Right To Life

Terrorism in the Classroom: What “Fighting Like Hell” Gets You

submitted by Anna-Marie Pluymert, Director of Communication/Education, Right to Life of Michigan

On March 27, we learned that a Wayne State University English professor has been suspended. Dr. Steven Shaviro recently wrote on Facebook justifying the assassination of “right-wing” speakers on campus. While the post doesn’t specifically mention prolife people, it’s doubtful Dr. Shaviro believes prolife speakers should avoid being murdered for their views.

On March 28, we learned that a Michigan State University professor was forcing her students to subscribe to her “Patriarchy Rebellion Community” website. Dr. Wisner said she would donate 100% of the students’ fees to Planned Parenthood.

Did you hear about these stories? Did any “reputable” publications in Michigan focus on these? This isn’t just a case of one professor saying something ridiculous and getting punished for it. These are two cases of professors at public universities encouraging their students to engage in terrorism.

Yes, terrorism. That’s what you call it when someone commits unlawful violence to further political goals.

On the surface, it seems that at least our universities are somewhat functioning. Wayne State suspended Shaviro. MSU will reimburse students for being forced to subscribe to Wisner’s campaign for violence. But are they really treating these cases like they deserve?

Shaviro was suspended with pay. He still gets paid for advocating terrorism.

Wisner was suspended, but it appears that she might have successfully walked away with $120,000 in students’ money.

In the last few months, we’ve seen the widespread use of the term “stochastic terrorism.” Its definition is supposed to mean repeated demonization of a particular group that encourages others to commit terrorism against them. Instead, it’s been deployed lately to intimidate people who disagree politically with our current leaders.

So where is all the terrorism happening these days? Apparently on college campuses, where you are supposed to be highly credentialed to achieve an academic position.

And then there’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who for months has been egging on her supporters to “fight like hell” for abortion. Given Whitmer’s irresponsible rhetoric directly alluding to violence, you should expect her to feel a particular burden to denounce the violence her supporters commit.

The amount of political violence committed or encouraged in the last couple of years is becoming a very long list and it’s up to Michigan citizens to fix this.

We vote for the boards of Wayne State and MSU. We are paying to promote terrorism on those campuses. We elected our current cast of leaders who can’t even mouth empty platitudes about protecting their own constituents.

Elections have consequences, and when we let our government be run by people who stochastically support acts of terror against political enemies, we’re going to get terrorism.

Michigan Is Dying, and We Keep Killing It

submitted by Anna-Marie Pluymert, Director of Communication/Education – Right to Life of Michigan

The grim headline from MIRS, a Michigan capital news service: “Birth-Death Ratio Negative In Michigan, Life Expectancy Drops.”

There’s only one way to describe a state that sadly accepts this reality: dying. For the first time in Michigan’s history, more are dying than are being born.

The headline should be familiar, since those numbers were true in 2020. Those numbers should be a topic of everyday discussion, but it seems the headline will be quickly lost in our ridiculous news cycle.

There were 117,756 total deaths in Michigan in 2021, versus 105,022 births, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Why is Michigan dying? And, perhaps more importantly, why do so few seem to care?

Many causes can be pinpointed. Globalization and the loss of manufacturing. Crime and poor governance. Fentanyl and drug abuse, especially for the drop in life expectancy. A general malaise that leads people into deaths of despair. COVID-19.

But we’re talking about births, so we must talk about abortion. In 2021, we took the lives of 30,074 babies in Michigan. Those numbers alone make the difference. Since 1973, when Roe v. Wade made abortion legal in Michigan, we’ve taken the lives of an estimated 1,570,000 babies here.

But as the vote for Proposal 3 in the November election indicated, Michiganders who aren’t too knowledgeable about abortion thought it was necessary on some limited level—even though Proposal 3 will be taking away any conceivable limits.

In fact, Governor Whitmer is laboring under the delusion that only by aborting more and more babies will we convince people and businesses to move to our suicidal state.

Many people believe humanity is the problem, and that prosperity can only be found by eliminating “dead weight.” This “truth” has been beaten into our heads in the classroom, on the TV, on social media, and everywhere else. A few days ago, CBS’s 60 Minutes wheeled out failed doomsayer Paul Ehrlich to update the overpopulation apocalypse from the 1970s to sometime soon.

Our society is conditioned to demand that everything always progresses for the better. So, perhaps believing the slow death of Michigan is a key to prosperity is just a coping mechanism. But as all experience has shown us, a declining population and declining life expectancy doesn’t mean we’re going to be inheriting and enjoying more riches. It just means more death and economic decline approaching in the rear-view mirror.

Next Up: Abortion Rituals at Local Pharmacies

submitted by Anna-Marie Pluymert, Director of Communication/Education – Right to Life of Michigan

Picture this: you discuss your decision with your best friend, you set the appointment, and then you clear your schedule, so you have enough time to log in and mentally prepare for your appointment. This sounds like a telehealth appointment to get a prescription for a serious condition, one that would require you to get the opinion of friends or family. It’s describing the actions of a woman obtaining an abortion from the Satanic Temple.

Yes, really.

The Satanic Temple is now promoting a new endeavor on their website. Looking at the context, one would assume maybe a new location for devil worship, or selling red, plastic horns—buy one, get one free. But one would be assuming wrong; for several years now, the Satanic Temple has been deeply involved in advocating against prolife laws. Now, they want to provide abortions.

They are the Satanic Temple, after all. Adding ritual human sacrifice to their news-grabbing antics was only a matter of time.

In light of the FDA’s recent rule changes for distributing abortion pills, this development comes at a rather interesting time. If you have been paying attention, the FDA modified the REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) for the abortion pill on January 3rd. This rule change allowed pharmacies to distribute the drug with very few guidelines and regulations. CVS, Walgreen, and Rite Aid have all announced that they will be welcoming the abortion pill into every corner pharmacy. This means death will be easily found on every city block in America.

But, let’s face it, there’s nothing edgy about a CVS. So, now the Satanists want to get into this business. The Satanic Temple has the announcement that telehealth appointments are “coming soon” on its website. While not all the details have been released, the Satanic Temple has mentioned that they are able to do this by partnering with local abortion facilities.

It also appears that The Satanic Temple is planning to open a facility in New Mexico where women will be able to get abortion pills directly. Desperately needing more attention and clicks, the Satanic Temple plans to name the facility “The Samuel Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Facility.” This is an attempt to taunt U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade.

It can’t be denied now that abortion is straight from the pit of Hell.

RLM PAC Rescinds Endorsements of 2 State House Reps

Right to Life of Michigan Political Action Committee Rescinds Endorsements of Two State House Representatives Following Vote for Sweeping Repeal of 1931 Abortion Law

Two First-Term Legislators Failed to Act Consistent with their Commitments to both the Right to Life of Michigan PAC and Prolife Voters Across the State; Neglect Duty to Preserve Reasonable Protections Permitted Under Proposal 3 and In Place Under Roe v. Wade

On March 7th, 2023, the Right to Life of Michigan Political Action Committee (RLM-PAC) announced it has rescinded the endorsements of two first-term state elected officials after their March 2 votes to pass a sweeping repeal of the 1931 abortion law. State Representative Donni Steele of the 54th District and State Representative Thomas Kuhn of the 57th District voted with proabortion Democrats to repeal MCL 750.14, better known as the 1931 abortion law. This law has been in place and partially effective even under Roe v. Wade, containing critical portions that remain constitutional in the wake of Proposal 3.

Proposal 3 states that “the state may regulate the provision of abortion care after fetal viability.” The 1931 abortion law is the only abortion statute that currently regulates post-viable abortions.

Prior to being endorsed by the RLM-PAC, all candidates complete a questionnaire and interview with a panel of local prolife volunteers. A large part of the process focuses on whether the candidate will uphold Michigan’s current prolife laws. By voting to repeal our current abortion law and thus legalize the abortion of children fully capable of living outside the womb, they have broken their pre-election promise to uphold human dignity. For this reason, the RLM-PAC Board has rescinded the previous endorsements of both Representative Kuhn and Representative Steele.

Furthermore, RLM-PAC sincerely thanks each of the 50 Representatives who held firm and voted against House Bill 4006.

Going forward, RLM-PAC will continue to support those individuals who are dedicated to upholding the right to life of all innocent Michiganders and looks forward to the day when basic human rights are once again protected in law.

Michigan Senate Removes Longstanding Conscience Protections for Employers

Michigan Senate Democrats Vote to Mandate that All Employer Benefit Plans that Cover Pregnancy Now Cover Abortion as Well

Longstanding Conscience Protections for Employers Set to Be Removed

Lansing, MI – Yesterday, in a strict party-line vote (20-17), State Senate Democrats voted to amend the Elliot Larson Civil Right Act to mandate that all employer benefit plans that cover pregnancy now pay for elective abortions. This amendment strips long-standing conscience protections from employers who exercise their right to choose not to pay for abortions.

“State Senate Democrats are pushing through some of the most extreme proabortion legislation in the country, using Proposal 3 as cover for their radical agenda,” stated Genevieve Marnon, Legislative Director, Right to Life of Michigan. “Proponents of Proposal 3 repeatedly stated its passage would simply codify Roe v. Wade in Michigan. However, many of the protections that remained in place under Roe, including conscience protections, are systematically being targeted and stripped away by this new legislature.”

“Proabortion members are ramming extreme legislation through without notice and without allowing full testimony from advocates for life,” added Marnon. “This is really unprecedented from anything we have seen in Michigan.”

Senator Ruth Johnson (R-24) offered a common-sense amendment that would have exempted out employers who have a religious and conscientious objection to abortion benefits. Any attempts to include protections for employers, women, or the unborn are swiftly shut down.

