Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Hometown Pro-Life Action - A Texas Success Story

Demonstration at Austin Planned Parenthood Gala last Sunday (September 14th) 


From John Pisciotta‎
Pro-Life Waco

A Waco, Austin, San Antonio pro-life collaboration at Austin PP annual fundraiser was very successful. Close to 30 pro-lifers participated--about an equal number from each city.

Here’s my summary of how the day unfolded. After Pro-Life Waco’s Second Sunday event, which featured Joe Pojman of Texas Alliance for Life, our contingent got on the road with “Carolyn”, the pro-life billboard truck, leading the way. Pastor Joe Geleney of St. Mary’s Waco joined the excursion with his Corvette and pro-life license plates.
The Waco gang was the first to arrive at the entrance to the Hyatt Regency Hotel, where abortion supporters were holding their big fundraising banquet. One of our Austin vehicles had a flat tire so we had to double back to provide assistance. Susan Parker and Lynn Williams worked so hard to achieve Austin participation.

By the time we arrived back at the Hyatt, the San Antonio group led by Daryl Rodriquez of Love the Truth Ministries had already set up. Daryl had his signs displayed and was being interviewed for a KVUE television news story. This news coverage multiplied the impact of our demonstration. The hotel is on the very busy Barton Springs Road. So many in Austin saw our demonstration. We were able to position the pro-life billboard truck across the street from the entrance to the Hyatt.
Our faithful occupied sidewalks for at least 50 feet on each side of the entrance. We had a variety of signs proclaiming to Austinites messages about the tragedy and depravity of abortion at the hands of Planned Parenthood. We were able to continue our demonstration for two hours between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. We had just a handful of conversations with the other side. Mostly we were sending out visual messages. We were the recipients of a few negative hand signs.

At about 6:30, we wrapped up the demonstration and just about everyone went over to a local BBQ restaurant on Barton Springs Road. Pro-Life Waco ordered a delicious meal to serve family style. Fr. Joe led us in prayer before we enjoyed an extended time of good food and fellowship. For one young lady, this was her first pro-life demonstration. She proclaimed, “I had a blast today.”


One reason it is important to have demonstrations is to provide an entry point into the movement for new faithful. We should have a variety of avenues for people to enter the pro-life movement. A demonstration was my “kick in the pants” to get involved. Back in 1994, shortly after abortions began in Waco, Flip Benham and Rusty Thomas came to Waco to stir things up with three days of demonstrations. After wavering a bit, I decided to go see what it was all about. It didn’t take long for me to become committed to Hometown Pro-Life Action.

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