Fall 2010

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Fall 2010
Pro-Life Action League 6160 N. Cicero Ave. Ste. 600 Chicago, IL 60646
Vol. XXIX, No. 2
League Partners with Catholic Hospital
New Protocols Help Mothers Halt 2-Day Abortion Procedure and Choose Life
by Ann Scheidler
young woman who was vacillatthe young pregnant woman was taken care of, with
ing
on
whether
to
go
on
with
her
both her and her unborn baby’s welfare in mind.
One July morning when Prolate-term abortion. Like the preLife Action League staffers
New Life-Saving Protocol Needed
vious woman, she was midway
Corrina Gura and Urszula Mihai
Following this second incident, I suggested that
through the process. Cathy took
were praying and sidewalk counthe
League should work out some arrangement
her to the Women’s Center and
seling outside Albany abortion
once again the counselor recom- with Resurrection Hospital for dealing with similar
clinic on Chicago’s northwest
cases in the future. Sr. Donna was thinking the
mended Resurrection Hospital.
side, a young woman approached
same thing. She arranged for a meeting at
But this time, things did not
them. She had been to Albany
Resurrection with me, Cathy Mieding, Corrina,
go so well. The emergency room
the day before and had initiated a
doctor—possibly more con- Women’s Center director Mary Strom and two
three-day late-term abortion
cerned with his own potential lia- Resurrection Health Care ethicists.
procedure involving the insertion
The initial meeting was very productive. All parbility than with the immediate
of laminaria to expand the cervix
Photo by Corrina Gura
ties agreed that it would be beneficial to everyone
Anthony Levatino explains to Resurrection danger facing the unborn
before a dilation and evacuation Dr.
Hospital staff how to deal with laminaria reversal
baby—repeatedly asked the to devise a procedure for efficiently handling cases
(D & E) abortion.
where a woman is already involved in a late-term
young woman if she actually wanted the laminaria
But then she had a change of heart. She wanted
abortion and has changed her mind. Sr. Donna
removed. Cathy became worried that his pressing
to stop the abortion. She called several hospitals
suggested that we each draw up a proposal for how
inquiries would cause her to change her mind again
and no one would help her. She was returning to
a new protocol would work, then the hospital
and go ahead with the abortion.
Albany because it seemed she had no other choice.
would work out the details.
Cathy called me on my cell
Providentially, Corrina and Urszula were there to
As Sr. Donna pointed out, the
help. They went with her to the nearby Women’s phone. Providentially, I happhysicians and staff in the emerpened to be at the Thomas More
Center where a counselor recommended they go
gency room were unprepared for
Society law office in downtown
straight to Chicago’s Resurrection Hospital.
this type of situation. They
Chicago for a meeting, where Sr.
know what to do if a patient
Baby Saved Halfway through Abortion
Christine, a member of the
arrives with a broken bone, chest
The emergency room personnel at Resurrection
Resurrection Sisters, frequently
pains or some sort of injury. But
called in the obstetrical staff. A pro-life obstetri- volunteers. Sr. Christine got
a pregnant woman who has
cian, who had never dealt with reversing an aborthrough to the CEO of
changed her mind about an election procedure before, stepped in to take care of
Resurrection Hospital, Sr. Donna
tive abortion is completely differthe young woman. Everything went smoothly. The Marie Wolowicki, and I
ent. Sister saw a need to educate
laminaria were removed, the abortion was halted
explained the situation. Sr.
the hospital personnel on what is
and the young woman left happy.
Donna made a beeline to the
Photo by Corrina Gura involved and what to expect.
A few weeks later, Cathy Mieding, a gifted vet- emergency room to make sure
Resurrection Hospital CEO Sr. Donna Marie
eran sidewalk counselor, intervened with another
Wolowicki speaks at the training meeting October 22
Continued on page 2
IN THIS ISSUE:
Eric Visits Ireland to Encourage Pro-Life Youth
Eric Speaks to College Groups,
by Eric Scheidler
Women’s Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
This fall it was my great privilege to speak at the
second annual “Viva la Vida” pro-life youth conference in Dublin, Ireland. The conference was hosted at Griffith College by Youth Defence—one of
the world’s most dynamic pro-life groups—with
hundreds of pro-life youth in attendance from
across Ireland and throughout Europe.
Face the Truth Tour Scores Victories . . . . . 3
Joe’s Hat Makes a Hit in Baltimore . . . . . . 4
Return to Lake Zurich. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
GENERATIONS FOR LIFE NEWS
Generations Mission to the Lone Star
State Continues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Sharing the Pro-Life Message . . . . . . . 5
A Picture Is Worth Ten Thousand Words. . . 6
Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
40 Days for Life Just the Beginning . . . . . . 7
Battle with Planned Parenthood
Continues at Ground Zero. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Pro-Abort Politicians Cross Picket
Line to Support Personal PAC. . . . . . . . . . . 8
Photo by Eric Scheidler
International protest at Marie Stopes abortion referral center in Dublin
After flying through the night from Chicago, I
arrived in Dublin the morning of Friday,
November 5 to be picked up at the airport by Kate
Bryan and Liam Sheehan. They got me to my hotel
with just enough time to snatch a quick one-hour
nap before meeting up with Crossroads’ Dave
Bathon and a group of young pro-lifers from
Belgium for a protest at the Marie Stopes abortion
referral center.
International Protest at Marie
Stopes Abortion Referral Center
Together we walked the two miles from the hotel
to Marie Stopes, where we met up with the regular
prayer warriors at the facility. Abortion is illegal in
Ireland, but Marie Stopes arranges package deals
for Irish women to get abortions in England and
the Netherlands.
A van soon arrived bearing Stand True’s Bryan
Kemper and a group from Youth Defence, headed
by Katy Robinson. Katy and Bryan distributed
large posters depicting fetal development and
abortion to the group, which continued to grow as
Continued on page 2
2
Pro-Life Action News
League Partners with Catholic Hospital
Continued from page 1
Fall 2010
“I am so pleased
the Resurrection
Medical Center is
able to be a small
part of the beautiful work that you
are all doing for
the unborn.”
are all doing for the unborn,” Sister
Donna remarked.
Model Pro-Life Collabration
Sr. Donna insisted that a system
be put in place as quickly as possiThe Pro-Life Action League is
ble so that pregnant women could
excited about this new alliance with
be adequately cared for by the
Resurrection Health Care and The
skilled physicians and medical staff
Women’s Centers in establishing a
Former Abortionist Shares Expertise
at Resurrection. She also suggested
protocol for assisting women who
Providence was at work again. Dr. Levatino hapthat in cases where
change their minds after initiating a
pened to be speaking in St. Paul,
the pregnant woman
second trimester abortion proceMinnesota on October 21. He was
does not already
dure. We hope that the new protoeager to be a part of this project and
“This alliance is have a physician for
cols worked out with Resurrection
changed his return flight, schedulher prenatal care,
Hospital will become a model for
ing a quick side trip to Chicago
an example of the she could be referred
cooperation between Catholic hos—SISTER DONNA
before heading back home to Las
to
one
of
pitals and pro-life ministries across
way Christ’s
Cruces, New Mexico. Resurrection
Resurrection’s “New
the country, and lead to many more
Hospital is located only minutes
Beginnings”
programs,
providing
women
being
given a last chance to reverse the
Church is meant to
from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, so
prenatal care at one of Resurrection
abortion decision and choose life for their babies.
the logistics worked perfectly.