Right to Life of Michigan is calling on all House members to reject this radical attempt to strip common-sense conscience protections from Michigan employers.

Abortion Industry to Walgreens: Tell Your Men They Work for Me Now

submitted by Anna-Marie Pluymert, Director of Communication/Education – Right to Life of Michigan

Walgreens is in deep trouble for not going all-in on abortion pills.

On January 5, the pharmacy chain Walgreens announced they would be providing abortion pills in their stores. Along with CVS and Rite-Aid, they are taking advantage of new rules engineered by the Biden Administration’s FDA to allow abortion pills to be distributed by pharmacies.

The motivation of the Biden Administration is clear: make abortion pills so prevalent that it’s nearly impossible to affect the supply.

What about Walgreens’ motivation? Was it for the money? Maybe. Pharmacies are struggling with making money these days, squeezed between online retailers, pharmacy benefit managers, drug companies, and public pressure for cheaper drugs. But with Walgreens making nearly $132 billion in revenue in 2022, the abortion pill market is a small add-on. Even if every abortion in America was done with abortion pills at $500 a pop, the $500 million in revenue selling them is less than 1% of the revenue of one pharmacy chain.

No, it’s more likely the Biden Administration leaned on them. Between regulations and reimbursements from health care programs, the federal government has vast power and authority over pharmacies.

Attorneys general from prolife states informed them that selling abortion pills in their states was unacceptable, and in fact against federal law. These attorneys general said they would pursue legal action against Walgreens and others for following Biden’s illegal abortion pill mandate.

States have a lot of power over pharmacies as well. Pharmacies face giant risks by angering them. So, on March 3, Walgreens announced they wouldn’t sell these deadly drugs in those states with prolife attorneys general.

Pro-abortion states also know they have power. So, on March 6, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced his state government would be boycotting Walgreens.

This reminds us of the scene from the Batman movie The Dark Knight, where the main villain, the Joker, takes control of the city’s other criminal organizations with a simple threat: “tell your men they work for me now.” Once you sign on with the Abortion Industry, you can’t just leave it.

There is no longer any avoiding the abortion issue. The Abortion Industry and its elected officials won’t let you sit in the middle. If you sign on to their team, you will never be allowed to leave it.

So, the question for prolife people is this: are you going to match their intensity? Because if not, the price of harboring any doubts about abortion will mean you aren’t allowed to participate in polite society anymore, and certainly not operate a business in Gavin Newsom’s California.

Clearing Up Confusion

submitted by Anna-Marie Visser, Director of Communication/Education, Right to Life of Michigan

To say that people are confused about miscarriage and ectopic treatment since the overturning of Roe would be an understatement.

Within the last week, social media, the news, and abortion activists have successfully misled the majority of Americans, even medical professionals, into believing that abortion bans will impact miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy treatment.

First and foremost, we need to establish that there is a difference between having a miscarriage and having an abortion. A miscarriage is when an unborn child dies in the womb either spontaneously or accidentally, as opposed to an abortion where the unborn child is intentionally killed. These are two very different circumstances with one ending in violence and the other ending naturally. 

An ectopic pregnancy is when the unborn child implants in the outside of the uterus, most often in the fallopian tubes. This situation is frequently life-threatening for the mother and requires that the pregnancy be stopped and removed. Sometimes with ectopic pregnancies, the embryo dies due to a lack of nutrients and passes naturally, but often it is necessary to use medicines to halt the growth of the pregnancy tissue and remove it surgically. This would consequentially also remove the unborn child. Procedures and drugs that are used during miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy treatments like D&C and Mifeprex or Methotrexate would not be banned under Michigan’s 1931 abortion law. These drugs and procedures are, however, illegal to use under the 1931 law if for the purpose of performing an abortion.

Ectopic pregnancy treatment is not considered an illegal abortion under the 1931 abortion ban. To treat a mother who is suffering from an ectopic pregnancy would be to preserve her life. A “life of the mother exception” is carved out in the 1931 abortion law, which bans abortion starting at fertilization.

Doctors who refuse to treat women suffering from miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies are committing malpractice and negligence and should be held accountable for any further complications that arise from the prolonging of care.

These are confusing times due to the misinformation being spread. Governor Whitmer and Dana Nessel have recently added more fuel to the fire of misinformation by implying that women will be prosecuted for having abortions which is totally false. Under Michigan law, women are not prosecuted for abortions, and trying to scare women into thinking that prosecutors will somehow use period trackers to come after women for abortions is preposterous! 

Governor Whitmer Seeks Insurance Coverage for Abortions

Lansing, MI — On Wednesday, June 29, 2022, Governor Whitmer issued a letter to all insurance companies in the state of Michigan urging them to unlawfully expand abortion coverage.

Michigan’s Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act prevents insurance companies from covering abortions as a built-in benefit in their health insurance policies. The law was passed in response to taxpayers being forced to fund abortions through the Affordable Care Act state exchanges. The Opt-Out law was valid under Roe v. Wade and continues to be valid now.

The following statement is attributed to Right to Life of Michigan President, Barbara Listing:

This letter violates the Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act that was passed in 2013 through citizen-initiated legislation. Since 2013, insurance companies have been prohibited from covering abortions, unless an individual purchased an abortion rider.

Governor Whitmer is treading on dangerous water by assuming that Judge Gleicher’s temporary injunction on our Michigan 1931 abortion law eliminates all pre-existing laws regulating abortion—it doesn’t. Regardless of Governor Whitmer’s inappropriate request to insurance companies, the Abortion Insurance Opt-Out law is still in place and violators of the law can be fined up to $10,000.

This plea to insurance companies encouraging them to break the law reveals Governor Whitmer’s plan to expand abortion until it’s unlimited and unregulated in Michigan.

View the Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act here.

U.S. Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade

information submitted by Right to Life of Michigan

On June 24th, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to overturn Roe v. Wade in its entirety, upholding the Mississippi 15-week abortion ban, and returning the issue of abortion back to the states. The U.S. Supreme Court justices solidified the decision in a (6-3) ruling.

This decision allows for states to decide their own laws regarding abortion. Michigan currently has a 1931 abortion law on the books that bans abortion starting at fertilization with a life of the mother exception.

The following statement is attributed to Right to Life of Michigan President, Barbara Listing:

The U.S. Supreme Court justices who voted to overrule Roe are on the right side of history today. This monumental day gives the states the ability to restore legal rights to the unborn hopefully, in turn, ceasing the unjust slaughtering of the innocent in our country. We stand by our justices and thank them for their courage and wisdom in overruling a law that has plagued our society for the past 50 years.

We urge the public and pro-abortion activists to accept this decision without violence and retaliation. The overturning of Roe v. Wade was made possible by working with the legal system and following laws. We know that one day Michigan’s 1931 abortion law will be enforced again, and the unborn will be protected against ableism, sexism, and racism. We will continue to peacefully work towards this through the legal system.

We will also continue to use our resources and time to protect the right to life… In the meantime, we know that lives will be saved every day and families will be finding support at the 150 pregnancy resource centers across the state.

We honor the 63 million lives lost from abortion in the past 50 years by dedicating all our efforts towards keeping Michigan a life-affirming state. We cannot change the past but thanks to the overruling of Roe v. Wade, we can control the future for our children and families.

Citizens to Support MI Women and Children coalition spokeswoman, Christen Pollo, issued this statement:

Our coalition is made up of prolife organizations that have been waiting 50 years for Roe v. Wade to be overturned. We are grateful to see the fall of Roe in the height of our efforts to stop the anything-goes abortion amendment. We have been preparing to protect Michigan’s 1931 abortion law for this very moment. The anything-goes RFFA abortion amendment is working to add a right to abortion in our state constitution that would allow abortion for anyone, anytime, anywhere, and anyway.

We will continue to fight for human rights for all, no matter age, size, location, gender, or race. We believe in human rights; we believe that the unborn should be protected by law and respected as an individual. The overturning of Roe v. Wade fuels our fire to keep pushing back against the anything-goes abortion amendment. The RFFA amendment would change every law regarding pregnancy in Michigan including the definition of fetal viability, parental consent laws, partial-birth abortion bans, tax-funded abortion bans, and abortion clinic regulation laws.

We believe it’s important that every voter know the consequences of this amendment if passed and why they shouldn’t sign the petition or vote for it if it’s on the November ballot. We will continue to educate until every corner of Michigan knows the dangers of the anything-goes abortion amendment. 

Telemedicine Abortion Ban Introduced

submitted by Genevieve Marnon, Right to Life of Michigan Legislative Director

Lansing, MI — The Telemedicine Abortion Ban was introduced on May 5th, 2022, in the Michigan House.

Sponsored by Rep. Pamela Hornberger, HB 6069 bans the use of telemedicine for diagnosing pregnancy and prescribing the abortion pill.

The following statement is from Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing:

Telemedicine abortions are a dangerous business. Women are not provided medical screenings to determine gestational age, rule out ectopic pregnancies, or test for RH factor.

The use of telemedicine has increased dramatically over the past two years due to the Covid pandemic. Telemedicine has a place in diagnosing and treating some ailments, but medical abortions should never be prescribed over the internet. The use of Mifepristone, the first of the two-pill abortion regimen is contraindicated for ectopic pregnancies, which occur in 1-2% of all confirmed pregnancies. Performing an ultrasound to determine the location of the unborn baby and to determine the gestational age is a commonsense safety measure that is skipped during telemedicine abortions.

