The massacre in Israel leaves most people of conscience speechless. Men were murdered and beheaded. Women raped, then murdered, then spat upon. And babies murdered and mutilated.
Hamas, the perpetrator of the bloodbath, live-streamed the carnage to make sure we understand that the savagery was the point. They have no boundaries, no compunction in the pursuit of their stated goal to wipe Israel and Jews off the map.
The headline above, “what kind of people can celebrate the mutilation of babies,” leads to a follow up question: “what kind of people can support, or even applaud, perpetrators of such a carnage?”
Woke college campuses
In the U.S., you’ll find them on elite, woke college campuses.
Yalies4Palestine blamed Israel:
“We mourn the tragic loss of civilian lives, and for this we hold the Zionist regime accountable.”
Thirty-three student groups at Harvard said pretty much said the same thing:
“We hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.”
At Stanford, the Students for Justice in Palestine rationalized the viciousness of the attack as “part of the ongoing, decades-long struggle against Israeli oppression,” and that the Palestinians have “the legitimate right to resist occupation, apartheid and systemic injustice.”
Did the same people say that to the Ukrainians when Russia invaded them?
Some people are ‘lesser’ than others
Obviously not. Anti-semitism drives the acceptance of savagery in these elite conclaves in the United States. And anti-semitism at home and abroad is fueled by the belief that some people are lesser than others.
Pulse Life Advocates addresses this issue because we see a connection between the massacre in Kfar Azza, Israel, and the massacre taking place in the womb in every state in America.
Some reading this may bristle at the comparison. And there are differences, of course. Jews have been targeted for centuries out of sheer hatred. The unborn have been targeted for their inconvenience.
But in both cases, Jews and the unborn are viewed as being ‘lesser’ humans than others.
In both cases, these two groups have been viewed as obstacles to another’s prosperity, success, and happiness.
But the carnage has been the same. While Jews have been wiped out at music festivals and concentration camps by anti-semitic terrorists, the unborn are wiped out in their mothers’ wombs at the hands of highly paid abortionists.
Thirteen hundred innocent Jews were butchered in Kfar Azza on October 7th. Six million innocent Jews were killed in the Holocaust. And 64 million innocent unborn babies have been aborted in the U.S. since 1973.
On American college campuses, these same haters of Israel and also rabidly pro-abortion. Eighty percent of all college students are pro-choice, and it’s worse in woke enclaves like Harvard, Yale, and Stanford. (Tragically, the acceptance of human abortion is about the same amongst Jews.)
What does this mean for our future?
So the Jews and the unborn are viewed as lesser people in the eyes of these elites. What does this portend for our future?
The National Review’s Charles C. W. Cooke says it’s a prerequisite to barbarism:
Charles C. W. Cooke
“Indeed, I shall go one further here and propose that it is not simply abhorrent to subordinate one’s elementary sense of horror to a set of esoteric abstractions; it is the prerequisite to barbarism. From time to time, students of history wonder how the great tyrannies of the past could have impelled so many ostensibly rational people to treat others with such brazen contempt. This question, I’m afraid, has a mundane answer: Those tyrannies persuaded their accomplices to do terrible things by insisting that the people to whom the terrible things were being done were lesser in some meaningful way.”
If you can kill innocent human beings in the womb because they are an inconvenience, anything is possible.
Pulse Life Advocates stands in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters who once again are targets of raw evil.
The killing must end. It starts with the recognition that peace begins in the womb.
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By Tom Quiner
Our Lady of Fatima
I was sitting on my patio one summer night sipping on a glass of wine and enjoying the company of some good friends when the conversation took a mysterious turn.
Carol told of something extraordinary she witnessed years ago at Veterans Auditorium here in Des Moines, Iowa. She was the reluctant attendee of something called a “Marian Conference.” For my non-Catholic readers, a Marian Conference is devoted to the study and veneration of Mary, the Mother of Christ.
Carol was roped into attending by an aunt. She admitted she was a little tentative attending an event that seemed a little “out there” to her.
These photos were taken by a visitor on September 27, 2005 atop Holy Family Hill on the grounds of Sylvan Springs in Rome City, IN. This event took place shortly after a small group of people making an Our Lady of America pilgrimage prayed The Divine Mercy Chaplet.
During a break, she stood outside with a group of people when it happened. She saw the sun begin to move erratically in the sky.
