by Guy Page
The cessation of surgical abortions at the Barre Planned Parenthood, reported recently in VDC, has been reported nationwide for the encouragement of pro-life Americans.
The national network for the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil recently reported the following:
“When Roe v. Wade fell, abortion advocates raced to welcome even more abortion facilities into already abortion-friendly states.
“It’s a cynical and condescending ploy that assumes women are eager to have abortions–and so far it doesn’t seem to be working out.
“Last fall, Vermont enshrined a right to abortion in its constitution…
“…but Tom Kelly, the Barre 40 Days for Life campaign leader, said his local Planned Parenthood is no longer doing abortions!
“Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England has closed FOUR Vermont locations and another in New Hampshire.
“Combined with recently closed abortion facilities in states like New York, Colorado, and Michigan, it appears the market for abortion isn’t as strong as the abortion industry and its friends in government and media would have you believe!
“Even before Roe was overturned, nearly half of all abortion facilities to close their doors after a 40 Days for Life campaign were located in pro-abortion states.”
Encouragement on a more local level came from a report by Barre sidewalk vigil participant Rev. Herb Hatch, Barre resident and pastor of The Old Brick Church in East Montpelier.
“Yesterday while on the sidewalk, on the second pass by, a lady said that those people told me I couldn’t have any children, but I had two!
“A fellow with his about 5-year-old daughter walked by and he said she was almost aborted but is a survivor! And another lady, said she was from Williamstown but attends the Baptist church in Randolph, stopped by and asked if she could take my picture which I allowed. She told me she was a Christian and did not believe in abortion. Later she came back a second time for another picture to include the sign on the lawn plus my ‘Defend Life… from conception until natural death’ which I had picked up at the Right to Life office in Montpelier earlier that day.
“One more blessing at the end of my prayer vigil time, not a cup of water, but a spearmint candy from a man traveling on a bicycle as he pedaled up Washington street!”
The Barre 40 Days for Life mid-campaign rally will be held this coming Sunday, October 15 from 2:45 pm to 3:30 pm.