Action Notes
p.38
Copyright 1994 American Life League

Billboards bashed

Catholics for Life in Westerly, RI, rented billboard space from radio 
station WERI, Westerly, for the month of March. Their billboard, 
however, which pictured Jesus praying, "Father, forgive them," remained 
up for less than a day. The radio station claimed that Dan Storti of 
Catholics for Life "did not follow proper procedure and never provided 
them with a sketch or photograph of what the sign would look like," 
reported the Westerly Sun. "But Storti claims [station manager] Kelley 
had a clear impression of what was going on the billboard," the 
newspaper stated. Storti said that "he took a rough sketch with him to 
the radio station."

Community Life Coalition in Castro Valley, CA, signed a contract with 
Patrick Media for a billboard reading, "Eden Hospital: Please stop 
killing babies by abortion!" It was erected on April 5 and was taken 
down two days later because the owner of the building on which the 
billboard stood didn't like the message. The owner's wife was a member 
of the Eden Foundation Board.

Shower saves baby

Members of Students for Life and parishioners of St. Elizabeth Church 
in Granite City, IL, gathered at a local McDonald's on January 15 to 
have a baby shower for Stephanie Cunningham and her new baby, LaTia. 
Stephanie had met Fiona Muldoon outside an abortion clinic in 1993; 
Fiona had offered her helpful alternatives to abortion, and Stephanie 
had decided to give birth to her baby.

Soon afterward, pictures of the baby shower helped save a life. Mark 
Yehling of Granite City was outside the same abortion clinic; he walked 
up to a couple who appeared to be college students. "I simply turned 
the pages in the small photo album and said, 'Let me show you some 
pictures of a special baby shower we had for this lady who decided to 
be a mother.' Without comment they went in . . .

"About ten minutes later I noticed they had come out and were walking 
to their car. I shook the young man's hand and congratulated him on 
becoming a father. He was smiling."

Sons of Mary

This "association of active prolife priests," headed by Fr. Robert 
Pearson (see "Priests Preach on Abortion Every Sunday, Says Fr. 
Andrew," ALL About Issues, Nov.-Dec. 1992), has a newsletter, "The 
Witness." There is no charge to receive it, but a donation to cover 
printing and mailing is welcome. Contact Sons of Mary, P.O. Box 81, W. 
Long Branch, NJ 07764.

Students vs. drugs

Collegians Activated to Liberate Life held a spring rally at Indiana 
University in Bloomington to educate other students and the community. 
A rally called "How to Win the Cultural War" featured Emma Sanders 
(President of Black Americans for Life) and Michael Bailey, a candidate 

for Congress who has used graphic anti-abortion TV ads. The next day, 
the pro-life students picketed the Indiana University Health Center, 
which distributes birth control pills, Norplant and Depo-Provera. Their 
signs, along with the 2,500 flyers they distributed on campus, decried 
abortion and described the  abortifacient nature of the birth control 
pill and other drugs distributed by the University Health Center.

Courage conference

Courage is a Christian recovery group for men and women trying to 
overcome homosexuality. Their 1994 conference will be held in Brooklyn, 
NY, August 18-21. Contact Courage, c/o St. Michael's, 424 W. 34th St., 
New York, NY 10001.

The irrevocable choice

Author Carolyn Blakeslee is working on a full-color, artistic book that 
will present  creative responses to abortion. The book will be  
entitled Abortion: The Irrevocable Choice. She plans "gentle but 
powerful artwork, poetry, and stories about abortion, by women and men 
who have had abortions and have lived to regret them." Blakesleee 
invites "all people who feel strongly about the sanctity of life and 
the tragedy of abortion to submit artwork and writing for the book." 
For details, send a stamped, self-addressed large envelope to Abortion: 
The Irrevocable Choice, P.O. Box 320, Upper Fairmount, MD 21867. 

Catholic home schoolers

The National Assn. of Catholic Home Educators convention will be held 
in Manassas, VA, July 8 and 9. For registration information, contact 
David Mason at (703) 822-4338.

Good books, bad books

Libraries will usually obtain books requested by their patrons. Edward 
Pfeffer of California suggests requesting (and borrowing and reading) 
books such as "The Scarlet Lady" by Carol Everett.

Book clubs may be influenced too. Carolyn Ii of California wrote to 
Prevention Book Club to cancel her membership when she found that a 
book entitled "Before You Call the Doctor" suggested using 
morning-after pills to "prevent pregnancy."

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