The Abortion Party rejects diversity and inclusion

Jun 27, 2022 |
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez made it clear that pro-life Democrats are not welcome in her party:

“Also, if you live in a blue area, when people say ‘go vote,’ that should include primary elections too. Because, the thing that a lot of people don’t like to talk about, is the fact that not every Democrat is pro-choice. Okay? So, the ones that aren’t, we really need to reassess if it’s appropriate for them to continue to serve in 2022 because people should have the right to control their own body. This is pretty basic.”

Ms. Ocasio Cortez posted this statement on Instagram in the aftermath of last week’s Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v Wade.

Ms. Cortez’s opinion matters.  She is one of the most powerful Democrats in Congress with 12.72 million social media followers, topped only by Senator Bernie Sanders with 21.70 million followers.

Democrats pride themselves in promoting diversity and inclusion within their party. However, that doesn’t extend to pro-life Democrats, almost all of whom have been expunged from Congress.

Pro-life Democrat ousted

Dan Lipinski was one of the last remaining pro-life Democrats in Congress. He lost a primary bid to Marie Newman. Ms. Newman was promoted by Ms. Cortez, who leveraged her social media platforms to help oust the pro-life Lipinksi.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Lipinski said:

Dan Lipinski“The Democratic Party prides itself on being the party of inclusion. Even with a pro-choice plank in the platform, we could concede that there’s a diversity of opinion on the issue, as we once did. That would make sense, since one-third of Democratic voters describe themselves as pro-life, and almost 6 in 10 support some abortion restrictions. 

But rather than acknowledging these voters’ viewpoint, party leaders and presidential candidates refuse to tolerate anyone who doesn’t support abortion on demand at any time, paid for by taxpayers.”

Just a decade ago, 64 Congressional Democrats worked to strip abortion funding from the Affordable Care Act, efforts that were ultimately undermined by the Democratically-controlled Senate.

Since then, pro-abortion groups and politicians, such as Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, have led the charge to successfully oust the last of the party’s pro-lifers by running pro-abortion candidates against them in their local primaries.

Pulse Life Advocates is a non-partisan pro-life advocacy group. We understand the sensitivity people experience when they feel their party is being disparaged. Tragically, the Democratic Party has lost their way. They no longer stand up for the little guy, as their pro-abortion bullying tactics prove.

They no longer represent the conflicted views on abortion held by their rank and file voters, as Mr. Lipinski points out.

And they certainly have no interest in diversity and inclusion. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez makes that clear.

Roe dies on the Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Jun 24, 2022 |
Solemnity of Sacred Heart of Jesus

Solemnity of Sacred Heart of JesusIrony abounds. The Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th, 2022, the Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Pope Benedict XVI wrote in 2006:

“By encouraging devotion to the Heart of Jesus, [we exhort] believers to open themselves to the mystery of God and of his love and to allow themselves to be transformed by it. After 50 years, it is still a fitting task for Christians to continue to deepen their relationship with the Heart of Jesus, in such a way as to revive their faith in the saving love of God and to welcome Him ever better into their lives.”

The Pope further explains that from the Heart of Jesus flows a deeper understanding and experience of his His divine love.

Abortion is the antithesis of Christ’s love.

Love is sacrificial, which is why Christ allowed His Sacred Heart to be pierced by his oppressors, so that He could save us all.

Abortion is selfish, as it pierces the hearts of its innocent victims to the detriment of us all.

The Church’s readings on this Solemnity speak to the wrongness of abortion when gleaned through the eyes of faith:

Jesus addressed this parable to the Pharisees and scribes:

“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them

would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert

and go after the lost one until he finds it?

And when he does find it,

he sets it on his shoulders with great joy

and, upon his arrival home,

he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,

‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’

I tell you, in just the same way

there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents

than over ninety-nine righteous people

who have no need of repentance.”

[Lk 15: 3-7]

This Gospel passage reminds us that every single person matters, including every ‘lost sheep,’ whether born or unborn. Abortion rejects the beauty and dignity of God’s creation by disposing unwanted ‘sheep’ on the altar of convenience.

The last 49 years have been a marathon for those of us in the pro-life movement. We’ve persevered many, many setbacks. And yet here we are: Roe has been overturned! And in Iowa, the Reynold’s decision has been corrected by the Iowa Supreme Court!

As we celebrate these victories on this Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we know that many serious battles still await us. We find great comfort in the words of the Psalmist in today’s liturgy, the 23rd Psalm:

R     The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

            In verdant pastures he gives me repose;

beside restful waters he leads me;

            he refreshes my soul.

