An urgent call to protect free speech

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NORCROSS — On Dec. 7 Georgia Right to Life (GRTL) called on the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a California law that authorizes the state to force pro-life organizations to promote abortion.

A coalition of pro-life groups have challenged the law and on November 13, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case that could potentially affect the work of pregnancy resource centers across the country.

This attack on the freedom of expression will set the tone for more draconian efforts nationwide to shut down speech and other forms of expression by pro-life organizations that ruling elites deem offensive.

Aside from mandating what crisis pregnancy centers must promote, the law also applies “informed consent” regulations on the centers which perform no medical procedures. They only offer free counseling and pre-natal supplies.

“This law is an outrageous assault on free speech worthy of the dictatorship of the year award,” said GRTL President Ricardo Davis. “Forcing pro-life groups to publicly support what they oppose goes against everything free speech stands for.”

The issue in the case involves the constitutionality of California’s “Reproductive FACT Act.” FACT stands for: “Freedom, Accountability, Comprehensive Care, and Transparency.”

Typical of deceptive law makers, the title is cynically misleading in that it clearly does not promote “freedom and transparency.”

The act directs pro-life pregnancy centers and abortion facilities to disseminate to all patients a notice that says among other things: “…California has public programs that provide immediate free or low-cost access to comprehensive family planning services, prenatal care, and abortion for eligible women.”

Pouring salt in the wound, the law forces pro-life centers to post the notice in much larger printing than abortion mills.

Worse, California admits the law is aimed at pro-life centers. In its court filing, the state said: “The State of California admits that the purpose of the Reproductive FACT Act is to target the free speech of pro-life centers…”

Davis added: “All of this is the latest example of an extremely dangerous trend of wrongheaded governments, universities, and businesses becoming increasingly intolerant of any viewpoints deemed politically incorrect. If not stopped, the country that is based on free speech will no longer exist."

Davis called on all pro-life supporters to pray that the court will support the sanctity of human life and overturn this un-American law.

Georgia Right to Life promotes respect and effective legal protection for all innocent human life from earliest biological beginning through natural death. GRTL is one of a number of organizations that have adopted Personhood as the most effective pro-life strategy for the 21st century.

abortion, California, free speech, law, Supreme Court