| | Christian Andzel is a young, inspirational pro-life man who is making a difference at University at Buffalo, the State University of New York. | I recently interviewed him, asking about his involvement in the pro-life movement and the recent events that have transpired on his campus. As you will see, Christian's tireless defense of the rights of preborn children is absolutely inspirational.
How did you get involved in the pro-life movement? What is your main motivation for defending the sanctity of human life?
It is time to take a stand and fight back for what is right! I got involved in the pro-life movement my freshman year in college when I went to what I call an "underground" meeting, where I was joined by four or five other pro-life UB students.
| | The meeting was secret, because for about 25 years, UB Students for Life was persecuted by the undergraduate UB student association. I knew I could do something and was meant to be there in order to change the status quo of the club’s position and challenge those in the student government who were exhibiting discrimination and intolerance. I say time and time again, not only do we as citizens have the duty to hold our elected officials to standards, but as students, we have the duty to hold our professors and student government officials to similar standards.
| My main motivation for defending the sanctity of human life is three-fold. I receive my inspiration from my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is what propels me forward in everything I do in my life, not just my activism on behalf of the preborn. Another major source of motivation is from my own past. To my knowledge, and with the most information my parents have, my birth mother, who God-willing is still alive and safe, gave me life in a very tough position because of our family’s socioeconomic status. She most likely could not take care of me, nor give me the life she wanted for me. What did she do? She gave me life. She gave me hope. She gave me a chance. But it didn’t stop there. She gave me up for adoption, and I was received lovingly to a couple who brought me to the greatest nation this world has ever seen, the United States of America. I advocate for the American Dream and for those who want an opportunity at the Dream. I have been given that opportunity to live that dream, and I will continue to passionately fight on behalf of those who deserve a chance at it until I die. My other source of motivation is my interest in protecting all human rights and freedoms around the world, but especially in America. Every single human being deserves human rights--rights that state that each person’s life is preserved and protected under the rule of law. Often, pro-abortion advocates silence men from any discussion on abortion, claiming that it is a “woman’s issue.” What is your response to that claim?
I am used to it by now. I was in the beginning of this journey asking myself, "Why are those who preach equality of the sexes, tolerance, acceptance, and diversity screaming in my face that I have no voice and I should be quiet because of my sex?" As an ex-liberal coming out of high school (I always have been pro-life), I was literally dumbfounded by the hate and blatant hypocrisy that were exhibited. What they were exhibiting were not the "liberal" values that they espouse.
If they are attacking me personally for any reason, I instantly know they have lost the debate on what we are discussing. That much is clear from their ad hominem attacks. Secondly, I would say, if we see an atrocity where the rights of innocent human beings are being violated, do we not have the responsibility to our common man, to stand up and speak out on that human rights violation? I know we do. We need to look through history and see that social progress and social change were never easy. Those who deny rights to the voiceless in our society not only tried to silence those who worked for freedom and justice, but also ended up on the wrong side of history. I expect the attacks, and I am ready. But I know the personal attacks come, because they are the last shots of desperation to justify the killing of the preborn.
I want to be very clear when I say this: abortion, the intentional killing of the preborn, is not just a woman’s issue. It is not just a man’s issue. It is not just a preborn issue. Abortion is a human rights issue. Men, women, and children have every right to step up, take the first step forward, and stand for justice and equality.
The pro-life movement is mainly led by women. As you stated in your previous answer, men matter when it comes to abortion. What are some ways to encourage more young men to be active in the pro-life movement?
I strongly encourage young men to join this cause, because we all have a responsibility for our future. Our country lies in the hearts of the future. If we do not stand for all human life and dignity, what are we teaching our children?
We need young men to be on the forefront, educating others to spread the truth on science and our philosophical arguments. I love competition, a good fight, which is why I absolutely love protests featuring people who push for abortion rights. As men, we have a natural instinct for combat, so let’s go at their substantive flaws. The fact that men are willing to be part of this movement is important, because it shows that all of us, regardless of sex, will stand up for humanity and human dignity.
Recently, your campus was in the news, due to events that followed your club's Genocide Awareness Project display. Can you tell me more about that event and the events that followed it? How have those experiences impacted you and your club, along with others on your campus?
