The Senate vote on defunding Planned Parenthood did not happen this week. The defunding legislation is in the same bill as the repeal and replace for parts of Obamacare. As we reported to you last week, there are five Republican senators who have concerns with the healthcare part of the bill and they are saying they will vote no. That number would ensure defeat of the bill, so the vote has been postponed until after July 10. It has been reported that the president is now actively trying to get support among some of the Democrats. We ask you to continue contacting your senators about the need to defund Planned Parenthood. Please contact both Republican and Democratic senators.
On Monday of this week, the US Supreme Court ruled that the government cannot discriminate against churches and other religious organizations just because of their religious affiliation. On a 7-2 vote, the Supreme Court upheld the religious freedom guaranteed by the Constitution. Judge Neil Gorsuch, as expected, joined the majority and was very strong in upholding the constitutional protection.
It came to light this week that Twitter—the social media platform used by President Trump and other leaders—is apparently discriminating against pro-life views. This is happening even as Twitter allows Planned Parenthood free reign to publish its usual lies and half-truths. Live Action president Lila Rose discussed Twitter’s suppression of pro-life speech with Tucker Carlson on Fox News in this video. In a similar problem, American Life League has had problems boosting posts on Facebook. In these cases, Facebook simply denies the effort to boost the posts and has said that the posts violate Facebook policy—without citing the section of the policy we are violating.
ALL’s Life Defender director, Emily Brown, posted a very insightful blog about her generation—the millennials. “Millennials have become desensitized to murder” is an astute comment on why her generation has been so inundated by killing that they have basically become oblivious to the seriousness of the situation. Emily points out that the millennials have lost respect for the dignity of individual human beings—including themselves. She says:
Respect for human dignity means so much more than not killing a person. It means valuing that person too. It means making friends, family, and loved ones a priority. In the end, we are all human beings with bodies and souls made in the image and likeness of God. Who are we to diminish our dignity, or our fellow brother’s dignity, by taking or devaluing a life?
The Culture of Life Studies Program posted a captivating article on its website entitled Building a Culture of Life School Curriculum: Interview with Educator Rosemary Circo and it is well worth the read. Both parents and grandparents will benefit from the insight into building a culture of life within their family.