Students for Life: text messaging
I ran into Kristan Hawkins, executive director of Students for Life, yesterday.
One sharp guy in her group, Ben Clapper, said something interesting: “We’re not the future, we’re the present.” I realized it’s patronizing and disengaging when older pro-lifers verbally pat younger pro-lifers on the head and say that….
Of course young people can add much to the pro-life movement now. One example is in the field of technology. Kristan announced SFL has begun text messaging pro-life action items. Sign-up is easy. Prepare to send a text message on your cell. In the “To” section type 25827 (i.e., “CLUBS”) and then type “Life” in the message section and send. That’s it. You’re signed up, as I am.
Cost is $100 a month to text 2000 phone numbers.
Kristan said she got the idea when attending a Barack Obama rally. He got on stage, held up his cell phone, and gave instructions to the crowd to text message a number he gave him, and voila, he instantly added thousands of people to his database. If we had been on the ball, we could have done the same thing with the same results at the March for Life rally.
There was a good example that pro-life young people are indeed our present. And they outnumbered older pro-lifers by far at the March.
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Hey All,
I got back last nite and have so much to share…
Some interesting points that were made (in my opinion) at the bloggers conference I attended with Jill…
Judie Brown, the head of American Life League pointed out that 80% of the Marchers on Tuesday were under the age of 25. I thought she was nuts. Until I got to the March that is. I felt like an old lady! I was surrounded by kids…swarms of them!!!! It was incredible. I kept thinking that 25 years ago these were the prochoicers but now the youth is predominantly prolife. I wished so much that Erin, and Amanda, Midnite and Heather B., Lyssie and Jess and J Keller could have been there, marching on our side. You guys have SO MUCH to offer, and I couldn’t help feeling like you’d missed the boat on this one. Who knows, maybe next year?!?!?!
Dawn Eden, former-radical-left-wing-prochoice- feminist-turned-pro-life-conservative-catholic-writer and blogger, told us about a PP clinic in Albany, NY, that was having a “blessing” done by clergy on their clinic on Tuesday…just nuts!
http://tinyurl.com/2rgbbg
Michelene Freedenburg is opening a new website that allows EVERYONE affected by an abortion to share their feelings and find comfort and healing.
Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles…there is a place for all of them.
http://abortionchangesyou.com/
Dr. New, a professor of Political Science at University of Alabama, (thought of you Midnite!), gave a presentation on what works in incrementalism. Surprise, surprise…cutting funding is the most effective means of achieving less abortions. Also significant were “Parental Involvement” laws. He suggested that mandatory 9 month waiting periods would pretty much reduce abortions also..lol.
Maggie Datilies of Americans United for Life, says that in 2007, 400 new pro life bills were introduced into legislation…in just the first two weeks of the new year there have been 107…looks like we’re in for some fun times…
Chris Smith spoke about the PEPFAR bill…right now we give 15 billion dollars to combat Aids worldwide and we are being asked to up that to 30 billion…problem is PP is trying to hijack this money…using it to further abortion, their answer to everything. Hopefully Jill will post on this and we can all get a clearer understanding of what PP is doing.
Senator Brownback was there…
He said that the enemy is not PP, or abortion doctors, or prochoicers…the enemy is “Death, despair and fear”. Makes one think…
Phill Kline was really amazing. He pointed out that 74% of children under the age of thirteen, that are sexually active, are in relationships with adults. The average age of the other party? 9 years older than the child. This info came from none other than Planned Parenthood itself. They link to a site that gives the legal age of consent in all the states…the name of the site? ageofconsent.com? What is it? A site set up for and by pedophiles listing the ages you have to be to consent to sex legally. The site has been shut down, and our pedophile friends are asking for help from lawyers, judges, anyone, to get it back up and running…see for yourself:
http://ageofconsent.com/
Go Planned Parenthood! (gag)
Keep in mind that this was all new to me…I had never been to anything like this and it was very interesting to meet the people that we are always citing and talking about here…
I was deeply moved by their passion and commitment. Their motivation? Not money. Not power. Not getting elected…just a clear sense of right and wrong and a strong desire to fight for good. I was truly in the presence of heroes and greatness. And boy did I feel small…
Hey All,
I got back last nite and have so much to share…
Some interesting points that were made (in my opinion) at the bloggers conference I attend with Jill…
Judie Brown, the head of American Life League pointed out that 80% of the Marchers on Tuesday were under the age of 25. I thought she was nuts. Until I got to the March that is. I felt like an old lady! I was surrounded by kids…swarms of them!!!! It was incredible. I kept thinking that 25 years ago these were the prochoicers but now the youth is predominantly prolife. I wished so much that Erin, and Amanda, Midnite and Heather B., Lyssie and Jess could have been there, marching on our side. You guys have SO MUCH to offer, and I couldn’t help feeling like you’d missed the boat on this one. Who knows, maybe next year?!?!?!
Dawn Eden, former-radical-left-wing-prochoice- feminist-turned-pro-life-conservative-catholic-writer and blogger, told us about a PP clinic in Albany, NY, that was having a “blessing” done by clergy on their clinic on Tuesday…just nuts!
http://tinyurl.com/2rgbbg
Michelene Freedenburg is opening a new website that allows EVERYONE affected by an abortion to share their feelings and find comfort and healing.
Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles…there is a place for all of them.
http://abortionchangesyou.com/
Dr. New, a professor of Political Science at University of Alabama, (thought of you Midnite!), gave a presentation on what works in incrementalism. Surprise, surprise…cutting funding is the most effective means of achieving less abortions. Also significant were “Parental Involvement” laws. He suggested that mandatory 9 month waiting periods would pretty much reduce abortions also..lol.
Maggie Datilies of Americans United for Life, says that in 2007, 400 new pro life bills were introduced into legislation…in just the first two weeks of the new year there have been 107…looks like we’re in for some fun times…
Chris Smith spoke about the PEPFAR bill…right now we give 15 billion dollars to combat Aids worldwide and we are being asked to up that to 30 billion…problem is PP is trying to hijack this money…using it to further abortion, their answer to everything. Hopefully Jill will post on this and we can all get a clearer understanding of what PP is doing.
Senator Brownback was there…
He said that the enemy is not PP, or abortion doctors, or prochoicers…the enemy is “Death, despair and fear”. Makes one think…
Phill Kline was really amazing. He pointed out that 74% of children under the age of thirteen, that are sexually active, are in relationships with adults. The average age of the other party? 9 years older than the child. This info came from none other than Planned Parenthood itself. They link to a site that gives the legal age of consent in all the states…the name of the site? ageofconsent.com? What is it? A site set up for and by pedophiles listing the ages you have to be to consent to sex legally. The site has been shut down, and our pedophile friends are asking for help from lawyers, judges, anyone, to get it back up and running…see for yourself:
http://ageofconsent.com/
Go Planned Parenthood! (gag)
Keep in mind that this was all new to me…I had never been to anything like this and it was very interesting to meet the people that we are always citing and talking about here…
I was deeply moved by their passion and commitment. Their motivation? Not money. Not power. Not getting elected…just a clear sense of right and wrong and a strong desire to fight for good. I was truly in the presence of heroes and greatness. And boy did I feel small…
“the enemy is not PP, or abortion doctors, or prochoicers…the enemy is “Death, despair and fear ”
—————————————
hmmmm…Fear…of the Truth and of being held accountable for one’s own action ?
Beautiful reporting, MK, nice to have you back! God love you :)
MK:
You are an excellent journalist.
Bobby,
Thanks…I’m still trying to catch my breath.
Hisman,
Me a journalist?…that reminds me of Brother Dominic. I was telling him about Doug, and he was helping me form a few new arguments…then he suggested I read Socrates. I’m still laughing. He had to explain that Plato is the guy that wrote ABOUT Socrates. I had to ask if Socrates was even a real guy…
I think I’ll just stick to being Jill’s “sidekick”, but thanks for the compliment…journalist…*giggle*…
If you could all pray for my dad this morning..I just found out he was in a 6-car collision as a result of somebody not paying attention to actually driving. So please pray..I’m going to the hospital soon to see how he is.
Oh Elizabeth,
I’m so sorry…yes, you can count on my prayers…
MK, I’ve just been getting into Socrates. He is sooo awesome! I’ve been reading some of Peter Kreeft’s books, “Socrates meets Descartes” and “Philosophy 101 via the Trial of Socrates”. Kreeft has also written “Socrates meets Marx” and “Socrates meets Sartre.” They’ve been great, really easy introductions to the master.
Bobby,
Thanks. I love Kreeft and he might be just the “baby pool” I’m looking for. I’ll write down those titles and get one…I feel so undereducated sometimes. I know I’m not unintelligent, but really, I haven’t been in a school since 1980…I have virtually no college experience. Sometimes I’m astonished at my ignorance of worldly things…but just ask me about diapers or second grade spelling! HAH! On those, I’m a master!
MK,
So nice to have you back and thanks for catching up! I am so encouraged by everything that you wrote about. Especially the youth! They are realizing that their siblings aren’t here. Their peers aren’t here.
By the way, I told my two oldest children about my abortion. They asked all kinds of questions and I did my best. My son got really angry and I asked why. He said he was angry that I was alone and didn’t know who to turn to and that people lied to his mom. He has a big heart and will join the prolife throng someday!
Elizabeth,
I am praying for you and your Dad.
OK, I’ve just GOT to clear some of this up. 80% of the people at march for life were kids. Largely- very largely- this is because kids are more likely to be politically active. The mass majority of people at any kind of event like this are usually 28 or under. The older the get, the more difficult getting or feeling motivated enough to go to this kind of event is.
Erin, as someone who has marched against poverty, the Iraq war, the World Bank/IMF, the RNC, and the DNC, I agree with you to a point. However, the March for Life (and the events surrounding it) are far more youth attended and oriented than any other march/rally I’ve been to.
The March for Women’s Lives had, from my vantage point several feet above the intersection of 7th and Constituion, an older average age than any other march I’ve attended.
Wow Carla…that was really brave of you. I’m really impressed with your son. He seems to intuitively know that “healing” and “forgiveness” are major factors. How blessed you are. His anger could so easily have gone towards you…you took a great chance. I’m proud of the both of you! *HUG*
I think text messaging is so rude. It makes me want to choke someone when I can’t sit thru a lecture for his phone beeping every 30 seconds. Not to mention the fact that if it isn’t important enough to call me about, I’m really not interested in paying ten cents a pop to chat about whatever is going on.
Carla,
Brave soul.
MK,
You rock. Tell me more!
Elizabeth,
Prayers for your pops.
That’s really cool. It’s good to see some youth-oriented pro-life outreach. Apart from Rock for Life, I’ve seen very little. It’s crazy, too, because the young adults are there to be reached. Every year, I see the survey of incoming college freshmen and watch the usual media suspects scratch their heads in bafflement over the fact that the freshmen are more supportive of limits on abortion than most older demographics, but are in general more liberal on subjects like gay rights and the war. Because that’s not possible, right? Abortion opponents *have* to be anti-gay and pro-war, or some people’s worldviews become all askew. :)
Elizabeth:
I hope your dad is OK.
I’m not too excited about the “youth”. In my experience they are very fickle and most often when they say they will do something they either forget about it and don’t do it or something “more exciting” comes up and they do that.
IN FACT, I believe that many of the youth that went to DC for the march went because of how exciting the thought of visiting Washington DC was to them.
I can give a real life example to back this up.
