It Only Takes a Moment to Share

This week as I write, I think back to my college years.

And I must admit that the famous quote by Edmund Burke describes my college self well: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”

I did nothing. That was my problem.

Pro-life college students spend a summer at the National Right to Life Academy.

Pro-life college students spend a summer at the National Right to Life Academy.

Sure, if you looked at my schedule, you could hardly say I was lazy. I held down up to three jobs at once. I commuted to college daily – 40 minutes one way. I took a full course load and made the dean’s list, volunteered at my church, did some freelance editing, and tried to spend some quality time with my boyfriend, friends and family.

But I did nothing when professors talked about the need for more diversity and acceptance, and then criticized and mischaracterized pro-lifers. I simply sat in the back of the classroom, feeling angry and alone.

Now, I wonder what would have happened if I had spoken up. Perhaps others would have felt encouraged to share their differing points of view, too. Perhaps I would have found others who shared my opinion and encouraged them to speak. Perhaps I would have offered a perspective that someone never heard before. Or perhaps I wouldn’t have found any like-minded peers. Perhaps I would have been mocked.

I can only guess at what could have been, but I am sure of one thing: I missed an opportunity. I ignored one of the greatest chances I had to talk about abortion with an audience that was only hearing one perspective. That missing perspective could have come from me.

This fall, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to speak to several college pro-life groups. It’s been encouraging to interact with the students and hear about their campus outreach – whether it’s starting conversations while handing out cupcakes, organizing debates on abortion, or setting up a diaper drive. These students are doing amazing things!

As I see all the time and energy they’re putting in to saving babies and helping women, I can’t help but regret the opportunities I missed in college.

True, I didn’t have much free time. But I didn’t need to form a club or a rally. I just needed to take the opportunity to comment when the conversations arose, to ask a question when one side of the issue was missing.

Like the amazing pro-life college students I’ve met recently, we need to make time to be advocates for life. We need to stand up for the truth – that preborn babies are being killed in their mothers’ wombs at a mind-numbing rate.

But when our schedules seem overwhelming, we can still advocate in small ways. We can refuse to waste an opportunity.

Carpe diem!

Notorious Abortionist May Be Back in Pennsylvania

A new Pennsylvania abortion facility is under investigation because of possible ties to a notorious abortionist.

Steven Brigham has a dubious reputation for harming women and skirting the law. His license to practice medicine has been yanked in Pennsylvania and numerous other states. He is barred from doing abortions in Pennsylvania.images

However, news reports indicate that Brigham may be trying to slip back in through a new abortion facility in Philadelphia called the Integrity Family Health. The facility applied for and was granted a state permit earlier this fall.

According to reports, the toll free number for Brigham’s multi-state abortion business will set up appointments for patients at the new Pennsylvania center.

The Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation is grateful that the Corbett Administration is looking into this matter in the interest of protecting women’s health and safety.

Brigham has a long and sordid history of performing illegal, late-term abortions on viable babies, botching abortions and injuring women, using unsterile equipment, and working in filthy conditions.

Published reports say Brigham once ran an abortion ring with 15 facilities in four states, including four in Pennsylvania. His Pennsylvania facilities, in Erie, Allentown, State College, and Pittsburgh, have since closed.

Journalist Describes Gosnell Trial for Bucks County Pro-Lifers

On October 15, newspaper columnist J.D. Mullane spoke to a packed hall at the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Doylestown, about his experiences at the trial of Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell.

Gosnell was convicted in May of three murder charges, 21 felony counts of illegal late-term abortion, and 211 counts of violating the 24-hour informed consent law.

J.D. Mullane

J.D. Mullane

Mullane told the crowd that his coverage of the Gosnell trial began somewhat unintentionally. He typically only covers local news stories for his newspapers, the Bucks County Courier Times, The Intelligencer, and the Burlington County (NJ) Times.

But a light schedule one day back in April prompted Mullane to attend the trial in center-city Philadelphia. He was looking for a local angle, because some of the women who sought Gosnell’s later-term abortions were from his area.

Mullane called ahead to the Philadelphia courthouse for press credentials, but was told that he could just show up. Somewhat mystified by this lack of competition for a press seat, he was later surprised to see that almost all of the courtroom seats designated for the press were empty. He snapped a cell-phone photo of the empty seats and posted it on Twitter. The picture went viral, and only then did the media begin to pay a little more attention to the trial.

