Tag Archives: Roe v. Wade

Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt

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Supreme Court

The Supreme Court recently heard arguments in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt.  In the first major abortion case in nearly a decade, the court will rule on the constitutionality of Texas law HB2 and determine whether commonsense reform intended to increase women’s health and safety is an undue burden on abortion facilities.  These Texas regulations came out of the trial of Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell and his “house of horrors”.  They simply require abortion facilities to have admitting privileges with a hospital within 30 miles and to meet some basic quality of care, facility cleanliness, and safety standards.

The real question is, if the big abortion lobby want abortions to be “safe” as they claim (never mind the fact an abortion is NEVER safe for the baby) why do they support clinics like Gosnell’s “house of horrors”.  According to a University of California study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology last year, complications to the mother are reported in approximately 2.1 % of the abortions that occur in the United States.  That’s despite the fact that only 27 of the 50 states require abortion facilities to report complications…and even in many of those states the reporting is lacking.  So even if we assume those numbers are correct, that means of the approximately 90 abortions that are performed just in Pennsylvania today, 2 women will have some kind of complication (not to mention all the others scarred for life mentally).  Clearly that number will only go up if states aren’t allowed to hold abortion facilities to the same standards as nail salons and tattoo parlors.  Is that really what abortion advocates want?

The question to be decided by the Supreme Court is whether or not these regulations create an “undue burden” on abortion facilities. The good news is that the Supreme Court upheld stricter requirements in 1983 saying they were important to “ensuring public health”.  Even more recently in Planned Parenthood v Casey in 1992 the court determined laws making abortion more difficult or more expensive do not necessarily create an undue burden.

With the passing of Justice Scalia, the court is currently split between 4 conservative justices and 4 liberal justices.  Justice Anthony Kennedy is generally the swing vote on abortion cases, and during arguments he appeared to be open to allowing the regulations to stand in the interest of women’s health.  It is vital we keep Justice Kennedy, and the entire court, in our prayers as they weigh the merits of this case.

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.

The Man Behind the Myth That Abortion Is Empowerment

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By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director
gallagher@paprolife.org

SubvertedYou may have heard of Larry the Cable Guy. But do you know about Larry the abortion guy?

In a recently released book entitled Subverted, writer Sue Ellen Browder tells her personal, emotionally riveting story of how she “helped the sexual revolution hijack the women’s movement.” Browder’s personal biography — a writer for Cosmo magazine who eventually saw the light and abandoned the darkness of the culture of death — is fascinating. But here, I want to focus on the individual who might be described as the man behind the modern pro-abortion women’s movement — Larry Lader.

According to Browder’s detailed account, Larry was an atheistic magazine writer whose first foray into the world of book publishing was an account of the life of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger. Larry was one of the founders of the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, now known as the abortion lobbying group NARAL.

Browder notes that it was due to Larry’s influence that the woman who might be called the mother of the women’s rights movement, Betty Friedan, inserted abortion into the National Organization for Women’s political platform. This turn of events came about even though Betty originally opposed legal abortion.

As Browder tells it, Larry was on a drive to Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with Dr. Bernard Nathanson (an abortionist who converted into a pro-life champion later in life) in 1967 when Larry stated, “If we’re going to move abortion out of the books and into the streets, we’re going to have to recruit the feminists.”

At a NARAL strategy meeting, Larry told Dr. Nathanson, “We’ve got to keep the women out in front. You know what I mean…and some blacks. Black women especially.”

Interestingly enough, Browder reports that Larry’s commitment to abortion formed a wedge between him and Margaret Sanger, who had called abortion “barbaric.”

Larry ultimately wrote a book on abortion, which was subtitled, “The first authoritative and documented report on the laws and practices government abortion in the U.S. and around the world, and how — for the sake of women everywhere — they can and must be reformed.” Still, as Browder writes, Larry’s book “was laced with poisonous half truth, limited truth, and truth out of context.”

And yet, Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmunn cited Larry’s abortion book at least seven times in writing the tragic decision Roe v. Wade and its companion case, Doe v. Bolton, which brought us abortion on demand for any reason during all nine months of pregnancy.

It is impossible to solve a problem unless we know its origins. Please read Subverted to learn how abortion became the law of the land. History can be difficult to handle, but we owe it to the 58 million and counting abortion victims who have become Larry’s legacy — and to the mothers who are still grieving their children’s deaths.

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.

Unnamed

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By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

News spread like a contagion recently about a terror attack at a publication office in Paris. It all seemed a little unreal to me, until I saw the names of the victims.

