lifesitenews--2020-01-24--Abortion is the top priority at the ballot box, U.S. Bishop tells March for Life

WASHINGTON , D.C. , January 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — The American bishops and Pope Francis both affirm that the “ preeminent priority ” for Catholics when voting is the protection of the child in the womb , said Archbishop Joseph Naumann in his homily for Thursday ’ s vigil Mass for the March for Life .
His statement drew a spontaneous burst of applause from hundreds who packed in the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington on the eve of the march , which marks the Supreme Court ’ s 1973 Roe v Wade ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The archbishop of Kansas City , Kansas , and chairman of the USCCB ’ s committee on pro-life activities , Naumann said the bishops approved a document in November that provides “ guidance to Catholics as they exercise their responsibility as voters.
” And while Catholics must consider “ many important societal issues with great moral significance , ” such as immigration reform , care for refugees and the poor , health care , religious liberty , and the “ care for creation , '' the bishops “ affirmed that the protection of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Naumann said , to a burst of applause .
The bishops ’ document cited Pope St. John Paul II ’ s “ landmark and prophetic ” encyclical The Gospel of Life , issued 25 years ago this March 25 , the feast of the Annunciation , he said .
The sainted pontiff noted that the “ vast array of threats to human life ” included poverty , the arms trade , drugs , and the promotion of “ certain forms of sexual activity , ” but “ spoke clearly that special attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortion and euthanasia , ” Naumann observed .
St. John Paul stated three reasons why the protection of the unborn must be a priority .
First , current laws “ exalt abortion as a positive good and a right ” ; second , abortion “ attacks human life at the time of its greatest frailty , ” and finally , abortion ’ s “ personal and societal consequences are more serious because they are carried out in the very heart of and with the complicity of the family , ” which “ by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sanctuary of life.
” Moreover , the “ sheer number ” of those killed by abortion “ elevates its importance compared to other threats to life , ” Naumann said .
Since 1973 , 61 million unborn children have been killed by abortion and each had a father and mother “ who ’ ve been starved by the death of their child.
” Naumann also related that when he and bishops from Iowa , Missouri , and Nebraska met with Pope Francis one week ago for their ad limina visit , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism , even being accused of insulting the pope.
” The pope “ appeared stunned , ” and asked why .
“ And I said because we called the protection of the unborn a ‘ preeminent priority , ’ and his immediate response was , ‘ It is a preeminent priority ’ .
Pope Francis said if we do not defend life , no other rights matter , ” Naumann said .
“ God and 14 other bishops are my witnesses that Pope Francis was passionate in the support of the Church ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the successor of Peter has our backs , ” added the archbishop , to applause .
The Holy Father was also “ aware of this March for Life ” and “ delighted ” at the expected large numbers , and “ ordered ” Naumann to “ please tell the pilgrims at the March for Life and the entire pro-life community , the pope is with you , he is praying for you , he supports you , he encourages you to persevere.
” Pope Francis has stoked confusion in past on the priority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contradicting previous popes by seeming to place abortion on a level with prudential issues such as immigration .
Throughout his pontificate , he has prioritized lobbying world leaders on climate change , immigration , and other issues while failing to intervene on non-negotiable moral issues such as abortion and same-sex “ marriage.
” According to Naumann , Pope Francis was “ thrilled ” with the USCCB initiative to mark the 25th anniversary of the Gospel of Life : “ Walking with Moms In Need : A year of Service , ” Naumann said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parish in the United States , which number well over 17,000 , to consider what “ practical steps ” they can take to help mothers facing difficult pregnancies , Naumann said .
Many women who choose abortion are “ young , poor and unmarried , and “ moms in need are best reached at the local level , ” he said .
“ Pope Francis reminds us parish called to be islands of mercy in the midst of the sea of indifference.
” He noted that Pope John Paul in the Gospel of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ an extremely serious and mortal danger that of confusion between good and evil , precisely in relation to the fundamental right to life.
” The saint wrote that “ this moral confusion results in part from a distorted notion of freedom , of freedom that is untethered from truth , ” Naumann said .
“ Freedom separated from truth in the end creates a tyrant state that allows and even encourages the disposal of life when it is weakest.
” This is evident in the United States , where , since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the killing of one ’ s child is exalted as heroic and brave , ” and Americans live in an “ ethically topsy-turvy twilight zone ” in which abortion is “ now hailed as the cornerstone of human rights , ” Nauman said .
But “ in these early days of 2020 there are signs of hope , ” he added .
“ Despite a biased secular media , decades persistent pro-life educational efforts have resulted in our nation ’ s youth being more pro-life than their parents , ” he said @ @ @ @ @

'The protection of the unborn remains the preeminent priority,' Archbishop Joseph Naumann told Vigil Mass for Life on Thursday.
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — The American bishops and Pope Francis both affirm that the “preeminent priority” for Catholics when voting is the protection of the child in the womb, said Archbishop Joseph Naumann in his homily for Thursday’s vigil Mass for the March for Life.
His statement drew a spontaneous burst of applause from hundreds who packed in the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington on the eve of the march, which marks the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v Wade ruling legalizing abortion in the United States.
The archbishop of Kansas City, Kansas, and chairman of the USCCB’s committee on pro-life activities, Naumann said the bishops approved a document in November that provides “guidance to Catholics as they exercise their responsibility as voters.”
And while Catholics must consider “many important societal issues with great moral significance,” such as immigration reform, care for refugees and the poor, health care, religious liberty, and the “care for creation,” the bishops “affirmed that the protection of the unborn remains the preeminent priority,” Naumann said, to a burst of applause.
Watch Archbishop Naumann's full homily:
The bishops’ document cited Pope St. John Paul II’s “landmark and prophetic” encyclical The Gospel of Life, issued 25 years ago this March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, he said.
The sainted pontiff noted that the “vast array of threats to human life” included poverty, the arms trade, drugs, and the promotion of “certain forms of sexual activity,” but “spoke clearly that special attention should be given to the issues of abortion and euthanasia,” Naumann observed.
St. John Paul stated three reasons why the protection of the unborn must be a priority.
First, current laws “exalt abortion as a positive good and a right”; second, abortion “attacks human life at the time of its greatest frailty,” and finally, abortion’s “personal and societal consequences are more serious because they are carried out in the very heart of and with the complicity of the family,” which “by its very nature is called to be the sanctuary of life.”
Moreover, the “sheer number” of those killed by abortion “elevates its importance compared to other threats to life,” Naumann said.
Since 1973, 61 million unborn children have been killed by abortion and each had a father and mother “who’ve been starved by the death of their child.”
Naumann also related that when he and bishops from Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska met with Pope Francis one week ago for their ad limina visit, “I told him that we received some criticism, even being accused of insulting the pope.”
The pope “appeared stunned,” and asked why.
“And I said because we called the protection of the unborn a ‘preeminent priority,’ and his immediate response was, ‘It is a preeminent priority’. Pope Francis said if we do not defend life, no other rights matter,” Naumann said.
“God and 14 other bishops are my witnesses that Pope Francis was passionate in the support of the Church’s pro-life efforts. My friends, the successor of Peter has our backs,” added the archbishop, to applause.
The Holy Father was also “aware of this March for Life” and “delighted” at the expected large numbers, and “ordered” Naumann to “please tell the pilgrims at the March for Life and the entire pro-life community, the pope is with you, he is praying for you, he supports you, he encourages you to persevere.”
Pope Francis has stoked confusion in past on the priority of the pro-life issue in voting, contradicting previous popes by seeming to place abortion on a level with prudential issues such as immigration.
Throughout his pontificate, he has prioritized lobbying world leaders on climate change, immigration, and other issues while failing to intervene on non-negotiable moral issues such as abortion and same-sex “marriage.”
According to Naumann, Pope Francis was “thrilled” with the USCCB initiative to mark the 25th anniversary of the Gospel of Life: “Walking with Moms In Need: A year of Service,” Naumann said.
This initiative will encourage every Catholic parish in the United States, which number well over 17,000, to consider what “practical steps” they can take to help mothers facing difficult pregnancies, Naumann said.
Many women who choose abortion are “young, poor and unmarried, and “moms in need are best reached at the local level,” he said.
“Pope Francis reminds us parish called to be islands of mercy in the midst of the sea of indifference.”
He noted that Pope John Paul in the Gospel of Life “cautioned us about he termed ‘an extremely serious and mortal danger that of confusion between good and evil, precisely in relation to the fundamental right to life.”
The saint wrote that “this moral confusion results in part from a distorted notion of freedom, of freedom that is untethered from truth,” Naumann said.
“Freedom separated from truth in the end creates a tyrant state that allows and even encourages the disposal of life when it is weakest.”
This is evident in the United States, where, since the 47 years since Roe v Wade, “the killing of one’s child is exalted as heroic and brave,” and Americans live in an “ethically topsy-turvy twilight zone” in which abortion is “now hailed as the cornerstone of human rights,” Nauman said.
But “in these early days of 2020 there are signs of hope,” he added.
“Despite a biased secular media, decades persistent pro-life educational efforts have resulted in our nation’s youth being more pro-life than their parents,” he said, to sustained applause.
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lifesitenews--2020-01-24--Hundreds of thousands protest abortion, hear Trump speak at March for Life