Mullane told the audience that, as the testimony unfolded, it was bad enough to hear descriptions of the routine practices in Gosnell’s abortion mill, how filthy is always was, and how he discriminated against ethnic women by providing even worse than the standard “care” for them.

Additional trial testimony and images were “beyond any Hollywood horror,” including the courtroom presence of one of the bloody chairs where women in late-term pregnancy waited for lethal doses of Gosnell’s drugs to kill their babies before delivery. These drugs were sometimes injected by an untrained 15-year-old girl!

Other grisly testimony included descriptions of the horrendous techniques for murdering born-alive babies after delivery if they survived the toxic drug-brew, and gruesome answers by Gosnell’s staff. For example, a local detective testified that he asked the abortion staff why Gosnell kept jars at home containing remains from aborted babies. Staff members had replied that Gosnell owned a house at the Jersey shore and often used these babies’ remains to bait crab traps set in the nearby ocean waters.

But of course, a “good” abortionist doesn’t do those things. He kills children in a “nice environment.” One such “good” abortionist testified at the Gosnell trial that during his own 30 years of practice; he alone had performed 40,000 abortions.

Since being convicted in May, Gosnell has been interviewed by only one reporter, Steve Volk, from Philadelphia Magazine.

Mullane said he has covered many murder trials, and, in his experience, all murderers have the same empty and evil look in their eyes. He said that he would like to interview Gosnell to see if he has that same look. If Mullane could only ask one question, he said he would definitely ask, “Did Allyson Schwartz ever refer women to your facility for late-term abortions?”

Schwartz is a candidate for governor in Pennsylvania and has been very quiet about her involvement with Kermit Gosnell. Before holding office, she ran an abortion center just a few miles from Gosnell’s. Thus far, she has been unwilling to answer this question, which has been posed to her on several occasions.

Currently, Gosnell writes poetry in prison. How ironic when he is thus far blind to the evil that he and other baby killers have flagrantly inflicted upon our society since 1973 as the lives of more than 55 million infants have been ended by the legalized murder that is abortion.

Only by learning and sharing will we shine light on the evil darkness of abortion mills everywhere and end the death that always occurs there whether the conditions in these mills are filthy or sterile and regardless of when the abortion occurs.

JD Mullane’s public commitment in words and pictures helps us to share these truths; we’re grateful for his work and its impact.

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This article was written by Pat Dowling and Charol Abrams, pro-life volunteers with Bucks County Right to Life, which sponsored the event.

A Joke, Some Tears, and an Example to Live By

The other evening, I burst into tears at a comedy routine.

My husband and I were watching the show on the internet when the comedian started talking about children. I’m terribly at telling jokes, so I won’t even try to be funny in retelling it. Basically, the comedian observed the different social reactions to how many children families have. One child, and people coo and aww. Two children? Well, ok. But three Choose Life!children?! Are you crazy?!

I know, I know. It was just a joke. But it made me cry because it reminded me of a much bigger issue in our society: the worth we place on children.

I seem to see it all over the place lately, from simple things like apps that let you block baby pictures from your Facebook feed and restaurants that ban children under a certain age, to cover stories on Time magazine about couples choosing to be childless and jokes about large families, to problems with huge implications like declining birth rates and abortion.

When I think about 36,000 abortions in our state every year, my heart breaks for these precious babies whose lives weren’t valued.

Now, I don’t have anything against jokes about children. Nor do I want to criticize couples who don’t have children – I’m in that category myself. I just find this negative attitude about children so troubling.

It reminds me of the character Aibileen from the book, “The Help.” She was a black maid in the south during the 1960s. Many of her employers didn’t value her because of the color of her skin, so I guess it’s no surprise that they also didn’t care much about their own children.

Aibileen made it her mission to help children understand their value. She would take her young charges aside, sit them on her lap, and ask them to repeat after her: “I is kind. I is smart. I is important.”

I wonder what the world would be like if we had more people like Aibileen — people who look beyond someone’s appearance or abilities, look beyond the annoyance or expense they can sometimes be, and value others for the very simple reason that they, too, are human beings.

