This is so correct and I wondered if I was the only one who was seeing this. I witnessed an ugly argument on a blog this week about the semantics of the right-to-life movement. Are we anti-abortion, are we pro-life? Does one name dilute the movement while another strengthens it? Is one term trying to distance itself from Catholics? And in the end, does it matter? Do we all need to get so butt-hurt because our way is not someone else’s? Because do we know how effective ours is vs theirs? Put your resources where you believe they will be best served and let others do the same. We are foot-soldiers, we are required to fight the good fight with the weapons we have, not take weapons from others fighting the same fight or force them to use ours.

That’s a consoling thought. One summer I worked at a pro-life law firm, and I had this amazing boss, Tom Brejcha, who had spent years with sporadic salaries while he fought the NOW v. Scheidler case (arguably the most important pro-life win in the courts). He was humble and funny, and somehow could be surrounded by the horror of abortion and still filled with hope. He never talked about winning as a sure thing or seemed angry. He even cautioned the staff to not demonize the female attorney, Fay Clayton, representing NOW, that was bankrupting so many innocent people with fraudulent RICO charges because he said that “while she is misguided in the use of her gifts, it is an excellent thing to have women lawyers carrying big cases these days. You don’t know what it’s taken for her to be there.” Just generous-hearted.

I remember struggling with the magnitude of the horror before me, and I finally realized that no amount of organization was going to do the trick. Everyone had to keep doing their part, but we were really going to need divine intervention to combat something this evil.

Don’t even let me describe the book “Lime 5” that I was told to read. All about the truly graphic horror stories told by post-abortive women, nurses, etc. You. Cannot. Believe. What. People. Can. Do. To. Babies.

this reminds me of a story i once read. In short, God tells a man to push on a giant rock. The man pushes and pushes, for years he labors pushing and in the end is angry that his whole life he spent pushing a rock and it never once moved, and all along the way people told him how foolish he was for trying. God told the man, “look at you. your body is muscular from the force exerted. Your hands are strong, your arms, your back. I didn’t ask you to move the rock, only to push obediently. Now, I will move the rock for you.”
http://owen.sj.ca.us/rkowen/LDS/stories/pushrock.html

Amen (as usual), Simcha!  Different times & occasions call for different tools.  Our local pro-life group has started using graphic signs only on abortion days (Wednesdays), and then only when the girls and women are arriving to get an abortion (8-10 am).  We resorted to graphic images because, due to the layout of the abortion facility and the distance between the nearest public sidewalk and the place where the girls park and go into the building, there’s no way we can even shout to them and be heard, and we can’t hand them any literature unless they are willing to stop and roll down their window as they are pulling into the parking lot from the street.  Our graphic signs are a last-ditch effort to get them to realize the seriousness of what they are about to do, and the signs have been known to change people’s hearts and minds.  But we hate having to use them, and of course, people passing on the street hate having to see them….

I remember thinking about this exact thing when reading those verses. This coming Sunday’s second reading continues in the same vein (1 Cor 12:12-30), and this part in particular stuck out to me:
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But as it is, God placed the parts,
each one of them, in the body as he intended.
If they were all one part, where would the body be?
But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you, “
nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.”
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We all have our parts to fulfill, and our concern should be less with what other people’s roles are and more with making sure we’re doing ours to the best of our ability.
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Thanks for a great article, Simcha.

Amen to this.  Thank you.  This pretty much sums up my entire approach to life in general.  I *try* not to worry about the outcome. Faithfulness is all He asks of us.—Mother Teresa didn’t wipe out poverty in Calcutta—We are all in God’s hands.  He has our hairs counted. He could stop abortion in a lightening flash if He wanted to.  I’m committed to trying my best, and rectifying my intention when my poor dumb humanity gets in the way of this.
God is a loving Father.

Well said!  As Fr. Pavone said outside the Notre Dame commencement (paraphrase):  The pro-life movement doesn’t need more members; the members just need to take more risk.

