5 (Pro-Life) Ways to Support Women Right Now

1. Research your school's student health plan and see what it covers (or doesn't cover).

Girls who become pregnant in college don't have a real choice to carry their pregnancies to term if their schools don't facilitate their needs during pregnancy. For example, Yale University's student health plan covers abortions, but their basic student health plan offers NO coverage for students who would like to parent or place their child for adoption. Contrastingly, Notre Dame ensures that women who become pregnant as students will receive the full support of the university community, including housing, tuition assistance, and more.

If your school does not provide adequate support for pregnant women, contact student services and advocate that a change be made. Preventing discrimination against pregnant students is an important way we can support and empower women. This is a main initiative of Feminists for Life. Students for Life of America also has a "Pregnant on Campus" Initiative.

2. Instead of buying a frappuccino, support a mom in need by buying baby wipes to donate to a pregnancy center.

Many women who choose life for their babies still need support in providing for them.  If you're willing to spend a few dollars on coffee, next time spend that $4 on something new moms really need. Diapers for newborns are always in high demand. You can locate your local pregnancy center and donate directly, or check your local parish and see if they have a donation bin at the church. Supplying resources is a significant and immediate way to support women.

 3. Learn about the symptoms  of post-abortion syndrome so you can be an ally for women around you that may be suffering.

As many as 1 in 3 women have had an abortion, so we all need to be prepared to support the women around us who may be suffering from that decision, no matter how long ago it was made.

Places to start:

Silent No More

Rachel's Vineyard

After Abortion - The Elliot Institute

Post Abortion Healing and Treatment [PATH]

Remember to always discuss the issues with compassion; you never know who may decide to approach you about their past experience. Also research post-abortive help in your community, so that you have referral information ready should a woman share her story with you. Many dioceses and Crisis Pregnancy Centers offer post-abortive counseling and retreats. Providing opportunities for healing is an essential way to support women in a culture of life.

4. Post contact information for your local Crisis Pregnancy Center on the "local businesses" billboard in a nearby coffee shop or grocery store.

You never know where someone may stumble across that information when they need it. Promoting the your local Pregnancy Center could also increase their volunteer base and donations. Consider contacting them directly and asking if they have pre-made fliers that you could post. Advertising the availability of assistance is crucial for supporting women in crisis pregnancies.

Find your local pregnancy center at www.optionline.org

5. Pray for women in situations and relationships that put them at risk for undesired pregnancy.

As many as 64% ofwomen get abortions because they feel pressured by others. Many have become pregnant by a man who will not support the child or does not want to child to be born.

Even if the woman may want to carry the child to term, she may be living an unhealthy lifestyle herself, and not want to bring a child into that situation. Women deserve better relationships and better lifestyles, for their children but also for themselves. Pray specifically for these women - that they will receive the support they need to pursue safe and healthy relationships and lifestyles. Women need our support not only financially and emotionally, but also through the power of prayer.

Pro-life is pro-woman. :)

Love Thy Enemy

 So this past week while in Texas in support of the pro-life bill, I interacted with and saw many pro-choicers. Their actions and behavior were unbelievable and mostly indescribable. I have never quite experienced the vitriol and hate that I saw this past week.

18 jars of feces and urine, a brick, and ‘glitter bomb’ tampons were all confiscated from prochoicers.

A prochoicer shoved a guy in our group, hard enough that the batteries came flying out of his camera and he fell back into someone else who fell into me.

Prochoicers chanted “Hail Satan” and “Pro-life, your name’s a lie, you don’t care if women die.”

A prochoice woman told me that obviously the only reason that I was pro-life was because a man had told me to be pro-life and that my entire life was controlled by men.

Prochoicers poured red paint on themselves and chained themselves to the Senate gallery.

A prochoicer had her young daughter hold up a sign that said “If I wanted the government in my uterus, I’d f*** a senator.”

I cannot even count the number of times that I was flipped off or had vulgarities screamed at me.

A prochoice man held up a sign that said “No rape babies” while the girl right next to him had a sign that said “Jesus isn’t a dick so keep him out of my vagina.”

The prochoicers called themselves “The Unruly Mob” and when even NARAL and Planned Parenthood told them to leave the Capitol, they chanted “hell no, we won’t go.”

Allegedly, a prochoicer was found outside the Capitol with a semi-automatic rifle.

You know what these people are working so hard for? The right to kill their child. They can veil their intentions by saying they want the right to women’s health care or the right to choose or they are fighting for women’s reproductive health. But ultimately, they are fighting for the right to end the lives of the most defenseless and vulnerable.

I feel bad for these people. I looked at them, and past the screaming and vulgarities, I saw women and men who were deeply hurting. The old woman screaming “bastards” to all the legislators. The young teenage girl who had tears rolling down her face. The man who angrily told me that I had no right to be here.

I did not and do not harbor any resentment or hatred towards these people. I made a point of smiling at each person in an orange shirt when they walked by. Because these people are not going to be persuaded by a set of logical arguments. They were not here for rational debate. The only way to reach these people is through their hearts. Because I could tell that they felt hopeless. They felt trapped. They were fighting so bitterly. 

