PA Pro-Life Newsletter
Pennsylvania Pro-Life Online News from the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation
A twice-monthly publication of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation/4800 Jonestown Rd., Suite 102/Harrisburg, PA/17109/717-541-0034.
If you have any trouble accessing any of these stories, you can find them on our website at http://www.paprolife.org/resources/e_news.html .
President Moves to Rescind Conscience Clause
President Barack Obama is beginning the process of overturning protections put in place by President George W. Bush which ensured that medical staffs and centers are not forced to do abortions. The move is the latest pro-abortion action by the Obama Administration. To send a message to the President opposing this policy decision, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ . To learn more about the White House action, go to http://www.lifenews.com/nat4865.html .
In This Issue
President Expected to Rescind Conscience Clause
FOCA Watch
Members of Congress Attempt to Protect Pro-Life Riders
Quick Links
For breaking news updates daily, visit www.paprolife.org
Pregnant? Need help? Go to www.realalternatives.org
Had an abortion? Need healing? Visit www.rachelsvineyard.org
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FOCA Watch
The Freedom of Choice Act has not been introduced yet, thanks to the pressure being put to bear by pro-life advocates. If you have signed Pennsylvania’s online petition against FOCA, thank you! You do not need to sign it again. However, if you have not signed on yet, please go to http://www.paprolife.org/foca/foca4.htm and sign on immediately. FOCA is a radical piece of legislation which would wipe out virtually all limits on abortion, including Pennsylvania’s landmark Abortion Control Act. That would mean no more parental consent, informed consent, or 24-hour waiting periods for abortion. It would also mean the return of the heinous practice of partial-birth abortion. Please make sure you share the link with your pro-life friends and family members as well. To download a copy of the petition that you can circulate among the pro-lifers you know, go to http://www.paprolife.org/foca/papetitionform.pdf .
Members of Congress Attempt to Protect Pro-Life Riders
Nearly 200 members of Congress have signed a letter informing Congressional leaders that they will fight to protect pro-life riders that stop taxpayer funding of abortion. "We respectfully request that the pro-life riders be included in any legislation reported out of the Appropriations Committee. We believe that failure to include all of the current policies with regard to the right to life will mark a radical departure from a policy a majority of Americans support," the letter says. The letter also requests debate and an up-or-down vote on any pro-life rider in danger of being rescinded. Among the Pennsylvania Congressional Representatives signing the letter were Jason Altmire, Kathleen Dahlkemper, Tim Holden, Jim Gerlach, Tim Murphy, Joe Pitts, Todd Platts, Bill Shuster, and Glenn Thompson.
Pro-Abortion Group Launches Campaign Against Pregnancy Resource Centers
The so-called Feminist Majority Foundation, a pro-abortion group, has issued a step-by-step directive to attack those compassionate, effective facilities known as pregnancy resource centers. Such centers provide pregnant women everything from mentoring to maternity clothes. You can find the pro-abortion campaign outlined at http://www.feministcampus.org/act/cpc/default.asp .
12-Year-Old Pro-Life YouTube Sensation
A video of an unidentified 12-year-old girl making a rational, yet impassioned plea for the pro-life cause has become a YouTube hit. You’ll find the girl arguing her case at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOR1wUqvJS4&e .
It’s Never Too Late to Become Pro-Life!
Education Director Maria Vitale has written a column for LifeNews.com about how you’re never too old to embrace the pro-life cause. You’ll find the hopeful piece at http://www.lifenews.com/nat4844.html .
Thanks to Our Essay Contestants!
We would like to take the opportunity to thank all of those junior high and high school students who entered our pro-life essay contest. Winners will be notified by April, and the first-place essays in both the junior high and senior high divisions will appear in the spring issue of our quarterly newspaper, LifeLines.
Want to Take Part in Our Oratory Contest? Let Us Know!
If you’re a high school junior or senior and would like to take part in our pro-life oratory contest, please let us know immediately! Students typically compete in a regional contest first; the top two finishers in each regional contest then go onto compete in the statewide contest April 26th in Harrisburg. Contestants must deliver a five to seven minute talk on abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, or stem cell research from a pro-life perspective. The winner of the state contest will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the national contest in Charlotte, North Carolina in June, where he or she will compete for cash prizes. If you’re interested in taking part, please contact Education Director Maria Vitale as soon as possible at [email protected] or at 717-541-0034.
Scholarship Available for National Right to Life Academy
This summer, the National Right to Life Committee is hosting its annual Academy for pro-life college students and recent graduates. Held in Washington, D.C., the program provides 6 weeks of intensive training in important pro-life issues such as biological fundamentals, embryonic and adult stem cell research, and assisted suicide. Graduates of the NRL Academy will be equipped with the knowledge and experience they need to defend and advance the pro-life movement in their home states. To learn more about the National Right to Life Academy, click on the following link: http://www.nrlc.org/academy/academy.html . If you’re a pro-life college student and resident of Pennsylvania, you can be considered for a scholarship to attend the Academy this summer. Simply send an email to [email protected] and include your contact information along with a paragraph explaining why you believe it would be a good investment for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation to sponsor you for the NRL Academy.
Chapter Information from Around the State
Bedford County–Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation Executive Director Michael Ciccocioppo will be the keynote speaker at the 5th Annual Banquet of the Bedford County Citizens Concerned for Human Life. The banquet will take place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 28th, in Everett, PA. For more information, visit www.BedfordCountyProLife.org or e-mail [email protected] .
Live in Southeast PA? Contact SE Regional Coordinator Heather Wilson to find out more about joining a chapter in Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, or Philadelphia County. You can reach Heather by phone at 610-480-8743 or by e-mail at [email protected] .
Live in the Southwest? If you’d like to become involved in a chapter, contact Southwest Regional Coordinator Bryce McMinn, who set up a regional office in Washington County. Here’s his contact information: Bryce C. McMinn, Southwest Regional Coordinator; Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation; 74 Oak Spring Road, Suite 101; Washington, PA 15301; Work Phone: 724-228-1162; Cell Phone: 412-835-2812; E-Mail: [email protected] .
If you live in another part of the state and you’d like to get involved in a local chapter, contact Executive Director Michael Ciccocioppo at [email protected] or by phone at 717-541-0034.
For a complete list of chapters, visit http://www.paprolife.org/chapters/chapters.html .