Does this sound a little crazy to you? Well, it did to me, which is why Carol is reluctant to talk about it. And yet other people saw it, too. I know, because when Carol told her story, our friend Jeane exclaimed: “You were there, too? My parents were there and saw the same thing.”
Hmmm.
This phenomenon of the dancing sun is known as the “miracle of the sun.” It has been witnessed by thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people over the past century.
It is always associated with the Blessed Mother.
What would a modern day scientist, such as the late Stephen Hawking, have to say about such nonsense? Something like this:
“The universe is governed by scientific laws. These laws must hold without exception.”
So what are we to make of this miracle of the sun?
The phenomenon was first observed on October 13th, 1917 in Fatima, Portugal. (Read my earlier post on the subject, The oddity of Fatima). According to published reports, somewhere from 30,000 to 100,00 were present to witness this event.
That’s a lot of witnesses!
So what happened? The sun appeared as an opaque, spinning disc in the sky. It cast multi-colored lights across the ground and the people watching the phenomenon. It danced and zigzagged in defiance of Mr. Hawking’s scientific laws. It even careened toward earth leading some frightened observers to think it was the end of the world.
The anti-clericical Portuguse newspaper, O Seculo, reported on the event as follows:
“Before the astonished eyes of the crowd, whose aspect was biblical as they stood bare-headed, eagerly searching the sky, the sun trembled, made sudden incredible movements outside all cosmic laws — the sun ‘danced’ according to the typical expression of the people.”
Here’s what a doctor saw, Dr. Domingos Pinto Coelho, writing for another newspaper, Ordem:
“The sun, at one moment surrounded with scarlet flame, at another aureoled in yellow and deep purple, seemed to be in an exceedingly swift and whirling movement, at times appearing to be loosened from the sky and to be approaching the earth, strongly radiating heat.”
And then another reporter saw the following as published in O Dia, a newspaper in Lisbon:
“…The silver sun, enveloped in the same gauzy grey light, was seen to whirl and turn in the circle of broken clouds… The light turned a beautiful blue, as if it had come through the stained-glass windows of a cathedral, and spread itself over the people who knelt with outstretched hands… people wept and prayed with uncovered heads, in the presence of a miracle they had awaited. The seconds seemed like hours, so vivid were they.”
The miracle of the sun phenomenon has been witnessed on other occasions, each associated with a “Marian” site including in Lubbock, Texas in 1989 and Denver, Colorado in 1992 to name a few. Several movies have been made of the Fatima event, most recently in 2020 (see trailer below).
Interestingly, not all present at these events witnessed the phenomenon.
Interestingly, there were people present who witnessed the event who were not the least bit religious. By the same token, some in attendance who were very religious did not see anything unusual.
We’re left with the following possibilities:
A publication of the day, Ilustração Portugueza, October 29, 1917, shows the crowd looking at the Miracle of the Sun during the Fátima apparitions.
1. The tens of thousands of people who witnessed the event suffered from a mass psychosis, sharing the same delusion at the same time. Even more, this mass psychosis proved to be contagious as others contracted the same delusion over the years, including my friend, Carol (she seems normal to me otherwise!), and the parents of my friend, Jeane.
2. Perhaps that’s what happens to folks who stare at the sun too long. In other words, maybe it’s their retinas playing tricks on them. (What’s wrong with this hypothesis is that it rained in Fatima immediately preceding the event, and people’s clothes were totally dried within minutes. Heat goes beyond a phenomenon of the retina.)
3. People lied about the story and made it up. But this doesn’t make much sense since so many detractors of the Church witnessed the same phenomenon. We’re talking a ton of witnesses, too many for a lie to be believed.
4. A miraculous event took place.
This leads me back to Mr. Hawkings. The miracle of the sun seems to have been an event outside the system of natural causes. I agree that the laws of nature must hold without exception … unless the Designer of natural causes, God, wishes to “bend the rules.”
As the philosopher, Peter Kreeft, puts it:
“Now the Creator of the universe has authority over all creation. It is truly odd to call his suspending this or that regularly observed sequence a ‘violation,’ as if it were something he should feel guilty or embarrassed about. A miracle violates nothing. When one happens, God has (mercifully) modified the scheduled of the day.”
Scientists rightly revere the laws of nature. They lend a certain order to our lives. But for Mr. Hawking to even discount the possibility that a Designer exists who created these laws is, well, just plain illogical.
In the meantime, let us ponder the miracle of the sun as one of those wonderful modifications in the schedule of our day.