Health
Care’s
satellite
hospitals,
We often hear complaints about Catholic and
work together for
Dr. Levatino addressed the physiwith delivery of the baby at Christian hospitals not living up to their Christian
cians and staff on October 22, givthe good of His
Resurrection Hospital, all at no principles. This new alliance with Resurrection is a
ing a comprehensive presentation
charge.
sterling example of the way ministries in Christ’s
and fielding questions from both
most vulnerable.”
“I am so pleased the Resurrection
Church can answer His call for unity and work
hospital staff and the pro-lifers in
Medical
Center
is
able
to
be
a
small
closely together for the good of His most vulnera—ANN SCHEIDLER
attendance.
part of the beautiful work that you
ble children.
I offered to contact Dr. Anthony Levatino, a former abortionist and practicing gynecologist, to
invite him to speak to the Resurrection staff on
how to handle these cases.
Eric Visits Ireland to Encourage Pro-Life Youth
Next came a fascinating talk by Englishman
Andrew
Pollard on the demographic crisis facing
Continued from page 1
human embryos in Ireland. Niamh Uí Bhriain
groups arrived from Germany, Scotland and explained Youth Defence’s new campaign, which Europe, as birth rates continue to drop across the
continent. While the future looks
France.
includes creative billboards readbleak for much of Europe,
For many, this was their first pro-life protest ever,
ing, “You. Me. Everybody. We’re
Ireland is a beacon of hope, with
and they got a great lesson in pro-life dialog when
all just grown up embryos.”
abortion still illegal and a strong
Bryan Kemper drew a passing heckler into what
Then Dr. Colin McGuckin, a
Catholic faith surviving. Pollard’s
became a very cordial discussion about abortion.
world-class Irish scientist,
message to the Irish was to “stay
Interest in this kind of street activism is growing in revealed the amazing therapies
different” from the rest of
Europe.
coming right now from research
Europe.
After the protest, I spent the afternoon sight-see- with umbilical cord stem cells.
The next presentation was of
ing in Dublin with a group of young pro-lifers
Eric Shares Pro-Life Victories
special interest to me, as Kathryn
from Belgium and France. They were eager for my
My
talk
came
right
in
the
midSloane and Andy Stephenson of
advice on bringing activism to Europe, and it was
Abort67 shared their experience
a privilege to be able to share my experience fight- dle of the day’s program. I shared
some
pro-life
“war
stories”
with
displaying graphic abortion signs
ing abortion in the U.S.
the audience, illustrating that
in England. The pair were arrestFantastic Viva la Vida Program
when pro-lifers trust in God and
ed for this pro-life work only a
The conference opened Friday evening with a work together, we can score vicfew weeks ago, but charges were
by Bryan Kemper
talk by Sr. Rosanne Reddy, a Scots nun from tories over the abortion industry. Eric shares pro-life victory stories atPhoto
the Viva la Vida dropped. After the talk I told
Glasgow who heads the Cardinal Winning Pro-Life I encouraged all to believe that pro-life youth conference in Dublin, Ireland
Andy how encouraged I was to
Initiative, helping women with crisis pregnancies
God is—at this very moment—
see a project similar to the League’s own Face the
get the help they need. Sr. Rosanne exudes a
putting the pieces together for their own pro-life Truth Tour going on in the U.K.
tremendous compassion for these women, and her
victories.
After a talk by Irene van der Wende about her
talk was one of the best I’ve ever heard on reachThroughout the day, “A-Team” pairs from Youth own horrible experience with abortion after being
ing out to abortion-minded mothers. I’m eager to
Defence shared their practical experiences fighting
the victim of rape, and her outreach to postbring Sister over to the U.S. to
abortion in Ireland, encouraging
abortive women in her home country of the
share her wisdom with the growothers to get involved. The pro- Netherlands, Youth Defence co-founder Dr.
ing ranks of pro-life counselors.
gram ended with an excellent Eoghan de Faoite gave a rousing closing speech
After sister’s talk I stayed
keynote address by fellow which left no one in doubt as to Youth Defence’s
behind for a Guinness or two
American Jill Stanek on her experesolve to keep Ireland abortion-free.
before heading back to my hotel
rience exposing the practice of
Building Bridges with Pro-Life Europe
for some desperately needed
leaving babies who had survived
After the conference, a few of us gathered at a
sleep. It was well I got a good
attempted abortions to die in a
pub called Against the Grain, where I was delightnight’s sleep, because Saturday’s
soiled materials room at Christ
ed to find a few favorites from the U.S. on the beer
conference program was packed
Hospital in Oak Lawn, Illinois.
with fantastic pro-life talks.
After this great day of talks, we list. As I shared a drink with pro-lifers from
Bernie Smyth of Northern
all gathered in the Griffith Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany and America, I
was struck by how quickly friendships form around
Ireland’s Precious Life spoke on
College pub downstairs for a
a shared belief in the sanctity of life. The interna“walking the walk” to keep aborcéili—traditional Irish music and
tion out of Ireland. Joe Lee and
dancing. The Viva la Vida confer- tional abortion cartel has much to fear from the
youthful pro-life spirit rising throughout the
Monica McGhee of SPUC
ence is not just about upholding
Western world.
Photo by Dave Bathon
Scotland shared moving personal
the value of life, but celebrating
Eric (right) with Belgian and French pro-life youth
Viva la Vida was hands-down the best pro-life
accounts of dealing with beneath one of Youth Defence’s new billboards
God’s gift of life together.
conference I’ve ever attended and it was truly an
unplanned pregnancies. Bryan
Ireland: A Sign of Hope in Europe
honor to be one of the presenters. I’m eager to
Kemper highlighted the special opportunities stuSunday morning I attended a traditional Latin
begin working together with all my new European
dents have to share the pro-life message on camMass
at
St.
Kevin’s
Church
before
returning
to
pro-life connections to end abortion throughout
pus, and Hilary White of LifeSiteNews.com spoke
Griffith College for a talk by Carolyn O’Meara on
the West, using American-style grassroots activism
on the work of pro-life journalists.
working
on
the
front
lines
of
the
abortion
battle
to achieve what Ireland shows us is possible: that
Two talks focused on a major concern of Youth
with
Youth
Defence.
we can be abortion-free.
Defence: fighting efforts to allow research on
Fall 2010
Pro-Life Action News
3
Face the Truth Tour Scores Victories
Eric Speaks to
College Groups,
Staff and volunteers all agreed that the Pro-Life
League’s 11th annual “Face the Truth”
Women’s Council Action
Tour, which ran from July 9 to 17, was one of the
by Matt Yonke
best Tours yet. Despite occasional difficulty with
police and passersby, a fantastic crew of stalwarts
and many fresh recruits showed the truth about
abortion to thousands across northern Illinois.
