“I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.”
~ Ronald Reagan, President, United States of America, 1981-1989
Ben Watson on Why We Need a Culture of Life to Address America’s Falling Birth Rate
By Randy Alcorn | May 26, 2021
Retired NFL player Benjamin Watson is husband to Kirsten and father of seven precious children. He recently wrote an excellent opinion piece in Newsweek titled “To Address America's Declining Birth Rate, We Need a Culture of Life.” Ben says this: Americans aren’t having kids like they used to. The most recent census shows that the U.S. birth rate has hit its lowest level since 1979. In fact, the birth rate has fallen almost every year since 1991. Today, at just 1.64 births per woman, American families aren’t even having enough babies to meet the replacement rate of 2.1 births.
To read the rest of the story, click HERE.
By Randy Alcorn | May 26, 2021
Retired NFL player Benjamin Watson is husband to Kirsten and father of seven precious children. He recently wrote an excellent opinion piece in Newsweek titled “To Address America's Declining Birth Rate, We Need a Culture of Life.” Ben says this: Americans aren’t having kids like they used to. The most recent census shows that the U.S. birth rate has hit its lowest level since 1979. In fact, the birth rate has fallen almost every year since 1991. Today, at just 1.64 births per woman, American families aren’t even having enough babies to meet the replacement rate of 2.1 births.
To read the rest of the story, click HERE.
Babies were aborted alive, placed in fridge to harvest cell lines used in some vaccines
Researcher: These babies were literally placed into the fridge alive and then stored between one and 24 hours until they could be dismembered.
By Pete Baklinski | February 19, 2021
Cell lines derived from aborted babies used in the production or testing of various vaccines, including a number of COVID vaccines, most likely came from babies who were aborted alive, and according to the general practice as outlined in medical literature, may have been placed in a fridge while still living where they awaited dismemberment before having their organs harvested, a researcher has found. Biologist Pamela Acker, who has a master’s degree in Biology from the Catholic University of America and who recently authored a book titled Vaccination: A Catholic Perspective, related what the literature says about how babies were aborted to obtain cell lines used in a number of vaccines.
To learn more, click HERE.
Researcher: These babies were literally placed into the fridge alive and then stored between one and 24 hours until they could be dismembered.
By Pete Baklinski | February 19, 2021
Cell lines derived from aborted babies used in the production or testing of various vaccines, including a number of COVID vaccines, most likely came from babies who were aborted alive, and according to the general practice as outlined in medical literature, may have been placed in a fridge while still living where they awaited dismemberment before having their organs harvested, a researcher has found. Biologist Pamela Acker, who has a master’s degree in Biology from the Catholic University of America and who recently authored a book titled Vaccination: A Catholic Perspective, related what the literature says about how babies were aborted to obtain cell lines used in a number of vaccines.
To learn more, click HERE.
Planned Parenthood’s New Way to Make Money, Selling Hormone Replacement Therapy
Article by NICOLE RUSSELL | February 19, 2021 | LifeNews.com
Journalist Abigail Shrier recently shed light on Planned Parenthood’s increasing involvement in what some call “transgender activism” or the transgender revolution. In a post on her Substack account, Shrier describes reading a Twitter thread from a former Planned Parenthood employee—a person she later interviewed. In both the thread and interview, the former employee highlighted the abortion giant’s increasing involvement in prescribing hormone treatments to patients. Shrier, a freelance writer and author of “Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters,” describes the former employee’s tweets about Planned Parenthood’s new mission:
‘[T]hey still provide vital services for women,’ she wrote on Twitter, and anti-abortion activists ‘will jump at any opportunity to smear them.’ But she went on to write: ‘Having said that, their recent roles in trans activism are abhorrent, and they’re digging their own grave.’
The Planned Parenthood clinic where she worked was located in a small town of roughly 30,000. Abortions were the clinic’s ‘bread and butter,’ something this employee fully supports. But, she noted, ‘trans-identifying kids are cash cows, and they are kept on the hook for the foreseeable future in terms of follow-up appointments, bloodwork, meetings, etc., whereas abortions are (hopefully) a one-and-done situation.’
To read the rest of the story, click HERE.
Article by NICOLE RUSSELL | February 19, 2021 | LifeNews.com
Journalist Abigail Shrier recently shed light on Planned Parenthood’s increasing involvement in what some call “transgender activism” or the transgender revolution. In a post on her Substack account, Shrier describes reading a Twitter thread from a former Planned Parenthood employee—a person she later interviewed. In both the thread and interview, the former employee highlighted the abortion giant’s increasing involvement in prescribing hormone treatments to patients. Shrier, a freelance writer and author of “Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters,” describes the former employee’s tweets about Planned Parenthood’s new mission:
‘[T]hey still provide vital services for women,’ she wrote on Twitter, and anti-abortion activists ‘will jump at any opportunity to smear them.’ But she went on to write: ‘Having said that, their recent roles in trans activism are abhorrent, and they’re digging their own grave.’