WASHINGTON , D.C. , January 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Pro-life activists from countless backgrounds across the United States marched the streets of Washington , D.C. today for the annual March for Life , where President Donald Trump became the first U.S. president to attend and speak at the event .
Wednesday was the 47th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision , which , along with its sister case Doe v. Bolton , imposed abortion on demand across the nation in 1973 .
At least 60 million preborn children have been slaughtered over the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year ’ s march is “ Life Empowers : Pro-Life is Pro-Woman.
” “ See you on Friday ... Big Crowd !
” he tweeted .
Trump previously addressed marchers via recorded or live video message .
Vice President Mike Pence spoke from the March for Life stage last year .
Today , Pence is occupied meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican .
In addition to President Trump , speakers at Friday ’ s March included abortion survivors Claire Culwell and Melissa Ohden , U.S. rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey , Louisiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Family ’ s Jim Daly , Susan B. Anthony ( SBA ) List head Marjorie Dannenfelser , Pastor David Platt of McLean Bible Church in D.C. , and more .
“ We ’ ve come a long way from ‘ safe , legal , and rare ’ to ‘ shout your abortion , ’ ” March for Life president Jeanne Mancini said .
“ We know this message about women and abortion is both deceptive and hurtful.
” The 2020 March for Life is the pinnacle of a week of activism in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday evening , Trump declared this year ’ s anniversary of Roe v. Wade to be “ Sanctity of Life Day.
” The contenders for the 2020 Democrat presidential nomination , meanwhile , marked the occasion by promising to appoint pro-abortion judges and force American taxpayers to fund unrestricted abortion .
The days leading up to the march were packed with pro-life events and announcements .
On Wednesday , pro-life activists were arrested during a sit-in at U.S. House speaker Nancy Pelosi ( R-Calif. ) ’ s office , where they were protesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-infanticide legislation .
That day , the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ( CMS ) also granted the state of Texas a Medicaid waiver to fund the Healthy Texas Women program , which does not include abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood .
This reversed the Obama administration ’ s decision to deny a similar waiver to the state in 2013 .
On Thursday , priests and pro-life activists protested at Washington , D.C. ’ s massive Planned Parenthood facility next to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ northeast quadrant .
The March for Life conference also took place Thursday , as did the annual Vigil Mass for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception .
SBA List , which is spending over $ 52 million to re-elect Trump and pro-life senators , released a new ad contrasting the abortion extremism of the Democrat party with the record of “ the most pro-life president in history.
” It was also announced that SBA List president Marjorie Dannenfelser will lead the “ Pro-Life Voices for Trump ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March for Life , 18 U.S. senators and 41 representatives released a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asking him to address a loophole in the Mexico City Policy ( now called Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance ) , which bans global health assistance dollars to foreign nongovernmental organizations ( NGOs ) that commit or promote abortions .
Currently , the only pro-abortion NGOs banned from receiving foreign aid are international ones .
NGOs that are incorporated in the U.S. may commit and promote abortions abroad .
Another notable presence in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Life is His Eminence Cardinal Raymond Burke , who this morning will offer a Pontifical Low Mass before the march and on Saturday will deliver the invocation at the National Pro-Life Summit ( formerly the Students for Life of America conference ) .
Burke , one of the foremost defenders of Catholic orthodoxy , condemned abortion killing in an appearance on Fox News Thursday evening .
LifeSiteNews is closely covering the March for Life .

Donald Trump is the first U.S. president to attend the March for Life in person.
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Pro-life activists from countless backgrounds across the United States marched the streets of Washington, D.C. today for the annual March for Life, where President Donald Trump became the first U.S. president to attend and speak at the event.
Wednesday was the 47th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, which, along with its sister case Doe v. Bolton, imposed abortion on demand across the nation in 1973. At least 60 million preborn children have been slaughtered over the last 47 years. The theme of this year’s march is “Life Empowers: Pro-Life is Pro-Woman.”
Trump’s appearance was announced Wednesday evening.
“See you on Friday…Big Crowd!” he tweeted. Trump previously addressed marchers via recorded or live video message. Vice President Mike Pence spoke from the March for Life stage last year. Today, Pence is occupied meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican.
Trump will the first US President to attend the March For Life! My American friends see this as historical just for America,but from my international perspective this will be the first world leader to ever march for the unborn This is world history.https://t.co/UyH3CKuwCu — Obianuju Ekeocha (@obianuju) January 23, 2020
Jeanne Mancini, President, March for Life: “We have never had a President of the United States actually come in person to the March for Life.” But now you do! See you later Jeanne. @HeatherChilders @FoxNews — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2020
In addition to President Trump, speakers at Friday’s March included abortion survivors Claire Culwell and Melissa Ohden, U.S. rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, Louisiana state senator Katrina Jackson, Focus on the Family’s Jim Daly, Susan B. Anthony (SBA) List head Marjorie Dannenfelser, Pastor David Platt of McLean Bible Church in D.C., and more.
“We’ve come a long way from ‘safe, legal, and rare’ to ‘shout your abortion,’” March for Life president Jeanne Mancini said. “We know this message about women and abortion is both deceptive and hurtful.”
The 2020 March for Life is the pinnacle of a week of activism in the nation’s capital.
On Tuesday evening, Trump declared this year’s anniversary of Roe v. Wade to be “Sanctity of Life Day.” The contenders for the 2020 Democrat presidential nomination, meanwhile, marked the occasion by promising to appoint pro-abortion judges and force American taxpayers to fund unrestricted abortion.
The days leading up to the march were packed with pro-life events and announcements.
On Wednesday, pro-life activists were arrested during a sit-in at U.S. House speaker Nancy Pelosi (R-Calif.)’s office, where they were protesting her refusal to allow a vote on anti-infanticide legislation. That day, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also granted the state of Texas a Medicaid waiver to fund the Healthy Texas Women program, which does not include abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood. This reversed the Obama administration’s decision to deny a similar waiver to the state in 2013.
On Thursday, priests and pro-life activists protested at Washington, D.C.’s massive Planned Parenthood facility next to an elementary school in the city’s northeast quadrant. The March for Life conference also took place Thursday, as did the annual Vigil Mass for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
SBA List, which is spending over $52 million to re-elect Trump and pro-life senators, released a new ad contrasting the abortion extremism of the Democrat party with the record of “the most pro-life president in history.” It was also announced that SBA List president Marjorie Dannenfelser will lead the “Pro-Life Voices for Trump” coalition.
On the eve of the March for Life, 18 U.S. senators and 41 representatives released a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asking him to address a loophole in the Mexico City Policy (now called Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance), which bans global health assistance dollars to foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that commit or promote abortions. Currently, the only pro-abortion NGOs banned from receiving foreign aid are international ones. NGOs that are incorporated in the U.S. may commit and promote abortions abroad.
Another notable presence in Washington, D.C. during this March for Life is His Eminence Cardinal Raymond Burke, who this morning will offer a Pontifical Low Mass before the march and on Saturday will deliver the invocation at the National Pro-Life Summit (formerly the Students for Life of America conference). Burke, one of the foremost defenders of Catholic orthodoxy, condemned abortion killing in an appearance on Fox News Thursday evening.
LifeSiteNews is closely covering the March for Life.
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lifesitenews--2020-01-25--Liberals accuse Betsy DeVos of ‘ignorance’ for comparing abortion to slavery

WASHINGTON , D.C. , January 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — U.S. secretary of education Betsy DeVos is taking heat from her left-wing detractors this week over remarks comparing modern-day defenses of abortion to nineteenth-century defenses of slavery .
DeVos was speaking Wednesday evening to a group of students from Colorado Christian University , the Washington Times reports , who were at the nation ’ s capital to attend the 47th annual March for Life .
“ I ’ m reminded of President Abraham Lincoln .
He , too , contended with the ‘ pro-choice ’ arguments of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They suggested that a state ’ s ‘ choice ’ to be slave or to be free had no moral question in it .
Well , President Lincoln reminded those pro-choicers that ‘ there is a vast portion of the American people that do not look upon that matter as being this very little thing .
They look upon it as a vast moral evil.
’ ” State and national Democrat leaders pounced on the statement as “ woefully uneducated ” and an “ insult ” to the descendants of slaves , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who is black , dared the education secretary to “ say this to my face.
” “ What an insult to the generations of Americans who still live with the scars of slavery and Jim Crow .
What an insult to those who have fought valiantly to make abortion safe and legal in all 50 states , ” Democratic National Committee CEO Seema Nanda and DNC Vice Chair and Louisiana Democrat Party chair Karen Carter Peterson said .
“ The secretary of education remains woefully uneducated on the history of our country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it weren ’ t so disturbing .
As with so many issues she ’ s commented on before , Secretary Devos has once again failed a simple test of competence and character.
” In fact , the parallels between abortion and slavery extend well beyond the obvious .
Both denied the equality and humanity of a certain class of people in order to violate their fundamental rights ; both were sustained by intensely controversial Supreme Court rulings ( Roe v. Wade ; Dred Scott v. Sandford ) ; and both even rested on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s founding principles , and human progress .