Tour Captain Eric Scheidler led a veteran crew
comprised of myself, Ann Scheidler, Corrina Gura,
John Jansen, John’s father Jim Jansen, and Eric’s
sons Nate and Sam, along with Eric’s daughter
Liza in her debut on the Tour staff.
Photo by John Telthorst
League Executive Director Eric Scheidler has
taken on controversial topics in recent speeches
to college students. On October 13, he
addressed 80 students at Lewis University in
Romeoville, Illinois, on the issue of contraception at the invitation of Professor Therese Jones.
Eric charted how contraception leads to more
abortion, not less, and encouraged students to
challenge society’s widespread acceptance of
contraception.
The Overpopulation Myth
On October 16, Eric spoke at the Students for
Life of Illinois Pro-Life Summit on the Campus
of the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, in a talk that covered how to most
effectively address many common pro-choice
arguments, with a special focus on the overpopulation myth. His talk was well received by the
students, who came from colleges throughout
the state for the great event organized by JohnPaul Deddens.
The Grassroots Is Pro-Life!
Eric shifted gears on October 23 to speak to a
rather different audience: the Joliet Diocese
Council of Catholic Women meeting in
Kankakee, Illinois. In a talk arranged by Carol
Wright, Eric shared his story of how pro-lifers
beat the Illinois FOCA bill and encouraged the
women to be confidently politically active in
causes that matter to Catholics.
Publisher:
Editor:
Assistant Editor:
Contributors:
Joseph M. Scheidler
Eric J. Scheidler
John Jansen
Corrina Gura
John Jansen
Ann Scheidler
Joseph M. Scheidler
Eric J. Scheidler
Sam Scheidler
Matt Yonke
Tour Kicks Off with Big Victory
Before the Tour’s July 9 launch, we scored our
first victory. On July 7, we received word from
police in West Chicago—the very first site of the
Tour and one of three new sites the first day—that
they considered our display to be in violation of a
new ordinance restricting public protest.
Through a battery of phone calls, the League’s
attorneys at the Thomas More Society Pro-Life
Law Center of Chicago attempted to explain to the
city officials that our display is protected under the
First Amendment, but they continued to insist
that it would violate their ordinance—and that
they would arrest participants should we go forward with our plans.
Having exhausted all other remedies, League
attorneys drew up a lawsuit to file against the city
in Federal Court. The very real threat of a costly
court defeat quickly resolved the situation: the
Tour went on and West Chicago committed to
amend their unconstitutional city code.
The West Chicago site came off smoothly.
Between the second and third sites in St. Charles
and Batavia, Nancy Weber and her daughters
Patty and Dolores provided a delicious lunch.
Several media outlets covered the Tour’s first day,
including Relevant Radio host Drew Mariani, who
did an interview with Eric Scheidler.
Man Threatens Odd Lawsuit in Joliet
Saturday, July 10, the Tour headed south to the
Joliet area. The weather was picture perfect, sunny
but not too hot, and a great crowd of volunteers
followed the Tour through all three sites, two in
Joliet and one in Shorewood, with lunch graciously provided by parishioners at St. Mary
Immaculate Parish in Plainfield.
At the final stop of the day at Route 59 and
Caton Farm Road in Joliet, a man stopped and
began taking close-up pictures of Tour volunteers.
He told staffer Jim Jansen that he had been offended by previous League Tours and that his eightyear old son was in tears after seeing the display.
He proclaimed that he had finally figured out a way
to defeat the League: he would take pictures of our
demonstration and sue us for “pornography.”
We welcome Letters to the Editor and submissions from contributing writers. For comments, submissions or subscription information, please contact:
Pro-Life Action League
6160 N. Cicero Ave.
Chicago, IL 60646
Tel: 773-777-2900
Fax: 773-777-3061
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.prolifeaction.org
Newsline: 773-777-2525
Photo by Sam Scheidler
2010 Face the Truth Tour at controversial July 15 Lake Zurich site
Photo by Sam Scheidler
2010 Face the Truth Tour along Chicago’s Lake Short Drive, July 13
Eric noticed the man taking a picture of his
eleven-year-old daughter Clare, and began shooting video. When the man noticed Eric and his
camera, he marched across the street to yell at Eric
for several minutes before stalking off and declaring that he would list Eric personally in the lawsuit. Eric encouraged him to do so. We have yet to
hear from the gentleman regarding his suit.
Huge Exposure in Downtown Chicago
After a restful Sunday, the Tour headed to downtown Chicago for two days in the heart of urban
America. The first site on Monday, July 12 was on
the overpasses above the Kennedy Expressway - a
major artery for traffic entering and leaving
Chicago.
League staff and volunteers perched eight-foot
tall third trimester abortion signs along three overpasses. By my calculations, at least 200 cars went
by every minute. By even a conservative reckoning,
at least 25,000 people saw the true face of abortion
at this site alone.
Counter-protesters joined the Tour for the second
and third sites at Daley Plaza and Union Station,
including a handful of high-school girls, who
talked to Liza Scheidler as she held a “Honk for
Life” sign near them, neutralizing their “Honk for
Choice” sign.
Their knowledge of abortion methods, the development of the unborn child and other simple relevant facts was abysmal. They advocated absurd
theories, like the idea that a child isn’t really a
human being until three years old, all the while
berating Liza for being “brainwashed.” Liza tried to
engage them in dialog, but was rebuffed by insults
and crude gestures. Their pro-abortion leaders had
not equipped them to understand the issue, but
only to parrot pro-choice dogma.
Crusaders for Life Join the Tour
On our second day downtown, members of the
teen pro-life group “Crusaders for Life” joined the
Tour. It was a great encouragement to see dozens
of motivated young people willing to sacrifice a
beautiful summer day to stand up for their unborn
brothers and sisters. With ranks swelling from the
influx of Crusaders, sites at Buckingham Fountain,
the Art Institute of Chicago and Union Station
provided huge displays for passersby, sometimes
stretching several city blocks.
At the second site, a student from the School of
the Art Institute of Chicago assaulted two Tour
volunteers by throwing their signs out into busy
Michigan Avenue. When League Staffer Corrina
Gura began taking video, he fled, trying to steal
Corrina’s camera as he passed. I yelled for someone
to call the police and gave chase. After a madcap
pursuit through the basement of the School of the
Art Institute, several other students helped him
escape before police could apprehend him.
Continued on page 4
4
Pro-Life Action News
Fall 2010
Joe’s Hat Makes
a Hit in Baltimore
Face the Truth Tour Scores Victories
Continued from page 3
At the final site near Union Station, thousands of
commuters saw the true face of abortion on their
way to their evening trains. Eric pointed out this
strategic Tour site brings the pro-life message to the
whole six-county area, as commuters carry the vivid
memory of abortion images back home with them
on the train. “Thousands of long-overdue conversations on the abortion issue will take place this
evening because the League was here,” Eric said.
