We live in an age of contempt, fueled by abortion’s ugly legacy.
Did you catch the testimony of a Senate witness, Professor Khiara Bridges?
Professor Bridges was asked a simple question by Senator John Cornyn:
“Do you think that a baby that is not yet born has value?”
She answered:
“I believe that a person with a capacity for pregnancy has value.”
When Senator Cornyn pushed back, she was openly defiant and unyielding. She refused to even acknowledge the existence of the baby’s life in her response. To make it worse, she couldn’t even acknowledge the gender of the pregnant person, something Senator Josh Hawley pushed back on:
Hawley: You’ve referred to people with a capacity for pregnancy. Would that be women?
Bridges: Many cis women have the capacity for pregnancy. Many cis women do not have the capacity for pregnancy. There are also trans men who are capable of pregnancy, as well as nonbinary people who are capable of pregnancy.
Hawley: So this isn’t really a women’s rights issue?
Bridges: We can recognize that this impacts women while also recognizing that it impacts other groups. Those things are not mutually exclusive, Senator Hawley.
Hawley: Your view, the core of this right is about what?
Bridges: I want to recognize that your line of questioning is transphobic, and it opens up trans people to violence by not recognizing them.
Hawley: Wow. Are you saying that I’m opening up people to violence by asking whether or not women can have pregnancies?”
Bridges: So, I want to note that one out of five transgender persons have attempted suicide. so I think it’s important that—
Hawley: Because of my line of questioning? So we can’t talk about it?
Bridges: Because denying that trans people exist, and pretending not to know that they exist—
Hawley: I’m denying that trans people exist by asking you whether you’re talking about women—?
Bridges: Are you? Are you? Do you believe that men can get pregnant?
Hawley: No, I don’t think that men can get pregnant.
Bridges: So you’re denying that trans people exist. Thank you.
The smug contempt for people with whom this professor at Berkeley School of Law disagrees is breathtaking, even by modern standards.
Corporate contempt for pro-lifers
Perhaps nothing defines this Age of Contempt more than corporate America’s low regard for their customers. Since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v Wade, Big Business is lining up to help cover the cost of abortions for their employees, using their customers’ money.
Some companies use your money to pay for travel for workers who want to travel out of state to have their baby aborted; some go further and pay much or all of the life-ending procedure.
Abortion costs somewhere between $750 to $1500, according to Planned Parenthood compared to $10,000 for a vaginal birth in Iowa (or $26,000 in California! … 2020 data).
You can see the bargain: the companies listed below cynically recognize that abortion is cheaper than the cost of childbirth, maternity leave, and healthcare for employees’ babies.
So here is the question: do you want your money to help fund abortion? If the question makes you squirm, good. Because that’s what you’re doing when you buy from these companies:
Adidas
AirBNB
Alaska Airlines
Amalgamated Bank
Amazon
Apple
Bank of America
Bumble
Buzzfeed
Chobani
Cigna
CitiGroup
CNN
Comcast/NBC Universal
Conde Nast
CVS Health (abortion is ‘healthy’?)
Dick’s Sporting Goods
Disney
Doordash
Duolingo
Estee Lauder
Goldman Sachs
Hewlett Packard
Hims & Hers
IKEA
Interpublic Group, Publicis Groupe and WPP
JP Morgan
Kroger
Levi Strauss (they even canned their CEO for saying that schools should remain open during the pandemic)
Live Nation
Lyft
MasterCard
Match Group
Microsoft
Meta (Facebook)
Netflix
New York Times
Paramount
Patagonia
Paypal
Proctor & Gamble
Power Home Remodeling
Salesforce
Sony
Starbucks
Target
Tesla
Uber
United Talent Agency
Warner Brothers Discovery
Yahoo
Yelp
Zillow
These companies denigrate women, motherhood, and family life with such repugnant policies. They display an arrogance towards their customers, half of whom believe abortion should either be illegal or available only in extraordinary circumstances.
Welcome to the age of contempt. How do you fight back? Continue to pray for babies and their moms and dads.
Shoot an email off to your Senator or representative when you hear of contemptuous testimony, such as professor Bridges’ mentioned above. Write to a company whose pro-abortion policies bother you, even if you only have time to write to one company.
That’s okay. Let them know you represent millions of others who think just like you.
