Tag Archive for: pro-life

Why I, a Staunch Pro-lifer, Staunchly Support Trump (and Why You Should, Too)

“The perfect should not be the enemy of good,” the saying goes. This comes to mind when hearing about a lamentable reality: Some pro-life Americans, upset about what many consider President Donald Trump’s “softening” abortion stance, are now reluctant to support him. Some may vote a pro-life ticket, if and where an option; others may not vote at all. Yet is this the best decision for our country or even the pro-life cause itself? My answer is no on both counts. I’ll explain why.

Before proceeding, I’d like to point out that I’m not one of those PLINOs (Pro-lifers in Name Only) who may render prescriptions such as what follow because, in their heart of hearts, they’re not authentically pro-life. Were I king, prenatal infanticide would be illegal — and, yes, this includes in cases of rape or incest. (Logically, you lose the debate upon saying otherwise. The contrary position involves the idea, after all, that you can kill an innocent unborn child because of the circumstances of his conception. Accepting this tacitly negates the “All human life is sacred” argument.) And what of the life of the mother?

While direct prenatal infanticide is never morally permissible, operative here is a principle called the “law of double effect.” In other words, you are allowed to take actions necessary to save the mother’s life if its legitimately endangered. If this results in the child’s death, this is known in theological/philosophical circles as “a negative unintended consequence of a morally licit action.”

So that’s the standard that, again, I’d apply were I king. But I’m not king.

I relate the above to make clear that my pro-life stance is a sincere and well considered position resulting from study and pursuit of Truth. As you can see, I even called “abortion” prenatal infanticide” — precisely because I know what the act is and want to emphasize its reality. Nevertheless, I happily, enthusiastically, robustly and unabashedly support Trump. And it’s imperative, my pro-life friends, that you do, too. Why?

Reasons, Not Rationalizations

The first principle to consider when choosing a candidate is that, as famed German leader Otto von Bismarck put it, politics is “the art of the possible.” It’s not the art of we get what we want 100 percent, right now, no questions asked — but of “the possible.” And what’s possible right now is Donald Trump or Kamala Harris.

Consider an analogy, too. You have a child in desperate need of an operation and four options. Choosing Dr. A would give your child a 50 to 60 percent chance of survival. Dr. B would give him a five percent chance. Dr. C would give him a 100 percent chance, but there’s a problem: He has been disallowed from practicing medicine and has no access to the equipment and instruments necessary for the operation. So he could do a great job, but can’t. The fourth option is that you walk away, disgusted, and dispense with your child’s best possible chance at life. Which would you choose?

Obviously, Dr. A correlates with Trump, Dr. B with Harris, Dr. C with a pro-life-ticket candidate, and option four with not voting. It’s plain, too, that most of you would choose Dr. A in the analogy. So why, in reality, would we give America’s unborn children any less of a chance?

Now, some pro-lifers are upset that Trump said he wouldn’t sign a national prenatal infanticide ban. First, however, realize that for decades, a major rallying cry when seeking Roe v. Wade’s overturning was that “abortion is a state issue.” Is it really prudent to do a 180 on this — now?

Also consider that murdering someone outside the womb is almost always a state charge. So should we really seek a different standard for the murder of people inside the womb — at this moment?

Some may now counter that, tragically, many states not only don’t see fit to prohibit prenatal infanticide, but actually facilitate it. But this gets at the point: If we can’t currently effect authentically pro-life prenatal infanticide bans in even most conservative states — and we can’t — why would we think it would fly nationally?

Another analogy is instructive here, too. Would we send troops on a suicide mission, that could only succeed in a hypothetical world far removed from our current reality, merely because it “felt” like a righteous act? As Just War Doctrine informs, two prerequisites for a just war are that the proposed action must, A, do more good than harm and, B, have a serious chance of success. (And politics is bloodless warfare; why, “campaign” is actually a military term.) Pushing for a national prenatal infanticide ban right now simply doesn’t meet these criteria. It is a political suicide mission — all downside, no upside.

The Other Pro-life Issues

Now, I do agree with the great Ambassador Alan Keyes, who once called prenatal infanticide “the slavery issue of our time.” Nonetheless, it’s simply a reality (and not a PLINO statement, not from King Duke, anyway) that it’s not the only pro-life issue.

First, of course, there’s euthanasia. Canada has already been called “a world leader” in it, allowing assisted suicide for apparently frivolous reasons. And our Left, as represented by Kamala Harris, would visit such standards upon us, too — if given enough power.

Then consider the following:

  • The misguided COVID lockdowns, instituted almost entirely by Democrats, resulted in 100,000 excess deaths a year in 2020 and ’21 alone, a 2022 study found.
  • Fentanyl deaths have increased during the Biden-Harris administration, numbering 250,000 during their tenure. And while their opening of the southern border isn’t entirely to blame, it certainly exacerbates the problem.
  • Criminality-facilitating Democrat prosecutors, and the miscreant aliens the administration has allowed into our country, are responsible for much increased murder and mayhem.
  • The disastrous Biden-Harris Afghanistan withdrawal resulted in at least 200 deaths, according to the left-wing Washington Post.
  • Euphemistically and incorrectly termed “child gender transitioning,” entirely the handiwork of liberal Democrats such as Harris, results in irreparable damage to young bodies. It will assuredly lead to greater mortality, too, as there are strong indications that those undergoing sexual-distortion surgeries have higher suicide rates.
  • Harris and her chicken-hawk, warmonger co-ideologists have been inching us closer to nuclear war with Russia. How this imperils life, on a massive scale, is obvious.

Realize as well that the above is just a short list. The bottom line is that regardless of the details, bad policies generally lead to increased mortality. Bad trees don’t yield good fruit.

The Soul of the Issue

What of our fruits, however, and where they’ll get us? Late radio host Rush Limbaugh once correctly pointed out that pro-life people won’t bend on the prenatal infanticide issue (nor should they, on the principles) partially because they believe their immortal souls are at stake. Yet there’s a big difference between supporting prenatal infanticide and supporting a candidate who, though imperfect on the issue, is far and away the best option. God knows our minds and hearts, and He gave us intellect and free will. He expects us, too, to use our intellects. He expects us to be, as Jesus put it, as “harmless as doves” — but “as shrewd as snakes.”

And what, does shrewdness dictate here, is best for life, our country and everything on November 5? It informs that in “the art of the possible,” the best choice by far is the man who wrote The Art of the Deal, not the party specializing in the art of the steal.

©2024 Selwyn Duke. All rights reserved.


Contact Selwyn Duke, follow him on X (formerly Twitter), MeWe or Gettr or log on to SelwynDuke.com.

EXCLUSIVE: DOJ Data Confirms Conservative Fears Biden Weaponized Justice System

The Biden administration is using a novel application of an 1870 statute to enhance the sentences of peaceful abortion protesters, data provided exclusively to the Daily Caller confirms.

In the 30-year history of the Freedom of Access to Clinics (FACE) Act, the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) in just over three years has levied over a quarter of the law’s total charges, most of which have carried this novel sentence enhancement, the data also shows.