Listing stated:

To complicate matters, the FDA lifted the requirement of in-person dispensing of the abortion pill and now allows for mail-order abortion pills. Telemedicine abortion in combination with mail-order abortion pills opens the door for increased numbers of coerced abortions from abusive relationships or sex traffickers. Mail order pills could make it easier for an abuser to obtain abortion pills through the mail to be unwittingly forced upon his/her victim.

With the U.S. Supreme Court seemingly poised to overrule Roe vs. Wade and send the abortion decision back to the states, Michigan could soon become an abortion-free state. Once that happens, abortion, including chemical abortions would be illegal. Until that happens, we applaud Rep. Hornberger’s continued efforts to protect women from dangerous mail-order abortions and to protect the innocent unborn from death by abortion pills.

RLM-PAC Endorses Tudor Dixon for Governor

Grand Rapids, MI — Right to Life of Michigan Political Action Committee (RLM-PAC) endorses Tudor Dixon for the Michigan governor’s race.

All endorsements are made by the RLM PAC Board and deliberations are confidential. The full list of RLM-PAC endorsements will be released in the following days.

The following statement is attributed to RLM-PAC Board Chairman, Paul Miller:

Right to Life of Michigan Political Action Committee is pleased to announce our endorsement of Tudor Dixon for the Michigan governor’s race. Tudor Dixon is a strong prolife leader who possesses the ability to lead Michigan towards being a life-affirming state. Right to Life of MI PAC is excited to work towards the election of Tudor Dixon as Michigan’s next Governor.

Governor Whitmer’s Pro-abortion Advancements

Anna-Marie Visser, Director of Communication/Education, Right to Life of Michigan

Governor Whitmer announced yesterday that she is filing a lawsuit asking the Michigan Supreme Court to find a right to abortion within the state constitution. Governor Whitmer has executive authority that allows her to make requests or file a brief that goes directly to the Michigan Supreme Court.

The lawsuit asks the Court to find a right to abortion within our constitution. This is an interesting development as Governor Whitmer was supporting the Reproductive Freedom for All petition that is trying to create a right to abortion.

So, which is it? Is there already a right that has been hiding all these years and no Michigan court has been able to find or does the right need to be created and established?

The Michigan Supreme Court has the obligation to deny this case as it is manipulative and dishonest. The Michigan Supreme Court already decided that there was no abortion right in the constitution in 1997 in the case Mahaffey v. Attorney General. The Court refused to hear it and ruled that they agree with the lower Court of Appeals of Michigan that there was no such right.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barb Listing stated:

This is a frivolous lawsuit that should be immediately dismissed by the Michigan Supreme Court. Governor Whitmer is ignoring the voices of Michiganders by bypassing all lower courts and court precedent just as the U.S. Supreme Court did when they decided on Roe v. Wade.

Governor Whitmer is up for reelection this year so this seems to be a political move to ensure that she will get the pro-abortion vote. Governor Whitmer also sent out a fundraising letter yesterday. Is it a coincidence that it happens to be on the same day as the lawsuit?

The Governor is ignoring the wishes of Michiganders who are not going to get a chance to vote, sign, or voice their opinion.

We knew that they would sue, just not before Roe v. Wade decision was announced so the timing is shocking. Nevertheless, we must keep fighting and be prepared as this year is monumental for so many reasons.

Please visit the Citizens to Support Michigan Women and Children coalition website to learn how to fight against the anything-goes abortion amendment. There are resources available for educating the public, your families, churches, and communities.

Hyde Amendment Stays

submitted by Anna-Marie Visser, Director of Communication/Education, Right to Life of Michigan

News on the Hyde Amendment has gone quiet for the past few months due to Congress passing resolutions to continue negotiations for the 2022 fiscal budget.

The future of the Hyde Amendment became unknown after President Biden didn’t include it in his 2022 fiscal budget proposal last summer. In July of 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives voted against the amendment in a 219-208 vote.

Once the House voted, then the budget proposal got sent to the Senate who voted on August 11th to preserve the Hyde amendment. These votes were preliminary votes but were important to take note of because they gave some indication on what the final vote was going to be. 

The house and senate could not come to an agreement on the appropriation amendments so continuing resolutions had to be passed so that negotiation on dividing topics could be worked out.

Negotiation after the final vote started in September of 2021 and came to an end on March 11 just before a government shutdown with the Hyde Amendment intact thanks to all Republicans who held firm and to Senator Joe Manchin who worked hard to uphold the appropriation amendment even against party opposition.

Senator Joe Manchin was quoted in by the press saying “It has to be. It has to be. That’s dead on arrival if that’s gone,” and he was referring to the Hyde Amendment.

What is so special about this amendment that Congress would negotiate for months and risk a government shutdown over it?

For the past 45 years, the Hyde Amendment has been a part of the budget and has bipartisan support from every Democrat and Republican president since 1976, up until Biden.

This amendment ensures that federal taxpayers are not funding abortions. The majority of Americans feel strongly that they should not have to pay for someone else’s abortion, putting aside their personal beliefs on abortion.

The government funding bill also included the Weldon Amendment which also wasn’t included in Biden’s proposal last year. The Weldon Amendment protects health care providers who received federal funding from being forced to perform or aid in abortions.

The Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court case and the never-ending news stories on states changing abortion laws have created an unknown future in the prolife movement but one thing is for sure, Michigan taxpayers will not be paying for abortions this year.

Black History Month

submitted by Anna-Marie Visser, Director of Communication/Education, Right to Life of Michigan

February is dedicated to celebrating Black History Month which was recognized officially in 1976 by President Gerald R. Ford. Many celebrate the awareness month by honoring individuals in the black community who created change and stood up for equality like Martin Luther King Jr. or Justice Thomas Clarence. It is also a time to remember people who aren’t famous but still make an impact in the Black community like physicians, teachers, pastors, and parents.

This year, the theme for Black History Month is “Black Health and Wellness” and while the U.S. works toward a more robust future, it is essential to remember that health starts in the womb.

As prolife people of all colors and backgrounds, we mourn the 19 million members of the Black community whose lives were ended before they could take their first breath. We mourn the women in the Black community whose “health and wellness” are being exploited by the Abortion Industry in the pursuit of profit. We mourn for the women suffering from post-abortive syndrome who abandoned by their neighborhood Planned Parenthood who once was so welcoming and eager to “serve” their community. We mourn for the women who fell victim to the lie that abortion will fix their problems, keep their relationships together, and secure their equality.

Around the country, the Black community is being honored and their history remembered. But how can we honor the Black community and simultaneously erase their future by the millions? How can we remember history when over 19 million of them will never get to be a part of it?

In 2020, there were 26,801 abortions among Michigan residents and 14,854 of those abortions happened within the Black community. While Black women make up only 14% of the female population in Michigan, they had 55.4% of all Michigan abortions in 2020.

We cannot celebrate Black History Month without making these horrendous facts known. If we want to honor and celebrate the Black community, we first need to start by fighting against the mass killing of Black babies and putting an end to the Abortion Industry’s exploitation of black mothers and women.

One way we can celebrate Black History Month is by encouraging life within the community to ensure there is a history to look back on. Helpinthed.org is a website that encourages life by offering resources for mothers. This resource is focused on families in the Detroit area.

49th Memorial of Roe v. Wade

Grand Rapids, Mich — January 22, 2022, is the 49th memorial of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, the U.S. Supreme Court cases which legalized abortion on demand and forced our country into a culture of death.

The following statement is from Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing:

Every year, on January 22, we are reminded of our dark history that plagues every aspect of society today. We remember the millions of children who were and are horrendously aborted in the name of convenience, uncertainty, fear, and selfishness.

Prolife events are taking place this weekend all across the state. Right to Life of Michigan local affiliates are hosting memorials, marches, and more to remember the 63 million children whose lives were violently taken through abortion. This Sunday, January 23, we celebrate Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, first recognized by President Ronald Reagan in 1984.

Listing also stated:

We have hope and faith in our U.S. Supreme Court justices that they will get it right this year and uphold the value of the unborn, in turn, enabling our society to turn from a culture of death to a life-affirming nation. We have worked hard each and every year for this to become reality and January 22 is a reminder of why we have sacrificed our time and resources.

This year is monumental as Roe v. Wade is being considered in the U.S. Supreme Court and could be overturned by June. We have marched for the past 49 years in hopes that the Supreme Court will hear our heartbreak at being forced to legalize abortion throughout the U.S. This year is a breakthrough in the prolife movement and for the innocent, unborn children who have been silenced, tortured, and discarded for far too long.

FDA Approving Mail-Order Abortions

submitted by Anna-Marie Visser, Director of Communication/Education, Right to Life of Michigan

On December 16, 2021, the FDA permanently approved the prescribing of RU-486, the abortion pill, over telemedicine appointments. In February of 2021, the FDA temporarily approved the use of the abortion pill through telemedicine due to the COVID pandemic shutdowns. This approval eliminates the REMS requirement that in-person examinations and ultrasounds must be conducted before prescribing the pill to women.

The abortion pill, also known a medical abortion, has been a danger to women since the moment it was created. In-person examinations and ultrasound are conducted to rule out an ectopic pregnancy or rh negative.  It is important that the pregnancy be dated properly to make sure that it is 10 weeks or earlier. Once the woman has taken mifepristone in office and then misoprostol at her home, a follow-up appointment is necessary to make sure that the abortion was complete. Within 24-hours, the woman experiences heavy bleeding, stomach cramping, and emotional trauma from having an abortion.

Complications Reported

The U.S. does not require states to report their yearly abortion statistics to the CDC. California, New Hampshire, and Maryland refuse to report any data on abortion to the CDC and the rest of the states that do report, are not held to accuracy when publishing their numbers. According to the 2019 CDC report, 24 deaths resulted from medical abortions with 4,000 complications. Complications typically include incomplete abortions, infection from ectopic pregnancy, and excessive bleeding.