This Sunday’s readings are about abortion. Many disagree. They assert that the Bible doesn’t directly talk about abortion anywhere. In fact, some abortion rights advocates claim that 5 Bible verses actually support abortion rights. This Sunday’s gospel reading suggests the issue hangs on a single question: “Who is my neighbor?”
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
This Sunday’s gospel reading presents us with the parable of the Good Samaritan:
There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law?
How do you read it?”
He said in reply,
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself.”
He replied to him, “You have answered correctly;
do this and you will live.”
But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,
“And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied,
“A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
Likewise a Levite came to the place,
and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.
But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him
was moved with compassion at the sight.
He approached the victim,
poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.
Then he lifted him up on his own animal,
took him to an inn, and cared for him.
The next day he took out two silver coins
and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,
‘Take care of him.
If you spend more than what I have given you,
I shall repay you on my way back.’
Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”
He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.”
Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Who ISN’T my neighbor?
The scholar’s question suggests that not everyone is our neighbor. Even more, the question the scholar of the law is really asking is, “Who ISN’T my neighbor?” as Dr. Peter Kreeft writes in his book, “Food For the Soul.”
Says Kreeft:
“The answer, of course, is nobody isn’t your neighbor: not Jews, not Samaritans, not Democrats, not Republicans, not blacks, not whites, not South Koreans, not North Koreans, not Red Sox fans, not even Yankee fans. Your neighbor is everyone — not “everyone” in general but each one in particular, one by one: every person God brings into your life in any way, even heretics like the Samaritans.”
And even the unborn.
What is the parable’s lesson? To treat our neighbors with mercy. And abortion certainly isn’t merciful.
In this Sunday’s first reading (Deuteronomy 30:10-14), Moses says that heeding God’s commandments and statutes isn’t ‘rocket science.’
‘Rocket Science’
Actually, he didn’t say it quite like that. But he did say:
“For this command that I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you. It is not up in the sky, that you should say, ‘Who will go up in the sky to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?’ Nor is it across the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea to get if for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?’ No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.”
In other words, we know what God wants because he speaks to us through our conscience. And our conscience knows that the Sixth Commandment says, “Thou shalt not kill.”
Abortion kills our neighbor. And this neighbor doesn’t live next door or across the street, she lives within you.
Be merciful towards her.
Dr. Kreeft says we have to be “honest with our conscience:”
“We can easily ignore it, silence it, cloud it, or make compromises with it. We have to be uncompromisingly honest and always ask, What is the truth? What is the true good? That’s the first duty our conscience tells us we have: to honestly seek the truth, will the truth, and want to know the truth about what we should and should not do. And then obey it.”
So far, so good. But as Kreeft points out, this can be hard:
“The knowing part is easy; the obeying part is hard. So we rationalize: we pretend that the knowing part is hard, and that makes disobeying easy.”
A mountain of lies
The entire abortion debate has been built on a mountain of lies and rationalization.
Abortion supporters argue that there’s a difference between a human being and a person. Philosopher Ayn Rand said that an embryo has no rights:
“Rights do not pertain to a potential, only to an actual being. A child cannot acquire any rights until it is born. The living take precedence over the not-yet-living” (or the unborn).
But potential certainly doesn’t define OR disqualify personhood. It is irrelevant to the notion of personhood. And human rights aren’t determined by size, intellect, location, state of development or desirability of the person involved. Humanity is a scientific fact at the instant of fertilization, according to embryologists.
These scientists tell us human life begins when the sperm and ovum, neither of which can sustain life or direct growth by itself, come together at fertilization. For the first time the new life has all 46 chromosomes and all the directions (DNA) it needs for the rest of life.
The sex of the baby, the color of the hair, everything is already fixed. Humanity is fixed. Personhood is fixed, as if there were even a distinction.
Modern man lacks enlightenment
The ultrasound didn’t exist in the time of Moses, but ancient man’s consciences KNEW that killing a human being was evil, because God said so. Modern man seems to be less enlightened than our forebears, and even with detailed depictions of creation, as you can see in the video above, many deny or downplay these young persons their humanity.
This Sunday’s second reading (Colossians 1:15-20) should jar even the most jaundiced pro abortion advocate. St. Paul writes of Jesus:
For IN him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
ALL things were created THROUGH him and FOR him.
At fertilization, that new person was created IN Christ. She was created THROUGH Christ. And she was created FOR Christ.
When we kill our neighbor (this unborn person in the womb), we are killing God’s creation. It isn’t rocket science.
