Pro-life community organizing effort launches in New York City

Jan 23, 2009 / 01:40 am

A new pro-life initiative in New York City is being launched to rally pro-lifers and to persuade other Americans to become pro-life through a door-to-door community organizing campaign.

Organized for Life, the joint creation of the groups Prolife Witness and Pro-Life Unity, plans to distribute pro-life literature and DVDs to every house in targeted neighborhoods. According to its website, the campaign aims to “dispel the myths” publicized by the media and Planned Parenthood while challenging people to think what they mean by “abortion” and “choice.”

The campaign will also engage in crisis pregnancy outreach while bringing the “Gospel of Life” door-to-door.

Another of its aims is to identify and establish relationships with pro-lifers, introducing them to community efforts against abortion such as local opposition to Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinics. Organized for Life also aspires to create “a strong local pro-life voting bloc among members of all political parties.”

“The concept of community organizing is not a practice owned solely by leftists and communists, and it is not just for stirring up discontent among the ‘have nots’,” the campaign’s web site states.

Participants expressed optimism about the effort.

"Many of the people whose homes we visited responded positively," said Ruben Obregon, a co- founder of Organized for Life who went door-to-door last week in Staten Island, New York City.

“This groundbreaking initiative takes the abortion and life issues battle beyond the streets and the clinics and delivers the life message directly to the homes of American families,” Obregon added.

Peter Shinn, co-founder of Organized for Life, remarked:

"Life issues need to be delivered in person so America can make educated, informed decisions… I believe one of the best ways this can be accomplished is through face to face contact, which is the backbone of Organized for Life.”

The campaign has been endorsed by David Bereit, National Campaign Director of 40 Days for Life, who called it a “long-overdue effort” that fills a “huge gap” in the pro-life movement, according to a press release from the campaign.

“This is a HUGE opportunity that needs to be taken advantage of in the movement!” Bereit said.