A 2009 study from “Obstetrics and Gynecology” found that the complication rate for medical abortions was 20% while complications for surgical abortions was 5.6%. Medical abortions that are incomplete are then followed up with a surgical abortion.

Prevalence

The CDC 2019 reported that 629,898 abortions took place in the U.S. Within Michigan, 29,669 abortions took place in 2020 and of those, 15,333 were completed by the abortion pill which is only going to increase as it becomes more accessible and less restricted.

Future Problems

Telemedicine appointments were created for patients that lived in rural areas or who didn’t feel comfortable being in-person during COVID.  The woman is advised to go to the emergency room to treat the complications. This is an incentive for abortion facilities because they will not have to pay for the prep or clean-up of the abortion.

The bottom line is that the abortion pill, a deadly and dangerous drug, will be shipped all throughout the country through the mailing system.

Ballot Proposal Filed to Repeal Michigan’s 1931 Abortion Ban

submitted by Right to Life of Michigan

Lansing, MI — Ballot proposal paperwork has been filed to the Board of State Cansavers by pro-abortion groups including Reproductive Freedom for All, American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, and Michigan Voices.

The proposal is the first step in efforts to reverse the Michigan 1846 abortion ban and create a state constitutional right for abortion.

The following statement is attributed to Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing:

It is disappointing, but not unexpected, that a ballot proposal has been filed in hopes of overturning a long-standing law that protects innocent babies from being killed. While the exact language has not been released, we know that Michiganders want to live in a life-affirming state.

The humanity of unborn children cannot be denied, as technology and science have proven, without a doubt, that they are human and deserve legal protection. Beginning at fertilization, the unborn child develops rapidly from a single cell to a fully formed infant by 15-weeks. An unborn child’s development is a gapless process just as an infant or adult’s development is a continuous and never-ending process.

We cannot allow the vulnerable to be killed in the name of convenience.

Right to Life of Michigan has been fighting for the past 50 years to protect the right to life and we will continue to do so until the humanity of the unborn is upheld and respected.

Background information:
1931 Abortion Ban Law
1972 Abortion Ballot Initiative Defeated

The War on Children

submitted by Anna-Marie Visser, Director of Communication/Education, Right to Life of Michigan

On December 1, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. At stake are Mississippi’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, and perhaps Roe v. Wade and the non-existing right to abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. The arguments on December 1 mostly revolved around how and when the Supreme Court can overturn prior decisions.

On the prolife side, Mississippi had an easy argument: abortion was never added to the Constitution. Justice Clarence Thomas repeatedly asked the lawyers representing the abortion facility and President Biden about what the right to abortion is, and neither could articulate exactly what it is.

The pro-abortion lawyers did articulate one very clear point: they argued Roe v. Wade must not be overturned because women rely on abortion. In their minds, there is a war between women and children, and only one can win.

Do you remember the 2012 election? One of the main attacks against Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign was that he was conducting a “war on women,” because he expressed prolife beliefs.

Is it true? Are women and their children in a permanent war against each other—a struggle to the death? If so, then isn’t all of society? Are we at war with anyone with a claim on our time? Teachers at war with students? Middle-aged children at war with elderly parents? Neighbor against neighbor; the rich against the poor: a war of all against all?

One particular exchange during oral arguments highlighted the absurdity of that argument. Justice Amy Coney Barrett was asking the pro-abortion lawyers about safe delivery laws and adoption, and if they meant women already had a legal means to avoid parenthood in any situation. Justice Barrett is proof positive that children are not fatal to career success. Justice Barrett is the mother of seven children, including one with Down syndrome and two adopted children.

It’s unclear what will happen. The consensus of court watchers is that arguments went very poorly for the abortion facility, but the Supreme Court is unpredictable. In 1992, the Supreme Court was going to overturn Roe v. Wade, until a justice bowed to pressure to change his mind, allowing another 33 million abortions to take place since then.

What is clear is that America faces two paths: one of peace and one of permanent war—with tens of millions of casualties to come.

Supreme Court Must Overturn Roe v. Wade

submitted by Right to Life of Michigan

Grand Rapids, MI — On December 1st, the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

The case involves Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. In accepting the case, the Supreme Court announced they will revisit the key holding of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which is that no state may ban abortion before the shifting point of when a child can survive outside the womb.

The following statement is from Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing:

The Supreme Court must do the right thing and overturn Roe v. Wade. There is nothing in the U.S. Constitution that mentions abortion. There is no good legal reason Mississippi can’t ban the brutal late-term abortions of children who have beating hearts and the capacity to feel pain. Thanks to advances like 3-D ultrasounds, today nobody can deny the identity of an unborn child in the womb: she is a human being, just like each of us. Roe v. Wade is one of the most unjust decisions in our nation’s history. Not only did it allow violence by taking away the human rights of 61 million unborn children and counting, but also wounded our democratic process and created decades of legal confusion and controversies. In America, voters vote and legislators legislate, but Roe v. Wade allows judges to disenfranchise voters and their elected officials, not because the U.S. Constitution says so, but because seven men in 1973 personally wanted unlimited abortions through all nine months of pregnancy. It is time for Roe to go. We hope the Supreme Court will take to heart the amicus brief we joined in this case.

In Michigan, overturning Roe v. Wade means our state’s law protecting the life of all unborn children will have an opportunity to be restored to full effect. The people of Michigan voted overwhelmingly to keep our law, just weeks before Roe v. Wade. Roe wrongly overturned that election. We look forward to the day that every unborn child in Michigan and America will once again have their equal right to life respected and protected.

Eliminating the Protect Life Rule

submitted by Right to Life of Michigan

Shortly after being elected, President Biden announced his administration would begin the process of eliminating President Trump’s Protect Life Rule. On Monday, October 5th, President Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services officially rescinded it, meaning it will no longer be effective on November 8.

The Protect Life Rule stopped Planned Parenthood from violating federal law and taking Title X money to spend on abortion.

The Title X family planning program was created by President Nixon in 1970. From the beginning, the law creating the program specifically forbade funding from being used to provide or promote abortions. Yet for decades, Planned Parenthood took the lion’s share of the program’s funding. The money was used to pay for staff who helped perform abortions and facilities where abortions occurred.

President Reagan tried to stop this, but the Abortion Industry successfully delayed his effort in court until the Clinton administration. President Trump’s administration put together a comprehensive rule change to ensure the law was being followed: the Protect Life Rule.

Now, Planned Parenthood is set to rake in an estimated $60 million more tax dollars a year with President Biden’s formal decision Monday.

In the last decade—according to their own annual reports—Planned Parenthood posted a profit of more than $1 billion dollars. They received about $5 billion of your tax dollars from other sources than the federal Title X program, which was still fully funded while the Protect Life Rule was in effect. They don’t “need” more of your money.

After the Protect Life Rule was enacted, Planned Parenthood’s tax revenue actually increased, as pro-abortion states shoveled more cash into their bank accounts, and Planned Parenthood illegally stole pandemic relief funding—which President Biden refuses to prosecute. Despite this, Planned Parenthood claimed women were going without help unless you sent them—and only them—more of your money. They even increased their service fees, despite posting a profit of $69.7 million in 2019-2020, which was greater than what they lost from the Protect Life Rule.

Planned Parenthood’s corporate greed is insatiable, along with their desire to force you to be complicit in abortion.

The President’s actions since day one of his administration have shown he will never deviate from the Abortion Industry’s marching orders. Some people justified voting for Biden because he claimed he was personally prolife but unfortunately, last month he revoked those claims, reminding people that elections have consequences.

Michigan Legislature Passes Prolife Budget

Lansing, MI — On September 22, the Michigan Legislature passed the 2022 state budget, which includes several new prolife provisions.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, “Our prolife leadership in the Legislature understands the need to invest in pregnancy help as an alternative to abortion. We are pleased to see the follow-through from the budget chairs, Rep. Tom Albert and Sen. Jim Stamas, as well as subcommittee chairs Rep. Mary Whiteford, Rep. Mark Huizenga, Sen. Kim LaSata, and Sen. Rick Outman. We hope Governor Whitmer follows through on her end of the budget negotiations and signs all of these provisions into law.”

The budget allocates $10 million for promoting adoption as an alternative to abortion. $1.5 million would be available as grants to pregnancy resource centers that provide alternatives to abortions, and $700,000 to restore the Real Alternatives pregnancy help program, which Governor Whitmer line-item vetoed in the 2020 budget.

Listing said, “There are only a few hundred infant adoptions in Michigan every year and long waiting times for parents interested in adoption, yet sadly there were 29,669 reported abortions in Michigan in 2020. Abortion robs children from the opportunities to live their lives and opportunities for parents to complete their families. Prolife organizations operate more than 150 locations in Michigan to provide pregnancy and adoption help to make those opportunities a reality, and they deserve this support.”

$500,000 in the budget would finally fund the Pregnant and Parenting Student Services Act, which would help connect pregnant students on college campuses with resources so they can continue their education.

Listing said, “When she was a state representative, Gretchen Whitmer supported our Pregnant and Parenting Student Services Act. Though she vetoed funding for this needed program in 2020, we hope this time she remembers her past support.”

Previously existing language is included in this budget preventing state family planning funding from going to abortion providers and prioritizing federal family planning funding to be given to non-abortion providers.

Listing said, “Planned Parenthood is a billion-dollar megacorporation. They illegally received pandemic relief funding. There’s no reason Michigan county health departments should be deprived of funding so Planned Parenthood can add to their tens of millions in annual profits.”