UB Students for Life brought in the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform's Genocide Awareness Project, which compares the victims of abortion to the victims of the genocides of world history. Many events followed. One professor had a personal moment when she confronted my vice president in a violent manner. She then went on to shout expletives and was eventually arrested by the police. On top of that, students at the university led a protest against the presentation for many reasons. There were some students who had objections, because they did not like the connection made between the Holocaust and abortion. There are differences, of course, between the two. However, the victims all have one thing in common: being voiceless and denied the right to life.
There were many other reasons, but the main reason is this new liberal phenomenon called "hate speech." They call it hate speech, because it is contrary to their liberal views. Hate speech is the antithesis of freedom of speech. It is their way of humiliating and silencing the opposition that they disagree with. Let’s get that out in the open. It is time to truly unmask those who are anti-freedom. I would gladly debate anyone there, asking them what part of our display was supposedly "hate speech." But as usual, none of the protesters had substantial statements to back up their claims they were shouting.
Another incident that occurred, and thankfully was reported by the media, was the disgusting and egregious statements made by some UB professors: Carol Emberton, Susan Cahn, Theresa Runstedtler, Lakisha Simmons, Victoria Wolcott, and Jason Young. They stated that pro-lifers who presented GAP were similar to those who lynched black people. Two words: downright incendiary. It is time to take a stand and call them out for such atrocious and reckless behavior. People throughout the nation were upset (rightly so) at such slander. I wrote back to all of the professors, critiquing them for their revisionist history that fits their political agenda.
My own professor, who taught me about the abolitionist movement and their tactics, which we similarly use, could not justify her claims without going to the usual extreme. She claimed that we don’t trust women, and that we used exaggerated ways and means to put forth our message. Hypocrisy.
There were other events that transpired that week, like the debate that occurred on April 18th. I think talking about it gives the pro-abortion side much more credit than they deserve, because they walked out of the debate.
But there is one action that I do want to highlight that occurred recently. I stood up and took a firm stance against one of the professors who slandered my club in the editorial mentioned above. I went into my friend’s history class that is taught by the professor who I challenged (see video below).
I respectfully asked her a question on the topic she was discussing, and then asked her why she would write what she had written and signed. She then proceeded to say that I was going to be thrown out by campus police, which was fine by me, because I only asked a question. Then, she continued to shout over my question. As I packed up my things to leave, I told her that her actions were reprehensible.
I stand by what I did. I had in mind people who are persecuted for their beliefs at my university and across our nation. I had in mind pro-lifers who have faced hardship in their lives from a "superior" telling them they were wrong in their cause. This action, standing up to the intolerant and bully-like academia, is what we need to push back against narrow mindedness in our universities.
What does UB Students for Life’s future look like?
UB Students for Life has a future unlike any other because of the leadership's drive and passion. We are not doing this for personal gain or glory, and we are not activists to be against anyone. Rather, we know that we are fighting for something much bigger than ourselves. We are fighting for the rights and dignity of an entire people who have no voice and are innocent beyond comparison.
Pro-life students at the University at Buffalo are no longer without a club and without a voice. We are the rallying cry for preserving and protecting all human life. Students now see that pro-lifers at UB are strong and will not back down because of this recent hostility. It has instead made us stronger and more of a family.
This goes out to the current movement at my university who is trying to get us defunded or even kicked out of the student government: let me be very clear. We are not going anywhere. Your scare tactics and anti-freedom messages may have worked for the previous twenty five years at our university, but we will no longer stand it. Not this time. We are the pro-life generation!
You are a strong, fearless pro-life advocate. You are an inspiration to our generation, especially young pro-life men. What advice would you give to young pro-life men who are starting to get involved in the pro-life movement and would like to start a pro-life club on their campus? Never ever give in or give up. The stakes are too high. If you are a believer, be strong in your faith. If you are going to save lives and change hearts, you cannot go to sleep each night with regrets. This is a movement that stands on the pillars of diversity, hope, love, and inclusiveness. We need all people to join our ranks to correct a social injustice that has wounded our nation for decades. Will you be a part of that history? Will you be a part of the movement that fights for every human being, no matter their age, race, sex, ability or disability? Will you be part of the movement that fights for the opportunity at the American Dream? This is a movement that is growing. Eventually, human rights for all will prevail. In order for this to happen, we need all hands on deck and all hearts and talents given for the innocent. Give it everything you have, because you do not know who you may change or whose life you may save. God bless!
