STOP: Please Don't Buy Those Girl Scout Cookies

From Judie Brown, President
American Life League

Is your daughter, granddaughter or a neighbor's child asking you to buy Girl Scout cookies? Please think twice.

American Life League has joined with other pro-life organizations in the call for a national boycott of Girl Scout cookies. As I said in my press release today, the Girl Scouts was once a trusted organization dedicated to character building in young girls and women. Now, GSUSA is abusing that trust.

Most parents and grandparents remain painfully unaware that GSUSA has introduced so-called 'family planning' ideology in its curriculum and promotes groups like Planned Parenthood to our daughters and granddaughters. GSUSA is the largest member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, a group that advocates for "affordable, accessible, safe abortion." GSUSA participated in a "girls only" United Nations workshop in 2010 with Planned Parenthood where a sex education pamphlet titled "Happy, Healthy, and Hot" instructed young girls not to think of sex as "just about vaginal or anal intercourse." It continued, "There is no right or wrong way to have sex. Just have fun, explore, and be yourself!"

The GSUSA curriculum now promotes Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, Betty Friedan, founder of NARAL Prochoice, and other pro-abortion women as icons for our children to emulate. GSUSA even directs girls to explore organizations like Population Center.

I know you don't want to disappoint that little girl asking you to buy her cookies. But, while the girls themselves keep on average approximately 15% of the purchase price, the local councils - that introduce girls to a pro-abortion worldview-keep the lion's share of the profit from cookie sales.

ALL hopes that the cookie boycott will raise awareness with parents and grandparents that Girl Scouts is no longer the organization they grew up with and once trusted. When that Girl Scout comes to your door or you see her in front of the local grocery store or in the mall, check to see if there is an adult present. If there is, you may want to give the adult this flier that explains why you cannot buy the cookies.

There are more wholesome ways (and safer ways) to spend your hard-earned cookie money.

Rep. Chris Smith: Abortion is a “Violation of Fundamental Human Rights”

       

This January, Americans remembered the tragic Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade, and how it radically changed America through legalization of abortion on-demand. In anticipation of the anniversary, pro-life members of Congress gathered to make short statements regarding the ruling and its injustice towards both women, and pre-born American children. Below are a few of the statements with excerpts; the full collection of 22 incredible statements can be found here. We’ll highlight several in the coming days.

continue reading at http://liveactionnews.org 

 

 

 

 

Pro-Life Lessons for the Defense of Marriage

by Rachel Lu

I’ve never been to the March for Life. It’s on my bucket list. I love looking at the pictures, because it inspires me to see all those well-bundled people, cold but smiling, feeling good despite the grimness of the occasion they have gathered to commemorate. They ought to feel good. They stand as representatives of one of the most remarkable political and social movements of the last century.

In legislative terms, the pro-life movement has of course been less successful than we might wish. Abortion is still very obtainable in this country, though there can also be little doubt that the movement has saved millions of lives. And in other ways, the achievements of the pro-life movement are enormous. Working with young people, I am regularly impressed by the number whose moral sensibilities have been formed in very large measure by the pro-life movement. Where the world too often showed them selfishness, indulgence and a callous disregard for the interests of the weak and innocent, the pro-life movement has taught our youth about self-sacrifice, honor and the immense value of a human being. The courts, the media and the academy have tried again and again to declare the movement dead. It isn’t.

That is the first lesson we can learn from the pro-life movement as we turn our attention towards the much-younger fight for marriage. It’s never over until one side decides to give up. The second lesson is that fighting the good fight isn’t necessarily futile even if the objective is achieved incompletely or not at all. Social movements have the power to change and shape whole societies. There’s a reason why they tend to be remembered long after the economic squabbles have been forgotten. They change the way we see the world. They alter us on the level of character. Social movements have the power to shine a bright light on our greatest social failings, helping to grow the conscience of a nation.


continue to read at http://www.crisismagazine.com 

We Marched. Now What?

by Laura Peredo

Coming back from the March for Life is kind of like coming home after a church retreat. But instead of being on a Jesus high, you’re on a saving babies high. And that is awesome. There is no better time than NOW to be excited about joining the pro-life generation in defending and promoting a greater culture of life here in America.

