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January Events to Mark 43 Years of Roe, Mourn 58 Million Aborted

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January is a busy month in the pro-life world. This January 22 will mark the 43rd year since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade.

ErieMarchforLife16

Erie March for Life on Jan. 9

The infamous abortion decision opened the doors to abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy. In the past 43 years, more than 58 million preborn babies have been aborted in the U.S.

ErieMarchforLife2-16To recognize this massive tragedy and to call for renewed protections for life in the womb, pro-lifers across the state are planning events in January. Please consider joining your fellow Pennsylvania pro-lifers this month.

March for Life
Many Pennsylvanians will travel by bus to the March for Life in Washington, D.C., joining hundreds of thousands of others in front of the U.S. Supreme Court steps to call for Roe v. Wade to be overturned. If you are looking for a bus to the March, contact our office at 717-541-0034 or lifelines@paprolife.org.

Gosnell Movie in Annville
The Lebanon County Republican Committee will host a free screening of the award-winning documentary film, “3801 Lancaster: American Tragedy” at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19 at the historic Allen Theatre, 36 E Main St, Annville.

The film documents the events surrounding the Kermit Gosnell abortion clinic tragedy in Philadelphia. Gosnell was convicted of murdering three newborn babies and contributing to the death of a female patient.

Pro-life Senator John Rafferty, who is featured in the film, will be on hand to greet viewers and comment on the Gosnell case. Running time for the movie is approximately one hour.  The screening is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted.

Pro-Life Breakfasts
Three of the Federation chapters will host special pro-life breakfasts near the anniversary of Roe. Please consider joining one of these special events:

ERIE PEOPLE FOR LIFE 38TH ANNUAL PRO-LIFE BREAKFAST — 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. January 16, 2016 at the Bayfront Convention Center, 1 Sassafras Pier Erie. Special guest speaker is Steven Mosher, President, Population Research Institute.

SCRANTON RESPECT LIFE PRAYER BREAKFAST — Saturday, January 30 hosted by the Pennsylvanians for Human Life Scranton Chapter. Lori Kehoe from the National Right to Life Committee will be the guest speaker.

MERCER COUNTY ANNUAL PRO-LIFE BREAKFAST – 9 a.m., Saturday, February 13 at the Park Inn by Radisson, 3377 New Castle Rd, West Middlesex. The cost is $15 for adults, $5 for children and students.  The keynote address will be given by Wesley J. Smith, a Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute’s Center on Human Exceptionalism.  The event is sponsored by Pro-Life of Mercer County.  For further information and to reserve a seat, please call Joanne Schell at 330-448-4577, Susan Wallace 724-588-0775 or Brian O’Malley at 724-854-5433, or email Brian at prolifemercer@gmail.com .

Pro-Life Rallies in Pennsylvania
Several of our chapters also are hosting rallies and marches this month to mark the anniversary of Roe and the deaths of millions of preborn babies. People for Life, our Erie chapter, held its annual Erie March for Life on Jan. 9. Check out photos from the event on People for Life’s Facebook page.

Upcoming rallies include:

GETTYSBURG ANNUAL RALLY FOR LIFE — Noon on Friday, Jan. 22 at the Adams County Courthouse, 111 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg.  All are welcome. The Rally is sponsored by Adams County Chapter, Pennsylvanians for Human Life.  For further information, email ruthsantino@yahoo.com.

LEBANON ANNUAL RALLY FOR LIFE – Noon on Friday, Jan. 22 at the intersection of 8th and Cumberland Streets in downtown Lebanon.  All are welcome.  Members of the Lebanon County Chapter, Pennsylvanians for Human Life, will participate in the event. For further information, email sandrapav@verizon.net.

Check our Chapter Events page for more upcoming pro-life events in Pennsylvania.

Lots of Pro-Life Events Happening This Fall – Please Stand Up for Life!

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This fall is packed full of opportunities to take a stand for life in Pennsylvania.

NRLLifeWorthDefendingAnd what better time? Our nation is waking up to the horrific practices that are happening in abortion centers across the country, practices that involve killing and dismembering preborn babies and harvesting their body parts.

Now more than ever, our local communities need to be reminded of the truth about abortion. About 1.1 million babies are aborted in the U.S. every year, 32,000 of them in Pennsylvania.

Please take a stand for life and consider participating in one of these events:

PA PRO-LIFE TOWN HALL IN GROVE CITY – We’re going to be at Grove City College Wednesday, Sept. 16 for our final town hall stop of 2015. Come to learn the latest news  about abortion and assisted suicide. Executive Director Michael Ciccocioppo and Education Director Micaiah Bilger will speak and then answer questions. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the Sticht Auditorium, Hall of Arts and Letters, Madison Avenue. The event is co-sponsored by the Center for Vision and Values Marriage and Family Working Group.