What a firecracker for the pro-life movement! I hope Christian's interview inspired you to become active in the pro-life movement, if you aren't already. I especially hope it encouraged more of you young men out there to fearlessly stand up for precious human life!
Follow Anna Maria Hoffman on Twitter.Follow Christian Andzel on Twitter.
| | Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Julia Pritchett, a young pro-life activist from Arkansas.
| With great love for God and humanity, Julia passionately defends the preborn every day. While reading Julia's heartfelt responses, you will see how Julia's compassionate, caring and loving nature easily manifests in her pro-life work. When did you decide to get involved in the pro-life movement? Why did you decide to get involved in this important cause?
Each person is called to protect human life and so each of us has a place within the pro-life movement. Looking back, I realize I didn’t decide to “get involved” in the pro-life movement; rather, God had always purposed me for it, and He brought about events, circumstances, and personal gifts so that I could best respond to this unique call in my life.
Perhaps a deeper question might be why I have decided to stay involved. I got involved in 9th grade and it was a natural, no-brainer type of situation. But, as I have grown older and spent several years working towards abolishing abortion, I constantly ask myself why I am still in this rescue mission. The best answer I can give to that is:
We live in a world where so many do not feel loveable, they do not realize their own inherent goodness, and without being able to see the beauty in their own existence they are unable to see the beauty in all existence. This is a devastating reality to come to terms with, but it gives me a reason to get out of bed and fight for each person. Not just those in the womb, but for so many who are unable to see their own beauty and are living lives of brokenness and wounded-ness. As they are loved, as they are delighted in as a person, they begin to flourish and bloom with new eyes towards the human person. It is easy to call another person ugly, unnecessary, unlovable, unwanted when we feel that way about our own self. So maybe the real malady of the culture of death is not that we do not respect other lives, but that we disrespect the gift of our own lives so much that it only follows and make sense that we cannot appreciate the gift that is others’ lives. I desire to be a witness to the beauty and indescribable goodness of the human person. I want to make others feel loved. When others are delighted in they respond with love. For example, I have seen women walking into abortion facilities with sunken eyes, soul-less stares, and broken hearts. After just delighting in her presence, embracing her, letting her know her own beauty, she often has a new, tiny spark in her eye, she smiles, she says out loud “maybe I can do this”. She has found beauty and love of first her own life and therefore can better respond to the beauty and love of another life--her child’s.
Tell me about your involvement in the pro-life movement.
My involvement in the pro-life movement is varied. Activism, Education, and Prayer are the three areas I focus on most. God blessed me to be able to co-found and serve as president of the first pro-life group on any Arkansas college campus. With much thankfulness I have been able to serve on the leadership team for 40 Days for Life in my town for the past four years. And, closest to my heart, is my direct work with moms outside of abortion facilities. Sidewalk helping is the hardest action I have ever taken against abortion; it forced me to confront abortion directly, to see the pain, to see death, to cry with and for women and babies. Yet, it has also been the most rewarding action I have ever taken in my life. I see miracles happen, I see women choose love, I see babies who were once in danger leave alive instead of dead. That’s incredible. What is your motivation behind being a pro-life activist? What drives your passion for defending the preborn?
Truly, it is a direct call from God. One day I saw one of those cheesy post-card questions that said “What is your life purpose?” I thought for a moment and asked Jesus, “Jesus, if I only had one purpose in life, what is it?” The answer I got was: “To love My children”. And I believe when Jesus gives you an answer like that, He helps you carry out what He has asked of you. There are days, even weeks, when I don’t want to hear the word “abortion.” I don’t want to run a pro-life table, because I am busy. I don’t want to be at the abortion facility on my Saturday mornings. But, something deep within me propels me out of bed. I might be tired and even unwilling, but I do it. So, truly Jesus has brought about this in my life because on my own I would never be doing this work to the capacity I currently am.
Your dedication to the pro-life movement is inspirational. What are the best ways for college students to be impactful pro-life leaders on their campuses? What resources and strategies should they use to be effective?