Unexpected Conflict over Lake Zurich
The Tour moved north on Wednesday, July 14,
through the suburbs of Deerfield, Northbrook and
Glenview. Though passersby in these affluent communities gave some stiff opposition—including a
doctor in Glenview who bizarrely tried to block a
third trimester “Choice” sign sign with a towel
before police convinced him to move on—many
fruitful exchanges took place as well. Lunch was
provided by devoted League volunteer Vince Jans
and his mother, Marguerite.
Thursday, July 15 was by far the biggest day of
the Tour. Once again a large contingent of
Crusaders for Life joined the Tour and every sign
was deployed at the first stop in Lake Zurich, a site
that has become an annual high-point.
Outside of a brief confrontation initiated by a
profanity-spewing local business owner, the site
ran smoothly and police onsite were cooperative.
So it was a great shock when, a week after the Tour,
League director Joe Scheidler received a call from a
reporter asking for his response to Lake Zurich
Chief of Police Patrick Finlon’s letter sharply criticizing the League, copied to the Daily Herald
newspaper.
The reporter had to explain that Chief Finlon
had written a scathing letter, claiming the Tour
was deliberately intended to interfere with traffic
and put undue strain on his force. He declared the
League must obtain his permission before returning to Lake Zurich and must inform him in
advance of where and when the display would be
set up—facts already provided in the letter League
attorneys sent him before the July Tour. Finlon’s
letter arrived in our office a few hours after the
reporter’s call.
Joe responded with his own letter to the editor,
setting the record straight, and League attorneys
informed Chief Finlon that his demands were
unconstitutional. To keep our freedoms secure, we
scheduled a return to Lake Zurich for the
September Truth Day (see box, this page).
But we knew nothing of the coming controversy
as the Tour date continued with a site in Palatine,
followed by lunch at Palatine Hills Park provided
by Juli Tragasz and the Holy Ghost Ladies
Auxiliary from Ss. Theresa and Thomas Churches.
The day ended with a stop in Arlington Heights.
Open-Minded Counter-Protesters
The sites on the south side of Chicago on Friday,
July 16 were very successful, starting at an interchange of the Stevenson Expressway near Midway
Airport. The second site, straddling the border
between Chicago Ridge and Oak Lawn, had met
with police conflict in a previous visit, but went
very well this year. A delicious lunch was provided
by the Chesna family at their nearby home.
At the day’s final stop in Burbank—another site
of previous police troubles—a group of counterprotesters came out. More often than not, these
folks have no desire to dialog or discuss the issues.
They’re typically hostile if we try to engage them.
But this group was different.
Eric and I approached them and they were
immediately willing to talk. One of them was writ-
and Other Stories from the Road
by Joe Scheidler
It has been my honor to continue traveling across
the United States meeting with outstanding prolifers involved in all aspects of the movement, and
always a privilege to contribute, even if only by
way of my well-known hat, as you’ll see below.
Photo by Sam Scheidler
Spirit Juice Studios interviews Joe Scheidler in Aurora, July 17
ing a story about the Truth Tour for an online news
site and took a lengthy video interview with Eric.
Eric found them to be both civil and and openminded—such a promising interaction was a pleasant way to end a great Tour day.
Spirit Juice Films Tour Finale
On Saturday, July 17, the Tour took to the
streets of the western suburbs of Aurora and
Naperville for its final day. Eric and I both live in
Aurora, making for an exciting hometown protest.
But even more exciting, we were accompanied by
Rob Kaczmark and his crew from Spirit Juice
Studios, whom we brought in to record video
throughout the day. Rob has worked with such
spectacular campaigns as CatholicVote.org and the
student protest of Barack Obama at Notre Dame.
Big crowds and great weather made it the perfect
day for a video shoot. At the first site outside
Planned Parenthood Aurora, the largest abortion
facility in the Midwest, some people from an outreach ministry to the local Mexican population
stopped to talk. They were eager to get involved
with the League, saying many of the people they
serve do not know the truth about abortion.
At the second site in Naperville, we tested the
boundaries of a new ordinance forbidding signs
within 20 feet of the corner. A rigid interpretation
of the law would have ruined our display, but Eric
persuaded the police to adopt a more reasonable
view, and we set up almost exactly as usual.
The Tour concluded at New York Street and
Route 59, one of the state’s most heavily trafficked
intersections, right through the sprawling Fox
Valley Mall. Tour staff expertly met the challenges
offered by such a site, and the Tour ended smoothly.
Final Party at the Aurora Scheidlers’
After eight jam-packed days of activism, the Tour
group gathered for a final party at Eric and April
Scheidler’s Aurora home, sharing “war stories” from
the fantastically successful Tour, and looking forward to another great Tour next summer.
Celebrating the Hyde Amendment
It was an honor to be invited to the Americans
United for Life (AUL) celebration of the 30th
anniversary of Harris v. McRae and the successful
defense of the Hyde Amendment. The event was
held June 22 at the Roof Top Terrace of
Metropolitan Square, the building that houses
AUL’s impressive new offices in Washington, D.C.
I can’t figure out why I got a special invitation to
this event. Perhaps it was for helping AUL hire its
first executive director, Pat Trueman. Pat was a
pro-life activist and law student in Chicago back in
the mid-seventies. He planned to return to his
hometown of Buffalo, Minnesota, to practice law
following his graduation, but I wanted to see him
continue in pro-life. And so, with the help of my
uncle, Fort Wayne Bishop Leo Pursley, the president of the Our Sunday Visitor Foundation, I
secured a grant that allowed Pat to be hired as the
executive director of AUL, based until this year in
Chicago.
Trueman, along with Chicago attorneys Dennis
Horan and Victor Rosenblum, defended the Hyde
Amendment in the U. S. Supreme Court.
Introduced by legendary Illinois Congressman
Henry Hyde in 1976, the measure prohibited the
use of tax dollars for abortion. The Hyde
Amendment was challenged by Cora McRae, who
filed suit against Health and Human Services
Secretary Patricia Harris to prevent its implementation. On June 30, 1980 after a four year battle,
the U. S. Supreme Court held that Hyde’s funding
restrictions were constitutional.
In his talk at the anniversary celebration, Pat
Trueman praised Rep. Hyde and said he had saved
thousands of unborn children. Also speaking at
the event were Ed Grant, former chief counsel at
AUL and Dr. Charmaine Yoest, current president
of AUL, as well as Senior Vice President of Legal
Affairs William Saunders.
Trouble in Durango
Durango, Colorado is a quaint town set in one of
the most beautiful spots in the United States, surrounded by pine-covered mountains. I was honContinued on page 6
Return to Lake Zurich
by Eric Scheidler
The League returned to Lake Zurich, Illinois for
a September 15 Truth Day to demonstrate our
peaceful intentions and show Police Chief Patrick
Finlon—and member of the press and public who
listened to him—that his complaints about the
League were misdirected (see accompanying
story). The Tour was well attended and went as
smoothly as sites in Lake Zurich always have.
Chief Finlon even dropped by to touch base, and
though he did not admit his error, I have to give
him credit for putting out the olive branch, which
suggests he recognizes he handled things badly.
The Truth Day concluded at a site in
Mundelein where police had attempted to shut
Photo by Sam Scheidler
The Truth Tour boldly returns to Lake Zurich, September 15
down the Truth Tour in 2006. Advance contact
with the police forestalled difficulty this year, and
the Truth Day was a great success.
Fall 2010
Pro-Life Action News
5
Generations Mission to the
Lone Star State Continues
by John Jansen
Sharing the
Pro-Life Message
Photo by Christine Weisner
John speaks on graphic abortion images at Apostles for Life meeting June 11
by John Jansen
The 2010 summer and fall months have provided many opportunities to share the pro-life message and invite teens to become more actively
involved in the pro-life movement.
On June 11, I spoke at the Apostles for Life
club meeting at Sacred Heart Parish in Lombard,
Illinois, where I gave a talk focusing generally on
the importance of graphic pictures in the fight
against abortion, with a particular emphasis on
the Pro-Life Action League’s Face the Truth
demonstrations. This was the second time I had
given this talk, and it was very well received.
As I had done when I first gave this talk earlier
this year at the meeting of the Crusaders for Life
club, also based in Lombard, following my talk I
invited the club members to participate in the
League’s Face the Truth Tour in July.
Dozens of members of both clubs took me up
on the offer, and their presence was a tremendous
boon for the summer Truth Tour (see story, page
3). Many of them eagerly volunteered to take on
some of the Tour’s hard jobs—like passing out literature to work weary commuters at the end of
the day in downtown Chicago—and engaged in
discussions with passersby who made it very clear
that they didn’t at all care for us or our willingness to stand up for the rights of unborn children.
Just a few days after the Tour concluded, I was
invited to give two presentations—one on how to
start a pro-life club, the other my “Making the
Case for Life” talk—at the first ever Justice and
Life Youth Leadership Summit sponsored by the
Archdiocese of Chicago’s Respect Life Office.
I also presented “Making the Case for Life”
September 19 at Immaculate Conception Parish
in Morris, Illinois; October 18 and 19 to Religious
Education classes at St. Michael Parish in Orland
Park, Illinois; and October 25 at three locations in
Michigan: St. Joseph Middle School and St. Philip
Catholic Central High School in Battle Creek and
St. Monica Parish in Kalamazoo.
Please keep the work of Generations for Life in
your prayers as we continue to receive such great
opportunities to share the pro-life message.
Since I was invited to speak at the San Antonio
Coalition for Life’s first ever conference for high
school students earlier this year, I’ve returned to
Texas for two other great pro-life teen events.
On May 1, it was my privilege to give a series of
talks at the Diocese of Brownsville’s Youth
Chastity and Pro-Life Conference at St. Joan of Arc
Parish in Weslaco. The Diocese’s Pro-Life
Apostolate organized the event, which attracted a
crowd of over 300 teens, along with dozens of college students, young adults, and parents. As I’m
primarily accustomed to speaking in classrooms or
at pro-life club meetings, this was the largest
group I’d ever spoken to!
Great Pro-Life Conference in Brownsville
When I first arrived at the parish hall the day of
the conference, I was impressed to see a display
area set up inviting attendees to enter and view a
series of pictures of aborted babies, along with captions describing various abortion procedures. There
were also numerous exhibitors offering pro-life
materials and literature, as well as scapulars,
rosaries, and other devotional items.
The first talk I gave was my “Making the Case
for Life” presentation. After a pro-life skit performed by members from Mary Mother of the
Church Parish in Brownsville, I gave a talk entitled, “Don’t Trust Planned Parenthood”, which
focused on the deception and lies pushed by the
U.S.’s largest abortion chain.
During this presentation, I showed two undercover videos produced by Lila Rose’s student-run
pro-life group Live Action, which the teens found
especially eye-opening.
Following another pro-life skit was a presentation from two sidewalk counselors affiliated with
the McAllen Pregnancy Center, who invited the
teens to join them in witnessing to life by praying
outside their local abortion clinic.
Chastity and Reconciliation
After lunch, the Diocese’s much beloved Bishop
Emeritus Raymundo Peña briefly addressed the
teens and thanked them for coming to the conference. I then gave a talk on chastity and placed special emphasis on going to the Sacrament of
Reconciliation frequently as a means of growing in
this virtue. I was grateful that the Pro-Life
Apostolate had invited several priests to be present
throughout the day, and many teens had their confessions heard.
The last presentation I gave addressed how to
start a pro-life club using our Pro-Life Curriculum.
All the talks I gave were very well received, and I
was impressed by the many thoughtful questions
that attendees asked.
Following my talk, the group prayed the Rosary
and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and spent time in
Adoration of the Holy Eucharist. The day ended
with Mass celebrated by Bishop Daniel Flores.
Photo by John Jansen
Student works on a pro-life picket sign during a workshop in Groom, TX
Lock-In for Life in Amarillo
On October 2, I visited the opposite end of the
state to give a series of talks at the Diocese of
Amarillo’s Lock In for Life at Immaculate Heart of
Mary Parish in the town of Groom. The Diocese’s
Respect Life Ministry organized the event, which
drew a crowd of 125 teens, along with many adult
sponsors. This was the fourth year the event has
been held, and this is the largest crowd they’ve
ever had!
After opening remarks by Respect Life Ministry
Director Stephanie Frausto, I gave my “Making
the Case for Life” presentation.
After lunch, I conducted a Pro-Life Protest Sign
Workshop. To do this, I first I presented several
examples of effective, well made protest signs—as
well as several examples of ineffective signs— and
explained why they were so.
The teens were then divided into smaller groups
and given posterboard, markers, and a specific
protest scenario—for example: “A benefit dinner is
being held at a fancy hotel in Amarillo to raise
money for Planned Parenthood”—and their job
was to create a sign that could be used at a picket
of the event. Each of the groups put an impressive
effort into their signs.
The last presentation I gave addressed how to
start a pro-life club using our Pro-Life Curriculum.
All the talks I gave were very well received.
Rape Victim’s Moving Story
After dinner, a woman named Edel Carrick
shared her very moving testimony about the decision she faced in 2004 when she was raped and
became pregnant with her now six-year-old son
Zachary.
Edel’s talk set the tone perfectly for the evening.
Afterward, everyone went next door to the church
for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Several
priests were also present, and every participant
went to confession.
On Sunday, Bishop Patrick Zurek celebrated
Mass, and then the group walked to the town’s
200-foot-tall Cross, where the bishop led a prayer
service, followed by a concert by Edel.
By all accounts, both the Brownsville Pro-Life
Conference and the Amarillo Lock In for Life were
tremendously successful, and I was honored to be a
part of both events.
A Pictur e Is Wor th 10,000 Words.