Pulse Life Advocates Executive Director, Maggie DeWitte
As the dust settles after last week’s epic Supreme Court Dobbs decision, Pulse thought a quick Q & A with executive director, Maggie DeWitte was called for to answer questions we’re hearing:
What just happened? The Supreme Court overturned both Roe v Wade AND Planned Parenthood v Casey. The case that overturned Roe was called Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization. It banned abortions after 15 weeks of a pregnancy. The Court upheld the law by a 6 to 3 vote, but overturned Roe by a 5 to 4 vote, with Chief Justice John Roberts switching sides.
What does this mean for Iowa? The end of Roe returns the right to regulate human abortion to the individual states. The 1973 decision essentially federalized abortion, negating pro-life laws on the books in almost every state. Now Iowans can regulate abortion according to Iowa values via their elected representatives in the Iowa Legislature.
So what abortion laws are on the books in Iowa now? We have a 20 week abortion ban, parental notification, and abortion providers have to perform an ultra-sound before performing an abortion.
Is there a 24 hour waiting period? As far as I can tell it officially goes into effect in July, but PP has stated they are moving forward with the waiting period now.
Is the Heartbeat Law on the books? If yes, when does it go into effect? The heartbeat law is law in Iowa, although it was never able to go into effect because of the Iowa Supreme Court’s 2018 ‘fundamental right to abortion’ ruling. The law prohibits abortion once a heartbeat is detectable, approximately 6 to 10 weeks following conception. Governor Reynolds has asked the court to lift the injunction.
What is the next step in Iowa? We will continue to pursue The Protect Life Amendment next legislative session. As we have seen with the recent back and forth of the court on rulings, we cannot leave abortion law to the whims of the court. To ensure that future generations of Iowans don’t once again have a ruling of a fundamental right to abortion, we must pass the Protect Life Amendment. From there, we will pursue legislation to eliminate abortion in our state.
Pulse is being asked: “What’s next now that Roe v Wade has been overturned?” The first thing that is needed is more prayer. Prayer has gotten us to where we’re at. To that end, you are invited to join us at the Prayer Walk for Life, Saturday, July 9th, at noon.
You’ll find all the details on the flier below. Hope to see you there!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, June 28, 2022
Contact: Lynn Hicks | chief of staff | 515-281-6699 | lynn.hicks@ag.iowa.gov |
AG Miller declines to participate in governor’s legal actions on abortion
‘I doubt that I can zealously assert the state’s position’
DES MOINES — Attorney General Tom Miller issued the following statement regarding Planned Parenthood v. Kim Reynolds, et al:
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller
“Our office is withdrawing from the case involving the 24-hour waiting period, or House File 594, for ethical reasons. I have made many clear public statements supporting Roe v. Wade and the rationale that underlies it. Those statements would be inconsistent with what the state would argue in court. I support the undue burden standard that the U.S. Supreme Court set forth in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The 24-hour case has now moved to a point in which I doubt that I can zealously assert the state’s position. The question now before the Iowa Supreme Court is whether the rational basis test should apply to abortion regulations. I believe that standard would have a detrimental impact on women’s reproductive rights, health care, and our society. Therefore, I am disqualifying myself pursuant to Iowa Code section 13.3.
“This decision is consistent with my disqualification in the fetal heartbeat case in 2018. In that case, I stated that I could not zealously assert the state’s position because of my core belief that the statute, if upheld, would undermine rights and protections for women. In my nearly 40 years in office, I have declined to represent the state in only one other similar situation. I do not take lightly my responsibility to represent the state.”
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Governor Kim Reynolds ★ Lt. Governor Adam Gregg
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, June 28, 2022
CONTACT: Alex Murphy, (515) 802-0986, Alex.Murphy@Governor.Iowa.Gov
Gov. Reynolds and legislative leaders announce legal action to protect life
DES MOINES — Today, Gov. Reynolds and legislative leaders announced two legal actions following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs:
Gov. Reynolds will urge the Iowa Supreme Court to rehear Planned Parenthood v. Reynolds (known as PPH IV), in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs.
Gov. Reynolds will request that the Iowa courts lift the injunction against enforcement of Iowa’s fetal heartbeat law.
While this litigation moves forward to protect the unborn, Iowa’s ban on abortions after 20 weeks is still in effect. And, through actions of the legislature and Gov. Reynolds, Iowa continues to provide support for mothers and their children. Through the new MOMS legislation (More Options for Maternal Support SF2354), a statewide program to promote healthy pregnancies and childbirth, the State will provide needed supports, like parenting education, nutritional services, and material items such as diapers and car seats, for women who find themselves in an unplanned pregnancy.
