In January, two Florida residents were indicted by a federal grand jury for threatening to spray paint a pregnancy center in Winter Haven, Florida.
LifeChoice Pregnancy Center, a Care Net affiliate, went bankrupt in June. The spray-painted threats included the phrases: “If abortion is unsafe than you,” “YOUR TIME IS UP!,” “WE’RE COMING FOR YOU,” and “We’re all in.”
The indictment alleges that Caleb Freestone, 27, and Amber Smith-Stewart, 23, and others “conspired to prevent employees of reproductive health services facilities from providing those services.” If convicted of the offenses, Freestone and Smith-Stewart face a maximum of 12 years in prison, three years of supervised release and fines of up to $350,000.
In the condition of Roe v. Wade turned upside down, LifeChoice was just one of many centers targeted. According to CatholicVote.orgat least 82 pregnancy resource centers and pro-life groups have been attacked and vandalized since a draft Supreme Court opinion was overturned Roe v. Wade was leaked in early May.
Roland Warren, CEO and President of Care Net, addressed the issue when he announced the organization’s Watch and Pray Initiative last summer.
“As an organization that supports a network of 1,200 life-affirming pregnancy centers, we are deeply saddened by these attempts to intimidate organizations that do so much wonderful God-honoring work to support those women and men in their communities,” he said.
Watch and Pray is based on the Bible passages in Luke 21:36, Ezekiel 33:2, and Matthew 10:16. Accordingly, Care Net created resources for its network of pregnancy centers to start local initiatives, and encouraged the recruitment of volunteer teams that could keep watch overnight.
Help can also come in the form of federal legislation and funding. On February 28, the Pregnancy Center Security Act was introduced by Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). The legislation would establish a grant program for pregnancy assistance organizations to implement security upgrades, including the installation of security cameras and systems.
“Pregnancy centers offer hope and support for women, girls, and their unborn children. It is heartbreaking for these facilities to be threatened with violence and vandalism, and I fully support this legislation to help protect them and the good work they do,” said Hyde-Smith, chair of the Senate Pro-Life Caucus. “Their protection represents a new responsibility in a post-Roe America because more many pregnancy centers have been established throughout the country to support mothers and their babies.”
The Pregnancy Center Security Act received support from a coalition of national pro-life organizations. Hon said. Marilyn Musgrave, vice president of government affairs for Susan B. Anthony Pro-life America, hopes that senate members on both sides of the island will support the bill.
“Nearly 3,000 pregnancy centers and maternity homes across the country provide and empower millions of women and families every year to choose life for their children. With an average satisfaction rate of 99%, these centers offer women real choice and provide millions of dollars worth of material assistance and essential services that are usually free of charge,” she said. “We commend Sen. Risch and her colleagues for supporting these centers in carrying out their loving mission, including taking steps to ensure the safest and most welcoming environment for clients and workers in the face of pro-abortion hostility.”
