“The Right Doesn’t Actually Care About Brown and Black Babies.”

I have seen viral variations of this quote on social media countless times the past couple of weeks, amidst pro-life victories in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio and more.

I listened as Alyssa Milano claimed that protecting the preborn would be “catastrophic” for black women. I was deeply disturbed as major news outlets flooded readers with arguments that black women would be hurt the most by pro-life laws, even to the point of enslaving them once again. And I was in utter disbelief when Ohio state Rep. Janine Boyd proposed an amendment to a bill that would only allow black mothers to have an abortion.

What the Left has shown me in the past couple weeks is that they thrive when they are relentlessly and recklessly leveraging race. They inflame and foment racial differences until their people are hysterical over the idea that slavery is returning to our country at the hands of the pro-life movement. The Left’s frenzied panic and outlandish claims compel me to respond to the insidious lie that “the Right doesn’t actually care about black and brown babies.”

I am black. I am pro-life. And I do care. I think I can speak for all pro-lifers when I say we care about all pre-born babies—babies so early in development that they don’t have a skin color. Regrettably, it is the Left that has a race problem at its core, and this problem is as old as the institution of slavery.

The Left: 100 Years of Culling the Undesirables

It is the Left, in fact, that worships an organization that was birthed out of the racist ideas of its founder, Margaret Sanger. She was a staunch proponent of the contemptible, progressive, eugenics movement –the discredited philosophical concept that undesirable people should be eliminated from the gene pool of the human race. Undesirables, like the poor, illiterate, disabled … and the dark skinned.

Unfortunately, Sanger’s degenerate beliefs led her to work very closely and intentionally with the black community, “assuring” them that her goal was not to “exterminate the Negro population.”

America’s intricate strategy to dovetail racist policies and eugenics was so effective that it was studied by one Adolf Hitler, and the horrors of the eugenics movement were fully realized in the unspeakable atrocities of the Holocaust.

Fast forward to today, and Margaret Sanger’s early organization, the American Birth Control League, has become today’s Planned Parenthood, and the intentional targeting of America’s minorities continues.

The Left: Targeting Blacks Using a “Right to Choose”

It has been said that 79 percent of Planned Parenthood’s surgical abortion facilities are within walking distance of black and brown neighborhoods. Indeed, more than 19 million black babies have been aborted since the Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973, effectively reducing the size of today’s black community by 40-50 percent! The CDC reports that 36 percent of all abortions in the United States are performed on black women, despite the fact that they represent just 13 percent of the population. (Hispanic babies are also aborted at one-and-a-half times the rate of white babies, making up 18 percent of all aborted babies.) “More members of the black community are killed by abortion each year in the United States than by all other causes combined.”

Despite the intentional targeting of poor and minority communities that has persisted across the decades, Sanger’s strategy to ensure that blacks remain unaware of their extermination has worked perfectly, with both pro-choice blacks and their allies insisting on their right to choose.

Over a hundred years ago, the “pro-choice” party of today insisted that the institution of slavery was also a choice to which every state was entitled. Their platform was that each state should have the right to choose whether slavery was a morally acceptable option for its own citizens. In addition, states were not allowed to impose their moral beliefs about slavery on others because slavery was a Constitutionally protected right.

If Leftists were truly staunch advocates of racial equality and harmony, they should be moved to address the fact that the face of abortion has a color. They should be compelled to address the fact their pro-choice platform of a century past has resulted in tens of millions lives lost, a great many of them black. Pro-lifers understand that a law that is ruled to be “constitutional” can still be morally reprehensible.

So the next time you hear someone on the Left claiming that the Right doesn’t care about brown and black babies, know that it’s a lie designed to cover up their own shameful past and present. The truth is this: Regardless of political philosophy, no one is doing more to protect brown and black babies than the pro-life movement. Let’s keep it up!

