Life Advocacy Briefing

Uh-Oh

THE RADICAL GROUP ‘ZERO POPULATION GROWTH’ has morphed into an equally radical but more neutral sounding “Population Connection” in time to dive into the 2018 midterm election maelstrom.

The outfit – which, reports Peter Hasson for The Daily Caller, “has said that families should be ‘taxed to the hilt’ for ‘irresponsible breeding’” – is donating funds through its Population Connection Action Fund to six Democratic nominees for the US Senate: $3,500 to Sen. Tina Smith (MN) and $2,500 each to Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (AZ) and Jacky Rosen (NV) (both currently Representatives running for the Senate), plus $2,500 each to Senators Jon Tester (MT), Sherrod Brown (OH) and Tammy Baldwin (WI). All have consistent anti-Life voting records.

A report by Joy Pullmann in The Federalist adds the campaign of Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) to the list of Population Connection recipients and also the campaign of Scott Wallace (D), who is challenging Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). 

Mr. Wallace has a deep connection to the radical anti-population group. “When it was named Zero Population Growth,” writes Ms. Pullmann, “Population Connection received $420,000 between 1997 and 2003 from Wallace Global Fund, a non-profit organization formerly run by current House candidate Scott Wallace. This election cycle,” reports The Federalist, “Population Connection’s PAC gave Wallace’s Pennsylvania campaign $5,000 and publicly endorsed him, noting his ‘demonstrated commitment to international reproductive health.’

“[Candidate] Wallace’s parents ‘devoted many decades of their lives to Population Action International, Planned Parenthood and our family foundation, the Wallace Global Fund,’ [Mr.] Wallace said in the Population Connection statement announcing its endorsement of his campaign. [Candidate] Wallace’s father, ‘the late Robert B. Wallace, was co-chairman of Population Action International, which advocates for increased access to birth control and other family planning methods,’ says PolitiFact,” quoted by The Federalist. “His mother as also president of a local Planned Parenthood franchise, according to his campaign website,” reports Ms. Pullmann.

“Population Connection was co-founded,” notes Mr. Hasson, “by former Stanford University professor Paul Ehrlich, whose 1968 book The Population Bomb,” notes Smithsonian Magazine, quoted by the Daily Caller, “‘fueled an anti-population-growth crusade that led to human rights abuses around the world.’”

Gosnell Reaching Hearts & Minds

THE BOX-OFFICE SUCCESS OF THE DRAMATIC GOSNELL MOVIE has begun generating remarkable responses, chiefly via “social media,” apparently drawing hearts and minds to the reality of the abortion industry.

“Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer is a hit among pro-life and conservative media for many reasons,” reports Calvin Freiburger for LifeSiteNews.com, “not the least of which are the testimonials of people who say the film has convinced them to abandon their former ‘pro-choice’ stance.”

The movie uses actual court transcripts, interviews with the convicted killer (Kermit Gosnell, notorious West Philadelphia abortionist) himself and the official report of the grand jury to tell the dramatic, “shocking details of the original trial,” reports Mr. Freiburger, details, he writes, which “changed the minds of co-producer Ann McElhinney, at least one reporter and others.” And now the film is changing the minds of movie-goers.

“‘Yesterday I was pro-choice,’” Mr. Freiburger quotes college student Kathy Zhu from her post on the Internet message exchange Twitter. “‘I believed that women should have a say and the government shouldn’t be interfering with our lives. Today, I’m pro-life. After watching Gosnell and doing in-depth research, I finally understand the horrors of loopholes in late-term abortions [policy]. Please go watch Gosnell.’”

Another Twitter post quoted by Mr. Freiburger declared Gosnell “‘a powerful story that people need to see. It should prompt some soul searching.’” And another: “‘The Gosnell movie singlehandedly changed my mind on abortion.’”

The Twitter “conversation” about the movie also prompted a contributor to note: “‘Haven’t seen the movie, but reading the Gosnell book converted me from pro-choice to pro-life.’”  The book Gosnell: The Untold Story of America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer, also by Ms. McElhinney, is available online and from major book retailers.

Growing Awareness

A POLL RECENTLY CONDUCTED by Lifeway Research for Ligonier Ministries “found that a 52% majority of American adults now consider abortion a sin,” reports James Risdon for LifeSiteNews.com, “up from 49% two years ago.

“Regular churchgoers are even more emphatically opposed to abortion, with 79% of them saying that abortion is a sin,’ said Dr. Stephen Nichols, chief academic officer of Ligonier and president of Reformation Bible College,” quoted by Mr. Risdon.