If you see the sun dancing tomorrow, it might not be all bad!
[Reserve your seat to Pulse Life Advocate’s Christmas Gala today.]
Dear Pro-Lifer:
You should have gotten your invitation to our November 18th Christmas Gala in the mail.
I encourage you to reserve your table or seat soon. Tickets are going fast. This is the biggest buzz we’ve ever seen!
Casey & Ron DeSantis
Pro-lifers are excited to hear Governor Ron and Casey DeSantis talk about why they are pro-life, and what they’re doing to raise pro-life children.
In addition, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and CEO of The Family Leader will share their insights on being pro-life.
And let’s face it, everyone loves our Christmas Galas, complete with great food, music and fun.
What better way to spend a Saturday night than hanging with a crowd of pro-lifers!
This is our biggest fundraiser of the year. Your presence matters to the future success of our pro-life educational outreach in Iowa.
Click here now to buy your table of ten ($900) or seat ($100 each).
Don’t wait!
I look forward to greeting you personally on Saturday, November 18th at the Iowa Events Center.
Maggie DeWitte, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
P.S. We’re excited to show you the trailer for our new video project, “How to Raise Pro-Life Children!”
By Tom Quiner, Board President, Pulse Life Advocates
Presidential debates are cattle calls which yield unsatisfying results. Moderators ask large questions, such as: “How will you bring about peace on earth and goodwill to men? You have sixty seconds to respond.” These sprawling events allow candidates but ten minutes of total time to expound on a panoply of complex issues. That’s why I’m looking forward to the DeSantis/Newsom debate.
In case you haven’t heard, California Governor, Gavin Newsom, challenged Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to a head-to-head debate on November 30th, hosted by Fox News.
Two visions for America
This debate allows two competing governing and political philosophies to be compared side-by-side. Mr. Newsom has implemented the most progressive agenda in the country, a stark contrast to Mr. DeSantis’ conservative approach to running a state.
Clearly, Gavin Newsom has presidential ambitions and wants to remain in the spotlight if President Biden’s health or popularity sputters and creates an opening in his party’s nominating process.
And Ron DeSantis is already an announced Republican candidate who lags far behind Donald Trump in the polls. He needs to make something happen. This is an interesting and constructive way to do it before the Iowa Caucuses.
Debate precedent
Precedent exists for single candidates from opposing parties to debate during primary season with crowded fields. One such debate took place here in Des Moines on July 20, 1987. It took place at Drake University’s Law School, and I was there.
The debate matched Republican presidential candidate Jack Kemp against a Democratic candidate, Richard Gephardt debating their clashing views on trade policy.
This focused debate allowed them ample time to flesh out a single issue in detail, elevating the audience’s understanding of the complexities of the trade issue. Both served in the House of Representatives at the time, and were actual, real-life friends. The debate lacked the vitriol that so defines today’s debates. Any jabs at each other were made with a twinkle in their eyes, and there was genuine warmth between the two.
This won’t be a warm-fuzzy affair
Expect none such comity in the DeSantis/Newsom debate.
After reaching out to offer to debate, Newsom quickly mocked DeSantis for accepting the “bait.” He claims the Florida governor is “distracted” and “completely unqualified” to be president. He describes him as “weak and undisciplined,” and to be sure we understand his loathing for his Florida counterpart, he calls DeSantis a “cruel bully whose career is defined by “attacking vulnerable communities.”
So much for comity.
Florida and California are each as large as small countries. With a population of 22 million, Florida is the size of Taiwan, while California’s 38 million make it comparable in size to Canada. And yet people are pouring into Florida in droves at the same time they flee California.
California’s -0.66% population decline is the fourth worst in the U.S. while Florida’s 1.9% increase is the best.
Governor DeSantis must be doing something right, and a DeSantis/Newsom debate will help flesh it out.
The two governors disagree on every single critical issue, whether immigration, education, climate change, taxation, border policy … you name it.
California is in a virtual tie for highest taxed state in the union at $6325 per capita compared to Florida’s 48th ranking at $2264 per capita.
With all that tax money in play, does that mean California schools are better than Florida’s? No. The U.S. News and World Report ranked Florida #1 in educational achievement and California #20.
In fact, in spite of, or maybe because of, moderate tax rates and a lack of an income tax, Florida ranks high (#10) in overall rankings for all categories compared to California’s #33 overall ranking in 2023. And California is heading in the wrong direction. They were ranked #24 just two years ago.