The data, along with the unprecedented enhancement, provide fuel to criticisms from conservatives that the Biden admin is unfairly targeting pro-lifers and using the DOJ for political ends.

In some instances under previous administrations, threatening to harm or kill a clinic employee carried less severe punishments. Under Biden’s, however, elderly women peacefully protesting an abortion clinic have faced much harsher consequences. After the Supreme Court’s Roe vs Wade decision leak in 2022, hundreds of attacks were waged against pro-life pregnancy centers and churches, but the DOJ has only prosecuted five individuals for such offenses.

From 1994 to 2024, there were 205 cases against pro-life activists and only six against abortion activists, data provided to the Caller by Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy’s office reveals. Prosecutions of pro-life individuals constitute roughly 97% of all FACE Act cases.

At least 55 of those cases were prosecuted during the Biden administration, only five of which involved attacks on pregnancy resource centers. In less than four years, Biden’s DOJ has accounted for over a quarter of all FACE prosecutions and approximately 24% of cases targeting pro-life activists, the data demonstrates.

The FACE Act became law in 1994 and prohibits “violent, threatening, damaging, and obstructive conduct intended to injure, intimidate, or interfere with the right to seek, obtain or provide reproductive health services,” according to the DOJ. The law also applies to pro-life pregnancy resource centers and places of worship.

Some claim, however, the Biden Administration is weaponizing FACE against individuals who protest abortion. In the past two years, FBI agents raided the homes of pro-life activists Mark Houck and Paul Vaughn (the former being acquitted and the latter escaping prison time) during Biden’s presidency.

FACE “has been politicized and abused to target peaceful pro-life advocates,” while activists “who violently attacked” pro-life clinics walk free, Erin Hawley, Vice President of the Center for Life and Regulatory Practice at the Alliance for Defending Freedom (ADF), told the Daily Caller.

She explained how the DOJ prosecuted at least 26 pro-life individuals in 2022 but zero activists “who obstructed or vandalized pregnancy care centers.”

In 2023, Roy and Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee introduced legislation to repeal the FACE Act.

“Biden’s Department of Justice has brazenly weaponized the FACE Act against normal, everyday Americans across the political spectrum, simply because they are pro-life,” Roy stated in a press release.

The Caller reached out to the DOJ, but they did not answer questions about FACE directly, instead pointing to its website. The DOJ told the Caller to contact the FBI for more information regarding investigations into attacks on pregnancy centers and churches.

The FBI did not respond in time for publication, although in 2022, the agency told The Daily Signal it was investigating attacks on pregnancy resource centers and churches. The FBI would not share if it had arrested anyone in relation to the attacks.

From May 2022 to March 2024, there were at least 90 attacks on pro-life organizations and pregnancy resource centers, according to CatholicVote, which tracks attacks by abortion activists. The data is gathered from news reports, direct tips and public information the attackers posted online.

Many of the incidents appear to be associated with the pro-abortion groups Jane’s Revenge and Ruth Sent Us. Since May 2020, there have been over 400 attacks on Catholic churches, the website reports.

“Congress ought to repeal [FACE] immediately,” the Thomas More Society’s Senior Counsel, Steve Crampton, told the Caller. Crampton represented Vaughn during his FACE trial.

Crampton stated unequivocally that pro-life protests have not increased in aggression during the post-Roe era.

He said there was a lack of “hardcore” protests by pro-life activists after the Dobbs decision and contrasted that with the hundreds of attacks against churches and pro-life pregnancy centers.

Organizations like the National Abortion Federation (NAF) claimed attacks on abortion clinics increased in 2022. The NAF’s statistics are based on reports from facility members. A NAF report stated there was an increase in “clinic invasions,” or individuals who “fake appointments,” “force their way into the clinic” and “refuse to leave.”

They reported 20 clinic invasions in 2022. From 2020 to 2022, there were zero reported murders, attempted murders and bombings at abortion clinics. There were four reported incidents of arson and 101 acts of vandalism in 2022, though.

The Crime Prevention Center (CPC) also conducted a study in 2022, but it showed pro-life groups experienced over 22 times more violence than pro-choice organizations. CPC identified 135 attacks on pro-life groups from the date of the Supreme Court leak to September 24, 2022. There were only six cases concerning pro-choice groups. CPC said NAF’s 2021 report failed to provide a list of cases to substantiate the data.

Crampton argued there has not been an increase in pro-life protests, nonviolent or otherwise. He stated only a small percentage of pro-life individuals engage in demonstrations at abortion clinics.

He also noted how “for the first time in history,” Biden’s DOJ added underlying charges, specifically the felony Conspiracy Against Rights charge, to FACE Act prosecutions.

The Conspiracy Against Rights law prohibits two or more people from “conspir[ing] to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate” anyone exercising their constitutional rights. A violation of the law is punishable by fines and up to 10 years in prison, providing there is no kidnapping or sexual assault.

Crampton explained how the original purpose of the law – enacted in 1870 – was to protect newly enfranchised African American voters, but the Biden Administration “twisted” it to target peaceful pro-life activists exercising their First Amendment rights. Moreover, after the Dobbs decision, he said there was no constitutional right to an abortion.

President Bill Clinton nominated D.C.-based Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in 1997. She has sentenced at least nine defendants during Biden’s presidency, each time delivering severe punishments.

The Biden administration charged those defendants in 2022 with allegedly obstructing access to an abortion clinic in Washington, D.C. Each protester faced up to 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release and fines of up to $350,000, according to a DOJ press release.

The demonstrators protested the Washington Surgi-Clinic abortionist, Cesare Santangelo, who was accused of violating federal law by allegedly performing partial-birth abortions. Activists with the group Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising reportedly found five fetuses — which appeared to be victims of late term abortions — in a box of 115 fetuses outside the clinic.

Pro-life organizations and five House Republicans in 2024 called for investigations into the five abortions.

One demonstrator at the clinic was a 75 year-old woman, Paulette “Paula” Harlow. Kollar-Kotelly sentenced her to 24 months in prison for allegedly violating FACE and the Conspiracy Against Rights law by attending the demonstration, according to a DOJ press release. Another defendant, Lauren Handy, was sentenced to almost five years in prison.

Harlow’s husband expressed concerns about his wife’s health to the judge. The judge told Harlow that she should try to “remain alive” because it’s a “tenet of [her] religion,” according to LiveAction.

Past sentences under previous administrations demonstrate the unprecedented severity of the current punishments. (RELATED: Biden DOJ Hits Five Pro-Life Activists – Three Already Facing Prison For Blocking Abortion Clinic – With New Lawsuit)

During Clinton’s presidency, a self-proclaimed “anti-abortion activist” named J. Fred Hart, Jr. allegedly parked two trucks at an abortion clinic and blocked “vehicular access” to parking in 1997. The trucks were similar to the vehicle used in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah building in Oklahoma City, according to the DOJ. Bomb squads and arson experts investigated the trucks and determined they were empty. Hart was sentenced to four years probation (home detention for the first year), 200 hours of community service, mental health counseling, and a “special assessment” of $50.

