IN THIS ISSUE...
From Our Director
I am proud of our Outreach Director Sarah Mary Toce for working hard to empower New England youth to be pro-life advocates!
 
After moving from Lafayette to Boston last summer for graduate school, Sarah Mary accepted the challenge to be a pro-life missionary among the youth of the New England area. Juggling her school, a new home, and, to say the least, a more hostile environment than Louisiana,  Sarah Mary has motivated many students through her presentations and built up new youth leaders. Last weekend, she brought together the first PULSE gathering in Boston (see the article below).  The work has been challenging, but the fruit has been worth it! We are appreciative of all she has sacrificed to advance the cause of life!

At Louisiana Right to Life, we are committed to raising up the next generation of pro-life leaders in Louisiana and across the nation. Sarah Mary's work is but one example of our efforts outside Louisiana. We have been happy to help groups in Minnesota, Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, and more build their outreach to students.  

For a Pro-Life Louisiana,
Benjamin Clapper 
Pro-Life Tour

Black Advocates
to Visit 7 La. Cities

Louisiana Black Advocates for Life is going on a statewide pro-life tour to celebrate the belief that ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER, from the womb to the tomb.

LABAL will address the tragedy of abortion in the African-American community. In 2014, abortion was the No. 1 killer of blacks in Louisiana (6,249), more than HIV, heart disease, and cancer combined.
 
The seven-city tour will begin in September with stops in Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria, Opelousas, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Each two-hour event will include local entertainment, information about the reality of loss of unborn lives in the African-American community, personal testimonies from women and men, opportunities for prayer and healing, and identification of resources to continue on the healing journey. Each event will end with a praise and worship experience.

"We hope to identify pro-life ambassadors in each city who will continue the pro-life conversation and advocacy in a way that fits the vision of community members," said LABAL Director Kathy Allen.

Specific dates, times and locations will be announced soon. For more information on the tour or becoming a pro-life ambassador, contract Kathy Allen at kathy@lablackadvocates.
com or Concerned Women for America Louisiana's Sancha Smith at cwala.director
@yahoo.com. 
PULSE NOLA

NOLA PULSE Team Busy Over Summer
 
Even with camps, sports, and vacations this summer, our NOLA PULSE Rate Team participated in a Pro-Life Leadership training day to help meet the challenges of the new school year on their high school or college campuses.
 
Cisco Gonzales, president of Louisiana Students for Life, led the members through personality tests, team expectations, and the proper attitudes of life in order that they could better understand themselves and how to best communicate their message. We applied these qualities to Pro-Life Leadership by watching "Amazing Grace," a movie about British slavery abolitionist William Wilberforce, and discussed the various ways each member could use their personality strengths and talents for concrete Pro-Life Activism. The day concluded with friendly game of laser tag.
 
Another highlight of the summer was jumping into the Pokémon Go craze. Recently, the PULSE Team stationed itself on the corner of Robert E. Lee and Catina Street and held a station with Pokémon-decorated cookies, Pokémon "lures" to attract Pokémon Go players, as well as to have some fun ourselves, and pro-life literature.

A few strangers stopped by for a cookie and for the Pokémon lures, giving us the chance to put our "What's the Big Deal?" booklets in their hands. As rush hour traffic increased we held up pro-life message signs and interacted with those going home from work.

Want to join our New Orleans PULSE Rate Team? Contact Alex at alex@prolifelouisiana.org.
40 Days for Life NOLA

Pre-Campaign Party for NOLA 40 DFL

The event is Thursday, Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. at Blessed Trinity Catholic Church, 4230 S. Broad Ave., New Orleans.

Click on the flyer above for details!
2016 Life Chains
Is there a Life
Chain in Your Community Yet?


Louisiana Right to Life is encouraging folks in every parish across the state to host a Life Chain this fall. Life Chains are scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 2 across the U.S. and Canada, though some groups have scheduled the event for another day.


If you would like to plan a Life Chain in your community, call state coordinator Julie Hanks (985-351-3143) or email julieandedinhammond
@yahoo.com.
Bucking the Party Line
State Rep. Katrina Jackson (in red) joined Democrats for Life of America officials and Gov. John Bel Edwards at the awards ceremony.

Gov. Edwards Honored For Pro-Life Leadership, But DNC Advances Abortion on Demand
 
Democrats for Life of America honored Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards at a reception Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention.

Gov. Edwards received the group's Governor Casey Whole Life Leadership Award, named after the late Gov. Robert Casey of Pennsylvania. Casey was a staunch pro-life leader who wasn't afraid to buck his party in order to stand for his principles.

