40 Days for Life Victory

This letter was published in yesterday’s 40 Days for life update. So proud of all those participating and standing for women and children.

My friend had left me the use of her apartment as she was away … perfect because it was right where the clinic was!

The next day, I saw you people lining up with signs … I watched from the window every day and all day you were there! Different folks each time.

I had this idea in my head that abortion picketers were extremists … no “normal” person would do that sort of thing. Yet you did not look extreme … more ordinary.

Tuesday was my pre-procedure appointment. Used the wrong entrance and had to walk past you. So what, I thought. Who cares? They don’t know me or where I am going. As I walked past (hurriedly!), my legs felt like they weighed a ton. What was going on? Are these people intimidating me? Do I need to feel ashamed as I walk past? The receptionist told me to “ignore them” when I asked about you.

Every day I watched you. One day I thought for sure no one would be there. Weather forecast was calling for severe winds and rain. There in the afternoon, amid strong winds which were blowing the signs over the head and onto the grass, you stood. Three or four together. All day!

The next day I took a walk and followed you in the direction where everyone seemed to go. It was a church. After everyone left, I went inside and saw all the signs, flyer. Impressive set-up, I thought. They seem organized in their purpose!

On Friday was my scheduled appointment for my procedure. I was suddenly terrified of what was to be. My heart was almost beating out of my chest.

My boyfriend, who had promised to come the day before, did not show up to take me. Said he was tied up and that ultimately it was my choice to have it that day or wait til next week. My choice. But he’s not there to hold my hand! Lots of weighing pros and cons.

Anyhow, I want to let you know that I decided to keep my baby. The boyfriend is still a distance away but maybe he needs time to come around and see the big picture.

The reason I decided to leave you this note is to tell you that what you did was good. I felt I owed it to you for all the days you stood there in hope that others would take notice. I noticed – and in turn it gave me hope that others I know would also care to “stand for me.”

It’s a crazy world we live in … but some seem to know how to see the good in it.

Thanks!

Make a #StandWithCruz & #MakeDCListen

I seems I hear about jobs being cut back or lost among my friends weekly due to Obamacare, but still the greater concern for me is that it will force all of us to pay for abortions in some way. I made a video about my support and I hope you will as well.

 

What are your thoughts on Pope Francis’ latest comments?

Pope Francis has been in the news a lot lately for his comments. The media seems to be taking them as a progressive move for the Catholic Church. Others say that the Pope is being taken out of context.

I’m not Catholic, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on his comments.

Here are some of the most recent:

We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible. I have not spoken much about these things, and I was reprimanded for that. But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context. The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time.

 

And then the next day he said this:

“In all its phases and at every age, human life is always sacred and always of quality. And not as a matter of faith, but of reason and science!”

Pope Francis characterized abortion as a product of a “widespread mentality of profit, the ‘throwaway culture,’ which has today enslaved the hearts and minds of so many.”

So what are your thoughts on these or other comments from the Pope?

 

Speak and Stand

Great quote from Patriot Academy. This quote reminds me of a young girl we had at the Let Texas Speak rally Thomas Umstattd Jr. hosted. She was born at 20 weeks. While she was not comfortable speaking she stood on the stool as her mother and aunt told her story. As her story of survival was told pro-abortion protesters shouted and chanted at her like she was worthless and didn’t matter. Still they all stood together and let their tale be told.
I’m proud of the brave women we had testify that day. With so much hatred surrounding us they were all a great encouragement.

You can still hear their stories at http://LetTexasSpeak.com/ or watch individual clips at http://youtube.com/stand4lifetx

Photo and edit by Josh Russell

Secular Pro-Life Gear

While I have both secular and religious reasons for being pro-life I do really like the designs that Secular Pro-life has out. You should check out their stuff at:

http://www.zazzle.com/gentlemen_shirts-235247268660254116

Midland, Texas Planned Parenthood Makes 40th Closing This Year

Below is a photo from Texas Alliance for Life. The closing of the the Midland, TX Planned Parenthood marks the 40th abortion mill closure of the year.

Snarky Defense of Pro-Life Position on Reddit

Please pardon the language, but I love snarky people. This post from reddit is very entertaining.

________________

I absolutely love posts about abortion. Nothing makes /r/politics[1] crank out every possible vile insult more than the issue of whether or not they should be allowed to kill their fetuses. And this post[2] is an absolute goldmine.

First, let’s take a look at Mr u/BroJangles. He has the honor of having the top post in the thread.

They don’t give a damn about born babies either, especially if they’re not white.[3]

Here we have the obvious “they don’t care about babies” line, based on the idea that the pro-life community doesn’t want to help the poor. Hates the poor, actually. And yes, this is the entire Pro-life community, which we all know is perfectly homogeneous, made up of white male and self-hating female Republicans or Libertarians. This theme comes up over and over.