In 2010, under President Obama’s DOJ, a man named Donald Hertz allegedly called an abortion clinic and threatened to kill a doctor and his family members. Hertz was sentenced to five years of probation, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Crampton said that without question punishments for violating FACE are harsher under Biden, pointing to the DOJ’s Reproductive Rights Task Force. He observed how the DOJ has yet to establish a Religious Rights Task Force, despite recent attacks on churches.

In July of 2022, shortly after Roe was overturned, the DOJ established the Reproductive Rights Task Force to “protect access to reproductive health care.” The task force aims to keep tabs on legislation and “enforcement actions” that threaten abortion access, according to a press release.

“The ‘Reproductive Rights’ task force is just a name they gave to a group that is pushing a pro-abortion agenda,” Hawley told the Caller.

Hawley linked to the DOJ’s website and noted that enforcing the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) was one of the purported objectives.

The Biden administration tried to use EMTALA to “force emergency room doctors to perform abortions that are illegal under Idaho law,” according to the ADF’s assessment of the State of Idaho v. The United States of America.

Hawley said the task force’s other objectives include enforcement of FACE and protecting abortion-inducing medication.

“Rather than abusing its power to target pro-life pregnancy centers, the DOJ should be protecting them and ensuring that women have access to real support and real healthcare,” Hawley emphasized.

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the DOJ – Kristen Clarke – spearheads the National Task Force On Violence Against Reproductive Health Care Providers. It was established in 1998 after the shooting of an abortionist. Clark labeled the ADF a “hate group” and characterized Liberty University as a “fundamentalist Christian school” in 2018.

This separate task force coordinates with law enforcement and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs) to investigate “incidents of abortion violence,” even though FACE ostensibly provides protections for pregnancy resource centers.

Eleven defendants – including Paul Vaughn – were charged on Oct. 5 2022, with allegedly using “force and physical obstruction” at a clinic in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, according to the DOJ. They faced the same harsh punishments, including up to 10 and half years in prison, $260,000 in fines and three years of supervised release.

Paul Vaughn ultimately escaped prison time, but it was a pyrrhic victory. Vaughn is now a convicted felon stripped of his right to vote and obtain a firearm, according to Crampton. He must answer to his probation officer and is also under house arrest.

The FACE Act applies to places of worship and pregnancy centers. The vast majority of prosecutions under the law, however, have targeted pro-life activists.

This past June, the DOJ sued five people for allegedly violating FACE by obstructing an abortion clinic in Florida.

Crampton said the law was not neutral.

“It was always about abortion.”

AUTHOR

EIREANN VAN NATTA

Contributor.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Survey Finds Two-Thirds of GOP Voters Want to Keep or Strengthen Party’s Pro-Life Platform

WASHINGTON, D.C. /PRNewswire/ — Family Research Council Action today released the results of a commissioned survey conducted by WPA Opinion Research showing that 66 percent of Republican voters agree that the party should keep (32%) or strengthen (34%) the platform position protecting unborn human life. Only 19 percent say the party should “talk about the issue less.”

Additionally, the survey found 62 percent of GOP voters say the party’s strong positions on unborn human life, strengthening the family, and religious freedom would impact their vote in the fall. On the issues of strengthening families and religious freedom, 74 percent want to see the party keep (23%) or strengthen (51%) the party’s position.

On Monday, the Republican Platform Committee will meet to decide the 2024 Republican Party platform. Family Research Council Action President Tony Perkins, who is serving as a platform delegate from Louisiana, made the following comments in response to the survey:

“This survey demonstrates a bold, clearly articulated platform that continues to embrace life, promotes the family, and defends religious freedom matters to voters.

“The platform not only gives insight to voters, it gives direction to Republican elected officials. According to research by Dr. Lee Payne, the parties follow their platforms. Between 1980 and 2004, Republican lawmakers followed their platform 82 percent of the time.

“As Ronald Reagan noted, ‘There are cynics who say that a party platform is something that no one bothers to read, and it doesn’t very often amount to much.’ But he said ‘a banner of bold unmistakable colors with no pale pastels’ would reveal the difference between Republicans and the other party.

“America is an unprecedented place of moral and cultural confusion and is in dire need of leadership and moral clarity. The Republican Party must once again communicate a clear and hopeful contrast between the parties by painting a message for voters on the foundational issues–life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness–not in pale pastels but in bright, bold colors,” concluded Perkins.

Family Research Council Action, in conjunction with scores of other conservative groups, last week launched of the Platform Integrity Project. This coalition seeks to work with the RNC and the Trump campaign for an open process that will help ensure the preservation of the GOP’s solidly conservative platform that contains longstanding pro-life, pro-family, and pro-Israel planks.

©2024. Family Research Council Action. All rights reserved.

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5 things pro-lifers have learned in the two years since Dobbs

Nearly two years ago, Roe v Wade was overturned when the Supreme Court ruled in the  case. As a result of this decision, abortion was no longer a national “right”; each state can now make its own laws regarding abortion.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, as of May 1, 2024:

  • 14 states have a total abortion ban
  • 27 states have abortion bans based on gestational duration
    • 7 states ban abortion at or before 18 weeks’ gestation
    • 20 states ban abortion at some point after 18 weeks
  • 9 states and the District of Columbia do not restrict abortion based on gestational duration

Abortion remains a tragedy of epic proportions. In the ensuing two years, we have seen anger, resentment, fear, and outright lies. Every day, babies are dying.

The past two years have taught us a lot, but they have also given us direction for the way forward. Below are some of the things we in the pro-life movement have learned since Dobbs.

1. The pro-abortion movement will not stop

Organizations like Planned Parenthood have become creative as they encourage interstate travel so a woman can kill her child in a state with more “favourable” abortion laws. Amazon, Apple, and other companies will reimburse part of the cost for women to travel to kill their children. Slogans like “bans off our bodies” taint the minds of young people as they purposely try to anger them about laws that attempt to protect innocent babies. The list goes on and on. Those who want abortion enshrined in law will do anything in their power to keep abortion legal.

2. Many people think that abortion has ended

Those who don’t read pro-life news or understand the implications of Dobbs think that abortion ended when Roe was overturned. They think there’s no reason to fight for the rights of babies anymore or to support pro-life organizations. They falsely claim that pro-lifers “won.” But the graves of thousands of dead babies tell us the truth. Abortion is far from over.

3. Many think that a little abortion is OK

Many states have laws that protect babies after a certain point in their lives or only in certain circumstances (after rape, to save the life of the mother, etc.). But, as Judie Brown, president of American Life League (ALL), explains, “A person is a person from [creation] onwards, and abortion must be illegal in all circumstances, with no exceptions.” That is why ALL has a no exceptions, no compromise policy. Abortion is wrong in all circumstances, not just in some. Every preborn child deserves a chance to be born.

