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Pro-Life This Week – August 9, 2019

Week in Review – Parents who gave their lives for their child at the mall

The state of Michigan has approved ballot language for two citizen petitions, one which would ban most abortions at six weeks of pregnancy and the second would outlaw the dilation and evacuation (D&E) abortion procedure. According to Michigan law, if either or both petitions get 340,047 signatures, the Michigan legislature can implement them without waiting for an actual vote by the public. The law also provides that laws put in force in this manner cannot be vetoed by the governor. 

In Arkansas, the federal judge who previously issued a 14-day delay in enforcing three laws in the state has now extended that by issuing a preliminary injunction against the laws. US District Judge Kristine Baker had different reasons for not allowing the enforcement of each of the laws. The three laws would have: banned most abortions after 18 weeks of pregnancy; required that physicians doing abortions must be board-certified or board-eligible in obstetrics and gynecology; and prohibiting all abortions when they are done solely because the preborn child has been diagnosed with Down syndrome.

There are news reports that the State of New Jersey is considering turning down Title X funds because of the new Protect Life regulations that will go into effect in September. New Jersey receives about $8.8 million in Title X funding that is divided among 10 agencies in the state, including Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central and Southern New Jersey. PPNCSNJ is sounding the alarm. It says it is already digging into emergency reserves. Last year, according to its Federal Form 990, the organization took in $30.6 million, had a profit of $4.2 million, net assets of $18.9 million, and paid its top four employees over $840,000.

The following story of parents who gave their lives to protect their children from a shooter in El Paso (TX) this week is a sad comment on our society, but a triumph for those, like these parents, who truly understand their responsibility to protect their children. Jordan and Andre Anchondo, a married couple with three children, brought their infant son to the El Paso Walmart on Saturday, August 3, 2019. They shopped for supplies for their 6-year-old’s birthday party set for later that day, as well as for school supplies. The couple went to the store after dropping off their five-year-old daughter at cheer practice. The couple had one other child, aged two, who was with relatives. A shooter opened fire in the mall. As the gunfire started, Jordan shielded her two-month-old son, Paul. Andre jumped in front of his wife and baby. Both mother and father died in the hail of bullets. The baby was injured after his mother fell on top of him but was released from hospital. The Anchondos were among the 22 people killed. May God have mercy on the souls of all who died.

A Court of Appeals in Florida this week overturned a lower court ruling that said a 24-hour waiting period for abortion was unconstitutional. It sent the case back to the lower court. Denise Harle, legal counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, reportedly said: “Abortion is a life-altering decision, and no woman should be rushed or pressured into it. The appeals court noted evidence from medical experts that the standard of care for significant, non-emergency medical procedures is that they are not and should not be done on a drop-in basis. The court also described evidence of the ‘mental health effects and negative outcomes’—including suicide—associated with women who undergo abortions without adequate time to process the serious consequences and come to a place of certainty.”

The city council of Springdale (AR) heard that Planned Parenthood is interested in opening in their town. They don’t want Planned Parenthood in their community. Although they can’t legally prevent Planned Parenthood from coming to town (as long as the organization obeys all of the city’s codes), they want to make their feelings known. They proposed a resolution that received unanimous approval of the “committee as a whole” on Monday, August 5. It will be voted on by the City Council on Tuesday, August 13. The non-binding resolution states: “Be it resolved by the City Council for the City of Springdale, Arkansas, that based on the foregoing the City of Springdale, Arkansas, hereby recognizes and designates itself as Arkansas’ first Pro Life City.” Councilman Colby Fulfer, who introduced the resolution and commented for the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette that he hoped the city’s measure sends a message to Planned Parenthood, “respectfully asking the abortion provider to find another city.”

ALL in the News – Judie’s Statement on Mass Shootings; Report on Alexis McGill Johnson

This week, Judie released a statement on the recent mass shootings in El Paso (TX) and Dayton (OH). She expressed her deep distress with the situation and urged our country to turn away from the culture of death. 

ALL executive director, Jim Sedlak, recently released a STOPP report on acting Planned Parenthood CEO and president, Alexis McGill Johnson. The report was released to the media early Thursday morning. Judie’s weekly commentaries continue to be featured as a column on RenewAmerica.com. This week, her Tuesday commentary, Safe Killing Is Their Cry, appeared on the site’s front page. 

Jim Sedlak’s Pro-Life Activism from Creation to Death is a weekly talk-radio program on the Radio Maria USA network. The show can be heard live every Friday at noon (Eastern Time) and is repeated on Saturdays (10 PM). 

Video of the Week – Springdale, Arkansas, declares itself a pro-life city

A city in Arkansas took a bold measure to declare itself a city safe for the preborn.

Action Item of the Week – New HHS Rule Needs Your Support ASAP

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed a rule that would help pro-life doctors tremendously. 

Under the Obama administration, doctors who refused to perform abortions or refer for an abortion would be charged and punished for “discrimination on the basis of sex”. Thankfully, the current HHS has made efforts to fix this. On May 19, 2019, the HHS proposed a rule that clearly states “discrimination on the basis on sex” doesn’t include abortions. 

The HHS needs to hear your support for this new proposed rule. Please make a comment to the HHS as soon as you can; your support is vital. 

The HHS must hear your comments prior to August 13.

Below is a suggested comment: 

I support the proposed rule issued on May 19, 2019. It does away with the abysmal Obama HHS interpretation of “discrimination on the basis of sex,” which allowed pro-life physicians who refuse to perform or refer for “termination of pregnancy” to face potential charges for “discrimination on the basis of sex.”

Pro-life Social Media – Planned Parenthood against the Violence it Doesn’t Commit

In the wake of deadly massacres, social media has become so hostile it’s been hard to even open Twitter. Evil happened, and the blame game is focused on people other than those who fired the guns. Those with sensibility know whom to blame. Those that market in violence lack a single grain of self-awareness. 

The largest perpetrator of violence in this country denounced the violence that happened last weekend.

Planned Parenthood condemns white supremacy.

Fact: White supremacy started Planned Parenthood.

Another fact: Every child has a right to be born free of abortion violence. 

Planned Parenthood’s president even weighed in 

Violence occurs 900 times a day at Planned Parenthood, and its national president thinks her position against violence carries weight. If we’re going to make any progress toward eliminating violence in our country, abolishing Planned Parenthood is the perfect start.