I think another reason that many people are pro-choice is because they misunderstand the pro-life movement.
They think pro-lifers are a bunch of silly, narrow-minded people who romanticize motherhood, and think that just because they love babies, everyone else should be expected to keep and raise them. This is clearly not true, but the idea still prevails that pro-lifers don’t understand the real problems of most real women.
It’s not all the fault of the pro-life movement that this idea prevails about them, but one thing it might serve them well to do is emphasize that carrying a child to term is not a rosy, perfect solution - that most of these mothers are going to have problems either way and refraining from aborting is (in most cases) the lesser of two unfortunate options. I once saw a pro-choice article that referred to mothers not aborting and keeping their babies as “a pro-lifers dream”. If pro-lifers put more emphasis on the option of adoption, and framed abortion more as a human rights issue than a “how can you kill a sweet baby” issue (valuable as emotional appeals sometimes are), then maybe they would be better understood.

As a Christian, I see Christ as the de facto leader in all that is good, but I’ve also observed folk of other faiths at the March for Life who might hold differing viewpoints.
(Just checking at news sources online & once more, there’s little to no coverage of the March.)

The Church functions much the same way the pro-life movement functions: each follows the general guidelines while performing Christian tasks based on his/her talents. And when you have a “hydra,” so to speak, a wide spread shot is better than putting all our effort into one big shot that may not do anything. The bigger the explosion, the easier for the bad guy to hide.

Thank you for this.  My first real encounter with abortion was through a friend.  A woman who had been abused, who had sought help again and again and been turned away.  When she got pregnant she was afraid, afraid that she would be turned out on the street with nowhere to go.  How could anyone tell a young woman that had not been loved and supported before, that there were people who would support her now?  Or that she would be safe, in a world that had so many times sent her back to an abuser because they had nowhere else for her to go?

Although I agree with everything Simcha said I think the most important reason pro-lifers can’t all be working on the same front is that we are all different with our own unique talents and strengths as well as weaknesses.  We have individual PERSONALITIES. I know I am good at certain things and not good at other things.  Some people with assertive or outgoing personalities may be geared towards rallies and sidewalk counseling.  Some people with gentle nurturing personalities do well at crisis pregnancy counseling.  Others have an interest in politics and do grassroots or direct lobbying for pro-life legislation.  Some are natural teachers and work the education end.  Many do a combination of these (like myself).  Some due to family obligations, health problems or other factors some can only pray.  But you can’t tell someone else what they should be doing.  Since God made us all different I hardly think He expects us all to somehow reach a consensus on which is the most effective form of pro-life work and we should all just do that one thing.

anna lisa..LOVE your post…thank you for your words of wisdom

There was a reference to this particular blog in a recent Washington Post article.

In the end, we need to transform the culture, something that happens only a little bit at a time…

Re mighty-mighty, amen to the line you used that, in the end, only “divine intervention” will put a stop to something this evil, murder of preborn innocents. Couldn’t agree with you more.
Which leads me to my next thought, very controversial in some quarters. Is it possible that this evil person sitting in the HIGHEST OFFICE in our land could be the antichrist? But if not THE antichrist, perhaps AN antichrist, ala Hitler, Stalin or Mao? Just ptting the question out there, pace all of you easily scandalized Catholics taking offense and eye-rolling. After all, Obama is not just pro-abortion, he’s INTENSELY, FANATICALLY anti-unborn humans who are concieved largely through adultery and fornication. Just think about it. And being so loudly “PROGRESSIVE,” dooesn’t he and his ilk subscribe to the notion that his “progress” is measured by the height of the stack of discarded Judeo-Christian moral standards? Just asking. GOD BLESS ALL, MARKRITE

As kind of a follow-up to what I recently posted, can anyone out there tell me why Catholics as the largest religious denomination in the U.S. are not more interested in getting this vile impostor in the W.H. out of office through IMPEACHMENT? When a President is THIS egregious in just about EVERYTHING he says and does, from his notorious stance on abortion killing right on through his noxious foreign policy, the Constitution prescribes the remedy: IMPEACH HIM! Once again, just asking. GOOD BLESS AND PROTECT US ALL, MARKRITE

My coverage in photos of the 40th Annual March For Life.