4. The abortion pill has become a significant threat

The abortion pill regimen consists of mifepristone and misoprostol. The mother first takes the mifepristone, which starves the baby to death. And then about 48 hours later she will take the misoprostol, which expels the dead baby. The Guttmacher Institute’s latest numbers show that these pill abortions accounted for 63 percent of abortions in 2023. That equates to about 642,700 dead babies. With laws that have become increasingly lax, the mother can now take both pills at home, which poses significant dangers to the mom and of course is deadly for the baby.

5. Education is vital

The pro-abortion movement is not going to give up, so we cannot either. It is incumbent upon us all to teach the people around us the truth—not only about the humanity of the preborn baby from the first moment of existence (when the sperm fertilizes the egg), but about the lies that the pro-abortion movement tries to propagate. That means that we teach our children from the time they are small that all babies are valuable and deserve a chance to live.

Lessons from programs like the Culture of Life Studies Program allow parents and teachers to talk about pro-life topics in an age-appropriate way—at home or at school. We must also educate our friends, family, coworkers, and people within our communities. That means we give voice to the preborn baby, never denying his humanity and existence. It takes moral courage, it takes persistence, and it takes speaking in love for both the mom and the baby.

The two years since the Dobbs decision have proven that there are very vocal people who will not rest until abortion is the law of the land. While we must never allow this sad state of our society to discourage our efforts, we can think of this as an opportunity to do God’s work here on earth. We must be His hands and feet as we speak, educate, and fight to protect the most vulnerable among us. The babies deserve nothing less.


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AUTHOR

Susan Ciancio is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and has worked as a writer and editor for over 20 years; 14 of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently, she is the editor of American Life League’s Celebrate Life Magazine—the nation’s premier Catholic pro-life magazine. She is also the executive editor of ALL’s Culture of Life Studies Program—a pre-K-12 Catholic pro-life education organization.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Mercator column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Florida Voters Back Abortion Amendment and Trump

A new poll is reporting that nearly half of voters in the Sunshine State plan to support a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a “right” to abortion. An Emerson College survey released on Thursday found that 42% of Florida voters intend to vote “Yes” on a “Amendment 4” this November, enshrining a right to abortion into the state’s constitution. Twenty-five percent of voters intend to vote “No,” and 32% of voters are unsure which way they will vote. The ballot initiative requires at least 60% support in order to pass.

A majority (56%) of Democrats and a plurality (44%) of Independents plan to vote “Yes.” Following former President Donald Trump’s recently-announced opposition to federal pro-life protections, Florida Republicans are more divided on the issue: 36% plan to vote against the abortion amendment, 30% plan to support it, and 34% are unsure.

Additionally, nearly 60% of Florida voters reported that the pro-life law banning abortion after six weeks — slated to go into effect next month after the state’s Supreme Court upheld a related 15-week abortion ban — is “too strict,” 28% said the law is “about right,” and 15% said it’s “not strict enough.” The previous 15-week ban enjoyed marginally more support, with only 43% saying it’s “too strict,” 36% saying it’s “about right,” and 21% saying it’s “not strict enough.”

Election data analyst Michael Pruser posted on social media, “I don’t think a pro-Republican position has a chance of clearing 60% in Florida, let alone an anti-Republican one. What wouldn’t pass in Kansas and Ohio during off-year special turnout will almost assuredly not pass in Florida during a Presidential year [with] Trump on the top of the ticket.”

Anticipating nearly 11 million voters (4.5 million Republicans, 3.55 million Democrats, and 2.85 million Independents) to turn out in November, Pruser explained, “To make 60% work, you’ll need a share of about 23% Republican[s]/95% Democrat[s]/77% Independent[s] to vote YES (which is always harder than NO). This gives you a total of 6,554,500 votes and a winning percentage of 60.13%.” He added, “You can also bet that [Florida’s Republican governor Ron] DeSantis will do what [Democratic Kansas governor] Laura Kelly and [Republican Ohio governor] Mike DeWine didn’t — use his office’s full weight against the amendment.”

Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, argued before the Florida Supreme Court in favor of pro-life laws. In comments to The Washington Stand, he warned that “Amendment 4” would be challenged even if passed, saying, “There are constitutional challenges that I think are available.”

In addition to questions of both fraudulent signatures in putting the proposed amendment on the ballot and fraudulent votes in potentially passing the amendment this November, Staver noted, “The Florida legislature has — for many, many years — used the terms ‘unborn child’ and ‘unborn person.’” For example, Florida law dictates that if a woman is killed and her unborn child dies as a result, the killer could be charged with double homicide. Similarly, if a will leaves an estate to the deceased’s children or grandchildren, Florida law understands that to include unborn children or grandchildren. “In all these other areas of law,” Staver said, “unborn children have been recognized as legal persons. Consequently, if this were to pass, we would bring a case to the Florida Supreme Court to recognize the rights of an unborn child which already exist in the constitution which supersede this abortion amendment.”

Referring to Republicans who have begun backing away from pro-life messaging in the wake of Trump’s announcement earlier this week, Staver said, “Politicians should stand for life, not run from it. The right to life is the right of all rights, without which there is no other right. Politicians need to stand for life, not run from it.” He continued, “There are some things that transcend geographical boundaries and political parties and time, and the right to life is fundamental among those.” Staver also compared the issue of abortion to the issue of slavery, saying that neither was a matter of “states’ rights” but of universal morality.

The Emerson College survey also found that a majority (51%) of Florida voters back Trump for president, while only 38% support incumbent Joe Biden, with 11% undecided. When undecided voters were asked which candidate they lean toward supporting, Trump’s support shot up to 56% and Biden’s to 44%. Emerson College explained, “Among Biden voters, 32% support him because they dislike Trump, 24% because they like Biden, 19% care about an issue, and 14% support their party’s candidate. Among Trump voters, 31% support him because they care about an issue, 28% because they like Trump, 16% because they dislike Biden, and 14% support their party’s candidate.”

Florida voters ranked the economy as their top issue of concern (27%), followed by housing (16%), immigration (14%), and abortion (10%). Emerson College noted, “The percentage of voters who marked abortion access as their top issue is four points higher in Florida than in the most recent national poll (6%).”

AUTHOR

S.A. McCarthy

S.A. McCarthy serves as a news writer at The Washington Stand.

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RELATED VIDEO: Florida’s Channel 25 Interview with Pro-Lifer, Willy Guardiola, as he speaks about the state of Abortion today.

EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2024 Family Research Council.


The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

Russia’s Resolve: The Family Comes First

A valuable lesson from my days toiling away in the imperial capital was how little Americans know about what is going on in the rest of the world. Back in the heady days of hegemony, the default American setting was ethnocentric. Wherever we went, there was CNN Headline News, American entertainment, tourist menus, guides and cordial concierges ensuring that our language deficit was not an impediment to spending money.

Joe Biden, the guy presently playing president, said America is an “indispensable nation”. Strictly speaking, we haven’t been a nation since the Civil War. We’re not indispensable either, but believing so is indispensable to imperial hubris. I digress.