These people need love. My heart ached to reach out to them. To be able to offer them the comfort and healing that they need. But I know that was not my role at that time. So I prayed. I prayed that God touch each and every one of their hearts that they might be converted. That they might be able to recognize the love and forgiveness of the Almighty.

What we as prolifers need to do is have faith. I may not have witnessed a conversion while I was at the Texas Capitol, but I believe that many of those orange shirts will one day turn blue. We need to be open and accepting to all people so that when people are converted, they are welcomed with open arms. Because they will need love, not condemnation. Imagine realizing that for 5, 10, or even 50 years, you advocated for the deaths of millions. The guilt could be enough to destroy anyone, so we need to be there, waiting, with a loving embrace. Think of the amazing conversion story of Abby Johnson. What if the Coalition for Life had not been welcoming and loving? We need to follow the example set before us and love all, but especially love our enemies, even when it seems hardest. 

Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk

So this past week, I was down at the Texas Capitol, there with Students for Life of America. We were there in support of the Texas bill that protects women’s health by requiring that abortion clinics adhere to ambulatory surgical center regulations, that the abortionist have hospital admitting privileges within 30 miles, and that all medical abortions adhere to FDA regulations. It also bans abortions past 20 weeks, the point at which science says that the fetus can feel pain.  The bill thankfully passed on Friday, and Gov Perry is going to sign it into law. You can read a good summary of it here.

One of the things that has really impressed me this trip is the number of pro-lifers here in Texas who not only talk the talk, but walk the walk. People who understand what it means to be truly pro-life. This people recognize that it is not just about being a political activist, or the way you vote. These people are helping to build a culture of life that will ultimately lead to victory.

I just wanted to give  a couple shout-outs to some examples of the people that I am talking about:

Thanks to the Austin Baptist Association and Hope Chapel for opening their churches to us and providing us a place to sleep as well as all the other host families who opened their homes to students.

Thank you to the Knights of Columbus for gathering air mattresses for us to sleep on as well as cooking and providing lunch for us on Friday. Standing behind a grill in 100 degree weather is an impressive feat, and we are truly grateful.

Big thanks to Representative Hughes, Representative Toth, along with many other of the Texas House representatives. When the YMCA kicked us out (here), Rep Hughes and Rep Toth took up a collection to pay for hotel rooms so that we could shower. They had also offered their own personal hotel rooms for showers. Rep Hughes and Rep Toth also took time out of their day to speak to us young people and pray over the SFLA staff. They truly are men of God. Rep Hughes also offered us protection during the riots at the Capitol by housing all of us, over 50 people, in his locked office.

Thanks to the Students for Life leaders who did so much to organize this trip and keep all of us safe during the journey. I am sure it was not easy, but the staff remained flexible, with cheerful attitudes, despite the difficult circumstances. Thanks to Brendan O’Morchoe, who even if he could not figure out his way inside the Capitol, lead our group with a certainty and confidence that put many people’s fears at ease. Thank you to Beth O’Malley, for writing everything down in her notebook, keeping track of million logistics at once, and remaining sane, with a smile on her face, even when the plan changed for the third time in ten minutes. Thanks to Missy Martinez, for being the voice for our group, both in media interviews and on stage at the pro-life rally, and representing our group with conviction and dignity. Thank you to Alexa Coombs for reminding us of the importance of social media, making sure that we were always in contact with the rest of the world and utilizing social media to promote our group’s activities. I am sure there are many other people behind the scenes at SFLA, including Kristan Hawkins, the president of SFLA, who made this trip a possibility and for that I am very grateful.

Thank you to all the donors who made this trip possible for over 50 college students. These donors helped give us the opportunity of a lifetime and made it possible for us to be a part of history being made.

Thanks to Brendan the bus driver, as well as all the other bus drivers, for being patient with us and getting us to and from where we needed to be safely.

Thank you to the people of Texas, in particular, Jason, Paul, and Thomas, for inviting us to join this fight for life with them, and for all the tireless work that they do in Texas. This was a huge victory for Texas and thank you for letting us be a part of it.

Last, but definitely not least, thank you to my fellow students who took a week out of their summer to come and fight for life in Texas. You provided an incredible, peaceful witness for life at the Texas Capitol. Your dedication and perseverance is truly inspiring and it is seeing my fellow students stand for life that gives me hope. We are the pro-life generation and I believe that we will abolish abortion in our lifetime.

These people, along with many many more, all provided a witness of life through not only their words, but their actions. Standing for life is much more than just saying that you are pro-life. Words are not enough. We must demonstrate this culture of life through how we act, and the way we treat others. Consistently treating others with the respect and dignity that all people deserve helps our cause just as much as taking a trip down to Texas to support a pro-life bill. Thank you to everyone who remembers that, and pushes me to hold myself to that standard. Now go out and remember if you talk the talk, you must walk the walk.