After being in one city with hundreds of thousands of people who also believe in the sanctity of life, I am encouraged and inspired to continue exposing and being a witness to the beauty of each life. To see so many people who are willing to stand in frigid temperatures? It was incredible. And my college was given the honor of leading the march this year, which made it even more unique and inspiring.


Like all the marches and rallies I’ve been to before, it made me think about why I march. Why is that? It’s because I believe mothers, fathers, children, families, and our society deserve better than abortion. But marching is not enough. We’ve got to harness the excitement we all have about being pro-life right now and channel it into constructive ways to bring the end of abortion closer.

Everyone can get involved in promoting life in one way or another. We’re not called to do everything, but we’re all called to do something. And the time is now.

Here are some ways you can start the end to abortion today:

continue reading at http://liveactionnews.org

 Laura Peredo, a sophomore Business Management major at Benedictine College, joined the pro-life movement a few years ago, and has been actively defending life ever since. In her 'free time' she enjoys reading about current life and faith issues, writing about them, and having debates about them. 

Call to Prayer for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty

Intention

We pray that we can continue to educate students

 in the fullness of our Catholic faith

 The U.S. Catholic Bishops invite the faithful to pray and fast for the renewal of a culture of life and marriage, and for the protection of religious liberty.

Reflection

In his proclamation, Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis praises the efforts of Catholic schools and charities that promote peace, social harmony, and the protection of human and civil rights. He states, "Yet, we find it difficult to make people see that when we raise other questions less palatable to public opinion, we are doing so out of fidelity to precisely the same convictions about human dignity and the common good." The role of Catholic schools, the Holy Father emphasizes, is to remain in dialogue with the formative teachings of the Church. In this way, all the sciences are embedded with Catholic theology, and these disciplines become instruments "for enlightening and renewing the world." In his address to trustees of the University of Notre Dame on Thursday, Pope Francis explained, "Essential...is the uncompromising witness of Catholic universities to the Church's moral teaching, and the defense of her freedom, precisely in and through her institutions, to uphold that teaching as authoritatively proclaimed by the magisterium of her pastors."

In light of Catholic Schools Week, let us remember the role of Catholic schools in striving to proclaim the Gospel message in all areas of study through first knowing and loving Christ.  

 

 

 

	Five Ways to Participate

1.  Fast and abstain from meat on Fridays
2.  Pray a daily rosary
3.  Prayrs for the Faithful at Mass
4.  Monthly Holy Hour
5.  Fortnight for Freedom

Did you know?

Catholic Schools Week is being observed in dioceses around the country from January 26 through February 1. This year's theme, "Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service," focuses on the principles of a Catholic education.   

We pray that we can continue to educate students in the fullness of our Catholic faith.

Pro-Life Waco Is Leading A National Boycott Of Girl Scout Cookie Sales

                  Urgent action requests below

PLW is leading a national boycott of Girl Scout cookie sales. Urgent action requests. Success depends on all of us doing our part.