For Life,

Stephanie Curry, Esq.
Public Policy Manager

Changing Public Sentiment and the Fate of Roe v Wade Precipitate a Wave of Pro-life Success Across the Nation

As many state legislatures are beginning to wind down for the year, it is apparent that the pro-life movement is winning on many fronts. The proverbial starting gun went off when we witnessed the complete evisceration of all protections for preborn babies and their mothers by the New York legislature on January 22nd and the celebratory environment that ensued. Then, Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia advocated for a legislative proposal which would have expanded abortion access without virtually any limits, including allowing infanticide.

Those two events ignited pro-life forces and activists across the nation were fired up! With pro-life legislators going to work in multiple states, we have seen the success of pro-life legislation unlike any year previously.

Fueling all this activity is also an anticipated change at the Supreme Court once President Trump has the opportunity to appoint an additional Justice. While no one knows what will happen, many believe that Roe v. Wade will eventually be challenged in court. Presumably, a Court more ideologically conservative than the one in 1973 could render a verdict returning the regulation of abortion to the states, as it was prior to 1973.

That anticipated change would have no meaning but for the nearly 50 years of pro-life activism that is largely responsible for an immense sea-change in the minds of Americans on the issue of abortion. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control, abortion in the US hit a record low in 2015 (the most recent year for which statistics are available). Regrettably, the record low number is still 638,169 lives ended. It is hard to celebrate such an “accomplishment” knowing what each of those numbers means. Yet the movement has pressed on – looking to the progress of the advancing pro-life shift in our culture and what that means for each one not aborted.

We have witnessed major accomplishments this year on the pro-life front in multiple states. Among those accomplishments are some miraculous events that stopped bad bills from becoming law and in other states, pro-life majorities finally delivering pro-life legislation to pro-life governors for approval.

Here is a laundry list of what has been going on in 2019:

New Mexico has a very liberal government – the House, Senate and Governor’s office are all under Democratic control. An abortion bill even more radical than New York’s was proposed that would have removed the state’s only abortion restrictions. Many assumed it was a safe bet for easy passage. Family Policy Alliance of New Mexico®, along with pro-life activists, pastors, churches and other statewide organizations went to work. They visited with lawmakers, emailed, called, prayed and rallied (one of the biggest pro-life rallies in New Mexico history occurred in the Capitol earlier this year). They would not stop. Ultimately, they were successful in putting together a bipartisan coalition of New Mexico Senators that defeated the abortion bill!

Vince Torres, Executive Director of Family Policy Alliance of New Mexico wrote: “After the final vote was announced, we found ourselves silenced in disbelief at what had just transpired—the people of New Mexico had gone up against the abortion industry giant, and the people had won!”

Georgia – Our ally, Family Policy Alliance of Georgia®, was an integral part of a coalition that successfully passed what is being called the most pro-life legislation in the nation in the form of a heartbeat bill, which prohibits abortions after the point by which a preborn baby’s heartbeat can be detected. Executive Director Cole Muzio described Georgia’s heartbeat legislation as the bill that the “pro-life community has been waiting for” and that the strength of the bill would “echo far beyond the borders of our state.” The Georgia heartbeat bill is currently on the Governor’s desk, and he has pledged to sign it. Georgia has become ground zero for abortion activists this year. They know this is a tough bill and they are working overtime to intimidate and threaten the state to prevent its enactment.

Kentucky – The state of Kentucky experienced major pro-life wins for the last three years. After laboring for so long under divided control of the state government, pro-life governor Matt Bevin was elected in 2015, and pro-life majorities in the House and Senate followed along soon after. Since that time, pro-life legislation has passed every year.

Our Kentucky allies, the The Family Foundation, was integral in the enactment of a number of pro-life bills including a heartbeat bill; a bill that bans abortions based solely on a fetal abnormality, sex, or race; and a reporting law requiring that medications given by a physician with the intent of causing an abortion must be reported as an abortion and included in the statistical reporting.