The Planned Parenthood clinic where she worked was located in a small town of roughly 30,000. Abortions were the clinic’s ‘bread and butter,’ something this employee fully supports. But, she noted, ‘trans-identifying kids are cash cows, and they are kept on the hook for the foreseeable future in terms of follow-up appointments, bloodwork, meetings, etc., whereas abortions are (hopefully) a one-and-done situation.’
To read the rest of the story, click HERE.
The Land That Turns Women into Ostriches
Greg Morse, Staff writer | desiringGod.org | January 22, 2021
When God looks down at America, does he see a land where ostriches roam? In Scripture, the presence of ostriches in the land signifies desolation. Their presence in the Prophets is a sign of a barren, uninhabited land: “Wild beasts shall dwell with hyenas in Babylon, and ostriches shall dwell in her. She shall never again have people, nor be inhabited for all generations” (Jeremiah 50:39).
To read the rest of the article, click HERE.
Greg Morse, Staff writer | desiringGod.org | January 22, 2021
When God looks down at America, does he see a land where ostriches roam? In Scripture, the presence of ostriches in the land signifies desolation. Their presence in the Prophets is a sign of a barren, uninhabited land: “Wild beasts shall dwell with hyenas in Babylon, and ostriches shall dwell in her. She shall never again have people, nor be inhabited for all generations” (Jeremiah 50:39).
To read the rest of the article, click HERE.
RAISING PRO-LIFE KIDS: 4 WAYS TO TEACH THE SANCTITY OF LIFE
BY RICK BECKER, DECEMBER 10, 2020 | Focus on the Family
We live in a world that seems obsessed with solving problems by destroying life instead of nurturing it. These 4 ideas can help you to form passionate pro-life hearts in your children.
To read more, click HERE.
Photo credit: Sarah Pflug on burst.shopify.com
BY RICK BECKER, DECEMBER 10, 2020 | Focus on the Family
We live in a world that seems obsessed with solving problems by destroying life instead of nurturing it. These 4 ideas can help you to form passionate pro-life hearts in your children.
To read more, click HERE.
Photo credit: Sarah Pflug on burst.shopify.com
COVID Vaccines and Fetal Cells: What’s Ethical and What Isn’t?
Blog by RANDY ALCORN | Eternal Perspective Ministries | JANUARY 13, 2021
In this blog, our goal is to provide biblically relevant information and resources to examine related to the COVID-19 vaccines. Because of the long history of fetal tissue research that I believe is entirely unethical, I approach this subject with great seriousness. Earlier in the fall some prolife groups warned that the then upcoming COVID vaccines, at least some of them, would use tissue derived from at least one aborted child. However, some of these reports also claimed that the first vaccines to be approved, which would likely be used by the most people, would be among those utilizing aborted fetal tissue. Believing outdated and/or false information, some are embracing or spreading confusion.
To read the rest of the blog, click HERE.
Blog by RANDY ALCORN | Eternal Perspective Ministries | JANUARY 13, 2021
In this blog, our goal is to provide biblically relevant information and resources to examine related to the COVID-19 vaccines. Because of the long history of fetal tissue research that I believe is entirely unethical, I approach this subject with great seriousness. Earlier in the fall some prolife groups warned that the then upcoming COVID vaccines, at least some of them, would use tissue derived from at least one aborted child. However, some of these reports also claimed that the first vaccines to be approved, which would likely be used by the most people, would be among those utilizing aborted fetal tissue. Believing outdated and/or false information, some are embracing or spreading confusion.
To read the rest of the blog, click HERE.
Abortion and the Coronavirus Vaccines
Article published in Right to Life of Michigan ProLife Update | December 10, 2020
Many prolife people are rightfully concerned about using any vaccination that is not ethically created and are wondering if any of the coronavirus vaccines contain the cells of aborted babies. Some do, and some don't. Currently there are only two vaccines that have successfully completed Phase III trials: Pfizer’s and Moderna’s.
Both are grown in a non-cell substance, and therefore do not contain any fetal tissue, which is good news. However, it must be noted that both were tested on cells from the HEK-293 cell line derived from the kidney of a child aborted in the Netherlands in 1973. Even though Pfizer and Moderna do not use fetal tissue inside their COVID-19 vaccines, there are some companies working on vaccines that do. Some vaccines also in development have no ethical concerns. Click here to see the Vaccine info and list available from Right to Life of Michigan.