Last year I gave $50 to a kid in Ft Wayne who had just graduated from high school the previous month in December and was going to the march in January. He had tons of free time on his hands. The money I gave him was to go to that Rock For Life weekend training camp that was going on in DC.
He got on the plane and went to it and came back. I thought he would love to use his training at the killing center just 2 miles down the road from him home in Ft Wayne. That’s right, he lived just 2 miles from the killing center in Ft Wayne, IN.
He didn’t make it there even one morning from what I could tell all the mornings I was there outside the killing center. The killing center does its killing on Thursday mornings and that is when we show up to protest and do sidewalk counseling.
This youth didn’t come once despite my sending info about it each week so he could plan for it.
So, why did he go to Washington DC for that training weekend and spend HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS to get there and be part of it and then refuse to do anything at the local killing center 2 miles down the road that he could walk to?
The answer I discerned later was that local activism just wasn’t exciting enough.
His brother was the same saying that going to Romania and teaching the youth there how to play football at a cost of $1800 was “more fun” then going to any pro-life event.
I don’t have any confidence in these youth who are consumed with entertainment and excitement.
MK,
So nice to have you back and thanks for catching up! I am so encouraged by everything that you wrote about. Especially the youth! They are realizing that their siblings aren’t here. Their peers aren’t here.
By the way, I told my two oldest children about my abortion. They asked all kinds of questions and I did my best. My son got really angry and I asked why. He said he was angry that I was alone and didn’t know who to turn to and that people lied to his mom. He has a big heart and will join the prolife throng someday!
Elizabeth,
I am praying for you and your Dad.
Posted by: Carla at January 24, 2008 11:06 AM
…………………………………….
What lies caused you to become pregnant Carla? What lies forced you to abort?
What’s your point, Sally?
I don’t really think you’re a very happy person, Zeke. Always gotta put a damper on something that is positive. It IS good that the youth are involved for WHATEVER reason. Maybe at first they are involved because it is exciting..but then as they grow older they really SEE how important the pro-life movement is and continue to be active. Either way, they’re participating…which is better than some of the other activities teens are prone to engage in these days.
I think she’s saying, you knew you could get pregnant from sex, you willingly had sex, you got pregnant and choose to abort when you could have just as easily could have gone to your church for help.
I mean you felt inside of you that it was a baby and abortion was wrong.
Jess,
Have you read my abortion story on my blog yet? That might clear up the misconceptions that you have about it. As for Sally, her comments shame themselves.
Carla, you are absolutely right about Sally’s comments. They most certainly do shame themselves. I applaud you for the mature way that you handle her heartless words.
Hi Bethany!
Some on here want to discount ANY suffering, doubts, regret or pain a woman has after an abortion. Why is that? Like the feelings just can’t possibly be real because I CHOSE an abortion. Kind of a “you made your bed now sleep in it” attitude.
Let’s discuss issues and not attack the person, shall we? sigh
Kind of a “you made your bed now sleep in it” attitude.
What’s ironic about that is that it is always those same people who accuse the pro-life side of treating post abortive women. They say that we will call them “sluts” and “whores” and will totally leave them out in the cold, when WE Are the ones who do the exact opposite. We love them, we care about them, we do what we can to relieve their suffering. We do what we can to help them. And of course, there is nothing wrong with loving both the mother AND her baby as well!
It’s amazing how cruel the pro-abortion side can be, but then to turn around and accuse us of doing what they do. Just amazing.
Some on here want to discount ANY suffering, doubts, regret or pain a woman has after an abortion. Why is that? Like the feelings just can’t possibly be real because I CHOSE an abortion. Kind of a “you made your bed now sleep in it” attitude.
Carla, I disagree with that.
I don’t think it’s “discounting,” it, just recognizing that another woman may not feel anything like you do/did. Your feelings are entirely real – who can argue with them? You have them.
There are no guarantees, and yes – some women who have abortions have regrets. No guarantees that continuing a pregnancy will be seen as the best thing, either.