SOUTH BEND, IN – Indiana Right to Life President and CEO Mike Fichter today issued this statement on the burial of 2,411 aborted babies in South Bend:
“Today’s burial brings closure to the brief and tragic lives of these 2,411 little ones who were denied the opportunity to take their first breaths. They now rest together for all eternity, never to be forgotten.”
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SOUTH BEND, IN – The Indiana Office of Attorney General announced today that the 2,411 aborted babies discovered on the property of late abortionist Dr. Ulrich Klopfer will be memorialized at a burial service this Wednesday, February 12, at Southlawn Cemetery in South Bend. The service will commence at 1 p.m. EST. Attorney General Curtis Hill will offer remarks on behalf of the State of Indiana.
“This is a heartbreaking reminder that the world lost something of enormous value when these little lives were cut short by abortion,” states Indiana Right to Life President and CEO Mike Fichter. “We pray that the dignified and humane burial of these children is not the end of their story, but will serve as a constant reminder why we must always speak up when the God-given value of human life is denied.”
Indiana law, recently upheld by the United States Supreme Court, requires the humane burial or cremation of babies aborted in Indiana. Prior to enforcement of the 2016 law, aborted babies in Indiana, as in most states today, were discarded as common medical waste.
“We are grateful but saddened for this opportunity to mourn for the lives lost and the families broken by the violence of abortion. This is a tangible reminder of the inhumanity and horror of the abortion industry. Abortion is the ultimate form of dehumanization; it poisons, dismembers, and kills the most innocent among us,” states Right to Life of Michiana Executive Director Jackie Appleman. “We are burying 2,411 human remains; we are not burying 2,411 ‘missed periods’, ‘pregnancy tissue’, or ‘uterine contents’.”
For those unable to attend on Wednesday, Right to Life Michiana, Right to Life Northeast Indiana, and Lake County Right to Life will host a memorial service at Southlawn Cemetery on Sunday, February 23rd at 3:00 pm..
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INDIANAPOLIS – Seven members of Indiana’s congressional delegation are included among the 207 members of congress adding their names to an amicus brief calling for the Supreme Court to uphold a Louisiana law requiring abortion doctors in that state to hold local hospital admitting privileges.
The brief states all signers, “have a special interest in the correct interpretation, application, and enforcement of health and safety standards for elective abortion enacted by the People of the States they represent.”
The case before the U.S. Supreme Court is June Medical Services, LLC, et al. v Rebekah Gee, Secretary, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.
The Indiana congressional members joining the brief are:
Sen. Mike Braun
Sen. Todd Young
Rep. Jim Baird
Rep. Jim Banks
Rep. Larry Bucshon
Rep. Greg Pence
Rep. Jackie Walorski
“We applaud these members of Indiana’s congressional delegation for adding their names in support of the Louisiana law,” states Indiana Right to Life President and CEO Mike Fichter. “The court’s actions regarding this case are certain to have implications on Indiana’s abortion law.”
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Warsaw, IN. – Today, the Kosciusko County Board of Commissioners unanimously declared Kosciusko County to be a pro-life county by passing a resolution in support of human life. The resolution affirms the right to life found in the Declaration of Independence and states “human life begins at the moment of conception and continues, uninterrupted, until the moment of natural death.”
The resolution encourages, “assistance for women by helping them find health care; helping mothers and fathers who make the decision to parent their child; supporting mothers and fathers who make an adoption plan for their baby and couples who seek to adopt; and encouraging businesses and schools to provide appropriate accommodations for pregnant women.” It also petitions leaders at higher levels of government to protect life, urging government to “use every legal means to protect and fight for every human life, including the lives of unborn boys and girls.”
The Kosciusko County resolution follows similar resolutions which were passed in Allen County and Indiana cities: Huntertown, Woodburn and New Haven.
“We want to thank the Board of Commissioners for their leadership in encouraging the protection of all human life,” said Dave Koontz, Executive Director of Right to Life of North Central Indiana. “This resolution affirms that Kosciusko County encourages the support for women in difficult circumstances and is a reminder that there are always ways to support and love both the mother and baby. The passing of this resolution should also be an example to other north central Indiana counties to follow.”
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It’s sort of funny the way life works out. As a younger man I went through multiple phases during which I thought I had it all figured out. But the longer I journey down life’s path, the more I realize just how much I really don’t understand.
I don’t understand why some people speed up, then slow down, then speed up again on interstates.
I don’t understand why so many people consider turn signals to be optional.
I don’t understand why homebuyers on HGTV feel compelled to renovate every room in a newly-purchased home, as opposed to buying a few gallons of paint and renting a carpet cleaner at Kroger.
I don’t understand the psychology of the incessant piano music in the background of Hallmark Christmas movies.
I don’t understand why so many people will go through life without ever visiting Montana.
I don’t understand why I have three hundred channels on TV and can’t find a single thing worth watching.
I don’t understand pickleball.
I don’t understand why, regardless of what I purchase at Kohl’s, I am always ten dollars away from the next Kohl’s Cash award.