"We are proud that our governor is recognized across the nation as a leader standing up for the rights of children waiting to be born and the health and safety of their mothers," said Louisiana Right to Life Executive Director Benjamin Clapper.

"Gov. Edwards provides such a refreshing juxtaposition against what we saw on television. On stage at the Democratic National Convention, it wasn't just pro-choice politicians talking about how abortion should be safe, legal, and rare, similar to President Clinton's position in 1992."

Instead, the DNC invited three national leaders of the pro-abortion industry to speak:
  • Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, the main engine of abortion in America whose interest is ensuring that government protects, and even funds, its abortion business plan. Richards blasted Republican nominee Donald Trump during her speech and called his pro-life worldview and desire to see Roe v. Wade overturned "disturbing."
  • Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL, the legal arm of the abortion industry that is on a mission to destroy every common sense policy related to abortion. Hogue bragged about her own abortion, claiming it was the "best decision" she could make. Sadly, she received a enormous round of applause from the audience.
  • Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY's List, a multi-million dollar PAC that exists for the sole purpose of electing the most abortion-on-demand candidates around. She essentially called pro-life voters women haters and said Republicans just "want to control women."
Wednesday's pro-abortion speeches came just hours after DFLA held its event, recognizing Gov. Edwards and releasing its report, " Make Room for Pro-Life Democrats and the Party Wins."

Executive Director Kristen Day said one in three Democrats is already pro-life, and most Americans in the middle support pro-life policies like the ban of federal funding for abortion. But the Democratic Party keeps rejecting its pro-life base in favor of extremist positions, further alienating Americans and risking the future of the country, she added.

 "John Bel Edwards shows that Democrats can gain victories in Red States like Louisiana if the party is willing to reverse course, listen to the voters, and support pro-life candidates," she said.

Since it abandoned the 50 State Strategy that would have supported pro-life candidates, the Democratic Party has lost 912 state legislative seats and the control of 30 state legislative chambers, 69 U.S. House seats, 13 U.S. Senate seats, and 13 governorships, Day pointed out.

"We can turn this around by promoting a Whole Life platform that respects people on all sides of the abortion questions and gives room for pro-life voters to engage with the party," said Day. "If we follow the lead of Gov. Casey, and now Gov. Edwards, to embrace a whole life policy, we can turn red back to blue."

Currently, the National Democratic Party, and its nominee Hillary Clinton, has adopted a full-scale abortion-on-demand platform, which includes taxpayer-funded abortion through the reversal of the Hyde amendment. 

"Gov. Edwards is a model Democratic leader embracing the pro-life cause in America," said Clapper. "We are proud he is representing pro-life Louisiana values, both in his personal beliefs and his public actions. It is a testament to his courage and integrity that he would not shy away from being a pro-life Democrat.

"We hope Gov. Edwards represents the Democrat of the future and that leaders like him will chart a path forward for a Democratic Party that ensures liberty and justice, not just for some, but for all."
PULSE in New England
PULSE New England Students
 
PULSE Youth Program Expands to New England
 
This year marks the first summer for the New England Pro-Life PULSE Immersion, an expanded program of Louisiana Right to Life through its Life and Leadership National Youth Camps.

Sarah Mary Toce, New England Life and Leadership Director and former pro-life advocate in the Lafayette area, knows how different Louisiana is from the New England area.  The culture is less pro-life, and pro-life young people encounter more hostility on a regular basis than they would in Louisiana.  It is precisely because of this that equipping pro-life teens is critical in New England.
 
To further this, Toce gathered teens from across Massachusetts to host two fun-filled, hands-on training immersions. Students enjoyed small group discussion, large group trainings, a "jam" session and games.
 
Sarah Mary Toce leads New England students at a PULSE event.

Pizza was served, and laughs were shared. Most importantly, students left feeling better equipped to firmly and compassionately articulate the stance of the pro-life movement. 
 
On an anonymous survey that asked, "What would you say to someone who has never been to PULSE before?",  a 15-year-old male student said, "Whether pro-life or pro-choice, this class REALLY opens your eyes to both sides." A 15-year-old female said, "GO!  You'll learn so much and it will really help you solidify why you are pro-life!"  
 
Students have the gift to receive the truth. There is no doubt these Massachusetts students received truth at PULSE and will use this truth to be the Pro-Life Generation of today and tomorrow in order to change the culture of New England to life!
 
Louisiana Right to Life has been proud to sponsor this outreach and to collaborate with groups such as Massachusetts Citizens for Life.
Upcoming Events
Aug. 25:
La. Life March South
Jan. 28, 2017: 
La. Life March North
Feb. 4, 2017: 
La. Life March Central  
Louisiana Right to Life
ProLifeLouisiana.org     1.866.463.5433    @LARightToLife

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