Virginia – Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s comments about the radical abortion bill proposed there can at least be partially credited with igniting the pro-life fire this year. That legislation would have allowed infanticide in cases of failed abortions. Our Family Foundation of Virginia allies went to work and ultimately defeated not only the abortion bill but also a very dangerous Equal Rights Amendment bill that would have opened the floodgates on a multitude of abortion and gender issues.

Victoria Cobb, President of The Family Foundation of Virginia, noted voter involvement for their success: “Despite the introduction of a horrific, New York style birthday abortion bill and the appalling comments made by Governor Northam supporting post-birth infanticide, the cause of life did move forward this year. Nearly 7,000 people gathered at the Virginia March for Life to express their outrage and the legislature responded by removing all funding in our state budget for abortions on low-income women who have an unborn child with a disability diagnosis.”

North Dakota – The work of Family Policy Alliance of North Dakota® was the major driver behind the enactment of two important laws there this year. The first ensures that women seeking a chemical abortion know that the abortion may be reversible if they change their mind after taking the first abortion pill. A second North Dakota law now bans dismemberment abortions, a brutal practice that involves tearing a preborn baby apart. Mark Jorritsma, Executive Director of Family Policy Alliance of North Dakota® noted that elections have consequences, and North Dakotans are reaping the benefits of electing not only a solidly pro-life delegation at the federal level but also a solidly pro-life state legislature.

Kansas – Kansas was the first state in the nation to pass a resolution condemning the New York abortion law enacted earlier this year. Family Policy Alliance of Kansas’® Director of Advocacy, Brittany Jones stated, “Kansas is one of the most pro-life states in the country. The New York abortion law is a horrific reflection on the state and its values. The New York law does not reflect the values of Kansans. Even as several more states consider following New York’s lead, Kansas is proud to be a state that cherishes life and provides some of the strongest pro-life protections in the county.” The work continued in Kansas when an abortion pill reversal bill similar to North Dakota’s was passed by both chambers and now sits on Democrat Governor Laura Kelly’s desk.

Arkansas – Arkansas has seen a litany of pro-life bills enacted this year. So far, the following have either been signed or sent to the governor for a signature: legislation requiring abortionists to be board-certified, an 18-week abortion ban, a Safe Haven act to give alternatives to abortion, chemical abortion reversal information bill, legislation prohibiting aborting children with Down Syndrome, and lastly a bill requiring abortion complications to be reported.

Jerry Cox, President of the Family Council, noted: “The pro-life legislation Arkansas passed this session literally will save lives. The eighteen-week abortion ban will save 170 unborn children every year. If all of our pro-life legislation is enforced, we estimate that by the fall of next year, some 1,000 – 1,500 children will be alive because of anti-abortion laws we’ve helped pass since 2015. About 400 of those kids will be heading off to their first day of preschool or kindergarten. That’s something Arkansans should be proud of.”

South Dakota – The South Dakota legislature passed six pro-life bills including requirements that an ultrasound be offered to women seeking abortions, as well as reporting requirements for abortionists. They also approved two resolutions – one condemning the New York law and another calling on Congress to defund Planned Parenthood. In a reliably pro-life state, the effect of the New York legislation was noted by Family Heritage Alliance Executive Director, Norman Woods, “South Dakota has traditionally been a very pro-life state. Nearly every year the Legislature makes improvements to our life statutes but this year we saw more progress made than usual, arguably sparked by the insanity we witnessed in New York and other states. Even after these 6 bills had gained traction and were heading through, the body still wasn’t done. The passage of [the resolutions condemning New York’s abortion law] left no questions in people’s minds as to where our Legislature stands on the issue of life.”

Ohio – Just last week, Governor Mike DeWine signed into law the nation’s latest heartbeat bill. On the legal front, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld the Ohio law allowing them to decline funding the abortion industry. The law was enacted in 2016. In an 11 to 6 decision, the court ruled that the state was not required to pay for abortions. We hope that this ruling will clear a path for similar rulings on other cases related to the funding of Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. Our allies at Citizens for Community Values worked to pass the 2016 legislation.

