"All who love freedom have their part to play in the cultivation of that fruit and to bring liberty to its right end: the truth about human dignity and human destiny. It is a worthy call." posted by Rev. Robert Sirico on the Acton Institute Power Blog
For 197 years, we Americans took "life" was taken for granted while we were grateful to service people and others for protecting our "liberty and the pursuit of happiness". Then the unthinkable happened and it was life itself that was threatened - from within. Now we pro-lifers are the people who are protecting the basic right in this country - we are the military. When we passed the resolution below at the National Right to Life Board meeting, I was so moved that I wanted the proper occasion to share it with you. Independence Day is perfect.
"RESOLUTION HONORING GRASSROOTS VOLUNTEERS
WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court's tragic 1973 Roe v Wade decision has resulted in the deaths of more than 53 million unborn children and has opened the door to further attacks on defenseless human beings in the form of infanticide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia; and
WHEREAS, the successful effort to return legal protection to vulnerable persons is more visible and effective than ever, thanks to the grass-roots pro-lifers who refuse to remain silent in the face of injustice and cruelty; and
WHEREAS, countless unborn babies and medically dependent people are alive because of the selfless work of millions of grassroots volunteers; and
WHEREAS, the strength of the pro-life movement always has been and remains the result of continuous, steadfast effort of unsung grassroots volunteers;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National Right to Life Committee Board of Directors, sitting in Jacksonville, Florida on June 22, 2011, recognizes with deep appreciation the invaluable work of these dedicated pro-life volunteers and extends to these grassroots champions its heart-felt gratitude for the talents and resources they have extended on behalf of innocent, vulnerable human life."
Last week we buried Marie Lueders. The Needham Chapter of MCFL started in her living room days after the abortion decisions. She was the typical pro-lifer who remained steadfast to the end. God rest her soul.
Here's to all of you who deserve infinite credit for your love and perseverance.
God bless you all! Anne
PS. Yes, as a matter of fact, G.K. Chesterton does have something to say about this. On a visit to the States, he spoke of our flag, "by whose stars we are illumined, and by whose stripes we are healed." What a stirring interpretation of America and its mission! Our date with him is Oct 15th!
"MASSACHUSETTS CITIZENS FOR LIFE
TRIES TO SHUT DOWN SAFE-SEX SITE FOR TEENS
There are so many bad actors in the saga of Maria Talks, a safe-sex-education Web site that came under fire this past spring, that it's hard to know where to begin. The 63 state legislators who demanded that Governor Deval Patrick eliminate the $100,000 in state funding the site receives? Check. The state's four Catholic bishops, led by Cardinal Seán O'Malley, who jumped on the defunding bandwagon? Check. The Boston Herald, for endangering a vital program by flogging this story above and beyond the call of journalistic duty? Check. The state's public-health commissioner, John Auerbach, who partly caved in to the pressure and ordered that the site be toned down? Check.
The coveted Muzzle, though, goes to the anti-abortion-rights group MASSACHUSETTS CITIZENS FOR LIFE (MCFL). According to the Herald, which broke the story on April 20, it was MCFL that initially 'took aim at the site'".
The Phoenix claims we helped this very sensible, needed web site by letting more people know about it. No doubt The Phoenix will be glad to hear that we are investigating the Planned Parenthood connection - which looks like conflict of interest . I'm sure The Phoenix will also be thrilled to learn that we are training speaking teams to go into the areas targeted to have Maria Talks integrated into the school curricula. These pro-life speakers will talk directly to the young people with the facts about life, abortion, relations with their parents, etc.
In receiving this award, as they say, I must thank all those who made it possible, blah, blah... Seriously, thanks to all of you who made the calls, sent the emails, and talked to countless people. I know I can count on you for the next phase of the battle. Anne
This was one of the best NRL Conventions! Constant themes: we must hold the U S House, elect 60 Senators, take back the Presidency, and then repeal Obamacare. I'll be telling you more about implementation of Obamacare that is so bad we never could have imagined when we started fighting it two years ago!
The Convention concluded with a Banquet that featured Michael Clancy. You'll remember him at our 2010 Assembly for Life. The picture of Baby Samuel, who is now 11 years old, will never cease to amaze and inspire, as will Michael's beautiful story. The last day was kicked off by the Schindler family. They have done such a wonderful job in protecting vulnerable patients - patients who had been denied care and are now alive and healthy because of their efforts. Suzanne Vitadamo, who spoke at our Dinner right after Terry's death, her brother Bobby Schindler, and their mother were all there.
A new movie, Doonby, was premiered. It features Norma McCorvey and stars Jennifer O'Neil, who spoke at our Mothers' Day Dinner. Burke Balch continues to be THE national expert on health care - he has developed his research even further than that he presented to us two years ago. Wanda Franz who spoke last October, David Franks, Chairman of the MCFL Board, and his wife, Angela, all presented at breakout sessions. Fr. Frank Pavone was very enthusiastic about his recent visit to Hingham, and many other presenters told me they would love to come to Massachusetts to speak.
There are some more exciting things from the Convention. I look forward to sharing them with you! Anne
You and I want the best medical care available for all. We know that Medicare is running out of money. If there is no money, no one gets care. There must be an alternative which will provide the best care. It is very important for each of us to know the facts about Obamacare and about the plan put forth by U.S. Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI). These are three highly informative videos which you will want to watch.
As time gets short and the debate heats up, we must each understand this information well enough to share with others! Please watch carefully. Thank you, Anne
TAKE ACTION: Urge your representative vote against H.R.3!
H.R.3, the deceptively named No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, is up for a vote in the House of Representatives this week. One of several dangerous pieces of legislation in this 112th Congress, H.R.3 would permanently reinforce a ban on federal funding for abortion care and levy ideological tax penalties on millions of families and businesses -- effectively parceling out women's constitutional rights on the basis of ability to pay, with racist as well as sexist outcomes.
BACKGROUND:
Sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), H.R.3 would:
Codify the Hyde Amendment
H.R.3 would codify a collection of federal abortion funding restrictions referred to as the Hyde Amendment. Under the Hyde Amendment, federal funding of abortion care is segregated from all other forms of health care and severely restricted. This grave injustice puts women's health and lives at risk, disproportionately affecting women of color. For more than 30 years, extremists have bullied Congress into re-approving these federal funding restrictions annually through the appropriations process. Rep. Smith, Speaker Boehner and other ideologues in the House leadership now hope to make this harmful process permanent.
Critically, this legislation, a core part of the right-wing "War on Women," would limit the health exception for women seeking abortions. The radical conservatives within the House of Representatives are determined to expand and make permanent law this racist, sexist and compassionless strategy to use economic coercion to effectively overturn Roe v. Wade.
Restrict Private Spending and Increase Taxes
The "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act" is deceptively named because it doesn't stop with federal funding. It also would levy tax penalties on millions of families and businesses using private insurance plans that happen to cover abortion care, and it would restrict the use of individuals' private health savings accounts to cover abortion care -- thus encouraging the Internal Revenue Service to conduct "abortion audits" on women's tax returns. Rightly dubbed "Stupak on Steroids," H.R.3 goes much farther than the "compromise" inserted into the Affordable Care Act restricting private insurance coverage of abortion care in the new health exchanges.
Additional brutal provisions of H.R.3 would narrow the definition of incest and make permanent restrictions on the use of local funds for abortion care in the District of Columbia.
Demand your representative vote against this extremist, woman-hating bill."
NOW seems somewhat upset by H.R.3!
You are probably ahead of them and already called your Congressman. If not, please call in favor of H.R.3 right now! The vote is Wednesday.
Congressman John W. Olver , 202-225-5335
Congressman Richard E. Neal, 202-225-5601
Congressman James P. McGovern, 202-225-6101
Congressman Barney Frank, 202-225-5931
Congressman Niki Tsongas, 202-225-3411
Congressman John F. Tierney, 202-225-8020
Congressman Edward J. Markey, 202-225-2836
Congressman Michael Capuano, 202-225-5111
Congressman Stephen F. Lynch, 202-225-8273
Congressman William D. Keating, 202-225-3111
I wish I could tell you who sent along this NOW hysteria, but, if I did they would take her off their list. Thanks to her - and to you for your persistence! Anne
Madeline McComish, Chairman of the MCFL State PAC has announced PAC endorsements for the State Representative special election on May 10,2011: James Dixon, 10th Middlesex, and Peter Durant for, 6th Worcester.
"Jim Dixon is a dedicated defender of Life who has worked for many years to save babies from abortion." said McComish. "He has served as Chapter Chairman of the Waltham Chapter of MCFL and has served on the Board of Directors of Massachusetts Citizens For Life."
"Peter Durant is another dedicated defender of Life." said McComish. "His opponent supports a pro-abortion agenda."
The 6th Worcester, where Durant is running against a pro-abortion incumbent, consists of Charlton, Southbridge, East Brookfield and portions of Oxford and Spencer.