The budget includes $100,000 for educational materials to the public and to higher education institutions about the constitutional limitations of human embryonic stem cell research. It includes a previously existing requirement of reporting from any universities that engage in the research.

Listing said, “Governor Gretchen Whitmer led the 2008 campaign to allow research that kills human embryos in Michigan. Her campaign promised cures to sick Michiganders and a biotechnology revolution. We’ve received no cures and no real economic benefits, just unanswered questions that deserve answers.”

The budget also requires that colleges and universities that mandate vaccines to allow medical, religious, and philosophical exemptions, and prohibits vaccine passports. Many prolife people have ethical objections to one or several of the coronavirus vaccines that use tissue taken from aborted babies in the development or production process.

A Texas-Sized Abortion Controversy

editorial submitted by Right to Life of Michigan

Seemingly everyone is talking about Texas’ new abortion law. How did Texas prolifers achieve this victory?

Texas’ law bans abortions if the abortionist can detect the child’s heartbeat. Several states have passed similar bills, and they have all been blocked by federal courts. So, Texas decided to include a wrinkle in their law: the state is forbidden from enforcing the law. Instead, the law is to be enforced by citizens suing abortionists in court.

That legal tactic is not new. Private civil actions are used in many circumstances to enforce civil rights laws, environmental regulations, workplace discrimination, etc. Writing in the Washington Post, University of Denver professor Joshua C. Wilson said, “Texas’s abortion law is an example of conservatives learning from progressives.”

One trick abortion supporters have used to get federal courts to toss out other prolife laws is cheating the legal system’s rules of standing: people suing to block a law are generally required to prove that the law would harm them. However, for decades, courts have let abortion businesses cheat and given them “third party standing” to sue on behalf of women, rather than suing based on their real beef: prolife laws hurt their revenue streams.

Texas’ new law has turned this standing issue on its head. Their law gives citizens third-party standing to sue on behalf of unborn children.

Of course, the Abortion Industry sued to block Texas’ law. To the surprise of many, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block the law by a vote of 5 to 4. The majority rightly pointed out nobody has sued an abortionist yet, so there is no case to hear yet. Sadly, the three pro-abortion Supreme Court justices don’t care about rules, so they voted to block the law, and even more sadly, Chief Justice John Roberts joined them. 

It remains to be seen what will happen with Texas’ clever new law. The law still has to survive a series of potential federal and state court challenges. The Supreme Court will likely decide the fate of Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization long before they hear a case involving Texas’ law. If they overturn Roe v. Wade, Michigan’s existing abortion ban protecting every unborn child can go back into full effect.

However, in the meantime, many babies are being saved from death in the Lone Star State, and that’s a great thing. Elections have consequences!

Save the Hyde Amendment: Contact Congress Today

submitted by Anna-Marie Visser, Director of Communication/Education, RTL.org

The Hyde Amendment has been a part of the federal budget since 1976 and has helped save the lives of millions while protecting the conscience rights of taxpayers. The amendment ensures that Americans are not being forced to pay for other people’s abortions with their own tax dollars. Since this amendment was passed, 2,409,311 lives have been saved nationwide. Michigan created their own ban on tax funded abortions and within the first year, abortions decreased 22%.

With overwhelming bipartisan support, the Hyde Amendment has protected American taxpayers for 45 years. The amendment has been successful through the support of past presidents such as Obama and Clinton. Within this last month of July, President Biden and pro-abortion leaders have sought to threaten the long-standing amendment by failing to include it in the federal budget proposals.

On July 29, U.S. House of Representatives voted 219-208 in a preliminary vote to exclude the Hyde Amendment from the federal budget. This means that pro-abortion leaders and officials are one step closer to forcing taxpayers—you—to pay for other people’s abortions. The vote included multiple prolife appropriation amendments like the Weldon Amendment, the Smith Amendment, and Dornan Amendment.

The Weldon Amendment protects health care providers who don’t want to be involved with or aid in abortions from being discriminated against by agencies that receive federal funding.

The Smith Amendment is another important amendment to take note of being excluded from the budget. This amendment ensures that no funding from the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program is used towards abortions.

The Dornan Amendment prohibits any appropriated funds from the District of Colombia from being used towards abortions. This amendment was also removed from the budget.

Republicans in the U.S. House tried to fight the removal of these essential prolife amendments but failed in another vote of 208-217. Speaker Nancy Pelosi also blocked them from making the Hyde Amendment federal law.

House Representatives are currently on summer recess after this disappointing session, and the U.S. Senate will soon vote on the appropriation packages. There are indications that the Senate may be more willing to listen to the voice of their constituents. A majority of senators have promised to support the Hyde Amendment.

Now more than ever, it is crucial that citizens contact Congress as soon as possible to ensure that they know that a supermajority of people don’t want to pay for other people’s abortions.

Right to Life Michigan asks Supreme Court to Overturn Roe v. Wade

Lansing, MI — On July 29, Right to Life of Michigan filed an amicus curiae brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. The Supreme Court will likely hear oral arguments in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case in the fall.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, “In 1972, Michigan voters determined our state’s law protecting unborn children should stand. Just weeks later, their vote was overturned by the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. Democracy is threatened every time unelected judges overstep their bounds and overturn legitimate election results.”

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization involves a Mississippi law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy—with several exceptions.

The brief argues that the U.S. Supreme Court overstepped its authority in Roe v. Wade: “This Court in Roe incorrectly concluded that the Fourteenth Amendment includes a liberty interest in the right to abort a pre-born child. Not a single word uttered or written in the promulgation of the Fourteenth Amendment even remotely suggests that the Amendment includes a right to abortion.”

Listing said, “Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton have allowed unlimited abortion in America since 1973. Since then, more than 60 million unborn children have had their lives taken from them. American voters don’t support the result of Roe v. Wade. Polling routinely shows that less than a quarter of Americans support abortion-on-demand through all nine months of pregnancy. The radical view that an unborn child has zero human worth shouldn’t prevail over the U.S. Constitution, laws, a large majority of voters, and democracy itself. It’s time for Roe to go.”

The brief was submitted on behalf of Right to Life of Michigan, as well as the National Catholic Bioethics Center and two prolife obstetrician-gynecologists, Drs. Gianina Cazan-London and Melissa Halvorson. The brief was prepared by lead counsel Professor William Wagner and the Great Lakes Justice Center.

Surrogacy Contracts Victimize Women and Children

submitted by Chris Gast, Director of Communication/Education, Right to Life of Michigan

Michigan’s surrogacy laws have become a subject of a few media stories in recent months. On the surface, helping couples who are having trouble conceiving by allowing surrogacy may sound good, but in practice surrogacy creates entirely new groups of victims.

In 1988, Michigan banned surrogacy contracts to get ahead of feared abuses down the road. Despite accusations that our state’s law is “archaic” or “outdated,” those fears proved accurate. As other states and countries experience these abuses, our law appears to actually be way ahead of its time.

Surrogacy involves introducing a third party into the process of childbirth. Either the parents use in vitro fertilization (IVF) to create a child, and then a different woman gestates the child—the most frequent method—or the surrogate is inseminated or donates her own eggs to create the child through IVF.

To be clear, Michigan law doesn’t ban “altruistic” voluntary surrogacy, but specifically bans the practice of creating a binding surrogacy contract. These contracts create two major problems.

First, they turn the child into a marketable commodity. Human beings aren’t things to be bought or sold. Besides the many problems with IVF involving eugenics, potential health effects on the child, and “leftover” children, these contracts can come with “abortion clauses.” If the “product” doesn’t meet quality assurance standards for health or sex, the “product” is killed according to the contract. Even abortion supporters should see the obvious problem with making abortion a tool to enforce obedience to a business contract.

Michigan’s law has saved lives. Disabled baby Seraphina Harrell’s life was spared in 2012 when her surrogate mother moved here to avoid being pressured into abortion. If our law didn’t exist, Seraphina might have never lived, and her mother scarred for life.

Second, surrogacy contracts reduce motherhood to a business relationship—one that often preys upon poor women. Often, a woman’s decision to enter into a surrogacy contract is based on financial hardship. While the agreement may relieve temporary financial stress, a breach in contract could result in devastating legal and financial consequences for the surrogate.

In addition, this commercialization of creating a child seldom considers the short-term and long-term impact on the surrogate mother, who is legally forced to give up the child she spent 9 months caring for.

There are many other ways to help infertile couples that don’t treat women and children as objects to buy and sell.

Women’s Right to Know Act Introduced in Michigan

Lansing, MI — The Women’s Right to Know Act was introduced in the Michigan House on June 22nd.

Sponsored by Rep. Sue Allor, HB 5086 addresses three areas of informed consent for women seeking abortions: abortion pill reversal, heartbeat/miscarriage awareness, and prenatal diagnosis of a disability.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, “Abortion businesses try hard to keep women in the dark. They don’t want women to understand the reality of abortion and its effects on them and their children. This legislation would address several areas where women are not being given proper informed consent before abortions.”

The abortion pill reversal provision requires the abortionist to let women taking the abortion pill know there is a treatment which may reverse the effects of the first pill of the two-drug regimen. Even though that treatment, progesterone, is commonly prescribed to prevent miscarriages, abortion supporters have claimed the treatment is “unproven,” “dangerous,” and wrongly suggest the child might be disabled if they survive the abortion pill’s effects.

Listing said, “These concerns are based on talking points, not reality and research. Practicing doctors have studied and used this common treatment to increase the chances of saving the child’s life. What bothers abortion businesses the most is that a woman might change her mind and choose life.”