BroJangles also tosses in the race card as well. That’s the second square on your bingo card if you’re playing at home. Now, you may think that he was being flippant and simply looking for some cheap karma. Well, we’ll come back to that…

So why do pro-life advocates oppose abortion? After all, they don’t really care for babies, so why pretend to care about them before they’re born? /u/JaiC[4]  has a theory…

(Liberals support legalized abortion because we want to keep the abortion rate down. Conservatives oppose abortion because they want to keep the poverty rate up. The evidence supports my claim.)[http://np.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/1lq5mx/prolife_groups_dont_really_protect_the_unborn/cc1w3pc[5] ]

Mmmmmexcellent. It’s a plot to not only keep the poor in poverty, but to make even more people destitute. And theevidence backs him/her up! As does /Dallas Dude:

I think the GOP has been waging an incredibly robust war on poverty. As in, if you are born poor or get kicked down the ladder they will guarantee your inability to climb back up.[6]

u/camalittle, on the other hand, wants us to believe that the pro-lifers are simply the product of some sort of Republican astroturfing.

“Right to Life” was created by conservative strategists to get the working class to vote for Republicans.[7]

…

All of this is a ruse to get the poor and the working class emotionally charged so they march to the polls every election and (unknowingly or unwittingly) vote against their true better interests.[8]

You heard it. People are tricked into thinking they care about fetuses. That they believe a fetus is a human life deserving of the rights of personhood. Because obviously anyone who doesn’t agree with camalittle and his/her political beliefs must be being manipulated. If only they could think for themselves they would change their minds and agree with him/her! And not only that, it’s all just an appeal to emotion. If pro-lifers thought about thingslogically, they would obviously follow camalittle and the rest of the pro-choice community, because god knows those people don’t get emotionally manipulated and riled up at all. Finally, you get the “voting against their own interests” argument. Which is pretty telling, since he/she can’t seem to fathom why someone would be against abortion voluntarily. I mean, not wanting people to have the right to destroy what they consider to be a human life isn’t selfish, so it must be against their own interest. Right?

But we all know the best theory that comes up in these posts…

They’re not pro-life. They’re anti-women.[9]

Ok, ok, that came from u/I_Key_Cars, so it’s not really fair, but this crap is all over the place.

u/aggie1391 tells us that all pro-lifers believe women belong in the kitchen.

I have been active in the pro-choice movement for a long time and I have yet to see any anti-choicer who doesn’t think a woman’s primary roll is in the home. [10]

u/All_You_Need_Is_Sex jumps in on the action.

It’s about keeping women down and “in their place.”[11]

As does /u/Veteran4Peace[12]  (although since edited, to his credit, but still well upvoted)

It’s not about being “pro-Life,” it’s about controlling women’s sexuality and punishing behavior they disapprove of.[13]

That is a fantastic thread which brings out pretty much every single vilifying stereotype of a pro-life individual. And another appearance by BroJangles! Who really wants to make it clear again that if you are pro-life, you are a racist:

Especially if they aren’t white.[14]

and

Especially if they aren’t white.[15]

and

“Welfare” is pretty much synonymous to the N-word for you people.[16]

Man, all we’re missing is some ridiculous Trayvon Martin reference. Err…

especially if they aren’t white. They all jizz in their pants when black children get shot buying skittles.[17]

Yes, you’ve got to hand it to /r/politics[18] . They sure know how to demonize those who don’t fall in with their ideologies.

Bingo.

 

Watch the Celebration Livestream!

I got back into Dallas yesterday, but it is non-stop. I’m headed to the celebration of the closing of the Planned Parenthood in Bryan/College Station, TX!

They announced that you can live stream the celebration if you’d like at http://breakthrough090713.com/live

If you’re going to be there please let me know and say hi! Not sure if I’ll have my Pro-Life Texas shirt or my ATTWN shirt.

Celebrating the Closure of the Bryan, TX Planned Parenthood

Last month the Planned Parenthood in Bryan/College Station Texas closed the doors to the death camp! This was a momentous day for the pro-life movement.

In 2004 the group 40 Days for Life was formed to pray outside that abortion mill. Today people take part in over 500 cities and 19 countries.

In 2009 Abby Johnson who managed the facility left and became a staunch pro-life activist. She now runs, And Then There Were None.

This Saturday, Sept. 7, pro-life supporters from around the world are coming to celebrate this historic closing, mourn those that were lost, and pray for the end of abortion in America.

I can’t wait to make the drive down and be with several heroes of the pro-life movement who have diligently prayed and worked for years to see this come to pass. If you’d like to join them as well please see the video for information at the Breakthrough 9/7/13 website.

 

But then I was like!

 

24 Planned Parenthoods have closed this year!