The survey found, reports LifeSiteNews, that “pro-life support is strongest among the 18- to 34-year-old age group, which expressed 57% support for the idea that abortion is a sin. Millennial support is growing,” notes Mr. Risdon, “up from 50% only two years ago. …

“The survey of American attitudes toward sexual mores and the faith indicates the mainstream media greatly exaggerates public support for social liberalism,” reports Mr. Risdon. “Most people who responded to the survey had views that were in line with many Biblical ethics.”

The report quotes Dr. Albert Mohler, teaching fellow at Ligonier and president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. “‘Pastors and local churches have played a big part in this by teaching about the sanctity of human life,’ he said,” reports Mr. Risdon. “‘Ultrasound images plainly show the humanity of the child in the womb, and they are provoking the consciences of Americans. Christians,’” he said, “‘are playing a lead role in providing counsel and practical care for those in need.’”

Lives Are at Stake

DOCUMENTS FILED IN A FEDERAL LAWSUIT IN CALIFORNIA have revealed, reports Calvin Freiburger for LifeSiteNews.com, that “the Obama Administration transported teenage illegal immigrants in federal custody across state lines to avoid parental involvement laws and facilitate their abortions.”

While examining the evidence in an ACLU case trying to force the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) “to provide services to underage illegal immigrants and human trafficking victims,” notes Mr. Freiburger, “The Federalist’s Margot Cleveland discovered a 2014 e-mail exchange in which Dept. of Health & Human Services (HHS) employees discuss a pregnant minor in the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s (ORR) custody. Maria was being held either in Florida or Texas, her parents lived in Florida, and she didn’t want her parents to know about any abortion. …

“‘Two ORR field specialists looked into the abortion laws in both Texas and Florida and reported that the general rule in both states was that minors could not have abortions without parental consent (absent exceptions, such as obtaining a waiver from a judge,’ the e-mails reveal,” quoted by Mr. Freiburger from the Federalist report. “‘This is why termination of pregnancies are done in New Mexico, due to the fact that currently (by law) there is no parental consent requirement,’ the Texas field specialist explained,” reports Mr. Freiburger.

“It’s unknown whether Maria ultimately aborted her baby,” notes Mr. Freiburger, “but it’s clear Barack Obama’s HHS and ORR ‘purposefully sidestepped state parental notification and consent laws as a matter of policy’ for no other reason than ‘she did not want her parents to know she was pregnant,’ [Ms.] Cleveland writes,” quoted by Mr. Freiburger, who further noted that Ms. Cleveland “followed up with another article on more e-mails indicating the Obama Administration did this on multiple occasions. …

“The e-mails also discuss moving girls from Texas to either New York or Virginia,” notes LifeSiteNews, “to facilitate presumably elective abortions on 20-week-old, pain-capable children, and hint at multiple attempts to classify consensual sex as rape or incest in order to qualify for federal funding of subsequent abortions. …

“The Trump Administration says things are different now,” reports Mr. Freiburger. “‘It is not the policy of the Office of Refugee Resettlement in the Trump Administration to transfer pregnant girls in the unaccompanied alien children program across state lines to evade state laws requiring parental consent or notification for abortions,”’ an HHS Administration for Children & Families [spokesman] told The Federalist.

“In fact, the current ORR has become a target of pro-abortion activists,” writes Mr. Freiburger, “for actively resisting efforts to facilitate underage illegal immigrants’ abortions, going so far as to battle the ACLU in federal court over the issue.”

Truth About Consequences

Oct. 31, 2018, commentary by Bradley Mattes, president, Life Issues Institute, affiliated with Susan B. Anthony List political action committee

            Elections have consequences. Pro-abortion activists know that full well after the election of Pres. Trump. His efforts to advocate on behalf of America’s most vulnerable citizens – unborn babies – have eclipsed those of any previous President in our nation’s history.

            The election of pro-life governors and state legislatures has resulted in over 600 pro-life laws enacted during the last nine years.

            Planned Parenthood knows that its federal funding is in jeopardy as long as pro-lifers control the House and Senate. That’s why they’re investing $20 million to gain control of Congress. This threat is real.

            But pro-lifers aren’t resting on their laurels. Life Issues Institute is utilizing all of its resources to educate Americans on the importance of this election and to turn pro-life. Our daily radio commentary, Life Issues, heard on nearly 1,200 stations in all 50 states, is alerting listeners to the importance of this election. And we’re engaging with Americans on our various social media platforms and websites.

            Pro-life motivation and mobilization are essential to winning hearts and minds. …

            If Planned Parenthood succeeds in controlling the Senate, Pres. Trump’s efforts to confirm judges who won’t legislate from the bench will be paralyzed on all levels of the judiciary, the Supreme Court, Appellate Courts and District Courts. And our hope of passing life-saving legislation will end.