http://stblogustine.blogspot.com/2013/01/40th-annual-march-for-life-pictures-and.html

@markrite, the problem with “the largest religious denomination” is that not all of them agree with Church teachings on contraception, abortion, etc., so the nominal Catholics like Pelosi, Biden, et al. claim that “their Catholic faith supports their (wholly erroneous) beliefs on these matters.”. Which is why education, proper catechesis, evangelization are needed more than ever. We no longer live in times when the meaning of morality and right vs. wrong were generally agreed upon by the majority. We have lost our moral compass, hence the confusion (to put itmildly) now out there, and tending to dominate the atmosphere.

the problem with “the largest religious denomination” is that not all of them agree with Church teachings on contraception, abortion

And there are plenty of people staunchly against abortion and contraception, but think an impeachment process is a complete waste of time and is about as reasonable as the People’s Front of Judea kidnapping Pilate’s wife and demanding he dismantle the entire apparatus of the Roman imperialist state in two days.

You imply the laser-like, guided missile approach is not one we should follow.  But, rather, keep doing what we are doing, i.e., the disorganized, leaderless, grassroots approach.  Though I don’t disagree with your conclusion, I am bothered at how the same-sex-marriage crowd, the pro-abortion-choice crowd, and other similar groups have been able to highly focused approach (laser-like guided missile) to secure their agendas.  They target a small number of localities, or states, or individual legislators/legislatures, or judicial jurisdictions, or industries, or…., and mass their forces until victorious in whole or even in part.  Why can we not do that?

I just read the linked article (“don’t care that fetuses are babies”) in paragraph 7.  Wow, that woman is truly messed up.

Simcha you are afirming: “There is no one single reason women go through that door”

After thinking a lot why my mother aborted all my sybllings whilemy father had NO attitude towads this horror, the only explanation I could find was this: our family was not a practicing Christian family, God was not heard and really respected by my parrents. Only GODs’ absence in the hearts and minds of my parrents made possible for death to be so present in our lives.

And PLEASE do not name “clinics” the abortion chambers.  It is an insult to pro-life medical personnel.

My Mother, who had 8 children of her own, was a March for Life regular - like 20 years.  In her last year, she insisted on going out in the cold January wind despite failing health.  On the way back from DC, the bus lurched and she took a wicked bruise to her upper body, already emaciated from multiple surgeries.  That was really the beginning of her long walk home.  My mom was the person who taught me about respect for life, although at the time she got very little respect for it.  And after she died, I’m sure she’s responsible with her prayers and intercession for my long walk back from the dead.  St. Marjorie pray for us!

I looked at my previous post, and discovered a shocking omission.  My mother was a hero, but my father was a mensch.  As I grow older, I appreciate his immensity more and more.

I, as the oldest, growing up in the turbulent early 70’s, carved a road or series of roads in his forehead.  I remember showing up in his hospital room and looking at the monitor.  The lines were spelling out my name.  He tried to give me three cars, but the way I drove he couldn’t let me keep them.

I ended up the wreck he had admonished me about.  I outdid his expectations.  But through every step of my long journey back, he was there with solace and support.

I’m 55 now, and if I live to be a million, I’ll never be half the man as my dad.  He’s the one who bankrolled my mother’s prolife commitment: in blood sweat and tears; lawyers guns and money.

Thanks dad, you’re the best!

Finally, I must admit that despite the good efforts and intentions of these two, I have not been the defender of life that was expected and even warranted.  I have been a poor ally to the unborn and innocent.  If anything, I have abetted pro abortion mayhem by my speech and actions.  How could this be?

St. Paul’s list of charisms unfortunately fails to list my particular one: son.  As a son, I am a perpetual learner, a reckless experimenter, irresponsible and careless.  I am completely dependent, not in possession of my rights, an heir apparent.  I am a dabbler, I flit from thing to thing, most likely I don’t even have a steady job.  I am likely to be swept away by emotions, caught up in a moment and abandoned.  I have no real sense of time or effort involved.  I am unrealistic, romantic, tilting at windmills, chimerical, sweet.