And through the implementation of Family First, the State is also equipping at-risk families with the tools they need to be successful and allowing safe options for a path to adoption through expanded Safe Haven laws. Gov. Reynolds has also supported expanded contraception and family planning services through the State’s Title X program, better ensuring that low-income Iowans have access to maternal care.
“Now is the time for us to stand up and continue the fight to protect the unborn,” said. Gov. Reynolds. “The Supreme Court’s historic decision reaffirms that states have the right to protect the innocent and defenseless unborn—and now it’s time for our state to do just that. As governor, I will do whatever it takes to defend the most important freedom there is: the right to life.”
“Since coming into the majority, Senate Republicans have led on the issue of life,” said Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver. “In 2018 the Heartbeat Bill created significant momentum across the country for conservative states to initiate legislation to protect the unborn. One of those state laws led to the historic Dobbs decision by the US Supreme Court last week, opening the path for the 2018 law to be implemented in Iowa. I support the decision to put these laws back in front of the Court to protect life in Iowa.”
“For far too long, flawed Court rulings at the state and federal levels have blocked many of our attempts to listen to Iowans and expand pro-life protections,” said Speaker Pat Grassley. “Iowa House Republicans’ goal is to protect the lives of the unborn. That’s why I support the Governor’s decision on these legal actions as the best path forward to protect innocent life.”
Attorney General Tom Miller has also stated that he will be withdrawing from representing the State in these matters. Gov. Reynolds is retaining Alliance Defending Freedom and Iowa attorney Alan Ostergren, President and Chief Counsel of the Kirkwood Institute, to represent the State at no cost to Iowa taxpayers.
With the two landmark abortion rulings in the past two weeks—one from the Iowa Supreme Court and one from the U.S. Supreme Court—the status of abortion law has shifted dramatically in this Country and in Iowa. As a result, and because it is still evolving, we provide the following background information:
The Iowa Constitution makes no mention of abortion, but in 2018—161 years after the ratification of Iowa’s current Constitution—a majority of the Iowa Supreme Court claimed there was a “fundamental right” to abortion under the Iowa Constitution, under which virtually every law that the legislature passes to protect the life of an unborn child would be deemed unconstitutional under the so-called “strict scrutiny” standard.
That decision, which shut the door on the democratic process, was broader in its protection of abortion than the US Supreme Court’s decisions Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and it placed the Iowa Supreme Court’s abortion jurisprudence to the left of almost every state in the nation.
Thankfully, on June 17, the Iowa Supreme Court corrected that grave error, overruling the 2018 decision. A majority of the justices firmly rejected “the proposition that there is a fundamental right to an abortion in Iowa’s Constitution subjecting abortion regulation to strict scrutiny,” saying that the 2018 decision was a “one-sided” ruling that “lacks textual and historical support.”
Nevertheless, unlike the U.S. Supreme Court in Dobbs, the Iowa Supreme Court did not definitively decide what standard, if any, should be applied to abortion restrictions under the Iowa Constitution. A plurality of justices invited the parties to litigate that issue further, and in the meantime they declared that the “undue burden” standard from the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey would govern Iowa law “for now.”
It is under that undue-burden standard that the Iowa Supreme Court struck down Iowa’s prohibition on telemedicine abortion in 2015. And it is under that standard that other courts have struck down laws that prohibit abortion before viability, like Iowa’s heartbeat law.
Thus, while the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision was a step in the right direction, it left more work to be done in Iowa’s courts to fully protect the life of the unborn, as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs that states have an important interest in doing. Gov. Reynolds fully intends to do that work.
Therefore, Gov. Reynolds is announcing today two legal actions:
1. Gov. Reynolds will urge the Iowa Supreme Court to rehear Planned Parenthood v. Reynolds (known asPPH IV) in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs.
When the Iowa Supreme Court released its decision on June 17 in PPH IV, the U.S. Supreme Court had not issued Dobbs. But Justice Mansfield recognized that Dobbs would be released soon and acknowledged that the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision “could alter the federal constitutional landscape established by Roe andCasey” and “provide insights that [the Iowa Supreme Court is] currently lacking.”