Lila Rose: Exposing Truth about Abortion to Young People

We are busy getting ready for our annual Celebrate Life Banquet in Pittsburgh next week.

Our featured speaker is going to be Lila Rose, the young president and founder of Live Action. She has become the face of the young pro-life movement. Still in her mid-20s, Lila and her organization Live Action have accomplished so much. Through LiveActionvideoundercover videos, they have exposed many abuses and lies in the abortion industry.

Every pro-lifer should check out Live Action’s undercover investigations. The videos are short, but telling. Watch them here:

Inhuman: Live Action goes undercover in America’s late-term abortion industry

Protect Our Girls: This investigation exposes sex-selection abortion practices at Planned Parenthood

The Mona Lisa Project and Exposing Planned Parenthood’s Cover-Up of Child Sex Trafficking: These video investigations show Planned Parenthood failing to properly handle and report child sex abuse

The Rosa Acuna Project: Live Action documents the lies Planned Parenthood tells its patients, ignoring scientific and medical facts about abortion

Educate yourself about the abortion industry, and then come hear more from a young women who is on the front lines exposing these horrible practices.

Sign up now for the banquet on Tuesday, October 29 at the Four Points by Sheraton Pittsburgh North, in Mars. You won’t want to miss this special opportunity to hear Lila Rose. Plus you’ll learn about the progress we are making right here in Pennsylvania to protect preborn babies and their mothers from abortion.

Click here for more details or to register. You also can call us at 717-541-0034.

Hope to see you there!

Abortionist Gets Away with Young Woman’s Death

LeRoy Carhart, a notorious late-term abortionist, is getting away with gross negligence in the death of a 29-year-old woman.

The woman, Jennifer Morbelli, has a heartbreaking story. She and her husband were excited young parents, expecting their first child – a daughter. Then, they got the news that their preborn baby had a serious health problem. So, the Morbellis went to Carhart’s Maryland abortion center.

Jennifer Morbelli

Jennifer Morbelli

A few days later, both the mother and baby were dead.

The Maryland Board of Physicians just announced this week that Carhart won’t face any punishment for Morbelli’s tragic death. The state officials said they didn’t find any “deficiencies” in her care at Carhart’s center.

That’s hard to believe based on the evidence. According to news reports and pro-life investigations, Carhart’s abortion center instructed its patients to call him, not the emergency room, if they were having any trouble.

So, that’s what the Morbellis did. They tried calling and calling Carhart, but no one answered. Morbelli later was taken to the hospital where she died.

Carhart should be held accountable for his crimes. Instead, — and I find this so sickening – he is being celebrated in a new documentary about late-term abortionists. The film, which I have not seen, appears to depict Carhart as brave and noble and compassionate to women because he will kill their late-term preborn babies when most doctors won’t.

It sounds a lot like how Kermit Gosnell described himself in a recent, exclusive interview from jail. He ,too, was responsible for the deaths of several women. Fortunately, justice caught up with Gosnell, and he will spend the rest of his life in jail.

I pray that someday our society will treat every human life with the respect and dignity that they deserve.

Pennsylvania Law Stops Abortion Health Insurance Scheme

I am so thankful that we passed House Bill 818 here in Pennsylvania.

The bill, which is now Act 13, prevents our tax dollars from being used for abortion by opting out of abortion coverage in the state health insurance exchange created in Capitol-front-viewLargeObamacare.

Act 13 actually made a bigger impact than most people probably realized at first. In states that didn’t pass a law like ours, their residents may be misled into supporting even more abortions.

Recent news reports say the government is placing more power and money into the hands of Planned Parenthood. Several of the abortion giant’s state affiliates (none here in Pennsylvania, thankfully) received navigator grants to help uninsured people sign up for health insurance.

It’s not hard to guess how Planned Parenthood will “guide” Americans when it comes to choosing a health care plan. Planned Parenthood makes their money doing abortions, and the more people with abortion coverage in their health insurance, the more women will have abortions. The more abortions, the more money for Planned Parenthood. What a great scheme, right?

But thanks to Act 13, that’s not going to happen here in Pennsylvania. We said no to abortion coverage in our state insurance exchange plans. We said no to biased counseling and no to our tax dollars being spent on abortion.