Dixon is running for an open seat against a pro-abortion candidate. The 10th Middlesex consists of precincts 1 and 4 of ward 1, and precinct 4 of ward 3, of the city of Newton, all precincts of wards 5 and 6, precinct 2 of ward 7, and all precincts of wards 8 and 9, of the city of Waltham, and precinct 10, of the town of Watertown.
McComish concludes, "As State Representatives, Jim Dixon and Peter Durant will support a 100% Pro-life agenda. We need PRO-LIFE Representatives at the State House. Jim Dixon and Peter Durant need your vote in the special election on Tuesday, May 10, 2011."
Linda Thayer is a hero! She is responsible for informing the public about Maria Talks. Linda discovered the web site and discussed it at the MCFL Youth Conference on April 9th. One of the students said there was a poster for it in the nurse's office at his school.
Linda was devastated! This school year she has spoken to 10,000 students - her busiest year ever. She will finish the year in North Adams next Sunday. She works so hard to guide students to make proper decisions and here is this web site telling minor girls how to get abortions without their parents' knowing and claiming abortions are very common and easy.
When we looked into the site, we discovered that Maria is Jorge from the Aids Action Committee who runs the site with $100,000 of state (taxpayer) money. We took our information to the Boston Herald which found we had just scratched the surface here and here.
The story has been covered by Fox National News, the Drudge Report and Glen Beck among other outlets.
Obviously, the site must be shut down, defunded, and an investigation must be mounted to find out what other state funds are going to these kinds of projects. Last Thursday MCFL sent a letter to the governor, outlining these requests. Please read the letter. Then call Governor Patrick to demand he comply by shutting down the site immediately and then investigating and defunding: 888.870.7770
Marc Lombardo and other State Representatives are planning to take legislative action. Please call your State Rep. and State Sen. with the same demands that you have for the Governor. Look up the phone number of your representative or senator.
If you do not know the name of your legislators, I am sorry to say the state web site has not updated since last falls' election. You may call the Mass Citizens office to ask, 617-242-4199.
Many legislators who are not pro-life are in favor of the MA Parental Consent Law and object to using tax money to destroy families. So we need to contact all legislators. If you wish to know where your legislators stand on the life issues, check here.
I know you are upset as I about your money being used to entice young girls into sexual activity and then coaching them on how to obtain abortions without their parents' knowing. Please call today.
The Board of Directors, the staff, and volunteers at Mass. Citizens join me in wishing you a Blessed Easter and Passover. Each of these prayers seems to speak to our needs and obligations. Please accept my heartfelt thanks for all you do for life - especially at this busy time. Best to you and your family! Anne
This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us rejoice and be glad in it. Let those again speak who have been redeemed by our Lord: whom He hath redeemed out of the hand of the enemy, and gathered out of the nations.
Lo, this is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in want come and celebrate the Passover with us. May it be God's will to redeem us from all trouble and from all servitude. Next year at this season may the whole house Israel be free.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anne Fox, 781-449-1774
April 21, 2011
Boston--Today, Massachusetts Citizens for Life hand-delivered a letter to Governor Deval Patrick requesting that the state-funded web site "Maria Talks" be taken down immediately pending an investigation into its funding and approval, that said investigation be launched, and that the Governor meet with representatives of the organization about this troubling matter.
According to Anne Fox, President of MCFL, the site is inaccurate and deliberately misleading, "It literally coaches minor girls on how to obtain abortions without their parents knowing."
She continued, "Besides closing the site, there must be a public accounting of the funding and the decision making that lead to this serious violation of the public trust. Tax-payers need to know who in the administration authorized these funds, who approved the one-sided and misleading content of the website, who chose the group involved in creating and maintaining the website, and how it was determined that this group was qualified to counsel minor girls."
You might have seen the article below in today's Boston Herald. If not, we're sure you'll be as outraged as I was when the issue discussed was brought to our attention. -Anne
Site: No stigma in abortion
Critics blast state-funded sex-ed Web site
By Christine McConville, Chris Cassidy and Laurel Sweet / Herald Exclusive
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
A state-funded sex education Web site that tells teens an abortion is "much easier than it sounds" has drawn fire from outraged pro-lifers who say mariatalks.com is glossing over ugly truths, steering teens toward the controversial procedure and counseling them how to keep mom and dad in the dark.
Pioneer Valley Mass Citizens for Life will be mailing out the Mother's Day Dinner edition of the newsletter this Tuesday April 12th from 9AM until we are finished in the Jordan Room at St. Elizabeth Church at 191 Hubbard St. in Ludlow. We need volunteers to help with the mailing. If you can come to help, even if you can only come for an hour, please stop by. If you will be coming in the afternoon, please call my cell phone at 413-219-4329 before you come to make sure we are still there. We finished earlier than planned for the last two mailings for PVMCFL, and I want to make sure no one drives all the way to Ludlow to find out that we are gone. We are planning to be at the Church from 9AM until 3PM.