The U.S. Supreme Court provided those insights in Dobbs and thus the Iowa Supreme Court may now re-decide PPH IV with the wisdom of that ruling. Most significantly, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the “undue burden” standard as an “arbitrary” test that has “caused confusion and disagreement” among courts trying to apply it. In its place, the Court adopted a “rational basis” test under which a law regulating abortion “must be sustained if there is a rational basis on which the legislature could have thought that it would serve legitimate state interests.”
The Governor will be filing for rehearing by this Friday’s deadline.
2. Gov. Reynolds will request that the Iowa courts lift the injunction against enforcement of Iowa’s fetal heartbeat law.
In 2018, the legislature passed and Gov. Reynolds signed a law outlawing abortion at six weeks, when the baby’s heartbeat can first be detected. A Polk County district court judge enjoined that law, prohibiting Iowa officials from enforcing it, based upon the Iowa Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling in PPH II where the Court erroneously created a fundamental right to abortion. Because the Iowa Supreme Court has now overruled that 2018 ruling and rejected the “strict scrutiny” standard it adopted. Gov. Reynolds will ask the district court to lift the injunction against the heartbeat law.
While this litigation moves forward to protect the unborn, Iowa’s ban on abortions after 20 weeks is still in effect.
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez made it clear that pro-life Democrats are not welcome in her party:
“Also, if you live in a blue area, when people say ‘go vote,’ that should include primary elections too. Because, the thing that a lot of people don’t like to talk about, is the fact that not every Democrat is pro-choice. Okay? So, the ones that aren’t, we really need to reassess if it’s appropriate for them to continue to serve in 2022 because people should have the right to control their own body. This is pretty basic.”
Ms. Ocasio Cortez posted this statement on Instagram in the aftermath of last week’s Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v Wade.
Ms. Cortez’s opinion matters. She is one of the most powerful Democrats in Congress with 12.72 million social media followers, topped only by Senator Bernie Sanders with 21.70 million followers.
Democrats pride themselves in promoting diversity and inclusion within their party. However, that doesn’t extend to pro-life Democrats, almost all of whom have been expunged from Congress.
Pro-life Democrat ousted
Dan Lipinski was one of the last remaining pro-life Democrats in Congress. He lost a primary bid to Marie Newman. Ms. Newman was promoted by Ms. Cortez, who leveraged her social media platforms to help oust the pro-life Lipinksi.
Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Lipinski said:
“The Democratic Party prides itself on being the party of inclusion. Even with a pro-choice plank in the platform, we could concede that there’s a diversity of opinion on the issue, as we once did. That would make sense, since one-third of Democratic voters describe themselves as pro-life, and almost 6 in 10 support some abortion restrictions.
But rather than acknowledging these voters’ viewpoint, party leaders and presidential candidates refuse to tolerate anyone who doesn’t support abortion on demand at any time, paid for by taxpayers.”
Just a decade ago, 64 Congressional Democrats worked to strip abortion funding from the Affordable Care Act, efforts that were ultimately undermined by the Democratically-controlled Senate.
Since then, pro-abortion groups and politicians, such as Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, have led the charge to successfully oust the last of the party’s pro-lifers by running pro-abortion candidates against them in their local primaries.
Pulse Life Advocates is a non-partisan pro-life advocacy group. We understand the sensitivity people experience when they feel their party is being disparaged. Tragically, the Democratic Party has lost their way. They no longer stand up for the little guy, as their pro-abortion bullying tactics prove.
They no longer represent the conflicted views on abortion held by their rank and file voters, as Mr. Lipinski points out.
And they certainly have no interest in diversity and inclusion. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez makes that clear.
Irony abounds. The Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th, 2022, the Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Pope Benedict XVI wrote in 2006:
“By encouraging devotion to the Heart of Jesus, [we exhort] believers to open themselves to the mystery of God and of his love and to allow themselves to be transformed by it. After 50 years, it is still a fitting task for Christians to continue to deepen their relationship with the Heart of Jesus, in such a way as to revive their faith in the saving love of God and to welcome Him ever better into their lives.”
The Pope further explains that from the Heart of Jesus flows a deeper understanding and experience of his His divine love.
Abortion is the antithesis of Christ’s love.
Love is sacrificial, which is why Christ allowed His Sacred Heart to be pierced by his oppressors, so that He could save us all.
Abortion is selfish, as it pierces the hearts of its innocent victims to the detriment of us all.
The Church’s readings on this Solemnity speak to the wrongness of abortion when gleaned through the eyes of faith:
Jesus addressed this parable to the Pharisees and scribes:
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.”