Article published in Right to Life of Michigan ProLife Update | December 10, 2020
Many prolife people are rightfully concerned about using any vaccination that is not ethically created and are wondering if any of the coronavirus vaccines contain the cells of aborted babies. Some do, and some don't. Currently there are only two vaccines that have successfully completed Phase III trials: Pfizer’s and Moderna’s.
Both are grown in a non-cell substance, and therefore do not contain any fetal tissue, which is good news. However, it must be noted that both were tested on cells from the HEK-293 cell line derived from the kidney of a child aborted in the Netherlands in 1973. Even though Pfizer and Moderna do not use fetal tissue inside their COVID-19 vaccines, there are some companies working on vaccines that do. Some vaccines also in development have no ethical concerns. Click here to see the Vaccine info and list available from Right to Life of Michigan.
Pastors, It’s a Great Kindness to Talk to Your Church about Abortion
BY RANDY ALCORN | Eternal Perspectives Ministries | December 11, 2020
Many Christians and even some pastors have told me, “It’s cruel to bring up the subject of abortion.” But by talking about abortion in our churches—with grace and truth—we will prevent abortions and offer forgiveness and healing to women and men who are suffering in silence. Isn’t that an act of kindness both to unborn children and their parents? Because it will potentially make some people feel bad, would we therefore not talk about adultery, lying, stealing, or the need to share our faith in Christ or abstain from pornography, gossip, and greed? If we knew a number of people in our churches had abused their children, shouldn’t that motivate us to talk about child abuse, rather than not talk about it?
To read the rest of the article, click HERE.
BY RANDY ALCORN | Eternal Perspectives Ministries | December 11, 2020
Many Christians and even some pastors have told me, “It’s cruel to bring up the subject of abortion.” But by talking about abortion in our churches—with grace and truth—we will prevent abortions and offer forgiveness and healing to women and men who are suffering in silence. Isn’t that an act of kindness both to unborn children and their parents? Because it will potentially make some people feel bad, would we therefore not talk about adultery, lying, stealing, or the need to share our faith in Christ or abstain from pornography, gossip, and greed? If we knew a number of people in our churches had abused their children, shouldn’t that motivate us to talk about child abuse, rather than not talk about it?
To read the rest of the article, click HERE.
Murders That Won’t Go Viral - The Quiet Injustice Too Few Protest
Article by Samuel Sey, Guest Contributor | Desiring God.org | October30, 2020
Our society forgets about aborted babies. We Christians cannot forget them too. It is all too easy to forget about aborted babies. It is all too easy to forget faces we never see and little ones we never hold. We don’t witness viral videos of preborn babies being killed as they squirm helpless. We don’t see little caskets lined up for their little bodies.
Over the last several months of COVID-19, we have remembered the oldest among us, but have we forgotten about the youngest among us? As we remember perceived police brutality against black people, have we forgotten Planned Parenthood’s brutality against (black) babies?
To read the rest of the story, click HERE.
Article by Samuel Sey, Guest Contributor | Desiring God.org | October30, 2020
Our society forgets about aborted babies. We Christians cannot forget them too. It is all too easy to forget about aborted babies. It is all too easy to forget faces we never see and little ones we never hold. We don’t witness viral videos of preborn babies being killed as they squirm helpless. We don’t see little caskets lined up for their little bodies.
Over the last several months of COVID-19, we have remembered the oldest among us, but have we forgotten about the youngest among us? As we remember perceived police brutality against black people, have we forgotten Planned Parenthood’s brutality against (black) babies?
To read the rest of the story, click HERE.
Doctor Says There’s No Scenario Where Killing Baby in Late-Term Abortion Protects Women’s Health
Article by Steven Ertelt | LifeNews.com | October 22, 2020
A prominent doctor who is also a member of Congress indicates there’s not any scenario where killing a baby in an abortion protects women’s health. Doctor and Kansas Rep. Roger W. Marshall wrote an op-ed saying there aren’t any reasons why a late-term abortion is necessary to protect a woman’s health. “To this day, I can’t think of a single scenario where I thought a late-term abortion would help to improve a woman’s mental health,” Marshall wrote in a Monday op-ed published by Fox News. “Contrary to the pro-abortion movement, regardless of the mother’s underlying medical health, I never saw the scenario where we had to choose between a mom’s life and a baby,” Marshall wrote.
To read the rest of the story, click HERE.
