“No. The definition literally says a parasite must be a different species than its host.”
When a pro-choice person in my social media comments claims that a fetus is a parasite, I watch countless pro-lifers pounce on them with the “just Google it” mic-drop.
There’s two big problems with this approach.
MP3 Download | 1:03:21
Josh Brahm and Emily Geiger welcome Ali Rak back to the Equipped for Life Podcast to discuss pro-life political activism, now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned. Much has changed since 2020 when Ali was last on the podcast, and the main focus of this episode includes an analysis of why the pro-life movement was caught so flat-footed after Dobbs, including the poor performance on state initiatives, the abortion lobby’s gained momentum, and the generally lackluster support from pro-life politicians.
The second half of the episode includes more practical advice from Ali on how pro-life people can effectively talk to their elected representatives, with different advice for whether their representative is in the majority or minority opinion, and how to communicate with representatives and their staff in a way that will be heard, respected, and even appreciated.
Finally, Ali implores all pro-life advocates (including you!) to reengage their activism with renewed vigor, as she reveals the grim truth that the pro-life movement needs support now more than ever.
Ever since Roe was overturned, we’ve seen a number of news stories where women have tragically died due to pregnancy complications or complications from an abortion. Abortion advocacy groups and sympathetic media outlets are quick to blame these deaths on state abortion restrictions, whether or not those restrictions actually had any effect on their care.
We recently had Monica Snyder from Secular Pro-Life on our podcast to discuss these cases. I highly recommend listening to that episode if you haven’t already, as I consider this article to be a companion/response to the podcast. Really, I’m just running a highlighter over a theme that’s been on my mind for many months now: many of these tragedies aren’t the result of abortion restrictions; they’re the result of a broken system that pro-choice liberals already agree is broken.
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
MP3 Download | 59:41
Josh Brahm and Monica Snyder wrap up their series of recent discussions by addressing denial-of-care stories. In this episode, Monica and Josh define what a denial-of-care story is, explain why abortion bans are often blamed for causing pregnancy-related deaths, identify the actual problems behind the most sensationalized stories, empathize with tragic outcomes and legitimate pro-choice concerns, and propose courses of action that pro-life people can take to help prevent similar tragic stories from happening in the future.
It’s our responsibility to hold politicians to a higher standard.
Tomorrow, Vice President JD Vance will be headlining the March for Life rally, and I’m really concerned about what that says about our movement.
You see, the March for Life isn’t like voting. I can understand a pro-life person looking at the two options available in the 2024 presidential election, and making the pragmatic decision to vote for the candidates who had the best chance of protecting prenatal lives. Elections are often a lot like trolley problems, where there are no perfect options that involve no one being hurt.
The March for Life, on the other hand, is our biggest opportunity to represent our cause to the world. We have the opportunity to spotlight our best aspects, while also signaling to an administration that’s been wobbly on core pro-life issues like the Hyde amendment, IVF, and early abortion restrictions that we’re more than just a guaranteed voting block that will give them a rally stage and accolades for doing the bare minimum.
Photo by Gage Skidmore
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes