A stalwart crew of dedicated volunteers joined the Pro-Life Action League’s October “Face the Truth” Day across the near west suburbs of Chicago on Wednesday, October 21.
Baby Saved on Face the Truth Day
The first stop of the day was in Melrose Park at the corner of North Avenue and First Avenue, just outside the former grounds of the recently closed Kiddieland amusement park. Pro-lifers lined the streets with graphic signs and many motorists saw the truth about abortion on their morning commute.
The next stop of the day was in Maywood. Volunteers spread out in all four directions from the corner of Roosevelt Road and First Avenue with first trimester abortion and baby Malachi signs.
Police came to observe and protect pro-lifers’ First Amendment rights at this site. Though the League counts on and usually receives help and protection from local police while conducting Truth Tours, the Maywood police were particularly helpful, even allowing unrestricted distribution of literature.
During the second site, a young African-American woman named Valerie approached the League’s Ann Scheidler and told her that she had an abortion scheduled at Chicago’s Family Planning Associates abortion facility but, after seeing the pictures showing the truth about abortion, she was reconsidering.
Ann sent her to talk with veteran sidewalk counselor Cathy Mieding, who encouraged Valerie, already a mother of two, to give her children the gift of a new sibling and spare herself and her baby the pain and suffering that come with abortion.
Before Valerie left, she seemed resolute to keep her baby and visit Aid for Women, a local pregnancy resource center, to get help. She exchanged phone numbers with Cathy so they could keep in touch. Please keep Valerie and her family in your prayers.
Also at the second site, a group of high school students walking from nearby Proviso Math and Science Academy to their P.E. class at an adjoining park walked directly through the League’s display, impressing upon them the real face of what modern culture sells to them as “choice.” Many were clearly moved by the reality behind the mask that Planned Parenthood and Family Planning Associates put on their deadly business. The Truth Day ended with a stop in Berwyn at Harlem Avenue and Cermak Road.
Though the weather was in the 60’s and sunny all day, high winds made it a challenge for volunteers to keep their signs in place, but the volunteers stood their ground. Foot traffic from the many bus stops around the intersection brought many people across the Truth display who otherwise may have never seen or thought about what abortion does to babies.
One of the angry comments we got from passersby was from a woman who told us it was “ignorant” of us to show graphic abortion pictures.
How’s that for irony?
Aurora City Council to Review PP Expansion Plans
League Executive Director Eric Scheidler sent a message out this week about an important development in the fight to prevent Planned Parenthood from expanding their parking lot in Aurora.
Earlier this week, Aurora Alderman Rick Lawrence filed an appeal of the Planning and Development Committee’s approval of Planned Parenthood’s parking expansion.
This means that at the next City Council meeting, there will be a vote on whether to accept or reject Planned Parenthood’s request.
Eric and other pro-lifers will be there to voice objections, and I hope you will want to do the same. The Aurora City Council meeting is this Tuesday, October 27 at 6:00 p.m. at Aurora City Hall, 44 E. Downer Place, Aurora [map]. Anyone can get on the speakers list, whether you live in Aurora or not, but you have to call ahead to get on the list. The number to call to get on the speakers list is 630-844-3615.
Even if you don’t choose to speak at the City Council meeting, consider being there in the audience so the Council knows the public is watching their votes on this.
Now, you might be wondering: what’s the big deal about adding some parking spaces?
There are two basic problems with allowing Planned Parenthood to add parking at their huge Aurora abortuary:
- Their stated reason for requesting the parking is bogus. They say they need parking for “security,” but our pro-life presence there has always been peaceful.
- Their parking lot—and the entire facility—is already riddled with zoning violations, which should be corrected first, before any new construction goes on there.
Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity a Great Success
This past Tuesday, over 200,000 people in 25 countries took part in the sixth annual Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity. Bryan Kemper of Stand True, which organized the Day, reports that already, 45 babies have been saved as a result, and these are only the ones we know about. Praise God!
Unfortunately, some students who gave up their voice were treated horribly. One of the most shocking stories was about a girl in Peterborough, Ontario named Jennifer Rankin.
She came to school Tuesday morning with red tape over the mouth and the word “LIFE” written on it, and was told by her principal—who had already called police—that she would have to spend the day apart from the rest of the students.
Jennifer told the Peterborough Examiner newspaper, “I wasn’t allowed to speak with or see any other students and students were not allowed to come and see me and I was isolated in that room for the entire day. I felt very discriminated by it. I don’t think it was right at all what happened.”
Bryan said—and he’s right—that Jennifer is a “true hero who should be applauded for her courage and willingness to sacrifice.”
