By Maria V. Gallagher, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation
Pete Hegseth
As we prepare for our 2024 Celebrate Life Banquet featuring cable news host Pete Hegseth, I am inspired by the sheer numbers of people who are eager to join us in this momentous event.
The mainstream news media would have you believe that the pro-life movement is gasping for breath in a pro-abortion world. Nothing could be further from the truth in Pennsylvania, where support for pregnant women and their babies remains strong.
From Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, people from all walks of life will be crowding the Hershey Lodge this Saturday to honor the sacred gift of human life. They may not be counted in public opinion polls, but they are active and invigorated and ready to defend the most vulnerable among us.
For decades, Pennsylvania has been considered a keystone of the pro-life movement. The Abortion Control Act Pennsylvania lawmakers passed in 1989 became a model for the nation and the basis of the 1992 U.S. Supreme Court decision Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
Granted, the abortion industry is striking back, rallying pro-abortion lawmakers to pass draconian measures which would wipe out our common sense protections such as parental consent, informed consent, and 24-hour-waiting periods for abortion. They want to go even further than the tragic Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, which was mercifully overturned by the Dobbs decision in 2022.
Pro-abortion Governor Josh Shapiro defunded vital pregnancy resource centers in an attempt to rob women of the services and support they need. His X feed is filled with full-throated defenses of pro-abortion policies.
Despite these significant challenges, the pro-life movement in Pennsylvania remains vibrant. We are energetic, enthusiastic, and motivated to defend our time-tested law, restore help to pregnant women, and renew a culture of life.
To learn more, please visit our website at www.paprolife.org .