For those who are not familiar with genuine pro-life valor, the story I am about to tell may surprise you, particularly when you consider the fact that the hero is 81 years of age, extremely successful and willing to give it all for the sake of saving a preborn child from death by abortion. His name is Cliff Zarsky and his Texas-sized tenacity is legend among pro-life Americans.
Among other things, Zarsky is one of the founding supporters of American Life League. Just a few short years ago, he honored us with his agreement to serve on our advisory board. He is an astute attorney who has been dedicated for many years to the human personhood principle, a truth he has written about on numerous occasions.
In one of his articles, he wrote,
The Supreme Court stated in Roe v. Wade, "…If…personhood [of the unborn] is established…the fetus’ right to life is then guaranteed specifically by the Fourteenth Amendment." (410 U.S.113,157, 1973) The determination of personhood is the duty of Congress under Art. 5 of the 14th Amendment, and Congress has already defined persons in 1 U.S.C.1, "In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, unless the context indicates otherwise…the words ‘person’ and ‘whoever’ include…individuals." The Supreme Court has accepted as Congressional defined "persons" corporations and other legal fictions for 14th Amendment protection, so how could the Supreme Court deny due process and equal protection to living flesh and blood innocent human beings, who are "individuals" by the best evidence of DNA, accepted by all courts….
State constitution amendments are timely because the national judicial and congressional authorities have failed to provide the most basic human and constitutional "Right to Life" for 35 years, with no indication that they will uphold their oaths of office and protect all innocent humans under the 5th and 14th Amendment. Another timely reason is that most surgical abortions are becoming obsolete because of early abortifacient drugs and devices, and the determination of "personhood" is the only way to protect unborn humans….
Being a man of faith and commitment to pro-life principles, Zarsky has never backed away from his conviction that every innocent preborn child is a person. He has repeatedly made this clear not only with his written defense of each child as a unique human individual, but with his personal witness in front of abortion facilities.
Two days before the annual March for Life, Zarsky, along with other committed pro-lifers, was protesting in front of the Coastal Birth Control Center, which is run by abortionist Eduardo Aquino. Father James Farfaglia, Pastor of St. Helena of the True Cross of Jesus Catholic Church in Corpus Christi, Texas, was among those who joined Zarsky that morning. Father Farfaglia, author of the insightful new book, Man to Man, later broke the news of the January 20th protest on his web site and via an incredible video, in which Zarsky tells his fellow protesters that too many children are dying and that he welcomed being arrested.
There are many disturbing things that go on in and around abortion facilities every day of the week. But on this particular day, the scene was gruesome in more ways than one. A medical waste removal truck picked up “material” while the protesters were on the premises that Wednesday morning in Corpus Christi.
One reporter, Thomas Concert, wrote,
Shortly after 9:30 a.m. in the morning Zarsky entered the abortion clinic property knowing that it would be considered trespassing. Two police cars quickly arrived and officers confronted Zarsky asking why he was on private property. While this was happening a “medical waste” truck with a sign on the truck reading, “Stericycle, Lake Forest, Il.” pulled into the abortionist’s parking lot. In his haste to enter the parking lot the truck driver almost backed into a plum-colored van with a woman and children inside. The driver then got out of his truck, went into the clinic and came out with two large boxes. He walked over to his truck and opened the overhead door to reveal a cargo of specially made cardboard boxes with handles on the top neatly stacked from floor to ceiling. Since the boxes were not flat and were stacked neatly, an observer would assume that “medical waste” was inside them. Certainly “medical waste” from the Aquino clinic was inside the two break box-sized cardboard boxes the driver was carrying. The driver then placed the boxes into the open truck as people on the sidewalk gasped. Amidst prayers and holy water sprinkling from the near-by group of about 50 onlookers, the driver left.
Meanwhile, the two police officers were in a quandary over the Zarsky situation. Both identified themselves to a local reporter as “Christian police officers.” They had given a stern warning to the 81-year-old lawyer, and then planned to release him on the spot if he would just go away. Zarksy declined the lenient gesture. Then, Father Farfaglia intervened and mediated for almost a half hour until an agreeable resolution was arrived at.
One of the arresting police officers, J.G. Harrison, was clearly conflicted about arresting the frail octogenarian and the officer said that in addition to being a police officer, he was also a pastor of the Cathedral of Palms Church. Father James Farfaglia, also a pastor, assured the well-intentioned policeman that he had to do his duty and Zarsky surely knew what the consequences of trespassing were. Still troubled, the police officers drove Zarsky off to the city jail and triumphantly Zarsky went along with them as he prepares his case behind bars to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Finally, Cliff Zarsky flashed a million-dollar smile across his face when he heard that a pretty blond woman in a white pick-up truck decided then and there not to have an abortion after hearing Zarsky’s testimony in the parking lot.
When you consider the probability that dead children were in the containers being driven away in that truck, you have to wonder what people are thinking about when they argue that abortion is a mere “choice,” a procedure designed to eliminate “unwanted pregnancy.” If such euphemisms were true, it would not take trucks to remove the body parts, would it?
Abortion kills people, real human beings. And as St. Louis, Missouri, Archbishop Robert J. Carlson pointed out recently:
Every human life is sacred. Every person is a child of God who possesses incomparable dignity and worth, no matter his or her state in life or personal gifts and talents. Regardless of who we are; what our background is; the state of our physical, emotional or mental health; our accomplishments; our race, religion or cultural heritage; our age; or our social status; every individual human being is precious in the sight of God and should also be valuable in the eyes of fellow human beings.
No one is unwanted by God.
No wonder then that Zarsky smiled with that gleam in his eye that is his trademark. Zarsky’s passionate defense of the most vulnerable members of our society did not go unnoticed last January 20th. One mother heard his words and chose to let her baby live. I can just see Cliff grinning from ear to ear because after all is said and done, that is why he and countless other pro-lifers work so diligently and feel such depth of passion for the protection of these babies and their human rights. Society dismisses children from our midst daily but thanks to some, like the valiant Zarsky, the light of life shines brightly and we pray it continues to do so, growing stronger day by day.