R The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me in right paths

            for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk in the dark valley

            I fear no evil; for you are at my side

with your rod and your staff

            that give me courage.

R The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

You spread the table before me

            in the sight of my foes;

you anoint my head with oil;

            my cup overflows.

R The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Only goodness and kindness follow me

            all the days of my life;

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

            for years to come.

R The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

As we celebrate this epic triumph, we move forward knowing that the Good Shepherd protects His flock as He guides us on right paths.

For Immediate Release: Statement on Dobbs Ruling 

Jun 24, 2022 |

June 24, 2022

Today is the day we ended the federal abortion law, and Roe vs. Wade was finally and completely overturned.

After nearly 50 years, we are righting an egregious wrong. A wrong to the magnitude of slavery and the Holocaust. The scourge of abortion has plagued our country for half a century and in its wake the death of 65 million of our preborn brothers and sisters.

No more. We are righting the wrong, we are correcting our course, and we are marching full steam ahead.

Iowans for LIFE, now Pulse Life Advocates has been working for 50 years in Iowa to see this day come true. The longest-standing, state-wide, pro-life organization in Iowa has now seen the biggest victory ever. I thank God for the founders of this organization and the years of relentless battle to get us to where we are today. 

We will continue to work. But with this ruling, it has given us the hope and encouragement and renewed motivation to fight harder and work more.

Tomorrow the work begins in a post-Roe society. Abortion law will return to the individual states, and here in Iowa, we will continue to educate on the need for our Protect Life Amendment and pass legislation to eliminate abortion.

For More Information Contact:

Maggie DeWitte, Executive Director Pulse Life Advocates (formerly Iowans for LIFE)

515.201.8281

1450 E. 33rd St. Des Moines, Iowa 50325

mdewitte@pulseforlife.org

www.pulseforlife.org

Pulse Life Advocates, formerly Iowans for LIFE, is the longest-standing, state-wide, pro-life organization in Iowa. We have been advocating for life since 1972. Our mission is to educate on the sanctity of human life from fertilization to natural death. We are an ecumenical, nonpartisan, nonprofit 501c (3) tax-exempt organization.

For Immediate Release: Statement on PP v. Reynolds Ruling

Jun 17, 2022 |
Iowa Supreme Court

June 17, 2022: Today is a momentous day for Iowa. The Iowa Supreme Court in the Planned Parenthood vs. Reynolds court case corrected the egregious 2018 ruling declaring a fundamental right to abortion in our Iowa Constitution. The opinion issued today stated,

“and thus reject the proposition that there is a fundamental right to abortion in Iowa’s Constitution.”

In the 2020 session, the legislature passed a 24-hour waiting period before obtaining an abortion law. That law was challenged by Planned Parenthood, and we heard oral arguments from the Iowa Supreme Court several months ago. In addition to this law, the state asked that the 2018 ruling that declared a fundamental right to abortion in our Iowa Constitution be corrected.

It was a victory in today’s ruling and we are incredibly thankful to our legislators for bringing this bill forward, the attorneys representing this case, and all those who filed an amicus brief in our favor. This is a win for families today and now will finally put creating law into the hands of our duly elected legislators. They will now be able to pass common-sense regulations regarding abortion to ensure the safety and well-being of our Iowa citizens.

The ruling today will now send the 24-hour waiting period before obtaining an abortion back to the lower courts for further proceedings.

We will continue to work. But with this ruling, it has given us the hope and encouragement and renewed motivation to fight harder and work more.

Iowans for LIFE, now Pulse Life Advocates, has been working for 50 years in Iowa. As the longest-
standing, state-wide, pro-life organization in Iowa, we will move forward with passing The Protect Life Amendment next legislative session, working toward reinstating our Heartbeat Law and other measures until we see an end to abortion in our state.

For More Information Contact:
Maggie DeWitte, Executive Director Pulse Life Advocates (formerly Iowans for LIFE)
515.201.8281
1450 E. 33 rd St. Des Moines, Iowa 50317
mdewitte@pulseforlife.org
www.PulseForLife.org

Pulse Life Advocates, formerly Iowans for LIFE, is the longest-standing, state-wide, pro-life organization in Iowa. We have been advocating for life since 1972. Our mission is to educate on the sanctity of human life from fertilization to natural death. We are an ecumenical, nonpartisan, nonprofit 501c (3) tax-exempt organization.

Why does John Roberts dither?