Unborn baby pictureAs a news consumer, I often find myself yearning to learn the names of people who perished in automobile accidents, in street violence, or as a result of deadly disease outbreaks. I use news stories as an occasion for prayer, and I want to pray for the victims by name.

This is the great dilemma we face as pro-life advocates. We cannot name the victims of abortion. We do not know, for the most part, whether their mothers and fathers had chosen names for their aborted offspring.

The casualty count from legal abortion in this country now stands at 57 million. Those are 57 million unnamed individuals. They are invisible to us because we don’t know them.

When we are introduced to new people, the introduction begins with a name. We identify the individual because of the name associated with him or her. The name makes the person real to us.

When glancing through the obituary page of the local newspaper, we hunt for names. People’s appearances can change quite a bit over the years, so accompanying pictures may not be that helpful in the identification process. But the name says it all.

As part of their healing experience, post-abortive women are often encouraged to name their aborted children. The naming process can be quite powerful. In naming their child, they form a connection with him or her that lives after death.

Even in celebrity culture, names carry great meaning. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter tease users with posts about the latest celebrity baby names. Once we learned about the existence of babies Blue Ivy and North, those words took on new meaning and yes, even personhood.

It is a credit to the pro-life movement that, 42 years after the dreadful U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, we continue to fight for the rights of people we do not even know by name. But unnamed does not mean unwanted. Every child deserves a fighting chance at life, whether known as Emily or Justin or just Baby A. We may not know the names of each unborn child, but we do know their value: priceless.

Join Us: When I See a Pregnant Woman, #iSEETWO

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This month as our nation remembers 42 years since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on abortion, Focus on the Family is working with several pro-life organizations to remind people that abortion involves two people, not just one.

Quotes - MariaMaria Gallagher, our legislative director, was chosen as one of five women to share their stories as part of the organization’s #iSEETWO campaign.

Once a pro-choice journalist, Maria said her heart began to change when she started reading more about the issue:

“… as I began to put my journalistic skills to work, conducting more in-depth research, I discovered some startling facts—that a heart starts beating only 24 days after conception…that brain waves can be detected a mere 43 days after a child is conceived.

“I came to see that life must have a logical beginning, not an arbitrary one based on subjective feelings.  Reason led me to the pro-life movement; careful analytical thinking keeps me there. …

“Where once I saw only one individual, now #iSEETWO – mother and child, connected by a sacred bond that no human being has a right to sever.”

Maria joins Dr. Alveda King of Priests for Life and the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Freda Bush, M.D., OB/GYN, lawyer Anne O’Connor from the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, and abortion center manager-turned pro-lifer Susan Thayer. Each woman is sharing her story this month as part of the #iSEETWO campaign.

Focus on the Family says the purpose of #iSEETWO is to show love and respect for both the preborn baby and the mother.

Focus urges pro-lifers to “change the tone of the discussion from one that encourages taking sides, to one that embraces life-affirming action that expresses respect for both mother and child.”

To participate, just take a selfie with the #iSEETWO sign here and make it your profile photo on your social media accounts this month. Then share a short message about why you are pro-life.

Help us remind people that when we look at a pregnant women, we see two precious individuals who deserve equal rights and protections.

Generation Y and Why They Are Naturally Pro-Life

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By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director
gallagher@paprolife.org

“You’ve got to be taughtClassroom
To hate and fear,
You’ve got to be taught
From year to year,
It’s got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You’ve got to be carefully taught.”

— From the Broadway musical “South Pacific”

The lyrics above explored discrimination — but I think the sentiment also applies to the pro-abortion cause. I think you have to be carefully taught to deny the humanity of the unborn child and to accept Roe v. Wade.

I was reminded of this truism during a recent talk I gave to 7th and 8th grade religion students. I started by asking them how many abortions they thought took place in the U.S. each year. When I told them the number was estimated at more than a million, a look of incredulity crossed their faces — as if I had informed them their parents were throwing out their cell phones.

When we ventured onto the topic of euthanasia, their bewilderment increased. They could not understand why anyone would intentionally kill anyone — especially an elderly person or a person with a disability — under the guise of compassion. They were astounded.

I suppose someone on the pro-abortion side might argue that these students lacked the maturity to fully understand the issue of abortion. Yet, the same individual would probably argue that the female students would be mature enough to go before a judge and obtain a judicial bypass for an abortion.