The heartbeat/miscarriage awareness provision requires the abortionist to check for a fetal heartbeat and allow the woman the opportunity to hear or see the heartbeat. If no heartbeat is detected, the abortionist must give the woman the opportunity to return later if the gestational age is too young to detect a heartbeat, tell her of the likelihood of a miscarriage based on the absence of a fetal heartbeat, or offer to use a different technology to detect the heartbeat. The abortionist must also let her know that treatment for a missed miscarriage is not considered an abortion for insurance purposes.

Listing said, “From what we know of miscarriage rates, abortion businesses over the years have undoubtedly sold many abortions to women who no longer had viable pregnancies. How many women have anguished over their abortion decision even though their child’s life ended before they walked through the abortion facility’s doors? How many abortionists have profited from this unnecessary medical intervention?”

The prenatal disability provision requires the doctor making a diagnosis of a serious prenatal condition to give the woman a referral for more information. The state will be required to create a website with medically accurate information about prenatal conditions, support group information, and perinatal hospice programs.

Listing said, “Sadly, so many women who received a troubling prenatal diagnosis had it immediately followed with suggestions or even pressure to have an abortion. Women have a right to medically-accurate information about their developing child, access to support groups, and a medical profession which walks alongside her instead of pushing for eugenic abortions.”

The Supreme Court Reexamines Roe

by Chris Gast, Right to Life of Michigan, Director of Communication/Education

On May 17, the U.S. Supreme Court took up the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

The case involves Mississippi’s ban on abortion past 15 weeks of pregnancy. The central question of the case is whether a state can ban abortions before the point of viability, which is the ever-shifting point at which a child can survive outside the womb.

Some fear the Supreme Court may uphold Roe v. Wade; a sacrifice to satisfy President Biden and his threats to pack the Supreme Court with political activists. Others say it is likely they will uphold Mississippi’s law, but leave Roe hanging by a thread. The right thing to do—legally and morally—is overturning Roe, and it’s what they should do.

In 1973, the Supreme Court ripped away the issue of abortion from voters, and since then the lives of 60 million unborn children have been taken, their little bodies ripped out of their mother’s wombs in cruel fashion.

Roe v. Wade created a right to abortion out of thin air. The Supreme Court invented a trimester framework in their decision, where states could only regulate abortion in the 2nd trimester, and states could ban abortions in the 3rd trimester—if the bans contained a health exception.

The definition of a health exception was settled the same day as Roe v. Wade in Doe v. Bolton. Health was defined to include “all factors … relevant to the well-being of the patient.” Thus, states could in theory ban abortions in the third trimester, but only if they allowed every reason to count as an exception.

In 1992, the Supreme Court got rid of the trimester framework in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, instead applying an “undue burden” test: any abortion law could not create an “undue burden” on a woman seeking an abortion. The point at which states could ban abortions—while keeping an infinite health exception—was arbitrarily moved to viability.

The Constitution doesn’t mention viability, or trimesters, or anything about abortion. When judges cook up their own laws, they delegitimatize their courts and usurp our democratic process.

Michigan voters had their say in 1972, just weeks before Roe v. Wade. A supermajority of voters decided to keep our state’s abortion ban. Roe v. Wade overturned our election and stole the human rights from an entire class of human beings.

It’s well past time for this judicial tyranny to end.

Abortion Meets a Fork in the Road

submitted by Chris Gast, Director of Communication/Education, Right to Life of Michigan

As America’s major political parties have polarized, the issue of abortion has become more polarized. It shouldn’t surprise, because of the broader worldview assumptions underlying each position—though there are plenty of dissenters still to be found on both sides.

This polarization exists alongside the current reality that most Americans are in the “mushy middle” when it comes their abortion views. About a quarter of us believe in absolute unlimited abortion, a quarter believes in the absolute right to life of every child, and those in between are uncomfortable with abortion to varying degrees; they can’t bring themselves to totally end it or embrace it.

Pro-abortion states have recently moved aggressively to shore up their abortion laws in case Roe v. Wade is overturned—and states and voters once again can decide on abortion. They not only endorse abortion, but celebrate it. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo lit up the One World Trade Center pink to celebrate passage of their unlimited abortion bill in 2018. The symbolism is undeniable: a beacon built on the resting place of nearly 3,000 lives lost on one day in 2001 transformed into celebrating the ongoing deaths of nearly 3,000 lives every day in America’s abortion facilities.

America experiences abortion whiplash with every new federal administration. President Biden’s Food & Drug Administration is using the pandemic as an excuse to remove safety regulations on the abortion pill, allowing death to be distributed through the mail. Even though Britain’s recent experience with abortion-by-mail showed dire consequences for women’s health, nothing must stop abortions. Contrast that with President Trump’s policies, including nominating rule of law judges.

Prolife states continue to legislate against abortion at a fast pace. President Trump’s judicial nominees on the 6th U.S. Circuit just sealed a victory for Ohio, allowing them to ban abortion targeted at children with Down syndrome. Other states—including Michigan—are working on expanded versions that ban abortions targeted by race, sex, or any disability.

What will the Supreme Court do? Roe v. Wade means there is no escape valve for this pressure; one side cheated to allow 25% of the country to manufacture absolute legal dominance over the abortion issue. Sadly, the issue is seldom framed this way, because media and academia tend to side with unlimited abortion.

How long can Roe v. Wade continue to survive—after half a century of failing to manufacture the expected pro-abortion consensus?

Targeted Abortions Ban Introduced in Michigan House

Lansing, MI — A ban on targeted abortions was introduced on Thursday, April 29, 2021, in the Michigan House.

House Bills 4737 & 4738 would ban abortions targeted at babies not just diagnosed with Down syndrome, but any disability, as well as babies targeted for reasons of sex or racial discrimination.

The bills, sponsored by Rep. Julie Calley and Rep. Andrew Fink, would make it a felony punishable by up to two years in prison for the person who knowingly performs a targeted abortion. The bills define disability as any physical or mental disability, and specifically lists several common disabilities for inclusion.

On April 12, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals allowed Ohio’s ban on targeted abortions of children with Down syndrome to be enforced while court challenges continue. Michigan is also under the jurisdiction of the Sixth Circuit.

The following statement is from Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing:

“With the legal situation in the Sixth Circuit, this is our highest priority, since a targeted abortion ban would be enforceable now. Because the neighboring Fifth Circuit struck down a similar Indiana law, this is an opportunity for the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in.

Abortion is used as a tool of discrimination on a horrifying scale. We have heard of situations where parents of women in interracial relationships have attempted to convince or coerce their daughters into getting race-selection abortions. More than 160 million women around the globe are missing because of sex-selection abortions. Abortion is wrong, period, but even people who consider themselves pro-choice should have a problem with taking the life of a child because they are a girl or aren’t a desired race.

Some countries boast of all but eliminating certain disabilities by targeting disabled children in the womb. Most people would be horrified of taking the life of a disabled child a day after birth, and they should be equally horrified by the idea of taking that child’s life a day before birth.

Gallup asked a polling question on this in 2018. Only 29% of Americans thought it should be legal to take the life of a child with Down syndrome in the third trimester, and only a minority, 49%, thought it should be legal in the first trimester. Majorities thought abortion should be illegal in the third trimester for mental disabilities or conditions that threaten the life of the child. It’s clear Roe v. Wade and the current state of abortion law is nowhere close to lining up with the views of the American public.

With continuing advances in care for the disabled and new programs like perinatal hospice, there are better options for society to invest in than causing the death of these little ones. A modern society that prides itself on creating equity can’t be a society that allows violently taking the life of a child deemed unworthy of human care because of a physical or mental characteristic.”

Background information:
HB 4737
HB 4738
Targeted abortion facts
6th Circuit Ohio ruling
2018 Gallup Poll

MDHHS Begins Implementing Coronavirus Vaccine Fetal Tissue Informed Consent

In a surprise victory—a partial victory so far—the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has begun implementing a coronavirus vaccine informed consent provision. The provision requires that patients be given informed consent if the coronavirus vaccine they will take was developed using cell lines taken from aborted babies.

The provision is in a pandemic supplemental spending bill signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer on March 9. That Governor Whitmer signed it with no fanfare or opposition is a surprise; she didn’t release a statement claiming the provision was unenforceable. This success shows why it’s important for prolife legislators to keep working in even hostile legislative environments.

The MDHHS frequently asked questions document regarding COVID-19 vaccines now has a section explaining the use of fetal cell lines. It’s unclear what else the MDHHS is doing yet to enforce the provision, or if they will do anything else.

The Johnson & Johnson/Janssen coronavirus vaccine utilizes a cell line created from the retina of a healthy baby aborted at 18 weeks in 1985. The vaccine requires use of the cell line to produce doses, and thus this new provision requires people be informed.

Moderna and Pfizer do not use cell lines taken from aborted babies to produce their vaccines’ doses. However, they did use cells lines taken from aborted babies to test their vaccines in the research stage.

In news coverage by the Detroit Free Press, one State Senator described this provision as “putting politics into the process to scare people.”

It’s morally repugnant to hide information from people who would otherwise ethically object to taking the vaccine if they knew these facts. It’s the health officials who are unwisely playing politics by hiding information from people to trick them—and it’s only hurting their efforts in the long run because people eventually will find out and wonder why such information was hidden.

If you are receiving the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine and you were not given proper informed consent involving the use of fetal tissue in vaccine development—either verbally or in written documentation—please e-mail us at info@rtl.org and let us know! Please also contact the MDHHS’s Division of Immunization at (517) 335-8159.

