Tag Archives: Abortion

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.

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.

To 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.

By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director
gallagher@paprolife.org

I was reading a health insurance newsletter when an alarming statistic caught my eye: according to a study, each year–each year!–324,000 pregnant women are battered by their intimate partners. That means more than a half million people are at risk, when you consider that each of those women is carrying a vulnerable baby.

Add to that the fact that the number one cause of traumatic death for pregnant women and women who have recently given birth is murder. Of those women killed, a sizable percentage are murdered by their intimate partners.

Abused women are also more likely to suffer from depression, pregnancy complications, and substance abuse. Also, keep in mind that statistics show that 60 percent of abortions are coerced. In many of those cases, the abuser may do the coercing, threatening a woman with violence, loss of shelter, or loss of income if she does not agree to abort her child.

Domestic violence poses a profound threat to preborn children. In many cases, the violence in the home can lead women straight to an abortion facility.

This is one of the reasons pregnancy support centers are so valuable. They can serve as first responders, attending to the needs of a battered pregnant woman. They can help empower a woman so that she leaves her violent situation, thereby protecting both herself and her preborn baby.

If you suspect a pregnant woman you know is being abused, it is important that you provide her with support, a listening ear, and make her aware that she has options to get to a place of safety. For some tips on how to talk to a woman in such a situation, click here.

And for the nearest pregnancy help center in Pennsylvania, click here.

Domestic violence is undeniably a contributing factor to abortions in this country. When we empower pregnant women to seek freedom from abuse, we provide a critical lifeline to both mother and child. There are many reasons the heartbreaking tragedy of abortion remains legal in this country. Domestic violence is one of them.

By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director
gallagher@paprolife.org

You 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.

By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director
Gallagher@paprolife.org

I happened to be reading through a magazine when an interesting tidbit caught my eye. It was a blurb about a website dedicated to “using the Internet to build families.”

Curious, I decided to type https://www.adopttogether.org/ into my Internet browser. The homepage featured a TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) talk by Hank Fortener, the founder of the website. He starts by going “old school,” talking about how a couple adopted his grandfather in 1929 from an orphanage. His grandfather and grandmother had a son, Chuck, who with his wife Anne had three biological children. Then Chuck and Anne ended up providing foster care to 36 children in their home. They went on to adopt a number of other children from many different countries, creating a stunning family portrait which appears in the video.

Determined to help other children find families despite tremendous obstacles, Hank founded a non-profit crowdfunding platform to help lower the financial hurdles that prospective adoptive couples face. Fortener notes that adopting a child today can cost as much as a luxury car. That’s where his organization comes in. Couples complete an online profile, submit a homestudy and the parent organization of Adopt Together then awards grants for adoption to prospective adopting families.

The marriage of entrepreneurial spirit and the Internet to create a family love connection is truly inspiring. Let’s hope that others can create equally innovative ways to promote adoption, which is the truly loving option for children who, in today’s society, could otherwise face extinction through abortion.

The Center for Medical Progress released its 11th video today revealing more disturbing details about Planned Parenthood’s abortion practices.

Watch the video here. Warning: Some graphic content.

Undercover investigators catch abortionist Amna Dermish for Planned Parenthood in Austin, Texas, laughing as she talks about harvesting intact aborted babies’ brains.

Dermish says she has not been able to harvest intact heads yet, but exclaims with laughter, “This will give me something to strive for!”

Dermish also describes another staff member who is interested in organ development and often picks through the aborted babies’ body parts. She says the staff member enjoys identifying aborted babies’ hearts and kidneys.

“It’s cute,” Dermish says of the aborted babies’ hearts. “It’s amazing. It’s sort of, I have so much respect for development. It’s just incredible.”

Where is her respect for preborn babies — innocent human lives who Planned Parenthood destroys every day?

Read more about the undercover investigation here.

A horrific abortion case eerily similar to Kermit Gosnell’s is being exposed in Michigan this week.

According to LifeNews.com:

“Local police have raided the upscale West Bloomfield, Michigan home of abortionist Michael Roth after acting on evidence that Roth may be performing illegal abortions — doing abortions either out of his home or in the private homes of his customers. In the course of the raid, police found what they believe are 14 containers that possibly contain the bodies of aborted babies along with other human tissue.

“The trunk of Roth’s car also contained medical equipment used for abortion procedures. Investigators confiscated medical ‘materials’ in bags and boxes at Roth’s home. Now, Roth is now under investigation by the Michigan Attorney General.”