Article by Steven Ertelt | LifeNews.com | October 22, 2020
A prominent doctor who is also a member of Congress indicates there’s not any scenario where killing a baby in an abortion protects women’s health. Doctor and Kansas Rep. Roger W. Marshall wrote an op-ed saying there aren’t any reasons why a late-term abortion is necessary to protect a woman’s health. “To this day, I can’t think of a single scenario where I thought a late-term abortion would help to improve a woman’s mental health,” Marshall wrote in a Monday op-ed published by Fox News. “Contrary to the pro-abortion movement, regardless of the mother’s underlying medical health, I never saw the scenario where we had to choose between a mom’s life and a baby,” Marshall wrote.
To read the rest of the story, click HERE.
Profiling Judge Amy Coney Barrett
Article published in Pro-Life Update | Right to Life Michigan | Accessed 10/8/20
On September 26, President Trump nominated U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Besides her numerous favorable recommendations and glowing reviews from her former students, Judge Barrett is eminently qualified for the position. She currently serves as a federal appellate judge, she has a long track record of teaching law, and she has served as a law clerk at the Supreme Court. Most importantly, Judge Barrett has a record showing her support for the rule of law: judges rule based on the laws created by the people and their elected representatives, not writing laws based on their personal subjective whims.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
To see Judge Barrett's fact sheet from Right to Life of Michigan, click here.
Article published in Pro-Life Update | Right to Life Michigan | Accessed 10/8/20
On September 26, President Trump nominated U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Besides her numerous favorable recommendations and glowing reviews from her former students, Judge Barrett is eminently qualified for the position. She currently serves as a federal appellate judge, she has a long track record of teaching law, and she has served as a law clerk at the Supreme Court. Most importantly, Judge Barrett has a record showing her support for the rule of law: judges rule based on the laws created by the people and their elected representatives, not writing laws based on their personal subjective whims.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
To see Judge Barrett's fact sheet from Right to Life of Michigan, click here.
What Would a Kamala Harris Presidency Look Like?
Article published in Prolife Update | Right to Life of Michigan | Accessed 8/19/20 | Photo by Gage Skidmore
Let's face it, even Joe Biden hints that his run for the presidency is not a solid two-term commitment. He said it himself: "I view myself as a transition candidate." If Joe Biden wins in November, his vice presidential nominee, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, has a high likelihood of either stepping in as president before 2024, or being the Democratic nominee in 2024. It's paramount that prolife people understand what a Harris presidency looks like—and it honestly won't be much different from a Biden presidency, if Biden is even capable of directing his administration.
Sen. Harris is currently filibustering the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act in the U.S. Senate. It's not enough to support legal abortion through the process of birth; Sen. Harris is unmoved by evidence that abortion facilities are leaving born alive babies to die (or outright killing them) after birth following botched abortions. Sen. Harris has a 100% rating from NARAL. That means she opposes every prolife law, from parental consent, to bans on tax-funded abortions, partial-birth abortion bans, and even basic things like requiring abortion facilities to be licensed and inspected.
Sen. Harris believes that if you're a member of a Christian service organization like the Knights of Columbus, you are a prolife extremist that should be disqualified from serving as a judge. Most concerning of all, it was then California Attorney General Kamala Harris that authorized a raid on David Daleiden's house, seizing his undercover video evidence showing Planned Parenthood's human organ trafficking programs. Sen. Harris has no qualms about using the power of government to intimidate and suppress prolife views—she actually views it as an opportunity to burnish her campaign credentials.
Article published in Prolife Update | Right to Life of Michigan | Accessed 8/19/20 | Photo by Gage Skidmore
Let's face it, even Joe Biden hints that his run for the presidency is not a solid two-term commitment. He said it himself: "I view myself as a transition candidate." If Joe Biden wins in November, his vice presidential nominee, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, has a high likelihood of either stepping in as president before 2024, or being the Democratic nominee in 2024. It's paramount that prolife people understand what a Harris presidency looks like—and it honestly won't be much different from a Biden presidency, if Biden is even capable of directing his administration.
Sen. Harris is currently filibustering the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act in the U.S. Senate. It's not enough to support legal abortion through the process of birth; Sen. Harris is unmoved by evidence that abortion facilities are leaving born alive babies to die (or outright killing them) after birth following botched abortions. Sen. Harris has a 100% rating from NARAL. That means she opposes every prolife law, from parental consent, to bans on tax-funded abortions, partial-birth abortion bans, and even basic things like requiring abortion facilities to be licensed and inspected.
Sen. Harris believes that if you're a member of a Christian service organization like the Knights of Columbus, you are a prolife extremist that should be disqualified from serving as a judge. Most concerning of all, it was then California Attorney General Kamala Harris that authorized a raid on David Daleiden's house, seizing his undercover video evidence showing Planned Parenthood's human organ trafficking programs. Sen. Harris has no qualms about using the power of government to intimidate and suppress prolife views—she actually views it as an opportunity to burnish her campaign credentials.
