ISSN. 1094-0020 Vol. 47 No. 4

Protect the Precious Gift of Human Lifesign and circulate the petition

Trey Gowdy Headlines Focus on Life Benefit Dinner

For more information and to get involved, contact Michigan Values Life.www.michiganvalueslife.org

about protecting the sanctity of human life.

As the keynote speaker for the Focus on Life Benefit Dinner, Trey Gowdy will share his heart, his experience, and his thoughts on creating a culture of life in the United States.

The barbaric dismemberment abortion procedure is frequently used during the second trimester of pregnancy. Unborn babies between 13-24 weeks gestation are literally torn limb from limb while alive in their mother’s womb. In 2018, there were 1,908 dilation and evacuation (D&E) abortions performed in Michigan. That’s more than 5 per day, every day, in the state.

The Dismemberment Abortion Ban was passed by both the Michigan House and the Senate and promised to be vetoed by Governor Whitmer. Michigan’s Constitution, however, allows the people to initiate legislation through a petition. The advantage of this approach is that the bill’s language cannot be changed by the legislature nor can it be vetoed by the governor.

Monday • October 7 • 6:30 PM • $100 Per PersonDeVos Place Ballrooms • 303 Monroe Avenue NW • Grand Rapids

www.grrtl.org/dinner

Prolife Michiganders will spend the summer and fall circulating petitions to end dismemberment abortions.

Once 400,000 signatures of registered voters are collected, a simple majority vote is needed in the same House and Senate that recently voted to approve the measure.

This law will only ban a specific procedure, but banning this heinous form of abortion could save almost 2,000 unborn babies every year.

Trey Gowdy is a historian, an author, a lawyer, and a former district attorney and congressman. He is also p a s s i o n a t e

Did You Know . . . A $20 donation helps

Grand Rapids Right to Life place 15,000 online ads to direct

women facing a crisis pregnancy to local pregnancy care centers.

Our local ads have been seen morethan 4.6 million times in the last year.

This prolife outreach effortis literally saving lives

in our community.

Even though it was a cooler spring than e x p e c t e d , Grand Rapids Right to Life was outside for many activities. We took a day to pray on the sidewalk for 40 Days for Life. After that, the

Bike and Hike Festival for Life was a huge success with many new families participating. The cool but sunny day brought people out to walk, bike, enjoy grilled hot dogs, and buy some plants to beautify their yards. Four days later we hosted the Focus on Life Breakfast, and the following evening we presented a screening of the powerful film Unplanned.

On May 14, we packed the Radisson ballroom in Lansing for Legislative

July / August 2019 www.grrtl.org

ContributionsPresident’s Message from Susan Misner Palazzolo

GranD rapiDs riGHT To LiFeprotecting the precious gift of human life

2340 Porter Street SW Grand Rapids, MI 49519

616-532-2300

info@grrtl.org • www.grrtl.org

in memorY oF: Daniel K. Gerke, Sr.

Darlene Gerke

Landry Joseph HollernHank & Diane Milanowski

Mr. & Mrs. James KendrickLaurence & Patricia Yavello

Michael MikulaEsther Finkler

Sherry PassinaultBrittany Albin

Bill & Mary Beth BarkeleyJohn & Rita Dery Family

Rob & Susan HulickMike & Sue Jandernoa

Tom & Geri KartesPaul & Patty Korte

Charles & Natalie LottMarc & Barbara Sink

Karen Weber

Irene RadeckyBob & Gayle Becker

Those Who Chose LifeJim & Ruth Tafel

James VeltingPhyllis Velting

Mr. & Mrs. Peter YavelloLaurence & Patricia Yavello

in Honor oF: Tom & Susan EnglishRob & Susan Hulick

Martin Peter FrancisShirley Francis

Ann MingerinkLaura Beute

Mary TheodoreRob & Susan Hulick

Crystal LangJacqueline Russo

Mary TaylorMary TheodoreBetty Tonack

Albertha WitteKurt & Catherine VanderHyde

Day. It was an exciting day because our legislators voted on and passed the Dismemberment Abortion Ban that same day. Most likely Governor Whitmer will veto the ban, and then we will start a citizen-initiated petition drive to override her veto. We can accomplish that with 400,000 signatures!

As part of a national movement, we organized a protest of Stericycle, the business that hauls away the baby remains from the local abortion facility. More than 40 of us participated in this event; our staff, board members, sidewalk counselors, clergy, and an array of prolife volunteers. We will continue to encourage this business to stop partnering with the abortion industry.

We are looking forward to a great Focus on Life Benefit Dinner on October 7. Consider coming to hear speaker Trey Gowdy. Until then, God bless, and please keep praying for life.

Churches are instrumental in promoting the value of all human life. An effective way to educate, influence, and motivate others regarding prolife work is through local faith communities.

Grand Rapids Right to Life will host Fire Up for Fall this September. It is a lunch and learn for current and potential church representatives to encourage them to connect and engage locally.

The goal is to help create a culture of life by informing local congregations about upcoming educational opportunities, youth activities, fundraisers to support prolife agencies, and family-friendly events.