Jun 13, 2022 |
abortion violence

abortion violenceThe leaked Supreme Court Dobbs draft occurred on May 2nd. The intent was clear: to corrupt the process of deciding a critical case before the Court through fear, intimidation, and even abortion violence.

As the March for Life Executive Director, Jeanne Mancini, stated: 

“We also believe that given the leak the court should issue a ruling as soon as possible. This leak was meant to corrupt the process. It is heartbreaking that some abortion advocates will stoop to any level to intimidate the court no matter what the consequences.”

Forty-two days have passed and we’re still waiting.

Time is of the essence, because the violence is escalating. Abortion advocates published the addresses of originalist jurists shortly after the leak of Samuel Alito’s draft, a draft that suggests Roe may be overturned.

On June 8th a would-be assassin was arrested at the home of Brett Kavanaugh, armed to the hilt.

This raises the question: what would happen if a judge dies before a decision is released? His or her vote is voided. So if the Dobbs case was poised to overturn Roe with a 5-4 vote (with Roberts voting with the liberals on the Court), the death of a judge voting to overturn Roe changes the vote to 4 to 4, sustaining its toxic legacy.

Domestic terrorism is spreading by abortion zealots. A group called Jane’s Revenge has been especially prolific in the past 42 days. Examples:

  • They fire-bombed a pro-life pregnancy center in Buffalo, New York.
  • Broke windows and sprayed graffiti at one in Seattle, Washington.
  • Attempted arson in Oregon.
  • Vandalized another in Washington D.C.
  • More arson in Illinois.
  • More graffiti in Northern Virginia.
  • Molotav cocktail in Wisconsin.

Here in Des Moines, Jane’s Revenge vandalized  our friends at the Agape Pregnancy Resource Center, whom they characterize as a “fake clinic” since they don’t provide abortions.

You can read their full statement in the graphic below:

Jane's Revenge

Statement from Jane’s Revenge

Everything about abortion is violent: the procedure itself, and now more than ever, its politics. Pulse Life Advocates believes that peace begins in the womb. As Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta said,

“Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love but to use violence to get what they want.”

It’s past time for Chief Justice John Roberts to release the Dobbs decision so our country can begin healing from a half-century of Roe’s violent legacy.

Who is the guardian of the sacraments?

May 27, 2022 |
guardian of the sacraments

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should not present her self for Communion because of her uncompromising political support of unregulated abortion. Ms. Pelosi ignored her bishop’s admonition and immediately took communion in Washington D.C. which raises the question: who is the guardian of the sacraments?

Ms. Pelosi thinks she knows best, as you can see in the video above, presenting a straw man argument in her defense:

“I wonder about the death penalty, which I am opposed to. So is the church. But they take no action against those who oppose their view.”

Only 11 people executed in the U.S. last year

For the record, the Catholic Church accepted the death penalty as a just form of punishment for capital offenses until 2018.

For the record, no one in Pelosi’s state of California is even calling for a reinstatement of the death penalty.

And for the record, Ms. Pelosi fails to recognize the innocence of the human person in the womb, 800,000 of whom were ‘executed’ (aborted) for the crime of being inconvenient in contrast to the 11 people who were executed in the U.S. last year for the crime of murder.

Does Pelosi not understand the difference between hundreds of thousand innocent deaths and 11 just punishments? Of course she does, which is why she uses capital punishment as a straw man argument, which the dictionary defines thusly:

“A straw man intentionally misrepresents a proposition that is set up because it is easier to defeat than an opponent’s real argument.”

Ms. Pelosi uses capital punishment as a weapon to deflect answering the real argument her Church has with abortion: that it kills innocent human beings.

So who is the best guardian of the sacraments?

Catholics are split on whether Archbishops should ever deny communion to members of their flock. But most would agree that an Archbishop Cordileone is a better guardian of the sacraments than a pro-abortion politician (or even a Whoopi Goldberg, whom you can watch blather on about the subject in the clip above). 

Archbishop Cordileone spent seven years in Rome as a member of the Church’s equivalent of their Supreme Court, the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature. He knows canon law, and clearly expressed his concerns to Ms. Pelosi:

“It is souls that are at stake, not elections. Lost sheep are to be lovingly called to return to the fold, not angrily denounced in the way that would imitate so much of the animosity of our political culture.”

He speaks as a good shepherd, as Christ modeled for us. Even more, he cooly responds to those who accused him of weaponizing a sacrament:

“This is simply application of Church teaching. One would have to demonstrate that a person’s actions in following Church teaching is explicitly for a political purpose in order to justify the accusation of ‘weaponizing’ the Eucharist.”

