Tag Archives: Millennials

21st Century Progress Could Mean End to Abortion

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By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director
gallagher@paprolife.org

The Millennial Generation has grown up with an explosion of technology — the expansion of the Internet, the invention of the iPhone, the birth of social media, the advent of Skype.

Unborn baby pictureBut the 21st century could also be known as a time of great progress against abortion.

Real limits have been placed on abortion, thanks to the passage of the partial-birth abortion ban at the national level, late-term abortion bans, dismemberment abortion bans, and other legislation at the state level.

The Guttmacher Institute, the former research arm of Planned Parenthood, reports that abortion rates are at their lowest level since 1973, the year Roe v. Wade became the law of the land. The most recent recorded rate is 16.9 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44, well below the record high of 29.3 per 1,000 women in 1981.

It’s been estimated that more than 3,500 pregnancy help centers are now in operation across the U.S. and, as the pro-abortion lobbying group NARAL ruefully notes, these centers vastly outnumber abortion facilities. Pregnancy centers provide comprehensive counseling and assistance to women facing unexpected pregnancies, offering everything from diapers to day care referrals. Women have even been known to request that pregnancy center volunteers serve as their companions during the birthing process.

Students for Life groups have grown exponentially on college campuses, and March for Life attendance has been boosted by the throngs of high school and college students who descend on Washington, D.C. each January 22.

4D ultrasound pictures have become prominent on Facebook and Twitter pages, websites and blogs. The humanity of the unborn child has been well-documented in these social media images.

Certainly, much work remains in making abortion unthinkable. More than 57 million Americans have died from legal abortion since it began nationwide in 1973. Pro-abortion groups continue their national assault on the rights of preborn children, while failing to recognize the devastation abortion has caused for generations of women.

Still, in just the first two decades of the 21st century, much headway has been made in scaling back abortion on demand. This should be the century when the disastrous era of Roe v. Wade finally comes to an end.

What Millennials Mean for the Pro-Life Movement

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Young pro-lifers are changing the face of our movement.

Millennial adults, those ages 18 to 29, are coming to the pro-life movement from all walks of life. A 2013 Public NRLA2013HannahVictorReligion Research Institute study found that young pro-lifers are even more ethnically and religiously diverse than older pro-lifers. About 30 percent of young pro-lifers identify as black or Hispanic, and 15 percent say they are not religiously affiliated.

Evidence indicates that young adults also are enthusiastic and active in the cause. Many Millennials are calling themselves the Pro-Life Generation.

Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, wrote in the fall 2014 issue of Human Life Review: “(We) currently work with 838 active student pro-life groups across the country. At the time of publication, the nation’s two most notable pro-choice activist groups combined report fewer than half the number of active groups as Students for Life.”

What do these things mean for the pro-life movement?

First, we should find renewed strength in the fact that our cause unites people from all backgrounds. Pro-lifers may disagree on politics and religion and we may come from different cultures, but we are putting aside our differences and working together to end the slaughter of innocent preborn babies. Our unity is further evidence that our cause is true and just.

Second, we need to be welcoming. Sometimes, pro-lifers are guilty of stereotyping ourselves, assuming that other pro-lifers are white, conservative and Christian. We must be careful not to assume. When we gather outside of an abortion center or march in Washington, D.C., we need to be aware that not all pro-lifers pray the way we do – or pray at all. It doesn’t mean that we should water down our message or stop praying, but we should be considering new ways to work together as an increasingly diverse movement.

Third, we need to encourage more young people to get involved. When young adults realize the truth about abortion, they become a powerful force for life. Whether through pro-life clubs in schools, at the March for Life in Washington, D.C., or in the voting booth, Millennials are taking action to end the massive tragedy of abortion.

Yet, many young people are not well-informed about the right to life issues. We can inspire young people by inviting them to join us at a pro-life event, encouraging them to volunteer (Millennials are very service oriented), sharing a pro-life article with them on social media, or visiting our website for more ideas.

And remember, no matter what your age, you can be a voice for life!

The Pro-life Fight for Women

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By Maria Gallagher

The line “War on Women” did not die on Election Night 2012. The pro-abortion lobby carefully coined this phrase in an attempt to neutralize advances made by those who believe that law and public policy should protect an innocent person’s right to life. It’s catchy, alliterative, and denotes violence and death, and so it works well in a soundbite world.

Every time the catch-phrase is uttered—on cable news, radio talk shows, and in the Twitterverse, it should be countered—in an equally soundbite-savvy way. For what the pro-life movement has been engaging in for the past 40 years is a Fight for Women. And many women are leading the charge:

• Abby Johnson. This courageous mom once worked for Planned Parenthood, but, Former Planned Parenthood Director Abby Johnsonwhen viewing an ultrasound-guided abortion—and seeing the goodness and kindness of the 40 Days for Life members standing vigil outside the abortion center door—walked bravely to “the other side.” She now assists those who work within the abortion industry to find a safe way out. You can learn more about her And Then There Were None ministry at http://www.attwn.org/ . (And be sure to read her fascinating account of her transition from abortion proponent to pro-life advocate in her ground-breaking book, “Unplanned.” Abby is a passionate leader in the Fight for Women.

• Lila Rose. This remarkable twenty-something is lila3tthe founder of Live Action, which uses the tried-and-true tools of investigative journalism to expose the illegal activity and corruption present in the abortion industry. Lila has been especially effective at lifting the veil behind the cover-up of the sexual abuse of minor girls. You can learn more about her at http://www.liveaction.org/lilarose/ . Lila is a fearless truth-seeker in the Fight for Women.

• Gianna Jessen and Melissa Ohden. These two articulate young women have put a face on “choice.” Both are survivors of attempts to take their lives through abortion. They have raised their voices for those unborn girls who have none, and their testimony is powerful. Discover their stories at http://www.giannajessen.com/main/octoberbaby.html and http://www.melissaohden.com/ . Gianna and Melissa represent the heart and soul of the Fight for Women.

• Kristan Hawkins. She is the Executive Director of Students Kristan_Hawkinsfor Life. She has invigorated pro-life activism on college campuses around the nation, and has helped to show the world that youth have a particular stake in the Fight for Women. The Students for Life success story can be found at www.studentsforlife.org . Kristan is among the leading strategists in the Fight for Women.

This is far from a complete list—but it does spotlight the role that young, vibrant leaders are playing in the Fight for Women. Whenever you hear abortion advocates talking about the War on Women, point to the awe-inspiring Millennials and Gen-Xers at the forefront of the pro-life movement and respond, “No, you must mean the Fight for Women—and we are winning!”