Again, with all those ultra high tax rates, you’d think California would at least be fiscally stable. But the U.S. World and News Report ranks them at only #39 compared to Florida’s #13 rank.
Radically different abortion policies
Pulse is particularly concerned with their disconnect over their abortion policies. When the Supreme Court struck down Roe v Wade, Governor Newsom sent out a press release which said:
“An alarming number of states continue to outlaw abortion and criminalize women, and it’s more important than ever to fight like hell for those who need these essential services.”
No, pro-life laws do not criminalize women, they criminalize those who perform abortion which kill unique human persons.
Newsom continues:
“We’re doing everything we can to protect people from any retaliation for accessing abortion care while also making it more affordable to get contraceptives.”
No one retaliates against those who procure abortions. In fact, the pro-life community views women as the victim of the policies Newsom promotes and implements. It is pro-lifers who provide the prayers and hands-on counseling for women wounded morally, spiritually, and physically by abortion, not anyone in the abortion community.
Newsom continues:
“Our Legislature has been on the frontlines of this fight, and no other legislative body in the country is doing more to protect these fundamental rights – I’m proud to stand with them again and sign these critical bills into law.”
Technically, California restricts abortion: 1. At the point of viability (approximately 23 weeks) or; 2. When necessary to protect the health of the mother.
Practically speaking, the latter trumps the former, ushering in unfettered abortion in California.
Newsom signed a whole slate of laws liberalizing abortion even more following the overturning of Roe.
By contrast, Governor DeSantis called the end of Roe an “answered prayer” and signed a Heartbeat Bill into law.
Whether either of these governors ever wins the nomination of their party, a DeSantis/Newsom debate provides a clear contrast to voters, forcing them to answer this question:
Is America better off if it looks like Florida … or California?
[Governor Ron DeSantis is the keynote speaker at Pulse’s November 18th Christmas Gala. Order your ticket today.]
At Wednesday’s 2nd Republican debate, Fox talk show host, Dana Perino, asked Florida Governor Ron DeSantis this question:
“I want to ask you something that is on a lot of Republicans’ minds. This election could come down to less than 50,000 votes in three states. Abortion was on the ballot in six states in 2022. Republicans lost all of them. Next year, abortion will likely be on the ballot in Arizona. That is a must-win state. Governor DeSantis, how are you going to win over independent pro-choice voters in Arizona?”
Governor DeSantis responded like this:
“The same way we did in Florida. We won the greatest Republican race in the history of the state, over 1.5 million votes. We were winning places like Miami/Dade County and Palm Beach which nobody thought was possible because we were leading with vision and conviction. I reject this idea that pro-lifers are to blame for mid-term defeats. I think there were other reasons for that. The former president, he’s missing in action tonight, and he’s had a lot to say about that. He should be here explaining his comments that say pro-life protections are a terrible thing. I want him to look into the eyes and tell people who have been fighting this fight for a long time. My wife and I were earlier today at the gravesite of Mr. and Mrs. Reagan, and I noticed that there was a quote that said, “Every single person has purpose and worth.” We’re better off when everybody counts, and I believe we should stand for what we believe in. I think we should hold the Democrats accountable for their extremism supporting abortion all the way up to the moment of birth. That is infanticide and that is wrong.”
The only other candidate asked about abortion, Governor Chris Christie, supported DeSantis by telling Dana Perino that, yes, pro-life referendums can pass, because he’s done it. But it takes leadership.
On MSNBC, Rachel Maddow and her smug cohort of abortion zealots mocked DeSantis for taking such a pro-life stance in the 2nd Republican debate. Like Donald Trump, they assert the Life issue is a loser for Republicans, implying that we pro-lifers should simply surrender. You can watch the exchange below.
But are they correct? As the Gershwin song says, “it ain’t necessarily so.”
DeSantis deserves a great deal of credit for his full-throated support of the pro-life cause in the 2nd Republican debate. He correctly points out that Donald Trump is a factor. As a reminder, Mr. Trump supported four Senate candidates who lost in 2022.
He supported 11 House candidates who lost and another ten losing gubernatorial candidates. Arizona candidate for governor, Kari Lake, was the ideal prototype of a Trump-endorsed candidate: she fixated on the idea that the 2020 election was stolen. Candidates who looked to the past, focusing on grievance as did Ms. Lake, lost.
