Protesting Life

CRISIS Magazine - e-Letter

April 23, 2004

**********************************************

Dear Friend,

He's at it again. Senator John Kerry, that is.

Look, I don't want this to become the John Kerry e-Letter. And I'm
genuinely getting tired of talking about him. But since he's making a
huge show about being THE Catholic presidential candidate, and since
I publish CRISIS Magazine (which covers politics and the Church),
he's an important subject.

Which brings us to his latest outrage...

This morning, Kerry addressed NARAL Pro-Choice America at their
rally leading up to Sunday's pro-abortion "March for Women's Lives"
here in DC. Imagine, just a few short days after meeting with
Cardinal McCarrick and trumpeting the fact that he's a Catholic "in
good standing" who received the Eucharist at Easter, he's now a major
speaker at the largest gathering of abortion activists this year.

Of course, Kerry's pro-abortion position isn't news. But this really
takes the cake. Bill Clinton, certainly no friend to the pro-life
cause, never once addressed an abortion rally in all his years as
president. If Clinton wouldn't even attend these events, what does it
say that Kerry will?

Whatever McCarrick and Kerry discussed in their private meeting a
few days ago, it's clear that the senator isn't paying any heed to
the dictates of his Faith. His rejection of Church teaching is both
clear and public. And his speech at the rally -- just a few days
after meeting with McCarrick -- is a real slap in the face of the
cardinal.

McCarrick and the rest of the bishops who are considering how to
handle the issue of Catholic politicians just received another
challenge -- not just to themselves, but to our Catholic Faith. It
remains to be seen how they'll choose to respond.

As for the March for Women's Lives, if you haven't heard about it
already, it's a pro-abortion rally taking place here this Sunday. The
first march of its kind since 1992, the event is being sponsored by
groups like Planned Parenthood, NOW, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and
the ACLU. Their hope is that, by combining forces, they could present
a more unified front in support of abortion rights.

The media (surprise!) has been acting as the unofficial PR
department for the march. Articles highlighting march organizers,
activists, and participants have been appearing in all the major
outlets this week. And I'm sure we can expect a complete run-down of
the event in the papers on Monday. (Compare this to the near silence
that greets the mammoth March For Life each year.)

The marchers originally anticipated a huge turnout -- several
hundreds of thousands of people -- but it's beginning to look like
the reality might be more modest. In fact, in spite of the extensive
media coverage and the self-assurance of the event planners, there's
apparently some worry now that the numbers might be smaller than
predicted.

It's certainly not for lack of trying. Dozens of groups have been
tapped to participate in the march as event planners became more
desperate for support. Even CRISIS was called on to participate --
talk about not knowing your audience! The representative who
contacted us explained that they were hoping to garner support from
religious groups, like Catholics for a Free Choice and the Religious
Coalition for Reproductive Choice... both of which will be marching
this weekend.

March organizers have even widened the parameters of the event. In
order to make sure the march numbers match expectations, event
organizers are now encouraging the anti-globalization groups who will
be in town for the annual World Bank/International Monetary Fund
protest to attend the march as well. These protestors in particular
have a reputation for violence and destructive behavior at their
events, and there's significant concern that their presence will only
further incite confrontation.

Several pro-life groups plan on presenting a counter-protest during
the march, positioning themselves at various points along the path of
the pro-abortion rally. Radical contingents of the pro-abortion march
have already stated their intention of heckling pro-lifers in
attendance -- the Radical Cheerleaders of DC, for instance, told
their members that those who have "a strong affinity for property
destruction and/or confrontation" should consider "channeling [their]
efforts in creative ways." They go on to explain that "confronting
[anti-abortion protestors] is useless because they are irrational and
will not listen to you" and that "a thick layer of paint could really
compliment a bloody fetus picture."

Right -- the creative debate tactic of destroying property. It's a
far cry from the spirit of the March for Life -- an event, I might
add, that never has to inflate its numbers for the press.

If this kind of violence does break out on Sunday, you can bet event
organizers will try to claim that pro-lifers somehow instigated the
confrontation. It'll be interesting to see how things pan out this
weekend... and how the media will choose to cover it.

One other interesting event to watch is Tuesday's Senate Republican
primary in Pennsylvania. If you aren't familiar with the situation
there, incumbent Arlen Specter -- a Republican who has managed to be
on the wrong side of almost every major life issue throughout his
long career -- is being challenged by Representative Pat Toomey, a
solidly pro-life Catholic. Early predictions had Specter in a
landslide, but recent polls show that Toomey has closed the gap and
now only trails by a few percentage points.

If reelected, Specter would be up for the chair of the Senate
Judiciary Committee. Having already proven himself willing to vote
down pro-life judges -- he infamously voted against Robert Bork's
nomination to the Supreme Court -- he would be a disaster for any
future pro-life judicial appointments.

Add to that his ardent support of Roe v. Wade, his voting against
the Partial Birth Abortion ban, and his opposition to a federal
marriage amendment... well, the list goes on.

Definitely, a race to keep your eye on. We'll keep you updated.

Have a great weekend,

Deal


***** LEARN THE REAL CAUSE OF THE CRISIS IN THE CHURCH *****

Sex abuse scandals... irreverent liturgies... homosexuality in the
seminaries... liberal theology preached from the pulpit...

You know all about the crisis in the Church. But you've never heard
the full story. When did the collapse in the Church occur... and what
REALLY caused it?

Fr. Benedict Groeschel knows. He was there when it happened... 10
years BEFORE Vatican II.

What he saw will surprise you.

Click here to learn more:

http://www.crisismagazine.com/products.htm

[Cut and paste into your browser if the link isn't active]

**************************************************************

To subscribe to the FREE CRISIS Magazine e-Letter, and get the
latest
news, views, and responses to current issues, send an e-mail to
e-letter@crisismagazine.com and write "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject
line.

**************************************************************

To learn more about CRISIS Magazine, visit
http://www.crisismagazine.com/subscribe.htm

**************************************************************

If you no longer wish to receive the CRISIS e-Letter, please send an

e-mail to mail@crisismagazine.com and write "CANCEL" in the subject

line.

**************************************************************

To change your e-mail address, please send an e-mail to
mail@crisismagazine.com with "ADDRESS CHANGE" in the subject line.
Please make sure to tell us your old and new e-mail addresses, so we
can
make the change.

**************************************************************

Please forward this letter to anyone you think might benefit from
it.