Thank you! And, great question. The number one way for someone to make a huge difference on campus is to make a decision. You know why we are not pro-choice? Because we do not believe in making arbitrary choices about human beings’ lives based on feelings and circumstance. Therefore, to be pro-life is to get out of bed each day and go confront abortion with dedication and commitment. We must decide to be involved, to be at all the events possible, to talk to as many people each day as possible without counting the cost. We must not count the feelings we have, we must not count the circumstance of our homework or our other obligations, we must not build our calendar around social events rather than pro-life activities. That might seem hardcore and it is. If we truly believe abortion is what it is, then we should be responding as if it is. We should wake up each day and say “Someone in my town is scheduled to die today, how can I bring life and joy into the world today to help combat this rampant culture of death? How can I reach out and help save that life?”
Resources and strategies are going to have a different effect in different areas. There is a college near me and the president of the pro-life group there only uses feminist pro-life material because that is what the liberal atmosphere at her college responds to best. It’s all about knowing the “climate” of the area you’re working in and formulating something specific and compelling. Of course, there are general resources that are available and helpful to anyone. The most effective technique I believe is building personal relationships. Once, there was a student on campus who came up to me while I was running our Students for Life table. She threw a knitted uterus at me in protest of what I was doing. I talked to her and she began to calm down and really listen to me. I learned her name. A few months later I was shopping somewhere and realized she worked there and I went over to say “hi”. She’s not my enemy because she doesn’t see the beauty of each human life. She’s my sister, someone to love, someone who obviously has wounds and hurts. And, through honest and kindred dialogue and friendship, I believe each person like this girl can be converted to loving each human life.
What are the most effective ways to educate apathetic and "pro-choice" young people about the pro-life view on abortion?
This is something I am still trying to figure out. The beauty in it is that each person is unique; we each have our own learning style, our own life experiences. Something that might work for some might not work for all.
The best answer I have come up with is to share the whole truth in love. We know what abortion is and what it does, let us not be afraid to show it, to explain it, to talk about it. If we approach sharing this horrifying and difficult information with a spirit of love, then I believe it will transform our culture. For example, have a portable DVD player and a copy of “Choice Blues”. Don’t be scared to ask people to watch a real abortion happen. Often times people do not realize what it is that they are supporting. They see that first tiny human hand ripped off and slide off in a pool of blood and they recoil in absolute horror. That horror is the proper and natural response to abortion and before that moment they haven’t had to encounter abortion like that. Don’t be scared to horrify people if it’s done in a spirit of love and they consent to it. Abortion is horrifying, we know that, so help them know it too.
Also, I have experienced becoming desensitized to abortion since we talk about it so much. We should allow ourselves to let our passion seep out in all our conversations. Once, I was talking to a young woman about abortion. For me, it was another “routine” conversation with a stranger about abortion. I do not cry often, especially in public. All of sudden, the pure horror of abortion that happened to one baby I knew in the past came to my mind and a few tears just rolled down my face. That young woman was surprised to see my tears as much as I was, and all I could say was “Sorry, it really gets to me you know, the fact that this person died.” She hugged me. That hug acknowledged that a life had been lost, a life was being grieved for, and that it was NORMAL for grief to be there. She said, “This person was real to you” and I said, “This is real, she was real, abortion is real.” There was not much educational material used, it was simply two female hearts communicating something we both knew in the depths of our beings: killing babies is wrong and the damage is real.
We have to be bold and be passionate. How can we expect others to be on fire for life when we become lukewarm in our work?
What is the best part about being a pro-life activist?
| | Hands down, looking into the eyes of a mom and child saved from abortion. Recently, I held a baby God allowed me to be part of rescuing. She looked into my eyes, I looked into hers, and my whole heart seized up. It was one of those incredible human experiences that words cannot express adequately. Here was this precious child, one who was almost ripped to pieces, one who almost did not make it to birth and into the “outside” world. But, here she was, saved and safe.
| There she was smiling at me with this huge grin in her cute, pink outfit and tiny baby feet and toes. There is nothing in the entire universe more rewarding than that. Nothing. Because of that I can say with great zeal, “I’d wake up early every day for ten years for you, little baby. I’d let people spit on me and curse me. I’d let police put handcuffs on me. I’d do anything to make sure you’re always safe because I love you”. And the moms just adore it, they enjoy seeing someone so in love with their child. The moms are proud of their child, proud of choosing life, and they just grin so big when they see you lavishing their most valuable treasure with love.