Candidates who emulated the Ronald Reagan model by looking to the future while running on “vision and conviction,” like a Ron DeSantis, won big.
Need proof?
Pro-life candidates who remained on offense by promoting gestational limits on abortion enjoyed great success:
Alabama governor Kay Ivey won reelection with 67 percent of the vote.
Sara Huckabee Sanders won the Arkansas governorship with 63 percent.
Idaho governor Brad Little won reelection with 60 percent.
Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt won reelection with 55 percent.
South Dakota governor Kristi Noem won reelection with 62 percent.
Texas governor Greg Abbot won reelection with 55 percent.
Georgia governor Brian Kemp won reelection with 53 percent.
Here in Iowa, governor Kim Reynolds won reelection with 58 percent.
And the list goes on: Ohio governor Mike Dewine by 62 percent; Tennessee governor Bill Lee by 65 percent; South Carolina governor Henry McMaster by 58 percent.
And perhaps the highest profile winner of all was Florida governor Ron DeSantis who supported and signed pain-capable limits and a complete ban on abortions after 15 weeks. He won reelection by 60 percent after winning his first race for Governor by a mere four-tenths of a percent.
He won over Floridians with conviction and leadership, unlike so many of the Trump-backed candidates who got wobbly on abortion.
The pro-life movement has a great deal of appreciation for Trump’s Supreme Court nominees who threw out Roe v Wade. Voters must sort through many issues when considering a president. Each is important. But ultimately, we must ask this question:
“Does every single person have purpose and worth, no matter how small and vulnerable they may be?”
If a candidate waffles on this single question, they’re not going to be much of a leader.
After all, we’re better off when everybody counts.
[Pulse Life Advocates doesn’t endorse any particular candidate, but supports all candidates who stand up for the pro-life cause. Sign up today to attend our November 18th Christmas Gala.]
September 17 – November 5 2023
Help change hearts and minds by praying for an end to abortion during 40 Days For Life outside one of the Iowa abortion facilities.
We know the power of prayer and our peaceful witness can save lives!
The Rosenfeld Center on the Southside of Des Moines is scheduled to close in February of 2024. PRAYER WORKS – PRAISE GOD! We will partner with the ISU Students for Life and Iowa Right to Life and will be praying in Des Moines and Ames. We will provide signs. Find the fall 2023 campaign schedule below.
There are daily devotions available on the 40daysforlife.com website under the Resources tab and under Devotionals. These are so helpful to focus our prayers each day!
Just a few reminders:
1. The online Calendar is set up. Please consider signing up for a prayer time.
2. In Des Moines, remember to park in the Hobby Lobby parking lot and walk down to the sidewalk right-of-way in front of Planned Parenthood. (This is the sidewalk nearest Army Post Road.)
3. We have never run into any problems but if you ever feel threatened or in any kind of danger, leave to find safety and call the police. If possible you can record interactions on your cell phone. Please also make us aware of any problems, so others can be alerted.
4. Be prepared if asked to refer anyone to:
InnerVisions Healthcare, 500 Army Post Road, Suite 100, Des Moines, IA 50315, 515-440-2273
Agape Center, 2550 Martin Luther King Parkway, Des Moines, IA, 515-255-0423
Here are our scheduled times
Des Moines prayer dates/times: Planned Parenthood 1000 E. Army Post Rd. Des Moines, IA
- Wednesday 9/27- 10:00-11:00
- Friday 9/29- 1:30-2:30
- Wednesday 10/4- 10:00-11:00
- Wednesday 10/11- 10:00-11:00
- Thursday 10/12- 12:30-1:30
- Thursday 10/19- 2:00-3:00
- Tuesday 10/24- 10:30-11:30
- Monday 10/30- 11:00-12:00
SIGN UP HERE TO PRAY IN DES MOINES
Ames prayer dates/times: Planned Parenthood 2530 Chamberlain Street Ames, IA
- Monday 10/2- 9:30-10:30
- Tuesday 10/17- 11:30-12:30
- Thursday 10/26- 9:30-10:30
SIGN UP HERE TO PRAY WITH US IN AMES
[Support our pro-life educational outreach. Donate today.]
Pulse Life Advocate’s board member, Whitney McIntosh, will be on a voter panel of 3 on Wednesday and Thursday during the 5PM EST hour (4PM CST) on The Evening Edit on Fox Business Network.
She was selected because of a cameo appearance she made on Fox about two weeks ago when Laura Ingraham was in town. She spoke as a veteran about how disappointed she was about the withdrawal that President Biden orchestrated from Afghanistan.