6
Pro-Life Action News
06-16
Face the Truth Day in the near
north suburbs of Chicago
07-01
Photo by Sam Scheidler
08-10
Face the Truth Day in abortion
hotbed of Rockford, Illinois
Photo by Sam Scheidler
Joe’s Hat a Big Hit in Baltimore
Continued from page 4
ored to spend July 29 and 30 there at the invitation of Daniel Anguis of LifeGuard and Keith
Mason, a Denver activist.
I joined 100 pro-lifers in front of Mercy Regional
Hospital where abortionist Richard Grossman is on
staff. Speakers included Fr. Joseph Fessio of
Ignatius Press and Walter Hoye, who spent time in
jail for simply offering help to abortion-bound
women outside an abortion clinic in Oakland,
California, as well as a number of local pro-lifers.
We encouraged the “Catholic” hospital, run by
the Sisters of Mercy, to drop Grossman from their
staff. Grossman is an abortionist for Planned
Parenthood, and a rabid anti-Catholic who mocks
Catholic sexual morality and says that there are too
many people on earth and that it is his Christian
duty to get rid of some.
In my talk I stressed that the hospital administration is guilty for having an active abortionist on
staff, and that it is a grave evil to allow him to
work there. The hospital says it is complying with
Church law. But I pointed out the Catholic
Bishops’ statement that “Catholic health care institutions need to be concerned about the danger of
scandal in any association with abortion providers.”
Pro-lifers are boycotting the hospital.
During the picket I rode around the hospital in a
truck with graphic abortion signs facing the building. A hospital guard ordered us off the property.
The protest made page one in the Durango Herald.
Crawfordsville Story Inspires
I was delighted when Patti Harvey of
Crawfordsville, Indiana, called to ask me to speak
at the annual fundraising banquet for the Women’s
Resource Center. One of my favorite nephews lives
in Crawfordsville, so it was an opportunity to visit
some family at the same time.
The banquet was well attended, with over 300
guests. A young woman who had come to the
Women’s Resource Center for assistance testified
about her unplanned pregnancy as a teenager and
the difficult choice she made to place her baby for
adoption. Her story was heartrending as well as
heartwarming.
When Patti Harvey got up to give her pitch for
donations to the center, she announced that she
Fall 2010
Eric Scheidler visits Priests for
Life headquarters in New York
08-03
Photo by Priests for Life Staff
09-01
League Awarded grant by the
Chicago branch of the CCHD
Photo by Matt Yonke
had had a whole speech ready to go, including a
PowerPoint presentation, but she had decided to
share an incident from that very morning with us
instead. As she was rushing around making final
arrangements for the evening’s banquet, she got a
call at the center from a pregnant woman.
That call changed her day. The woman said she
already had four children and couldn’t manage
another. As Patty talked with her, the phone went
dead. She didn’t know if the woman had hung up
or what—and she did not have the woman’s phone
number. A minute later, the woman called back
saying her cell connection had dropped. She said
she was willing to come to the Center and keep
Photo by Rob McQuay
Steve Peroutka dons Joe Scheidler’s world-famous hat during a comical song
presented at the Pro-Life Appreciation Dinner in Baltimore, MD, Oct.28
talking to Patti, but couldn’t afford the gas. So
Patti offered to pay to fill her gas tank. The woman
did come—an hour-and-a-half drive—along with
her twin sister who was post-abortive. After
lengthy conversations, a life was saved and the
twin sister was on the road to healing. What a
story!
Though I have heard countless stories like this
one during my thirty-eight years in the pro-life
battle, I’m always ready to hear one more. Such
stories confirm the goodness and dedication of the
people involved in the pro-life movement. It has
always been my privilege to meet the greatest people on earth everywhere I go to speak, protest or
strategize.
“Bubble Zone” charges dropped
against activist Joe Holland
Screenshot from FoxNews.com
10-23
League display at Matthew Kelly
retreat in Mundelein, Illinois
Photo by Ann Scheidler
Joe’s Hat Featured at Baltimore Banquet
My good friend and a great pro-lifer, Steve
Peroutka, asked me and a chunk of my family to
join him for his annual Pro-Life Appreciation
Dinner in Baltimore, Maryland on Oct. 28. So
fourteen of us boarded a United Airlines flight and
headed to the lovely city on Chesapeake Bay. The
Appreciation Dinner is always one of the most
enjoyable pro-life events I attend, but this year was
especially entertaining.
Steve asked me to do a special tribute to Dr.
Mildred Jefferson, one of my favorite people, who
had died just a few weeks earlier. He had put
together a short video on Dr. Jefferson which pretty much covered everything I had planned to say in
my tribute. But I was honored to have the opportunity to add my few words to the adulation for
Mildred—a true hero and a true lady.
Following the presentation of awards to outstanding pro-lifers, Steve and his brother Michael
launched into a song routine asking why their pictures had never appeared on the cover of Defend
Life, the publication of Jack Ames’ Defend Life
organization. With Michael on guitar and the pair
singing in a comical style reminiscent of the
Smothers Brothers, each verse listed their many
connections in the pro-life movement—somehow
not enough to get them on the cover of Defend Life.
Steve had borrowed my hat earlier in the evening
and donned it in verse three, singing, “Joe
Scheidler is a buddy; He even lets me wear his
hat.” It brought down the house.
The family and I stayed an extra day in
Baltimore to visit Babe Ruth’s Birthplace and
Museum and Fort McHenry. We also had a chance
to attend Mass at the Basilica of the Assumption,
America’s first Cathedral, which also happens to be
featured in the stained glass windows of the
Baptistery in my home parish of Queen of All
Saints in Chicago, in a pictorial history of the
Catholic Church in America. Designed by
Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the same architect who
fashioned the United States Capitol, Assumption
Basilica has been beautifully restored to its original
1806 grandeur.
Fall 2010
Pro-Life Action News
7
Letters to the Editor
Dear Eric,
Thank you for inviting me to be a part of the
“Abortion Is Nothing To Celebrate” Rally in Cedar
Rapids, Iowa, on May 20.
As a new coordinator for Silent No More
Awareness this was my very first public speaking
event. I was fearful and apprehensive before the
event because I am the 5th generation from the
Cedar Rapids area, and I was very frightened of the
reaction from those who had no idea of my abortion.
I must say that my testimony was well received,
and that by the Graces of God, I have been thrown
into the pro-life movement faster than my feet can
run. I was recently elected to Coalition for Life of
Iowa as a board member and a few weeks ago my
husband and I volunteered at the Iowans for
L.I.F.E booth at the State Fair collecting signatures
to present to our legislature to help overturn abortion in Iowa and one day the United States of
America!
I want to give you a heartfelt THANK YOU!
Without being included in the event this spring
I’m not sure where my heart would be right now. I
thank God for what you have the heart to do, and
for those you surround yourself with that take up
the burden of protecting the unborn!
Jennifer Minney
Regional Coordinator
Silent No More Awareness
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Dear Mr. Jansen,
Thanks again for all of your help in putting
together my speech. I received an A, and I felt very
confident when presenting.
