On March 9, the Youthfest was held at Rockland Community College.  It’s an annual event whose goal is to provide the community with an opportunity to interact with businesses and agencies that provide services for children, youth, and families in Rockland County.

Unfortunately, Planned Parenthood Hudson-Peconic was on hand, with their propaganda and big display van, eager to meet our youth.

But  Eileen was there too. Armed with her sign at the entrance to the campus, she reminded everyone about the truth about Planned Parenthood.

“The NYSRTL Committee is delighted that County Executive Rob Astorino has courageously done his job not just as the county executive but as an American showing respect for the Constitution. People have not fought and died for a First Amendment that  protects only universally wanted speech.

 The idea that public property outside of an abortion facility should be a free-speech-free zone because some people don’t like that it impacts the very lucrative abortion industry is an idea that does not belong in a truly free country. The pro-abortion movement knows that when presented with the truth, most women choose life and that is bad for business.  Bravo Rob Astorino!  Great job Alan [Mehldau, Chair of Westchester-Putnam Right to Life] and the Westchester Right to Life team!”  

– Lori Kehoe, Chairperson, NYS Right to Life

Pro-abortion lobby goes BERSERK after Astorino’s veto of anti-free speech clinic bill — from LifeNet

Focus on the Family coverage in CitizenLink

Westchester County Executive Robert A. Astorino has vetoed the Clinic Access Bill, calling it legally flawed and unnecessary. Click here for the full story.

While this legislation targeted prolife free speech in Westchester, I’m sure Mr. Astorino would like to know that we in Rockland were keeping a careful eye on the situation and  are very grateful for his decision to veto. Abortion, unfortunately, knows no geographic boundaries.

Please send  a quick email to thank him at CE@westchestergov.com.

Targeting the peaceful protests of prolife Americans, the Westchester County Board of Legislators, in a party-line vote Monday night, passed a bill creating a 25-foot buffer zone outside clinics that provide abortions.

Hopefully, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino will veto this law. Click here for the Hudson Valley Coalition for Life’s take on the future of this unfortunate legislation, which they describe as “bad law — badly crafted, bad for the County, and bad for the County’s citizens.”

The primary supporters of this law were Planned Parenthood of Hudson-Peconic, the Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion, and Rep. Nita Lowey, of the newly revamped 17th Congressional District, which now includes all of Rockland County as well as parts of Westchester.

On Monday, April 30, approximately 150 to 200 people attended the hearing of the Westchester County Board of Legislators on a bill that would restrict the free speech rights of prolife witnesses outside abortion clinics.

The vote is scheduled for next Monday, May 7. Click here for a letter from Sister Lucy Marie of the Sisters of Life, appealing for a redoubling of prayers and sacrifices for the conversion of hearts on this issue.  It includes insights from Ed Mechmann, an attorney from the Archdiocese of New York, on how such hearings can help the prolife cause:

I thought that having so many “regular people” on our side — as opposed to the largely institutional witnesses on the other side (e.g., employees and activists from Planned Parenthood) — was a very good thing.  I think that the legislators are more impressed when lots of people testify who don’t make a living out of the issue at hand.  Five voters count for a lot more than one “spokesman.” — Ed Mechmann

On Monday evening, April 30, the Westchester County Legislature will hold a public hearing on proposed legislation that would allow abortion clinic facilities to sue anyone who — in their opinion — has harassed or intimidated a person trying to gain access.

Please read this opinion piece submitted to the Journal News by the co-directors of the Hudson Valley Coalition for Life against this attempt to use the law to intimidate peaceful people who are expressing their views against abortion.

On April 18, the Journal News hosted a debate regarding the “Clinic Access Bill” — a bill currently under consideration in Westchester — which seeks to suppress the right to protest at abortion clinics. Click here to view the video of this discussion.

The pro-life free speech advocates were Tom Faranda and Judy Anderson, the co-directors of the Hudson Valley Coalition for Life, and Antoinette Consentino, MD, a pediatrician.

Speaking of free speech, according to the website LifeNet, it looks like the time allotments at this debate were a little lopsided:

• The anti-free speech, pro-abortion side got 26 minutes, including the first nine minutes 26 seconds.
• The free speech advocate, pro-life side 18 minutes.

Beginning at noon and Good Friday and continuing through the night and on until noon on Holy Saturday, people came to pray for the victims of abortion.

At this most solemn time of the year, they prayed that Planned Parenthood, the “modern-day Calvary,” will move out of our community.

A committed prolifer carried his message about Planned Parenthood to Rockland Community College on Sunday, March 11. That’s where the nation’s largest abortion provider was to be found that afternoon, handing out their propaganda to the children of Rockland attending the County YouthFest. His signs provided some serious food for thought as the festival-goers approached the campus. They read “Planned Parenthood Will Kill 1000 Babies This Week” and “Planned Parenthood Is Aiding and Abetting Underage Sex Trafficking With Your Tax $.”