Year of the Family

On 22 November, American media ran the usual fare that passes for news: the wars du jour, the JFK murder 60th anniversary, and travellers headed home for Thanksgiving.

Across the globe, something momentous was underway. Western media mostly missed it. The event? Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree declaring 2024 the “Year of the Family“.

In order to promote state policy to protect the family and preserve traditional family values, the President has resolved to declare 2024 the Year of the Family in the Russian Federation. 

The Year of the Family initiative was kicked off in early November via a motion by Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko. The mission: “promote state policy in the field of family protection and the preservation of traditional family values.”

The official organising committee will be in place on 27 December, headed by Tatyana Golikova, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Policy, Labour, Health and Pension Provision.

Consider: motion made in early November, decree issued 22 November, implementing committee up and running 27 December. By government standards, that’s moving like greased lightnin’. Guess they remember the glacial pace of things under Communism.

Now, I’m an America first guy, but when countries with fewer resources get things done faster and better, there’s no shame in following their example.

Socially conservative

The custom of dedicating each year to a national cause was inaugurated in 2007 to focus attention on Russian priorities. This is part and parcel of President Putin’s nationalistic approach, designed to conflate patriotism with problem-solving. To a surprising degree, it works. However, President Putin deserves only partial credit. US/NATO sanctions have done more to rally Russians behind him than any big bucks PR campaign or “Ukraine liberation” ever could.

Much has been happening in Russia of late that would be of keen interest to Americans. By US standards, Russia is “right-wing”, aka woefully unwoke. Western elites regard Russia (per the late Senator John McCain) as “a gas station masquerading as a country”. Not so.

But we do have domestic culture wars in common, though the folks ruling the roost in Moscow have quite a different take on things than their Washington counterparts.

In 2013, Russia’s law “For the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating a Denial of Traditional Family Values” was enacted.  Commonly known as the gay propaganda law, it prohibited the dissemination of “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships” and materials that could encourage minors to “form non-traditional sexual predispositions”.

In mid-November, the Russian Ministry of Justice filed suit averring that the LGBT movement fomented religious and social strife. On 30 November, the Russian Supreme Court agreed, ruling that the movement was an “extremist organisation”, placing it legally on a par with terrorist groups. The ruling bans public displays and activities supporting LGBT lifestyles.

Right to life

On 3 November, President Putin addressed abortion: “Of course, the problem of abortion is so acute. The question is: what to do about it?”

He cited prospective measures that would “ban the sale of drugs that terminate pregnancy, or improve the socio-economic situation in the country, increase the level of well-being, real wages, social services, [and] assistance to young families in purchasing housing.”

The Russian Orthodox Church is lobbying for more restrictive abortion laws and proposing a package of reforms, including:

  • Requiring the husband’s “informed consent” for married women to have an abortion; requiring parental approval for underage girls
  • Mandatory pre-abortion counselling, including an ultrasound scan
  • Extension of the “contemplation period” from 48 hours to one week
  • Banning abortion after 8 weeks of pregnancy (current law is 12 weeks)
  • Allow rape victims 12 weeks to request abortion (current law is 22 weeks)
  • Prohibiting private clinics from performing abortions

In 2000, there were 2.13 million abortions in Russia. That has decreased to 506,000 in 2022. With a shrinking population, it is likely that further restrictions are in the cards. While that could bump up birth rates a bit, any significant reversal of falling fertility depends on – drumroll – priorities.

History

The first Year of the Family was in 2008, when the government reformed policies on the foreign adoption of Russian orphans. In 2012, Russia banned adoptions by Americans and is considering extending that to countries permitting “gender change”. In 2013, Russia outlawed adoptions by same-sex couples.

Following the dissolution of the USSR in late 1991, Russia’s birthrate collapsed to levels not seen since World War II, when an estimated 27 million Soviet citizens perished. The economy spiralled into depression while crime and a host of social pathologies spread like wildfire. Russia’s estimated fertility rate has since rebounded to between 1.4 and 1.6, but there is no decidedly upward trend.

In a late November address to the World Russian People’s Council, President Putin said:

We will not overcome the daunting demographic challenges facing us solely with money, social benefits, allowances, privileges, or dedicated programmes. True, the amount of the budget’s demographic spending is extremely important, but that is not all there is to it. A person’s points of reference in life matter more. Love, trust, and a solid moral foundation are what the family and the birth of a child are built on. We must never forget this.

Thankfully, many of our ethnic groups have preserved the tradition of having strong multigenerational families with four, five, or even more children. Let us remember that Russian families, many of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers had seven, eight, or even more children.

Let us preserve and revive these excellent traditions. Large families must become the norm, a way of life for all Russia’s peoples. The family is not just the foundation of the state and society; it is a spiritual phenomenon, a source of morality.

Like him or not, give credit where it’s due: President Putin is trying.

Latest legislative initiative

In response to widespread concerns about Russia’s demographic crisis, last week legislators from the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) proposed legislation entitled “On State Benefits for Citizens with Children” that would provide for the award 200,000 rubles (US$2100) per child to women who give birth before age 25.

The average age of a mother at first birth is inching towards 30. On introducing the legislation, LDPR deputies cut to the chase, saying, “Almost 40 percent of Russian women refuse to have children due to unsatisfactory financial situation and living conditions.” All women under age 25, regardless of financial situation, would be eligible for the benefit.

Why write about Russia? Look no further than our Mercator masthead: Mercator is your first stop for news and analysis that places the dignity of the human person at the centre of everything.

There are so many people in Russia, and everywhere else, for that matter, who agree. They are pro-family and our comrades-in-arms on the issues that count.

Today, we’re on the precipice of world war. Russia and America should strive for better understanding and expend more effort trying to get along than on antagonising one another. Direct people-to-people cooperation working for traditional family values can make friends and mitigate the geopolitical tangles contrived by avaricious elites. World peace depends on it.

Merry Christmas, Mercator fans!

AUTHOR

Louis T. March has a background in government, business, and philanthropy. A former talk show host, author, and public speaker, he is a dedicated student of history and genealogy. Louis lives with his family in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

RELATED ARTICLE: Why I don’t think the population will collapse in the long run

EDITORS NOTE: This Mercator column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Feds Charge Man With Firebombing Pro-Life Group’s Office After Dobbs Decision Leak

A Wisconsin man was arrested Tuesday in connection with an attack on a pro-life organization’s office just days after the leak of the Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.

Authorities identified the man, Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, as responsible for a May 8 firebombing of the Wisconsin Family Action office based on DNA samples recovered from a partially eaten burrito that matched those found at the scene, according to the court filing obtained by Reuters. Roychowdhury was arrested at a Boston airport Tuesday and will appear today in the U.S. District Court in Boston, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Wisconsin Family Action’s office was damaged after Molotov cocktails were thrown into the building, a fire was started, and the building was painted with the message, “If abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either.”

“According to the complaint, Mr. Roychowdhury used an incendiary device in violation of federal law in connection with his efforts to terrorize and intimidate a private organization,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said in a press release. “I commend the commitment and professionalism of law enforcement personnel who worked exhaustively to ensure that justice is served.”

The leaked Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which found “no constitutional right to abortion,” was published by Politico on May 2.

Roychowdhury was identified earlier as a suspect for graffiti painted on Wisconsin State Capitol grounds during a Jan. 21 protest, which read “We will get revenge,” according to court documents. He faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted.

“This group of local and federal law enforcement officers has worked, with the federal prosecutors, diligently and creatively to move the investigation forward,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin in a DOJ news release. “This case is an example of the results law enforcement can achieve when local and federal law investigators work as a team.”

In January, the DOJ indicted two suspects in vandalisms that occurred at three Florida pro-life pregnancy centers following the overturn of Roe v. Wade last June, Catholic News Agency reported. The indictments were the first known since the string of attacks on pro-life clinics, churches, and organizations, which the Family Research Council records have reached over 100, began last summer.

Wisconsin Family Action did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

AUTHOR

KATELYNN RICHARDSON

Contributor.

RELATED ARTICEL: Pro-Life Group Alleges The FBI Is Spying On Its Operations

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.


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Is Harvard hopelessly woke? What Harvard is really like

Like most things, Harvard is what one makes of it — and this can include experiences rooted in faith and friendship. 

Harvard is often seen as the archetypal American university, offering a model that many others seek to emulate. So, as a new school year and new application season begin, it seems fitting to ask: what is this storied institution really like anyway? Is it home to heroes or heretics? Maker of gods… or the godless? My response is quite simple: neither extreme is accurate. Harvard is not as heavenly as some think; fortunately, it’s not as bad either.

My college decision was practically effortless. Harvard, I was told, offered everything a motivated, book-smart student could want: challenging courses; fabulous research opportunities; world-class professors; and, most importantly, insightful, intrepid, intellectually curious peers.

I envisioned a campus alive with students who genuinely loved learning, who asked big questions and pursued them to their limits, who discussed Dostoyevsky at lunch and astrophysics at dinner, and who would challenge, shape, and inspire me over the course of our college journey.

Needless to say, this vision wasn’t entirely accurate. Arriving on campus last fall, I was surprised to find that many of my peers did not choose Harvard out of a deep, reverent hunger for veritas. Rather, their motives were primarily mercenary: they had enrolled for the degree and the connections. Almost every Harvard student I know really is a smart, accomplished individual; test scores and ambition, however, are not necessarily synonymous with intellectual curiosity.

Lowered standards, heightened biases  

Critics of Harvard tend to focus on academic standards and political bias. In terms of academics, it is telling that Harvard’s two most popular concentrations are economics and government. Read: wealth and power. Students with these two goals are incentivised to take easy courses whenever possible: between grade inflation and the competitive nature of consulting applications, a B from a fabulous but challenging professor just won’t do.

As such, students offset rigorous concentration requirements with “gems,” pleasant, untaxing courses in which A’s are guaranteed and learning is optional. Last fall alone, over 800 students enrolled in a gen-ed course fittingly entitled “Sleep,” though how many attended more than one lecture remains unclear.

Administrators, meanwhile, do little to counter this trend. Notorious gems (“Sleep” excepted) are occasionally identified and restructured, but with tuition-paying customers to please and a reputation to maintain, addressing lowered standards will be essentially impossible.

The real tragedy is not the proliferation of easy A’s but the slow suffocation of liberal arts education. In lieu of a robust core is a smattering of “distributional requirements” easily satisfied by niche, fringe, or downright non-substantive courses. In other words, “Sleep” might be the only science course a Harvard student ever takes.

Thus, it’s possible to graduate from Harvard without challenging one’s prejudices, without genuinely exploring different disciplines, and without ever diverting one’s gaze from the holy trinity of law, finance, and consulting. Alas, the utilitarian ethos prevails; it was never about veritas anyway.

Harvard critics’ true concern, however, is not academic standards but politics — just how radical is the “Kremlin on the Charles”? According to the numbers, very. While 82 percent of Harvard faculty identify as liberal or very liberal, a mere 1 percent identify as conservative, and none identify as very conservative. The student body, luckily, boasts slightly more ideological diversity: conservative or very conservative individuals made up 6 percent of the Class of 2022, and nearly 70 percent were progressive or very progressive.

Can academic freedom, civil discourse, or mere open-mindedness thrive in such an environment? Here are a few illustrative examples that make it tempting to view Harvard as a powerful brainwashing machine:

First, my hallmates and I attended a mandatory, dorm-wide meeting at the start of the academic year to discuss the hookup culture. We were tasked with creating explanatory posters exploring the hookup culture in its various dimensions. One group of students crafted a suitably vague definition of “hookup” for their poster, while another brainstormed adjectives to describe hookups (highlights include “exciting” and “experimental”). Not once were other approaches to sex and dating, let alone inconvenient biological realities (sex not infrequently makes babies), ever mentioned.

Second, this past semester I watched a trembling professor issue a formal apology at the behest of her outraged students and teaching staff. Her crime: reading aloud a passage from Invisible Man — a novel advocating civil rights and equality — that contained a racial epithet. Although this incident had occurred during a discussion section before a small subset of enrollees, critics swiftly and loudly demanded that she ask the entire class for forgiveness. Pressuring a professor to apologise for her language threatens academic freedom. Critics certainly deserve a voice, but not at the expense of their professor’s.

Finally, I saw a formerly well-liked friend ostracised by her residential housemates during her last month at Harvard. This jovial, whip-smart senior was a Latina Democrat; she volunteered regularly at a youth homeless shelter, vocally advocated racial justice, and actively disliked Trump. Just participating in two pro-life rallies, it turns out, was enough to outweigh all of that.

Faith, friendship, and signs of hope

While such everyday occurrences make it tempting to believe that Harvard is a lost cause, there are two important limiting factors that suggest otherwise. First, because Harvard is a very large institution — with twelve graduate and professional schools, fifty concentrations in the undergraduate college, and an extensive array of administrative offices — centralised or consistent strategic communication is next to impossible. Having many supervisors, counterintuitively, leads to little supervision — within this large bureaucratic institution are many conservative niches, ranging from a controversial pseudonymous publication to a philosophical debating society to a growing pro-life presence on campus.

The second limiting factor is Harvard’s inherent elitism. Prestige and influence require class distinctions; in a truly equitable world, Harvard does not exist. Thus, Harvard will continue to champion progressivism — but never enough to endanger its own future. Harvard students of all political stripes perceive this hypocrisy; if anything, they graduate not more liberal but more cynical. So much for the formidable brainwashing machine.

In addition to these two limiting factors, my first year — which was hands-down my happiest in a decade — suggests that Harvard is not a lost cause. I learned to read ancient Greek, solved triple integrals, and wrote an essay on Fredrick Douglass’s conception of the human soul. I kayaked on the Charles, explored Boston’s fabulous art museums, and attended a weeklong seminar in Oxford. I befriended the dining hall workers, learned how to swing dance, and performed Schumann with my chamber ensemble.

