This week, much of the attention of the pro-life community in the United States and around the world has been focused on Charlie Gard, the innocent 11-month-old baby boy suffering from a rare genetic condition that requires him to breathe with a respirator. Charlie’s respirator is keeping him alive until he can receive experimental treatment in the United States; however, the British government has decided that the respirator must be removed—an action that will cause Charlie’s eventual death. The British government has deemed that Charlie’s life is not worth living and that he is not permitted to travel to the US to receive experimental treatment—even though the parents have raised over one million dollars in support of that care. It’s sick!
American Life League and other pro-life groups have worked to call attention to Charlie’s plight. At the present time, Pope Francis has offered to have medical care provided to Charlie at a hospital in Italy. Another hospital in the United States is also ready to provide help, and President Trump has called on the UK to let Charlie travel to receive treatment. So far, the UK government has rejected all of these efforts and has even refused to let Charlie’s parents take him home to die. It is reported that President Trump will make a personal plea to the UK prime minister at the G20 meeting in Europe this weekend. Please pray.
In other developments this week, many of Planned Parenthood’s friends in Congress are beginning to become very public about their opposition to the defunding of Planned Parenthood. This provision is in the reconciliation bill that will be voted on in the Senate after Congress returns from its July 4 recess next week. It is very important that every senator (Democrat, Republican, or Independent) hear from YOU that you want Planned Parenthood to stop getting taxpayer funding.
American Life League’s STOPP leaders have talked with a number of people in Hawaii, Kentucky, and other states about Planned Parenthood’s renewed thrust to get its sex programs into as many schools as possible. Historically, Planned Parenthood has used these sex programs as a way to increase its customer base. The fact that Planned Parenthood’s annual customer numbers have fallen from 3.0 million to 2.4 million over the last five years has made this push predictable. Please be vigilant in your own communities, and if you need help fighting these Planned Parenthood initiatives, contact ALL’s executive director Jim Sedlak (jsedlak@all.org) for assistance.
Representatives from American Life League’s Culture of Life Studies Program will have a booth at the Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show from July 18-21, 2017, at the Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center, Chicago, IL. This annual show brings together the best in the Catholic publishing world from across the nation. You can find out more information by going to the CMN Trade Show website. If you are planning to attend the event, please stop by booth #331 and say hello to members of our fantastic Culture of Life Studies Program team.