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Siouxlanders take stand against abortion

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
(Email Renee)

Standing in the back of a pick-up, 14-year-old Monica Bertrand greeted the nearly 250 people who gathered for the first-ever Siouxland March for Life.

“I am here to protest abortion and apparently you are too,” said Bertrand, Siouxland director of Teen Defenders. “Today is the 39th anniversary of legalized killing in our country. It needs to stop – let’s not have a 40th anniversary. Let’s all end it.”

She told the crowd that if they banned together and stood up against abortion it would end. Bertrand pointed out that the CEO of Planned Parenthood had recently reported that 2011 was their worst year for abortions in the organization’s history.

Cheers went up from the pro-lifers and Bertrand said, “Let’s make 2012 their last year.”

The march, which was sponsored by Teen Defenders, KFHC Catholic Radio and Mary’s Choice, was held Jan. 22 in Sioux City. Participants gathered for the march in the parking lot located near the Sprint Store. There, various signs bearing numerous pro-life slogans were distributed.

Before the march got underway, Sean Martin, diocesan director of family life, religious education and youth ministry, led prayer and Bishop Walker Nickless blessed the participants.

“Today we ask God to bless all of us, especially as we march, keep us safe,” prayed the bishop. “For all of those who today are reflecting on the possibility of having an abortion, give them the strength to say there is another option.”

Bishop Nickless thanked the pro-lifers for their public witness.

On the short march, less than one-half mile, to Mary’s Choice the walkers stopped several times for prayer and reflection that was led by the bishop. One of those stops came in front of Planned Parenthood.

“Lord, give us the courage today to face the biggest obstacle in our mission to end abortion. Help us to realize that this obstacle does not reside in media, government or large pro-abortion organizations,” prayed Bishop Nickless. “Rather, our biggest obstacle resides within ourselves. Our greatest challenge is our own fear, self-doubt, our hesitation, our second guessing about things we need to do and the sacrifice to advance the cause of justice. Free us O Lord from all that weighs us down. Let us all be what we ought to be so that the unborn can be all that they ought to be as well.”

After the march, the crowd enjoyed cookies and hot chocolate served by Teen Defenders.

A pro-life program followed. John Lillis of KFHC and the adult advisor for Teen Defenders, served as the MC for the event and was broadcasting the event live on the radio.

The program kicked off with a few more words from Bertrand, who noted, “If we keep holding events like this, then Planned Parenthood will really be throwing a fit.”

Bishop Nickless said he was very pleased to see so many young people in attendance.

Reflecting upon the 39th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade and the legalization of abortion, the bishop said Pope John Paul II had stated that this has resulted in what is called “a culture of death.”

“Sometimes we think that we are so entrenched in this culture of death that violence and the degradation of the human person can never be changed. We have been told that we can’t stop Planned Parenthood. We have been told that we cannot turn politically correct into God correct. We have been told that we cannot expect chastity from our young people and all people who care about life. We have been told that we cannot stop government funding of abortions.” Bishop Nickless said, “All of that is true, if we rely on ourselves. But with God, all things are possible.”

The guest speaker for the event was Susan Thayer, former manager at Planned Parenthood in Storm Lake. She pointed out that she became employed there in 1991 as a family planning assistant and then became the center’s manager.

As part of her training she had to go to Des Moines to watch a day of abortions. She said, “That was very difficult. You can’t even put it into words how horrible it is. What it did for me personally was to make me really commit to preventing the need for abortion. That’s what I felt I did for almost the next 18 years.”

There were no abortions in the Storm Lake office. They did a lot of pregnancy testing and had information “on all the options, including adoption. That was how I was able to rationalize and justify working there I guess. I have always thought that life starts at conception and shared that frequently in the time I worked there.”

She was terminated in December of 2008, just before the clinic was about to start offering tele-med abortion. With this procedure, a non-medical person does a vaginal ultrasound and that image is sent to Des Moines where a doctor determines if the baby is 63 days or less in gestation. If it is, the doctor can hit a button from the office in Des Moines, which opens a drawer at the Storm Lake center containing pills. The first pills are taken in the clinic to kill the baby and the second set is taken 24 to 48 hours later at home to start the contractions.

“The thought of it when they announced it in the manager’s meeting was so astounding that I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that they expected us to do it,” said Thayer, who noted that she wasn’t too surprised when the human resource person showed up with boxes and told her she was done. “It was a good thing. If you have to get fired – Planned Parenthood is a pretty good place to get fired from.”

At first she tried to ignore her growing pro-life convictions but God began to speak to her heart and eventually she met some other pro-life people in her area.

She had followed 40 Days for Life even when she was still working at Planned Parenthood. Thayer noted that Planned Parenthood hates 40 Days for Life – they called it “Forty Days of Torture.” This past fall, she organized a 40 Days For Life campaign in Storm Lake, praying for 40 days from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“The blessings that came from that were numerous,” Thayer said.

Thayer said she believes there are many good things to come.

For those who are seeking guidance in how they can help with this cause, she urged them to stop by the clinic to pray and to be nice to the workers.

“We want to model unconditional love,” she said. “The Planned Parenthood staff really doesn’t like prayer warriors. We bring the light of Jesus when we are there praying and darkness cannot stand the light.”
Thayer said they would eventually win this fight – one baby at a time, one Planned Parenthood worker at a time, one heart at a time.

Deacon Richard Port of Akron said he wanted to attend the march to support the Teen Defenders. He has been active in the 40 Days for Life. He said it was important to be present, serve as a visible sign for life.

“We are going to change this one person at a time – by ourselves,” he said. “Not by signs and forcing our image down on others but by love as Jesus did.”

Sarah Pohlen of Sioux City pointed out that she attended the march after receiving a Facebook message.

“I thought this was something I could do to help promote life,” she said.

She had attended the 2008 March for Life out in Washington DC as a senior in high school. Pohlen was pleased to see an active pro-life group in Sioux City.

Also in attendance were two pro-life Republican state senators – Rick Bertrand and Bill Anderson. They each offered a few comments during the program.