When it comes to Christmas, there’s a whole lot I don’t understand as well.
I don’t understand why I can buy virtually anything in the world through eBay or Amazon, yet both of them combined pale in comparison to the appeal of the old Sears catalogue. If you’re under 50, just trust me on this one.
I don’t understand why the 30-foot strands of lights that worked perfectly before being packed in the box after last Christmas didn’t work when taken out of that same box this year.
I don’t understand why Charlie Brown, Rudolph and Frosty are shown more than once per season. Back in the day, if you missed those shows, you missed them. Tough luck until next year.
I don’t understand why Frosty Returns was ever made. Borderline criminal.
I don’t understand why I miss Ronco commercials so much.
I don’t understand why the opening riff of Jingle Bell Rock becomes more irritating each year.
I don’t understand the depth of disdain for fruitcake and eggnog.
I don’t understand the allure of figgy pudding.
I don’t understand why the Christmas mornings I remember the most are the ones on which we had the least amount of gifts under the tree.
I don’t understand why I didn’t spend more time at Christmas asking my grandparents about their lives, instead of engaging in so much small talk that barely scratched the surface. Those special opportunities are now gone forever.
I don’t understand why I can still remember so clearly what it felt like to fall asleep as a child in a candlelit church at midnight.
I can’t understand why Christmas Eve feels more peaceful than any other night of the year.
So many things that I just don’t understand.
I don’t understand why God chose a virgin teenage girl, from a remote village of no reputation, to bear the baby destined to turn the world upside down.
I don’t understand what Mary must have felt in her heart when she felt the Messiah’s tiny legs kick for the first time within her womb.
I don’t understand how Joseph had the strength to bear up under the laughter, gossip and scorn surrounding the surprise pregnancy of his betrothed.
I don’t understand how grueling it must have been for a mother nearing birth to journey over 70 miles of rough terrain from Nazareth to Bethlehem, even if there really was a donkey.
I don’t understand how there could be no room for them in the inn.
I don’t understand how a king who had it all would leave His throne to be born in the filth of a stable that was likely little more than a damp cave.
I don’t understand what it must have been like to hear God cry.
I don’t understand what it must have been like to see a pitch-black sky come alive with angelic hosts.
I don’t understand how beautiful the Star must have truly been.
I don’t understand the depth of worship the shepherds must have experienced as they fell to their knees in adoration of the newborn Christ.
I don’t understand the trembling that gripped Mary’s heart when Simeon looked deep into her eyes and prophesied of a coming sword that would pierce her very soul.
I don’t understand how the baby grew up to love, heal and forgive, only to be despised and rejected by the very ones He came to seek and to save.
I don’t understand how 33 years after that first Christmas Eve, the beautiful Lamb of God willingly gave Himself to be scourged, crowned with thorns, and nailed to a cross, all while the mother who bore Him in her womb, and nursed Him in that Bethlehem stable, surely sank to her knees in unspeakable grief.
I don’t understand how He could say, “Father forgive them, they know not what they are doing.” The baby born in Bethlehem, the baby born to die, had completed His mission. It was finished.
No, I don’t understand these things, for they are too deep for me.
But I am thankful that I do understand this: the baby whose birth we celebrate on Christmas was the one, the only one, who could, and did, pay the penalty for our sin. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life”. He truly is the greatest Christmas gift of all time to all who will receive Him.
This is what I understand about Christmas.
May you have a blessed and joyous holiday season.
Mike Fichter
President and CEO
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Right to Life President and CEO Mike Fichter issued this statement tonight following news reports that over 2,000 preserved fetal remains were reportedly found on the property of a recently deceased doctor who did abortions in Gary, South Bend and Fort Wayne.
Focus Groups and Surveys Used to Analyze Millennial Attitudes toward Abortion
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Right to Life commissioned Indianapolis-based Sextons Creek Productions to gauge where Hoosier millennials stand on abortion and how they respond to pro-life and pro-choice messaging.
Findings
A majority of millennials surveyed responded that abortion should be legal in some cases, yet are deeply conflicted about its morality.
The most confounding statistic produced by the study is that the same millennials who call themselves “pro-choice” also identify as “pro-life.” Half of millennials believe “pro-choice” is a more socially acceptable label, but they also believe having an abortion is right or wrong depending on the situation.
Based on the data from focus groups and surveys of millennials, only 10 percent of respondents agreed with the following sentence: “Abortion is best for the woman.”
On science, truth and compassion, the pro-life side won out. When asked, “Which side is more scientific?” 60 percent of respondents answered “pro-life.” When asked, “Which side is more truthful?” 55 percent of respondents answered “pro-life.” Finally, when asked, “Which side is more compassionate?” a full 70 percent of respondents said, “pro-life.”
Millennials do not respond well to political party appeals. Many of them can identify as either pro-life or pro-choice, but not for every issue; they prefer to discuss these topics with non-political, non-religious language.
Only 7 percent of respondents believe pregnancy carries shame, but 51 percent believe abortion carries shame. Forty-seven percent of respondents agreed that abortion creates physiological and psychological issues later in life.