Whoopi Goldberg had to inject herself into the conversation by declaiming,

“That’s not your job, Dude! That’s not up to you to make that decision. What is the point of communion? It’s for sinners. It’s the reward of saints, but the bread of sinners. How dare you!”

How dare YOU, Whoopi.

Apparently, her star turn in “Sister Act” has deluded Ms. Goldberg into believing that SHE is a proper guardian of the sacraments.

As the bard put it, 

”The lady doth protest too much, methinks”

And as the theologian on the program, Jonathan Morris, points out, it IS the job of an archbishop to ensure that the sacraments aren’t abused. Not Nancy Pelosi. Not Whoopi Goldberg.

The risk of taking communion unworthily

Ultimately, Catholics are only supposed to receive communion if they are in a state of grace. The Church tells us that promoting abortion in the public square separates us from Christ. St. Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 11:27 to never take communion unworthily:

“So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.”

Abortion poisons the flock. Archbishop Cordileone wishes to protect his flock, and in the case of Nancy Pelosi, to protect her from herself.

[YOUR children can change the world! Pulse Life Advocates is developing a new video project, “How to raise pro-life children.” It can only be completed with YOUR financial support. Can you help? Donate now.] 

Final legislative update of the 2022 session

May 25, 2022 |
Life at Conception Bill
non-partisan

State Capitol Building, Iowa

The Legislature adjourned the 2022 Session of the 89th General Assembly on May 25, 2022.

The MOMS Act:  It was included in House File 2578, the human services budget bill. Iowa MOMS will receive $500,000 to help pro-life agencies support pregnant women and new moms with baby essentials and counseling. The funding was not included for the expansion for mothers who receive Medicaid.  This amount is significantly less than we had hoped for, but it is a good start to hopefully a program that will grow in the coming years. 

HF2420: This bill relates to the newborn safe haven act. Iowa already has a save haven law, but this bill will expand it from 30 days to 90 days in which a parent can voluntarily release custody of a newborn infant. This law has been used more than 50 times since being enacted over 20 years ago.  

SF577: This is a bill that provides a birth certificate for a nonviable birth.  Health care providers and/or hospitals can provide a birth certificate for families experiencing a nonviable birth.  Governor Reynolds signed this bill May 24.  This will provide healing to families experiencing infant loss.

HF2372: This bill related to the nonconsensual termination of a human pregnancy. This bill would correct a bad court ruling and make it a crime to attempt to cause a woman to abort. The Governor has signed this bill into law.

Great News! The MOMS bill passed.

May 24, 2022 |
Iowa Moms Bill

Iowa Moms BillThe Iowa More Options for Maternal Support (MOMS) Act will ensure that every pregnant woman in Iowa has access to meaningful assistance and support when she needs it most.

When faced with a crisis pregnancy, many women fear if they choose life for their baby they won’t be able to find needed social services, family support, and financial resources. This initiative will support these mothers, their babies, and help stabilize their families. It will ensure access to quality prenatal and postpartum care, which will result in healthier pregnancies and birth outcomes. In addition, the Iowa MOMS Act will provide for the material needs of a new mom as well as counseling and educational services.

All women deserve real options and real support. That is why Pulse Life Advocates advocated for the MOMS act and is so thrilled it passed.

14 states support pregnant women and new moms through coordinated, life-affirming assistance programs.

In addition, The Safe Haven Bill in Iowa was extended to 90 days. A mom can drop her newborn infant ( up to 90 days old) at specified locations without any fear of arrest. Previously it was limited to the first 30 days.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

A statement from the Catholic bishops of Iowa regarding the upcoming ‘Dobbs’ decision

May 23, 2022 |
Iowa Catholic bishops comment on Dobbs

By THE IOWA CATHOLIC CONFERENCE

Iowa Catholic bishops comment on DobbsMay 23, 2022:  Guided by science and faith, Catholics are praying fervently that the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn the claim to a constitutional right to abortion in its ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. A draft opinion leaked from the Court would seem to indicate majority support for a reversal of Roe v. Wade. This would have the effect of allowing many states to determine their own abortion policy.

But not Iowa. In 2018, a Supreme Court decision created a fundamental right to abortion in Iowa. That’s why we advocate for the “Protect Life Amendment,” so Iowans can once again debate abortion and perhaps even pass laws protecting preborn children.

In the meantime, as we affirm the dignity and value of every human life, we welcome the possibility of saving countless unborn children as well as sparing women and families the pain of abortion.

We exhort our nation to prioritize the well-being of women, children, and families so that no woman ever feels forced to choose between her future and the life of her child.