Despite the prevalence of secularism and credentialism at Harvard, faith and friendship were central to my joyful first year. In fact, Christianity, particularly Catholicism, is alive at Harvard. Every morning, a dozen students attend daily Mass before eating breakfast together in a nearby dining hall. Weekly talks at the Harvard Catholic Center precede solemn adoration accompanied by a student band. And this past Easter alone, thirty-one members of the Harvard community were fully initiated into the Catholic Church.

Outside of the Catholic and Christian communities, Harvard students are very respectful of religion. Talking openly about my Catholic faith elicits not smirks and grimaces but genuine curiosity and the occasional request to join me at Mass. Although I attended Catholic school all my life, my faith life has never thrived as at Harvard.

Nor have I ever been blessed with such strong, beautiful friendships. Just one week into freshman year, I had already found a group of kind, intelligent friends. Yes, our everyday conversations are less intellectual than anticipated; yes, our educational goals differ significantly. But far more important is character. My friends at Harvard are truly virtuous and generous people.

What’s more, my experience is hardly singular. Personality is an important factor in Harvard’s admissions process — so while many admitted students are indeed ambitious and career-oriented, they are for the most part essentially decent people. This emphasis on personability combined with its unique housing system, active extracurricular life, and countless study abroad and fellowship opportunities means that Harvard intentionally and successfully fosters friendship.

One year into my Harvard career, I can report that no stereotype of the university is entirely accurate. By no means is Harvard an immaculate place: intellectual curiosity often suffers at the expense of utility, classes and administrators can be overly political, and students with unpopular views are often frightened into silence. Still, I have great hope for Harvard.

While it’s true that students can avoid Homer, Shakespeare, or Tolstoy if they wish, it is equally true that those fascinated by such literary giants will encounter first editions of their texts in the rare books library and brilliant professors eager to elucidate them.

Though Harvard students can graduate without having explored questions about God, morality, and the meaning of life, those brave enough to ask can consult prominent theologians and learned priests, travel to Jerusalem on Harvard’s dime, or simply walk down Bow Street to pray in magnificent St. Paul’s.

In the end, Harvard, like most things, is what one makes of it. It can never be perfect; what it can be is a haven for faith, friendship, and the pursuit of veritas.

This article has been republished with permission from The Public Discourse

AUTHOR

Olivia Glunz

EDITORS NOTE: This MercatorNet column is republished with permission. All rights reserved.

A Video Message from Phyllis Schlafly

Phyllis Schlafly gives an update on the status and upcoming events of Eagle Forum. Among other things Schlafly speaks about the upcoming GOP convention, her new book and Republican “king makers.”

Schlafly quotes former Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois, who at the 1953 Republican National Convention, took to the floor and accused the king makers of leading the Republicans “down the road to defeat.” Dirksen received mixed boos and cheers rang out from the delegates.

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When will the killing in Florida ever stop?

The title of my column comes from the March 9th front page featured story from the Palm Beach Post concerning the loss of forty children in 2013 who were under the control of the Florida Department of Children & Families. Losing forty innocent children in 2013 is forty lives that could have been saved, especially when you see the negligent ways these innocent children lost their lives while under the state of Florida’s care. My heart goes out to each and every one of them and I pray that the Florida Department of Children & Families does a better job protecting the innocent in 2014.

Now, let’s look at another topic that is near and dear to my heart. One that has been “killing” since January 22nd, 1973. One that has killed over 56 million babies in our country – ABORTION

In Palm Beach County alone 5,808 children were aborted in 2013. In the state of Florida there were 71,503 abortions in 2013. Once again, not to take away from the importance of the “forty” lives that were lost in the same year in Florida through the Department of Children & Families – how can one even begin to compare “forty” deaths to 71,503?

It doesn’t even come close. Just think about that for one minute. Same state, same year. While the article on these “forty” lives was rightfully featured on the front page of the Palm Beach Post – when are we ever going to see that 71,503 figure on any front page in any newspaper in our beloved state let alone the country?

Over 71,000 babies butchered in Florida this past year and not a word is spoken or written about it. How about a daily death count of the “56 million” who have been murdered in America since that now infamous Roe v. Wade decision 41 years ago? Their deaths will probably never see ink wasted to remember them or tell their stories.

danielsacks

Dr. Daniel N. Sacks

Only because we live in a “culture of death” and we have a liberal President in the White House who embraces it, endorses it, promotes it, and funds it. So, it is up to “Pro-Lifers” to go out during these “40 Days for Life” to pray at these abortion clinics and to demonstrate at abortionist’s offices like that of Dr. Daniel N. Sacks of Palm Beach-Wellington Women’s Care.

Who out there is going to join the Pro-Lifers tomorrow or on any of these 40 days? Who out there really even cares? Who out there has just given up and says “there’s nothing I can do to stop abortion?” Who out there claims to be Christian and just turns a blind eye and a deaf ear to these intrinsic evils that attack our beloved communities every single day? Who out there is just going through the motions each and every day and is more worried about whether it is going to rain tomorrow for the Marlins game at Roger Dean or whether they will be able to get to their favorite restaurant this evening in time to catch the “early bird” special”?

With more and more “selfies” taken on an hourly basis in our country – that is what our vain society has come to – SELFIES – as in SELFISHNESS. All about me. I guess that is the “thing to do” today. Take a picture of yourself with your own “self”-phone and send it to everybody you know – and hope it goes viral. Wow! That’s real meaningful. So productive and self righteous. With Facebook, Twitter and all these other annoying ways to entertain ourselves – we have forgotten about others and it’s all about “OURSELVES” – the evil foundation of the “selfie”.

What ever happened to the word “groupie”? That was big in the 60’s & 70’s with all the rock bands. I kinda wish that word would come back. I prefer the term “groupies” over “selfies” any day. But, only if those groupies are doing something constructive and Christian-like – as in praying in groups in front of abortion clinics and demonstrating in groups with our “Pro-Life” signs in front of abortionist’s offices. Put your “self-phone” away – delete all your “selfies”, skip an early bird special this Lent – and HAVE THE COURAGE TO PROTECT THE UNBORN!!

