20 ways for students to get involved

in the pro-life movement
By Katherine Burke, Writing Intern, Human Life Alliance

1. “Like” pro-life pages and people on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.  To name a few, pages like Human Life Alliance, Pro-Life Youth and Created Equal can be great resources and will often post about exciting opportunities for you to get involved.

2. Read and keep up with pro-life news.  Websites like www.lifesitenews.com and www.lifenews.com publish up to date news and being informed can help you in future debates.

3. See what local churches have to offer.  Many churches have pro-life clubs that could provide you with excellent opportunities to go out and be an activist!  If you’re in college or high school, join the pro-life club at your school.

4. If you can’t find any clubs, start one!  If you’re in high school or college, Students for Life (http://studentsforlife.org/) will help you form and maintain your club.  Or talk to a local pastor or priest to see if you could form a club at a local church.

5. Go stand outside an abortion clinic.  This is one of the most important things we can do, because it gives a chance to interact with the women who may be about to kill their babies.

6. Plan a cemetery of the innocents.  A more passive form of activism, you can find a description and instructions here: http://studentsforlife.org/resources/organize-an-event/cemeteryoftheinnocents/

7. Organize a pro-life chalk day.  Make sure you have permission to chalk if you plan to do it in a public place and then cover the sidewalk or street in loving pro-life messages!

8. Go to the March for Life.  You can march with a local church, some friends, or go alone and meet some new friends!

9. Volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center.  Places like Birthright have great ministries; caring for women and providing them with the resources they and their babies need.  You can find a list of pregnancy centers here: http://www.heartbeatinternational.org/ and https://www.care-net.org/

10. Contact your senator and ask them to support laws that honor all life.  You can find your senator and how to contact them here: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

11. Build a timeline of fetal development, display it in a public place, and ask people to place a sticker where they think life begins.  This is a great way to start a conversation!

12. Talk to people.  Oftentimes, people are pro-abortion because they are uninformed on the realities of abortion.  Open their eyes to the harsh realities of abortion and you might be surprised by their response.

13.  If you don’t feel comfortable talking to people about abortion yet, you can sign up for a variety of camps and seminars to equip yourself with all the information you need to know.  Here are some links to help you get started: http://prolifetraining.com/ and http://www.survivors.la/survivors-prolife-training-camps/

14. Organize a baby bottle fundraiser.  Pass out empty baby bottles after church services and at other events and set up a time and place to collect the baby bottles after they’ve been filled with money.  Donate the money to a worthy prolife organization.

15. Inform others.  To quickly reach a bigger group of people, you could distribute pro-life literature on your campus or at a church.  Plenty of organizations publish excellent and informative literature, such as: http://www.humanlife.org/store/index.html and http://studentsforlife.storenvy.com/

16. Set up a diaper drive.  Get permission to stand outside your local grocery store and ask people to buy diapers, baby wipes, etc. and collect them to donate to a crisis pregnancy center.  It’s a good idea to have a list of things that the center needs to give to shoppers as they pass by.

17. Like distributing literature, posting pro-life articles and pictures on social media sites can reach a large number of people at one time.  You can even participate in prolife social media activism, like Prolife Youth’s tweetfests.

18. Apply for a pro-life internship.  You can find a list of internships here: http://studentsforlife.org/internships/

19. Vote pro-life.  Research candidates and vote for those who protect all life.  You can see some pro-life candidates for 2014 here: http://www.sba-list.org/endorsed-candidates

20. Love and support women who have had an abortion.  Many women suffer after their abortions, feeling lost, depressed, unloved, and hurt.  Organizations such as Rachel’s Vineyard (http://www.rachelsvineyard.org/index.htm) and Project Rachel (http://hopeafterabortion.com/rachel/) are designed to help women after abortion.

so...what about fetal deformity?

This is thought to be one of the tougher questions surrounding the issue of abortion...but is it really? Perhaps you've heard a friend or someone you know casually add to a conversation, "Well, I'm pro-life but can understand abortion when the baby has a deformity, because there is no way that baby will have a good life."

Let's take a minute to think about that...in this situation, they see abortion as an act of "mercy" for the baby, right? The reality is:

1. Abortion kills a human being through a very violent means which can never be merciful.

2. That person is making a judgement about the value of a human life because they see that life as incapable of "perfection" by their standards.