What has been the most memorable experience for you thus far in the pro-life movement?
I tell this story a lot because it moved me so much. It’s a rather lengthy and special story, but I’ll condense it quite a bit:
I went to one of the abortion facilities in Memphis a few years ago. I was there for six hours straight, I got a wicked sunburn, and none of the women would talk to me which had never happened to me before. I was completely demoralized. I was actually angry with God. The next day I decided to go to the mall for some retail therapy. I was on my way and I heard Jesus asking me to go back to this abortion facility right then. There was no way I was going to do it, especially without any sunscreen on and red as a lobster. But, Jesus always wins when He wants to win, so I ended up there. I was there for two hours, nothing happened again, I became extremely upset.
Then, a car rolled up and I tried to get the women inside to roll down the window but they zipped past me. They wouldn’t talk to me when they got out of the car either but the woman getting the abortion was gorgeous. She was wearing a hot pink dress and I was instantly attracted to her in an odd spiritual way I had never experienced before towards another person. I felt God leading me to pray for this woman. I literally prayed for three straight hours for this woman and didn’t talk to anyone else going in. I was just there, totally frozen into prayer for this woman.
After three hours, the amount of time it approximately takes for an abortion to be performed, I was losing all hope. I just knew she had chosen abortion. I saw her walk out the back door, tears all down her face, and she was walking slowly with great difficulty (a sign an abortion has happened). My whole heart just shattered in that moment and I was even angrier at God. I was about to leave but I felt God prompting me to stay until this girl drove off. After all, I had been there so devotedly for her and she needed my prayers more than ever now that she was post-abortive.
As this young girl was driving out of the parking lot by her mother, the car stopped right next to me. The window shot down, the girl in the pink dress snatched my arm so quickly and held it to herself. With a tear soaked face she looked at me and said “Thank you, thank you, thank you. You saved us.” She let go of my arm and drove off. I never said one word to her. I don’t know her name. I don’t know anything. All I know is that I was there and I was praying and she attributed being spared to me. She gave me a great gift that day and I have never cried so hard before out of joy. I will never forget that look in her eye when we made eye contact and tears were streaming down her face. It was a look of desperate gratefulness. It was a life-changing experience for me.
This is an example of what I mean by deciding to be in pro-life work and not basing involvement on feeling or circumstance. I did not want to be there that day and I was grumpy as could be. But, God used me. He showed me His glory, His power, a true miracle in front of my skeptical and angry heart. Would that baby boy or girl be alive today if I was not there? I think of that each time I want to skip an event or feel too tired to engage about abortion with others.
Do you think Roe v. Wade will be overturned in our lifetime?
Simply put, yes. The pro-life movement is not giving up, and we are not going away. We are here to save lives. We are here to convert hearts. We are here to love. And, love always wins. Always. In the end, love triumphs. It shines as a beacon of hope to the entire world. We are here to love and love and love until ultimately love wins.
What are some ways that we can make America more pro-life? What do you think is the best way to engage people on this issue?
| Draw people to yourself. Make them want to come to you. I have pro-life bumper stickers all over the back of my car. I wear a pro-life t-shirt at least five times a week. I calmly and casually bring up abortion in as many ways as I can in every day conversation. Occasionally I will walk up to a stranger in the store and say “hey, how do you feel about abortion?” Show them your smiling faces, your loving hearts, and the truth you know about abortion. Don’t save the activism for the weekend or organized group events. Go out and be a light of truth everywhere you go. Always be prepared to engage. Once, I was at a raging college party and a girl who knew about how pro-life I was approached me. She was a bit tipsy but she spilled her entire heart on me--about her hookups and her let downs and her hurt and her pain. And, you know what, I had to deal with it. I had to love her and practice good listening skills. Be unafraid and prepared to engage always and anywhere.