            Elections are crucial, and November 6th is no different. The lives of countless unborn babies depend upon your vote. It’s absolutely vital that you identify where your candidates stand on Life and vote. Absolutely vital!

            In my 43 years of pro-life advocacy, I’ve never seen such advancement during the past two years for the babies and their mothers! Never. But that momentum is now jeopardized by those who profit financially off the blood of innocent babies.

            If you do only one thing for the babies this year (and I hope you do many more), it would be to vote pro-life on Nov. 6th. Yes, it’s that important!  …

When ‘The Issue’ Becomes Reality

Oct. 26, 2018, Internet-based commentary by Jonathan von Maren via LifeSiteNews.com

            Despite decades of activism and a near-complete takeover of the institutions of academia, the media and the educational system, abortion activists have spectacularly failed to accomplish their goal of “normalizing” abortion and persuading people that feticide is like an appendectomy but safer. The “ShoutYourAbortion” campaign flopped when it turned out that most people don’t feel like shouting about their abortions. The relentless focus on “reproductive health care” has not managed to cover up the fact that abortion is a gruesome procedure that physically takes apart a developing human being. Despite the best efforts of the abortion lobby, most people still find abortion tragic, regardless of what their political position on it happens to be.

            But some abortion activists will never stop trying. One prime example of this is Rachel Klein’s sad column in Slate earlier this month, where she asks when parents are going to start talking openly about taking their kids for abortions. She was inspired to write the column by an experience she had at a wedding recently:

            “‘Your daughter’s 14, huh?’ asked the guy at the wedding reception. ‘I guess you’re heading for the Grandma Danger Zone.’ I wasn’t offended exactly (it was a party, after all, and most of us were drunk and speaking freely), but I was a bit surprised by the casualness with which a relative stranger commented on my child’s theoretical sexual activity. Trying to move the conversation along, I chuckled politely and replied, ‘Well, if she did get pregnant now, I would help her get an abortion, so that won’t be an issue.’

            “There was a long silence as this man and the other people in the conversation looked at me in shock. He’d made a lighthearted comment about my daughter’s potential teen pregnancy, and I’d responded in kind with a lighthearted comment about my daughter’s legal right to exercise her reproductive agency. Why did his comment garner laughs and knowing glances while mine elicited a full-on record scratch? Mercifully, someone changed the subject, and I was left with knowing that I, and not this man, had said something terribly wrong.’”

            And what, Klein wrote, could be so offensive about what she had said? Weren’t most of her friends pro-choice? They might be, but it soon turned out that even mentioning that you might get your daughter an abortion triggered a similar reaction in others, as well:

            “These were liberals who would likely describe themselves as pro-choice. Yet somehow, my taking the concept of abortion from the theoretical to the concrete had shocked their sensibilities. And this wasn’t an isolated incident. I soon realized that being the parent of teenage girls meant many such conversations about the potential for their ‘bad decisions’ ending in an unwanted pregnancy. Friends with girls the same age joked about warning their daughters to ‘keep their legs together’ or not to get ‘knocked up.’ Every time I pointed out that becoming pregnant needn’t result in having a baby, the universal reaction was mouths agape.”

            What Klein does not seem to realize is that everybody instinctively knows that the baby in the womb is already a baby. When someone is pregnant, there is another human being – their son or daughter – developing inside their womb. And so saying that being pregnant “needn’t result in having a baby” is bluntly stating that there are things that can be done about that baby. An abortionist can be paid to take care of it. Even if they support abortion rights, people still viscerally recoil at the idea. And to respond to a crude joke about becoming a grandparent with an easy rejoinder about having that grandchild aborted – that comes off as pretty cold to a lot of people, even if they identify as pro-choice.

            Interestingly, Klein notes that these experiences have reminded her that America seems to be “fundamentally conservative on abortion.” While the population seems evenly split between pro-abortion and anti-abortion – about 48% to 48%, according to a recent Gallup poll – she points out that the number of Americans who support abortion plummets to 29% when asked if they support abortion-on-demand under any circumstances. In other words, the vast majority of Americans do not support abortion itself wholeheartedly, although many see it as a necessary evil in certain circumstances.

            Forty-five years after Roe v. Wade, abortion still has the power to shape electoral politics, set the nation ablaze during judicial confirmation hearings and change the course of American history. Abortion activists will never win this fight, and feticide will never be normal, because people realize, somewhere deep down inside, that abortion is the most intimate of killings – it is a child, a grandchild, a family member who is being sacrificed. That is something that many people may be willing to do, but it is not something that most are willing to shout about or joke about.

            Instead, abortion is usually discussed in hushed whispers and cloaked words. It is not the celebration of a right freely exercised, but the solemnity of a funeral for someone who has died suddenly and too soon.