Which is it — are young people not thoughtful enough to grasp Roe? Or are they so mature that they no longer need parental input in their decisions?

I would argue that a young person’s tendency is to treasure life — especially the lives of people younger than themselves. It is only when society brainwashes them into believing that life is random, dependent upon another’s whims, and disposable that they veer off into pro-abortion land.

After all, you have to be carefully taught.

Abortion Numbers in U.S. Decline to Near-Historic Low

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Abortion rates are falling steadily in the United States as more pregnant women gain access to the education and support that they and their families need.

2011AbortionNumbersA new report shows U.S. abortion numbers at a near-record low in 2011. There were 1.06 million abortions in 2011, down 13 percent from 2008, according to a new report by the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute. The report reflects a similar trend here in Pennsylvania, where abortions declined by almost 5 percent in one year from 2011 to 2012.

Now more than ever, women are choosing life as they discover the truth about a baby’s development in the womb. And pregnant and new moms can access material and emotional support through pregnancy resource centers in their own communities.

Yet, 1 million abortions per year is still a massive tragedy in our country. Pro-lifers are making progress in helping to protect preborn babies and their mothers from abortion, but there’s still a lot of work to do.

Consider volunteering with one of our 40 chapters as we help Pennsylvanians all across the Commonwealth to see that there’s always a reason to choose life!

March for Life Is Rally of Faith in ‘Plain, Decent, Everyday Common Rightness’

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Hundreds of thousands of people braved the bitter cold last week to participate in the March for Life in Washington, D.C. on January 22. Despite the sub-zero wind chill, people from all across the country walked to restore the right to life for the preborn.

After the March, my friends and I walked to the Lincoln Memorial. I stood between those humbling columns and remembered the scenes from one of my favorite movies, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”smith3

The film reaches its turning point as a no longer naive young politician sits in the shadows of the Lincoln Memorial, having just been crushed by a political machine. From D.C. to his hometown, the news media is being maneuvered against him.

He feels so small, so helpless, so foolish to have believed that the truth would prevail. He feels beaten, ready to go back to his small town. What can one man do against such corruption, such injustice?

Then a friend finds him in the shadows of the Lincoln Memorial. She reminds him that he shouldn’t place his faith in people but in “plain, decent, everyday common rightness.” She points to Abraham Lincoln, a man who refused to stop fighting though the odds were stacked against him and the opposition was severe. He had faith that “rightness” would win.

“All the good in this world came from fools with faith like that,” she tells the young Mr. Smith.

As I stood there, I felt like Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Smith. The media ignores pro-lifers or distorts the truth to make us look weak. Our opposers paint us as liars and fools.

Yet, I found hope in the memory of Mr. Lincoln. He had faith against the odds when he fought to require rights and protection for every human life.

I have faith that one day our country will protect every human being’s right to life inside the womb and out. Until then, we will continue to march, fighting for “plain, decent, everyday common rightness.”

Do you know Roe v. Wade?

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When the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its infamous abortion decision 41years ago, it created waves that continue to hurt millions of Americans today.

Roe v. Wade and its companion case, Doe v. Bolton, caused a devastating tidal wave that eroded Americans’ right to life.110124_march_for_life_ap_328

Yet, after four decades, Americans still seem to be confused about what Roe and Doe really did. For proof, just take a look at two polls on the abortion issue.

According to a January 2013 NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, 70 percent of Americans do not want Roe v. Wade to be overturned.

But, according to a December 2012 poll from Gallup, 70 percent of Americans want restrictions on abortion – which is the exact opposite of what Roe did.

Let’s review the history:

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Roe and Doe on January 22, 1973, specifically noting that the cases should be read together.

According to Roe v. Wade, abortion should be a private decision between a woman and her doctor. During the first six months of pregnancy, a woman may have an abortion for any reason.

In Doe v. Bolton, the justices said a woman may have an abortion in the last three months if she has a “health” reason. The court then defined “health” so broadly that basically anything qualifies.

The two cases struck down all state abortion restrictions and legalized abortion through all nine months of pregnancy.

In 1973, not a single state had abortion laws as broad as those created by Roe and Doe. In fact, the majority of states protected life at the moment of conception.

Americans need to know the truth about Roe v. Wade and how it devastated our nation, how it allowed for the slaughter of 56 million babies, how it led to pain and regret for millions of women and men.

Fortunately, Pennsylvania has been a leader in helping to restore some protections for preborn babies. We continue to work hard every day to achieve a future where every human life is protected from conception to natural death.