Tag Archives: abortion

How I Found Abortion Advocates Targeting Teens at the Library

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A few weeks ago, I decided to see what a local library had available on the abortion issue. I searched the online catalog for “abortion,” “women’s rights,” and “feminism” and jotted down a few titles.

The book I found in the young adults section turned out to be the biggest surprise. I wasn’t surprised by its content, already being familiar with the author; but I was concerned that the library had it sitting in the “Young Adults” section. Curious, I checked it out and took it home. Over the next two weeks, my husband and I read and discussed it.

The tone of the book was just plain scary, considering its intended audience – impressionable teens. Had the author taken a educational tone that meant to inform young people about issues involving sex and abortion, I would not have been so concerned (even if I disagreed). This book, however, was – and I don’t use the term lightly – propaganda.

For example, the author encouraged sexual promiscuity and barely mentioned the potential risks of such behaviors: STDs, pregnancy, heartbreak, etc. Then she gave her “dos” and “dont’s” list. I found myself rolling my eyes when I read one of her few “don’ts”: having sex with a guy who is “anti-choice.”

The author also did a poor job (intentionally?) of explaining a young woman’s options if she does get pregnant. Unsurprisingly, the author encouraged young women to go to Planned Parenthood for all their needs. The author was very clear that never, never should a young woman go to a pregnancy resource center. They’ll just lie and manipulate her into – gasp – keeping her baby. And they’ll do it by offering her free, confidential service like rent assistance and diapers. Oh, the horror!

It’s not secret that the abortion industry, Planned Parenthood especially, targets young people. As pro-lifers, we need to keep a watchful eye for things like this book. My husband and I wrote a note to our library when we returned the book, explaining our concerns. And hopefully, in just a small way, we made a difference.

Why Does Society Push Abortion on Women in Crisis?

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One of the things that compelled me to work in the pro-life movement was when I began to realize that abortion isn’t a choice that most women want to make.

Abortion is sold as the solution to a pregnant woman in crisis. If she is poor or abused, if Sadwomanshe lacks support from her partner or family, if she is still in school, our society tells her she should have an abortion. Many times, it’s the only “choice” she is offered.

Our sister affiliate, Texas Right to Life, recently wrote about the issue for National Right to Life News Today:

Pregnancy magnifies these tragedies in the woman’s life, and the natural conclusion for many is that by eliminating the preborn child, the crisis will go away. In reality, the crisis remains without the child who seems to be exacerbating her ordeal. (Alithea Williams, a pregnancy center volunteer) shares the story of a woman who was utterly under the control of her child’s father. He had the power to have her deported or ejected penniless onto the streets. “She was completely dependent on him and he was physically and emotionally abusive,” the volunteer shared.
But forcing the woman to abort her child proved to be an effortless endeavor for the abusive man; he took her from the pregnancy center to the abortion mill, and the child was dead within hours of their encounter.
Abortion is portrayed as a woman’s right – an inviolable badge of her autonomy and freedom. And yet, every day countless women are forced and coerced into unwanted abortions, and the abortionists who operate under the auspices of “women’s rights” do absolutely nothing to counteract these disasters. “Silent complicity with abusive boyfriends is not what feminism has fought for,” said the volunteer.

A few weeks ago, I read about abortion advocates pushing the U.S. to provide abortions for the girls victimized by Boko Haram. As I read the reports, I kept wondering, is abortion really the best we can offer these victims? The more stories I read, the more women I talk with, the more I feel heartbroken that abortion is often the only solution our society offers pregnant women in crisis.

Thankfully, pregnancy resource centers are working hard to change that by helping both mom and baby through the crisis. They provide free pregnancy and parenting support, options counseling and more. If someone you know is pregnant and needs help, click here to find free, confidential, caring support.

It’s time that we remind our society: Why can’t we love them both?

Pro-Life Volunteers Offer Hope to Hurting at Creation Festival

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Last week, six volunteers and I ran a pro-life outreach table at the annual Creation music festival in Central Pennsylvania. This year, I was surprised by the number of people seeking post-abortion healing.

P1060071One man in his 30s came up to ask how he could become involved. He shared his desire to serve in inner city Philadelphia where he grew up. After talking for a while, he told me that he and his girlfriend had an abortion many years ago.