'I'm reminded of President Abraham Lincoln. He, too, contended with the 'pro-choice' arguments of his day.'
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — U.S. secretary of education Betsy DeVos is taking heat from her left-wing detractors this week over remarks comparing modern-day defenses of abortion to nineteenth-century defenses of slavery.
DeVos was speaking Wednesday evening to a group of students from Colorado Christian University, the Washington Times reports, who were at the nation’s capital to attend the 47th annual March for Life.
“I’m reminded of President Abraham Lincoln. He, too, contended with the ‘pro-choice’ arguments of his day,” DeVos said. “They suggested that a state’s ‘choice’ to be slave or to be free had no moral question in it. Well, President Lincoln reminded those pro-choicers that ‘there is a vast portion of the American people that do not look upon that matter as being this very little thing. They look upon it as a vast moral evil.’”
State and national Democrat leaders pounced on the statement as “woefully uneducated” and an “insult” to the descendants of slaves, while Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), who is black, dared the education secretary to “say this to my face.”
“What an insult to the generations of Americans who still live with the scars of slavery and Jim Crow. What an insult to those who have fought valiantly to make abortion safe and legal in all 50 states,” Democratic National Committee CEO Seema Nanda and DNC Vice Chair and Louisiana Democrat Party chair Karen Carter Peterson said. “The secretary of education remains woefully uneducated on the history of our country. Her ignorance would be laughable if it weren’t so disturbing. As with so many issues she’s commented on before, Secretary Devos has once again failed a simple test of competence and character.”
the rhetoric & policies of anti choice zealots like DeVos put the lives & bodily autonomy of far too many people at risk. That’s why we need to pass EACH & #repealhyde TAKE ACTION > https://t.co/JFvhEwSJvG — Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) January 24, 2020
In fact, the parallels between abortion and slavery extend well beyond the obvious. Both denied the equality and humanity of a certain class of people in order to violate their fundamental rights; both were sustained by intensely controversial Supreme Court rulings (Roe v. Wade; Dred Scott v. Sandford); and both even rested on similar arguments about personal freedom, America’s founding principles, and human progress.
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lifesitenews--2020-01-25--Tennessee gov promises ‘enhanced’ heartbeat bill to protect unborn babies

NASHVILLE , January 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Tennessee ’ s Gov .
Bill Lee ( R ) touted a proposed “ enhanced ” bill that would add a number of protections for unborn babies whose fetal heartbeat can be detected , which normally occurs at around six weeks of gestation .
On Thursday , Gov .
Lee told the assembled media at the state capitol that his yet to be introduced bill will be a “ monumental step forward in celebrating , cherishing and defending life.
” Provisions in the bill will protect even babies conceived in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frequently cited by abortion advocates as sufficient reasons to end an unborn life .
Also , pregnant mothers must be given access to an ultrasound of their child before deciding on an abortion .
The governor said abortionists would not be able to kill an unborn child upon detection of a fetal heartbeat , or if they become aware that a request for abortion is “ motivated by sex , race or disability diagnosis of the child.
” As for the importance of the ultrasound provision , Lee said , “ We know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child and hears a heartbeat , hearts and minds are changed.
” Lee said the bill stems from his “ commitment to defending the intrinsic dignity of all people.
” Adding that Tennessee is joining other states in adding protections for unborn babies , Lee said he is proud that Tennessee is taking a stand in protecting life .
In 2019 , similar legislation did not make its way out of the Senate .
Lieutenant governor and state Senate speaker Randy McNally said he is confident , however , that the bill will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the state General Assembly .
Both chambers have Republican majorities .
State rep. Susan Lynn ( R ) , who presides over the Finance , Ways and Means Committee , said , “ Tennessee is a strongly pro-life state , and as a result , they have sent strongly pro-life leaders to represent them in this General Assembly .
We have a long , proud history of protecting life . ''
Among the pro-life legislative achievements she mentioned were provisions for parental consent , prohibition of coercion , and requirements for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This bill is the next step in our long , hard-fought fight to restore the full right to life to the unborn , ” she said .
Another such achievement was the 2014 Tennessee constitutional amendment — Amendment One — that declared that the state constitution does not guarantee the right to an abortion .
Though challenged in court , Tennessee was ultimately the victor when the measure was upheld .
In other states , such as Georgia and Mississippi , similar legislation has been enacted but stymied by court challenges .
Pro-life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the U.S. Supreme Court , now dominated by Republican nominees , there will be a possibility of overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that mandated abortion nationwide .
“ You can ’ t overturn Roe v. Wade without challenging the constitutionality of it , ” said Sen. Mike Bell ( R ) , according to Fox News .
Pro-abortion activists claim that the proposed bill is “ blatantly unconstitutional ” and an infringement of women ’ s rights .
Democrat legislators slammed Gov .
Lee , saying he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Tennessean reported that Ashley Coffield , president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and Northern Mississippi , said : “ Do we want girls in Tennessee to have bright futures or do we want them to be fighting for basic health care they need to control their lives and plan their families ?
” In 2019 , the Catholic bishops of Tennessee recommended against legislative support for a similar heartbeat bill , even while they were “ wholeheartedly ” in sympathy with the sponsors of the legislation .
Basing themselves on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bill because similar legislation in other states had been passed , enacted , and then overturned by the courts , thus incurring considerable court costs for the state governments and delaying the pro-life cause .
Instances like these remind us that we must be prudent and support other pro-life pieces of pro-life legislation that stand a better chance of being upheld in the courts and , possibly , become the vehicle that forces the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe once and for all .
Given the unjust laws recently signed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we pray urgent support will be given to the “ Human Life Protection Act ” being considered within the Legislature that would automatically ban abortions in Tennessee should the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision be overturned .

Gov. Bill Lee told the assembled media at the state capitol that his bill will be a 'monumental step forward in celebrating, cherishing and defending life.'
NASHVILLE, January 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Tennessee’s Gov. Bill Lee (R) touted a proposed “enhanced” bill that would add a number of protections for unborn babies whose fetal heartbeat can be detected, which normally occurs at around six weeks of gestation.
On Thursday, Gov. Lee told the assembled media at the state capitol that his yet to be introduced bill will be a “monumental step forward in celebrating, cherishing and defending life.”
Provisions in the bill will protect even babies conceived in rape and incest, which are conditions frequently cited by abortion advocates as sufficient reasons to end an unborn life. Also, pregnant mothers must be given access to an ultrasound of their child before deciding on an abortion.
The governor said abortionists would not be able to kill an unborn child upon detection of a fetal heartbeat, or if they become aware that a request for abortion is “motivated by sex, race or disability diagnosis of the child.” As for the importance of the ultrasound provision, Lee said, “We know that when a mother views her unborn child and hears a heartbeat, hearts and minds are changed.” Lee said the bill stems from his “commitment to defending the intrinsic dignity of all people.” Adding that Tennessee is joining other states in adding protections for unborn babies, Lee said he is proud that Tennessee is taking a stand in protecting life.
In 2019, similar legislation did not make its way out of the Senate. Lieutenant governor and state Senate speaker Randy McNally said he is confident, however, that the bill will be well received by his Senate colleagues and the state General Assembly. Both chambers have Republican majorities.
State rep. Susan Lynn (R) , who presides over the Finance, Ways and Means Committee, said, “Tennessee is a strongly pro-life state, and as a result, they have sent strongly pro-life leaders to represent them in this General Assembly. We have a long, proud history of protecting life.” Among the pro-life legislative achievements she mentioned were provisions for parental consent, prohibition of coercion, and requirements for the proper disposition of fetal remains. “This bill is the next step in our long, hard-fought fight to restore the full right to life to the unborn,” she said.
Another such achievement was the 2014 Tennessee constitutional amendment — Amendment One — that declared that the state constitution does not guarantee the right to an abortion. Though challenged in court, Tennessee was ultimately the victor when the measure was upheld.
In other states, such as Georgia and Mississippi, similar legislation has been enacted but stymied by court challenges. Pro-life advocates hope that by taking these lawsuits to the U.S. Supreme Court, now dominated by Republican nominees, there will be a possibility of overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that mandated abortion nationwide. “You can’t overturn Roe v. Wade without challenging the constitutionality of it,” said Sen. Mike Bell (R), according to Fox News.
Pro-abortion activists claim that the proposed bill is “blatantly unconstitutional” and an infringement of women’s rights. Democrat legislators slammed Gov. Lee, saying he is engaging in divisive and extreme politics.
The Tennessean reported that Ashley Coffield, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and Northern Mississippi, said: “Do we want girls in Tennessee to have bright futures or do we want them to be fighting for basic health care they need to control their lives and plan their families?”
In 2019, the Catholic bishops of Tennessee recommended against legislative support for a similar heartbeat bill, even while they were “wholeheartedly” in sympathy with the sponsors of the legislation. Basing themselves on apparently prudential grounds, they were against the bill because similar legislation in other states had been passed, enacted, and then overturned by the courts, thus incurring considerable court costs for the state governments and delaying the pro-life cause.
They reasoned:
Instances like these remind us that we must be prudent and support other pro-life pieces of pro-life legislation that stand a better chance of being upheld in the courts and, possibly, become the vehicle that forces the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe once and for all. Given the unjust laws recently signed in New York and considered in Virginia, we pray urgent support will be given to the “Human Life Protection Act” being considered within the Legislature that would automatically ban abortions in Tennessee should the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision be overturned.
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lifesitenews--2020-01-25--Western governments persecute Christians, too, in subtle but real ways