These gruesome discoveries are reminiscent of what Pennsylvania officials discovered almost five years ago in Kermit Gosnell’s Philadelphia abortion center. Like Roth, Gosnell kept a grotesque collection of the aborted babies’ body parts on the shelves of his office and in the freezer.

It also is telling that authorities accidentally discovered these abortion horrors after investigating Roth and Gosnell for unrelated incidents.

In Roth’s case, police were investigating after “the doctor was driving … (and) hit a special needs child who was critically injured.” In the midst of the investigation, police found evidence that Roth was performing illegal abortions.

In Gosnell’s case, police raided his facility because of evidence that he was illegally selling prescription drugs.

Other similarities include botched abortions, injuries to women, unsanitary equipment, and drug-related violations of the law.

Tragically, Gosnell and Roth are not outliers. Abortionists like Steven Brigham, Doug Karpen, Ulrich Klopfer, and James Pendegraft are just a few others with similar reputations.

These are the back-alley butchers that Roe v. Wade was supposed to stop, according to abortion advocates’ narrative. But cases like these show that Roe v. Wade didn’t stop back alley butchers or protect vulnerable women. It simply opened the door to more horrors, including 58 million babies who were legally killed in abortions.

Kaytee Moyer used to avoid the abortion issue.

But after the Millersville University student watched the undercover videos showing Planned Parenthood harvesting aborted babies’ body parts, she decided that she could not be silent anymore.

“After watching that first video that came out, I feel like the issue blew me wide open,” Moyer told Glenn Beck’s news website The Blaze. “I have never felt so deeply for something so quickly, as when I watched those videos released.”

Moyer organized a small protest on campus with some of her friends, but when the date arrived, her friends got cold feet, according to The Blaze.

Not deterred, Moyer went ahead with the protest anyway. She stood alone at the busiest intersection in Millersville and handed out flyers exposing Planned Parenthood’s horrible abortion practices. Moyer also pinned price tags to different areas of her body as a visual statement, according to the site.

The abortion chain faces several Congressional investigations into whether it makes a profit from selling aborted babies’ body parts and whether it changes the abortion procedure to better harvest the parts – both of which are illegal. The investigations were prompted by the undercover videos released by the Center for Medical Progress.

Moyer said most students were receptive to the information. She told The Blaze that most people shook their heads in disgust when they read her flyer.

“The only negative reactions came from people that didn’t read the flyer. They saw Planned Parenthood and scoffed or crumbled up the flyer,” she said. “But the impact that I saw the knowledge having on my fellow students far outweighed those two minuscule reactions.”

Since The Blaze ran Kaytee’s story, several Pennsylvania news outlets have picked it up, too – bringing even more exposure to the truth about abortion.

Kaytee’s brave, one-woman protest is an encouraging example of how one person can  make a big difference for life.

Watch the undercover videos here. Warning: Some graphic content.

Harvesting aborted babies’ body parts and selling them for a profit? A Pennsylvania Planned Parenthood official says it should be allowed, according to the latest video released by the Center for Medical Progress.

The video catches Vanessa Russo, compliance program administrator for Planned Parenthood Keystone in Central Pennsylvania, making some highly disturbing statements about how she would like her affiliate to be involved in selling aborted babies’ body parts.

“… a company like this that wants to, wants to give our organization money for the tissue, I think that’s a valid exchange,” Russo says; and later, “I would love to see this happen somehow.”

Russo dismisses the current laws prohibiting the sale of aborted babies’ body parts, calling discussions around the issue “crap.”

She tells another Planned Parenthood official that “… we can’t consent to be bullied by ridiculous laws …”

Another clip from the video shows Planned Parenthood national official Dr. Carolyn Westhoff sharing gristly details about carving out aborted babies’ body parts.

“We’ve just been working with people who want particular tissues, like, you know, they want cardiac, or they want eyes, or they want neural,” says Dr. Westhoff to a prospective fetal organ buyer. “Certainly, everything we provide–oh, gonads! Oh my God, gonads. Everything we provide is fresh.”

The video also shows several Planned Parenthood officials worrying about what would happen if their dealings in aborted babies’ body parts went public.

This new video is the first from the Center for Medical Progress to feature an abortion advocate from Pennsylvania. It brings up new questions here in the Keystone State. Is Russo demonstrating a mindset willing to stretch or violate the laws? Does Planned Parenthood Keystone believe it should be allowed to sell aborted babies’ body parts, or will the affiliate instead apologize for Russo’s highly disturbing comments?

Watch the video here. Warning: Some graphic content.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Find more Pennsylvania events here.