RELATED VIDEOS:

The first half of this is overlaid with good music and the second half is a talk by a scientist who explains that the complexity by which the instructions for human development are coded into our DNA and carried out by the mother are beyond all mathematical and human comprehension.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/FF4uR0MRGxA[/youtube]



This video is not secular but its short, heart-warming, and powerful.  It has an audio track of a young child singing and talking to his/her mother who aborted them letting her know how much they love her and want to be with her while they are safe and being loved in Heaven. THIS IS A VERY TOUCHING VIDEO…

[youtube]http://youtu.be/8GzjO14Yetc[/youtube]

 

This video is from a business called “Baby Center” that has its own website and other related videos as well.  The video is good but short.  They have three more that I am aware of on their YouTube site that cover the remaining weeks of gestation.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/4l9GE_eaMSs[/youtube]

 

RELATED STORIES:

Conn. High School Blocks Pro-Life Student Group From Handing Out Information
Hillary Clinton: Abortion Needed for Equality —and Human Development…

EDITORS NOTE: The featured image is by Miss Monica Elizabeth and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Scheduled: 18 Pro-Life Events Across Florida in January 2014

The Florida Family Policy Council has sent a list of 18 scheduled Pro-Life events taking place in Florida to protest Roe v. Wade. Below are those confirmed pro-life events by county with links and contact information:

Brevard County- Merritt Island- Celebration of Life Sunday, 1/26/14 at 10:30am, at First Baptist Church Merritt Island, 140 Magnolia Avenue.  For more information contact 321-454-9853

Broward County- Dania Beach- Together for Life concert, 1/24/14, featuring Mark Schultz and Joyce Bartholomew. $13 general admission, doors open at 6, Sheridan Hills Baptist Church, 3751 Sheridan Street, Hollywood, 33021. Proceeds benefit local pregnancy center. http://www.friendsofhope.com

Citrus County- Inverness- Roe vs. Wade Memorial Service, 1/22/14, Noon, on the North lawn of the Historic Citrus County Courthouse, 1 Courthouse Square. Citrus County Right to Life website and Facebook Group

Clay County- Orange Park- Rose Procession & Mass for Life, 1/22/14 at 7:00pm, at St. Catherine Parish 1649 Kingsley Ave. All are invited to the reception following. For more information contact Mary Hartwell at 904-264-1904.

Duval County – Jacksonville- Stand for Life, 1/22/14, Noon – 1PM at the Federal Courthouse. Can park at Prime Osborn then ride the tram and get off at the Hemming Plaza exit.

Duval County – Jacksonville- March for Life, 1/22/14, 12pm at the U.S. Federal Courthouse in downtown Jacksonville, corner of Hogan St. and Monroe. Jacksonville March for Life

Escambia County- Pensacola- Mass for Life, 1/22/14 at 7pm, at Little Flower Catholic Church 6495 Lillian Hwy. Light refreshments provided after, all are invited. 850- 455-5641

Escambia County- Pensacola- Presentation by Dr. Lyle, 1/23/14, 11:30am-1pm, Pensacola City Hall. Dr. William Lyle is a board certified doctor of obstetrics and gynecology. He uses visual technology of modern obstetrics to reveal the personhood of the unborn. Free and open to the public.

Indian River County- Vero Beach– 8th Annual “Stand for Life” Chain, 1/19/14 at 2 pm, on Route 60 between 20th and 31st Ave. For more information contact Marie Ferretti at772-473-9269.

Lake County- Lady Lake- Annual Mass and Prayer Rally, 1/22/14, Mass at 11am, immediately followed by a prayer rally at the flag pole. St. Timothy Catholic Church, 1351 Paige Place.

Lake County- Eustis- Sanctity of Human Life Service, 1/19/14 at 10AM, at River Church 796 Hooks Street Clermont Florida 34711.  For more information 352-242-0257 (South Lake Pregnancy and Family Care Center).

Lee County- Fort Myers- 1/16/14, 9-12pm Prayer Vigil at Planned Parenthood Clinic 8595 College Parkway #250, corner of College Parkway and Winker Road. For more information contact Sean James at 239-992-1143.

Leon County- Tallahassee- Prayer Gathering, 1/22/14 at 12-1pm, at the Florida Supreme Court (Tallahassee). Our stand is not a protest, but a silent prayer meeting. With LIFE tape on our mouths, we make our appeal to the Judge of the earth and ask Him for speedy justice to be released. Communion will be taken after prayer time. Please come take a stand with us for the life of the unborn.  For more information 850-906-9170.Bound 4 Life TLH

Orange County- Orlando- Memorial Prayer Vigil, 1/22/14, 10:30-11:30pm, at Planned Parenthood, 726 S. Tampa Ave. Then head to Orange County Courthouse, 425 N. Orange Ave. for a Memorial and remembrance service from 12-1pm. For more information call407-230-2557.

Sarasota County- Sarasota- 16th Annual Mass and Prayer Walk, 1/24/14 at 8:30am – 2pm at St. Martha Catholic Church. After mass, we will take shuttle busses to Planned Parenthood Regional & State Headquarters, 736 Central Ave Sarasota, FL. St. Martha Catholic Church, 200 N. Orange Ave. For more information contact Jeanne Berdeaux 941-441-1101.

St. Johns County – St. Augustine- Post Abortion Healing Workshop, 1/17/14, 6:45pm,  this is a workshop led by Dr. Theresa Burke, founder of Rachel’s Vineyard, for those suffering the loss of abortion and those interested in ministering. Registration is requested, but not required. Prince of Peace Votive Church, 101 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine, 32084 Registration here: Post-Abortion Workshop

St. Johns County – St. Augustine- March for Life, 1/18/14, 10am, live music and booths at Mission Nombre de Dios. 11am Speakers and peaceful procession down St. George St. ending at the Public Plaza. Keynote speakers are Dr. Theresa Burke, Rachel Burgin, and Missy Martinez. Click here for a schedule of March for Life St. Augustine.

St. Lucie- Fort Pierce- March for Life: Treasure Coast, 1/18/14 at 11:30am, at A Woman’s World Medical Center, 503 S. 12th Street (the abortion clinic at the SW corner of Delaware Avenue and 12th Street in Fort Pierce). Participants will be able to visit tables with literature about local pro-life ministries. The marchers will step off at noon for the short march (less than 1 mile) to the Fort Pierce City Hall (100 N. US1) where participants will witness and listen to pro-life speakers until 2:00 p.m. Participants will then be shuttled back to their vehicles. Individuals and groups are encouraged to bring their own signs representing their church or organization and there will be other signs available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Parking is available at the starting point and and transportation will be available to shuttle marchers back to their vehicles. Parking is also available in the parking garage at City Hall for those who don’t care to march. March for Life Treasure Coast

FFPC LOGOABOUT THE FLORIDA FAMILY POLICY COUNCIL

The Florida Family Policy Council (FFPC) is one of 38 other state based policy council around the country which are associated with Focus on the Family. Many of these organizations are the leading pro-life, pro-family organizations in their respective states.

The FFPC is a 501c3 non-profit corporation under the IRS tax code. We have an independent board of directors and are responsible for raising our own financial support.
Our motto: “For Life, Marriage, Family and Liberty…”

Our Mission Statement: “Our mission is to strengthen Florida’s families through public policy education, issue research, and grassroots advocacy.”
History: In 2004, the organization both registered as a state not-for-profit corporation in Florida and obtained its federal 501c3 status with the IRS. In 2005, the organization began its official public launch and was formally associated with Focus on the Family out of Colorado Springs, Colorado. John Stemberger was the group’s founding President and remains the organizations CEO and General Counsel to this day. For a more in depth and detailed history of the organization Click Here.