For more information about this topic and a list of all coronavirus vaccines that used fetal cell lines in either research or production, please visit the Right to Life of Michigan website: RTL.org/covid-19-vaccine-abortion/.

MDHHS Begins Implementing Coronavirus Vaccine Fetal Tissue Informed Consent

Submitted by Right to Life of Michigan

March 25, 2021, Lansing, MI — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has begun implementing a provision requiring informed consent for coronavirus vaccines developed using cell lines taken from aborted babies.

The provision is in a pandemic relief supplemental bill signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer on March 9, HB 4047.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, “We are pleasantly surprised Governor Whitmer didn’t issue a non-enforceability statement. Now we hope the provision will be properly enforced so that people are given real informed consent. Research involving aborted babies is an ongoing ethical concern, so people have a right to know if a medicine they are taking involved purposefully taking human life.”

The MDHHS frequently asked questions document regarding COVID-19 vaccines now has a section explaining the use of fetal cell lines. It’s unclear what else the MDHHS is doing yet to enforce the provision, and if the Emergency Use Authorization Fact Sheet for Recipients will be updated.

The language in the bill states vaccine recipients “shall be provided with information or informed if and in what manner the development of the vaccine utilized aborted fetal tissue or human embryonic stem cell derivation lines.”

The Johnson & Johnson/Janssen coronavirus vaccine utilizes cell lines taken from an aborted baby in production. Moderna and Pfizer do not use cell lines taken from aborted babies to produce doses, but used cells lines to test their vaccines. Some other vaccines being researched utilize these cell lines, and others do not.

Right to Life of Michigan is asking people receiving the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine to inform us if they were not given proper informed consent involving the use fetal tissue in vaccine development—either verbally or in written documentation—as well as contact the MDHHS’s Division of Immunization at (517) 335-8159.

The two cell lines from aborted babies being used in coronavirus vaccine research are HEK-293, taken from the kidney of a healthy baby aborted sometime around 1972, and PER.C6, taken from the retina of a healthy baby aborted at 18 weeks in 1985.

Prolife people disagree about the ethics of using vaccines developed from these cell lines. Some point to these cell lines being decades old, and others point out that using them may encourage additional abortions to develop new cell lines. Right to Life of Michigan believes everyone has a right to know to make their own ethical determinations.

COVID Relief for Abortion?

submitted by Chris Gast, Director of Communication/Education | RTL.org

On March 10, Congress approved a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill. One thing conspicuously missing from the bill is the Hyde Amendment.

The Hyde Amendment prevents taxpayer dollars from directly funding abortions. It’s not a law, but a clause added to the annual budget and other spending bills. Even though a majority of U.S. Senators voted to add it, arcane budget rules meant the vote failed, and the handful of Democrats who supported the Hyde Amendment weren’t willing to vote against the final bill.

It should surprise nobody that the relief bill is written in such a way that Planned Parenthood can easily steal your money.

If you think “steal” is a strong word, remember that even though previous COVID-19 relief exempted Planned Parenthood from receiving money, some of their affiliates still knowingly applied and received your tax dollars. With President Biden running the show, instead of legal accountability, Planned Parenthood is lavishly rewarded for breaking the law.

When’s the last time you were rewarded by the government for breaking the law?

Planned Parenthood isn’t close to being in danger of closing like other life-sustaining businesses. In the last five years they have made a combined profit of more than $600 MILLION DOLLARS. They made their most recent $69.7 million annual profit in spite of President Trump’s Protect Life Rule—which President Biden will soon delete. Every year their services decline, their abortions increase, and you pay more of their bills—indirect funding of abortion.

This relief bill sets a dangerous precedent and Planned Parenthood is already demanding the Hyde Amendment never appear again in any budget. They will never have enough of your money. Will the three Democrats who voted for the Hyde Amendment in the relief bill have the courage to “shutdown” the government in the next budget fight if the Hyde Amendment is missing?

Planned Parenthood never had to close during the pandemic like local businesses or even real medical clinics. Governor Whitmer called their abortion work “life-sustaining.” Your favorite restaurant can’t call up Warren Buffet and ask for a few million dollars like Planned Parenthood does. The Abortion Industry doesn’t need pandemic relief, and pandemic relief should be about preserving life, not taking it.

If America suffered the Apocalypse, it seems the only thing pro-abortion legislators would have the government keep running is the Abortion Industry—to take care of any pesky survivors in the womb.

Right to Life of Michigan Calls on Governor Whitmer to Close Abortion Facilities

March 25, 2020, Lansing, Mich. — In light of her order requiring all outpatient facilities to postpone non-essential procedures, Right to Life of Michigan is calling on Governor Gretchen Whitmer to clarify that elective abortions are a non-essential procedure.

Abortion procedures require the use of personal protective equipment like other now-forbidden medical procedures. Medical personnel handling coronavirus patients will not be able to use those scarce resources.

Botched abortions can require follow-up surgical procedures or emergency room visits. Use of the abortion pill often results in complications such as excessive bleeding requiring visits to a doctor’s office. Patients and staff inside abortion facilities increases the likelihood of coronavirus spreading from close contact.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, “Today, abortion facilities are using up surgical masks in order to take the lives of innocent babies. Tomorrow, how many doctors and nurses will go without proper protection while trying to save the lives of coronavirus patients? How many of those medical personnel will contract the virus?”

Listing said, “We’re seeing a pattern of pro-abortion elected officials putting ideology first, and people at risk of the coronavirus second. Federal coronavirus relief was held up in part because of demands for small business assistance for Planned Parenthood, which has an annual budget of more than a billion dollars. Right to Life of Michigan is abiding by Governor Whitmer’s order. It’s time for Governor Whitmer to prove she can put public health above her ideology, because Planned Parenthood is incapable of being responsible, even during a global pandemic.”

Governor Whitmer’s order defines an essential procedure as one that is “necessary to address a medical emergency or to preserve the health and safety of a patient.” According to a study from the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, 96% of women having abortions cited reasons other than their physical health as their most important reason for seeking an abortion.

Listing said, “The vast majority of abortions are performed for economic or social reasons. Right now, people with legitimate medical needs are suffering in pain. We’re postponing hip replacements or fixing cracked teeth to ensure our front-line doctors and nurses are equipped. These procedures in many cases will be more burdensome and expensive for people in need because they had to wait. Why aren’t we treating them fairly? Why should abortion facilities get to be above the law?”

Those wishing to call Governor Whitmer to urge her to treat abortion facilities like other outpatient surgical facilities can call her Lansing office at (517) 373-3400.

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Background Information:
Guttmacher Institute study on abortion reasons

Bill Introduced to Allow Abortion Pill Reversal Information

On January 22, 2020, the 47th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, House Bill 5374 was introduced in the Michigan Legislature. This bill will ensure women who are prescribed the abortion pill are given information about the abortion pill reversal protocol. The bill’s lead sponsor is Representative Beth Griffin.

The abortion pill reversal protocol has been successful in saving the lives of more than 900 unborn children whose mothers regret beginning the abortion pill process. A recent study from the doctors pioneering the process showed it is effective up to 68 percent of the time.

The abortion pill regimen first uses RU-486 (mifepristone) to break down the connection between the baby and mother’s womb. 24 to 48 hours later, a second pill, misoprostol (cytotec), is given to induce contractions and expel the baby. The abortion pill reversal protocol uses the hormone progesterone to reverse the effects of RU-486, which is a progesterone blocker.

Progesterone is a common medical treatment used to prevent miscarriage and is effective in reversing abortion process after the first pill has been taken. Even without the progesterone, there is a small chance the baby would survive if the woman does not take the second pill. Once the second pill has been taken, however, the progesterone treatment would not be effective in reversing the abortion.

An unethical study led by abortion supporters was initiated in 2019 to criticize the abortion pill reversal process. The study was suspended because the participants had negative reactions to the abortion pill itself, but they implied the suspension was because of the effects of the progesterone treatment.

Despite the dangers of the abortion pill, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the official range for using it up to 10 weeks of gestation. The need for available information about the abortion pill reversal protocol is even greater, because with the continuing increase in women using the abortion pill there will also be an increase in women regretting their decision.

This bill is entirely about informed consent—giving women information the abortion pill reversal protocol. Informed consent should be something that abortion supporters agree with in theory, since they claim to support every woman’s choice. However, in practice, the abortion industry opposes this bill because one of their motives is protecting the money they make from abortions. To protect their own bottom line, they refuse to admit that abortion regret is even a possibility.

Chris Gast
Director of Communication/Education
(616) 532-2300 | RTL.org

Michigan Prolifers Taking 20 Buses to March for Life

Grand Rapids, Mich. — January 22 was the 47th memorial of the U.S. Supreme Court decisions Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, which legalized abortion through all nine months of pregnancy for any reason. Since these decisions in 1973, abortion has taken the lives of more than 59 million children in the United States.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, “Each year that the violence of abortion remains legal is a new tragedy with hundreds of thousands of lives being lost. We will continue our efforts to ensure that every human life is protected under law.”

As prolife people remember the millions of lives lost through abortion, they continue to hope for a time when this injustice is in the past.

Last year there were several steps made towards the goal of protecting life.

The Trump Administration updated Title X family planning funding rules, redirecting $60 million of taxpayer funding away from Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the country.

In Michigan, 379,419 signatures were submitted to initiate legislation to end the violent late-term dismemberment abortion procedure. Once the Michigan Bureau of Elections has reviewed the signatures, the legislation can be passed through the Michigan Legislature and become law without the need for a governor’s signature.

