Choose Life Rally Draws Large Crowd of Supporters and Brings Out Media

Pro-lifers from across the state, as far away as Charlotte and Asheville in the west to Wilmington in the east, converged on the Legislature today for the Rally for the Choose Life License Plate.

The program included remarks by the primary sponsor of the legislation, Rep. Mitch Gillespie (R-85). Rep. Gillespie explained what prompted him to introduce the Choose Life legislation when he was first elected and he promised that as long as he served in the legislature that he would continue to file the bill until it is heard. Joinng him on stage and speaking briefly were Reps. Ric Killian (R-105) and Pat McElraft (R-13).

Russ Amerling, the National Director for the Choose Life License Plate, brought a national perspective to the debate over the efforts to have a vote on the Choose Life License Plate.

Bishops Peter Jugis and Michael Burbidge, from the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Charlotte and Raleigh respectively, attended the Rally.  Bishop Jugis, with Bishop Burbidge at his side, addressed the crowd, asking all Catholics in the state to write and visit their legislators on this issue. 

Bobbi Meyer, the State Director of the Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship, introduced the next 3 speakers: Nicole Jackson, a volunteer at he Pregnancy Care Center in Rocky Mount, NC; Wagner Fields, a former client at the Pregnancy Care Center in Greensville, NC; and Gwen Gilbert, a former client at the Pregnancy Care Center in Washington, NC.

Dorothy Yeung, the last speaker, read a statement from the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) expressing their solidarity with the efforts to get a hearing for the Choose Life Plate. ADF indicated that they would "evaluate the group's legal options in the event that the legislature continues to deny pro-life persons their right to free expression."

When the Rally was over, volunteers took Choose Life Packets to each of the legislators' offices. The crowd was encouraged to visit their particular legislators' offices before they returned home.

Press packets were distributed to the members of the press who covered the event and the ADF statement was distributed also to the members of the press in the legislative press room.

Schedule for NRLC 2010 Now Online!

Visit http://stoptheabortionagenda.com/convention/schedule to find a complete schedule for the convention that includes details about the Prayer Breakfast and closing Banquet. There will also be a listing of all the titles for the workshops and general sessions and each of their presenters. After seeing the list, you will surely want to be in Pittsburgh June 24-26 for NRLC 2010, the National Right to Life annual convention.

There is the additional good news. "House Republican Leader John Boehner will receive the National Right to Life Leadership Award at the 10:30 general session on Saturday, June 26. Congressman Boehner will be joined by NRLC Executive Director David N. O'Steen, Legislative Director Douglas Johnson, and Burke Balch, director of the Robert Powell Center for Medical Ethics. These experts will help you to understand the mind-numbingly complex ObamaCare measure. The session's title hits the nail on the head: '2,000 Pages Plus of Really Bad Stuff.'"  Make plans now to be in Pittsburgh in June for NRLC 2010.

Additionally, at the Prayer Breakfast, Mark and LaRue Pickup will talk about "Tears of Regret – Tears of Love: A Couple's Story About Learning to Value Life." and Jaime Thietten ("My Chance") will be providing special music.

You can read more about the convention at http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/

(Source: Dave Andrusko's NRL News, News and Views for May 20, 2010)

Pro-Lifers to Rally for the "Choose Life" License Plate in Raleigh on May 25 at 11:00 AM

The General Assembly begins its Short Session on May 12, 2010.  One of the bills that pro-lifers hope the legislature will finally take up is the "Choose Life" License Plate bill.  While the leadership has not acted favorably toward the bill by refusing even to allow the bill to be brought up in committee, the Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship (CPCF) is sponsoring an event in the hope of changing their minds.

CPCF is the organization representing  Pregnancy Centers and Maternity Homes across North Carolina. They will be the recipient of the funds raised from the purchase of a "Choose Life" plate and will distribute the funds to the various centers across the state.  CPCF is hoping the Rally in Raleigh on May 25, 2010, at 11:00 AM will bring hundreds of pro-lifers to the state legislature to hear from members of the legislature who support passage of the plate why the leadership should reverse course and allow the bill a fair hearing.

The theme of the Rally "Free Specch, Why Not North Carolina?" was chosen because North Carolina is the only Southeastern* state not to have a " Choose Life" license plate.  The millions of dollars raised from the sale of the plate in the states that have them are used to provide material help to mothers who have chosen to birth their babies.  As long as the North Carolina refuses to allow the sale of the plate, mothers will be denied the benefit of the funds that would have been raised through the sale of the "Choose Life" plate.

The rally will feature comments by Rep. Mitch Gillespie, the primary sponsor of the legislation, and other legislators who support passage of the bill. Mothers who have been helped by the pregnancy centers will also share how they have been helped.  Following the Rally, individuals will be encouraged to go by their house member's office to show their support for passage of the bill.

For more information on the bill, visit our web site http://www.ncrtl.org/ and click on Legislative Action Center.

*What comprises the Southeastern states is based on a National Geographic map: http://www.maps.com/map.aspx?pid=11113