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Pro-life lawmakers hopeful after 41 years of legal abortion
cna ^ | January 22, 2014 | Adelaide Mena

Posted on 01/22/2014 12:34:26 PM PST by NYer

(L-R) Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.).

(L-R) Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.).

Washington D.C., Jan 22, 2014 / 11:37 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On the 41st anniversary of legalized abortion throughout the U.S., pro-life lawmakers from both political parties voiced hope about the future of the pro-life movement.

“I've been in the pro-life movement since 1972,” Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) told CNA, and “I've never been more hopeful.”

Smith, who is both co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus and chair of a House subcommittee on international human rights, characterized the pro-life movement as a “human rights struggle based on faith and compassion.”

“This is an injustice that will not stand the test of time,” he said.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who has worked in Congress to promote the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, agreed.

“How can you not be hopeful when you see families from all around the country making the sacrifice to come to Washington to support the rights of unborn children?” she said, referencing the annual March for Life.

Held every year on or near the Jan. 22 anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that mandated legalized abortion throughout the U.S., the March for Life routinely draws massive crowds consisting primarily of young people from around the nation. An estimated 650,000 people attended the 2013 March for Life.

Blackburn said that while “it's important to remember that lasting change takes time,” the annual march is essential in showing “the continuing vibrancy of the pro-life movement.”

“Too often, Americans seem to regard the pro-life movement an antiquated pursuit mired in the past,” she said, explaining that the march “gathers young people from around the nation to a central place where they can discuss the moral implications of the matter at hand and feel confident they are not alone in their beliefs.”

Rep. Dan Lipinski (D.-Ill.) co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, told CNA that the annual march shows “that we're not just anti-abortion – we are pro-life” and that pro-life advocates “want to support life in every way possible.”

The congressman suggested that “sometimes there's too much of a focus on changing the laws” without addressing larger cultural issues surrounding abortion.

There is a need to change both culture and law, he said, adding that he is “doing all that I can” in Congress, while other efforts are being made on a cultural level.

In these efforts, he explained, it is important to show the American public that “the pro-life movement is bigger than it's been before.”

The March for Life helps the pro-life movement “to show we are strong” in order to help change both the culture and the law.  

“Eventually the leaders will follow the people,” he said of the movement's continued success, noting that while “federal law has gone backwards on this issue” there has been progress in promoting pro-life laws “at the state level in some states.”

Rep. Smith suggested that the annual March for Life offers the country a “serious witness for life” and an opportunity for “people to converge on Capitol Hill.”

In the past 40 years, some 56 million unborn babies have been aborted, he said, adding that this “equates to the number of all of the people living in England.”

“Equally frightening is the harm that is done to women,” he continued, pointing to studies conducted around the world from “data showing a linkage to breast cancer” as well as mental health problems and other adverse effects of abortion.

While many national policymakers are “extremists” who work “continuously to promote the abortion agenda,” Smith said, “at the state level we've seen an acceleration, a deepening commitment to the sanctity of life.”

“In the various state legislatures, 205 laws have been enacted in the last three years alone,” he emphasized, calling state activism the “backbone of the pro-life movement.”

There is a need on the national stage “to elect pro-life lawmakers from both political parties” and “to elect a pro-life president,” Smith said.

Reflecting on the March for Life, the congressman said it provides an opportunity for the pro-life community “to get re-inspired.”

What he finds moth “breathtaking” about the march is “the idealism that is coming from the young people” in attendance.

“I've never met so many smart idealistic faith filled young people.”

“One out of every three” members of the youth “are missing,” Smith observed. “I think that doesn't go unnoticed by this generation.”
 


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: marchforlife; marchforlife2014

1 posted on 01/22/2014 12:34:26 PM PST by NYer
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To: Tax-chick; GregB; Berlin_Freeper; SumProVita; narses; bboop; SevenofNine; Ronaldus Magnus; tiki; ...

Catholic ping!


2 posted on 01/22/2014 12:34:45 PM PST by NYer ("The wise man is the one who can save his soul. - St. Nimatullah Al-Hardini)
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To: NYer

They HAVE to say they are hopeful, but you know privately they must be discouraged.


3 posted on 01/22/2014 1:06:26 PM PST by Theodore R. (TX Republicans can't wait until March 4 to nominate Cornball and George P.!)
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To: Theodore R.

They were present at today’s march and spoke to those assembled. They cited the number of pro-life state laws that have been passed and described a bill they will soon introduce to Congress, asking those gathered to contact their respective members of congress and ask for their support.


4 posted on 01/22/2014 1:40:00 PM PST by NYer ("The wise man is the one who can save his soul. - St. Nimatullah Al-Hardini)
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To: NYer

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2542212/Mother-shares-heartbreaking-photos-baby-miscarried-19-weeks.html

Pictures of this lovely baby born at 19 weeks.

We abort babies older than this.


5 posted on 01/22/2014 3:00:45 PM PST by Not gonna take it anymore (If Obama were twice as smart as he is, he would be a wit)
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To: Not gonna take it anymore

What moving pictures with the two daughters holding their tiny brother.


6 posted on 01/22/2014 6:21:41 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: NYer

Term Abortion Survivor Bashes Barack Obama on Infanticide

by Steven Ertelt

http://archive.lifenews.com/nat4313.html

LifeNews.com Editor

September 16, 2008

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) – A new pro-life group that features a late-term abortion survivor is running a national television advertisement against presidential candidate Barack Obama. The ad takes Obama to task for his votes against a bill to care for survivors of such abortions when he was in the Illinois legislature.

The new group, BornAliveTruth.org is a joint effort between Gianna Jessen, who survived a saline abortion decades ago, and pro-life blogger Jill Stanek.

Stanek is the former Chicago-area nurse who exposed the practice of live-birth abortions, where doctors purposefully cause the premature birth of an unborn child for the sole purpose of letting her die.

Her exposure of the practice led to the Illinois bills Obama opposed and a national law President Bush signed requiring medical centers and personnel to provide such babies with adequate medical care after birth.

“I’m a survivor, as are many others…but if Barack Obama had his way, I wouldn’t be here,” Jessen says in the ad.

“Four times, Barack Obama voted to oppose a law to protect babies left to die after a failed abortion. Senator Obama, please support born alive infant protections. I’m living proof these babies have a right to live,” Jessen adds.
Stanek tells LifeNews.com that Obama’s campaign is not officially responding to the ads.

“We’re hearing from the media Obama’s people are telling them they have no comment on the Gianna ad, that Obama didn’t vote for Born Alive because it would undermine Roe,” she said.

“Even if that were true, which it is not, am I hearing Obama admit he supports infanticide if it would otherwise interfere with legalized abortion?” Stanek added.

The $350,000 ads are airing currently in New Mexico and Ohio, two key tossup states that could determine the outcome of the election between Obama and Senator John McCain, who opposes abortion.

Obama has said he voted against the Born Alive bill in Illinois because it would have undermined Roe v. Wade and the so-called right to abortion, but documents from the Illinois legislature show he voted for an amendment to rectify that issue and still voted against the bill.

The ads are run by the new group, a 527 organization known as BornAliveTruth.org and the ads are financed by Raymond Ruddy, a Mississippi pro-life activist who was a supporter of Mitt Romney during the Republican primaries.

The group says its mission “is to educate the public on the IL Born Alive Infants Protection Act and Senator Obama’s record opposing this act.


7 posted on 01/23/2014 9:12:11 AM PST by Dqban22 (IVINIC)
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