Planned Parenthood Finally Admits Founder Margaret Sanger’s Racism,
But Will They Change What They Do?
Article by Randy Alcorn | July 27, 2020 | EPM.org
Thirty years ago I spent many hours in a Portland library reading and photocopying article after article in years of original issues of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger’s Birth Control Review. I was shocked at the blatant racism I found there, and her chilling proposal of eugenics to eliminate the “human weeds” of what she called inferior (non-white) races.
To read the rest of the story, click here.
But Will They Change What They Do?
Article by Randy Alcorn | July 27, 2020 | EPM.org
Thirty years ago I spent many hours in a Portland library reading and photocopying article after article in years of original issues of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger’s Birth Control Review. I was shocked at the blatant racism I found there, and her chilling proposal of eugenics to eliminate the “human weeds” of what she called inferior (non-white) races.
To read the rest of the story, click here.
The Petition Drive to Ban Dismemberment Abortion Ends
On July 13, Planned Parenthood issued an expected challenge to the second sample of signatures for the Michigan Values Life petition drive to end dismemberment abortions. Sadly, that challenge has invalidated enough signatures to end the petition drive. We know we submitted signatures from more than 340,047 registered voters. It is tragic that children will continue to be dismembered because we lost just enough signatures due to errors and petition damage like small tears and stains.
Instead of focusing on court challenges regarding the counting process, we will be focusing on the critical 2020 elections moving forward. For those who worked so hard on this petition drive, thank you! You did an excellent job. The bulk of the errors were things beyond your control, specifically people not knowing their voter registration status or forgetting they already signed the petition. Unlike our previous petition drives, we were forced to fight a series of unprecedented battles we did not choose. We had to retrain volunteers for a different petition drive law, the dismemberment ban was never sent to the governor to veto, a competing pro-life petition drive confused people, and we faced other challenges every step of the way. The biggest hurdle was the large turnout in the 2018 election, which increased the number of signatures required. Our signature total would have been more than required in any previous year in Michigan history. We submitted about 65,000 more signatures than we did in our successful petition drive in 2013 to stop taxes from paying for abortion insurance coverage. It wasn’t enough this time.
Your effort behind this petition drive was worth it and will carry forward. We educated more than 400,000 people about this barbaric abortion procedure. We will need them in the future, because we will continue working until we end this form of violence and protect the lives of every unborn child.
~Published by Right to Life of Michigan in the Pro-Life Update on July 21, 2020.
On July 13, Planned Parenthood issued an expected challenge to the second sample of signatures for the Michigan Values Life petition drive to end dismemberment abortions. Sadly, that challenge has invalidated enough signatures to end the petition drive. We know we submitted signatures from more than 340,047 registered voters. It is tragic that children will continue to be dismembered because we lost just enough signatures due to errors and petition damage like small tears and stains.
Instead of focusing on court challenges regarding the counting process, we will be focusing on the critical 2020 elections moving forward. For those who worked so hard on this petition drive, thank you! You did an excellent job. The bulk of the errors were things beyond your control, specifically people not knowing their voter registration status or forgetting they already signed the petition. Unlike our previous petition drives, we were forced to fight a series of unprecedented battles we did not choose. We had to retrain volunteers for a different petition drive law, the dismemberment ban was never sent to the governor to veto, a competing pro-life petition drive confused people, and we faced other challenges every step of the way. The biggest hurdle was the large turnout in the 2018 election, which increased the number of signatures required. Our signature total would have been more than required in any previous year in Michigan history. We submitted about 65,000 more signatures than we did in our successful petition drive in 2013 to stop taxes from paying for abortion insurance coverage. It wasn’t enough this time.
Your effort behind this petition drive was worth it and will carry forward. We educated more than 400,000 people about this barbaric abortion procedure. We will need them in the future, because we will continue working until we end this form of violence and protect the lives of every unborn child.
~Published by Right to Life of Michigan in the Pro-Life Update on July 21, 2020.
The Covid 19 Vaccine: Confusion, Difficulties, Dangers
Article by Robert G. Marshall | Catholic Culture.org
The United States and governments overseas are considering imposing the following policies to address the spread of the Covid 19 disease:
Mandatory vaccination with fast-tracked never-before-approved vaccines which could permanently alter genes/cells;
Vaccines developed using tissue from aborted children;
Human testing of vaccines without prior animal testing in violation of the 1947 Nuremberg Code signed by the United States, to protect persons;
Covid 19 vaccination to be required for employment, travel, or attendance of children at public or private schools;
Covid 19 vaccination of minors without parental consent;
Covid 19 tests used to impose quarantine even though tests may have up to 50% error rates;
Police use of cell phone location data to impose and monitor compliance with quarantine;
Non-disclosure of vaccine side effects or vaccine ingredients.
