"WE SHALL OVERCOME" Small Victories marches with Alveda King

     Under beautiful, crisp autumn skies we gathered at the steps of Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Springfield, Illinois along with Bishop Paprocki and Alveda King, niece of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., to stand against evil and march for life. We held onto our sign: "Babies are a blessing" and pushed our stroller for LIFE.

Abortion Protesters March to Springfield Planned Parenthood

by Molly Beck

The State Journal-Register        

Singing “We Shall Overcome,” hundreds of people marched through the streets of downtown Springfield Friday afternoon led by an heir to the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.- not for race relations, but to protest what the walkers said they see as the U.S.’s foremost civil rights infringement: abortion.

            Alveda King, a niece of the slain civil rights leader and an anti-abortion activist, spent her second day in Springfield with Bishop Thomas John Paprocki at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. They asked about 400 people in attendance to help efforts to curtail abortions in the United States.

            “Will you be able to say that you defended life?” King asked during a prayer service Paprocki held at the cathedral. “Let our dream that every man, every woman, every girl…that we do all we can.”

            Paprocki’s ecumenical service promoted a peaceful march to Planned Parenthood’s health clinic at 1000 E. Washington St. Marchers included groups from area parochial schools.

            Charlie Brown, 17, one of four Sacred Heart-Griffin students asked to participate in the service, read a quote from Martin Luther King asking for those in attendance to be concerned with “the nonviolent affirmation of the sacredness of all human life.”

            Brown, who is black, said the significance of the day’s event for him was the promotion of anti-abortion efforts, not Alveda King’s appearance.

            King, who lives in Atlanta, GA, spoke about her uncle’s, father’s, and grandfather’s work as pastors and said she knew they would support her years of work to end abortion.

            On Thursday, Planned Parenthood released a statement saying King is using her uncle’s name to “further her position in the anti-abortion movement to the detriment of the health and well-being of women.”

            The walkers headed out on foot about 2 p.m., going east on Lawrence Avenue and Cook Street, north on 11^th Street, and then west on Washington Street. The group, some holding signs, settled in front of the clinic with a black pickup truck as home base.

            Paprocki and King addressed the crowd again, asking Planned Parenthood to “bear witness to the truth” and offer women who seek their services the option of seeing an ultrasound.

            “You say you want to give (patients) a clear choice- let them see their babies,” Paprocki said.

            Pam Sutherland, vice president for public policy for Planned Parenthood of Illinois, responded that the organization does just that.

            “It just shows how clueless the bishop is and Alveda King is about medical services that we provide,” she said. “Any patient who is considering abortion gets an ultrasound, and we ask if they would like to see it.

            “I ask (Paprocki) to work with us to help reduce the need for abortion by making sure women have access to comprehensive birth control,” she said.

            Sutherland said she also was concerned that Springfield police hadn’t notified clinic officials in advance of the rally, which blocked traffic to the Planned Parenthood building.

            “Ninety percent of our services are general health-care services, so I find it interesting that (protesters) would want to protest and block access to our patients,” Sutherland said. “They blocked women from getting good health care services today.”

            Police deputy chief of criminal investigations Cliff Buscher said police are not obligated to notify businesses of protest marches, but to provide traffic control.

     Blogger's note:  If Ms. Sutherland's ultrasound practices are anything comparable to Hope abortion mill in Granite City, they ONLY show the mother the crown of the unborn baby's head in order to calculate how much to charge for the abortion and how many days it will take to kill the baby. They don't show little fingers, toes, or a profile view so the abortion-bound mother doesn't see the humanity and fall in love with her unborn baby and walk out. Also, abortion is not "health care;" it's the deliberate, violent destruction of a human being. It's the most unnatural act of a woman's reproductive and mental health. Go to your local courthouses where abortion mills exist and look up all the lawsuits filed against the facility or the abortionist. Safe & legal?

"I didn't know people would be out here..."

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Over 100 imported foot soldiers made the pilgrimage to the City of Slaughter to stand in the gap for the least of these. Not one local church out of the approx 78 dormant Granite City churches stood against the stronghold in their own backyard. The marquee outside the abortion mill should read: “This abortion mill stays open by permission of the local 78 churches.” Pastor Todd Griener, along with several other pastors in attendance, led the charge. We opened in prayer and quickly surrounded this deathcamp with bodies singing God’s praises. Many cars gave us honks of support as they drove by. The celestial voices of God’s people soon filled the air.