However, as a son I am most devoted to that kindest and sweetest variety of creature: mother.

There would be something freudian and perverse about this, if I subscribed at all to the bitter austrian quack.

It will be an injustice not to remember that the pro-aborts have been present at the March for life as you will be able to see here in the first 10 seconds: http://youtu.be/uA34NglgY0Q

As they have been present with a comment on “* reasons not to use graphic abortion images…”. PLEASE, take time to read the article mentioned:
“Why are we ‘tolerating’ it, or in my case, hoping it remains legal? Because we think sometimes, in some situations, it’s the least undesirable alternative. Abortion is like war—it’s bloody, and to some, “disgusting,” and (this part is key), BEST TO AVOID THE SITUATIONS IN WHICH ONE FACES THE POSSIBILITY OF IT, but some of us don’t want to remove it as an option.
But hey, I’m a ‘pro-abort,’ so I don’t expect anyone here to care what I think. I’m just saying, most (not all, but most) “pro-aborts” know it’s not a ‘clump of cells,’ and that doesn’t make any difference.

http://www.salon.com/2013/01/23/so_what_if_abortion_ends_life/

That’s a pretty good summary.” of the new Planned Parenthood startegy to advance the death culture and legislation.

@Matt B: THANK YOU for your great post! May GOD BLESS YOU AND ALL YOUR DEAR ONES ABUNDANTLY!

Why can we not do that?

Well to put it perhaps too simplistically, it is our call to be faithful rather than effective. Obviously it would be great if we were both, but the problem with concentrating on effectiveness is that it tempts you to take shortcuts and employ ethically unacceptable methods. The opposition is effective because their mission is chaos and destruction, and there are no tools they are above using to do it.

Matt B,
That was a sweet comment about your mother.
St. Marjorie…  :)
Did you ever see the film “Millions?”

I’m not a real moviegoer, Kathleen, but if you explain the reference, it will be just as good (without the need for sitting 2 hours in the dark).

Matt,
I thought this particular film was worth the time spent in the dark.It’s very Catholic, but quirky-same director as “Slum Dog Millionaire.”
The plot concerns 2 young Catholic boys in the UK who’ve lost their mom.The younger boy has visions/encounters with various saints & asks one if they’d seen a “St. Maureen”, (his mother.)
If you see a copy at your local library, give it a try.

Maybe the boy in the film was a little concerned that his mom was coming back to give him a spanking.  I think that fits the definition of “quirky.”

Matt,
No.

This is a wonderful commentary on the the variety of gifts that can be used to counter abortion, and - so importantly - variety of reasons abortion is desired in the first place.  I think so often the parents discerning abortion are overlooked in this discussion.  I know a lot of people who have had abortions, and there were a variety of reasons, but many stemmed back to the question of what wound were they trying to fill with sex in the first place. 
The younger generation fills me with hope for the future of the pro-life movement for two primary reasons.  First, more young women have the courage to face the risk and ridicule and challenges of being a single mother.  That was unheard of when I was in my 20’s.  In addition, they are filling social media with positive images: happy, joyful young adults on the March in DC (despite the cold!), and beautiful, engaging photos of babies still in the womb.  Courage, joy, and beauty are so lacking in the secular world that I think they may have found a new set of tools and gifts that will appeal to their peers in new ways.  They are shining lights for life in a world that is often (graphically) dark.

Let us not forget that one of the most important achievements of the pro-life movement is just keeping the dialogue about this alive in our society - preventing the pro-choice position from becoming established dogma. It doesn’t seem like much, but it’s a lot more than other countries have.

My mother, who grew up in the USSR (where no such dialogue was to be had), recently said that she regrets the fact that, when she was making decisions about abortion, the idea that a fetus might be a child worthy of life wasn’t something she’d ever heard discussed. If she’d heard it, I might have siblings today.

So true! As Mao said, let a thousand flowers bloom, and let’s stop stomping on each other’s flowers. Whoever is not against me, is with me.

Eight Reasons Not to Use Graphic Signs at the March for Life -
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Reason #9 - To ignore, enable and protect the likes of Dr. Kermit Gosnell.