| | What advice would you give to young men and women who are starting to get involved in the pro-life movement?Be bold. Recognize that many in the world will hate you for what you’re doing. You must love them anyway and keep pressing forward, because human lives are worth it. Be educated. Take time to learn how to best talk to people, about abortion laws, about fetal development, etc. It’s hard to do that on top of school work, but it’s just necessary and it’s a sacrifice we must willingly make. Put yourself in their shoes. Do your best to imagine what it is like being others. A post-abortive dad or mom. An unborn baby. A pro-choice student. A young mother. It can be easy to become angry at others for believing abortion is okay and that can be seen as righteous anger. But we must learn how to love them and see where they are coming from, so that we may treat them with absolute acceptance and love. Have fun. Abortion is serious, but events talking about abortion don’t have to be. You can pass out cupcakes or popsicles. You can smile a lot. You can joke with a passerby about the latest meme or YouTube video. Be friendly and know that personal connection makes a big difference in whether someone stays around longer to talk to you about abortion. Know names. Always ask someone’s name and use it in the conversation. Make it personal and show that you are one hundred percent tuned into what they’re saying to you, and you care about listening to them. It also helps you start conversations later when you see them around campus and you can confidently call out, “Hey so-and-so.” I hope Julia inspired you to passionately and proactively stand up for the sanctity of human life. She certainly has inspired me to be more prolific in the pro-life movement.
Follow Anna Maria Hoffman on Twitter.
| | | Today is National "Leave the Abortion Industry" Day.
In the last 40 years, our nation has lost 56 million of our brothers and sisters to legal abortions. Our generation is missing precious lives that could have been saved. Enough is enough. We can no longer ignore abortion and the unbearable pain that it causes-to the mother, the father and the emptiness left after the baby's life is taken.
| | | FOLLOW CALEB ON FACEBOOK FOR CONSERVATIVE VIEWS. CLICK HERE TO JOIN.Stand up and speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves. The true measure of any society is how it treats the least, the tiniest life in a mother's womb. This day is a call for employees of abortion clinics to leave their jobs in pursuit of new careers, knowing they have support. The organization, And Then There Were None, is ready to provide these brave people with financial, legal, emotional and spiritual assistance as they transition out of the abortion industry and into a new line of work. Do you work at an abortion clinic? Please read this letter from Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood employee who was the Planned Parenthood 2008 "Employee of the Year." She found healing and so can you. I am a college student passionate about this, because I could have been aborted. My mom chose life, and it angers me to no end to see innocent lives taken and people deceived, burdened with the pain that abortion causes. I want to see our generation step out of darkness and into the light and find the healing on the other side. If this is a cause you care about, please join me in prayer and help raise awareness. May we encourage a culture of life and be the generation to end abortion. If you're on Twitter, make sure to tweet about #DayofExodus. Also, make sure to attend this event on Facebook and spread the word about it there! Follow Caleb Parke.
 Eastern Michigan University refused to fund a student-sponsored pro-life exhibit because it was deemed “too controversial, biased, and one-sided,” according to a federal lawsuit filed against the university. The Students For Life at EMU had applied for funding from student fees to host a pro-life display on campus called the Genocide Awareness Project–a traveling photo-mural exhibit which compares the contemporary genocide of abortion to historically recognized forms of genocide. “Universities should encourage, not shut down, the free exchange of ideas,” said David Hacker, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom. “The university funded the advocacy of other student organizations but singled out Students for Life for exclusion based purely upon its viewpoint.” Alliance Defending Freedom is an Arizona-based group representing Students For Life. The lawsuit, Students for Life at Eastern Michigan University v. Parker, notes that EMU officials have been inconsistent with their funding guidelines and have allocated the same funds to political and ideological speech discussing “welfare rights, women’s and abortion rights, student activist training, and race-conscious issues, just to name a few.” The lawsuit also explains that the First Amendment’s Freedom of Speech Clause “prohibits content and viewpoint discrimination in a public university’s allocation of mandatory student fee funding.” Moreover, “the government may not regulate speech based on policies that permit arbitrary, discriminatory, and overzealous enforcement.” As the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed, “viewpoint neutrality” must be the operating principle of student fees and funding. EMU's Students for Life lay out in their Constitution that they are "committed to save lives threatened by induced abortion, destruction of human embryos...to educate on life issues." "The constitutional freedoms of pro-life student organizations should be recognized by university officials just as they recognize those freedoms for other student groups," ADF senior counsel Kevin Theriot said. “We hope EMU revises its student funding policy to include all groups, regardless of their political or ideological viewpoint.” Follow Caleb Parke on Twitter. This post was originally posted on Caleb's personal blog, "A Run through the Parke."