Fire Up for Fall Luncheon for Church Reps

Wear the message this summer.Check-out the cool prolife T-shirts in the GRRTL store:

www.grrtl.org/store

Thursday • September 12 • 12:00 NNPietro’s Italian Restaurant • 2780 Birchcrest Drive SE • Grand Rapids

RSVP by September 6 at www.grrtl.org/fireup

www.grrtl.org July / August 2019

Calendar of events

new event Features Coff ee and Conversation

Does michigan need a Heartbeat Bill?

Thursday • August 1 • 4:00 PMBaker Book House Coff ee Shop • 2768 East Paris SE • Grand Rapids

RSVP online at www.grrtl.org/616

Current statistics reveal that roughly 48% of Americans c o n s i d e r t h e m s e l v e s prolife. Sadly, an equal number of Americans claim to be pro-choice.

In this increasingly c o n t e n t i o u s world, where toy

petition DriveEnd Dismemberment Abortion

michiganvalueslife.org

Life in the 616Thursday, August 1, at 4:00 PM

Baker Book House - RSVP Required

Unity Christian music FestivalAugust 7 - 10

Muskegon

Fire Up for FallThursday, September 12, at 12:00 NN

Church Reps - RSVP Required

RLM Annual ConferenceThursday, September 26, at 9:00 AM

Cleary University, Howell

40 Days for LifeThursday, October 3

GRRTL Prayer Day at Vigil

Life ChainSunday, October 6, at 2:00 PM

44th Street, Grand Rapids

Focus on Life Benefi t DinnerMonday, October 7, at 6:30 PM

DeVos Place Ballrooms

Holiday AuctionOctober 7-14

Online and Phone Bidding

prolife essay ContestDeadline: December 1

www.grrtl.org/students/essay-contest

Coins for KidsHost a Baby Bottle Drive

Contact Thomas at 616-532-2300

Volunteer opportunitiesGet Involved and Donate Your Time

Contact Laura at 616-532-2300

For more informationon these events and more:

info@grrtl.org • www.grrtl.org

To put it simply, Michigan does not need a Heartbeat Bill.

Currently, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision blocks signifi cant abortion bans from going into eff ect, including any heartbeat bill.

Michigan is unique since a 100% prolife abortion ban is already on the books. It bans all abortions except to save the life of the mother, including before a heartbeat is detected. The Michigan Supreme Court and lower courts have consistently ruled that this 100% ban from 1846 is in legal eff ect, but not fully enforceable until the overturn of Roe v.

Wade and Doe v. Bolton.

There is, however, a chance that a heartbeat bill could harm our 100% prolife abortion ban. In the hands of a pro-abortion judge arguing that the new law replaces the old law, a heartbeat bill in Michigan could keep abortions legal in the fi rst few weeks of pregnancy after Roe v. Wade is overturned, costing thousands of unborn lives. This concern is based on legal advice from constitutional attorneys who are experts with Michigan law.

If there’s no practical chance for a heartbeat bill to go into legal eff ect, then there’s no practical reason to put the current abortion ban in danger.

When the Supreme Court is ready to overturn Roe v. Wade, then Michigan is set to ban all abortions -- not just abortions after 6 weeks. Victory is in sight, as long as Michigan does not lose focus by concentrating on a heartbeat plan from out-of-state activists who won’t be here to help pick up the pieces if it works out poorly.

Source: Right to Life of Michigan

companies, social media, Hollywood, the music industry, the press, and politicians fi ght for the values of children, how do parents raise prolife kids in a pro-choice world?

Grab a cup o’ joe and enjoy some tasty treats while Patty Korte, mother of six and grandmother of 21, shares some simple tips and practical advice on how to shape a child’s conscience toward respect for the most vulnerable and the most defenseless.

Michigan is the only state in the U.S. that has a pre-Roe v. Wade law on the books banning all abortions.

A Heartbeat Bill could jeopardize this ban if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDGrand Rapids,

MichiganPermit No. 682Grand Rapids Right to Life

PO Box 901Grand Rapids, MI 49509-0901

Prolife Heroolivia ammerman Honored with the DJ Zarnosky Life Leadership award

Olivia Ammerman, a senior at West Catholic High School, was honored with the 2019 DJ Zarnosky Life Leadership Award and a $1,000 scholarship from Grand Rapids Right to Life for her passion and outstanding leadership in the prolife movement.

Olivia is informed and outspoken regarding life issues. This is a gift she has used well over the past four years as she has volunteered at Women’s Expo, Bike & Hike Festival for Life, Focus on Life Benefit Dinner, Grand Rapids Gun & Knife Show, and at the Unplanned film screening, Olivia has also written thank you notes for our organization.

She will be studying education at Central Michigan University in the fall. As someone who sees children as a precious gift from God, Olivia said that she will approach her career as an opportunity to “teach young people as students and as humans worthy of dignity and respect.”

This award honors the memory of Dennis Joseph Zarnosky, who died in a tragic car accident. D.J. was only 16 years old when he died; however, he was always a passionate supporter of life and was determined to make a difference in the world.