Through its charity agencies, and the independent efforts of its members, the Catholic Church is supporting all women in addition to the child in the womb. We accompany women and couples who are facing unexpected or difficult pregnancies, and during the early years of parenthood, through initiatives such as Walking with Moms in Need.

The Church provides abortion healing ministries, most often called Project Rachel Ministry, so that women and men receive forgiveness, healing, and spiritual renewal through Christ’s infinite mercy.

We also encourage those of good will to contact their legislators in support of the “Iowa MOMS” bill, which will ensure that every pregnant woman in Iowa has better access to quality prenatal and postpartum care.

In all these ways and more, the Catholic Church witnesses to the sanctity of all human life, from conception to natural death, and works to build a true culture of life in our nation. No matter how the Dobbs case turns out, we have a responsibility and opportunity to take action to support the dignity of the human person and the common good.

Please help in these efforts and pray for a favorable ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court, which will lift up the sacredness and dignity of all human life.

Should graphic abortion images be used in the pro-life movement?

May 19, 2022 |
graphic abortion images

By MAGGIE DeWITTE

A point of discussion for many years has been this question: should graphic images of aborted babies be used in the pro-life movement?

I have always believed that while horrific to view, they are necessary. There is a time and a place for these images. 

For example, I don’t believe it is appropriate to have these images in front of abortion mills because the women entering these facilities are in crisis and are going through a major trauma in their life. They need to see people who are praying, caring, and trying to love them and share that they have other options. 

I do think, however, these graphic images are extremely useful in a high school and college environment as a teaching tool.

An honest conversation on abortion

If we are going to have an honest discussion about what abortion is, we must understand the procedures of abortion and the results of those procedures.

Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry have done a masterful job at sanitizing abortion under the guise of ‘healthcare’ and ‘reproductive rights.’  But if you don’t know what an abortion actually does to the baby, then you really don’t understand abortion and the undeniable fact that it is a living human being. 

This question came to light when I recently attended the movie The Matter of Life. (Watch the trailer above.) It was an excellent documentary that covered all of the many facets of the abortion debate. At some point in the middle of the documentary, they warned the audience that they were about to show graphic images of aborted babies and if you did not want to see it you were free to look away from the screen.

I have seen these images before, and I chose to see them again that night. I know it is a human being. I know it has value and dignity and deserves protection. But seeing those images reminds me what I am fighting so hard for and how gruesome and violent and evil abortion really is. It gives me even more resolve to fight with everything in me to stop this senseless slaughter.

The Emmitt Till example

graphic abortion images

The civil rights movement was galvanized by a photo that demonstrated the violence of racism

The movie had a good segue on this topic by sharing the story of Emmitt Till. Emmitt was a 14-year-old African American young man from Chicago who went to Mississippi in 1955 to visit his cousins. He, on a dare from his cousins, talked to a white woman in a grocery store. As a result, the woman’s husband and his brother kidnapped Emmitt, tortured him to death and threw his body in the river. 

When they found him, his mother asked for her son’s body to be returned to Chicago where she would have a funeral and an open casket. They showed the graphic and horrific picture of this poor child who was unrecognizable because of the extreme beating that he endured. 

Why would this mother want to do this? She stated that she wanted the world to see what these racist murderers had done to her only son. Jet magazine published a picture of her son and the mainstream media picked up on the story. This was an early impetus to the civil rights movement. And it took a picture of this child to get people to understand what was happening with race in our country. It catapulted people into action.

So, yes, there is a time and place for images to be seen of the reality of abortion in hopes it will bring people to their knees in prayer and action to put an end to this once and for all. As they said in the movie, ‘we must open the casket of abortion.’

Other takeaways to note:

  • 4 in 10 woman who had abortions were church goers
  • One of the biggest problems of abortion is that no one is talking about abortion
  • The lie that if you are pro-life, you are responsible for fixing every social ill on the planet, which is just a diversion from the fact that abortion is the intentional killing of a human being. Is the unborn one of us? If it is, then there can never be any justification for killing it. 
  • Using the terms embryo and fetus describe an age range just like toddler, teenager, it doesn’t say what it is. (i.e., it’s not human it’s a fetus…)
  • In the 1800’s the first groups to oppose abortion were doctors, journalists, and feminists. In 2022, they are the groups pushing abortion the most.
  • Playboy was the first publication to endorse abortion

[Pulse Life Advocates is hard at work on a new video project: “How to raise pro-life children.” You can make a difference by financially supporting this project. Give now here. Thank-you.]