P1060077McKennaugh, one of our volunteers, talked with a teenager who asked a number of questions about abortion. Her face grew more and more troubled as McKennaugh kindly explained when a baby’s heart begins beating and showed her what a baby looks like at 12 weeks gestation. The teen then revealed that she had had an abortion. McKennaugh tried to console her and offer information about post-abortion healing programs, but she ran away.P1060103

Our volunteer Tiffany listened as another teen shared about how troubled she was by her sister’s abortions. Tiffany offered her information about pregnancy and parenting support, as well as post-abortion healing programs.

These were just a few of our experiences across the four-day festival. By the end, we had given away almost all of our post-abortion healing materials.

We do outreach at Creation every year, but I’ve never heard as many abortion stories as I did this year. Abortion is a painful, controversial topic; and most people avoid it — especially when it has affected them personally. But this year, people opened up to us.

I pondered the fact with our executive director yesterday when I returned to the office, and he suggested that it was because of our volunteers’ attitudes. Thinking back across the week, I believe he is right.

Our volunteers this year were young, passionate pro-lifers who approached people with the utmost kindness and compassion as they shared the truth about abortion. They listened and spoke in love, even to several pro-choice people who approached our table. I know at least one pro-choice person walked away impressed by what we said.

The experience reminded me of how important it is that we be approachable as pro-lifers, that we exhibit an attitude of love. Our young volunteers touched hearts last week by speaking the truth in love. They shared about post-abortion healing programs and pregnancy hotlines, answered challenging questions, and listened to people who just needed to talk.

And as a result, I believe more people today are finding access to the help and healing they need.

If you know someone who is hurting after an abortion, visit RachelsVineyard.org.

Papal Encyclical Sends Clear Message on Value of Life

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By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director
gallagher@paprolife.org

I firmly believe that abortion is a civil rights issue–in fact, the most critical civil rights issue of our time. People of many different faiths–or no religious faith at all–can come to the conclusion that human life needs to be cherished and protected, no matter what the individual’s age or stage of development.

popefrancis42That said, faith leaders do play an influential and essential role in helping their congregations understand the importance of respecting life throughout its beautiful spectrum.

So it is newsworthy when the most Googled faith leader alive says something on the issue of abortion.

Pope Francis’ latest encyclical, Laudato Si’, is about the environment. Yet some pundits were surprised to see that it contains a pointed reference to abortion. The encyclical states:

“Since everything is interrelated, concern for the protection of nature is also incompatible with the justification of abortion. How can we genuinely teach the importance of concern for other vulnerable beings, however troublesome or inconvenient they may be, if we fail to protect a human embryo, even when its presence is uncomfortable and creates difficulties? If personal and social sensitivity towards the acceptance of the new life is lost, then other forms of acceptance that are valuable for society also wither away.”

Pope Francis is sending a clear message–you can’t use your concern about the health of the environment to justify the killing of unborn children. It is especially significant because the Pope’s intended audience here is not just people who attend Catholic church on Sundays–but all people throughout the world.

The pontiff also talks about human life being a gift. Such a concept used to be a given in our society. However, with the push toward aborting babies who have disabilities, there is increasingly an effort to deny this fundamental fact of life.

But this is hardly the first time Pope Francis has spoken out about abortion. Before he became the leader of the Catholic Church, he once stated, “Defend the unborn against abortion even if they persecute you, calumniate you, set traps for you, take you to court or kill you.”

These are not the words of a man ambivalent about abortion. They are the thoughts of an individual who sees children as the world’s greatest resource–and knows the devastation caused by our modern throwaway culture. And it’s a message that’s not meant for people of one particular faith, but for all people of good will.

My Dad Showed Me What It Means to Be Pro-Life

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As Father’s Day approaches, I’ve been thinking a lot about how my dad (and mom, too!) helped to influence my work here at the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation.

Father At Home With Sleeping Newborn Baby DaughterMy dad just retired after 30-plus years as a pastor. Abortion wasn’t a frequent topic in his sermons, but he did speak courageously on the topic several times. More often, he preached pro-life through his actions: adopting my youngest sister when he was in his 50s, supporting local pregnancy centers, helping families with food, rent or heating bills, counseling couples, taking our church to the March for Life. And especially when it came to children, both his own and others, he went out of his way to make sure they felt welcome and valued.

