

These brave women, and countless others like them, are not shouting their abortions. They are crying out in pain. Let’s respect these women by listening to them and reaching out to them in love. In this way, their wounds can heal, and they can truly be silent no more.

How Feminism Betrayed Women on Abortion

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Sad woman at the window

Sad woman at the window

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

A new book shows quite clearly how modern feminism betrayed women with its embrace of abortion on demand.

Sex Matters by Mona Charen describes quite clearly and convincingly how legal abortion has done tremendous harm to women in the U.S.

Charen writes of feminist icon Betty Friedan, author of The Feminine Mystique, “It is a deep tragedy that she never saw how cruel a thing she embraced by endorsing abortion on demand.”

Charen wisely points out that the women who lobbied for the right to vote in the early part of the 20th century “recoiled from abortion.” But that for the feminist leaders of the ’60s and ’70s abortion was a “sacrament of their secular religion.” She notes that there is a “certain brutality in the feminist approach to abortion.” This is because feminists asked women to “harden their hearts against the most vulnerable members of the human family.”

Pro-abortion forces promote a narrative that obscures certain realities. For instance, the U.S. has a waiting list of individuals who wish to adopt children. In fact, couples line up for the opportunity to adopt children who have been diagnosed with Down syndrome.

As Charen posits, the feminists’ “callousness toward the unborn is not only morally blind, but it betrays the traditional feminine sensitivity to the needs and welfare of children.”

Sex Matters is a bold treatise which demonstrates the fundamental flaws in the pro-abortion argument. That it is written by a woman shows that abortion culture does not have the appeal to many women that abortion promoters claim.

 

 

 

 

“Reproductive Rights” Aren’t Right at All

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Sad woman at the window

The pain of abortion is often unspeakable

 

 

 

 

 

By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

In recent years it has become common for abortion advocates to use the phrase “reproductive rights” to describe their position.

But the phrase is incredibly misleading.

First of all, abortion is a denial of the fact of reproduction. It is a denial of the humanity of the child in the womb. It is a denial that the baby is a distinct human being with DNA separate from the mother.

Also, one can hardly say pregnant women are exercising their rights when, in as many as 60 percent of cases, women are coerced into having abortions. This means that a boyfriend, husband, parent, or even grandparent may be pressuring them to abort.

The phrase also fails to recognize the fact that a girl in the womb, once she matures, may be capable of reproduction herself. An abortion forever denies that female child the ability to have her own child when she is older.

“Reproductive rights,” when applied to abortion, is a fallacy. The truly accurate way to describe an abortion is the taking of an innocent life and the wounding of a mother. It’s that simple–and that heartbreaking.