Many of these draconian plans have been recommended by medical experts and the politically well-connected, but citizens are still able to affect the outcome.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
The United States and governments overseas are considering imposing the following policies to address the spread of the Covid 19 disease:
Mandatory vaccination with fast-tracked never-before-approved vaccines which could permanently alter genes/cells;
Vaccines developed using tissue from aborted children;
Human testing of vaccines without prior animal testing in violation of the 1947 Nuremberg Code signed by the United States, to protect persons;
Covid 19 vaccination to be required for employment, travel, or attendance of children at public or private schools;
Covid 19 vaccination of minors without parental consent;
Covid 19 tests used to impose quarantine even though tests may have up to 50% error rates;
Police use of cell phone location data to impose and monitor compliance with quarantine;
Non-disclosure of vaccine side effects or vaccine ingredients.
Many of these draconian plans have been recommended by medical experts and the politically well-connected, but citizens are still able to affect the outcome.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Why a Dismemberment Abortion Ban?
Since New York’s Legislature cheered legislation endorsing abortion-on-demand through all nine months of pregnancy, the prolife movement has been on the move. Many people who considered themselves prolife but didn’t commit themselves to regular efforts to end abortion have suddenly been awakened, angered, and activated.
In recent years, the prolife movement has been very successful pursuing prolife legislation on the state level. In just the last few months, that activity has become even more energized. Not only are more people getting involved, but with the replacement of pro-abortion U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, Roe v. Wade faces its first real danger in a generation.
Many people new to the movement have seen prolife legislation being passed in other states and are wondering what Michigan will do as a response to New York and other states supporting abortion-on-demand. In Michigan, our focus will be a ban on the dismemberment abortion procedure (also called a D&E abortion).
Sadly, in Michigan, this prolife crescendo came at a bad time. Michigan went from having an indifferent governor in Rick Snyder to now having an actively pro-abortion governor in Gretchen Whitmer. The silver lining is Michigan voters returned prolife majorities to the state legislature.
Right to Life of Michigan will work to advance all legislation possible, but in light of this split in Michigan government, there’s only a few prolife bills likely to be supported by both the Legislature and Governor Whitmer. These bills probably won’t deal directly with abortion, unless Governor Whitmer has a miraculous change of heart.
However, Michigan’s Constitution has a provision that doesn’t require miracles for prolife bills to become laws in this situation—all it requires is hard work, and tons of it. Citizens can initiate legislation directly to the Legislature by collecting a large number of signatures. If the Michigan House and Senate approve the legislation, it becomes law without any input from the governor.
Right to Life of Michigan and our dozens of local affiliates have been very successful in the past using these petition drives, most recently in 2013. We’ve used it to pass legislation to require parental consent for minor teens seeking abortions, ban partial birth abortion, and prevent insurance from becoming part of every health insurance plan. Our 1987 petition drive to end Medicaid-funded abortions in Michigan has saved an estimated 228,917 lives so far!
We still want to provide Governor Whitmer with opportunities to do the right thing and send her prolife bills. However, the most likely scenario is that any big, impactful prolife bills in the next two years will require prolifers to engage in a gigantic grassroot effort to collect hundreds of thousands of signatures in the span of several weeks. Such an effort requires a laser-like focus, and for the next two years the focus of Right to Life of Michigan and our affiliates is on a bill to ban dismemberment abortion.
Why a dismemberment ban? Several other states have advanced different pieces of big, impactful prolife legislation: bans on abortion after 20 weeks, heartbeat bans, bans on sex-selection abortion, banning abortions targeting children with disabilities, and some have passed dismemberment bans. Some have passed a combination of two or more of these bills.
Michigan is unique. Michigan has an important Michigan Supreme Court precedent from 1973, shortly after Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton were decided. Michigan law has banned abortion except to save the life of the mother since 1846. After Roe was decided in 1973, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled in People v. Bricker that Roe and Doe are only blocking enforcement of Michigan's law; Michigan's law was not repealed. Our abortion ban is in legal effect, but only partially-enforceable at the moment.
Our situation is truly unique. The day Roe v. Wade is overturned, our law has an opportunity to go back into effect. So, Michigan law already bans abortions after 20 weeks, or after a heartbeat is detected, or abortion targeted at a specific demographic. For any of those laws to go into effect, Roe likely needs to be completely overturned; when Roe is overturned, any of those laws would become legally pointless in Michigan since our ban covers them anyway. Other states are not so lucky; very few will have the opportunity to immediately end abortion after Roe goes.
