SELMA, Ala., June 18, 2015 /
Christian Newswire/
-- Efforts to bring Dr. Samuel C. Lett's illegal abortion operation
to a close continue this Juneteenth weekend with pro-life leaders from
across the nation gathering in one of Alabama's most historic cities
for The Selma Project.
This coalition of leaders includes many
prominent members of the black community, including Catherine Davis,
Alveda King, Star Parker and others. Declaring that #blackwomenmatter,
these and other pro-life leaders will hold a prayer rally Friday night
at 7:00 PM at Christ the King Cathedral, followed by a Saturday morning
march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge at 9:00 AM.
All leaders will be available for comment at the 9:30 AM press conference directly after the march.
For
nearly a year, Alabama citizens have entreated state officials,
specifically the Alabama Department of Public Health, to shut down
Lett's facility. In July 2014, the ADPH was provided with clear evidence
that the Central Alabama Women's Clinic has developed into Selma's
"known" abortion clinic, despite having never applied for an abortion
provider license.
In the months following, the ADPH made vague
claim to an "ongoing" investigation, however, in March 2015 that
investigation was closed with no action taken against Lett, and no
assurance to the public that he was not performing more than 9
abortions a month, the maximum number allowed by a private physician.
"For
more than a year now, Alabama has had an opportunity to meet their
gatekeeper responsibility of protecting the women of Selma, and of the
state," said Catherine Davis of the National Black Pro-Life Coalition.
"It is painfully obvious that the ADPH has abandoned that
responsibility, giving Lett a free pass. No agency is currently
regulating him and I can't help but wonder why he is allowed to prey on
poor, black women - his main clientele."
Fr. Terry Gensemer,
Director of CEC For Life, adds, "We have repeatedly contacted the ADPH,
the Board of Medical Examiners, and Governor Robert Bentley regarding
Lett's illegal abortion operation. No significant disciplinary action
has been taken on behalf of women in Alabama, but there seems to be
plenty of inaction on behalf of Samuel Lett. The Selma Project was
organized to remind these state officials that every citizen's life
matters, and no woman in America should be subjected to a back-alley
abortionist, like that of Dr. Lett."
A full schedule and full list of speakers can be found at
www.theselmaproject.com.