Fortunately, this reasoning can easily be disproved.

Meet Kyle Maynard... 

Kyle is a motivational speaker, author, entrepreneur and athlete. He has set records in weight lifting, wrestled for one of the top teams in the southeast, fought in mixed martial arts and became the first man to crawl on his own to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

 

Kyle was born with arms that end at the elbows and legs near the knees due to a condition known as congenital amputation. He is a living, inspiring example for achieving his dreams and not letting people discount him for his differences. Kyle is also a person who can serve as a face for the preborn children with deformities who are discounted and killed because their lives are considered "not good enough." He is a living example of why every person deserves a chance, no matter what their situation. 

So the next time someone asks you, what about fetal deformity? Tell them about Kyle or another amazing person who was born with some form of a disability. Let's remind people of their humanity.

 

this week in pictures
 Take a minute to catch up on the top pro-life events from the past week!

abortion: the real war on women

Have you ever heard an abortion supporter flaunt the expression "war on women" when referring to pro-life efforts? Or seen something like this when driving past your state capitol?

Well, you're not alone, but this expression can easily be turned on those who support abortion by knowing key facts about the impact of abortion on women in the U.S. and across the globe. Take a minute to read our list of reasons why abortion is the REAL war on women and why it is a digression for women in society.

1. Since 1973 in the United States, approximately 57,000,000 abortions were performed. Assuming about half of the population is female, 28,500,000 girls were killed and not given a chance because of abortion.
2. 64% of American women who abort report feeling pressured to do so by others.1
3. Abortion has created a culture where women who choose to have a family are not given the resources they need such as proper, affordable day cares, education programs that can work well with family life, even changing tables or breast feeding rooms in public places.
4. Abortion allows a woman to become a disposable sex object in abusive relationships by providing men with a way out that will not cost a lot. It can also allow sexual abusers to cover their tracks and give them the ability to continue abusing the woman.
5. Studies have shown that abortion increases a woman's risk of breast cancer by 44%.2
6. Women have been killed by abortionists. In July 2012 at a Planned Parenthood, 24-year-old Tonya Reaves and her preborn baby were killed. It is said that the abortionist ripped a hole in her uterus and she died several hours later from hemorrhaging.3
7. Women have a 6 times greater risk of suicide after an abortion.4
8. Abortion can cause a woman to become infertile and may prevent her from having a family in the future. One study shows that abortion increases a woman's risk of future miscarriage by 60%.5
9. Women regret having abortions. Most women seek abortion when they are stressed, afraid and not in a calm state of mind. 84% of women report feeling as if abortion was their only choice. Many women suffer for years with regret and painful memories.
10. Studies show that abortion causes a 65% increased risk of long-term clinical depression.7

This is just 10 of many reasons why abortion is the real war on women. Don't be fooled by the rhetoric. Know the facts.

this week in pictures

Take a minute to catch up on the top pro-life events from the past week!

every life is worth living
by Katherine Burke, Writing Intern, Human Life Alliance

A common argument of pro-choicers is that no child should be born into a world where they will live a life with suffering and hardships and little chance of success.  And certainly, no one would ever wish that a child be born into difficulties and sorrows, but no child is better off dead.  In the wake of the recent World Cup, this fact is illustrated well in the life of Brazil’s player, Thiago Silva. 

When Thiago’s mother, Angela, became pregnant with Thiago, she already had two children and didn’t believe she could afford to raise another.  Thankfully, Angela’s father convinced her to choose life for her baby. 

Thiago’s family was desperately poor at the time of his birth and lived in Rio de Janeiro, only 50 meters from an infamous shantytown.  He said that he could hear gunshots and the police were often around the dangerous area.  He thanked God when he arrived safely at home.  Thiago could have easily turned to a life of crime, but instead he chose to work hard and pursue his talent and passion to rise above the crime and poverty that surrounded him.

His early life was not easy.  At age 14, he contracted tuberculosis, which kept him in the hospital for 6 months.  “It was the greatest battle of my life,” he said. On his first try, he failed to get on the local Brazilian soccer team and instead joined a lesser team from the poorer areas.  But his determination, perseverance, and hard work paid off.  After being seen in Europe, he was signed to a Russian team and then the League 1 French team, Paris Saint-Germain.  Now he is a central defender for both Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazilian national team, both of which he captains.  And he earns a salary of $16 million every year.