January 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Are Christians in the West being persecuted ?
To some , it seems ridiculous to say so , smacking of paranoia , and even an insult to those being genuinely persecuted in Africa and Asia .
But persecution need not be equally serious everywhere .
Persecution comes in relatively mild and relatively fierce forms .
It also tends to come and go over time .
Life under undeniable historic persecutions went on , sometimes to a surprising extent : a priest was ordained in the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau .
Being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed .
If the term “ persecution ” is distracting us , think simply about what it means to suffer for the Faith , for the truth .
Suffering for the Faith , or the prospect of suffering for it if one does certain things , shapes the lives of those living under persecution .
They must choose whether and when to pay the price of suffering , or take the risk of suffering , in order to receive the sacraments or to speak the truth , or whether to hold back , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off , perhaps permanently .
One might find Christians in Muslim countries , for example , who live a reasonably comfortable life , but there are things they can not do and can not say .
In Joseph Fadelle ’ s The Price to Pay : A Muslim Risks All to Follow Christ , he encountered Christians in Baghdad under Saddam Hussein who needed great courage even to talk to him about the Faith .
Receiving converts , even quietly , is next to impossible for the historic Christian churches in many majority-Muslim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local Muslims would burn the church down , and the secular authorities would decline to intervene or investigate .
This , indeed , regularly happens in India , not because things are worse , but because things are a bit better : there , the Church still does receive converts .
This an important point to recognise .
The level of religious violence , or other forms of active persecution , in a society is a function of two factors : the willingness of some to inflict it and the willingness of others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is no violence or conflict may be one in which no one would inflict it , or it may be one where no one would risk it .
If Catholics are sufficiently well trained by their persecutors that they never step out of line , everything will be peaceful , although in practice , exactly what is allowed and what is not may need to be affirmed by making a public example of insufficiently deferential believers from time to time .
This week in Britain , a candidate for the leadership of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been excoriated for voicing her support for restricting the availability of abortion .
In the context of a leadership contest , of course , any chance remark from years ago may be mined for potentially embarrassing content , and the resulting outrage from opponents may be synthetic .
Nevertheless , having been attacked not only by her left-wing opponents , but by the supposedly conservative Daily Telegraph , Long-Bailey , a Catholic , has got the message .
Having suggested that unrestricted abortion up to 24 weeks is wrong — many liberal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now claims she is ‘ by no means suggesting we need to restrict our abortion laws further ’ .
The point has been made .
Pro-life candidates need not apply for public office .
Further down the political scale , another pro-life Catholic woman was in the news this week , a trainee midwife .
A student at the University of Nottingham , Julia Rynkiewicz made the mistake of becoming president of Students for Life .
This group has had to threaten legal action in order to be allowed a stall among other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Fair ’ ; as a result of taking part in the Fair , Rynkiewicz was denounced by a lecturer and her ‘ fitness to practise ’ investigated by the university , as if taking seriously the value of the unborn might be a handicap to a midwife .
Like the attempt to prevent Students for Life from taking part in the Fair , the suggestion that Rynkiewicz ’ s views made her unfit for her chosen profession were a legal nonsense and thrown out .
But the process is the punishment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ‘ investigation ’ and will take an extra year to graduate , with her funding cut off in the meantime .
You don ’ t have to be in the legal wrong to be punished .
You just have to disagree with the liberal orthodoxy .
Rynkiewicz is to be commended for displaying more backbone than Long-Bailey , but who wants to be the next person to test the system ?
Who wants to go on the record as ‘ anti-trans ’ or ‘ homophobic ’ , by repeating , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Catholic Church ?
( Sections 2333 and 5357 , for example . )
What kind of an evangelisation of the culture can there be if the public profession of the Faith is impossible ?
Catholics are cowed .
We engage in self-censorship , we don ’ t rock the boat , we keep our heads below the parapet .
It is when there is no need of a bloody persecution that we know that our enemies have won .

January 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Are Christians in the West being persecuted? To some, it seems ridiculous to say so, smacking of paranoia, and even an insult to those being genuinely persecuted in Africa and Asia. But persecution need not be equally serious everywhere. Persecution comes in relatively mild and relatively fierce forms. It also tends to come and go over time. Life under undeniable historic persecutions went on, sometimes to a surprising extent: a priest was ordained in the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau. Being persecuted is not the same as being killed.
If the term “persecution” is distracting us, think simply about what it means to suffer for the Faith, for the truth. Suffering for the Faith, or the prospect of suffering for it if one does certain things, shapes the lives of those living under persecution. They must choose whether and when to pay the price of suffering, or take the risk of suffering, in order to receive the sacraments or to speak the truth, or whether to hold back, to allow certain possibilities to be closed off, perhaps permanently.
One might find Christians in Muslim countries, for example, who live a reasonably comfortable life, but there are things they cannot do and cannot say. In Joseph Fadelle’s The Price to Pay: A Muslim Risks All to Follow Christ, he encountered Christians in Baghdad under Saddam Hussein who needed great courage even to talk to him about the Faith. Receiving converts, even quietly, is next to impossible for the historic Christian churches in many majority-Muslim countries. If word got out, local Muslims would burn the church down, and the secular authorities would decline to intervene or investigate. This, indeed, regularly happens in India, not because things are worse, but because things are a bit better: there, the Church still does receive converts.
This an important point to recognise. The level of religious violence, or other forms of active persecution, in a society is a function of two factors: the willingness of some to inflict it and the willingness of others to risk it. A society where there is no violence or conflict may be one in which no one would inflict it, or it may be one where no one would risk it. If Catholics are sufficiently well trained by their persecutors that they never step out of line, everything will be peaceful, although in practice, exactly what is allowed and what is not may need to be affirmed by making a public example of insufficiently deferential believers from time to time.
This week in Britain, a candidate for the leadership of the Labour Party, Rebecca Long-Bailey, has been excoriated for voicing her support for restricting the availability of abortion. In the context of a leadership contest, of course, any chance remark from years ago may be mined for potentially embarrassing content, and the resulting outrage from opponents may be synthetic. Nevertheless, having been attacked not only by her left-wing opponents, but by the supposedly conservative Daily Telegraph, Long-Bailey, a Catholic, has got the message. Having suggested that unrestricted abortion up to 24 weeks is wrong — many liberal Western countries are more restrictive — she now claims she is ‘by no means suggesting we need to restrict our abortion laws further’. The point has been made. Pro-life candidates need not apply for public office.
Further down the political scale, another pro-life Catholic woman was in the news this week, a trainee midwife. A student at the University of Nottingham, Julia Rynkiewicz made the mistake of becoming president of Students for Life. This group has had to threaten legal action in order to be allowed a stall among other student societies in the annual ‘Freshers’ Fair’; as a result of taking part in the Fair, Rynkiewicz was denounced by a lecturer and her ‘fitness to practise’ investigated by the university, as if taking seriously the value of the unborn might be a handicap to a midwife. Like the attempt to prevent Students for Life from taking part in the Fair, the suggestion that Rynkiewicz’s views made her unfit for her chosen profession were a legal nonsense and thrown out. But the process is the punishment. She was suspended from her course during the ‘investigation’ and will take an extra year to graduate, with her funding cut off in the meantime.
You don’t have to be in the legal wrong to be punished. You just have to disagree with the liberal orthodoxy. Rynkiewicz is to be commended for displaying more backbone than Long-Bailey, but who wants to be the next person to test the system? Who wants to go on the record as ‘anti-trans’ or ‘homophobic’, by repeating, for example, the relevant sections of the Catechism of the Catholic Church? (Sections 2333 and 2357, for example.) What kind of an evangelisation of the culture can there be if the public profession of the Faith is impossible?
Catholics are cowed. We engage in self-censorship, we don’t rock the boat, we keep our heads below the parapet. It is when there is no need of a bloody persecution that we know that our enemies have won.
Follow Joseph Dr Joseph Shaw has a Doctorate in Philosophy from Oxford University, where he also gained a first degree in Politics and Philosophy and a graduate Diploma in Theology. He has published on Ethics and Philosophy of Religion and is the editor of The Case for Liturgical Restoration: Una Voce Position Papers on the Extraordinary Form (Angelico Press). He is the Chairman of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales and Secretary of Una Voce International. He teaches Philosophy in Oxford University and lives nearby with his wife and nine children.
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lifesitenews--2020-01-25--Trump admin backs Ohio law protecting babies with Down syndrome from abortion

CINCINNATI , January 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — In a filing before a federal appeals court , the Trump administration sided with Ohio regarding a state law that prohibits targeting babies with a diagnosis of Down syndrome for abortion .
In its filing before the 6th U.S. District Court in Cincinatti , the Department of Justice declared on Tuesday , “ Nothing in Ohio ’ s law creates a substantial obstacle to women obtaining an abortion , ” adding , “ and nothing in the Constitution or Supreme Court precedent requires States to authorize medical providers to participate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Down syndrome.
” Lawyers for the federal government argued that the state ’ s Down syndrome law does not actually outlaw abortion but merely places restrictions on abortionists .
On behalf of Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses , the initial lawsuit against the Buckeye State department of health and other officials was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union .
Federal attorneys averred an argument forwarded by Ohio Right to Life , which holds that the law protects unborn children from discrimination on the basis of disability , which is enshrined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans with Disabilities Act .
The law was signed by Gov .
Mike DeWine ( R ) and is among almost two dozen other laws protecting unborn children .
DeWine signed into law protections for unborn babies , including prohibiting abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected , despite a veto by then-governor John Kasich .
Kasich signed the Antidiscrimination Law in 2017 , which directs that an abortionist can not “ purposely perform or induce or attempt to perform or induce an abortion on a pregnant woman if ” the abortionist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is seeking the abortion ” because of a Down syndrome diagnosis .
The law shields women who seek such abortions from any liability .
Abortionists peforming such abortions could face a fourth-degree felony and loss of their medical license and be held liable for damages under the law .
Before the law could take effect , however , the ACLU challenged it in court .
The district court ruled against the enforcement of the Antidiscrimination Law .
An appeal to the Sixth Circuit upheld the previous ruling .
The dissenting judge would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was “ no evidence ” that the law created a substantial obstacle to obtaining an abortion .
The Sixth Circuit then voted to hear the case again before the full or “ en banc ” court .
Pro-abortion groups have placed the Ohio law into a category of restrictions they have dubbed “ reason bans , ” which they claim are attempts to persuade women to avoid abortion .
According to a release from the Department of Justice , Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband said , “ Ohio ’ s Antidiscrimination Law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives worth living and protecting .
The law also protects the medical profession from harm to its integrity and protects women from abortion providers who may seek to pressure them into obtaining an abortion because of Down syndrome.
” Dreiband added , “ The federal government has an interest in the equal dignity of those who live with disabilities .
Nothing in the Constitution requires Ohio to authorize abortion providers to participate in abortions the providers know are based on Down syndrome.
” “ The law also wards against the slippery slope to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” the DOJ press release said , while adding that the law “ protects women ” by separating them from “ potentially coercive abortion providers who may seek to pressure them into obtaining an abortion because of Down syndrome.
” The Trump administration filing contends that the U.S. government has an interest in applying law that protects the disabled , including the Rehabilitation Act , the Americans with Disabilities Act , and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act .
It also enforces the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act , which protects against discrimination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the basis of genetic information , including “ of any fetus carried by [ a ] pregnant woman.
” Indiana , Kentucky , Louisiana , Ohio , and North Dakota have restrictions on aborting babies diagnosed with Down syndrome .
Four of those states are facing legal challenges .
In November , Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf ( D ) vetoed a similar proposal .

