On Wednesday, December 1, just one week from today, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Dobbs is a challenge to a law that was enacted by the state of Mississippi in 2018 and is intended to protect unborn children after 15 weeks gestation.

Pro-life citizens will show their support for Mississippi's law on the morning of December 1 with a rally at the Supreme Court led by National Right to Life and other major pro-life organizations.

Counter demonstrations are also being planned. Pro-abortion activists will try to encircle the entire Supreme Court building with protestors. All eyes will be on the Supreme Court. The issue of abortion will be front and center in the minds of many Americans.

Predictably, the Biden administration has gotten involved, filing a brief that calls on the Court to strike the law down.

People for Life will hold a rally in Erie near the Federal Courthouse from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Our meeting place will be the southwest corner of East Perry Square, just across the street from the Federal Courthouse.

We will stand united to show solidarity with our fellow pro-life advocates at the Supreme Court as well as with the people for Mississippi. Most importantly we will show support for our unborn brothers and sisters and their right to be valued and protected.

Signs will be provided, but it might be nice if some of us brought along an American flag to display as well.

Mississippi is seeking to protect unborn children a time when all the organs and major body systems (e.g. digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems) are present and functional. Even before 15 weeks, the baby is moving about, turning her head from side to side, and changing facial expressions. If an object is placed on the palm of her hand, she will grasp it. Sonograms taken at this point in pregnancy sometimes reveal the baby sucking her thumb.

If you think you might be able to attend our rally at the Federal Courthouse, please respond to this e-mail or use (814) 882-1333 to call or text. This will help us know how to prepare and how to word the press release.

If you are thinking about joining our annual Bus Trip to the Washington, DC March for Life on January 21, it would be good to hear from you this week.

Your payment holds your seat, but all we need right now is a good idea of how much interest in the Bus Trip there is. This will help us decide how many buses to pay for. We have three reserved at the moment.

We are getting some pressure from Anderson Coach & Travel to finalize our plans because--would you believe it?--there is a shortage of drivers. This means that what buses are available will be in high demand. If we are holding too many buses, someone else can use them.

If you are able to pay for your seat right now, that would be even better!

Bus seats are $60 each, a price that just covers, if all seats are filled, the amount we owe the bus company. There is a $55 early bird price in effect until December 20. The $5 discount is provided by sponsors to encourage early registrations and help with our planning.

You may send a check to People for Life, P.O. Box 1126, Erie, PA or deliver it to People for Life at 1625 W. 26th St. If the office is closed, there is a mail slot in the door. Please include a name, age, and phone number for each registrant.

In any case, please call or e-mail us this week if possible. We are going to talk with the bus company on Monday.

If the cost per seat is prohibitive, please call Tim Broderick at (814) 882-1333 to arrange financial help. Our goal is to make sure, with the help of our generous sponsors, that every dedicated pro-life person from the Erie area who wants to march is able to do so.

You may also register online using a debit or credit card at www.peopleforlife.org/january2022/bustrip2022.html

Have you contacted your Pennsylvania state Senator and Representative yet?

Please phone and e-mail your state senator and state representative to say, "I strongly support an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution to prevent taxpayer-funded abortion in our state." You can find the legislator contact information you need at www.peopleforlife.org/legislators.html.

And please ask your pro-life friends and relatives to do the same.

A constitutional amendment must be approved in two consecutive sessions of the Pennsylvania General Assembly before it is placed on the ballot for final approval by the voters.

As reported in our November 2, 2021 E-mail Update, the abortion industry is suing the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, trying force Pennsylvania residents to pay for abortion-on-demand. Pennsylvania law currently prohibits using taxpayer dollars to pay for elective abortions. The case is now before the Pennsylvania state Supreme Court.

Unfortunately, the abortion industry stands a good chance of prevailing, because of the ideological makeup of the current Supreme Court.

If the Justices "discover" a right to abortion in the Pennsylvania Constitution and side with the abortion providers, this could be the first domino to fall in a chain reaction that will wipe out even Pennsylvania's most modest pro-life abortion regulations.

This is an unprecedented challenge to the pro-life cause in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

It is very likely that an amendment to the Pennsylvania state Constitution will be necessary to prevent taxpayer funded and totally unregulated abortion-on-demand throughout all nine months of pregnancy here in our state.

Plans to enact this constitutional amendment are already in motion, but this will be an extended effort, and the support of all pro-life Pennsylvanians is going to be needed every step of the way. The amendment will clarify that there is NO right to abortion to be found in the Pennsylvania Constitution.