The upcoming year holds many reasons for hope as well. In March 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case June Medical Services LLC v. Gee, a case involving a Louisiana law requiring abortionists to obtain admitting privileges at local hospitals. This will be the first case involving a prolife law that the court has heard since Justice Brett Kavanaugh was nominated in October 2018. Right to Life of Michigan has filed an amicus curiae brief asking the court to revisit Roe v. Wade.

Listing said, “After 47 years of legal killing in the U.S., revisiting the court cases that made it legal is long overdue.”

Hundreds of thousands of prolife individuals took part in the annual March for Life on the streets of Washington, D.C. on January 24. Right to Life of Michigan affiliates took 20 buses and more than 1,000 people to attend the March. Many Right to Life of Michigan affiliates have hosted local events to remember the 59 million lives lost and honor Sanctity of Human Life Sunday on January 19.

Bill Introduced to Allow Abortion Pill Reversal Information

January 23, 2020, Lansing, Mich. — A bill to ensure women who are prescribed the abortion pill are given information about the abortion pill reversal protocol was introduced yesterday in the Michigan Legislature. House Bill 5374 was introduced on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

House Bill 5374’s lead sponsor is Rep. Beth Griffin (R-Mattawan).

The abortion pill regimen first uses RU-486 (mifepristone) to break down the connection between the baby and mother’s womb. Then 24 to 48 hours later, a different pill, misoprostol (Cytotec), is given to induce contractions and expel the baby. The abortion pill reversal protocol uses the hormone progesterone to reverse the effects of RU-486, which is a progesterone blocker. Progesterone is a common treatment used to prevent miscarriage.

Research shows the progesterone treatment is effective 64 to 68 percent of the time. Without the treatment, the abortion may not be successful in women who only take the RU-486 pill. The treatment is not effective in women who take the second misoprostol pill.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, “Offering information to women about their options should be something abortion businesses have no issue with, as they claim to support all women’s choices. The abortion pill reversal protocol is another choice for women who experience regret after taking the first abortion pill.”

Michigan abortion data show that pill abortions have risen to 35 percent of all abortions. The percentage of pill abortions will continue to grow following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanding the official range for using the abortion pill from 7 weeks gestation to 10 weeks.

Listing said, “With the increasing use of the potentially dangerous abortion pill, there will also be an increase in women who instantly regret their decision. Abortion pill reversal has helped hundreds of women reverse a decision they regret, and welcome their child into life. There’s no good ethical argument for keeping women in the dark about this common treatment as an option.”

The Biggest Abortion Myth

by Catherine Kinsey, Education and Events Coordinator, Right to Life of Michigan

The genesis of every other myth circulated by the abortion industry is the myth that an unborn child isn’t a person. If everyone were willing to admit unborn babies are human persons, the various other arguments surrounding the topic wouldn’t matter. The abortion issue would simply come down to whether you believed it is acceptable to take an innocent human life or not.

This myth was easier to spread before modern technology allowed us to see unborn babies through ultrasound with such clarity and learn how much growth and development happens even in the earliest days. A new, unique person is created at fertilization with unique DNA, separate from her mother and father. Her heart begins beating around 21 days after fertilization; her brain begins forming around 4 weeks. At 12 weeks, all major body parts and organs are present. With modern medical advances, babies can survive outside the womb as early as 19 weeks after fertilization.

If you deny human life begins at fertilization, there must be another point at which it begins. How do you choose that point?

The most extreme abortion supporters would say life begins after birth. However, no physical changes happen to the baby from the few minutes before birth to the minutes after it has passed through the birth canal. It is illogical to claim the physical location of the baby determines whether it is a human person or not.

Some believe the unborn baby is a person once it has the ability to survive outside the womb. But does this mean the humanity of the unborn changes with every medical advancement? It certainly wasn’t always possible for babies at 21 weeks of pregnancy to survive outside the womb—were they formerly sub-human?

We cannot know where medical technology will take us. In the future, babies may someday survive before 20 weeks, or before 15 weeks. It is impossible to rationally choose a certain point of development where the unborn suddenly becomes a human being. Their development is a continual process, with the clear starting point when a new life begins at fertilization.

Unfortunately, even with technology allowing us to see the unborn in the womb, it is all too easy for abortion supporters to convince people to ignore the humanity of the unseen child. The truth of abortion gets covered in euphemisms and inessential arguments to distract from the taking of human life.

Muskegon Pregnancy Services is in Need of a New Ultrasound Machine

Mission Statement
We are committed to providing clinical, life-saving services and empowering life-changing decisions.

Muskegon Pregnancy Services (MPS) is a non-profit, pregnancy service ministry. We have been faithfully impacting the community since 1985 through intervention, prevention, and education extending the gift of HOPE while sharing the love of Christ.

All of our services are FREE to our clients because of the partnerships of individuals, churches, and businesses in our community, as well as a few fundraiser events throughout the year.

MPS is the ONLY free ultrasound scan service in our community and our current ultrasound machine is not functioning for what is required for the best quality service to our clients.

The heartbeat of a baby begins to beat between 18 to 28 days. An ultrasound machine can capture the heartbeat with an ultrasound scan at about 4-6 weeks. Depending on technology, the capability is sooner and sooner. Statistics show women who see their baby on the ultrasound are 80% more likely to carry and men who see their baby are 90% more supportive to the mother to carry to term!

Our services include Health Services and Intervention, as well as Education and Prevention:
• Pregnancy Testing: and complete pregnancy option information.
• Limited Ultrasound Scan: (the majority of women choose life if they see the heartbeat of their baby).
• STD Testing & Treatment: for women and men. (Muskegon ranks 3rd in the state) Allows for prevention education.
• Rise Up: “Earn While You Learn” – program for resources such as crib, car seat, pack-n-play, clothing, & baby items.
• Mentoring Advocates and Classes: to educate and equip mothers & fathers for parenthood.
• Post-Abortion Healing: & Making LIFE-Disciples mentorship.
• Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA): – “Willing To Wait” curriculum: prevention education for youth groups and schools.

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Your help and support can empower STRONG choices for LIFE!

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1775 Wells Ave Muskegon, MI 49442 * www.muskegonpregnancyservices.org/donor

CDC 2016 Abortion Report Shows Lives Saved

The Centers for Disease Control has released their latest report on abortion data, covering the year 2016.

States are not required to report abortion data to the CDC, so abortion numbers for some states—including California—are not included in their report. However, with 48 consistent reporting areas, the CDC report is a good indicator of long-term trends of abortion. Importantly, the trends show lives saved!

The overall number of abortions has been steadily declining since the 1980s. The total number reported in 2016 was 623,471 induced abortions in the United States, which was a 2% decrease from the previous year. Abortions have decreased a total of 24% since 2007.

The abortion rate also decreased 2%, to 11.6 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15-44. The teen abortion rate has decreased a total of 56% since 2007, down to 6.2 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15-19.

While more lives being saved and more women choosing life is good news, many abortions continue to occur. Abortion was the second highest cause of death in the United States in 2016 according to CDC statistics. When you add in the states that didn’t report like California, abortion remains the leading cause of death in America.

Most abortions are done in the very early weeks of pregnancy. 65.5% of abortions were performed at or before 8 weeks gestation. 1.2% of abortions were performed during or after 21 weeks. While that seems like a small percentage, 1.2% of 623,471 is more than 7,400, which is a large number of abortions on children who can survive outside the womb or who are close to that point.

Many abortions were also repeat abortions: the 2016 report showed 43.1% of abortions were performed on women who had already had at least one previous abortion.

The trends apparent in the CDC report help us to understand where our efforts to decrease abortion are succeeding the most and where more work is needed. Abortion is trending older as young women have fewer abortions. The abortion industry works to make abortions as easy as possible to retain their declining “customer” base, and many women remain trapped in a cycle of multiple abortions.

The prolife movement has come a long way in shifting the popularity of abortion since the 1980s. There is still much work to be done in creating a culture where unborn children are protected in law and abortion is unthinkable.

Right to Life of Michigan Files Brief Asking for Reversal of Roe v. Wade

Lansing, MI — Right to Life of Michigan filed an amicus curiae brief on January 2 asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the June Medical Services LLC v. Gee case on March 4.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, “Michigan voters overwhelmingly chose to keep our state’s abortion ban in November 1972. Just weeks later, the U.S. Supreme Court blatantly overstepped its bounds by inventing a right to abortion through all nine months of pregnancy in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton.”

June Medical Services LLC v. Gee involves a Louisiana law requiring abortionists to obtain admitting privileges at local hospitals.

Abortionists often have no relationship with local hospitals and women experiencing life-threatening complications from botched abortions have been dumped at emergency rooms or forced to seek care themselves because of a lack of follow-up care. Risks to the woman’s life and health are increased if the medical staff caring for a woman after a botched abortion cannot obtain even basic details from the abortionist.

The brief argues that the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision went beyond the scope of their power, violated the process for amending the U.S. Constitution, and has undermined the legitimacy of our nation’s judicial system. The Supreme Court has recognized that the government has an interest in protecting the life of unborn children, and the brief asks the Supreme Court to live up to their own standards.

If the Supreme Court is unwilling to revisit Roe v. Wade yet, the brief argues that Louisiana’s law should be allowed to stand. Louisiana’s law is constitutional even under the faulty standards of Roe v. Wade and the 2016 case involving a similar Texas law, Whole Women’s Health v. Hellerstedt.

Listing said, “Since Roe v. Wade was decided, an estimated 60 million unborn children have had their lives unjustly taken from them. No voter or elected official consented to strip away their right to life. It’s time for this stain on democracy to be overturned to allow the people to once again have a voice about our most fundamental human right.”

The brief was prepared by lead counsel Professor William Wagner and the Great Lakes Justice Center.