CINCINNATI, January 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — In a filing before a federal appeals court, the Trump administration sided with Ohio regarding a state law that prohibits targeting babies with a diagnosis of Down syndrome for abortion.
In its filing before the 6th U.S. District Court in Cincinatti, the Department of Justice declared on Tuesday, “Nothing in Ohio’s law creates a substantial obstacle to women obtaining an abortion,” adding, “and nothing in the Constitution or Supreme Court precedent requires States to authorize medical providers to participate in abortions the providers know are based on Down syndrome.”
Lawyers for the federal government argued that the state’s Down syndrome law does not actually outlaw abortion but merely places restrictions on abortionists.
On behalf of Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses, the initial lawsuit against the Buckeye State department of health and other officials was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.
Federal attorneys averred an argument forwarded by Ohio Right to Life, which holds that the law protects unborn children from discrimination on the basis of disability, which is enshrined in other laws, including the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. The law was signed by Gov. Mike DeWine (R) and is among almost two dozen other laws protecting unborn children. DeWine signed into law protections for unborn babies, including prohibiting abortion once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, despite a veto by then-governor John Kasich.
Kasich signed the Antidiscrimination Law in 2017, which directs that an abortionist cannot “purposely perform or induce or attempt to perform or induce an abortion on a pregnant woman if” the abortionist “has knowledge that the pregnant woman is seeking the abortion” because of a Down syndrome diagnosis. The law shields women who seek such abortions from any liability. Abortionists peforming such abortions could face a fourth-degree felony and loss of their medical license and be held liable for damages under the law.
Before the law could take effect, however, the ACLU challenged it in court. The district court ruled against the enforcement of the Antidiscrimination Law. An appeal to the Sixth Circuit upheld the previous ruling. The dissenting judge would have upheld the Antidiscrimination Law as constitutional because there was “no evidence” that the law created a substantial obstacle to obtaining an abortion. The Sixth Circuit then voted to hear the case again before the full or “en banc” court.
Pro-abortion groups have placed the Ohio law into a category of restrictions they have dubbed “reason bans,” which they claim are attempts to persuade women to avoid abortion.
According to a release from the Department of Justice, Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband said, “Ohio’s Antidiscrimination Law affirms that people with Down syndrome have lives worth living and protecting. The law also protects the medical profession from harm to its integrity and protects women from abortion providers who may seek to pressure them into obtaining an abortion because of Down syndrome.”
Dreiband added, “The federal government has an interest in the equal dignity of those who live with disabilities. Nothing in the Constitution requires Ohio to authorize abortion providers to participate in abortions the providers know are based on Down syndrome.”
“The law also wards against the slippery slope to medical involvement in race- or sex-based abortions,” the DOJ press release said, while adding that the law “protects women” by separating them from “potentially coercive abortion providers who may seek to pressure them into obtaining an abortion because of Down syndrome.”
The Trump administration filing contends that the U.S. government has an interest in applying law that protects the disabled, including the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It also enforces the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, which protects against discrimination as to health insurance and employment on the basis of genetic information, including “of any fetus carried by [a] pregnant woman.”
Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio, and North Dakota have restrictions on aborting babies diagnosed with Down syndrome. Four of those states are facing legal challenges. In November, Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf (D) vetoed a similar proposal.
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lifesitenews--2020-01-25--Even pro-lifers suspicious of Trump have to admire his March for Life speech

January 24 , 2020 ( The Bridgehead ) — Regular readers of this blog will know that I have many reservations about President Donald J. Trump , and that I have had them since he arrived on the national scene .
I believe , as Timothy Carney eloquently noted over in the Washington Examiner this week , that pro-lifers should gratefully accept the president ’ s efforts on behalf of pre-born children — and his Administration ’ s list of pro-life accomplishments is very impressive — without attempting to defend his character , which is a different thing entirely .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ do believe that it would be damaging for the movement if he were to become the face or the figurehead .
But it is undeniable that on the issues dear to the hearts of life and family leaders , Trump has been consistent — and even pro-active .
Many pro-lifers have consistently assured me that Trump ’ s change of heart on abortion , which I had been highly suspicious of ( his story simply didn ’ t seem true to me based on the countless conversations I ’ ve had with people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frank Pavone of Priests for Life told me that he has had several personal conversations with the president on the issue , and that his pro-life convictions are genuine .
So have several others who have spoken with Trump directly .
Some have provided details about Trump ’ s conversion on the issue that I can ’ t share , but that I do find persuasive .
All of that aside , it was simply extraordinary to see the president of the United States of America walk out onstage at the March for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the world ’ s most powerful nation has ever done so .
I watched it live earlier today , and it was surreal .
I ’ ve been to the March for Life before ( most recently when Vice President Mike Pence was the Administration ’ s representative ) , but to see the bullet-proof glass , the giddy faces of the crowd as the president endorsed their years of thankless labor , and the looks of disbelief shared by older activists who had received decades of scorn for their fight against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president thanking them for doing pro-life work that is so controversial it can receive backlash even from their own churches .
It might be hard for those outside of the pro-life movement to understand , but for many pro-life veterans , it was very moving to hear the president ’ s words .
I ’ m fully aware of the cynical interpretations of this .
Yes , it is an election year .
Yes , an impeachment trial is currently underway in the Senate .
Yes , Trump is rallying his base as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those things are true , and I ’ m sure all of them contributed to the Administration ’ s decision to put the president on-stage at the March for Life .
But that doesn ’ t change the fact that his speech was fully backed up by his record .
His promises to the movement have not been empty promises , regardless of what you think of his pro-life conversion story or his character .
His speech to the roaring crowd of pro-lifers was magnificent , and one of the reasons their enthusiasm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was speaking their language and supporting their life-saving work .
That ’ s not nothing .
That ’ s something .
In fact , to the many babies saved by this Administration ’ s policies , it is everything .
Published with permission from The Bridgehead .

January 24, 2020 (The Bridgehead) — Regular readers of this blog will know that I have many reservations about President Donald J. Trump, and that I have had them since he arrived on the national scene. I believe, as Timothy Carney eloquently noted over in the Washington Examiner this week, that pro-lifers should gratefully accept the president’s efforts on behalf of pre-born children — and his Administration’s list of pro-life accomplishments is very impressive — without attempting to defend his character, which is a different thing entirely. Trump is many things, but I do believe that it would be damaging for the movement if he were to become the face or the figurehead.
But it is undeniable that on the issues dear to the hearts of life and family leaders, Trump has been consistent — and even pro-active. Many pro-lifers have consistently assured me that Trump’s change of heart on abortion, which I had been highly suspicious of (his story simply didn’t seem true to me based on the countless conversations I’ve had with people about abortion) is real. Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life told me that he has had several personal conversations with the president on the issue, and that his pro-life convictions are genuine. So have several others who have spoken with Trump directly. Some have provided details about Trump’s conversion on the issue that I can’t share, but that I do find persuasive.
All of that aside, it was simply extraordinary to see the president of the United States of America walk out onstage at the March for Life — the first time the commander-in-chief of the world’s most powerful nation has ever done so. I watched it live earlier today, and it was surreal. I’ve been to the March for Life before (most recently when Vice President Mike Pence was the Administration’s representative), but to see the bullet-proof glass, the giddy faces of the crowd as the president endorsed their years of thankless labor, and the looks of disbelief shared by older activists who had received decades of scorn for their fight against abortion was incredible. This was their president thanking them for doing pro-life work that is so controversial it can receive backlash even from their own churches. It might be hard for those outside of the pro-life movement to understand, but for many pro-life veterans, it was very moving to hear the president’s words.
I’m fully aware of the cynical interpretations of this. Yes, it is an election year. Yes, an impeachment trial is currently underway in the Senate. Yes, Trump is rallying his base as he feels the heat. All of those things are true, and I’m sure all of them contributed to the Administration’s decision to put the president on-stage at the March for Life. But that doesn’t change the fact that his speech was fully backed up by his record. His promises to the movement have not been empty promises, regardless of what you think of his pro-life conversion story or his character. His speech to the roaring crowd of pro-lifers was magnificent, and one of the reasons their enthusiasm was so palpable is that their president was speaking their language and supporting their life-saving work. That’s not nothing. That’s something.
In fact, to the many babies saved by this Administration’s policies, it is everything.
* * *
Watch the speech:
Published with permission from The Bridgehead.
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lifesitenews--2020-01-25--Nicholas Sandmann put mainstream media on notice to behave at March for Life

January 24 , 2020 ( CatholicCulture.org ) — Thank God for Nicholas Sandmann and for his lawyers .
Thanks to them , thousands of pro-lifers were a bit safer when they participated in the March for Life this week .
Sandmann , you will recall , is the teenager from Covington Catholic high school in Kentucky , who was the focal point of a nationwide campaign of vilification — a frightening phenomenon reminiscent of the “ two-minute hate ” in Orwell ’ s 1984 — after last year ’ s March .
The young man himself had done absolutely nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smiling a bit nervously to defuse tensions , as leftist agitators sought a confrontation , chanting in his face .
But the leftists controlled the narrative ( as they always do , thanks to sympathetic friends in the mainstream media ) , and the Covington Catholic boys were blamed for provoking the people who had , in fact , tried unsuccessfully to provoke them .
The confrontation itself was a minor thing .
But the media circus that followed was astonishing .
Reporters and commentators filled the airwaves and cyberspace with demands that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And much more .
There were calls to “ dox ” them , to assault them , to bar them from colleges .
In short the media set out to destroy the lives of these young men .
Worse , many respectable pro-life leaders , evidently intimidated by the ferocity of the media campaign , joined in the chorus of condemnation , denouncing the behavior of the Covington Catholic boys without taking the time to establish the facts .
Their own bishop deserted these young men in their time of need , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Life itself .
( Later they issued new statements , acknowledging that they had spoken too soon — but falling well short of anything that I would characterize as a proper apology for their appalling betrayal . )
The world turned against a handful of teenagers who had done nothing more than run afoul of the mass media .
What was the lesson to be drawn from this incident ?
At the time , in the early aftermath of last year ’ s March for Life , it seemed that the leftist agitators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could disrupt a pro-life rally , shifting the focus of public attention to the alleged misbehavior of the pro-lifers rather than the slaughter of unborn children .
It seemed inevitable that pro-abortion activists would flood the streets of Washington this year , ready to provoke new confrontations and generate stories similar to the Covington Catholic narrative .
But then Nicholas Sandmann sued .
His lawyers worked to hold media outlets accountable for defaming the young man .
And earlier this month we learned that Sandmann had reached an out-of-court settlement with CNN , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the false narrative .
So as this year ’ s March began , reporters were on notice that they can not indulge in reckless character assassination .
The leftists might still have been out in force this week , doing their best to disrupt the March .
But at least now the mainstream media will be aware that if they choose to promote the “ two-minute hate , ” that decision could prove costly .

January 24, 2020 (CatholicCulture.org) — Thank God for Nicholas Sandmann and for his lawyers. Thanks to them, thousands of pro-lifers were a bit safer when they participated in the March for Life this week.
Sandmann, you will recall, is the teenager from Covington Catholic high school in Kentucky, who was the focal point of a nationwide campaign of vilification — a frightening phenomenon reminiscent of the “two-minute hate” in Orwell’s 1984 — after last year’s March. The young man himself had done absolutely nothing wrong. He stood his ground, smiling a bit nervously to defuse tensions, as leftist agitators sought a confrontation, chanting in his face. But the leftists controlled the narrative (as they always do, thanks to sympathetic friends in the mainstream media), and the Covington Catholic boys were blamed for provoking the people who had, in fact, tried unsuccessfully to provoke them.
The confrontation itself was a minor thing. But the media circus that followed was astonishing. Reporters and commentators filled the airwaves and cyberspace with demands that the Covington Catholic teens be punished. And much more. There were calls to “dox” them, to assault them, to bar them from colleges. In short the media set out to destroy the lives of these young men.
Worse, many respectable pro-life leaders, evidently intimidated by the ferocity of the media campaign, joined in the chorus of condemnation, denouncing the behavior of the Covington Catholic boys without taking the time to establish the facts. Their own bishop deserted these young men in their time of need, as did the leadership of the March for Life itself. (Later they issued new statements, acknowledging that they had spoken too soon — but falling well short of anything that I would characterize as a proper apology for their appalling betrayal.) The world turned against a handful of teenagers who had done nothing more than run afoul of the mass media.
What was the lesson to be drawn from this incident? At the time, in the early aftermath of last year’s March for Life, it seemed that the leftist agitators had won a sweeping victory. They could disrupt a pro-life rally, shifting the focus of public attention to the alleged misbehavior of the pro-lifers rather than the slaughter of unborn children. It seemed inevitable that pro-abortion activists would flood the streets of Washington this year, ready to provoke new confrontations and generate stories similar to the Covington Catholic narrative.
But then Nicholas Sandmann sued. His lawyers worked to hold media outlets accountable for defaming the young man. And earlier this month we learned that Sandmann had reached an out-of-court settlement with CNN, one of the more egregious purveyors of the false narrative. So as this year’s March began, reporters were on notice that they cannot indulge in reckless character assassination. The leftists might still have been out in force this week, doing their best to disrupt the March. But at least now the mainstream media will be aware that if they choose to promote the “two-minute hate,” that decision could prove costly.
Published with permission from CatholicCulture.org.
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lifesitenews--2020-01-25--Trump energizes re-election campaign with new coalition of ‘pro-Life Voices for Trump’

WASHINGTON , D.C. , January 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) -- President Donald Trump ’ s re-election campaign announced the kickoff of its Pro-Life Voices for Trump coalition on the same day that hundreds of thousands of pro-life advocates flooded the streets of the nation ’ s capital for the annual March for Life .
The Trump campaign released a YouTube video today announcing the launch of Pro-Life Voices for Trump .
“ Virtually every top Democrat lawmaker also now supports taxpayer-funded abortion right up to the moment of birth , ” states a voiceover of Trump in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feeling , beautiful babies who will never get the chance to share their love and their dreams with the world .
It is wrong .
It has to change .
But this movement can only succeed with the heart and the soul and the prayer of the people .
Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life , ” he states .
According to the campaign , the coalition is “ dedicated to recruiting and activating Americans with pro-life values in support of President Trump 's re-election.
” Additionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony List ( SBA List ) announced that its president , Marjorie Dannenfelser , will serve as national co-chair of the coalition along with Fr .
Frank Pavone of Priests for Life .
Kristan Hawkins of Students for Life of America and others are also on the board .
Dannenfelser held the same role on the 2016 Trump campaign when , according to the SBA List website , she secured “ groundbreaking commitments from then-candidate Trump in writing.
” The 2020 coalition asserts that Trump ’ s re-election campaign is based on “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement released by the group , Dannenfelser said , “ I am honored to be asked by President Trump to once again flex the muscle of the pro-life movement behind his re-election.
” '' From appointing pro-life judges to defunding Planned Parenthood , President Trump 's track record demonstrates he 's the most pro-life President in history , '' she declared , according to Fox News .
`` While President Trump continues to protect innocent life every day and at every stage , 2020 Democrats stand in stark contrast and support extreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeping pro-life values in the White House . ''
As thousands cheered , President Trump addressed the March , saying , `` It is my profound honor to be the first president in history to attend the March for Life , '' Trump told the crowd in Washington .
`` Unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the White House .
... Every life brings love into this world .
Every child brings joy to a family .
Every person is worth protecting.
” Trump denounced the Democrat Party , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Democrats … have embraced the most radical and extreme positions taken and seen in this country for years and decades and you could even say for centuries . ''
Trump accused Democrats of their support for `` taxpayer-funded abortion all the way up until the moment of birth . ''
Trump had previously addressed the March , but only remotely as did some of his Republican predecessors .
Dannenfelser was on the dais as Trump spoke , as were Dr. Alveda King -- the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the more than 100,000 marchers , Dannenfelser said , “ It ’ s time to roll back Roe v. Wade and put the will of the people into the law , and that means protecting the unborn in the law .
“ Now , we know that victory is possible – but we also [ know ] that nothing is inevitable , so no one can afford to sit on the sidelines during this coming election .
Besides SBA List , Concerned Women for America ( CWA ) and Heritage Action are joining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go to the polls this fall .
SBA List is ponying up $ 52 million to re-elect Trump and pro-life candidates .
Marking the anniversary of 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing abortion earlier this week , Trump designated the day as the National Sanctity of Human Life Day .
`` Today , I call on the Congress to join me in protecting and defending the dignity of every human life , including those not yet born , '' Trump proclaimed Wednesday in anticipation of his speech before the participants of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump continues to protect innocent life every day and at every stage , 2020 Democrats stand in stark contrast and support extreme pro-abortion policies .
Re-electing President Trump means keeping pro-life values in the White House , '' Dannenfelser said while announcing Trump 's coalition .
Apparently undaunted by the support for Trump that has galvanized pro-life groups , Planned Parenthood announced recently that it is dedicating $ 45 million to organize abortion advocates , pay for advertising , and support pro-abortion candidates this year .
Several Congressional Democrats have recently said abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign announced the kickoff of its Pro-Life Voices for Trump coalition on the same day that hundreds of thousands of pro-life advocates flooded the streets of the nation’s capital for the annual March for Life.
The Trump campaign released a YouTube video today announcing the launch of Pro-Life Voices for Trump.
“Virtually every top Democrat lawmaker also now supports taxpayer-funded abortion right up to the moment of birth,” states a voiceover of Trump in the video.
“These are living, feeling, beautiful babies who will never get the chance to share their love and their dreams with the world. It is wrong. It has to change. But this movement can only succeed with the heart and the soul and the prayer of the people. Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life,” he states.
According to the campaign, the coalition is “dedicated to recruiting and activating Americans with pro-life values in support of President Trump's re-election.”
Additionally, the national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) announced that its president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, will serve as national co-chair of the coalition along with Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life. Kristan Hawkins of Students for Life of America and others are also on the board.
Dannenfelser held the same role on the 2016 Trump campaign when, according to the SBA List website, she secured “groundbreaking commitments from then-candidate Trump in writing.” The 2020 coalition asserts that Trump’s re-election campaign is based on “Promises Made. Promises Kept.” In a statement released by the group, Dannenfelser said, “I am honored to be asked by President Trump to once again flex the muscle of the pro-life movement behind his re-election.”
“From appointing pro-life judges to defunding Planned Parenthood, President Trump's track record demonstrates he's the most pro-life President in history,” she declared, according to Fox News. “While President Trump continues to protect innocent life every day and at every stage, 2020 Democrats stand in stark contrast and support extreme pro-abortion policies. Re-electing President Trump means keeping pro-life values in the White House.”
As thousands cheered, President Trump addressed the March, saying, “It is my profound honor to be the first president in history to attend the March for Life,” Trump told the crowd in Washington. “Unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the White House. … Every life brings love into this world. Every child brings joy to a family. Every person is worth protecting.”
Trump denounced the Democrat Party, saying, “When it comes to abortion, Democrats … have embraced the most radical and extreme positions taken and seen in this country for years and decades and you could even say for centuries.” Trump accused Democrats of their support for “taxpayer-funded abortion all the way up until the moment of birth.” Trump had previously addressed the March, but only remotely as did some of his Republican predecessors.
Dannenfelser was on the dais as Trump spoke, as were Dr. Alveda King — the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — and Republican members of Congress. Addressing the more than 100,000 marchers, Dannenfelser said, “It’s time to roll back Roe v. Wade and put the will of the people into the law, and that means protecting the unborn in the law.
“Now, we know that victory is possible – but we also [know] that nothing is inevitable, so no one can afford to sit on the sidelines during this coming election.
Besides SBA List, Concerned Women for America (CWA) and Heritage Action are joining in an effort to motivate pro-life voters to go to the polls this fall. SBA List is ponying up $52 million to re-elect Trump and pro-life candidates.
Marking the anniversary of 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing abortion earlier this week, Trump designated the day as the National Sanctity of Human Life Day. “Today, I call on the Congress to join me in protecting and defending the dignity of every human life, including those not yet born,” Trump proclaimed Wednesday in anticipation of his speech before the participants of the March for Life.
“While President Trump continues to protect innocent life every day and at every stage, 2020 Democrats stand in stark contrast and support extreme pro-abortion policies. Re-electing President Trump means keeping pro-life values in the White House,” Dannenfelser said while announcing Trump's coalition.
Apparently undaunted by the support for Trump that has galvanized pro-life groups, Planned Parenthood announced recently that it is dedicating $45 million to organize abortion advocates, pay for advertising, and support pro-abortion candidates this year. Several Congressional Democrats have recently said abortion rights form the bedrock of their party.
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lifesitenews--2020-01-24--Canadian Conservative aspiring leadership candidate: abortion not health care, being ‘gay’ a choice