 It’s another tragic story of a young woman’s life being lost to a botched abortion. In this case, it was twenty-nine year old Jennifer Morbelli, who was a patient of Dr. Leroy Carhart. Carhart performed a third trimester abortion on Ms. Morbelli, which resulted in massive internal bleeding in her abdominal cavity. She died last Friday. This isn’t the first time a patient of Dr. Carhart has died while he was performing a third trimester abortion. According to LifeSiteNews:
This tragic incident occurred the same day that another medical emergency took place at a New Mexico abortion clinic involving long-time Carhart associate Shelley Sella. At the time of that incident, a Medical Board in New Mexico was voting to clear Sella of negligence charges, related to a botched third trimester abortion using the same risky late-term abortion method employed by Carhart. This dangerous out-patient abortion process includes long periods of time where the patient is unmonitored while taking strong doses of a drug that causes unpredictable and sometimes violent contractions.
“The avoidable death of this young woman dramatically illustrates the dangers of third trimester abortions that are done outside of the safety of obstetrical standards,” said Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue and Pro-life Nation.
“In 2005, Carhart was also involved in the death of Christin Gilbert, who died after a third trimester abortion in Wichita, Kansas. It is time for medical boards to put an end to these horrifically dangerous and barbaric third trimester abortions. If they do not, we can only expect Carhart and his associates to send more women to the morgue.”
Dr. Carhart’s butcher’s bill is disturbingly devoid of any remorse. Lila Rose, President of Live Action, released this statement on February 8 concerning the death Ms. Morbelli. While his twenty-nine-year-old patient and her eight-month-old baby were dying horribly, late-term abortionist Leroy Carhart skipped town, leaving the hospital and the young woman’s family desperate for answers. Carhart himself is busy whitewashing and promoting his grisly work through a Hollywood film. So how many women and children are killed by abortionists like Carhart without our ever knowing, their deaths covered up by pro-abortion physicians?
Not only does Carhart’s violent work literally tear women from their children, but it also divides women against themselves; they suffer and mourn for their lost children, yet they are all the while told by Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion entities that they have no good reason to grieve.
These tragic and unnecessary deaths underline what Live Action has detailed again and again: abortion is not safe–for anyone. Women who understand what these horrible abortions entail do not want them. And those women who are lied to and misled about these “procedures” deserve to know exactly what Big Abortion –and their abortion bosses like Carhart–seek to do to them.
However, the nation–and the political left–is more wrapped up in Christopher Dorner, than the brutalization of women at the hands of an abortionist. Originally posted on the PJ Tatler*Correction: In my previous post, I mistakenly wrote that Morbelli slipped into a coma before passing away. She went–tragically–into Code Blue (cardiac/respiratory arrest) six times before she died. Follow Matt Vespa on Twitter.
 Huggies' recent advertising campaign has just provided us with the latest mainstream example that yes, we do indeed believe that unborn babies are human beings. In the commercial, a husband and wife (we presume) discover that they are going to have a baby. "There's a baby in there!" the father-to-be cries, "There's a human being growing inside your stomach!" Examples like this are critical to setting the parameters for the abortion debate. It shows that when it comes to desired pregnancies, everyone assumes that the fetus growing in there is in fact a baby. Yes, a legit human being. Even Mary Elizabeth Williams admitted as much in a recent article in Salon. In what amounts to a naked confession, she comes out and says that yes, life starts at conception: "I believe that's what a fetus is: a human life." Somehow, though, she still has no problem with the idea of having an abortion, even after acknowledging that she considered her children to be, well, children, from the moment she found out she was pregnant. There may be a semantic subtly at play here that distinguishes between what the Huggies commercial said and Williams' article. She uses the term "human life," eight times, but never "human being." Would she say there is a difference? I think Williams expected her honesty to lend a new strength to her argument, but it only makes the hypocrisy starker. She says there's nothing magical about a trip down the birth canal that makes someone fully human, but she contends that a woman's right to live life to the fullest trumps the right of the human life growing inside her to be taken care of, raised, and provided for as a dependent person. I can only wonder if the same principle applies if a woman suddenly decided that her six-month-old infant was impeding her "right" to truly live life. At that point, would she have the right to change her mind and rid herself of the obligation to care for her infant's life by actively choosing to end that child's life? I suspect Ms. Williams would say no. If so, we’re back to square one. What’s the difference? Regardless of what Williams and her ilk say, those in favor of life ought to grab on to the Huggies' ad. I doubt that Huggies was trying to make a political statement, but all the better if they weren't. The commercial ignores political rhetoric and instead taps in to the ingrained, self-evident truth that deep down inside we all recognize: when a woman becomes pregnant, there's a baby in there. There's a human being growing inside her stomach.