Heartbeat bills continue to receive attention in a number of states – Mississippi enacted a heartbeat law earlier in the session and similar bills have passed through one chamber of the legislature in Missouri and Tennessee and have been introduced in Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, South Carolina and West Virginia.

Even in reliably blue states where pro-life successes have not been realized, the pro-life movement is alive and very active. In Illinois for example, when a New-York style abortion rights bill was proposed, thousands of pro-life activists showed up in the capitol one day. So many that the Capitol was filled to capacity and many more were turned away at the doors!

Family Policy Alliance is pleased to work with allied organizations in 40 states – to find out if your state is one of those, go to our Allies page for the contact information you need. Reach out to them and get in involved in your state!

It is through active participation and activism that we are able to see the results of nearly 50 years of pro-life work making a difference in so many fronts – turning the tide of history and saving lives.

Standing for life,

Robert Noland
Communications Manager

1 Cor 15:58 – Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

 

At what point does a life become worthy of protection? This is the question behind the pro-life movement. We believe human life deserves protection from the moment of conception.

Since Roe v. Wade, states have decided when this protection begins in various ways. Some states allow a woman to recover civil damages if someone kills her baby in the womb no matter the stage of the pregnancy, recognizing the humanity of the preborn life inside her. Some states heighten punishment for a person convicted of killing a pregnant woman, which recognizes that two lives were taken.

States have also regulated when abortions can occur. Some states are passing “Heartbeat” bills. The laws ban abortions after a doctor detects a heartbeat, recognizing the scientific fact that a heartbeat is a sign of life. Typically, a heartbeat can be detected around the sixth week of a pregnancy.

Though these laws are typically immediately struck down by federal and state judges because of the so-called “right to abortion”  in Roe v. Wade precedent, they do serve the important purpose of reminding everyone what we all know: There is a baby worthy of protection in the womb. There are other important legal and strategic implications of these bills, but no one can deny that there is a separate beating heart inside the woman.

Other laws protect babies from certain forms of abortion, such as dismemberment laws, which ban an abortionist from tearing a baby apart limb-by-limb in the womb while the child is still alive. Courts have struck down these laws, even judges we’d consider “conservative judges,” because it is the most commonly used abortion procedure after 15 weeks into the pregnancy. Courts say that this violates the “woman’s right to choose to have an abortion” up until the baby is viable outside the womb, at around 24 weeks.

Even as we are seeing progress in the court of public opinion and as legislators in many states are beginning to recognize this as an issue they can no longer ignore, Planned Parenthood and their pro-abortion followers recognize the progress we are making and are fighting back. I’m sure you wept with us as New York passed a law allowing a preborn child to be killed even up until the moment before birth—and stripping any requirement that an infant who survives a botched abortion receive proper medical care. But New York isn’t alone. At least four other states – Vermont, Virginia, Rhode Island, and New Mexico –are considering bills similar to New York’s.

Even more shocking—some state lawmakers want to permit abortion procedures to occur without a doctor’s oversight. They also want to require doctors to perform abortions—regardless of their professional judgment or religious beliefs. Clearly, the pro-abortion movement will stop at nothing.

As John 1:5 says, “A light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.” We know the truth – the baby in the womb is a life worthy protecting. In fact, the Bible tells us that it was a preborn baby who first rejoiced at the coming of Jesus! (John 1:41) Today’s Christ-followers are called to shine a light in the darkness of our culture of death.

Along with our state allies, we are engaged in the fight for every child in state capitols across the country. Will you make sure you are ready to fight against the pro-abortion bills coming in your state—as well as the good prolife bills that need your support?

Please check our ACTION CENTER to see if there are any bills in your state or in D.C. that need your voice?

Please also make sure that you are signed up with our state ally in your state—CHECK HERE to find your ally!

For Life,

Brittany Jones, Esq.
Policy Manager

P.S. Do you not have an allied state family policy group in your state? Email info@FamilyPolicyAlliance.com if you’re interested in helping get one started!