The 3 - August 25, 2024

All three stories in this week's edition of The 3, are centered around the issue of the sanctity of life.  One story has to do with two state Supreme Courts that have taken action in cases surrounding amendments scheduled to be on their respective ballots in November that would expand abortion.  Also, a British woman who was arrested twice for praying - silently - in the vicinity of an abortion clinic has received a financial settlement.  And, seven pro-life protestors were found guilty in court recently in Michigan and face stiff penalties.

One state Supreme Court keeps abortion amendment off the ballot, one allows impact statement

One of the disturbing trends affecting the pro-life movement is the series of attempts by pro-abortion individuals and organizations to place initiatives on state ballots that would expand the availability of abortion in those states. So far, these type of amendments, such as the one passed last year by Ohio voters, have been approved.

A number of states will be confronted with these types of amendments on the November ballot, and there's significant action in two of them.

In Arkansas last week, the state Supreme Court said that the proposed abortion amendment could not go on the ballot. The Christian Post reported:

In a decision released Thursday, the court ruled 4-3 against a petition by Arkansans for Limited Government for a referendum on the November ballot. The issue is whether the organization has collected enough signatures from certified canvassers.

Justice Rhonda Wood authored the majority opinion, concluding that "the petitioners failed to comply with the statutory filing requirements for paid canvassers."

The day before that, the Florida Supreme Court, in a 6-1 decision, allowed a 150-word statement to be posted on the ballots in the state. Liberty Counsel reported on its website: "The Florida Supreme Court voted 6-1 to allow the revised financial impact statement for Florida’s Amendment 4, which proposes to codify unrestricted abortion in the state’s constitution, to be on the November ballot." The website states:

The ballot will now contain a brief, 150-word allotted warning about how it will likely cost the state a significant amount of taxpayer dollars. The warning states the amendment may require the state to use taxpayer dollars to fund abortions, invalidate parental consent laws, and negatively affect the growth of the Florida budget over time due to less people being born and due to litigation to resolve legal uncertainties.

British woman arrested twice for praying in front of abortion clinic receives financial settlement

Perhaps you've heard the name Isabel Vaughan-Spruce.  She is a lady from the U.K. who was arrested not once, but twice, for praying in the area of an abortion clinic.  Alliance Defending Freedom International announced last week that Ms. Vaughan-Spruce has received a financial reward after being acquitted last year.  The website stated:

In a victory against UK censorship, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce – the Christian charitable volunteer who was seen being arrested twice for praying silently in viral videos – has received a payout of £13,000 from West Midlands Police in acknowledgement of her unjust treatment, and the breach of her human rights.

The article notes that Isabel was first arrested in 2022 "for silently praying in a censored 'buffer zone...," in the vicinity of an abortion clinic. It goes on to say:

In what is widely thought to be the first “thoughtcrime” case prosecuted in 21st Century Britain, Vaughan-Spruce was searched by police (including through her hair); arrested, criminally charged and tried – even though she had prayed imperceptibly and not expressed any opinion outside of her own mind.

In February 2023, Vaughan-Spruce, was fully acquitted of all charges at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court after the prosecution were unable to offer evidence to support the charge. ADF UK supported her legal defence.

Yet only a matter of weeks later, Vaughan-Spruce was arrested for the same activity yet again – silently thinking prayerful thoughts on a public street within the censored “buffer zone”...

The article notes that, "With support from ADF UK, Vaughan-Spruce issued a claim against West Midlands Police for two wrongful arrests and false imprisonments; assault and battery in relation to an intrusive search of her person; and for a breach of her human rights both in respect to the arrests, and to the onerous bail conditions imposed on her."

ADF International also says, "The news comes days after reports that the Home Office will strengthen the crackdown on silent prayer near abortion facilities by expressly criminalising it in upcoming 'buffer zones' legislation, set to come into force imminently."

Seven pro-life activists found guilty in Michigan case  

Federal officials have been criticized for seemingly turning a blind eye toward those who vandalize pregnancy centers and churches, while raiding a pro-life man's home to arrest him in the early morning hours after an altercation in front of an abortion clinic, in a case that local authorities chose not to pursue.  That man, Mark Houck, was acquitted.

But, that was not the case for seven pro-life protestors in Michigan who staged a protest back in 2020.  Live Action News reported last week:

Seven pro-life activists were found guilty on Tuesday in federal court of conspiracy against rights and violations against the Freedom of Access to Clinics (FACE) Act. One of the activists is an 89-year-old concentration camp survivor.

The article said that, "were found guilty on all charges related to an August 2020 rescue at Northland Family Planning Clinic, an abortion facility in Sterling Heights, Michigan." It added:

Leif Le Mahieu for The Daily Wire noted that the trial, which began on August 6, was “packed with tension and drama.”

“The seven were prosecuted by the Biden administration, which has been using the conspiracy against rights charge, originally designed for the Ku Klux Klan, to go after pro-life activists. They face over 10 years in prison and hundreds of thousands in fines upon sentencing,” reported The Daily Wire.

The Director of Pro-Life Michigan, Lynn Mills, was quoted in the article. She was "present during the seven days of active arguments," according to the article, and "said that during closing arguments, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sunita Doddamani called the pro-life rescue 'the crime of the century.'” Live Action went on to say:

In addition, Mills said the prosecution told the court, “Burning a cross is protected speech, as reprehensible as that is. But once you break FACE, you lose your First Amendment right to free speech.”

“This conspiracy theory is so over the top,” said Mills. “It’s just extremely frightening what is happening in our country.”