OTTAWA , January 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — An aspiring candidate for Canada ’ s Conservative Party leadership race sent shockwaves through the media this week and was denounced as “ bigoted ” by prominent people in his own party after stating on national television that being “ gay ” is a choice and that abortion is not health care .
But pro-life Quebecer Richard Décarie says people have expressed privately to him the views he is stating publicly , and that they deserve a voice in the Conservative Party .
A strategic communication consultant , Décarie was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the former prime minister was leader of Canada ’ s official opposition , and was chief of staff and senior adviser to Jean Charest when the latter was premier of Quebec .
Décarie told Evan Solomon on CTV ’ s Power Play on Wednesday that he is planning to enter the race as a social conservative candidate .
Former Tory leader Andrew Scheer “ didn ’ t defend ” his socially conservative views on same-sex “ marriage ” and abortion , “ and that ’ s where the problem started .
… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservative and it ’ s part of the Conservative spectrum , you need to address that , ” he said .
Former Saskatchewan MP Brad Trost , an outspoken pro-life advocate who came fourth in the 2017 Tory leadership race , is chair of Décarie ’ s campaign .
Under the party ’ s stringent new rules , candidates must have the support of 3,000 people who have been party members for 21 days before they sign the candidate ’ s nomination papers , with 1,000 signatures due by February 27 , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must also pay a $ 200,000 entry fee and a $ 100,000 compliance deposit .
Décarie told Solomon he would remove abortion from publicly funded health insurance plans because “ it ’ s not health care.
” He also said that “ my point of view is that marriage is exclusive to a man and a woman.
” When Solomon pressed him on the last point , Décarie commented , “ I think ‘ LGBTQ ’ is a Liberal term .
I don ’ t talk about people that way , I talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all need the full respect for being a human being.
” “ Do you think ( being homosexual ) , that ’ s a choice , or do you think it ’ s biological ?
” Solomon asked .
“ I think it ’ s a choice , ” Décarie said .
“ How people are behaving is one thing .
I think government has a responsibility to encourage the traditional values we had in the past years .
That ’ s the kind of so-con issues I would bring as a leader.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ off-side from his own party on this , ” Solomon said .
At a party convention in 2016 , delegates voted 1,036-462 to delete a long-standing Conservative Party policy that defined marriage as a `` union of one man and one woman.
” But Décarie said he has spoken to many Canadians who share his views .
“ When we discuss one-on-one , they tell you the reality of their own life , ” he said .
“ I encounter a lot of discussion , where people were saying one thing publicly and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s important that we get a voice in that party that we are not hearing from , unfortunately.
” Décarie reiterated this the next day to Vassy Kapelos of CBC ’ s Power & Politics .
He reiterated , too , that abortion should be defunded .
Top-level Tories immediately repudiated Décarie ’ s views , with some opining that he should be banned from running for statements that Conservative strategist Korey Teneycke described as “ nakedly bigoted.
” But Trost suggested that “ a lot of people are concerned Richard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership race.
” Tories denouncing Décarie ’ s statements included MP Pierre Poilievre , who unexpectedly called off his leadership bid on Thursday , and declared candidate and presumed front-runner former Nova Scotia MP Peter MacKay , who tweeted : “ Being gay is not a choice and nobody should be running for office on a platform to roll back hard-won rights.
” Calgary MP Michelle Rempel Garner , rumoured to be considering a leadership run , tweeted that she would not serve in a caucus under Décarie .
And Alberta MP Garnett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record , dismissed Décarie on Twitter as unknown entity who has taken an “ easy path to notoriety.
” Genuis also appeared on Power Play with declared candidate Ontario MP Marilyn Gladu to further weigh in on the matter .
Gladu opined that prospective candidates must “ adhere to the party policy , ” although she stated that “ social conservatives have a place in the party , ” and that “ there ’ s nothing wrong with his opinions … it ’ s how we treat each other.
” “ He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the bottom line , ” observed Genuis .
As for same-sex “ marriage , ” Genuis said “ in general ” Conservative MPs “ would support preserving the civil institution of marriage for all couples , heterosexual and homosexual couples , ” even though they might “ within their own faith traditions ” have a “ religious definition of marriage in this context ( that ) is something different.
” Décarie told CBC ’ s Kapelos that he ’ s taking things one step at a time .
“ Let ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one-third of the party members agree with my position , we will see it through the campaign and that will be a debate in itself .
After that , if I win , we will see where it will lead us as the official opposition , ” he said .
Meanwhile , rookie Ontario MP Derek Sloan is another social conservative who announced this week that he plans to run for leadership , the National Post reported .
Campaign Life is urging Canadians to buy a Conservative Party membership by April 17 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next leader .