[Lk 15: 3-7]
This Gospel passage reminds us that every single person matters, including every ‘lost sheep,’ whether born or unborn. Abortion rejects the beauty and dignity of God’s creation by disposing unwanted ‘sheep’ on the altar of convenience.
The last 49 years have been a marathon for those of us in the pro-life movement. We’ve persevered many, many setbacks. And yet here we are: Roe has been overturned! And in Iowa, the Reynold’s decision has been corrected by the Iowa Supreme Court!
As we celebrate these victories on this Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we know that many serious battles still await us. We find great comfort in the words of the Psalmist in today’s liturgy, the 23rd Psalm:
R The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
As we celebrate this epic triumph, we move forward knowing that the Good Shepherd protects His flock as He guides us on right paths.
June 24, 2022
Today is the day we ended the federal abortion law, and Roe vs. Wade was finally and completely overturned.
After nearly 50 years, we are righting an egregious wrong. A wrong to the magnitude of slavery and the Holocaust. The scourge of abortion has plagued our country for half a century and in its wake the death of 65 million of our preborn brothers and sisters.
No more. We are righting the wrong, we are correcting our course, and we are marching full steam ahead.
Iowans for LIFE, now Pulse Life Advocates has been working for 50 years in Iowa to see this day come true. The longest-standing, state-wide, pro-life organization in Iowa has now seen the biggest victory ever. I thank God for the founders of this organization and the years of relentless battle to get us to where we are today.
We will continue to work. But with this ruling, it has given us the hope and encouragement and renewed motivation to fight harder and work more.
Tomorrow the work begins in a post-Roe society. Abortion law will return to the individual states, and here in Iowa, we will continue to educate on the need for our Protect Life Amendment and pass legislation to eliminate abortion.
For More Information Contact:
Maggie DeWitte, Executive Director Pulse Life Advocates (formerly Iowans for LIFE)
515.201.8281
1450 E. 33rd St. Des Moines, Iowa 50325
Pulse Life Advocates, formerly Iowans for LIFE, is the longest-standing, state-wide, pro-life organization in Iowa. We have been advocating for life since 1972. Our mission is to educate on the sanctity of human life from fertilization to natural death. We are an ecumenical, nonpartisan, nonprofit 501c (3) tax-exempt organization.
June 17, 2022: Today is a momentous day for Iowa. The Iowa Supreme Court in the Planned Parenthood vs. Reynolds court case corrected the egregious 2018 ruling declaring a fundamental right to abortion in our Iowa Constitution. The opinion issued today stated,
“and thus reject the proposition that there is a fundamental right to abortion in Iowa’s Constitution.”
In the 2020 session, the legislature passed a 24-hour waiting period before obtaining an abortion law. That law was challenged by Planned Parenthood, and we heard oral arguments from the Iowa Supreme Court several months ago. In addition to this law, the state asked that the 2018 ruling that declared a fundamental right to abortion in our Iowa Constitution be corrected.
It was a victory in today’s ruling and we are incredibly thankful to our legislators for bringing this bill forward, the attorneys representing this case, and all those who filed an amicus brief in our favor. This is a win for families today and now will finally put creating law into the hands of our duly elected legislators. They will now be able to pass common-sense regulations regarding abortion to ensure the safety and well-being of our Iowa citizens.
The ruling today will now send the 24-hour waiting period before obtaining an abortion back to the lower courts for further proceedings.
We will continue to work. But with this ruling, it has given us the hope and encouragement and renewed motivation to fight harder and work more.
Iowans for LIFE, now Pulse Life Advocates, has been working for 50 years in Iowa. As the longest-
standing, state-wide, pro-life organization in Iowa, we will move forward with passing The Protect Life Amendment next legislative session, working toward reinstating our Heartbeat Law and other measures until we see an end to abortion in our state.
For More Information Contact:
Maggie DeWitte, Executive Director Pulse Life Advocates (formerly Iowans for LIFE)
515.201.8281
1450 E. 33 rd St. Des Moines, Iowa 50317
mdewitte@pulseforlife.org
www.PulseForLife.org
Pulse Life Advocates, formerly Iowans for LIFE, is the longest-standing, state-wide, pro-life organization in Iowa. We have been advocating for life since 1972. Our mission is to educate on the sanctity of human life from fertilization to natural death. We are an ecumenical, nonpartisan, nonprofit 501c (3) tax-exempt organization.