Action Item of the Week – Only One Week Left to Join the Pro-Life Essay Contest!
Calling students from 5th-12th grades! The Culture of Life Studies Program’s Pro-Life Essay Contest is a great way to articulate your pro-life beliefs (and win some awesome prizes!). The prompts are now available, and we are accepting essays throughout the month of October (Respect Life Month).
Essays are due on November 6. Visit prolifeessay.com for details.
Week in Review – New Study Confirms Abortion Bans Do Not Work – Abortions Skyrocket in States Bordering Abortion-Restrictions States
A new report from the Society of Family Planning, a pro-abortion group, confirms findings from a Guttmacher Institute report released in September. Since Roe was overturned, the average number of abortions performed each month has risen in the last year.
The Society of Family Planning used research group WeCount to analyze data collected from abortion providers. The data shows that in states where abortion restrictions are in place, abortion providers performed 114,590 fewer abortions than they would have if Roe had not been overturned. However, in states where abortions are not restricted, abortion providers performed 116,790 more abortions than expected.
This confirms what we suspected following the release of the September Guttmacher report. Abortion bans are not stopping abortions; they are simply moving numbers across state lines.
Last month, the Guttmacher Institute released a Monthly Abortion Provision Study that shows, nearly across the board, that abortion rates have skyrocketed.
In almost every state, abortions have increased. The data tracked the percentage of increase from 2020 to June 2023. Overall, of the 37 states for which they tracked numbers, the states saw an average increase of 40% in abortion.
Even though states with abortion regulations and so-called “bans” did perform abortions, the Guttmacher Institute did not track them for this report. Instead, they focused on states that bordered “pro-life” states and states with abortion laws in place. The results were a jaw dropping state-by-state increase in abortions.
Just to name a few – Wyoming saw a 202% increase in abortion, Illinois saw a 69% increase, New Mexico saw a 220% increase, and Kansas saw a 114% increase.
This new report from the Society of Family Planning simply confirms what we already know to be true: Abortion bans and restrictions do not save lives; they simply move numbers across state lines. And, as is the case in 2022-2023, the numbers not only moved across state lines, but for the first time in 30 years, abortions are on the rise in the United States.
Pro-life Americans must shift our focus from so-called pro-life-state laws to more concrete ways to protect life. These state-by-state laws provide no real protection for the preborn, as their mothers can cross state lines to kill their babies. Instead, what we must do is heal our culture. We must bring Christ back into the center of our lives and the lives of those around us. The Culture of Death is pervasive and does not only exist to promote abortion; it promotes sexual promiscuity, sexual violence, the objectification of people, and rampant sin against our fellow women and men.
How do we solve the problems of the world? We cannot. Only God can. The best way for us to change the world is to start with ourselves. By loving others as Christ does, we can start to make the world a place that respects all life. It may seem insignificant, but this was the to way to Heaven for many saints.
Pray without ceasing for the preborn, their mothers, and our nation. And in all ways, love those around you as Christ would.
Katie Brown, director of ALL’s Marian Blue Wave, wrote an op-ed commemorating the anniversary of the program. The op-ed discusses the spiritual battle against abortion and why the rosary is our most powerful weapon. The op-ed was printed by Catholic World Report.
Susan Ciancio, Celebrate Life Magazine editor and head of CLSP, writes a weekly commentary on timely pro-life topics. This week, her commentary will be posted by The Stream. A link will follow in next week’s PLTW.
The Spring-Summer issue of Celebrate Life Magazine has been distributed. Judie Brown’s column, Pro-Life Basics, discusses recent pro-life polling. The article can be found here.
Twice a week, Judie’s commentaries are distributed to an expansive media list. The list contains over 100 media outlets, such as Fox News, The Federalist, Breitbart, and The Daily Caller, among others. Judie’s commentaries are each featured on the front page of ALL.org. Each commentary is also featured as a part of Judie’s recurring column on Renew America.
Week in Review – Abortion Biz Claims Ending Lives Is ‘Life-Saving’
Decades ago, entertainment gave God-fearing viewers a world that ought to be. Husbands loved their wives, parents loved their children, and religious figures provided moral clarity. In the 21st century, however, Hollywood’s stories are designed to reflect “modern audiences” while glorifying all their moral defects. So, what are families to do on family movie night when today’s content is harmful to children?
Human Life International explores movies of the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s that adhered to the Hays Code, a.k.a., the Motion Picture Production Code. In a fascinating discussion, Onalee McGraw, the Educational Guidance Institute, explains how classic films from those decades can provide examples of healthy, familial relationships for young audiences.