On July 15, 2023, one hour after his 89th birthday and surrounded by his family, Dr. Kenneth Francis Conry died of complications from Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, the condition that slowly claimed his body over forty years, but mercifully never his sharp mind nor his loving spirit.
Ken was born on July 14, 1934 in Los Angeles, California, the only child of Bernadine (Schultzen) and Francis Conry. He attended the Los Angeles schools of St. Dominicks Elementary, Loyola High School, and Loyola Marymount University. Upon graduating with a double major in history and pre-med in 1955, Ken ventured east to medical school at Creighton University in Omaha, where he met his beloved wife-to-be, Mary Vander Meer, a nursing student at St. Josephs College at Creighton. They married soon after Ken’s graduation in 1959. The young couple moved back to LA for Ken’s radiology residency at Queen of Angels Hospital. They quickly added three boys in three years to the family. In 1962, following residency, Ken and his family moved east to Washington DC where he served for two years as a Public Health Officer at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Ken practiced medicine in various hospitals from California to Kansas, Indiana to Arizona, while adding three more children and countless pets to the family along the way. The Conrys finally settled in Urbandale, Iowa in 1976. Ken retired in 2006 from the Greenfield Hospital and Veterans Administration Hospital in Des Moines.
Ken’s career as a radiologist and expertise capturing life in x-rays and ultrasounds sparked a lifelong passion for photographing beauty in the world, with a particular fascination with lighthouses. His photography has been featured and sold in galleries in Minnesota and adorn the walls of his family and friends, now beautiful reminders of his spirit. Always an adventurer, Ken was a Cessna pilot, avid cyclist, and an early adopter of kayaking. He loved birding, a passion he shared with his wife and siblings-in-law. Ken was a lifelong learner and voracious reader, particularly of history, and he often regaled his children and grandchildren with the true tales of our world. Ken gave generously, volunteered his time to various charities, and was an active member of his church, all while parenting six children, making Ken’s life a story of love – and chaos.
Ken is survived by his wife of 64 years, Mary (Vander Meer) Conry, their children: Kevin (Maristel) of Chanhassen, Minnesota; Mike (Joanne) of Dyer Indiana; Tom of West Des Moines; Kate of West Des Moines; Joan (Francis) Hart of Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Peter (Kristen) of Chevy Chase, Maryland; their 16 grandchildren: Patrick, Mary Rose, Michael (Molly), Margaret (Hunter), Erin (Brett), Thomas (Laura), Bridget, Sarah (Ryan), Steven, Julia, Mara, Clare, Patrick, Michael, Grace, and John; and two great grandchildren, Charlotte and James. His parents, niece Atea Savage, and brothers-in-law James and Peter Vander Meer, preceded him in death.
In 2008 the Abortion Party dominated national and state politics. Barack Obama was the newly elected president and his party controlled Congress. Chet Culver was in his second year as Iowa governor after trouncing the Pro-Life Party’s candidate by ten votes. His party controlled the Iowa Senate 32 to 18 and the House by 56 to 44.
Fifteen years hence, the tables have turned. What happened?
Recent history
In 2017, the Iowa Pro-Life Party passed a 20 week abortion ban, the point at which the unborn person can feel the pain inflicted on her by abortion.
The next year, 2018, they passed an abortion ban at the point at which a human heartbeat is detectable, which occurs as early as six weeks following fertilization.
That same year, the Iowa Supreme Court found a ‘fundamental right to abortion’ mysteriously embedded somewhere in the Iowa Constitution by Iowa’s founding fathers, a decision they corrected four years later.
Nonetheless, an injunction remained which prevented the Heartbeat Bill from being enforced. Even though Roe v Wade was overturned, the Iowa Supreme court refused to lift the injunction in 2023, asserting that the bill needs to be passed again.
So Governor Kim Reynolds called a special session last week and the Heartbeat Bill was once again passed, and another injunction was immediately slapped on it. We must wait another year before we hear if the Iowa Supreme Court will at long last allow the Heartbeat Bill to be enforced.