            Just then, I looked up in time to see two young women walking back to their car parked by the rosary tree. God told me what to speak to them as the passenger looked at me with tears in her eyes. I then opened my arms where she ran into them with her friend soon following. The church group looked on; some came over to help me comfort this girl. We brought her into the ultrasound van where the first words out of her mouth were confirmation, “I didn’t know there would be people out here.” Thank you God! I quickly scanned. There, to her surprise, we viewed an approx 12 week old baby auditioning for his life on the screen. She said “I knew it was wrong once I walked inside.” She was convicted.

            A Jericho March ensued on the sidewalks surrounding these gates as we rescued and saved this precious baby inside our van. We went over resources and listened to her plight. Her friend commented, “You all are angels. We didn’t know there were people like you out here.” She then added, “I plan on thanking God at church tomorrow.” After listening to our counsel, they were relieved and at peace. We came out of the van and into the prayer circle of the various church groups waiting to lay hands on this pregnant girl and pray for her situation. Pastor Todd led in prayers. We then took up a generous love offering to help them, and handed them a gift bag full of baby supplies. They hugged and thanked most everyone as we walked them to their car and watched them drive off.

            The rosary warriors witnessed all this and were very encouraged. We stayed behind on the sidewalks surrounding the deathcamp as Pastor Todd led the proclaimers over to the main thoroughfare in the City of Slaughter to hopefully wake the inhabitants and the shepherds in this deplorable town up to the abomination they co-exist with. 

            Anyone can scream scriptures, but it is what is in your hearts that determines life or death. Matthew 23:33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers!” Does standing outside an abortion mill where children are scheduled to die do any good? Just ask Lindsey, one of today’s saves; or the over 3700 babies that have been spared through our efforts and daily vigil over the past 18 years of faithfulness. Matthew 21:16 “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.” Saving babies from the jaws of death is easy; finding the RIGHT people to do it, now that’s hard.

"For it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for His good pleasure"Phillipians 2:13 Throughout our daily toils, God blesses the work of our hands, inspiring them to do good, spread love, to lift up, and to help out.

"One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish..."

THURSDAY, September 2, 2010-- Dr. Seuss wrote that. I think of this ditty as I'm changing the water in our youngest daughter's pet fish, Ruby & Nemo, bowls. Unfortunately, in our family  I'm the zoo-keeper. Dr. Seuss is also credited for the saying: "A person is a person no matter how small."

      We just returned from the abortion mill where earlier this morning we rejoiced with two precious saves including Monica and her friend. I befriended the driver as he went to his car and we had a nice conversation. Eventually he thanked me, even letting me hug him. I am so proud of our military and their service and sacrifice for our country. I was hoping he would go inside and protect and rescue that baby. And look at what God did...all three came out! A pastor from a Granite City Church of God joined hands with us and led in a fervent prayer for this situation. 
     "I didn't do it, but I don't know how I'm gonna do it," the pregnant woman said. She showed me the ultrasound picture the abortion mill gave her, again only the crown of the baby' s head. "The abortion mill won't show you your baby's turned up nose, cute thigh, or kicking feet. You see if they show you that, you might fall in love with your little one. Would you like to see your baby?" "Yes," she replied. All three came inside our ultrasound van. To their delight, they viewed an approx 17.5 week old baby, presumably a boy, auditioning for his life.

     "You're right, Monica. You can't do it by yourself, but with God you can do all things." She broke down; she was trying to put up a tough front and be a good soldier. "We already have one soldier sitting beside us; what is it you need?" "I have seven already," she cried. I asked her, "What are you trying to do, catch up with the Michaels? We have twelve." "You do?" she asked. "Yes ma'am," I responded. She smiled.
     We listened to the strong heartbeats, 140 per minute. I listened to her plight, went over resources we could help with, and shared our youngest daughter's testimony. "You never know what God is going to deal you, but you play your best hand. This is your eighth child. You never know what this child will grow up to be." Tears streamed down her cheek. "I know," she said. I added, "But if this baby does not get a chance, we will never know. It's like baseball...everyone deserves a chance at bat."
     We gathered on the sidewalk where we hugged and they thanked us again for being there and our help. They would keep in touch. The soldier shook my hand. "Thank you for being a hero." He smiled and we watched them drive off.  Psalms 145:4 "One generation shall laud Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts."