Charles A. “Chuck” Donovan

The provision of alternatives to abortion has been the hallmark of the U.S. pro-life movement since the founding of the first pregnancy help centers more than a half century ago.  Ever since, and accelerating after the mid-1980s, PHCs, as the centers are known by shorthand, have rapidly expanded their personnel, volunteers, and services.

“[Pregnancy help centers] help everyone and their doors are open to women who seek counseling and support after all forms of pregnancy loss,” Donovan said. “It is well past time that the AP Guide’s authors visit some of the thousands of thriving centers everywhere in the U.S. and get the guide back to a standard of high-quality reportorial content and ethics.”

"Where once we dreamed of passing laws and public policies to save the lives of the unborn, now we have dozens of states across the country, as well as opportunities at the federal level, where the steps we take will mean life or death for millions of babies as well as support or neglect for their mothers."

What does it say about America if our leading cultural institutions, such as a major political party and their legions of allies in the media, do the abortion industry’s dirty work by ignoring or suppressing the science? What does it say about us if we let them?

While the WeCount data can’t be independently verified, it’s surprising to see the abortion industry finally acknowledge, however grudgingly, that pro-life state laws save lives. The abortion industry often seeks to obscure, deny, or ignore research that challenges its position.

“Greater love hath no man than this,” says John 15:13, “that a man lay down his life for his friends.” As with the parable of the Good Samaritan, so often that great love is lain down for those who are strangers – one’s “not yet” friends. So it was with the Sister Paula Vandegaer, a pioneering nun devoted to the sanctity of every life and to walking alongside women considering abortion. Sister Paula passed away in Los Angeles, California, on August 13 at age 82.

The drama now playing out on the Missouri-Illinois border has some resonance with previous questions in American history. The drama involves a bold plan by the national abortion giant, Planned Parenthood, to open a mammoth abortion facility in southwest Illinois, just 13 miles from downtown St. Louis where is found the last abortion center remaining open in the Show-Me State.

Something interesting is afoot in recent disappointments for advocates of the right to life.  In a series of cases that may test the appeal of a new jurisprudence on abortion, two federal appeals courts and the Supreme Court itself have turned aside attempts to enact a law banning disability discrimination abortions.

These findings represent a tremendous leap forward for parents, physicians, therapists, and educators. Now expectant parents can obtain powerful information about the quality of life for persons with Down syndrome.

What does it mean to be human? This is the fundamental question presented in the film Summer in the Forest (“Summer”). A documentary of people with intellectual disabilities, Summer suggests that friendship and relationship are central to the human experience and dignity.