Activist friends for life, Are you ready to rumble? In 2004, Pro-Life Waco organized a local (and successful) boycott of Girl Scout cookies. Now in 2014, we are leading a NATIONAL cookie boycott. Girl Scouts USA has not changed. Enough is enough! They just can’t hold back when it comes to paying homage to the leaders of abortion on demand. n 2004, the local Girl Scout Council honored the CEO of the Waco Planned Parenthood abortion clinic as a Woman of Distinction. Now, national Girl Scouts is praising Texas State Senator Wendy Davis and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius as women who are role models for girls because of their “achievements” in 2013! BOTH are unwavering supporters of abortion on demand—even late-term abortion. And there are much deeper problems with the Girl Scout agenda for our daughters.  Go to http://cookiecott.com a little later and find out more. First read this email and get ready for the action it will take to win again. The national boycott of Girl Scout cookie sales, which I am coordinating, officially launches today with radio ads on five Texas stations. You can listen to the radio ad here.    Already, two news stories on Breitbart. The Breitbart stories have generated hundreds of comments. I think we have hit a nerve. Endorsement of Wendy Davis Triggers National Boycott of Girl Scout Cookies National Pro-Life Groups Join Girl Scout Boycott Now for the battle plan 1. Pray fervently that this outreach in support of girls and their families will bring an abundant harvest.  2. A major part of the boycott strategy is for supporters to give a special flyer to Girl Scout parents and leaders at public sales to explain WHY we are not buying cookies. We must let them know in addition to refraining from purchases. The flyer is available to all at www.cookiecott.com. Or you can come by our office at 4209 W Waco Drive and pick up copies at our door. Also, give this flyer to your friends and tell everyone about the boycott. 3. Write a letter to the editor of the Waco Tribune Herald defending the boycott.  Send to letters@wactrib.com  If you live in another city, send to your newspaper. We are going to catch a lot of flack from the liberal press.  We must defend ourselves. We must be extremely strong in Waco to help make a strong boycott spread nationwide. 4. Email, call, or write on paper to your friends and relatives to spread the word about the boycott. 5. Call talk radio programs and talk about the boycott. 6. Write a post on Facebook about the boycott. Be sure to let your friends know to go to www.cookiecott.com. 7. Tweet. Tweet. And then tweet again. For Twitter, the name of the campaign is #cookiecott. For posts on social media you are encouraged to incorporate this graphic if you know how to do it.   8. If you have media contacts, I welcome the opportunity to talk about the boycott. In a little more than an hour at 10:30 Central I will be interviewed on the Mike Gallagher Talk show. On Friday the 31st, in the 10 a.m. hour, I will be a guest on the Lynn Woolley Talk Show out of Temple (KTEM AM). 9. Pray fervently that this outreach in support of girls and their families will bring an abundant harvest. You don’t have to do everything. But PLEASE do some things. We cannot just stand by and let the forces of secularism and moral relativism devour our children and grandchildren. This is grassroots--against a very strong Girl Scout organization that will be supported in media. For every dollar raised by PLW, Girl Scouts USA raises $3,000. Some will paint us as hurting little girls. In reality we are the defenders of little girls. Girl Scouts USA is okay with having future Girl Scouts slaughtered in abortions! Abuse of little children was one of the few things in the Gospels that raised anger from our Lord. For you and I abuse of little children must bring action. Now, go do the right thing!   Submitted in support of the Gospel of Life John Pisciotta, Director of Pro-Life Waco

PLW’s Biggest Venture Ever To Be Announced.......

Pro-Life Updates from Waco, Texas

1. Big Pro-Life Waco news. Huge undertaking will be announced on Thursday.
2. Life Chain in Waco will win big on Super Bowl Sunday
3. A terrific new pro-life movie in a theatre near you.

1. Big Pro-Life Waco news. Huge undertaking will be announced on Thursday. Don't fail to read tomorrow's email. I will be announcing the most aggressive Pro-Life Waco undertaking ever. For this to be successful your support at the keyboard and in the community will be needed. Our biggest pro-life pro-decency venture to this point was the successful Girl Scout cookie boycott of 2004--because of the local Girl Scout alliance with Planned Parenthood. What I will write about tomorrow is an even larger effort to protect our vulnerable children. 2. Life Chain in Waco will win big on Super Bowl Sunday The Super Bowl is this Sunday. For this occasion, we will have a Super Life Chain from 2 to 3 PM. As usual, this will be at the intersection of Valley Mills and Waco Drive. Signs to hold will be available to all. Traffic will be heavy with people preparing for kickoff at 5:30 PM. While the weather is forecast to be bad in New York for the football game, a lovely day is predicted for Waco. So, come on out in join your pro-life friends for Life Chain. You will still have plenty of time to watch the Super Bowl. 3. A terrific new pro-life movie in a theatre near you. Gimme Shelter is a pro-life movie that came to movie theaters in Waco and the world this past week. In Waco, it is showing at the Galaxy 16 Theater at 333 S. Valley Mills Drive. I have not seen it. However, from Christian media and friends’ comments, this appears to be a wonderful movie. I was advised to bring Kleenex. It's important that we see this movie this week so it can have a longer run in theaters.   Submitted in support of the Gospel of Life John Pisciotta, Director of Pro-Life Waco