I actually spoke with my professor before giving
the speech, and she asked me to limit certain
aspects of it. For example, I passed a folder around
the classroom with some of the images that you use
during the Face the Truth Tours. I told the class
that the League warns people of these images when
they are on the side of the road so that they can
avoid them if they want to.
Therefore, I told them they had the same option,
and if they didn’t want to see these images they
could pass the folder to the next person.
When I spoke with my professor beforehand she
asked me to use the least graphic images, even
though I was going to tell my classmates they did
not have to see them if they didn’t want to.
My professor continued to be very critical of my
topic, and she finally told me that she is pro-choice.
While the speeches had to remain informative, she
was afraid that by informing them about the ProLife Action League I would influence my classmates to lean toward pro-life.
I told her I would be very careful to make sure
my classmates were aware that they could form
their own opinions about the League and abortion.
However, they could not possibly form their own
opinions without knowing some of the information
I presented to them.
As I listened to my classmates’ speeches, I realized that many of them were far less restricted in
what they could present than I was. I am very
happy with how my speech went, but I thought
you would be interested to hear about this conversation with my professor. I believe I was more
restricted than my classmates simply because her
views opposed those of the organization that I was
researching.
Once again, thanks for all of your help. Good luck
with continuing to spread the pro-life message.
Sincerely,
Tori
Peoria, Illinois
Dear Corrina,
Thank you very much for the information! I am
looking forward to getting a head start on sidewalk
counseling and to get the experience of protesting
outside of an abortion clinic. I haven’t had the opportunity to do so yet, so this is very exciting for me.
It’s nice to hear that I don’t need to have formal
schooling and a degree to be a sidewalk counselor,
which takes a lot of weight off my plate. I’m glad
to hear of the training program and I can’t wait to
get into one!
Thank you again for all your help! Everyone has
reached out to me and is helping me to become a
better person in this fight to end abortion!
May God Bless You,
Esther
Elmhurst, Illinois
Dear Ann, Joe, Eric, and the whole PLAL gang,
To say thank you for the signs hardly seems adequate in expressing our gratitude for all you’ve
done to get Northwest Families for Life up and
running. Your dedication for Life is seen in everything you do.
But what is also clear now that we know you is
that you’re easy-going, quick-to-smile, normal
people. Of course, you’ll always be rock stars to us,
but you’re rock stars we feel blessed to know!
Thank you for the signs. Lives will be saved
thanks to you. God bless each of you.
Maria Goldstein & Laura Vandercar
Northwest Families for Life
Des Plaines, Illinois
40 Days for Life Just the Beginning
Scenes from the 40 Days for Life vigil at Albany Medical-Surgical Center abortuary in Chicago, Sept. 23 through Oct. 31
by Corrina Gura
For the third year in a row, Chicago’s 40 Days
for Life campaign kicked off with a candlelight
vigil outside Albany Medical-Surgical Center on
Chicago’s northwest side, a wonderful beginning
to this special period of prayer and fasting for an
end to abortion.
Singles for Family and Life led the group in a
hymn service arranged by Lou Coson, which
included both contemporary pieces and old
favorites like the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
Then Fr. Stephen Lesniewski, an active sidewalk
counselor who has saved many babies over the
years, led us in prayer. Halfway through, Father
Steve knelt down on the cement, leading the
Chaplet of Divine Mercy as the 100 participants
took their candles and placed them all around the
perimeter of the clinic.
Clinic “Defense” Backfires
In early October the League received an email
that a group of pro-abortion activists were planning to “defend” Albany that Saturday from the
40 Days campaign. Shortly after I arrived that
morning, the police appeared. I walked around
the corner to investigate and overheard a
woman—who turned out to be one of the
“defenders”—say to her friend, “They’re supposed
to stand 1,000 feet away from the entrance, aren’t
they? I called the police on them.”
The woman was referring to the Chicago
Bubble Zone, passed in November 2009, which
applies within 50 feet of a clinic entrance, not
1,000. I conferred with the sidewalk counselors
standing by the door and they said a police officer had said something that sounded like he
agreed with the 1,000-foot bubble before walking into the clinic. But when he came out, he
only reminded pro-lifers not to block the
entrances.
The attempt to “defend” the clinic was a ludicrous failure. Not only were most of the 40 Days
for Life group merely sitting on the parkway
praying and not interacting with clients, but the
“clinic defense” action seems only to drive clients
away, likely because they don’t want to get in the
middle of what appears to be an ongoing conflict.
Photos by Corrina Gura
Greek Orthodox Involvement
On a Thursday morning about midway
through the 40 days, a young Greek Orthodox
Christian named Andrew showed up. He had
found out about 40 Days from an Orthodox
priest out in Virginia, Fr. Demitri Carellas. Fr.
Carellas had been a pastor in Chicago in the early
1970’s and regularly came out to pray at an abortion clinic, where he met Joe Scheidler. They
became good friends and Joe spoke at Father’s
church. “Father Jim,” as Joe called him, moved to
the east coast and now travels the country giving
retreats. In an e-mail blast he recommended getting involved in 40 Days, and Andrew took his
advice, hunting down the Chicago location at the
40 Days website.
The following Thursday Andrew joined the
vigil again, and learned about an incident that
had just happened a few minutes before. A
woman drove up and told a prayer warrior that
she had come to Albany for an abortion 22 years
before. A sidewalk counselor had intervened on
that day and she changed her mind. Now that
daughter was about to present her with her first
grandchild.
That story helped inspire Andrew to continue
praying and counseling weekly at Albany. He has
recognized that he has a responsibility to pray for
and love both the women who think abortion is
the answer and their endangered unborn babies.
A Lovely Closing Ceremony
Two dedicated volunteers, Rich and Judith,
organized a lovely closing ceremony. Another volunteer, Barb, invited her priest, Fr. Paul Kalchik,
who led us in the Rosary beside the clinic. The
vigil closed with Benediction in front of the
Blessed Sacrament in the chapel of the pregnancy center just down the street from Albany.
The entire vigil went very smoothly, with the
day captains really doing a great job to cover all
the hours. But the real success of the vigil will be
shown in how many of those who participated
make a resolution—like Andrew did—to join the
ongoing, year-round effort to save babies through
prayer and compassionate counseling at Albany
abortion center.
8
Pro-Life Action News
Fall 2010
Battle with Planned Parenthood Continues at “Ground Zero”
In 2007, Planned Parenthood built their notorious “Abortion Fortress” in Aurora, Illinois, sparking such controversy that the city earned the title
of “Ground Zero” in the abortion battle from prolife and pro-choice leaders alike. The fight to shut
down this monstrous abortuary continues to this
day on many fronts, under the leadership of the
Pro-Life Action League.
Zoning Case Gets New Judge
A zoning lawsuit that could ultimately shut
down the Abortion Fortress is now working its way
through state court. In May, Judge Neal Cerne
ordered that the court review the entire dubious
process by which Planned Parenthood gained city
approval while concealing their identity and
deceiving city officials.