A ban on dismemberment abortion is different from those other laws in two important ways. It too would be legally pointless if Roe v. Wade is overturned and our ban is restored to full effect, but what if Roe is not overturned completely? Some speculate that the current conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court will dismantle Roe v. Wade piece by piece over the course of years rather than consigning it directly to the ash heap of history in which it belongs.
In his opinion upholding a ban on partial-birth abortion, pro-abortion Justice Anthony Kennedy specifically mentioned dismemberment abortion as a similarly violent procedure. His opinion laid a clear legal path forward, meaning a dismemberment abortion ban is the most likely piece of big prolife legislation to be upheld. It’s the most likely next step of the U.S. Supreme Court. Of course, the U.S. Supreme Court can also use a dismemberment ban to completely overturn Roe v. Wade if they wish.
We’re happy that other states with prolife governors and state legislatures are pursuing those other bills if they can’t yet pass a 100% prolife ban like Michigan has. However, we only have the opportunity to get one big, impactful bill done before 2020, so Michigan should focus our time on a bill that has the most chance of actually being legally enforceable and thus actually saving lives.
Those bills in other states do have important educational messages that focus people on the humanity of the child in the womb. Our dismemberment abortion ban also has a vital educational message, one that focuses people on the violent nature of abortion. It’s easier for the prolife movement to inform people about fetal development facts, but extremely more difficult to effectively educate people about the inherent violence of abortion procedures. By pursuing a dismemberment ban, we’re forcing the media and our opponents to confront the issue. It gives us the opportunity to use excellent resources to help people understand how abortion works.
The greatest gain in prolife opinion in recent decades was because of partial-birth abortion bans. Our dismemberment abortion ban mirrors legislation to ban partial-birth abortions (in fact, we’re just amending our state’s partial-birth ban by adding dismemberment abortions to it). It also will mirror the educational effort to help people understand that abortion takes the life of a unique human being in horrifically barbaric fashion. It will hopefully mirror the large prolife shift in public opinion.
For the foreseeable future, we are focused on working through the legislative process on our dismemberment abortion ban to give Governor Whitmer a chance to enact it. Whether or not we have to collect several hundred thousand signatures to help pass the ban, you have a wonderful grassroots opportunity here. Please use this opportunity to focus your efforts on informing your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers and others about the violence of dismemberment abortion.
For details as we work through this process and for news and resources to help you in your personal educational grassroots campaign, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, our bi-weekly podcast, or sign-up for our weekly e-mail on RTL.org. Now is the time to inform your fellow citizens so that Michigan never becomes New York.
Taken from Right to Life of Michigan website.
In recent years, the prolife movement has been very successful pursuing prolife legislation on the state level. In just the last few months, that activity has become even more energized. Not only are more people getting involved, but with the replacement of pro-abortion U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, Roe v. Wade faces its first real danger in a generation.
Many people new to the movement have seen prolife legislation being passed in other states and are wondering what Michigan will do as a response to New York and other states supporting abortion-on-demand. In Michigan, our focus will be a ban on the dismemberment abortion procedure (also called a D&E abortion).
Sadly, in Michigan, this prolife crescendo came at a bad time. Michigan went from having an indifferent governor in Rick Snyder to now having an actively pro-abortion governor in Gretchen Whitmer. The silver lining is Michigan voters returned prolife majorities to the state legislature.
Right to Life of Michigan will work to advance all legislation possible, but in light of this split in Michigan government, there’s only a few prolife bills likely to be supported by both the Legislature and Governor Whitmer. These bills probably won’t deal directly with abortion, unless Governor Whitmer has a miraculous change of heart.
However, Michigan’s Constitution has a provision that doesn’t require miracles for prolife bills to become laws in this situation—all it requires is hard work, and tons of it. Citizens can initiate legislation directly to the Legislature by collecting a large number of signatures. If the Michigan House and Senate approve the legislation, it becomes law without any input from the governor.
Right to Life of Michigan and our dozens of local affiliates have been very successful in the past using these petition drives, most recently in 2013. We’ve used it to pass legislation to require parental consent for minor teens seeking abortions, ban partial birth abortion, and prevent insurance from becoming part of every health insurance plan. Our 1987 petition drive to end Medicaid-funded abortions in Michigan has saved an estimated 228,917 lives so far!