Sentiments towards the morality of abortion shift dramatically depending on the term of the abortion, where early-term abortions are considered more acceptable and late-term abortions are considered unacceptable. However, only 22 percent of respondents agreed that an unborn baby is human only when it can live outside of the mother on its own.
The vast majority of respondents (65 percent) would choose delivery over abortion. This illustrates even those who identified as pro-choice tend to identify that way for the sake of others more than for themselves.
Moving Forward
Indiana Right to Life commissioned the study so that it could guide future messaging to Hoosier millennials. The research results will also be shared with other pro-life organizations to help facilitate better messaging to millennials nationwide.
“Speaking to millennials in a traditional, political format is losing its effectiveness,” said Mike Fichter, President and CEO of Indiana Right to Life. “We want to be sure our messaging is reaching abortion-vulnerable women in the millennial demographic and we want to build a culture of life among this generation. We advance life by understanding the trends and beliefs of this age group, then translating our findings into new strategies to win hearts and minds.”
Methodology
Indiana Right to Life and Sextons Creek Productions collected responses through four collectors (two through vendors, one through an organic social media campaign and one through surveys completed by focus group participants). They processed a total of 923 survey responses and held three focus groups in three different locations.
Indiana Right to Life’s mission is to protect the right to life, especially of unborn children, through positive education, compassionate advocacy and promotion of healthy alternatives to abortion.
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When the weather throws you a curve, you have to adjust. That’s what happened recently as my wife and I took to the road for some kayaking in southern Indiana. No sooner did we arrive in Worthington than a slowly gathering bank of clouds to the north evolved into a deep blue wall. Steering into the city park, I pulled up the radar and confirmed we had a real mess heading our way. That was the bad news. The good news is that I had been meaning for years to stop at the park because of the legend of a massive sycamore that once grew near the town.
With just a few minutes to spare before turning south to outrun the storm, I jumped out of our truck and strolled over to the mammoth limb section preserved from the 500-year-old tree when it finally died. It truly is a sight to see. And it reminds me of how our state is dotted by little historical signs just waiting for someone to stop, someone to remember.
South of Crawfordsville you can stop where Chief Cornstalk’s Village once stood. Near Scottsburg you can visit the site of the Pigeon Roost massacre, all but forgotten in history books. In Corydon you can stand where Indiana’s only Civil War skirmish was fought. Just south of Indy you can stop and toss a quarter onto the grave of General George Washington’s drummer boy. In Bruceville you can stand where Lincoln spoke. History is everywhere, but in the age of smartphones and instant everything, all of these places are slowly fading into obscurity.
Such is the case for a little-known sign in one of the most highly trafficked areas of downtown Indy. Standing in silent witness between the Statehouse and a government building is a state historical marker shamefully recognizing a 1907 Indiana law legalizing eugenics through forced sterilization, a law ruled unconstitutional in 1921. It’s right there, a stone’s throw from the Statehouse, and yet I’ve only met one legislator who knows it is there. What is doubly-remarkable is that Justice Clarence Thomas recently referenced Indiana’s 1907 law in his blistering denunciation of eugenics in relation to Indiana’s protections for unborn children found in the 2016 Dignity for the Unborn Act.
Indiana’s 1907 eugenics program is a chapter of history we’d all like to forget, which is exactly why it is all the more important that we remember. History moves in circles, and what was once eugenics through forced sterilization in Indiana is now eugenics by targeting kids for abortion solely because of their race, national origin, sex, potential disability, or Down syndrome. God help us. And may God hasten the day when, next to the 1907 eugenics marker, a new one will be placed in sad remembrance of all of the children whose lives were taken during the Indiana eugenics program that began on January 22, 1973.
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Right to Life has awarded five Indiana students with Thomas Marzen Memorial Scholarships for the 2019-2020 academic year. The Thomas Marzen Memorial Scholarship helps young Hoosier leaders with proven backgrounds of pro-life involvement in pursuing college studies.
2019 scholarship winners:
Mikayla Zwirn of Morristown
Lily Shafer of New Haven
Natalie Guisinger of Huntertown
Erica Christie of Roanoke
Samantha Egan of Auburn
“We know these young Hoosier women will have many opportunities to share the positive pro-life message on their respective college campuses,” said Mike Fichter, President and CEO of Indiana Right to Life. “We wish our scholarship winners the best as they stand up for vulnerable women and children targeted for abortion.”
Thomas Marzen, who died in 2007, was referred to as a “walking encyclopedia of the pro-life movement” by his colleagues and devoted his life to the pro-life movement. He was active for over three decades as a pro-life attorney and authored many appellate briefs in major cases and law review articles on pro-life issues, one of which was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court. He served as general counsel for Americans United for Life in Chicago and the National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent and Disabled in Indianapolis.
Indiana Right to Life’s mission is to protect the right to life, especially of unborn children, through positive education, compassionate advocacy and promotion of healthy alternatives to abortion.
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