Before he even had a chance to try out for a soccer team, before he ever kicked a soccer ball, before he survived tuberculosis and the many difficulties of his harsh childhood, his mother considered ending his life.  Imagine the ripple effect of Thiago’s life and how all of that may have never happened if his mother made a different decision.  If Angela had chosen to abort preborn Thiago, Brazil would not have this key inspirational player and role model on the team. 

It’s easy to look at Thiago’s inspiring story of determination and success and agree that he should not have been aborted.  But what about all the other children who won’t become world famous soccer stars and yet still deserve a chance at life?  We cannot forget their equally valuable lives.  Not everyone has a talent for soccer or will become world famous, most will not.  However, those lives are equally important and deserve love, attention, and compassion.  All the lives of preborn children have a purpose.  Some may become life-saving doctors, some may become teachers or mothers or fathers, and some may become your neighbor or your friend.  All will touch lives in ways we can never imagine. Who are we to determine the worth of another person's life?

what's the big deal about plan b?
by Katherine Burke, Writing Intern, Human Life Alliance

By 2013 5.8 million women had used the emergency conception pill Plan B , commonly referred to as the “morning-after pill.”  But are these women aware of the health risks this pill poses to them or what it does to the new life inside of them?

The website “Plan B Side Effects ” lists the most common side effects:
• Headache
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• A change in your menstrual flow (either heavier or lighter)
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Tenderness in the breasts

While these may seem harmless, there are other less common but more serious side effects, such as: 
• Diarrhea 
• Migraine
• Vomiting
• Late periods
• Allergic reaction
• Severe abdominal pain
• Ectopic pregnancy (can be life threatening)

An infamous abortion advocate, Dr. David A. Grimes, who presented at the FDA advisory committee meeting on behalf of the manufacturers of Plan B said that the repeated use of emergency contraceptives such as Plan B “wreaks havoc on a woman’s cycle.”   This can make it very difficult for women to know if they are pregnant or if their period is just late.  As Dr. Lisa Perriera, who works at UH Case Medical Center in obstetrics and gynecology, said: “Menstrual changes is a big one, because (emergency contraception) can really throw off the woman’s cycle. Women could come to really rely on this quite regularly, and then their period is going to be messed up for several weeks after doing this.  Ultimately they’re not going to know if they’re pregnant or not.”   

Although a supporter of ending unwanted pregnancies, Dr. Perriera has warned against the repeated use of emergency contraceptives.  Now sold over-the-counter without a prescription, the possibility of abuse of Plan B is much higher.  The side effects of repeated use of Plan B are even more worrisome than the previously listed side effects.  Dr. Landa lists significant weight gain, depression, ovarian cyst enlargement, gall bladder disease, high blood pressure, and increased risk of ectopic pregnancy as side effects of the abuse of Plan B.   Ovarian cysts can cause severe pain in the abdomen and back as well as bleeding and nausea.  In order to remove them, a doctor may have to perform one of two surgeries: either laparoscopy or laparotomy.  Another side effect, certain types of gall bladder disease, if left untreated, can lead to gastritis, ulcers, and possibly stomach cancer.   Infertility is yet another long-term side effect of emergency contraceptives.  Clearly, the side effects of Plan B are far worse than those commonly known and can lead to life threatening situations.

Most advocates of Plan B can be heard saying that Plan B is not an abortifacient, that it does not destroy a human life.  However, the science disagrees.  If the egg has not been fertilized, Plan B and other emergency contraceptives will only prevent fertilization.  In the occasion that the egg has already been fertilized, which can happen as early as 15 minutes after intercourse, the chemicals in Plan B will cause an abortion.  The hormones in Plan B will prevent the fertilized egg from implanting in the uterine wall .  When this happens, it is an abortion since the egg has already been fertilized and now contains all 46 chromosomes, which would dictate eye color, hair color, sex, skin tone, and height of the baby.  Now that unique and precious human life has been destroyed.  

Inform your friends and family about the true dangers of Plan B and help spread the word!