LIFE CHAINS – Join a peaceful rally on the sidewalks of your town this October and help raise awareness about abortion. Life Chains will be held Sunday, Oct. 4 in dozens of towns across Pennsylvania. Many of our chapters organize Life Chains to raise awareness and pray for babies and moms. Find details here.

CELEBRATE LIFE BANQUET IN PITTSBURGH WITH RUTH GRAHAM AND WINDSOR BAUDERS — Please mark your calendars and plan to join us on Tuesday, Oct. 20 in Pittsburgh for an evening of pro-life inspiration. The guest speakers will be Ruth Graham, the daughter of Billy Graham, and her daughter Windsor Bauders. Ruth and Windsor will share how their family faced two teenage pregnancies — while being related to one of the most famous religious leaders in the world. Please register today or consider becoming a sponsor. For details, click here.

FAIRS AND FESTIVALS – Our chapters are still out tabling at community events across the state. Check out where their pro-life tables will be and consider volunteering.

40 DAYS FOR LIFE — Join a peaceful, prayerful campaign for life outside abortion centers across the state. The next 40 Days for Life campaign will kick off on Sept. 23. The following Pennsylvania cities are participating this fall: Allentown, Chester County, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Norristown, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, Warminster, and York. Click here for details.

AN EVENING WITH DR. ALVEDA KING, NIECE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. IN BRIDGEPORT — 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7 at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Bridgeport. Special guest introduction by J.D. Mullane, columnist for the Intelligencer and Bucks County Courier Times. No admission charge. A freewill offering will be taken. Dr. King’s books will be available for sale. Hosted by Bucks County Right to Life.

LIFE RUN 5K IN ERIE — Saturday, Oct. 10 in Erie. For details, click here. Benefits People for Life of Erie.

“PRO-LIFE: WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON” IN BIGLERVILLE — Thursday, October 29 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Harbaugh-Thomas Library, 59 West York Street, Biglerville. Michael Ciccocioppo, executive director of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, will get to the bottom of several pro-life issues reported in the mass media in recent months. Stories have emerged about undercover videos catching high level Planned Parenthood officials discussing the selling of aborted baby’s body parts. Stories have been promoted by a group named Compassion and Choices, which is pushing for the legalization of assisted suicide in Pennsylvania. And there will be time to answer other pro-life questions. Pennsylvanians for Human Life Adams County Chapter is sponsoring this free event. For details, contact Suzanne Landis at landissg77@gmail.com .

ANNUAL PRO-LIFE PRAYER BREAKFAST AND BASKET SOCIAL IN NEW GERMANY– 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 31 at the Immaculate Conception Church Hall, New Germany. Delores Euker will be the guest speaker. Euker is a pro-life sidewalk counselor who tells amazing stories about how babies’ lives are saved right outside abortion centers in Pennsylvania. Euker received the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation. The event is hosted by the Cambria/Somerset Citizens Concerned for Human Life. For details, click here.

CRAWFORD COUNTY CITIZENS FOR LIFE ANNUAL BANQUET — Friday, Nov. 6 at the Pampered Palate in Saegertown. Dr. Paul Kengor will be the keynote speaker. For details, click here.

Find more Pennsylvania events here.

Save a Life This Summer through Our Pro-Life Fair Outreach

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Every summer, I’m reminded of the old cliche “seeing is believing” when I help with our fair/festival outreach.

People for Life of Erie's pro-life booth

Volunteers at People for Life of Erie’s pro-life booth

When it comes to abortion, our society is very good about distancing itself from the reality of what abortion is: the killing of a baby in the womb. Society talks about women, pregnancy, health care, poverty, politics – everything but the baby. As our Legislative Director Maria Gallagher puts it, our society has “photoshopped” the baby out of the debate.

And so, we work hard to remind people of what is truly at stake when abortion is legal – the lives of babies in the womb. Every summer, we focus on sharing visual reminders at local fairs and festivals.

We and our 40-plus chapters set up booths at local fairs/festivals and display colorful, family-friendly images and models of preborn babies.

Photo of baby at 6-8 weeks

Photo of baby at 6-8 weeks

We encourage people to stop and hold our life-like fetal models of babies at 12, 20, 26, and 30 weeks. When people hold them, they usually are surprised to hear that they look and weigh about what a baby would at that stage of development.

And the reality hits them when we tell them that it’s legal to abort a 30-week preborn baby in some states, and it’s legal to abort a 12-week preborn baby in every state.

Through these simple means, we help people realize that abortion is more than just a political issue or a women’s issue. It first and foremost involves killing an innocent human life.

As a result, every summer, dozens of people come up to us and thank us for what we do.

I’ll never forget last summer when a woman walked by our booth, smiled and said, “Because of you, I have a grandson. Thank you!” Or two summers ago when a young woman shared one of our 12-week fetal models with a friend who was considering abortion, and her friend chose life.

Please consider getting involved in our fair/festival outreach this summer. The Federation and our pro-life chapters will be at dozens of events throughout the summer. For details about volunteering in your community, click here.

You can help people see the truth about abortion and save lives!