The pro-life party takes charge
The Pro-Life party remains on offense in Iowa, and Iowa voters keep voting for them in bigger numbers.
Again, it’s worth asking: what happened?
Remember, the Pro-Life Party had but 18 members in the Iowa Senate in 2008. But that number today stands at 34. They have controlled the Senate for seven years.
Remember, the Pro-Life Party had but 44 members in the Iowa House in 2008. But that number today stands at 64. They have controlled the House now for eleven years running.
And remember, the Iowa Pro-Life Party has held pretty much the same views on abortion the past fifteen years. Not so with the Abortion Party. Barack Obama shifted his party radically on the issue of abortion.
The Obama effect
Just two decades ago, at the federal level, both parties voted unanimously for the 2002 Born Alive Infants Protection Act.
But in Illinois, then state senator Obama opposed this type of law. With his ascension to the presidency, he guided his party on a path that refused to consider any regulation on human abortion at state or federal levels.
Consider …
A significant number of the Abortion Party (63 members of the House and 17 Senators) joined members of the Pro-Life Party in voting for a federal ban on partial-birth abortion in 2003.
In 2005, 54 House members of the Abortion Party voted in favor of the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, which made it illegal for a non-parent to transport a minor across a state line for an abortion.
Today, with virtual unanimity, the Abortion Party opposes any such restrictions, a significant departure from the party’s conflicted views on the issue prior to the Obama presidency.
Today, the Biden/Harris administration has carried Obama’s radicalization of abortion to its natural conclusion, calling for ‘codifying’ abortion at the federal level.
Perhaps that’s why the Pro-Life Party has gained such traction in Iowa since the Obama presidency began. Iowans don’t like being pushed around by abortion extremists in Washington telling them how they should think on this life or death issue.
The Abortion Party loses control of the states
Other states feel the same.
Under Obama, the Abortion Party suffered their biggest losses in state legislatures in a century, losing 948 seats in all. The Pro-Life Party had more seats in 83 out of 99 state legislative chambers in 2016 than they did in 2008, reflecting a reaction against extremist top-down abortion policies.
Before Obama, the Abortion Party believed abortion should be “safe, legal … but rare.”
Post-Obama, the party considers abortion to be ‘healthcare’; a fundamental human right; that taxpayers should fund it; and that Catholic doctors and nurses, and hospitals perform them even if it violates their conscience. All of this should be mandated at the federal level, regardless of the political sentiments of the individual states.
They are out-of-step
The Abortion Part is out of step with more than Iowa voters. Seven out of ten voters who identify as members of the Abortion Party believe abortion should be regulated, in sharp contrast to their party leaders who no longer consider any regulation on abortion permissible.
Like voters in other states, Iowans don’t agree on every single aspect of the abortion debate. But in light of their growing majorities in the legislature and their landslide re-election of a pro-life governor, Kim Reynolds, it’s safe to say that Iowans are pro-life.
[Support life. Support Pulse Life advocates with your gift.]
Women do not need abortion. It does not empower them. It does not give them equality with men. It hurts them and causes lifelong pain. And the answer to our social problems is not to kill the child.
By MAGGIE DeWITTE, Executive Director Pulse Life Advocates
Maggie DeWitte
In spite of the fact that Iowans keep electing pro-life legislators with increasing majorities, the laws protecting our unborn children have lagged behind those of most other U.S. states, and even Europe.
I was at the debate when we passed the 20-week abortion ban, the first significant restriction against abortion in our state. As proud as Iowa pro-lifers were of this accomplishment, most states already offered better protections, as did all but two European nations.
I was also present as the fetal heartbeat bill passed in 2018 and again as it was passed July 11, respecting the will of the people.
This has been a long time coming. Iowa is finally catching up with the rest of the world in protecting our posterity.
Innocent lives have been lost while this law was held up by injunctions and judges legislating from the bench. An estimated 2,000 Iowa babies’ lives would have been saved EVERY year that heartbeat legislation was enforced.
