The censorship of pro-life messaging by social media giants Facebook, Twitter and Google are making headlines. Justifiably so. They could have a global chilling effect on our ability to be a voice for defenseless unborn babies.
Still, this is just the latest in a long history of attempts by pro-abortion advocates to silence pro-lifers.
Promoting abortion on demand throughout pregnancy has not resonated well with a majority of Americans. Since their message of death in the name of compassion and empowerment for women is often met with rejection, their long-term strategy has been instead to silence the opposition.
Spoiler alert: it’s not working. Even so, it hasn’t been for a lack of trying.
Back in the 1980s, abortion advocates used RICO, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, to silence pro-life protestors in front of abortion facilities. Originally, RICO was passed to give the federal government more authority in prosecuting crime syndicates.
It didn’t stop there. The abortion industry sought to eliminate any chance of pro-lifers getting between them and their customers.
Laws have been passed to prevent pro-life sidewalk counselors from coming close enough to offer alternatives to pregnant women who have been told abortion is the easy, safe and only answer to their unexpected pregnancies. A continual flow of paying customers is presumably behind their opposition to protective laws like informed consent, waiting periods and ultrasound legislation. The only way abortion can thrive is to keep women in the dark.
SIGN THE PETITION! Attention Facebook, Twitter, Google and YouTube: Stop Censoring Pro-Lifers
Planned Parenthood sued to stop the release of documents associated with David Daleiden’s undercover videos showing that the abortion giant has profited from the sale of aborted baby body parts. And the National Abortion Federation sued to prevent the release of more videos. What heinous revelations are they hiding?
The attack on pro-life speech has targeted old and young alike. In Pennsylvania, two 16-year-olds standing in front of Downingtown STEM Academy with pro-life signs were physically intimidated and verbally bullied by an Assistant Principal. He later resigned.
On high school campuses, students have been erroneously told by teachers or administrative staff that they can’t wear clothing with a pro-life message or pass out pro-life literature. Pro-life displays on university campuses have been vandalized; posters advertising events have been torn down and pro-life speakers have been disinvited. Many universities have relegated pro-life speech to “free speech zones” that may be tiny and isolated from students.
The Women’s March on Washington was hugely touted by the media and others, but organizers ferreted out participating pro-life women organizations and banned their involvement.
I participated in a Columbus, OH rally where a woman named “Christy” was sharing her heartbreaking experience of abortion when she was aggressively shouted down by pro-abortion activists who stood between her and the audience, holding up signs to block “Christy’s” view. They sought in vain to invalidate her pain and suffering from abortion.
With the number of abortions declining, the abortion industry has shifted into panic mode. They have cajoled officials or state legislatures in Illinois, Maryland and California to force pro-life women help centers into promoting or referring for abortion services. We await a US Supreme Court decision on such a law in California.
“Out of sight, out of mind” is the motto of the so-called mainstream media when it comes to covering the issue of abortion – that is unless you’re advocating for it. Even though 100,000-plus people attend the annual March for Life in Washington, DC (an easy two-thirds under 25 years of age) the media continually underreport its stunning attendance and the momentum and advancement of the Pro-life Movement.
You’re probably aware of more examples of pro-abortion advocates trying to silence our life-affirming message. I confidently speak for millions of pro-life Americans when I say that we will not be silenced. And we will not stop advocating for life until we have secured the right to life of every unborn child from the moment of fertilization.
LifeNews.com Note: Bradley Mattes is the President of Life Issues Institute, a national pro-life educational group.