It’s clear even more now than ever before why we needed to pass Act 13. I’m so thankful for Pennsylvania saying a big YES to life!

Discrimination against Women Starts in the Womb

Friday is the International Day of the Girl.

On Monday as I was thinking about the special day and browsing through the news, two stories caught my eye.

The first headline read, “Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Ariz. Abortion Law” which bans sex and race-based abortions.ProtectOurGirls

Then the second, “Australian Doctor Investigated for Refusing to Do Sex-Selective Abortion.”

And last week, I read about a debate in England after two doctors were caught agreeing to do illegal sex-based abortions. The government has said it won’t prosecuted the doctors.

I wonder whether others raising awareness about women’s rights made the connection between these stories and the reason we have an International Day of the Girl.

The United Nations estimates that up to 160 million girls are missing in our world today because of sex-selection abortion.

There are many, many injustices against women in our world, from education and career discrimination to sexual harassment and human trafficking. But sex-based abortion, which I consider among the worst of injustices, goes unnoticed far too often when we talk about women’s rights.

This Friday, help raise awareness about gender discrimination in the womb. Here are a few ideas:

Check out the trailer for “It’s a Girl,” a new documentary about this issue.

Share a graphic like this one or the one above on Facebook or Instagram. Or make your own!

Post a video of Live Action’s genocide investigation.

Learn more about the issue by visiting Women’s Rights without Frontiers.

Connect pregnant women in your community with life-affirming and empowering support. Click here to find a list of pregnancy resources in Pennsylvania.

Encourage Students to Enter Pro-Life Contests This Year

This school year, as students consider topics for their school projects, why not suggest they write about a pro-life issue? When they are finished they can enter their project in a pro-life contest for a chance to win cash and other prizes.

Student pro-life contests encourage young people gain a better understanding of pro-life Stop Abortion Mandatesissues such as abortion or euthanasia. That’s why the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation organizes two annual contests for students in our state.

The Pennsylvania Pro-Life Essay Contest is open to students in 7th to 12th grade. Students must write an original essay about one of the following pro-life topics: abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, or embryonic stem cell research. Cash prizes will be given to the top winners. The deadline to enter is March 3. For more information, click here.

In the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Oratory Contest, high school juniors and seniors must write and give an original 5-7 minute speech on a pro-life topic. Students will compete at the regional level before moving on to states. The top prize will be a trip to Louisville, Kentucky, to compete in the national contest in June. For more information, click here.

Our national affiliate, National Right to Life, just started a new Student Video Contest for high school and college-age students. Check out last year’s winning video here. For rules and more information, click here.

The University Faculty for Life also sponsors a contest for undergraduate and graduate students. Students may submit original, pro-life compositions in one of three categories: creative writing, literary criticism, or research. The deadline to enter is May 24. For more information, email DrJeffKoloze@att.net .

Help spread the word about these contests, and encourage students to speak out for life.

Who Were the Babies Who Gosnell Killed?

The Kermit Gosnell trial brought a whirlwind of activity to Pennsylvania last spring.

During the trial, our office was busy responding to media calls, passing along updates on social media, writing blogs and columns, and giving talks all across the state.

Unborn baby pictureNow that Gosnell has been convicted of murder, things have slowed down a bit and I’ve been able to reflect more on the whole horrible situation.

I’ve had the chance to stop and really wonder: Who were these babies who he killed so mercilessly? What would they have looked like? What would their lives have become? We will never know the answers to these questions, but there are some things we do know.

A number of the abortions Gosnell performed were on babies 24 weeks old (the cutoff in Pennsylvania) or older.

At 24 weeks, babies have their own unique fingerprints. They can hiccup and squint, smile and frown. Their hair is starting to grow, and their vocal chords are working. They also can hear sounds outside the womb – a parent’s voice, a song, or maybe a book being read. These babies even can suck their thumbs.

At 24 weeks, they had a good chance of surviving on their own outside their mother’s womb. Twenty-four weeks is considered viability, though younger babies have been born and survived.

It makes me so sad to realize that we will never know more than that about these individuals. And it’s mind boggling to think that we’ll never know 55 million others who suffered similar fates.

The one thing I do know is this: Every single one of those lives was and is valuable. No matter who they were or where they came from or what they had, they deserve the right to life.