Humanity begins at fertilization
Just 21 days following fertilization, the baby’s organs start to develop, including the heart. The sad truth is that we never want to address the humanity of the child in the womb or share the regret and suffering women experience after having their abortion.
We talk about women’s rights, but we don’t want to give those rights to girls in the womb. But the reality is that abortion harms women, kills unborn children, and creates a society that devalues human life.
Passing the heartbeat law in Iowa is the right thing for our citizens.
Last year saw the biggest win in the pro-life movement in the reversal of Roe v. Wade via the Dobbs ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.
We also had a win as the Iowa Supreme Court revisited and corrected its egregious Planned Parenthood v. Reynolds decision, acknowledging that, in fact, there is no fundamental right to abortion enshrined in our Iowa Constitution.
Iowans want a culture of life
With all these changes, we are moving closer to creating a culture of life in the state of Iowa.
Women do not need abortion. It does not empower them. It does not give them equality with men. It hurts them and causes lifelong pain. And the answer to our social problems is not to kill the child.
The answer is to embrace women in crisis.
That is why we worked hard to pass the MOMS (More Options for Maternal Support) bill, and in this last session, passing $1 million in funding that will connect pregnant women and new moms to essential support services in pregnancy resource centers.
It is designed to empower women and protect children, increase compassionate care to improve pregnancy outcomes and child health and development. It includes counseling, parenting education, material items and referrals for medical care. That is what the pro-life movement is about. Caring for the women AND caring for the babies; we love them both.
Why is the pro-abortion lobby against this?
Pulse Life Advocates and our allies in the Iowa Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders will continue educating on this issue and look forward to the day when all human life is protected.
[This piece was published in the Des Moines Register July 14th, 2023]
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Governor Kim Reynolds ★ Lt. Governor Adam Gregg
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, July 5, 2023
CONTACT: Kollin Crompton, (515) 745-2840, Kollin.Crompton@Governor.Iowa.gov
Gov. Reynolds Calls Special Session to Enact Pro-life Legislation
DES MOINES – Today, Governor Reynolds announced she will convene the General Assembly of Iowa on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. for a special session with the sole purpose of enacting legislation that addresses abortion and protects unborn lives.
“Iowans have elected representatives willing to stand up for the rights of the unborn and, in doing so, they have voted strongly in support of pro-life principles and against the arbitrary destruction of innocent, defenseless lives,” stated Governor Reynolds.
“In 2018, I proposed, the legislature passed, and I proudly signed into law legislation that protected unborn babies from abortion once a heartbeat was detectable. After years of litigation, the Iowa Supreme Court was split 3-3 last month in its opinion regarding whether a lower court’s injunction of the Fetal Heartbeat Law should be dissolved. This lack of action disregards the will of Iowa voters and lawmakers who will not rest until the unborn are protected by law.
“I believe the pro-life movement is the most important human rights cause of our time. Not only will I continue to fight against the inhumanity of abortion, but I will also remain committed to supporting women in planning for motherhood, promoting fatherhood and parenting, and continuing policies that encourage strong families. These are the most essential building blocks of our society, and they are what will keep the foundation of our state and country strong for generations to come.”
The governor has issued a Proclamation of Special Session in accordance with Article IV, Section 11, and Article III, Section 2, of the Constitution of the State of Iowa.
Welcome to the First Post-Dobbs, Iowa March for Life!
One year ago marked the end of federal abortion law in our country.
Those under 50 have never known anything but federal abortion law on demand, for any reason for all nine months of pregnancy; others never thought they would see the day that Roe v. Wade was overturned.
But because of all of your endless prayers, your blood, sweat and tears and your resolve to keep pressing that we are here today.
That we can celebrate the end of one of the most devastating court rulings in the history of America as it is now reduced to a pile of dung in the annals of juris prudence!
Well done good and faithful servants!
Abortion has not ended
But let me be very clear. This ruling did not end abortion in Iowa. We continue to have abortions here every day in our state. Mothers are being wounded and traumatized and babies are being ripped from their mother’s wombs, a place that should be the safest place in the world. And so, while we celebrate, we must all stand together, united in our continued fight to end abortion in Iowa. Our work continues and we need every single one of you!
Last week we received the profoundly disappointing court ruling by our Iowa Supreme Court on our heartbeat law. A law that was passed by our duly elected legislators and signed into law by our pro-life Governor Reynolds five years ago! A law that had it been allowed to be enacted would have saved an average of 2,000 Iowans every year!
We stand in support of holding these justices accountable to the fullest legal extent possible!
We stand in support of efforts by legislators to see Iowa’s Heartbeat law passed anew and we request that our legislature call for a special session!
This is a life and death issue, and we cannot wait any longer for restrictions against this barbaric practice to be put in place.
The time to act is NOW!
But we will not stop there.
Because judicial reform and heartbeat bills, while good steps, fall short at protecting ALL mothers and ALL children from abortion.
This a human rights issue
This is the greatest human rights issue of our time, and we must demand equal protection under the law for all people including our pre-born brothers and sisters.
Being pro-life is being pro-woman. And as such, we will also continue to advocate for services, healthcare, and resources for women and families experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. We will continue to push for efforts like the MOMS bill passed two sessions ago and increased funding this last session. Women do not need abortion and the answer to the social problems of our day is not murder. We love them both and in doing so create a culture of life.
Keep praying.
Keep educating yourself on this issue.
Keep having conversations and advocating for the most vulnerable- innocent human life!
Thank you!
[We need your help. The fight to end abortion takes money. Support Pulse’s pro-life educational outreach today.]
In a 3 to 3 split decision, the Iowa Supreme Court allowed the permanent injunction against the Heartbeat Bill to stand.
Translation: unborn Iowa children have no legal protections from Iowa abortionists until they reach 20 weeks in the womb, at which point they can feel the pain of abortion.
Despite the fact that Iowans have elected pro-life legislators to end abortion when the fetal heartbeat is detected, Iowa’s abortion laws remain more liberal than any nation in all of Europe, except Iceland and the Netherlands.
Pulse Executive Director, Maggie DeWitte, provides this analysis:
“In 2018, Our duly elected legislators passed the Heartbeat bill. Today, the Iowa Supreme Court has failed to allow this law to be enforced.
According to Justice McDonald in his ruling: “Despite this well-established law, my colleagues insist that the legislature needed to reenact the same statute “to resolve the legal uncertainty as to whether the 2018 statute could be revived.” There is no “legal uncertainty” under Iowa law; there is only my colleagues’ refusal to apply “well settled” Iowa law. Not only is the law well settled in Iowa, but this is also the generally accepted law in America.” He further stated, “It is almost universally accepted (except by my colleagues today) that courts have inherent authority to modify or dissolve a permanent injunction based on changes in fact or law without regard to the passage of time.”
While today’s decision is extremely disappointing, it does leave the door open for our legislature to pass another law. We will continue to fight for all Iowans. This ruling only delays the day when all innocent life is cherished and protected. We continue our work in Iowa to educate on the sanctity of human life.”
Pulse’s ally in the fight for life, The Family Leader, issued the following statement:
“The Iowa Supreme Court tied 3-3 in a ruling today, effectively permitting a lower court’s injunction against Iowa’s 2018 Heartbeat Law to stand. The judicial system, therefore, has effectively blocked the law from going into effect. The ruling does leave open the possibility that Iowa’s lawmakers could re-pass the law – or something similar – to increase protection for unborn children.
Today’s ruling is profoundly disappointing.
Iowa’s elected representatives have already passed Heartbeat once. Then Iowa’s people affirmed that decision by reelecting a Legislature committed to protecting innocent children in the womb, rather than a Legislature of Planned Parenthood allies that would open the slaughter of unborn babies to all 9 months of pregnancy. The people of Iowa have already spoken up for life. But unfortunately, today’s ruling will result in more children killed, more women wounded, and only delays the day when ALL innocent life is cherished and protected by law. And that day will come, because that little child in her mother’s womb – she’s a baby, and she deserves to be protected.”
And Iowa’s pro-life attorney general, Brenna Bird, released this statement:
“I am disappointed that the Iowa Supreme Court today did not decide the Heartbeat law case. Due to the tie, the district court decision is allowed to stand. There is no right more valuable than the right to life. I will keep fighting to protect the unborn.”
Pulse Life Advocates will continue to advocate for humane legislation that protects the human life in the womb at conception.
[Pulse Life Advocates does exactly what are name states: we advocate on behalf of human life in the womb in our legislature, our courts, and the public square. We need YOUR financial support to continue. Donate today.]
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OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR Gov. Reynolds, Republican Leadership Respond to Governor Kim Reynolds:
“To say that today’s lack of action by the Iowa Supreme Court is a disappointment is an understatement. Not only does it disregard Iowa voters who elected representatives willing to stand up for the rights of unborn children, but it has sided with a single judge in a single county who struck down Iowa’s legislation based on principles that now have been flat-out rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court. There is no fundamental right to abortion and any law restricting it should be reviewed on a rational basis standard – a fact acknowledged today by three of the justices. Still, without an affirmative decision, there is no justice for the unborn.
“But the fight is not over. There is no right more sacred than life, and nothing more worthy of our strongest defense than the innocent unborn. We are reviewing our options in preparation for continuing the fight.”
Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver:
“I disagree with the Supreme Court’s opinion today. Their decision a year ago, correctly overturning the 2018 decision, should reasonably be considered a substantial change in the law and the injunction should have been lifted. Senate Republicans have a consistent record of defending life, including the passage of the Heartbeat Bill. We will work with Governor Reynolds and the House to advance pro-life policies to protect the unborn.”
Speaker of the House Pat Grassley:
“I’m extremely disappointed in the Supreme Court’s opinion today. We feel strongly that the Heartbeat Bill is a good piece of legislation that would save the innocent lives of unborn children. Going forward we will work together to pass legislation that will protect life, support new mothers, and promote strong families in Iowa.”
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Press Release from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
WASHINGTON – On June 16, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee for Religious Liberty, joined by Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, have called on Catholics to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart, and make an act of reparation—an act offered to the Lord with the intention of repairing the spiritual damage inflicted by sin.
The bishops’ invitation to the faithful follows:
“Catholic Christians traditionally recognize June as the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. During this time, we call to mind Christ’s love for us, which is visible in a special way in the image of His pierced heart, and we pray that our own hearts might be conformed to His, calling us to love and respect all His people.
“This year, on June 16—the day of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus—a professional baseball team has shockingly chosen to honor a group whose lewdness and vulgarity in mocking our Lord, His Mother, and consecrated women cannot be overstated. This is not just offensive and painful to Christians everywhere; it is blasphemy.
“It has been heartening to see so many faithful Catholics and others of good will stand up to say that what this group does is wrong, and it is wrong to honor them. We call on Catholics to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart on June 16, offering this prayer as an act of reparation for the blasphemies against our Lord we see in our culture today.”
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The Litany to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
| Lord, have mercy | Lord, have mercy |
| Christ, have mercy | Christ, have mercy |
| Lord, have mercy | Lord, have mercy |
| God our Father in heaven | have mercy on us |
| God the Son, Redeemer of the world | have mercy on us |
| God the Holy Spirit | have mercy on us |
| Holy Trinity, one God | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, one with the eternal Word | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, infinite in majesty | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, aflame with love for us | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, source of justice and love | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, well-spring of all virtue | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, worthy of all praise | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, treasure-house of wisdom and knowledge | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, in whom there dwells the fullness of God | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father is well pleased | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, from whose fullness we have all received | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, desire of the eternal hills | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, patient and full of mercy | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, generous to all who turn to you | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, atonement for our sins | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with insults | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, broken for our sins | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, obedient even to death | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, pierced by a lance | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, victim of our sins | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, salvation of all who trust in you | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, hope of all who die in you | have mercy on us |
| Heart of Jesus, delight of all the saints | have mercy on us |
| Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world | have mercy on us |
| Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world | have mercy on us |
| Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world | have mercy on us |
| Jesus, gentle and humble of heart. | Touch our hearts and make them like your own. |
Let us pray.
