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Families Against Planned Parenthood
Last Updated 8/5/2008

League's 9th Annual Face the Truth Tour One of the Best Yet

The Pro-Life Action League's ninth annual Summer Face the Truth Tour was one of the most exciting and well attended in years.

Challenges with Law Enforcement

Graphic abortion signs along McCormick Blvd. in Lincolnwood [Photo by EJS]

The tour commenced on Friday, July 11, in the Joliet area. Towards the end of the first site, police informed Tour Captain Eric Scheidler that, after five years of Tour stops in Joliet with no problems at all, they were going to enforce a "parade ordinance" which prohibits gatherings of more than ten people without a permit.

Attorney Jason Craddock of the Thomas More Society, Chicago, was with us that morning and was able to persuade the police to let us finish the stop.

The third site, however, did not go as smoothly. Joliet police arrived on the scene, clearly angry before they even talked to anyone. They told Eric, once again, that they would be enforcing their "parade ordinance" this time at the very beginning of our display. Eric was told to pull in all the signs and volunteers immediately or they would begin arresting everyone.

The ordinance did allow for ten people to congregate without a permit, so ten signs stayed up for the full duration of the tour stop.

Chicago Ridge Police Attempt to Shut the Tour Down

Chicago Ridge Chief of Police [Photo by Phil Corridon]

On Friday, July 18, the Tour visited the South Side of Chicago. After fruitful stops in Gage Park and Garfield Ridge, the last site of the day was 95th Street and Ridgeland Avenue, right next to the Chicago Ridge Mall.

Ridgeland divides the towns of Oak Lawn and Chicago Ridge at 95th Street, and while the Oak Lawn police were cooperative, the Chicago Ridge police were very opposed to our presence there, insisting, like Joliet, that we needed a permit.

The Chief of Police of Chicago Ridge was called out in plain clothes to attempt to put a stop to the display. Finally, Tour Captain Eric Scheidler called Tom Brejcha of the Thomas More Society, Chicago, who in turn called their city attorney. Brejcha told them they could shut down our display and deal with the matter later in federal court, or they could simply let us finish the site.

Thanks to Brejcha's intervention, they chose to back down and let the display run its course.

Record Numbers on Several Days

Many sites saw incredible turnout on this year's tour. In Lake Zurich on Thursday, July 17 a combined effort between homeschool groups, churches, and local activists like long-time volunteer Jim Finnegan, drew a crowd beyond anyone's expectations.

Over 100 people came out in the pounding noon-day sun to show Lake Zurich the truth about abortion. Every one of the 84 graphic signs the League brought as well as many picket signs were deployed. Some activists teamed up with others who were already holding signs.

On the final day in Aurora record crowds came despite inclement weather. The first site at Aurora's infamous "Abortion Fortress" drew 150 pro-lifers despite clouds and on-and-off showers.

Pro-lifers hold signs along Chicago's Lake Shore Drive [Photo by EJS]

Not knowing if the rain would allow the graphic signs to be used, a picket line was formed along New York Street to start. Once the weather broke, both sides of New York Street were lined with graphic signs and many more pictures of Christ lined corners and side streets.

At the second site in Naperville, all 84 signs were once again deployed, this time despite steady rains throughout most of the stop. Pro-lifers didn't mind a the rain one bit. In fact, many saw it as an excellent opportunity to offer their discomfort for the sufferings of the victims of abortion.

Three Babies Given a Second Chance

Of course, the intention of the Face the Truth Tour is to change hearts and minds by displaying the reality of abortion, and hearts and minds were indeed changed. In addition to the countless passersby who said they had no idea that that's what abortion looks like, three amazing incidents showed just how effective these pictures can be.

On the first day of the tour in Joliet, after the police had forced us to reduce our display to just ten signs, a young girl pulled into an adjoining parking lot and waved over James Voissem, a high school student and one of this year's most dedicated activists. She asked James for some literature, explaining that she had a pregnant friend who was planning on having an abortion. She said she knew her friend really didn't want to have the abortion and that once she saw these pictures she was certain her friend would not have the abortion!

