Tag Archives: abortion

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!

 

 

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.

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.

 

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.

 

 

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.

Lawsuit Demanding Taxpayer Funding of Abortion is Without Merit

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Baby girl

 

 

With abortions at record low levels in Pennsylvania, it is clear that demand for abortion is declining. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that abortion facilities want to find a way to increase their clientele.

As a result, fifteen of the seventeen abortion centers in Pennsylvania have filed a lawsuit, seeking to end Pennsylvania’s long-standing ban on Medicaid abortions. They want to overturn a 1985 state Supreme Court ruling which affirmed the Medicaid abortion ban as Constitutional.

Decades after that Supreme Court ruling, nothing has changed–except the desperation of abortion businesses to prop up their sagging industry.

The 1980s era ruling noted that the Commonwealth has a policy of preference for childbirth over abortion. Despite the protestations of abortion advocates, that has not changed.

Neither has the High Court holding that, just because an individual can exercise a “choice,” that does not mean that taxpayers must subsidize it. Indeed, public opinion polls have consistently shown that the vast majority of taxpayers do not want to pay for abortions.

A lawyer for the plaintiffs in this latest lawsuit claims that poor women suffer because they cannot obtain an abortion. But the suit fails to recognize the many documented ways that women can suffer as a result of abortion–psychologically, physically, and spiritually.

The plaintiffs also ignore the concrete help that is available to Pennsylvania women facing challenging circumstances. Women are receiving everything from diapers to formula to assist them during tough times.

The answer to the problem of poverty is not abortion. Abortion only creates more problems for Pennsylvania women.

Forcing taxpayers to foot the bill for abortions is an unconstitutional overreach. As a result, this latest lawsuit is just one more way the abortion industry is trying to require individuals to violate their consciences–all for the benefit of the abortion businesses’ almighty dollar.

Maria V. Gallagher is Legislative Director for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation.

What I’ve Learned About How Abortion Affects Women

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Woman on beachBy Katy Schriner, intern, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation

Over the past four decades, Roe v. Wade is the case that allowed for abortion to be legal in the United States. The law has led to nearly 61 million deaths of unborn children across the United States. Over that time, this law has allowed doctors to perform this outrageous practice that doesn’t only hurt the unborn baby but also the mother. Not a lot of doctors who perform those abortions tell patients that. What those doctors aren’t also telling are the mental effects that come with getting an abortion–effects such as depression, emotional distress, and many more.

Luckily, there are places like Rachel’s Vineyard that help women heal post-abortion. The program allows the mother to examine her abortion experience, identify the way it has affected her life and helps the mother to acknowledge any kind of unresolved feelings she may have struggled with after abortion. Rachel’s Vineyard has programs located in Canada, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, and 49 locations in the United States. Besides Rachel’s Vineyard, there are other resources for mothers who are unsure about going through a pregnancy or who have taken a first abortion pill. There are pregnancy help centers that provide free and confidential assistance to pregnant women and new mothers. In Pennsylvania, there are more than 200 centers that offer this kind of assistance.

As a college student, I have experienced some of my friends’ and professors’ opinions when it comes to abortion. Their opinions tend to be more of the pro-choice/pro-abortion philosophy (depending on whom I was talking to) but that has never stopped me from maintaining my viewpoint on the subject matter. I had several friends who I have grown up with having kids and never thinking about abortion. I know there are challenging circumstances facing pregnant women, but now I have learned that I am more pro-life then anything after all of the research I have done to understand what the Pro-Life Movement is all about.

Taxpayers Will be Outraged at Suit Requiring Taxpayer Funding of Abortion

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Woman--sad

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                       CONTACT: MARIA V. GALLAGHER

January 16, 2019                                                                               717-541-0034

                                                                                           gallagher@paprolife.org

Taxpayers Will Be Outraged at Suit Requiring Taxpayer Funding of Abortion

Harrisburg, PA—Taxpayers across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will be outraged by a lawsuit demanding that hard-earned tax dollars be spent on abortion.

Abortion facilities in Pennsylvania have filed a suit that would require taxpayer-funded Medicaid money to be spent on abortion in an attempt to overturn the Keystone State’s long-standing ban on the practice.

“Poll after poll has shown that taxpayers in the U.S. do not want their tax money to be spent on abortion, period,” said Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, an affiliate of National Right to Life. “This lawsuit flies in the face of the will of the people to safeguard their money from abortion,” Gallagher added.

The lawsuit, known as Allegheny Reproductive Health Center v. Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, represents a giant step backward in both the protection of tax money and the protection of women and their preborn children from the harm of abortion.

“Research shows quite clearly that taxpayer funding of abortion is greatly unpopular. At a time when Pennsylvania’s abortion totals are at a record low, abortion businesses are trying to capture a lucrative market to prop up their sagging industry. This is a lose-lose proposition—for taxpayers and for pregnant women,” Gallagher said.

Pennsylvania’s law is constitutional and should be upheld, 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.

Life By the Numbers

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Ultrasound and womanBy Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director

Life is all about numbers. SAT scores. Batting averages. Football yardage.

But do you know some of the memorable numbers in the lives of preborn children?

3–the number of weeks when an unborn child’s eyes develop and the heart starts beating

6–the number of weeks an unborn baby’s skeleton is complete and brain waves develop

9–the number of weeks when an unborn baby begins to swallow

11–the number of weeks when an unborn baby begins to suck her thumb

16–the number of weeks when an unborn baby begins kicking

18–the number of weeks when an unborn baby can cry

20–the number of weeks when hair appears on an unborn baby’s head

1 million--the approximate number of unborn children killed by abortion each year.

60 million+–the number of unborn children killed since Roe v. Wade, the tragic U.S. Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion.

The milestones in the development of an unborn child are miraculous. The statistics about abortion are sobering. Share these figures with the young people in your life. They have a right to know.

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!”