But in August a new judge, Thomas Dudgeon,
was assigned to the case, causing delay. A case
management hearing has been set for December 3,
after which it is hoped the review long sought by
area residents will be conducted, and Planned
Parenthood held fully accountable for deceiving
the community.
Settlement Meeting with Aurora
The Settlement Agreement signed this spring
between pro-life advocates and the City of Aurora
to safeguard pro-lifers’ civil rights is finally in full
force, with the first of its required quarterly meetings held September 17. The League’s Eric
Scheidler and Matt Yonke met with Aurora police
Commander Kristen Ziman, Lieutenant Nick
Coronado, Sergeant Jeffrey Tate and the mayor’s
chief of staff, Bill Wiet.
City representatives seemed genuinely concerned
about respecting the rights of protesters, and
described their nascent efforts to train police. Since
the meeting, incidents of police interference with
pro-life witness have decreased noticeably.
However, the City has not as yet amended offending parts of the city code as required by the
Settlement, an issue Eric and Matt will raise at the
next meeting, December 17.
Aurora Mulls Free Speech Restrictions
No sooner was the ink dry on the Settlement
Agreement than the City of Aurora launched a
fresh assault on First Amendment rights of its citizens. They’re considering changes to the city’s peddling ordinance that would require citizens get a
permit 30 days before distributing printed materials of any kind or face a $150 fine.
Photo by Sam Scheidler
Pro-lifers pray on Planned Parenthood’s 3rd anniversary in Aurora
Ostensibly intended to address litter problems
caused by free newspapers and advertising circulars,
the new law would severely limit constitutionally
protected activity like voter registrations drives or
the kind of door-to-door canvassing undertaken by
the League in the fight against Planned Parenthood.
The League’s Eric Scheidler, an Aurora resident,
has strongly opposed the new law, speaking out at
public hearings August 3 and October 19. Outcry
from newspaper companies, local businesses and
community groups seems to have put the brakes
on the measure for now, but Eric is keeping a close
eye on developments and will be ready to stop the
measure in court if the City is foolish enough to
pass it into law.
Scheidler v. Trombley Libel Suit
So far, the Illinois Supreme Court has twice
refused to take Eric Scheidler’s appeal in his
Scheidler v. Trombley libel suit, filed three years ago
in response to then-CEO of Planned Parenthood of
Illinois Steve Trombley’s claim, made in letters to
the Aurora City Council and fullpage newspaper
ads, that the Pro-Life Action League has “a welldocumented history of advocating violence.”
In a bizarre twist that could only happen in an
abortion-related case, Planned Parenthood sought
protection from Eric’s libel claims under Illinois’
Citizen Participation Act (CPA), designed to protect grassroots activists from being silenced by the
threat of groundless but cripplingly expensive lawsuits. Turning this law upside-down, Planned
Parenthood lawyers convinced the trial judge that
because Trombley was seeking government
actions, he was immune from libel charges.
Four of Eric’s six libel and slander counts against
Trombley were dismissed and Planned Parenthood
is seeking payment of attorneys’ fees. They originally demanded over $317,000, but someone close
to their legal team has indicated they’ll be asking
for over $1,000,000 at the next hearing.
League attorneys suspect the Illinois Supreme
Court was reluctant to take Eric’s appeal while two
remaining counts remain to be litigated in court.
However, they are confident that the high court
will ultimately take the case and decide in Eric’s
favor, since rulings by other state courts directly
contradict the logic of the ruling in Eric’s case.
Other judges are ruling that the CPA is meant
merely to screen out obviously frivolous lawsuits,
not to gut Illinois’ libel laws.
Abortion Fortress 3rd Anniversary Vigil
Pro-Life resistance has continued at the Abortion
Fortress of Aurora since it opened three years ago,
with sidewalk counselors and prayer partners
active throughout the week and protests held the
third Saturday of every month.
To mark the third anniversary of the dark day
when the center opened, the League hosted a 24hour vigil from noon to noon, October 1-2, including a candlelight prayer service led by Pastor Jeff
Moore of First Presbyterian Church of Aurora.
Seventy pro-lifers attended the moving service,
recommitting themselves to shutting down the
Abortion Fortress of Aurora once and for all.
Pro-Abort Politicians Cross Picket Line to Support Personal PAC
by Eric Scheidler
On October 18, a group of 20 pro-life stalwarts
faced chilly autumn winds outside the Hilton and
Towers on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue to protest
an awards luncheon hosted by the radical proabortion lobbying group, Personal PAC. I arrived
on the scene about a half hour before the protest’s
scheduled start time of 10:30 a.m. to find another
picket already in progress, which made for an
interesting event.
Housekeepers at the hotel were on strike,
demanding a contract, and dozens of them and
their supporters picketed outside each of the
hotel’s four entrances, banging pots and pans and
chanting slogans through megaphones.
A Clash of Liberal Causes
The Personal PAC luncheon went ahead as
scheduled, despite the labor picket going on outside, a cause for which the liberal supporters of
Personal PAC might have been expected to have
some sympathy.
In fact, labor organizers were aware of the luncheon and had a list of Democratic politicians expected to attend, including state legislators and
Chicago aldermen. The strikers were prepared at
all four entrances to take pictures of the politicians
crossing the picket line for the luncheon. One of
Photo by Sam Scheidler
League protesters Ann Scheidler and Alan Nelles at the north entrance to the
Chicago Hilton, where many Personal PAC supporters entered
them gave a copy of the list to the League’s John
Jansen and asked him to help identify the pols.
The labor picketers seemed to appreciate our
mission. One of them crossed Michigan Avenue to
find out what we were protesting for, and when I
told her, she said, “We got your back.”
Abortion Boosters Face the Truth
Because of the dominating presence of the labor
picketers, as well as some obstructing scaffolding
next to main entrance, our pro-life group moved
across the street to the east side of Michigan, where
our signs would be much more visible.
On the sidewalk, I gave a brief talk—caught on
video by my son Sam and posted on YouTube—
about why we were picketing. As the most powerful pro-abortion political action committee (PAC)
in Illinois, Personal PAC has helped scores of proabortion candidates gain office and consistently
pushes pro-abortion legislation in Springfield,
including the “Illinois FOCA” bill the League has
helped defeat in each of the past three years.
After my talk, I sent a detachment of a half
dozen pro-lifers over to the hotel’s north entrance,
where cars drive into the parking lot. Many luncheon attendees both on foot and in cars saw the
large graphic signs showing exactly what they’re
supporting by donating to Personal PAC, as well as
our signs reading PERSONAL PAC = ABORTION
and STOP ABORTION NOW.
The League’s Ann Scheidler entered the Hilton
twice to do reconnaissance on the Personal PAC
luncheon, verifying that the labor picket did not
seem to be dampening attendance. Actress
Olympia Dukakis, cousin of failed 1988
Democratic presidential nominee Michael
Dukakis, was the headline speaker at the event.
Through events like this luncheon, abortion supporters hope to legitimize the activities of extremist pro-abortion groups like Personal PAC. It’s a
privilege to expose the abortion lobby’s true agenda through this kind of hard-hitting public protest.