Downtown Chicago on Monday, July 14, the Tour visited Daley Plaza. Long-time volunteer Luann Bloom had a girl stop and tell her she was utterly confused by the signs. She told Luann she was pregnant and her boyfriend had given her $300 to procure an abortion, but now that she had seen the reality of abortion she didn't know what to do.

Joe and Eric Scheidler talk to police in the rain in Aurora[Photo by Sam Scheidler]

Luann spoke with her at length about what abortion really entails and, when the girl was still uncertain, Luann gave her her phone number and told her that if the young lady didn't want the baby, she would adopt him as her own. The girl was incredibly moved by this. Please keep her in your prayers.

Finally in Mundelein on Thursday, July 17, towards the end of the stop, a woman pulled over and talked to two of the volunteers holding signs. She said she had driven by earlier with her daughter who was pregnant and planning on abortion. She told them that when her daughter saw the signs, she broke into tears and told her that she could no longer go through with the abortion and had decided to have the baby.

The mother told the volunteers, with tears in hear eyes, "You people saved a life today. Thank you!"

End-of-Tour Party at Eric Scheidler's Home

Little boy holding an 8th Week of Life Sign in Lake Zurich [Photo by EJS]

For a change of pace to cap off a hugely successful Tour, the end of the Tour party was held at the home of the League's Eric Scheidler in Aurora.

Stalwart activist Sally Polesel presented both Joe and Eric Scheidler's families each with a beautiful three foot tall statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe in gratitude for their years of service and sacrifice in the pro-life movement.

Ann and Joe both agreed that this year's Face the Truth Tour was one of the best they could remember in the nine years of the Tour's history. Thanks to all who volunteered their time and to all those who remembered the Tour in their prayers.

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Humanae Vitae at 40: Pope Paul VI was Prophetic

Pope Paul VI

Forty years ago this month, Pope Paul VI issued his landmark encyclical, Humanae Vitae, which reiterated the Catholic Church’s nearly 2,000 year old teaching that conjugal union between spouses must always remain open to the possibility of procreation.

Humanae Vitae is perhaps most famous for a series of predictions Paul VI made about the grave consequences that would inevitably result from an increasing reliance on contraception. In section 17, he wrote:

Responsible men can become more deeply convinced of the truth of the doctrine laid down by the Church on this issue if they reflect on the consequences of methods and plans for artificial birth control. Let them first consider how easily this course of action could open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards…

Another effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection.

Forty years later, Humanae Vitae has proven prophetic.

In this same spirit, two years ago the Pro-Life Action League hosted "Contraception Is Not the Answer," a first-of-its-kind national pro-life conference that exposed the myth that artificial birth control is good for society and reduces abortion. Eight outstanding speakers addressed the topic of contraception from a variety of perspectives:

Conference Explodes Contraception Myths

"The pro-life movement has cowed away from the issue of birth control for too long," remarked League Communications Director Eric Scheidler. "We've allowed our opposition to perpetuate the myth that contraception is good for society. The Contraception Is Not the Answer conference exploded that myth."

"We invite all in the pro-life movement to listen to the talks given at this conference, even those who do not share our negative judgment of contraception," said Scheidler. "We likewise extend an invitation to anyone who is willing to consider that our society may not have yet addressed the profound impact that widespread contraceptive use has had on our families and our culture."

Conference Talks Available on CD

All eight talks from "Contraception Is Not the Answer" are available on individual CDs for $7 each or as a boxed set for $49 from LCE Media. Place your order online or call LCE Media at 800-693-3884.

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Life Issues Headlines from LifeSite

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These daily headlines on the life issues are provided by an newsfeed from LifeSite, "Your Life, Family and Culture Outpost," North America's premier source for news on the life issues and the culture wars.

Please Note: Any editorial views expressed in the articles linked below are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Pro-Life Action League.

LifeSite Headlines for Thursday, August 7, 2008

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