Pro-life rally at the Supreme Court

Dear John, The rain didn’t stop pro-lifers from rallying in front of the Supreme Court this morning to show their support for pregnancy help centers and fight back against the abortion lobby’s attacks on free speech. The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) represents more than 1,400 pro-life pregnancy centers nationwide. They are challenging a California law forcing these centers to post ads telling women where to get taxpayer-funded abortions, or face potentially thousands of dollars in fines. John, this is deeply wrong. It undermines the centers’ pro-life mission and threatens their very existence. It goes against everything we stand for as a nation. We wouldn’t force Alcoholics Anonymous to tell their members where to get liquor, or the American Lung Association to promote cigarettes – but California is forcing pregnancy centers to turn their walls into billboards for the abortion industry. Today was a huge day for the Pro-Life Movement as oral arguments in this incredibly important case, NIFLA v. Becerra, began. SBA List and our research arm, the Charlotte Lozier Institute, sent staff to speak at the rally: Mallory Quigley, SBA List Vice President of Communications Genevieve Plaster, CLI Deputy Director Earlier this year, Charlotte Lozier Institute and SBA List’s National Pro-Life Women’s Caucus joined the March for Life Education Fund to file a “friend of the court” brief to the Supreme Court in support of NIFLA’s case. Pregnancy centers exist to serve mothers in need and their unborn children. Unlike the abortion industry, they don’t profit from vulnerable women. CLI has done research showing the stunning impact pregnancy centers have in their communities and to families: 2,752 center locations nationwide that provide vital services including obstetrical care, lactation services and parenting classes; Six in 10 locations (or 1,661) offer free ultrasounds (up 10 percent since 2010); 577 locations offer STD testing, 400 locations offer STD treatment onsite(up from 260 centers offering such services in 2010); 100 mobile units with ultrasound rolling on the road to bring services to women out in the community; 30,000 contacts per month to Heartbeat International Option Line hotline; 81,630 volunteers (up 15 percent from 2010 figure of 70,000 volunteers; nine out of 10 center workers are volunteers); 6.5 million volunteer hours (up from 5.7 million in 2010); It could be several weeks before the Supreme Court issues a ruling. In the meantime, here are a few helpful actions you can take: Visit givefreespeechlife.com and use the hashtag #GiveFreeSpeechLife on social media to show your support Read and share NIFLA President Tom Glessner and CLI President Chuck Donovan’s powerful FOX News op-ed below, which explains what’s at stake in this case Watch EWTN Pro-life Weekly this Thursday at 10pm ET for analysis from Carrie Severino of Judicial Crisis Network and SCOTUSblog reporter Amy Howe Pray, pray, pray! Pray for the Court to rule wisely, pray for the wonderful pregnancy center staff and volunteers, and last but not least, pray for our opponents. There were many angry voices raised outside the Court today, but they could not drown out our message of truth and love – and that’s what free speech is all about. Thank you for standing with us! For LIFE, Marjorie Dannenfelser President, Susan B. Anthony List