file: /pub/resources/text/ProLife.News/1991: pln-0103.txt --------------------------------------------------------- Life Communications - Volume 1, Number 3 March, 1991 -- An old note from Joe Messina: ------------------------------------ Planned Parenthood is offering free information on current legislation in Washington, and on national events. Although obviously a source of biased views, they also have information that pro-lifers can take interest in. The best part is that being an 800 number, your phone call costs them money, that would otherwise fund an abortion! Planned Parenthood info line: 1-800-777-1740. Call Often, tell a friend. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Recent Bills in Congress: Representatives Atkins (D Mass) & Snow(R Maine) reintroduced their bill HR179 to reverse the Bush administration's Mexico City Policy, whereby we do not provide funds to foreign non government organizations to provide information/referrals on abortion. Representatives Cussmyer (D- Pa) & Morella(D- Md) introduced HR1110 to authorize $570M to fund international population control measures. HR25, S25 - Freedom of Choice Act. This is expected to come up in both houses in the next session of congress. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Exerpts from a workshop given at a recent PaIFL Conference by Andy Sicree, a graduate student in Geo-Chemistry at Penn State University. This is part one of two parts. The Underground Pro-Lifer: What does a pro-lifer do if he or she cannot start or join a right-to-life group? How can the commuter, the night student with a regular job or familiy, the harried grad student, or someone bogged down with other commitments contribute to the pro-life cause? How can an "undergraound" pro-lifer - the lone operator - spread the pro-life message? There are advantages to working alone. The lone prolifer can more easily avoid negative stereotypes and unconstructive conflicts. But how can one use these advantages? For starters, he or she could "infiltrate" various campus or local organizations which have money, and influence how it is spent - (Remember - money for student organizations comes from YOUR student activity fee!) Say for example, that our underground prolifer joins the speakers committee, or the campus program council and learns that some folks want to bring in a well-known speaker who is pro-abortion - like Sara Weddington - to campus. He or she could suggest that the committee invite Sara Weddington not to talk alone, but rather to debate the Roe vs. Wade decision with someone like Phyllis Schlafly, pointing out that a debate would be more interesting, and bring a larger audience. Of course, the underground pro-lifer could then make sure that the local pro-life groups and the media are well informed of the impending debate. Other groups to get involved with: Service Organizations: Get these groups to work with pro-life charities or raise money for a pro-life crisis pregnancy center. Political Organizations: Invite pro-life candidates to speak. Campus Ministries: Ask your campus minister to invite a pro- life speaker to address your fellowship or prayer group. Campus Newspapers: A pro-life editor is a rare occurance with college papers. Such an editor could write pro-life editorials, or possibly even deny abortion-clinic advertizing, as did the University of Arizona's _Daily Aztec_ in the fall of 1989. Campus Radio: Pro-Life talk shows are an interesting poss- ibility. Ethnic Groups: Speakers could come in and talk on abortion as genocide, or the "American Holocaust" to groups like the Black Action Society, Hillel Club, Ukranian Student Organization, etc.. Professional Organizations: Pre-Law societies could discuss how abortion was legalized (there is a great speaker on this who teaches at Fanciscan University of Steubenville). Pre-med societies could dicuss the ethics of abortion. Philosphy Clubs and Debate Societies: Bring up topics like abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, suicide, etc.. Feminist Organizations: It would be a real _coup d'etat_ if a campus feminist organization could be convinced to even listen to a speaker from say Feminists for Life or Women Exploited by Abortion. Student Governments: A pro-lifer could try to get pro- abortion policies neutralized or removed, get funds for abortions axed, or a maternity loan fund started. Resident Student Associations: A Pro-Lifer in the residence halls could plan a pro-life film or discussion for a floor meeting, or provide non-abortive crisis-pregnacy hotline numbers to Resident Assistants or Directors. Most RA's would be more than happy to get a ready-made program idea. Fraternities and Soroities: These groups ususally have educational or charitable functions that could have a pro-life focus, such as fund-raisers for BirthRight, the local crisis-pregnancy center. Student Health Organizations: A volunteer could suggest having pamphlets on abortion side-effects, or alternatives to abortion on the waiting-room information racks. Also - if a campus health center could be persuaded to refer pregnant students to a group like BirthRight instead of Planned Parenthood, who knows how many babies could be saved? Many of the students in these organizations will be among the brightest at your school. This does not mean that will be intellectually honest. Often, otherwise intelligent students will embrace a relativistic, pro-abortion ideology because they feel that this is the way to be open-minded. They often remain locked in their prejudices because they forget that critical thinking is also a part of intellectual honesty. Rational arguments can be futile in such a situation; you may then be most effective by emphasizing that your concern is for the care and nurture of life, rather than its destruction. ------------- Part two to follow in the next issue ----------------- You know that Planned Parenthood is the nations largest and richest advocate of abortion-on-demand, but did you know that PP operates the largest chain of abortion clinics in the world? Or made $21 million just on abortions in 1986?! Let a PP corporate sponsor know that we disapprove of their support of this anti-family, anti-child organization. Also - let those who have braved the flak to cut their support receive our thanks, especially AT&T, which recently agreed to stop contributing to PP. Please take a moment to thank them: Ms. Jane Redford, Sr. Vice President AT&T Foundation 550 Madison Avenue, Room 2715 New York, NY 10022 Better yet - why not think about switching your long distance carrier to AT&T and explain the reason in writing? ---------------------------------------------------------------------