. . . because action speaks louder than words.
. . . because action speaks louder than words.
League history, NOW v. Scheidler, Action News, Joe Scheidler, League staff
Q & A on abortion, the unborn child, where we stand on the issues and more
Helping abortion-bound women choose life for their babies
Unmasking the truth about abortion in the public square
Our youth outreach, raising up a new generation of pro-life leaders
Abortion industry converts tell the inside story
News and commentary from the Pro-Life Action League
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Take part in these pro-life events across the country (times given are local). To add an event, contact us.
February 10, 1996—League staff attend the Illinois Citizens for Life prayer breakfast, emceed by pro-life lobbyist Ralph Rivera. During the event, League Director Joe Scheidler catches up with his good friend, pro-life stalwart Representative Henry Hyde (pictured left), whose leadership 20 years prior led to the Hyde Amendment, which bans most federal funding of abortions.
More League history here.
We at the Pro-Life Action League are convinced that the only way to end the abortion holocaust is for people of faith to put their pro-life convictions into action on the streets and sidewalks, in the churches and schools, and above all outside the abortion clinics in their own communities.
Perhaps you're visiting this page because you received a "Marching Orders" card [PDF] at the March for Life or another pro-life event. If so, thanks for following up!
No matter how you reached this page, we're here to help you become more effective fighting abortion using the direct, dynamic methods that we have developed over more than a quarter century on the front lines of the pro-life movement.
There are many ways you can get active fighting abortion. In fact, League National Director Joe Scheidler subtitled the first edition of his book CLOSED, "99 Ways To Stop Abortion." Here we'll focus on four key ways you can make a difference educating the public and intervening on behalf of unborn babies and their mothers:
Below you will find information and resources on each of the above activities, followed by tips on how to find other pro-life activists in your area, and some general resources for making your involvement in the pro-life movement more effective.
There is nothing more imporant than prayer in our mission to save unborn babies and abortion-bound women. The most powerful prayers of all are those offered right outside the abortion clinics where women are wounded and babies are killed.
Your prayers on the sidewalk outside an abortion clinic help support the efforts of pro-life sidewalk counselors to offer abortion-bound mothers the help they need to choose life. Your prayers help open those women's hearts to life. They may even help convert those working in the abortion clinic.
Important: To protect yourself from false accusations by abortion clinic workers or hostility from the general public, never go to an abortion clinic by yourself. Find a pro-life friend who is willing to join you, or connect with other activists in your area.
Find a place on the public sidewalk or other public right-of-way where you can offer prayer without disrupting the activities of any pro-life counselors on site. Pray in whatever fashion suits you—Scripture reading, the Rosary, interior prayer, hymns, etc.—but pray quietly, to be heard by God and His angels, not passersby.
Offer prayers for the abortion-bound women in the clinic. Pray for their babies. Pray for the clinic staff to be converted. Pray for any pro-life counselors who are there. If you see a specific woman entering the clinic, pray for her and whomever has brought her to the clinic that day.
And remember that your prayers always bear fruit, even if a woman you're praying for goes through with the abortion. Part of why we are there outside the abortion clinics is to witness to the value of the lives of the babies who are aborted there. We're also there to pray for the woman who has had an abortion to repent and be healed.
Many people may call themselves "pro-choice" because they have never really thought about what abortion does to the unborn baby and the baby's mother. Many have never seen what an abortion looks like or reflected on the reality of abortion in their own communities.
A pro-life public protest or demonstration is an effective tool for educating the public on abortion. It is a distinctively American activity, protected by the U.S. Constitution.
If there is an abortion clinic in or near your town, it should be picketed from time to time. Other businesses and neighbors may not be aware that a medical facility is an abortion clinic, since they seldom advertise "abortion" on a marquis.
Another powerful form of public protest is the Face the Truth demonstration. Pro-lifers educate the public on abortion by holding large graphic signs in a high-traffic area for a designated length of time. The message is conveyed by the pictures more than by words.
Other opportunities to conduct a public abortion protest include:
The greatest challenge in conducting a protest is to recruit participants. Try to link up with other activists in your area, or work up interest among fellow pro-lifers at your church or among friends. Ask others to recruit additional participants. For Face the Truth demonstrations, the League's Face the Truth video is a great recruitnment tool.
The most common type of protest is the picket, a "moving" protest in which protesters carry picket signs with messages like "Stop Abortion Now," "Choose Life," or "Obama Supports Abortion." Picketers walk up and down a sidewalk or public way, chanting pro-life slogans like "Life—YES! Abortion—NO".
A good picket sign will use high contrast (black on white, white on red), clear block letters and a clear, consice message or slogan. Picket signs can be made at home, or you can have them professionally produced by stores like Fast Signs and Kinkos.
Public demonstrations like Face the Truth which use much larger signs do not lend themselves to a moving picket line. Rather, protesters stand quietly with their signs, spread out over a large section of sidewalk or roadside.
Before your protest, contact the local press about the event. This is done most effectively with a press release. Review League press releases for ideas on format and tone.
With so much of the mainstream media biased in favor of abortion, it is urgent that we take to the streets to educate the public about abortion, life in the womb, abortion alternatives, and post-abortion healing.
By handing out pro-life leaflets in your own community, you can reach hundreds, even thousands of your fellow citizens with a message they might never encounter otherwise. What's more, this is an activity you can do at only moderate expense and all on your own—though leafleting is also a good activity to do with friends.
First you'll need literature to pass out. We have several pieces of literature available at the League Store, including our Project Rachel cards which help men and women find help healing from abortion and Culture of Life cards to be passed out at Catholic parishes.
We also recommend the flyer How You Began from Life Cycle Books on fetal development and the stealthy Choice flyer from Life Dynamics. Another good source for literature is Heritage House.
Choose the single piece of literature that you want to pass out (we do not advise passing out more than one piece at a time), and order at least a few hundred copies.
Choose a time and place for passing out leaflets that will allow you to reach the largest possible number of pedestrians without disrupting the flow of foot traffic. Likely spots inclue busy commuting centers during rush hour, urban plazas at lunchtime and shopping districts on the weekend.
The public will be much more likely to accept a leaflet from you if you adopt a friendly attitude and smile. Simply saying, "Hi—this is for you," can be very effective. Never be pushy with your leafleting or react negatively to indifference or rudeness.
End your time leafleting with a quiet prayer for those who took literature from you—and even those who refused. You may never know what impact your leafleting efforts may have, but the Lord does.
Surveys show that young people are more pro-life than their elders—possibly because they know so many of their generational peers were killed by abortion. Many teens are putting their pro-life convictions into action by forming pro-life clubs that educate friends, peers, teachers, and even the wider community on the value of life.
Generations for Life, the Pro-Life Action League's youth outreach, offers a Pro-Life Curriculum that gives you everything you need to start a dynamic pro-life club at your school or church. It's filled with practical advice and detailed resources on life issues, education, activism, fundraising, and dozens of discussion topics for club meetings.
Your enthusiasm and dedication are our greatest hope in the battle against abortion. You are the future of the pro-life movement, and we want to help you become more involved now.
For tracking down local activists, your first step should be to contact the Pregnancy Resource Centers in your area. Very often they will at least know about pro-life activists, if they're not already working closely with them.
Another creative option is to visit the closest abortion clinic and see if there's anyone out there praying and counseling. Call the clinic first to find out when they do abortions and then drive by. Note: Do not ever go out to an abortion facility alone, even just to pray, since you will have no friendly witnesses in case the clinic staff lie to police about your peaceful presence.
You can also get in touch with the Respect Life office of the local Roman Catholic diocese to find about pro-life activities and events in the area. You do not have to be Catholic to call them or get involved with their efforts.
Finally, you can Contact the League in case we know of activists in your town or city.
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