When I was in elementary school, I remember my dad preached a sermon about abortion. I don’t remember the sermon, but I do remember what happened afterward. It was the first time I saw someone yell at my dad. A group of women had gathered around him after the service, and the atmosphere was tense. I watched one woman point her finger and yell at him for saying that abortion kills a baby, for “shaming” women.

But then I heard another woman’s voice cry out. She had tears on her face, but she was determined. She looked straight at the yelling woman and said that she had had an abortion — and because of my father’s sermon, she now knew the truth. She now could accept that her abortion was wrong; and though she was hurting, she could find healing. She let her defenses down and shared her painful past. She defended my father and thanked him in front of the others.

I don’t remember much else from that day, but that brave, hurting woman’s voice still echoes in my head. My dad spoke the truth in love and compassion, and that made all the difference to that hurting woman.

It left a lasting impact on me, too. My dad taught me to not be afraid to speak the truth, and to do it in a loving way. He showed me the reality that even when we fight for what’s right, there will always be people fighting against us – but we need to do it anyway. Because it’s through fighting for what is right that we can truly love others.

So, this Father’s Day, I just wanted to take a moment to thank my dad for showing me what it means to be pro-life, for doing what was right even when it was tough, and, most of all, for teaching me how to love others.

Thank you, Dad!

Hollywood Legends Were Haunted by Their Abortions

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By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director
gallagher@paprolife.org

Hollywood is filled with the sad aftermath of abortion, and it has been for a long time.

patricianealThat was one of the surprising lessons I learned in the book “Oasis: Conversion Stories of Hollywood Legends” by Mary Claire Kendall.

I had picked up the book in order to discover more about the faith journeys of the cinematic stars of yesteryear. But what I came to realize is that many of these celebrities had been touched by the trauma and tragedy of abortion.

For instance, after screen legend Gary Cooper began an extra-marital affair with the actress Patricia Neal, Neal became pregnant. The book notes that the affair took an emotional toll on Cooper, his family, and Neal, “complicated by Neal’s pregnancy, which, to her later regret, she terminated.”

The actress Mary Astor, who starred in the movie “Meet Me in St. Louis” had an adulterous affair with a Fox executive and became pregnant. She chose to have an abortion and later remarked that the place she went to “committed such crimes under the fiction of ‘therapeutic treatment'” and gave her a “new burden of guilt to carry.” Years of painful substance abuse followed.

After the beautiful actress Lana Turner filed for divorce, she discovered she was pregnant. Her agent reminded her about MGM’s policy against having a baby while unmarried. She reluctantly had an abortion, and she later wrote that the abortionist nearly killed her as he took the life of her baby. During a subsequent pregnancy, she was pressured again to have an abortion because of career considerations.

In the end, these post-abortive women found hope and healing–but it was a long, painful path to travel. The sadness associated with these abortions lingered for an extended period of time. No amount of Hollywood acclaim could fill the holes in hearts that had been cracked open by the loss of their aborted children.

Reading the pages of the book, I wondered what the lives of these legendary actresses would have been like if they had only received support for carrying their lost children to term. How much heartache they could have avoided, how their lives could have been enriched, by these precious babies. They could have been the true stars of these actresses’ lives.

Hollywood has been promoting abortion for decades. But the American experience has taught us that abortion is not the solution to the problems that women face–problems such as lack of family support, coercion, and difficult relationships.

Abortion only creates additional problems that cannot be resolved in the length of a Hollywood movie. It can take years–decades even–for a woman to come to grips with the impact of her decision to abort her child. And that is a story few screenwriters are likely to tell.

Pro-Lifers Honor 47 Victims of Gosnell Buried in Unmarked Plot in Philadelphia

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A tiny blue silk flower is the only marker that memorializes the gravesite of 47 babies who lost their lives at the hands of notorious Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell.

IMG_0092Pro-lifers recently discovered that the City of Philadelphia cremated and buried the babies more than a year ago in an unmarked plot at the Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.

On Wednesday, some of our staff joined about 60 people at the gravesite for the first hmemorial service to honor and remember these tiny victims of Kermit Gosnell.

The short service began with a press conference and then a procession to the grave site.

The group placed white crosses and flowers on the unmarked ground where the babies were buried. The pro-life group Philly Alive also placed a temporary marker in the ground, which read, “May God welcome the souls of these children killed by Kermit Gosnell, and the souls of all children killed by abortion into the joy of Heaven.” However, the gravesite is owned by the city, so all the markers had to be pulled up again before we left.

Catherine Foster, an attorney for Alliance Defending Freedom, reminded the crowd: “These babies were like any other … precious little persons. How a person dies doesn’t make anyone less human.”

“Today, we can say that the City of Philadelphia has heard us,” Foster said. “They gave these babies a place to be buried.”

And what a significant place it is. Though the babies’ gravesite is currently unmarked (something pro-lifers hope to change in the near future), their bodies are resting in one of the most important cemeteries in the United States. According to cemetery information, important war heroes, influential politicians, visionary artists and inventors, and industrialists are buried in its grounds.

At the gravesite, the Rev. Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, led the short service of songs and prayers. Mahoney encouraged the group to continue working to protect babies from abortion and not allow the Gosnell tragedy to be “swept under the carpet.”

The burial and memorial of the 47 babies is something that many pro-lifers have been attempting to do for years.

The babies’ bodies were taken from Gosnell’s disgusting abortion center after the state shut down his murderous practice. Gosnell kept the babies’ bodies in plastic containers on shelves and in the freezer.

After Gosnell’s trial, several pro-life and religious groups attempted to claim the babies’ bodies to give them a proper burial; but the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s office denied their requests.

In June 2013, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s office revealed that it planned to cremate and bury the babies’ bodies, but did not say where they would be buried. Until now, no one knew.

Bill Doran, the superintendent of Laurel Hill Cemetery, said the babies were buried about a year ago in a respectful manner, including a prayer service attended by cemetery staff.

The Philadelphia organizers said they also hope to organize a second, large-scale memorial service for the babies in September.

When an Invitation to the Prom Becomes So Much More

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By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director
gallagher@paprolife.org

Ann Marie Lapkowicz is a friend of mine. Her daughter is now an international celebrity.

Mary and Ben

Mary and Ben

The story begins when Ann Marie’s daughter Mary was in 4th grade. As PennLive.com reports, her friend Ben Moser worked hard to make sure that Mary was included in the games the other fourth graders would play. His act of kindness was significant because Mary has Down syndrome. But to Ben, Mary was not a statistic—she was a friend.
Ben informed his mother that, when he was old enough, he would invite Mary to the high school prom.

But Ben and Mary ended up attending different high schools. As fate would have it, their paths crossed one day, and Ben decided to make good on his long-ago promise. As he told PennLive.com, “We got balloons and I wrote ‘prom’ on it. I presented her with the balloons and asked her to go to prom with me.”

But the fairy tale did not end there. News of the quarterback who asked his Down syndrome friend to the prom has gone viral. The pair even appeared on the cable program “Fox & Friends.” Ben told the Fox News anchor, “Mary’s the coolest person ever!” He also said his mother has never been prouder of him.

Mary’s mother, my friend Ann Marie, told me she was wondering if allowing PennLive to publicize the story was the right thing to do. After all, she is protective of her children, and is even reluctant to post pictures of them on Facebook. But she had heard that such positive stories can save the lives of Down syndrome children (It has been estimated that 90 percent of Down syndrome babies are aborted.). If it could save one life, she figured the discomfort of the spotlight would be worth it.

I have watched Mary grow up into a beautiful young woman. I have known her to rise very early to attend church with her family on weekday mornings. She is a very special girl, and it is heartwarming that the world has come to recognize that through the “prom-promise” made by an equally special young man.

Ben and Mary’s friendship should provide a lesson to us all.

Remembering Gosnell’s Conviction – Even Though We Want to Forget

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Exactly two years ago, Kermit Gosnell was convicted of murdering three newborn babies and manslaughter in the death of a female patient in his Philadelphia abortion facility.

SadwomanOn this anniversary of his conviction, I must admit that I hate thinking about Gosnell. I wish I never had to speak or write his name. In all honesty, I wish I never had to write or think about abortion either. Sometimes the horror of 57 million legally-aborted babies seems too much to bear.

I don’t want to think about how Gosnell stabbed the necks of newborn infants who were moving and moaning, according to his staff.

I don’t want to think about the 24 late-term babies who Gosnell was convicted of aborting past our state limit. Or the hundreds more who he likely killed but prosecutors didn’t have enough evidence to convict him on.

I don’t want to think about Karnamaya Mongar who died because Gosnell put his pocketbook above the health and safety of his patients.

I don’t want to think about the women who lay suffering in pain and agony on his filthy, blood-stained furniture because Gosnell just didn’t care.

But I must. We must.

Gosnell got away with murder for decades because our society ignored this monster. We now know the consequences. And because we’ve realized, because we remember, our society is stepping up.

In the past three years alone, states passed a record 205 pro-life laws, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Since the Gosnell horrors came to light, six abortion centers closed in Pennsylvania. And abortions dropped to a historic low in Pennsylvania. Today, Pennsylvania leaders continue to work hard to hold abortion centers accountable and strive to protect women and children from abortionists like Gosnell. Likewise other states are beginning to demand more from abortion facilities — as they should!

We are making progress. We are saving lives — because we refuse to forget.

Abortion Advocates ‘Glitter Bomb’ PA Pregnancy Centers, Frame PA Pro-Life Chapter

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By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

During her early school age years, my daughter loved to talk about all the things she could do with glitter and glue. By adding in construction paper, she could make magic. I still treasure one of the glitter-filled ornaments she handcrafted one Christmas.

photo 1

“Glitter bomb” letter sent to a Pennsylvania pregnancy center in Fayette County

I find it particularly ironic then, that the pro-abortion community would choose to use one of the staples of childhood, glitter, to spread their anti-child message.

You may have seen reports about individuals receiving “glitter bombs” in the mail. These are nondescript envelopes which are filled with mounds of glitter. The unlucky recipient does not learn of the prank until after he or she has opened the envelope and the glitter spills out onto hands, clothes, and desks. In short, it creates quite a mess—much more of a mess than the typical elementary school student doing a craft project.

In March, the Washington Times reported that Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-Nebraska) received a glitter bomb “apparently in retaliation for the Congressman’s pro-life stance.”

A note which came with the glitter bomb read, “Congrats, you’ve earned this for denying women their right to choice. Mind your own uterus.”

The Congressman’s staff notified the police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the postal inspector.

Now, a pro-abortion glitter bomber has struck in Pennsylvania, targeting pregnancy help centers. This time, the assailant is trying to disguise his or her whereabouts by fraudulently using the address of a local chapter of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation as the return address.

The Luzerne County-based chapter, known as the Wyoming Valley Pennsylvanians for Human Life in Wilkes-Barre, learned of the prank when long-time chapter president Betty Caffrey received one of the letters that had been sent to the chapter because of a bad address.

Fellow chapter leader Chris Calore said, “An angered pro-abortion soul or group has acted against our Wyoming Valley Chapter, Pennsylvanian’s for Human Life, (Wilkes-Barre) by anonymous mailings this May. Illegally using our return address, they are mailing glitter in envelope to dozens of crisis pregnancy center’s statewide to mess up their desks. Such letters, with glitter, read: “glitter bombs for choice — you have earned this glitter bomb for your deplorable work in fetus fetishism. Congratulations! Love, gB4C.”

Calore said they received at least nine calls from different pregnancy centers. The chapter is planning on filing a complaint with the U.S. Postal Service.

Andrea Pritts, executive director of Alternatives Yes Pregnancy Support Center in Fayette County, says they were among those receiving the latest round of glitter bombs. “There was really not even much glitter in the envelope, and the glitter was actually pretty, though their message was not. I will never understand how someone can hate what we do.”

It is mystifying that someone who claims to be supportive of women’s rights would hate the work of those who provide compassionate counseling and material support to women facing challenging pregnancies. The harassing letters are meant to intimidate. But the truth of the matter is that love is always stronger than hate, and the love that pregnancy care centers and other pro-life organizations offer to women in need is limitless. It cannot be overcome by a few glitter bombs and nasty notes.

The glitter bomb campaign also clearly demonstrates the irrationality of the pro-abortion movement. Pro-abortion activists would rather throw glitter bombs than have a serious discussion about what exactly takes place during an abortion, along with the long-term implications of abortion for both women and men. To say that life begins at conception and should be protected at every stage is the rational position. To say to the contrary that life cannot be defined, that it is subject to another person’s “choice,” is completely irrational. Far easier to send hate mail than engage in an intelligent debate about what Roe v. Wade has actually brought us: more than 57 million deceased children, countless numbers of women maimed and scarred, untold numbers of men suffering in silence.

All that glitter cannot hide the inherent ugliness of abortion.