Tom Quiner’s speech at Pulse Life Advocate’s Christmas Gala

Ladies and gentlemen, Saints and Sinners, I have good news tonight: we’re winning!

Pulse Life Advocates has been engaged in spiritual, moral, and political warfare on behalf of our unborn brothers and sisters for half a century.

Yes … the stars are brightly shining on the pro-life movement tonight!

But … we need your financial support to continue our relentless pursuit of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for the unborn.

We celebrate

We celebrate one triumph after another in this, the 50th anniversary of Iowans for LIFE, now known as Pulse Life Advocates.

• We celebrate the end of Roe v Wade!

Did you know that abortion declined 6% nationally in the aftermath of the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe? That’s 10,000 babies saved in just the first two months!

• Here in Iowa, we celebrate our Supreme Court for correcting the 2018 Reynolds decision that uncovered fundamental right to an abortion in our Constitution. 

• We celebrate the re-election of our pro-life governor, Kim Reynolds!

• We celebrate the election of a pro-life Attorney General, Brenna Bird!

• We celebrate the election of a pro-life Iowa legislature!

• We celebrate a clean sweep in Iowa’s Congressional contingent to Washington with the election of Zach Nunn in Iowa’s third district.

A pro-life tsunami

Talk about a pro-life tsunami!  What a year to celebrate!

Pulse Life Advocates has been a factor in turning Iowa into a pro-life state. Despite what a former president of the United States said, we will NEVER get sick of winning!

Now there are some Debbie Downers in our midst.

They fret that we need to take our foot off the gas pedal, because the Pro-Life Party underperformed in the recent midterm election, and that abortion was the reason.

Hmmm … ask Governor Reynolds if she agrees. She just won a landslide victory after signing not one, not three, not five, but seven big pro-life bills since she became governor.

Ask Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida who won by 19 points. 

Ask Brian Kemp, governor of Georgia, who won by 8 points. 

Ask Mike DeWine, governor of Ohio who won by 25 points or Greg Abbot, governor of Texas, who won by 11 points.

These pro-life governors all signed into law pro-life legislation since the Dobbs decision.

Kim Reynolds and Ron DeSantis have demonstrated that it is far more effective to stay on offense than play defense if you want to govern a state well.

In Florida, Governor DeSantis has a group called ‘Florida Voice for the Unborn’ supporting him on the ground.

Here in Iowa, Governor Reynolds has Pulse Life Advocates. 

And to increase our impact, we’ve joined forces with other great pro-life groups, many of whom are represented here tonight, to forge an Iowa Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders.

Just two years ago, the pro-abortion party won the popular vote by 3 points. But the pro-life party won by 5 points this time … a pick up of 8 points!

Not the time to go wobbly

Now is not the time go wobbly when a movement has this much pro-life firepower.

But it takes money to continue the fight. If you pull the plug, it all stops.

But with your continued financial support, Pulse Life Advocates can continue advocating on behalf of society’s most vulnerable members: the unborn.

The Abortion Party wants unregulated abortion for the entire 40 weeks of a pregnancy; they want taxpayers to pay for them; and they want Catholic doctors, nurses, and hospitals to perform them.

They’ve made tremendous headway in states like California, Michigan, Illinois, and New York.

What’s to prevent them from spreading their cancer to Iowa? Pulse. Life. Advocates. That’s who.

Education matters

So here is what I am asking you tonight:

I am asking you to dig deep into your pockets to save babies and honor the God who creates them.

Education matters.

A little more than two decades ago, 12,000 babies were aborted in Iowa.

That number has dipped below 4000 today.

Why did this happen?

Education. Lobbying. And prayer, especially prayer.

During the period when abortions plummeted in Iowa, Pulse Life Advocates took thousands of Iowa high school students on a pilgrimage to the March for Life in Washington DC.

We handed out hundreds of thousands fetal models to young kids at the Iowa State Fair.

Cause & effect

Ladies and gentlemen: cause & effect.

√ In recent years, we’ve expanded our website and social media footprint. 

√ Have you subscribed to our blog yet? Do it before the weekend is up if you want to stay up on pro-life news in Iowa and beyond.

√ Pulse has developed Pro-life Apologetics tool kits and videos.

√ We’ve developed the Holy Family webinar project.

√ We’re hot at work on the “How to Raise Pro-life Children” video project.

√ Our executive director, Maggie DeWitte, is tireless, meeting with churches, legislators, and speaking on pro-life issues in every corner of the state of Iowa.

It’s all working … because of YOUR support.

We thank-you for your past support and boldly request that you not only continue supporting Pulse, we ask you to increase your support.

We need to stay on offense

Social and political pressure has only increased since Roe v Wade fell. We need more resources than ever to stay on offense. 

Here is what I’m asking:

• Remove the pledge cards from the white envelopes on your table.
• Prayerfully consider your level of support. 
• Keep in mind that we also love monthly givers. Simply indicate your method of payment on the card, whether by check or credit card, and put it in the envelope that accompanies the pledge card. Ambassadors will come to tables to collect the envelopes.

As you’re completing the pledge card, don’t forget you can still make online bids up to 8:39PM.

I’d also like you to encourage you to support Pulse Life Advocates through legacy giving. We can accept gifts of stock, mandatory IRA distributions, and more through our relationship with the Catholic Foundation of Southwest Iowa. Contact Maggie DeWitte or me for details.

As you can tell, the pro-life cause really matters to me, just as it does you. I’m asked what made me pro-life?

I guess I was really influenced by Ronald Reagan when he ran for president in the late 1970s. He said something that always stuck with me. I quote, “Have you noticed that the only people who are for abortion have already be born?”

Tonight, join me in standing up for the unborn! Thank-you!

[If you missed our Christmas Gala, you can still support us financially with an online donation.]