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.

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“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.

Eight Pro-Life Resolutions for 2015, Including Mine

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I have a confession. I rarely make New Year’s resolutions. I like to think it’s not because I’m lazy, but because I see New Year’s Day as just some arbitrary spot on the calendar. I tell myself I can make resolutions any time. I don’t need “January 1st” to motivate me.

People for Life of Erie at the March for Life

People for Life of Erie at the March for Life

Well, I have resolved to change that. I am making a resolution, and I encourage you to make one, too – whether you start Jan. 1 or some other time. Here are eight pro-life resolutions for you to consider (including mine for 2015):

1. Dedicate time to pray for an end to abortion. Last year, I began praying every Friday morning during my hour-long commute. Fridays are one of the busiest days for our local abortion center, so I spend my hour praying for the women, their families, the sidewalk counselors, abortionists and staff. If you are a religious person, consider a new prayer resolution.

2. Learn to articulate your position on human life. Put Scott Klusendorf’s “A Case for Life” or Frank Beckwith’s “Defending Life” on your reading list this year. Both offer a very strong, reasoned case for why all human life should be protected. They also help teach you to respond to pro-abortion arguments.

3. Listen. If a friend is facing a crisis, listen. If he/she wants advice, offer it but only after you listen. If your sister-in-law is pro-choice on abortion, listen to her reasons why before you respond. Sometimes the best way to love people is to show them that we care enough to listen.

4. Volunteer. Contact one of our 40+ chapters, a pro-life group at your school or college, or your local pregnancy help center to volunteer.

5. Attend the March for Life in Washington, D.C. This huge pro-life rally inspires hundreds of thousands of people every year. It’s an awe-inspiring event. Contact us for details.

6. Tell your elected officials where you stand on life. If they vote pro-life, thank them. If they don’t, ask them to. And if you don’t know where your elected officials stand, contact us and we’ll let you know.

7. Stay informed. As the 2015 approaches, we already have our eyes on new threats to life here in Pennsylvania, including doctor-prescribed suicide and a new pro-abortion governor who already has appointed abortion advocates to his transition team. Keep yourself informed by signing up for our twice monthly e-newsletter.

8. Donate. Pro-life organizations like us need your support. Whether you can donate time or resources, you can help us in our mission to restore protections for life. Personally, I’m resolving to spend less on things like coffee and junk food in 2015 so I can donate more to those in need. Donate here.

Please consider making a pro-life resolution in 2015. You can be a part of this mission to ensure protections for every human life in Pennsylvania.

Merry Christmas, and happy New Year!

Read Winter Issue of our Pro-Life Newspaper Online

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Our latest LifeLines newspaper is hot off the presses!

This issue features the exciting new pro-life outreach that’s happening in Philadelphia in the wake of the Kermit Gosnell tragedy.LifeLinesW14Cover

Our legislative director informs you about the victories for life in our state and the threats to watch for on the horizon.

And there’s a recap of our Celebrate Life Banquet and our speaker’s inspiring challenge to us all.

You can read about the 40-year legacy that several of our volunteer chapters are celebrating. And you can find out about the many volunteer projects that are happening all across the state.

Don’t forget to check out the Umbert the Unborn cartoon on page 10, too!

Click here to read our latest LifeLines issue. Read past issues here.

How Simple It Should Be

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Politicians debate it for hours and hours. News outlets dedicate large segments of time/space to the controversy. Around the dinner table, many families avoid talking about it.

Yet, when you ask a child about a baby’s life, they make it clear how simple the abortion issue really is.girl

Our Philly Pro-Life chapter published an article in its summer newsletter with children’s thoughts about babies. We’ve republished it here with the chapter’s permission:

I asked a group a kids ages 3 to 12 to tell me something about babies and their feelings for them. This is what they said:

Trinity, Age 10 – I care for babies. I care for my baby brother Dominic. I can never leave him out of my sight. I would never want him to get hurt. I will always protect him. He can’t do anything for himself yet. That is why he needs me. If he got hurt or sick I would be very upset. I love him so much. You should treat a baby the same way you want to be treated.

Kayla,  Age 3 – I like babies to drink bottles and play with toys. I like mommies to give presents and daddies to play with babies. I would like to hold a baby and I would sing the A B C’s to make the baby feel good.

Cloey,  Age 5 – I love my baby brother. We take care of each other. Jesus wants us to be happy together. I love him so much because he is my baby brother.

DJ,  Age 12 – I think it is wrong to abort a baby because a baby is human life. Babies are cute and they need someone to take care of them. If we didn’t have babies we wouldn’t have a future.

Natalie,  Age 6 – I like babies! I like to feed them and play with them. Babies are nice and they don’t hurt people. Sometimes they bite though.

Jada,  Age 7 – I feel sad when mommies go to the doctor and kill their baby. They are only tiny and they cry in the mommies belly and move in the mommies belly. It is not fair!

This is all from the mouth of babes!!!! This is how simple it should be.