Thank you to all of you who have helped with previous mailings. I really appreciate your help! Hope to see you there!
Type into Google "Illinois pharmacists" and Mark Rienzi's picture appears. Mark is the lead counsel in the Illinois conscience rights fight. The court today enjoined the law written to force pharmacists to dispense "emergency contraceptives"! We know Mark from his work on the MA Buffer Zone Law. This case is Illinois is huge in comparison!
As Wesley Smith says,
"Those laws are unique to Illinois. But the case, if it stands up on appeal, could have a wider impact since the court also found a violation of the constitutional rights of the pharmacists under the First Amendment's protection of the 'free exercise of religion:'"
MARK WILL BE AT OUR CONVENTION TO TELL US ALL ABOUT THIS VITAL RULING.
I'm looking forward to hearing him and all the other wonderful speakers. Please register now. Anne
We expect Committee hearings on our bills to be announced any minute.
Our five bills have been referred to three committees: Judiciary (Laura's Law, Sex selection, PBA), Public Health (fetal pain), and Revenue (Taxpayer option).
We are especially grateful to the following legislators who sponsored all five of our bills: Rep. Elizabeth Poirier, Rep. Nicholas Collins, Rep. James Lyons, Rep. John Rogers, and Sen, Richard Ross.
We are also looking at a fetal homicide bill sponsored by Rep. Bradley Jones, strengthening of the Baby Safe Haven Law by Rep. Steven Levy, and fetal anesthesia bill by Rep. Vincent deMacedo.
MCFL will be opposing the Health Care Frameworks which mandate offensive sex ed including teaching children how to obtain abortions without their parents' knowledge or consent. We will also oppose a proposed Doctor Prescribed Suicide bill.
Special election primaries for state representative in the Sixth Worcester District and state representative in the Tenth Middlesex District are next Tuesday, April 12th. The general special election is May 10th. We have candidates in both races!
Tenth Middlesex: Jim Dixon (R) is pro-life, actually a former member of the MCFL Board. None of the other candidates has returned our Questionnaire.
Sixth Worcester: Peter Durant ( R) is pro-life
Joanne Powell (D) is pro-life
Geraldo Alicea (D) takes a 100% pro-abortion position.
Madeline McComish, Chairman of the MCFL State PAC tells me the PAC has done phone calls
and mailings into the Worcester District for the primary and will be working in both districts for the special election.
The 2009 Back to School issue of the MCFL News featured an analysis of the "Get Real" curriculum designed by Planned Parenthood. We featured the story to warn people that PP was marketing the program to most of the towns in the state. Since then, Haverhill pro-lifers were able to keep out this highly offensive program, which tells children how to get abortions and advocates illegal activity, out of their schools, but many school departments bought it (literally) and are starting to implement. Groups of parents, such as those in Needham, www.needhamsense.org. are working to keep out these programs. Other groups are forming.
When the MCFL News came out, many people checked to see what was going on locally. It is time to check again to see if any new "Wellness" programs are planned in your town.
This is another way you can defund Planned Parenthood by cutting into their business! Anne
I have sent this notice. We find that only a few churches open our Bulletin notices. It would be very helpful if you would submit it to your parish. The notice about the Oratory Contest appeared in many Bulletins because you and others submitted it. Thanks very much! Anne
Learn the latest pro-life issues and how you can help on April 9th! Massachusetts Citizens for Life Convention (8:30am - 4:00pm) and Youth Conference (2:30pm - 7:30 pm) at Boston College Law School feature national experts on Conscience Rights, Constitutionality of Obamacare, Doctor Prescribed Death, and International Population as well as practical training to change the culture and laws. For information or registration, call 617-242-4199 or visit masscitizensforlife.org.
After being postponed by the weather, Catholic Citizenship's presentation of former Senator Rick Santorum has been rescheduled for lunch on Monday, March 14th. The cost is $100 but CC has again invited those who are members of MCFL to come for a special rate of $50. Here is the information about the lunch.
To RSVP for the luncheon, click here. To purchase a ticket click here.To download a flier click here.
If you are not already a member of MCFL, you can join before signing up for lunch and still save a lot of money.
We have launched a new, fully interactive website that will allow the prolife community to interact with each other on a daily basis, strategize and receive breaking prolife information and news.
Visit http://massprolife.com/
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