Whitney says she is one of the few black female conservatives who is outspokenly pro-life and pro-parents rights, which makes her somewhat unique.
Regarding tonight’s Republican debate, Whitney McIntosh is interested to hear what every candidate has to say, because of Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus position.
She says there are only two candidates who so far have said that they are pro-life for the whole of life, and that is Governor Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy.
For her, if the others cannot say that they are pro-life for the whole life conception to natural death, then they have lost any possibility of her voting for them.
Says Whitney:
“People may say that makes me a one topic voter but life is the main topic. If there is nobody alive there is nobody to put the other efforts, laws, & policies or efforts towards.”
Tune in to Fox Business at 4 to hear Whitney McIntosh.
[Help us to expand our pro-life educational outreach. Donate today.]
Two pro-life candidates for president offered up some unsatisfying pro-life positions in the past week.
Former President Donald Trump forcefully attacked Heartbeat Bill legislation passed in Florida and signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis. Similar legislation has passed in Iowa (twice). Said Trump:
“I think what he did is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake.”
He also refused to support a 15 week federal ban on abortion, dodging the question:
“I would sit down with both sides and I’d negotiate something, and we’ll end up with peace on that issue for the first time in 52 years. I’m not gonna say if I would or I wouldn’t.”
Fantasy world
Mr. Trump lives a fantasy world if he thinks he can negotiate a ‘peaceful’ resolution to the abortion question with a political party that calls for late term abortion in cases of unwanted children; taxpayer funding of human abortion; and the abolition of conscience protections for Catholic doctors, nurses, and hospitals.
Although the pro-life community is grateful for the judges he nominated to the Supreme Court who overturned Roe v Wade, pro-life leaders are abandoning him following these comments on Meet the Press. Lila Rose of Live Action didn’t mince any words:
“Trump should not be the GOP nominee. Pathetic and unacceptable. Trump is actively attacking the very pro-life laws made possible by Roe’s overturning. Heartbeat Laws have saved thousands of babies. But Trump wants compromise on babies’ lives so pro-abortion Dems ‘like him.’”
Same with Abby Johnson:
“The Republican nominee for President should, at minimum, be able to say that men can’t be women and that it’s wrong to kill children in the womb. We’re not asking him to be a rocket scientist. We’re asking him be to be a conservative.”
Same with Kristen Hawkins with Students for Life:
“It was tremendously discouraging for Pro-Life First Voters and the more than 1,000 volunteers preparing to work with us in the general election to see you disparage protections for pre-born infants starting at the universal sign of life – a heartbeat. A political calculation to support limits late in pregnancy, such as 15 weeks (almost 4 months), does not negate the value of laws that acknowledge the clearly understood, audible proof of life. Usually, in an emergency room, we rush to save someone with a heartbeat, and that continues to be the desire of motivated pro-life voters. It’s hard to understand why you would discourage so loyal a following to make a play for the votes of those unlikely to share your vision for shrinking the size of government, working to reduce inflation, or protecting parents’ rights to manage their children’s education and lives.”
Same with Pulse Life Advocate’s Maggie DeWitte:
Maggie DeWitte
“Saving innocent human life is never a mistake. The mistake is thinking we have the right to take a life. The mistake is calling a law that will save the lives of thousands of babies terrible. There can be no compromise on the life issue. Former President Trump words are disappointing and should be a wake up call to the pro life movement. Abortion is the human rights issue of our time. Now is the time for a strong leader to guide us into the post Roe generation. This fight will never end until we have equal protection for all our pre born brothers and sisters.”
Nikki Haley’s unsatisfying pro-life position
Nikki Haley’s comments on abortion at Saturday night’s Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition banquet are also a cause for concern. Pulse was there. We’ve transcribed her complete remarks along with our reactions:
“I think the American people deserve the truth. You have to speak hard truths on this. I am unapologetically pro-life. Not because the Republican party tells me to be, but because my husband was adopted, and I had trouble having both of my children. I’m surrounded by miracles and blessings.”
So far, so good.
“This issue is personal for every woman and every man, and we need to treat it that way. I don’t judge anyone for being pro-choice any more than I want them to judge me for being pro-life.
So when we look at this subject, we finally took it from unelected judges and put it back in the hands of the people. That’s where it should be. But the debate is whether there should be a federal law. And in order to pass a federal law, you have to have the majority of the House, sixty, SIX-ZERO, Senate votes and the signature of the president.
