The following comes from an Apr. 10 release sent by Life Legal Defense Foundation.
Project Truth is a pro-life activist ministry dedicated to educating young adults about the truth of abortion through the use of educational displays, literature and conversation. They have been peacefully distributing informative literature to Sacramento and Placer area schools for more than 15 years. As part of their outreach, they stand on the public sidewalks outside of high schools and distribute literature to students passing by.
Telling the truth about abortion tends to attract enemies and Life Legal Defense Foundation has been proud to stand with Project Truth and represent them on an as-needed basis for many years. But the opposition faced by members of Project Truth took a sinister turn on Friday, March 21 when KOVR News (CBS 13, Sacramento) ran a story that flagrantly misrepresented what it is Project Truth actually does.
In the story, reporter Anjalie Hemphill purports to “get answers.” The camera catches a man wearing a black shirt, dark colored pants and a baseball hat putting a Project Truth leaflet on Larry Blount’s car in his driveway. There’s just one problem with this story: the man depicted in the video is not, and never was, a member of Project Truth. The story goes on to infer that the Project Truth team canvassed the neighborhood and put fliers on vehicles in private driveways. It further suggests that the literature was found torn up and thrown on the ground all throughout the neighborhood. But Project Truth does not leaflet cars. Project Truth held signs and handed out literature on the public sidewalk in front of Cordova High School, as they have done many times. They distributed literature directly to students who willingly accepted them when politely offered. Project participants have a regular practice of picking up any discarded brochures before leaving a school area. On the day in question, approximately 200 brochures were given to students and only two brochures were picked up from the ground.
In the KOVR story, the individuals interviewed by Ms. Hemphill said they were concerned about the students’ exposure to and reactions to the literature handed out by Project Truth, suggesting that the subject of abortion is a private matter that should only be discussed in a family setting. But the story failed to point out the fact that California high school students may be transported off school property to obtain an abortion without ever notifying a family member. This being the case, abortion and its impact are hardly a mere private matter.
Following the online publication of the story, the public comment section of the KOVR website began to see threats of violence and vitriolic attacks directed at Project Truth.
On April 3, Allison Aranda, senior staff counsel with Life Legal Defense Foundation sent a letter to KOVR News (CBS 13, Sacramento) demanding that the false, defamatory story be publically corrected. Life Legal Defense Foundation is representing Project Truth free of charge in this matter and seeks to obtain an apology from KOVR News. The letter also sought a follow-up story to correct the inaccuracies and falsehoods and a public denunciation of the violence and threats issued through the public comments to KOVR’s website.
To read the original story, click here.
CBS Sacramento Affiliate Issues Apology
The following came in an email from a public relations firm representing Life Legal in the after noon of Apr. 10.
The CBS TV station in Sacramento has issued an apology after being accused of misleading and slanderous reporting about a pro-life outreach campaign by Project Truth at Cordova High School in the City of Rancho Cordova, California. The retraction came after Life Legal Defense Foundation sent KVOR a letter demanding that the broadcast outlet apologize to Project Truth and correct the reported falsehoods.
The enemies of human life are capable of anything. Lies, deceit, anything to keep murdering babies!
Douay-Rheims Bible Exodus 20:16
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Where there are lies, according to Christ, the devil is present as he is the father of murder and lies.
The good news about this story is that the pro-death opposition seems to be reaching a desperation point. If you follow Pro-Life News agencies, you will read an ever increasing amount of oftentimes bizarre opposition stunts. Although, those of us who fight for life can expect to see more of this in the future, this is definitely not the time for us to sit on our hands nor retreat.
Confrontational tactics are counterproductive. Just like the on campus people at UC Santa Barbara that take great pride in getting into shouting matches and tussles over signs, no one is helped or redeemed by these displays of frustration. Just like UC Santa Barbara, students and parents ignore it, and call the press to make sure the life protestors are portrayed as religious zealots and extremenists. Trouble is, too many life protestors give their enemies ample reason for exactly that charectorization.
let’s try a little love by reaching out the students in a supportive fashion, rather than the in your face tactics that do more harm to our movement than good.
:)
good cause,
When have you ever attended one of these events that you so readily demean? Well I have and your description of them comes right from the “Father of Lies”!
How does the yellow streek down you back feel?
God have mercy May on an amoral Amerika!
Viva Cristo Rey!
Yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher, Founding Director
Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Inc.
good cause, “Confrontational tactics are counterproductive”? This really all depends on what you are trying to produce and on whether or not you have the backing of the loudest mouth pieces in America. If your goal is to destabilize a free society then the use of “confrontational tactics” are exactly what you want, (most especially when the Leftist Main Steam Media and the Leftist Radical Professors in Universities are there to validate and glorify your efforts at every turn).
If you really think that the Left has been harming their own agenda by their militant application of Saul Alinsky’s 13 “Rules for Radicals” then you have truly been duped.
“They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.” Hosea 8:7 Abortion never solves social problems. Never. And lies do not stand up against the truth.