Pro-lifer Richard Décarie doesn't hide the fact that he's a true social conservative who's not afraid to stand up for his views.
OTTAWA, January 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — An aspiring candidate for Canada’s Conservative Party leadership race sent shockwaves through the media this week and was denounced as “bigoted” by prominent people in his own party after stating on national television that being “gay” is a choice and that abortion is not health care.
But pro-life Quebecer Richard Décarie says people have expressed privately to him the views he is stating publicly, and that they deserve a voice in the Conservative Party.
A strategic communication consultant, Décarie was deputy chief of staff to Stephen Harper when the former prime minister was leader of Canada’s official opposition, and before that, was chief of staff and senior adviser to Daniel Johnson Jr, when the latter was premier of Quebec.
Décarie told Evan Solomon on CTV’s Power Play on Wednesday that he is planning to enter the race as a social conservative candidate. Former Tory leader Andrew Scheer “didn’t defend” his socially conservative views on same-sex “marriage” and abortion,“and that’s where the problem started. … I think if you are a social conservative and it’s part of the Conservative spectrum, you need to address that,” he said.
Former Saskatchewan MP Brad Trost, an outspoken pro-life advocate who came fourth in the 2017 Tory leadership race, is chair of Décarie’s campaign.
Under the party’s stringent new rules, candidates must have the support of 3,000 people who have been party members for 21 days before they sign the candidate’s nomination papers, with 1,000 signatures due by February 27, and the rest by March 25. Candidates must also pay a $200,000 entry fee and a $100,000 compliance deposit.
Décarie told Solomon he would remove abortion from publicly funded health insurance plans because “it’s not health care.”
He also said that “my point of view is that marriage is exclusive to a man and a woman.”
When Solomon pressed him on the last point, Décarie commented, “I think ‘LGBTQ’ is a Liberal term. I don’t talk about people that way, I talk about persons, and I think we all need the full respect for being a human being.”
Emphasizing his “so-con” values, Décarie says “LGBTQ” is a “Liberal” term and that being gay is a “choice.” #cdnpoli #ctvpp More at https://t.co/uCQmGSHoEL pic.twitter.com/F9Z70Ejsdi — CTV Power Play (@CTV_PowerPlay) January 22, 2020
“Do you think (being homosexual), that’s a choice, or do you think it’s biological?” Solomon asked.
“I think it’s a choice,” Décarie said. “How people are behaving is one thing. I think government has a responsibility to encourage the traditional values we had in the past years. That’s the kind of so-con issues I would bring as a leader.”
Décarie must realize he is “off-side from his own party on this,” Solomon said.
At a party convention in 2016, delegates voted 1,036-462 to delete a long-standing Conservative Party policy that defined marriage as a “union of one man and one woman.”
But Décarie said he has spoken to many Canadians who share his views.
“When we discuss one-on-one, they tell you the reality of their own life,” he said.
“I encounter a lot of discussion, where people were saying one thing publicly and another thing privately, so I think it’s important that we get a voice in that party that we are not hearing from, unfortunately.”
Décarie reiterated this the next day to Vassy Kapelos of CBC’s Power & Politics.
“I’m sorry if I offended people. I can tell you that there’s a lot of members who are very happy that I represent their views publicly,” said Conservative leadership candidate Richard Décarie who says being gay is a “choice” and that marriage should be between a man and a woman. pic.twitter.com/aEp64ThetG — Power & Politics (@PnPCBC) January 23, 2020
He reiterated, too, that abortion should be defunded.
“Pregnancy is not an illness and abortion is not a cure, so based on that I would ensure that no federal tax dollars go towards paying for abortion,” said Conservative leadership candidate Richard Décarie. #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/2T9quk0Ar2 — Power & Politics (@PnPCBC) January 23, 2020
Top-level Tories immediately repudiated Décarie’s views, with some opining that he should be banned from running for statements that Conservative strategist Korey Teneycke described as “nakedly bigoted.”
But Trost suggested that “a lot of people are concerned Richard is going to do well in the leadership race.”
“I think there’s a lot of people concerned Richard is going to do well in the leadership race,” said @BradTrostCPC. “If you can’t beat a guy at the ballot box, don’t call names, don’t try to exaggerate things…” #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/Y0TuNiRwir — Power & Politics (@PnPCBC) January 24, 2020
Tories denouncing Décarie’s statements included MP Pierre Poilievre, who unexpectedly called off his leadership bid on Thursday, and declared candidate and presumed front-runner former Nova Scotia MP Peter MacKay, who tweeted: “Being gay is not a choice and nobody should be running for office on a platform to roll back hard-won rights.”
Calgary MP Michelle Rempel Garner, rumoured to be considering a leadership run, tweeted that she would not serve in a caucus under Décarie.
I vehemently reject this message. I will not serve under someone whose leadership pitch is that someone's sexuality is something to be “fixed”. I am full on tired of this type of shit defining the conservative movement in Canada. Giddyup, you're going to have to go through me. https://t.co/mHvlGfFWQc — Michelle Rempel Garner (@MichelleRempel) January 22, 2020
And Alberta MP Garnett Genuis, who has a pro-life voting record, dismissed Décarie on Twitter as unknown entity who has taken an “easy path to notoriety.”
Re Decarie’s dumb comments, most people active in the conservative movement have never met or heard of him. He is not the chosen representative of any internal faction. He is simply a person who told the media he’s running – an easy path to notoriety these days. #cdnpoli #cpcldr — Garnett Genuis (@GarnettGenuis) January 23, 2020
Genuis also appeared on Power Play with declared candidate Ontario MP Marilyn Gladu to further weigh in on the matter.
Gladu opined that prospective candidates must “adhere to the party policy,” although she stated that “social conservatives have a place in the party,” and that “there’s nothing wrong with his opinions … it’s how we treat each other.”
“He’s not going to win, that’s the bottom line,” observed Genuis.
As for same-sex “marriage,” Genuis said “in general” Conservative MPs “would support preserving the civil institution of marriage for all couples, heterosexual and homosexual couples,” even though they might “within their own faith traditions” have a “religious definition of marriage in this context (that) is something different.”
Décarie told CBC’s Kapelos that he’s taking things one step at a time.
“Let’s debate inside the party. If one-third of the party members agree with my position, we will see it through the campaign and that will be a debate in itself. After that, if I win, we will see where it will lead us as the official opposition,” he said.
Meanwhile, rookie Ontario MP Derek Sloan is another social conservative who announced this week that he plans to run for leadership, the National Post reported.
Campaign Life is urging Canadians to buy a Conservative Party membership by April 17 in order to be eligible to vote for the next leader.
Feb. 5, 2020 correction: This article originally stated Décarie was senior advisor to Quebec Premier Jean Charest. LifeSiteNews regrets the error.
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lifesitenews--2020-01-24--Nick Sandmann posts photos of his return to March for Life

WASHINGTON , D.C. , January 24 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Nick Sandmann , the Covington High School teen thrust into the center of an international incident at last year ’ s March for Life that catapulted him to fame , has returned to the scene .
Sandmann tweeted photos this afternoon of his day at the 47th March for Life : Sandmann shot to fame as the youth in the MAGA hat filmed on video standing in front of Nathan Phillips as the Native American activist beat a drum close to his face .
Sandmann stood with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Catholic school in Kentucky stood in the background cheering .
Immediately , the press erupted with claims that the video demonstrated that Sandmann and his friends were harassing Phillips .
But additional extended video and firsthand accounts soon revealed that Phillips was the one who waded into the group waiting for its bus and decided to beat a drum inches from Sandmann ’ s face , while the boys had merely performed school chants in hopes of drowning out racist taunts from members of the Black Hebrew Israelites fringe group .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many journalists and other public figures quickly deleted their snap condemnations of the students , while some either tried to keep the original narrative alive or refused to unequivocally retract or apologize for their initial claims , leading to various lawsuits on behalf of the boys .
Sandmann filed defamation suits against the networks , including a $ 250 million suit against CNN for broadcasting into “ millions of homes ” the “ idea that [ Sandmann ] was part of a mob ... yelling racist slurs , ” according to attorney L. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suit against CNN was settled for an as-yet-undisclosed sum .
Sandmann ’ s lawsuits against other individuals and media giants remain pending , including a $ 275 million suit against NBCUniversal and a $ 250 million suit against the Washington Post .
“ This case will be tried not one minute earlier or later than when it is ready , ” Wood has declared .
Sandmann ’ s legal team stresses that the dollar amounts are not sought for the teen ’ s sake but to deter the press from smearing others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Kevin Murphy have also filed defamation suits on behalf of eight other Covington students , targeting Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Deb Haaland , CNN ’ s Ana Navarro , the New York Times ’ Maggie Haberman , ABC News ’ s Matthew Dowd , ex-CNN personalities Kathy Griffin and Reza Aslan , Kentucky entrepreneur Adam Edelen , Princeton University ’ s Kevin Kruse , left-wing activist Shaun King , Mother Jones editor-in-chief Clara Jeffery , and Rewire editor-in-chief Jodi Jacobson .
Many people responded to Sandmann ’ s March for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as “ So happy you went !
Good man , Nicholas , ” and “ Good for you !
You should have worn your MAGA hat too !
”

'I will never pass on an opportunity to March for Life!' says the teen.
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 24, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Nick Sandmann, the Covington High School teen thrust into the center of an international incident at last year’s March for Life that catapulted him to fame, has returned to the scene.
Sandmann tweeted photos this afternoon of his day at the 47th March for Life:
I will never pass on an opportunity to March for Life! pic.twitter.com/iU0ohmdcTJ — Nicholas Sandmann (@N1ckSandmann) January 24, 2020
Sandmann shot to fame as the youth in the MAGA hat filmed on video standing in front of Nathan Phillips as the Native American activist beat a drum close to his face. Sandmann stood with a slight smiling while his fellow classmates from a Catholic school in Kentucky stood in the background cheering.
Immediately, the press erupted with claims that the video demonstrated that Sandmann and his friends were harassing Phillips.
But additional extended video and firsthand accounts soon revealed that Phillips was the one who waded into the group waiting for its bus and decided to beat a drum inches from Sandmann’s face, while the boys had merely performed school chants in hopes of drowning out racist taunts from members of the Black Hebrew Israelites fringe group.
And as more video came to light, many journalists and other public figures quickly deleted their snap condemnations of the students, while some either tried to keep the original narrative alive or refused to unequivocally retract or apologize for their initial claims, leading to various lawsuits on behalf of the boys.
Sandmann filed defamation suits against the networks, including a $250 million suit against CNN for broadcasting into “millions of homes” the “idea that [Sandmann] was part of a mob…yelling racist slurs,” according to attorney L. Lin Wood.
On January 7, the suit against CNN was settled for an as-yet-undisclosed sum.
Sandmann’s lawsuits against other individuals and media giants remain pending, including a $275 million suit against NBCUniversal and a $250 million suit against the Washington Post.
“This case will be tried not one minute earlier or later than when it is ready,” Wood has declared. Sandmann’s legal team stresses that the dollar amounts are not sought for the teen’s sake but to deter the press from smearing others in the future.
Sandmann tweeted January 18:
Exactly one year ago today, Nathan Phillips approached after the March For Life in Washington, D.C. Today I stood in the exact same spot I had year ago and did my first fair interview compared to the setup @ NBC. I won’t ever be bullied or surrender. Thanks for all your support — Nicholas Sandmann (@N1ckSandmann) January 18, 2020
Attorneys Robert Barnes and Kevin Murphy have also filed defamation suits on behalf of eight other Covington students, targeting Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Deb Haaland, CNN’s Ana Navarro, the New York Times’ Maggie Haberman, ABC News’s Matthew Dowd, ex-CNN personalities Kathy Griffin and Reza Aslan, Kentucky entrepreneur Adam Edelen, Princeton University’s Kevin Kruse, left-wing activist Shaun King, Mother Jones editor-in-chief Clara Jeffery, and Rewire editor-in-chief Jodi Jacobson.
Many people responded to Sandmann’s March for Life tweet with good wishes, such as “So happy you went! Good man, Nicholas,” and “Good for you! You should have worn your MAGA hat too!”
LifeSiteNews Calvin Freiburger contributed to this report
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