We haven’t had 60 Republicans in over a hundred years. We might have 45 pro-life Senators. so no Republican president can ban abortion any more than any Democratic president can ban state laws.
So my goal is how do we save as many babies as possible and support as many moms as possible? The way we do that is to bring people together and say, can’t we all agree that we should ban late term abortions?
Can’t we all agree that we should encourage adoptions … and good quality adoptions?
Can’t we agree that doctors and nurses who don’t agree with abortions shouldn’t have to perform abortions?
And can’t we all agree that no woman who gets an abortion should get a jail sentence or the death penalty?”
Pro-lifers don’t treat women as criminals
For the record, pro-life leaders consistently view women as victims of abortions, not criminals. Legal sanctions are targeted towards doctors, not moms.
As to her other points, obviously we CAN’T agree with elected leaders of the Democratic Party who have rejected their party’s former position, that abortion should be safe, legal, but rare. However, polling indicates that rank and file Democratic voters are closer to Republicans on abortion than they are with their own elected officials.
Haley continues …
“Let’s start there, because if you go and put these restrictions in that make people demonize each other, I’m not going to be a part of the demonizing. We have to humanize this issue if we’re every going to pass it and do more.”
What is Haley saying?
Abortion zealots demonize pro-lifers over every single restriction we get passed. Abortion zealots are radical. They block votes on ‘born alive’ legislation that mandates that babies that survive abortions be transported from the abortion clinic to a real hospital for medical treatment. They demonize Republicans for trying to pass a law that they claim “unnecessarily restrict doctors from making case-by-case decisions about what is best for infants and mothers.” Seriously? Is it in the best interest of the child to just let it die?
So how is Ms. Haley going to avoid being a part of the demonizing when every single pro-life restriction unleashes a mountain of rage from the pro-aborts?
She continues …
“I had a roommate in college who was raped. I wouldn’t wish on anyone what she went through wondering if she was pregnant. Everybody has a story. The way we bring people to us is not by demonizing them, we bring people to us when we humanize the situation. That’s all I’m saying. Tell people the truth. You go and put this ban of 15 weeks and what does it do? It has everyone running from us.”
Haley seems to be saying that she won’t take any leadership on using the bully pulpit of the presidency to promote life.
What would Lincoln do?
Imagine if Abraham Lincoln felt the same as Ms. Haley and Mr. Trump. Suppose he said, let’s leave slavery up to the individual states. That’s what the Democrats wanted back then. But Lincoln rejected that approach because it denied human rights to a class of people in violation of everything America believes in, just as abortion does.
Haley concludes:
“What about if we got people running to us? Whatever we can get 60 Senate votes on, isn’t that better than what we have now? If it’s six weeks, that’s great. If it’s fifteen weeks, that’s great. If it’s 20 weeks, it’s going further than we want, guess what, we’ll save more babies that way. I just want us to have a good conversation on how to save as many babies as we can.”
Ms. Haley spends a lot of time telling us what we can’t do. This issue demands leadership, not defeatism.
Candidates need to go on offense, not defense, which seems to be Haley’s path.
At least she isn’t completely selling out pro-lifers as it appears Trump is doing. And to her credit, she went on offense at the first Republican presidential debate:
“I think we’re all pro-life but what I would love is for someone to ask Biden and Kamala Harris are they for 38 weeks? Are they for 39 weeks? Are they for 40 weeks? Because that’s what the media needs to be asking.”
Defeatism is a prescription for defeat.
Be bold, candidates. Avoid wishy-washy unsatisfying pro-life positions. When debating abortion, focus on 3 points:
- The extremism of the other side’s positions.
- That abortion is a human right’s issue, just as slavery was.
- And it’s a human rights issue, because the unborn are biological human beings.
So when a Donald Trump … or a President Joe Biden … or even a Nikki Haley, challenges a Ron DeSantis that his Heartbeat bill is ‘too harsh,’ DeSantis should be teed up ready to go on offense:
“Mr. President, it’s never ‘too harsh’ to pass and enforce a law that protects an innocent person with a beating, human heart.
Abortion is a human rights issue, because each abortion kills an innocent human being.
Each abortion undermines our nation’s Creed that proclaims God-given rights of LIFE, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
And each abortion reminds us that abortion isn’t JUST a states rights issue, just as slavery wasn’t JUST a states rights issue, as the Democratic Party maintained in a tragic, earlier chapter in our nation’s history.
