How do we raise our kids in a world where so much of what’s coming at them is not the truth? This was the question posed by The Daily Wire’s Elisha Krauss to Vitae Foundation supporters in Fairview Heights, Ill. on Thursday night. Krauss graciously stood in for Matt Walsh whose wife gave birth to their fourth child on the day of the event.
In a video made for the audience that night, Walsh apologized for not being there, but said the audience was in “good hands.” Truer words could not have been spoken. Krauss, an Oklahoma native and mother of three, gave an inspiring keynote on the importance of standing up for women—all women.
“The biggest deception from the pro-abortion movement that shrouds themselves in the word ‘choice’ which we all know is fake, is that women are not enough. Vitae does such incredible work that is so necessary. When you choose to seek out the people on the front lines, you let them know they are capable of empowering those women who feel all alone. But we never hear that message from the other side.”
Living in Los Angeles, Krauss said she is inundated with messaging that proports to be “pro-woman,” like #YesAllWomen and #WorkingWoman. She lamented that sometimes it can feel lonely out there to be on the right side of history.
“As a pro-life woman, I’m always on the outside, but that’s ok. I’m prepared for the fact that they don’t agree with me, but groups like yours are actually living out #YesAllWomen. Their side will say it, but it’s limited to a very few, choice few. You are combatting a culture of death in our society. You are truly supporting women from the start of conception,” Krauss stated.
Vitae Market Director Rachel Blackmore painted a bleak picture of what is currently happening in Illinois, with its passage of a law that enshrines abortion as a fundamental right that the state cannot restrict, interfere, deny or discriminate against.
“Another piece of bad news was revealed just yesterday. Planned Parenthood has built a secret mega abortion center, right here in Fairview Heights,” Blackmore shared. “They are touting this 18,000 square foot facility to be the largest abortion facility in the nation.”
Thankfully, there is hope, according to Blackmore.
“It’s easy to look at Illinois’ laws and abortion numbers and get discouraged. There is, however, hope for the pro-life movement to end abortion in our lifetime. That hope lies with Vitae’s research and the work of Pregnancy Help Centers (PHCs) to implement that research on the front lines.”
Vitae has invested millions of dollars in psychological research to better understand the emotional and psychological dynamics impacting a woman’s abortion decision. No other pro-life organization has this vault of information which Vitae possesses.
“That is the key to the success of our messaging strategies,” Vitae President Debbie Stokes told the audience. She also noted that Vitae is not resting on its research laurels. “There is so much more to learn. We have begun exploring topics for our next research study.”
Helping PHCs with this messaging, which Vitae does at no cost to them, is key to converting hearts and minds in this pro-death culture.
Blackmore said that in 2017, the last year data is available, there were 39,329 abortions in the state of Illinois.
“We could pass a million laws in Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa or Wisconsin and that won’t eliminate the hopeless feeling of women who are pregnant and don’t want to be. We need to continue to do research and train PHCs on the research, and we need your help to do it,” Blackmore noted.
Krauss agreed. “We are a very informational-seeking society, but a simple Google search can make the difference of saving a life. Our message must get beyond the attempts of the left to silence it. They are targeting our arguments and trying to silence us by making us look like the bad guys who are trying to silence women. They are the ones trying to silence us in politics, the media and especially in technology.
“Getting across positive messaging to women in the early stages of pregnancy truly matters,” Krauss said. She shared that, as a mother, she realized that creating life is a superpower.
“I felt like Wonder Woman!” she said enthusiastically. “It’s not a curse. It will give your life meaning and purpose. We must continue to support Vitae and the pro-life movement by supporting women in our towns and communities.”
If you would like to help Vitae continue its mission of using research to help women find local, lifesaving resources, please consider a gift of $25, $50 or $100 today.