Aggression against pro-lifers

NICK EICHER, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: how the pro-life movement is changing since the end of Roe v. Wade.

Pro-lifers say they’ve faced increased opposition from abortion backers ever since the Supreme Court handed down the Dobbs decision.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Leah Savas covers the pro-life beat for WORLD. She’s talked to young pro-life advocates about new challenges they now face. So Leah, what are some of the biggest changes they’ve told you about?

LEAH SAVAS, REPORTER: The young pro-life activists I talked with mentioned how, after the Dobbs decision, if you didn’t know how someone stood before Dobbs, you found out that weekend after the decision’s release. And people are not just more vocal, but they’re more angry and emotional than before.

REICHARD: How has that changed these young pro life ladies personally?

SAVAS: For the young women I spoke with, it comes down to facing more personal attacks. Brooke Rizuto is 20 and she’s the student president of the pro-life group at Dallas Baptist University. She sent me screenshots of some comments she got on an Instagram photo she posted the day of the Dobbs decision, celebrating the overturn of Roe. One friend commented, “You’re the reason women lost rights to their own body. This is disgusting.” Jamie Scherdin is 22 and is the Ohio regional coordinator for Students for Life. Here’s what she’s noticed since Dobbs:

SCHERDIN: I've done this for about five years, not in a working capacity, but you know, been a part of the pro-life movement for five years. And people who I would consider my friends who were very aware that I was involved in this work, like completely cut me out of their life due to the reversal of Roe. I was like, nothing's changed on my half. You just didn't think it was going to happen. And when I was actively a part of that now, you know, it's no longer okay.

She said she’s heard a similar story from students she’s worked with.

REICHARD: What does this mean for young people who are pro-life but haven’t been involved before?

SAVAS: Well, for some people it’s been motivating for them. The student president of Notre Dame Right to Life told me she has seen more middle fingers directed at her lately and more people shouting angrily at her across the quad. But she said that she’s still seen more freshman getting involved with the campus pro-life group this year. And she thinks it’s because people understand how important it is to have a position on this issue and not only have a position but do something about it.

Overall, they recognize the stakes are higher. Rizuto at Dallas Baptist University told me there are even concerns for physical safety.

RIZUTO: …getting people to go with you to the door. It was, ‘that's dangerous. I already don't want to do it.’ … They're just, ‘I'm not about to put my life on the line. Like, what if something happens?’ A lot of the questions that they’ve been asking are a lot more—a lot less of like, ‘Is it going to be awkward? Is it going to be uncomfortable?’ It's more of like, ‘It's too dangerous. I'm not putting myself out there to like risk my life or getting injured’ or whatever those circumstances might be.

She said the story of one 18-year-old pro-lifer who was attacked by an angry woman while door knocking in Kansas this summer has fueled a lot of those concerns. WORLD confirmed with the local police that this woman was charged with misdemeanor battery.

REICHARD: Speaking of attacks, the media is abuzz with news of the arrest last week of Catholic pro-lifer Mark Houck. FBI agents showed up at his Pennsylvania home on Friday with guns drawn. They charged him under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, also known as the FACE Act. He could face up to 11 years in prison if convicted. What do you make of this case?

SAVAS: For one thing, it’s a reminder that the aggression between pro-life and pro-abortion activists is not a new thing. This was going on long before Dobbs. Second, obviously this is a developing case. According to the indictment, Houck shoved a 72-year-old patient escort at the abortion facility who then needed medical attention. On the surface, that doesn’t sound good, but the family’s side of the story according to the Catholic News Agency is that the escort was verbally harassing Houck’s 12-year-old son. It sounds like the family is locating video of the encounter, so we could learn more later. The family says the arrest was traumatic for their children, while the FBI says it never pointed guns at them.

We do know that Congress passed the FACE Act in the 1990s in response to pro-life activism such as blocking entrances to quote-“reproductive health care” facilities. The Justice Department’s website says the act isn’t about abortions because it also protects even pro-life pregnancy centers. Pregnancy centers have seen a lot of vandalism and even arson this year and the FBI has gotten involved, but as far as I know there haven’t been charges in those cases. Meanwhile, pro-life sidewalk counselors I’ve talked to over the years have also told me stories of physical violence against them from pro-abortion escorts. So despite how this FBI arrest makes it look, pro-abortion facility escorts aren’t the only ones suffering injuries from this conflict between abortion advocates and pro-lifers.

REICHARD: Going back to the young pro-life women you’ve spoken to, Leah. What’s something that stands out to you?

SAVAS: I was encouraged to hear how the young women I talked with have taken seriously the pushback from abortion advocates and used it as a chance to do their own research, reevaluate where they stand. Shawna Weber, a 22-year-old who interned this summer at Young America’s Foundation, told me she has had to think critically about her position in light of pro-abortion criticism. She thought that was a good thing for her. Here’s what she had to say:

WEBER: With any sort of movement, you hear, like, like, you're with a group of people, like you feel like you belong, because like, you're like, oh, yeah, this makes sense. Like, I agree, and you just are following along with this group, and you start doing the things that this group is doing. And maybe you're not really thinking about exactly like if I agree with everything, or if I understand everything, but you just kind of just kind of go along, because you're a part of this group. I would say even the pro life movement can also be like that. I pray that I will always continue to think critically about my pro life position. When I say think critically, I mean, just always, you know, know what you stand for, and be ready and willing to defend it.

REICHARD: Leah, thank you for joining us today.

SAVAS: Thank you for having me.

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