By Maria V. Gallagher, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation
In a decisive victory for pregnant women and their children, a Pennsylvania county defeated a measure that would have declared the area an “abortion sanctuary.”
The resolution failed to secure enough votes for passage in a marathon meeting of the Northampton County Council.
The vast majority of those residents who publicly commented on the measure argued for its defeat. One woman spoke about the devastating mental health consequences that can accompany abortion. Another recalled how she had told her then 20-year-old pregnant daughter she could have an abortion, only for her daughter to choose life. That granddaughter is now 28 years old.
A nurse who is also a bioethicist raised this pertinent question: “How can we say we are creating a safe haven for terminating life?” One testifier also noted a local abortion center’s failure to pass inspection because of a number of health and safety violations.
One man asked the council members if any of them had seen what a 10-week-old preborn baby looks like. A councilwoman replied that “she was not interested.”
Still, in the end, thanks to a number of abstentions, the abortion sanctuary resolution went down to defeat.
The incident illustrates a number of points. First, the pro-abortion side is so radical that they want to establish their own abortion hot spots in the event that state laws are passed protecting pregnant women and their babies from the harm of abortion.
Second, we should never underestimate the power of a group of committed citizens to defeat anti-life legislation.
Action Item: If you live in Pennsylvania’s Northampton County, please contact council members and thank them for the defeat of the abortion sanctuary resolution. You can contact them here.