We still want to provide Governor Whitmer with opportunities to do the right thing and send her prolife bills. However, the most likely scenario is that any big, impactful prolife bills in the next two years will require prolifers to engage in a gigantic grassroot effort to collect hundreds of thousands of signatures in the span of several weeks. Such an effort requires a laser-like focus, and for the next two years the focus of Right to Life of Michigan and our affiliates is on a bill to ban dismemberment abortion.
Why a dismemberment ban? Several other states have advanced different pieces of big, impactful prolife legislation: bans on abortion after 20 weeks, heartbeat bans, bans on sex-selection abortion, banning abortions targeting children with disabilities, and some have passed dismemberment bans. Some have passed a combination of two or more of these bills.
Michigan is unique. Michigan has an important Michigan Supreme Court precedent from 1973, shortly after Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton were decided. Michigan law has banned abortion except to save the life of the mother since 1846. After Roe was decided in 1973, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled in People v. Bricker that Roe and Doe are only blocking enforcement of Michigan's law; Michigan's law was not repealed. Our abortion ban is in legal effect, but only partially-enforceable at the moment.
Our situation is truly unique. The day Roe v. Wade is overturned, our law has an opportunity to go back into effect. So, Michigan law already bans abortions after 20 weeks, or after a heartbeat is detected, or abortion targeted at a specific demographic. For any of those laws to go into effect, Roe likely needs to be completely overturned; when Roe is overturned, any of those laws would become legally pointless in Michigan since our ban covers them anyway. Other states are not so lucky; very few will have the opportunity to immediately end abortion after Roe goes.
A ban on dismemberment abortion is different from those other laws in two important ways. It too would be legally pointless if Roe v. Wade is overturned and our ban is restored to full effect, but what if Roe is not overturned completely? Some speculate that the current conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court will dismantle Roe v. Wade piece by piece over the course of years rather than consigning it directly to the ash heap of history in which it belongs.
In his opinion upholding a ban on partial-birth abortion, pro-abortion Justice Anthony Kennedy specifically mentioned dismemberment abortion as a similarly violent procedure. His opinion laid a clear legal path forward, meaning a dismemberment abortion ban is the most likely piece of big prolife legislation to be upheld. It’s the most likely next step of the U.S. Supreme Court. Of course, the U.S. Supreme Court can also use a dismemberment ban to completely overturn Roe v. Wade if they wish.
We’re happy that other states with prolife governors and state legislatures are pursuing those other bills if they can’t yet pass a 100% prolife ban like Michigan has. However, we only have the opportunity to get one big, impactful bill done before 2020, so Michigan should focus our time on a bill that has the most chance of actually being legally enforceable and thus actually saving lives.
Those bills in other states do have important educational messages that focus people on the humanity of the child in the womb. Our dismemberment abortion ban also has a vital educational message, one that focuses people on the violent nature of abortion. It’s easier for the prolife movement to inform people about fetal development facts, but extremely more difficult to effectively educate people about the inherent violence of abortion procedures. By pursuing a dismemberment ban, we’re forcing the media and our opponents to confront the issue. It gives us the opportunity to use excellent resources to help people understand how abortion works.
The greatest gain in prolife opinion in recent decades was because of partial-birth abortion bans. Our dismemberment abortion ban mirrors legislation to ban partial-birth abortions (in fact, we’re just amending our state’s partial-birth ban by adding dismemberment abortions to it). It also will mirror the educational effort to help people understand that abortion takes the life of a unique human being in horrifically barbaric fashion. It will hopefully mirror the large prolife shift in public opinion.
For the foreseeable future, we are focused on working through the legislative process on our dismemberment abortion ban to give Governor Whitmer a chance to enact it. Whether or not we have to collect several hundred thousand signatures to help pass the ban, you have a wonderful grassroots opportunity here. Please use this opportunity to focus your efforts on informing your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers and others about the violence of dismemberment abortion.
For details as we work through this process and for news and resources to help you in your personal educational grassroots campaign, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, our bi-weekly podcast, or sign-up for our weekly e-mail on RTL.org. Now is the time to inform your fellow citizens so that Michigan never becomes New York.
Taken from Right to Life of Michigan website.
New York Abortion Bill
Our hearts are breaking for our nation right now. This past couple of weeks have rocked our nation. Jay Sekulow called it "the most barbaric abortion law that's ever been passed." Our nation is now more divided than ever. New York's Governor, Andrew Cuomo, has now signed into law, abortions that are now able to be preformed on an infant still inside of it's mother, up until the moment of it's birth. This removes any criminal legal protections under New York's law for unborn babies. Please be praying for those in New York and for the states that are following in their footsteps. For more information from the American Center for Law and Justice and a video from founder Jay Sekulow, click here.