Abort 73

• 

  If you are thinking about having an abortion, please consider the case against abortion, particularly the pages on prenatal development, abortion techniques, and the difficult, but sobering page of real-life abortion pictures. Then read the stories of the countless women who have gone before you.
  Help is available. Visit OptionLine.org for confidential, round-the-clock counseling via phone or chat, or to find free, local pregnancy care services in your area.
  
   use this link for more information on this group http://www.abort73.com
  

Salon Writer Believes Abortion Is A Human Sacrifice And She’s Okay With That

 

by Nancy Flanders

We hear about them quite often in the news – the mothers who sacrificed themselves for their child. The women who put their own well-being aside and do whatever it took to save their child. For example: A mother who drown after saving her three young children from a river. The mother who protected her son with her life in an earthquake by using her body as a shield. The mother who threw herself in front of an oncoming car to save her child and lost her own life. And the mother who gave her life to cancer rather than subject her unborn daughter to harmful medications. We call these women brave. We call them selfless. We call them heroines. We say they know the true meaning of motherhood.

So what do we say than of mothers like Mary Elizabeth Williams who believe that fetuses are living human beings, that the fetuses they have carried or will carry are their living babies, but in the same breath announce that those children’s lives are not as valuable as their own? Are they brave? Are they selfless? Do they know the true meaning of motherhood? Williams, in a piece for Salon writes:

I know that throughout my own pregnancies, I never wavered for a moment in the belief that I was carrying a human life inside of me. I believe that’s what a fetus is: a human life. And that doesn’t make me one iota less solidly pro-choice.

 If life indeed begins at conception and that is no longer the argument surrounding abortion, then does the argument become: When does love begin? Does love begin with that first positive pregnancy test? Does love begin only when a pregnancy is planned? Does love begin when the child is born? Or does love begin when the child is able to return a smile? When do we love someone enough to give value to their lives, value above our own?

continue reading at http://liveactionnews.org/

The How and Why of Roe's Radical Mandate

RICK HINSHAW

Clarke D. Forsythe, Abuse of Discretion: The Inside Story of Roe v. Wade (New York: Encounter Books, 2013)

With his extensive background in law, Clarke Forsythe, senior counsel at Americans United for Life, seems the ideal author for a detailed overview of Roe v. Wade. In Abuse of Discretion, he does not disappoint, providing a comprehensive account of how and why the Supreme Court justices used Roe — and its often overlooked but equally significant companion case, Doe v. Bolton — to impose a radical pro-abortion mandate on the entire nation.

Through what he describes as “a quarter-century of research” – research that included examination of the papers of eight of the nine justices who decided Roe – Forsythe analyzes Roe and its impact, 40 years later, in the process confirming what many pro-life activists knew instinctively at the time:

•  that the ruling was far more sweeping, and radical, than claimed by media and Court members themselves;
• that it resulted not from a comprehensive, reasoned analysis of facts, but from an ideological agenda pushed by the Court’s most activist members;
• that the justices misused, misunderstood and misrepresented pertinent facts in a range of critically relevant areas, from the history of abortion laws, to medical data and developments, to public opinion regarding abortion;
• that instead of a careful, balanced study of empirical data from various perspectives, the justices relied almost exclusively on advocacy pieces produced by pro-abortion activists;
• that the social crises the justices believed legal abortion would help alleviate – poverty, child abuse, out-of-wedlock pregnancies – would grow worse in ensuing decades.

Most disturbing is the justices’ – especially Justices William O. Douglas and William J. Brennan, Jr. – manipulation of the judicial process to bring about their fore-ordained result: a nationwide mandate legalizing abortion.

continue reading at http://www.catholicleague.org

Rick Hinshaw is editor of The Long Island Catholic magazine.