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that we, who glory in the Heart of your beloved Son
and recall the wonders of his love for us,
may be made worthy to receive
an overflowing measure of grace
from that fount of heavenly gifts.
Through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.
[Join the pro-life faithful on Friday, 4:30 PM, at the Grotto of St. Anthony Catholic Church, 15 Indianola Road in Des Moines, for a recitation of the Litany to the Sacred Heart and to say the Holy Rosary.]
“Societies are defined by what they will not permit,” said Tucker Carlson in his new show, “Tucker on Twitter.” These are called taboos. Taboos may not be illegal, says Carlson, but they’re not permitted.
Eight score and three years ago (163 years), the two political parties agreed on practically every taboo, but one.
They agreed that stealing was taboo. Same for murder, public fornication and nudity, child molestation, abortion, and sacrilege, to name a few.
They agreed on the deadliness and sinfulness of pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth.
And they agreed on the philosophical underpinnings of the Bill of Rights.
But they clashed on the issue of slavery.
The pro-life party of our age viewed slavery as an abomination, a violation of human dignity, the Declaration of Independence, and the Holy Bible.
Today’s abortion party once viewed the Negro as something of a sub-human, unworthy of the protections of the U.S. Constitution.
A bloody Civil War that killed 700,000 soldiers and civilians provided a tenuous resolution to the conflict, establishing human slavery as taboo in American jurisprudence as well as the American culture.
For the next century, the two parties pretty much agreed on our national taboos, what America would not permit.
That changed in 1973 with the Roe v Wade decision.
The nation overwhelmingly agreed that human abortion was a societal taboo prior to 1973, as 46 states had laws on the books either banning or significantly limiting the availability of abortion.
The political landscape began a seismic shift with Roe, as a foundational taboo began to crumble.
The abortion party is born
Two years prior to Roe, Edward Kennedy, a leading member of what was once the Slavery Party, wrote eloquently in defense of human life in the womb:
“While the deep concern of a woman bearing an unwanted child merits consideration and sympathy, it is my personal feeling that the legalization of abortion on demand is not in accordance with the value which our civilization places on human life. Wanted or unwanted, I believe that human life, even at its earliest stages, has certain rights which must be recognized—the right to be born, the right to love, the right to grow old.
“On the question of the individual’s freedom of choice there are easily available birth control methods and information which women may employ to prevent or postpone pregnancy. But once life has begun, no matter at what stage of growth, it is my belief that termination should not be decided merely by desire.
“When history looks back to this era it should recognize this generation as one which cared about human beings enough to halt the practice of war, to provide a decent living for every family, and to fulfill its responsibility to its children from the very moment of conception.”
“Don’t tell me there isn’t enough love in the world to care for all the unwanted babies!”
He then went on to make the case for adoption.
Before decade’s end, Kennedy was fully committed to abortion rights, as was his party. The Slavery party had morphed into the Abortion Party.
A turning point
Roe v Wade marked a turning point. If a society is truly defined by what it will not permit, our definition was radically altered on January 22nd, 1973, as a major taboo crumbled.
Whereas the Anti-Slavery/Pro-Life Party of today continues to acknowledge the timeless taboos once embraced by both parties, the Abortion Party of today is no longer recognizable. In fact, they demand that we let go of the Judeo-Christian value system that not only defined the United States, but Western Civilization too, and replace it with a Woke theology.
Their views on what constitute the seven deadly sins are unrecognizable to what they once believed. Same with the Bill of Rights.
A new, established state religion?
“What we are allowed to dislike is being dictated to us from above, sometimes by force: stealing, flaunting your wealth, striking women, smoking marijuana on the street, shameless public hypocrisy, taking another person’s money for not working … used to be considered unacceptable.”
The last taboo
You know the story: The Los Angeles Dodgers invited the anti-Catholic hate group, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, to a ‘Pride’ event at Dodger Stadium. When Catholics protested, they disinvited the group. When trans activists protested, they quickly re-invited the group and will pay homage to their Woke religion on June 16th.
Bishop Robert Barron commented on the Dodger’s tolerance for blasphemy of the most repulsive kind in this video released on social media:
We won’t share videos of their blasphemies, but they are plentiful on YouTube, which has shown no inclination to de-platform them.
Although Pulse Life Advocates focuses on Life issues, the Woke religion promotes sexual confusion which impacts sanctity of Life issues.
Action steps
You’re not alone. As Bud Light, Target, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are discovering, the faithful are making their voices heard and their prayers felt.
Friday is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Catholic church. It is also the day the Dodgers have chosen to honor the Catholic hate group, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops asks you to pray an act of reparation for the blasphemies against our Lord that we see in our culture today.
The last taboo has been breached. Join us in prayer on Friday.
The author of Roe v Wade, Justice Harry Blackmun, never declared that abortion itself was a constitutional right. What he said was,
“We need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins … the judiciary at this point in the development of man’s knowledge is not in a position to speculate as to the answer.”
Much has changed since 1973 when Justice Blackmun wrote those words.
The ultrasound and other scientific innovations now let us look at the unborn down to the cellular level to reveal that human life begins at the instant of fertilization in a flash of light. In other words, science has finally caught up with theology. Blackmun acknowledged how critical this information is:
“If this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant’s case [that is “Roe” who sought an abortion], of course, collapses, for the fetus’ right to life is then guaranteed specifically by the [14th] Amendment.”
The 14th Amendment spells it out with crystal clarity:
“… nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law.”
And then the 14th Amendment adds this zinger:
“Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provision of the article.”
Congress has just acted.
Twenty-one members of Congress have just filed House Resolution 464 which honors the intent and legacy of the 14th Amendment:
“Acknowledging that unborn children are legal and constitutional persons who are entitled to the equal protection of the laws.”
Clearly, this resolution faces stumbling blocks since the abortion party controls the Senate and Presidency. But that can, and likely WILL change, in a single election cycle.
This resolution simplifies the entire abortion debate by distilling it down to its essence: human life logically, scientifically, and theologically begins at the instant of fertilization.
It compels the other side to prove otherwise, but they can’t.
The resolution is worth reading in its entirety, and here’s the link. But to give you a feel for its power, the second sentence alone gives one chills:
“Whereas the Declaration of Independence declares it to be a self-evident truth that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,” beginning with the right to life, and that the primary purpose of all government is to defend that supreme right; …”
On the Senate side, Senator Rand Paul introduced a comparable piece of legislation called The Life at Conception Act of 2021. An excerpt:
(1) HUMAN PERSON; HUMAN BEING.—The terms “human person” and “human being” include each member of the species homo sapiens at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization or cloning, or other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being.
Human abortion ends in the United States with a law that simply defines the terms of the human person. As Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the Dobbs decision which overturned Roe,
“no language in today’s decision stops the Federal Government from prohibiting abortions nationwide, once again from the moment of conception…”
That’s what House Resolution 464 does. It would at last “vindicate the right of unborn children to the enjoyment of the equal protection of the laws in every State and Federal territory.”
You’ll note that no Iowa Representatives are listed as sponsors. Contact them and encourage them to support this bill. Here is their contact info:
Randy Feenstra
1440 Longworth House Office Building
(202) 225-4426
Ashley Hinson
1429 Longworth House Office Building
(202) 225-2911
Marianette Miller-Meeks
1716 Longworth House Office Building
(202) 225-6576
Zach Nunn
1232 Longworth House Office Building
(202) 225-5476