We got ourselves a victory! If you visit our original article, notice that the Center for Reproductive Rights has removed the offensive and disgusting PSA celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The video took a lot of heat for using the word "Baby" in the title. Not to mention the sexualized tone used by Mehcad Brooks, as he drinks alcohol in front of a fire place. This would have been better suited as an alcohol or some awkward product not suitable for kids commercial. What were they thinking when they made this video? This is another victory for the pro-life movement. We need to continue to expose the deception and destruction coming from the abortion industry. Thanks to posts from Fox News, LifeNews, Patheos and many more, this sick video has been removed. Keep exposing leftist garbage like this, so we can get back to discussing real issues and find common ground to get this country back on the right track.
This past week, the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) released a PSA celebrating the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which has claimed more than 55 million babies. The video features actor Mehcad Brooks, of True Blood and Just Wright. Brooks portrays a man celebrating the "freedom" that comes with "taking care" of a situation, otherwise known as a baby.
The PSA, if anything, resembled a sexualized alcohol commercial more than anything having to deal with abortion. At first, the man played by Brooks reminded us of big government. He claims to know what is best for women. He lectures that motherhood would "put limits" on her, and would be a hindrance to both her and society.
He then goes on to proclaim that he will always be there for her, "today, tomorrow, and forever." That is how much she means to him, to "us," and then "all of us." CRR promotes women and government as the key figures in the issue of abortion while leaving the baby's father out of the issue altogether.
This video seeks to promote the role of government in reproductive rights and diminish the role of men. In situations that are less than ideal, men need to be encouraged to face the situation alongside the women in their lives. Instead, of "taking care of the problem" because it's convenient, life should be affirmed.
Also, the video suggests that fatherhood should be disregarded altogether. By making light of pregnancy, and the concept of parenthood, the video sends the message that it's perfectly fine to go back on your actions, instead of stepping up to the plate and making the best of the situation.
Once a life is created, there is no going back. The father and mother are still parents, regardless if the baby is given the opportunity to live or not.
Our generation needs to stand up for the culture of life and come alongside men and women that have been hurt by abortion. We need to unite in saying, "40 years is enough!"
Our nation can take a lesson from Relient K's song "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" where they say, "stop right there, that's exactly where I lost it. See that line, well I never should have crossed it...it's the very moment that I wish that I could take back."
We wish that we could take back every single life. It's sad to think of each potential life and the amazing contributions that they could have made in this world. It takes a movement to undo something this big.
The pro-life movement is not some manufactured machine. It's a grassroots movement with millions of Americans, from children in school to mothers and fathers of all vocations, representing all Americans and standing up for the fundamental right to life of all human beings in all stages of life.
We need to step up as the pro-life generation and heed to Harvard law professor Mary Ann Glendon’s advice, which was given in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing: “All who are genuinely committed to the advancement of women can and must offer a woman or a girl who is pregnant, frightened, and alone a better alternative than the destruction of her own unborn child.” What was true 20 years ago is even more applicable today, at a time when a baby is aborted every 94 seconds.
Instead of celebrating the widespread deception of the abortion movement, let’s do all we can to celebrate and create a culture of life.
Anna Maria talks about her experience at Walk for Life San Diego and why it's important to stand up for the sanctity of human life.
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