But Babies Are Dying- A Challenge to Us All

This young man, 23-years-old, spends his days all week pleading for the life of the unborn. He was in ministry school when God caught hold of his heart, and broke it for the plight of the babies whose last moments on earth involved being dismembered and ripped violently from the womb with their own mothers’ consent. Elijah graduated and continued working with Cities4Life, while working two other jobs to pay the bills. Yes, really. Not your average 23-year-old man.

On his rare times off from the sidewalks of the busiest abortion center, he tells me he frets if he knows the Cities4Life teams are short-staffed, or worse, absent. 

“Babies are dying,” he tells me over and over again when I encourage him to take a break.

In the past few months, the police have begun issuing tickets and warnings of imprisonment if we step on the public sidewalk across the driveway to hand our life-saving literature to car drivers as they enter the abortion clinic. Despite the fact that we have shown the officers the Supreme Court cases where it was determined that pro-life groups offering help outside abortion clinics may do so as long as they do not obstruct the forward progress of the car, we were threatened that if we stepped even one step onto the driveway or street, we would be ticketed.

“I cannot let someone drive in who wants our help and do nothing,” Elijah told me, ‘Babies are dying.”

Over the course of a couple of weeks, Elijah was ticketed three times. The driver slowed, rolled down the car window, reached out her hand, and Elijah took one step forward to offer her our literature. (Women have left the abortion center and chosen life sometimes simply by reading the booklet offering hope, help, and truth of human development.) Elijah was immediately ticketed, and threatened with arrest if he did it again. All this while it is perfectly legal for a mother to carry a living human baby in her womb into a building where the child will be dismembered without anesthesia and then put in a biohazard bag to be incinerated as medical waste.

For a decade, we have peacefully gathered on the sidewalks of the abortion center and pleaded for the babies. We offer resources and help. There has never, NOT ONCE, been a single traffic incident as a result of us handing cars our literature as they enter or leave the abortion center. The new rule is supposedly for “safety purposes.”  We know that our presence decreases abortions at this multi-million dollar for profit business. It was their minions who complained about our passing out literature. 

Cities4Life intends to fight this clear violation of our first amendment right. Literature and pamphlets are considered part of “free speech” and it has been settled at the highest levels legislatively that as long as we do not interfere with the forward progress of a vehicle, we may offer our information. We were told that ‘interfere’ is purposely NOT defined in city law so that officers can use discretion. In other words, “interfere” becomes what they want it to be. Our director has sought a meeting with the chief of police repeatedly, to no avail. 

Unfortunately, we are a small ministry, and our limited funds are used to help the women who choose life. Those needs are enormous. Fighting a court case is expensive.

We need help. Last year, 500 babies were saved right there at the abortion center in Charlotte through the efforts of Cities4life teams. This year, that number will likely be matched or exceeded. Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood worker who partners with our ministry to help abortion workers leave the abortion industry, told us that there is a 70% increase in no-shows for abortion when pro-life counselors stand on the sidewalks offering help.

Will you help us? Maybe you are unable to join us on the sidewalk, but if all of you who read this blog contribute $5 or $10 to Cites4life, we have a lawyer who can effectively fight this case. Please go HERE and  in the notes section indicate the donation is to fight the unfair infringement on our first ammendment right to offer information.

“I don’t want to go to jail,” Elijah tells me, “But I won’t stop handing out our information. Babies are dying.”

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Proverbs 24:11-12 

  

Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?