Both issues are human rights issues. End of story.”
And if an opponent tries to make a case that the unborn isn’t a ‘person,’ the rebuttal is straight forward:
“All I know is that is that it takes a human father and a human mother to make a human baby. Until you prove to me beyond a reasonable doubt that the thriving unborn baby in the womb isn’t a human being, I will continue to stand up for her human rights.”
Life Chain 2023 takes place on Sunday, October 1st from 2PM to 3:30PM. For the second year in a row, the event takes place at 35th & University Avenue in Des Moines. But you’ll pick up your signs at:
Des Moines Fellowship Church • 950 35th Street • Des Moines, IA (just south of Kingman Blvd.) • 2PM to 3:30PM
Abortion zealots are loud and profane. You have an opportunity to diffuse their invective with quiet prayer at Life Chain 2023. Life Chain 2023 provides you with a prayerful opportunity to stand up for society’s most vulnerable people, the unborn, in the public square.
Life Chain 2023 allows you to pray in gratitude for recent pro-life victories, including the overturning of Roe v Wade and the Iowa Supreme Court’s judicial correction of the Reynolds decision.
As people drive by, several things occur:
- Fellow pro-lifers can see that they’re not alone. You give them courage to be even bolder in their defense of our unborn brothers and sisters.
- Moderate pro choice supporters notice how loving and peaceful the pro-life movement is, in contrast to zealous abortion advocates who curse and make obscene gestures. Love is the most powerful weapon for opposing human abortion.
- And more than a few hardcore abortion zealots may feel their consciences squirm seeing such a Godly, loving expression of support for the weakest members of our society: the unborn.
If you’re a shy person who doesn’t feel comfortable talking about abortion with your pro-abortion family and friends, Life Chain 2023 is the perfect way to stand up in the public square for your convictions. God will smile upon your efforts. So will the 66 million victims of abortion from their perch in heaven.
RECAP: Life Chain 2023, Sunday, October 1st, 2 to 3:30 PM, Des Moines Fellowship Church, 950-35th Street, Des Moines, IA.
Why do women have abortions? According to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute: money. Let’s face it, the economy and abortion are connected.
According to their 2004 study:
“The reasons most frequently cited were that having a child would interfere with a woman’s education, work or ability to care for dependents (74%); that she could not afford a baby now (73%).”
So when the economy goes south, financial insecurity decreases the desirability of having children, making abortion look like the best exit strategy for some women.
You can see how abortion skyrocketed during the 1970s (below), a decade of economic stagflation (economic stagnation accompanied by inflation), and how it began a steady decline when the economic policies of Ronald Reagan ushered in an era of economic prosperity.
Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal pointed out that real wages have declined under ‘Bidenomics’:
“The reason is that inflation has outpaced the earnings growth from work. Real median earnings for full-time workers last year fell $3,620 for men and $2,880 for women despite a tight labor market that had companies paying more to attract and keep workers.”
President Biden’s policies have ushered in a new era of high inflation that is devastating working class Americans’ pocketbooks.
Tipp Insights says “Bidenflation” stands at 16.7% since he took office, so our money doesn’t go as far as it used to:
“These days, it takes $1,000 in earnings to buy what $857 could purchase when Biden took office. And the earnings have not kept up with inflation.”
This isn’t a subject a pro-life group like Pulse Life Advocates typically writes about. But when Big Abortion’s very own research acknowledges that money concerns are the major reason why women abort, then pro-lifers would be remiss not to be concerned about the economy and its impact on abortion.
Let’s face it, from a purely calculating perspective, abortion costs less than childbirth. As NPR wrote:
“Medical costs for birth are also still high, even with insurance coverage: about $4,300 on average for vaginal deliveries in 2015 and $5,200 for cesarean births, according to a wide-ranging study of more than 600,000 women in the United States between 2008 and 2015 who had health care insurance through their employer.”
How much does an abortion cost? According to U.S. News & World Report:
“In the first trimester, Planned Parenthood estimates the procedure will cost up to $750, and up to $1,500 after those three months.”
These callous dollar and cents analysis ignore the true essence of the national abortion debate: that each abortion kills a unique human person, and that humanity begins at fertilization, NOT when someone else decides.
Bidenomics is a different kind of threat to the unborn than his unabashed pro-abortion policies. But a threat it is.
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