31st December 2020
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A look back at the highs and lows of 2020 ()
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Well worth watching!
As we enter the New Year, Wendy Grace recalls the highs and lows for the pro-life movement over the past twelve months and outlines where real progress can be made in 2021.

After you have watched the video above, read more about pro-life achievements during 2020 below.

Happy New Year to all our supporters.
Looking forward to working with you in 2021!

2020 has been a very challenging year. But even in these difficult times, there have been some bright spots. Here, we want to remind you of some of the top pro-life moments from 2020, from Ireland and abroad.

Pro-life politicians re-elected

During the 2020 Irish General Election, every single one of the 15 TDs who voted against the 2018 abortion legislation in the Dáil kept their seats. This was a stunning victory for pro-life advocates, many of whom canvassed for these politicians during the campaign trail. In addition to the pro-life stalwarts who were re-elected by the people of Ireland, some new pro-life TDs also joined their ranks.

In contrast, some of the TDs who most fervently pushed for the repeal of the 8th Amendment lost their seats - Kate O'Connell, Ruth Coppinger, Katherine Zappone, Lisa Chambers, and Senator Catherine Noone too.
It wasn't just Ireland that celebrated the election of pro-life politicians - 16 new pro-life women were elected to the US House of Representative last month. With principled pro-life politicians speaking up for the unborn and their mothers, real progress can be made in 2021.

Pro-life activists continued to make their voices heard in Ireland

At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Minister for Health Simon Harris introduced telemedicine abortions (where GPs prescribe abortion pills without physically examining the patient). Pro-life activists were stunned at the hypocrisy of this, given that a major argument in favour of Repealing the 8th Amendment was that we needed to prevent women from taking abortion pills alone at home.

In response to this dangerous development, over 12,000 emails were sent to TDs from pro-life activists from every county in Ireland asking for the Minister for Health to immediately stop telemedicine abortions. Already this year in Britain, a number of women have died from taking abortion pills alone at home, through a similar telemedicine scheme there.
Well done to the thousands of pro-life activists who made their voices heard on this issue.

Lives saved by law

Following a Parliamentary Question ([link removed]) from Carol Nolan TD, it was confirmed in September this year that the 3 day waiting period before an abortion can take place in Ireland has very likely saved the lives of over 800 babies.
Responding to the question, the Department of Health confirmed that 7,536 initial consultations about having an abortion were carried out in 2019 by GPs and ‘family planning’ clinics. However the actual number of abortions that took place was 6,666. This meant that 870 women ultimately didn’t go through with the abortion.

This small but life-saving part of the 2018 legislation must be defended when the Act is reviewed next year.

Help offered to new mums around Ireland.

2020 saw a dramatic increase in the number of women availing of the services of Community Connect. Over 350 clients have accessed the practical assistance offered by volunteers and supporters.
Without the hard work of pro-life activists collecting and delivering donations, helping at the hubs, knitting, donating financially and spreading the word about their work, they would not be able to help the mothers and babies who they are assisting every single week. See more on www.communityconnect.ie

The ableism of abortion for disabilities was exposed.

In the UK, abortion is still legal up until birth for unborn children with disabilities. Fiona Bruce MP introduced a Private Members Bill to highlight this injustice and ban abortion on the basis of club foot and cleft palette. It has received surprisingly widecross party support ([link removed]) .
Additionally in the UK in 2020, a landmarklegal challenge ([link removed]) commenced in the High Court, challenging the availability of abortion for babies with Down Syndrome. Well known disability rights advocate Heidi Crowter is one of the plaintiffs bringing the challenge.

Around the world the availability of abortions on the basis of disability has been criticised. The Polish Constitutional Tribunal declared such abortions unconstitutional, and in the USA, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appealspermitted ([link removed]) a ban on abortions for unborn babies with Down Syndrome to go into effect.

All these results have come about as a result of years of pro-life work highlighting the egregious injustice of abortions on the basis of disabilities.

The racist origins of Planned Parenthood and Marie Stopes were finally acknowledged

The abortion chain Marie Stopes International announced that it is changing its name, in what is a clear attempt to distance itself from its founder’s racist and eugenic beliefs.
In addition to all the babies whose lives have been ended by Marie Stopes International, women undergoing abortions at its facilities have also died during the procedure, including a woman from Ireland in 2012.

It was widely reported across the world this year that the New York branch of Planned Parenthood (the largest abortion provider in America) accepted that their founder was a leading promoter of eugenics and racist practices.

The New York Times reported ([link removed]) that as recently as 2016, Planned Parenthood had publicly defended Margaret Sanger, their founder, despite her strong support for the eugenics movement being widely known for decades. In 1921 Sanger wrote that ([link removed]) “the most urgent problem today is how to limit and discourage the over-fertility of the mentally and physically defective.”

However, a simple name change from Marie Stope and Planned Parenthood will not erase the legacy of destruction and killing that the organisation has perpetrated on the world for generations.
After years of campaigning from pro-life advocates, it was encouraging to see the world listening to the truth about the organisation's foundations.

The Northern Ireland Assembly symbolically rejected the Westminster imposed abortion legislation

In 2020 the laws on abortion in Northern Ireland were changed, from Westminster. But in a symbolic act of defiance, the MLAs in the NI Assembly in a cross-party vote rejected the availability of abortion up until birth for non-lethal disabilities.
The influence of disability campaigner Heidi Crowter was felt, as her open letter to MLAs before the vote was published in the Belfast Telegraph.

It is hoped in 2021 that pro-life advocates in Northern Ireland will continue to make their voices hear, and restore the right to life to unborn children there. The Cross party vote at Stormont is certainly a good start.
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Welcome to Vital Signs, the regular email newsletter from the Pro Life Campaign. We aim to provide news, current information and resources via this e-letter and our website www.prolifecampaign.ie. We welcome your feedback and value your opinions. Please email us at [email protected] with your comments and suggestions. Thank you.

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