CHICAGO (LifeSiteNews) — An Illinois law allowing young girls to undergo abortions without their parents’ knowledge took effect this month.
While the state does not allow minors to have their ears pierced without parental consent, as of June 1, Illinois minors will be legally allowed to have abortions without their parents’ knowledge, as reported by Capitol News.
“Today is a tragic day for parents, girls, and preborn babies across the Midwest,” said Kevin Grillot, executive director of the March for Life Chicago, said in a press release.
“Effective today, Illinois strips parents of their rights to be involved in the medical care of their daughters and leaves girls increasingly vulnerable to sexual traffickers,” he continued.
Passed in fall 2021, HB0370 creates the Youth Health and Safety Act that declares those seeking abortions should not have to endure unnecessary barriers or bans. Seeking parental consent for an abortion is considered an ‘unnecessary barrier’ for young girls.
In the aftermath of the leak of the Supreme Court majority opinion draft overruling Roe v. Wade, lawless vandals backed by the abortion lobby and pro-abortion politicians have launched riots and violent attacks on pro-life entities across America, from pregnancy centers to churches, and even targeted Justices' homes.
This widespread, organized effort not only sets a dangerous standard for how groups and individuals may opt to stage demonstrations going forward, but begs the question of how the pro-abortion crowd would behave if and when the Supreme Court officially overturns Roe later this summer.
And, worst of all, the White House has largely turned a blind eye to these riots, with Joe Biden -- who at one time claimed to be personally opposed to abortion due to his Catholic faith -- now acting as the foremost advocate for unfettered abortion access in America.
Biden's nonexistent response must be addressed, and the White House needs to know that the American people demand better from their supposed "leader."
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition calling on Joe Biden to stop beating around the bush and finally issue a formal statement condemning the violent riots and attacks on pro-life institutions across our country in the wake of the leaked Supreme Court majority opinion draft overturning Roe v. Wade.
Over Mother's Day weekend, pro-abortion attacks broke out across America, with increasingly depraved activists targeting pregnancy centers, pro-life advocacy organizations, and churches with either disruptive demonstrations or, in some cases, vandalism and outright violence.
Among the most barbaric occurrences was the vicious attack on Wisconsin Family Action, a pro-life group headquartered in Madison, where vandals threw a Molotov cocktail into an office window, started a fire on one of its walls, and left a threatening graffiti message reading "If abortions aren't safe then you aren't either."
Review a FULL LIST of other appalling attacks HERE.
They even descended upon the homes of Supreme Court Justices like Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, and Chief Justice John Roberts, who appear poised to formally issue the final blow to Roe v. Wade in the coming weeks, after publishing a map with their private addresses.
The case, which was decided nearly 50 years ago in 1973, saw members of the bench fabricate a constitutional "right" to abortion, depriving individual states from crafting their own laws to protect life. However, should Roe, as expected, be overturned, the matter of abortion would be returned to the states, where it always belonged, giving lawmakers the ability to propose legislation that would either place strong restrictions on the procedure or, in some cases, ban it outright.
And while, of course, freedom of speech must be protected and defended for all Americans, demonstrations that devolve into vandalism, rioting, the use of intimidation tactics against members of the judiciary (or anyone else, for that matter), or violence in any form must NEVER be tolerated.
But the White House seems to be taking a different approach...
It wasn't until Monday afternoon that Press Secretary Jen Psaki finally acknowledged the threat posed to Supreme Court Justices by out-of-control pro-abotion activists, claiming that "judges perform an incredibly important function in our society, and they must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety."
This is true, but it took Psaki an entire week to make any semblance of a definitive statement about the White House's position on this urgent matter. In fact, Psaki previously refused to discourage the targeting of Justices' homes when asked, insisting that pro-abortion groups were staging "peaceful protests" instead; she even failed to condemn the leak itself -- an unprecedented breach of trust and rejection of institutional norms that could permanently damage the standing of the court and its ability to function as an apolitical body.
And, of course, Joe Biden, himself, has been virtually silent on the matter, failing to effectively speak out against these riots and reassure the American people that those who seek to vandalize property and perpetrate violence will be held legally accountable for their actions by the Department of Justice.
This is entirely unacceptable behavior from a commander-in-chief, and as political allies like Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (rather ironically) incite insurrection by labeling the Supreme Court's pending decision a "call to arms," the American people must demand that Joe Biden clarify where he stands, and whose side he's really on.
The rule of law must be upheld and applied equally, and that means calling out radical anti-life rioters and ensuring there are consequences for their violent outbursts and destruction of property across the country.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition calling on Joe Biden to condemn these rioters, and direct the U.S. Department of Justice to take action that will hold them accountable for their actions under the law.
Thank you!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'‘Rise up, fight back’: Pro-abortion protesters descend upon Justice Alito’s house over imminent abortion ruling' (LifeSiteNews)
**Photo Credit: Shutterstock
When this law was passed, the Catholic Bishops of Illinois warned of the consequences, saying, “If a minor girl can be taken by any adult man to an abortion clinic, in the hopes of erasing the evidence of his abuse, what protection exists outside of the girl’s parent or guardian being informed? Why would we want to create such a dangerous environment?”
This new law repeals the 1995 Parental Notice of Abortion law, which required minors to notify their parent, legal guardian, or grandparent at least 48 hours before having an abortion but did not require their consent.
This law also allowed exceptions for victims of physical or sexual abuse or neglect by an adult family member.
As the only state in the Midwest without parental notifications, Grillot worried that out-of-state minors would seek to have their abortions in Illinois.
Emily Werth, staff attorney at the pro-abortion American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois, rejoiced over the decision, saying, “Prior to today, pregnant young people could make any medical decision without barriers except abortion. Now, thankfully, they have the same right to make a confidential decision about their health care as everyone else.”
Republican state Representative Tom Morrison worried, “The state has prohibited these same girls from getting ear piercings, tattoos, smoking, buying lottery tickets or even visiting indoor tanning salons because they are deemed not mature enough to understand the consequences of their decisions.”
“Getting pregnant as a minor is a very serious matter, just as getting a surgical or chemical abortion as a minor is a very serious matter,” he continued. “In either case, parents have a right to know what’s going on with their children.”
Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois called the bill’s signing “a dark and disgraceful moment in the history of the State of Illinois … It is striking how much this legislation does to provide cover, secrecy, and darkness over evil deeds.”
“This legislative action violates the most fundamental rights and duties entrusted by God to parents to ensure the health and safety of their children,” Paprocki continued.
“This is a right and responsibility that God grants, and which no government can take away. In attempting to do so, this legislation acts directly against God’s will, which is the very definition of evil,” he added.