Today it begins, our fifth annual “Twitcast” joining pro-life bloggers from near and far, who all had the good sense to come in out of the cold during the annual March for Life. (Click here for last year's transcript.) The following is the transcript of this year's ProLifeCon, the “premiere conference for the online prolife community” hosted once again by the Family Research Council in Washington DC. Items may be edited slightly for correction.
A video portal appears here, with a live feed during the event, later to appear as a pre-recording of the same. You can learn more at the FRC website, follow the magic hashtag on Twitter: #prolifecon, or follow yours truly at: twitter.com/manwithblackhat.
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@mattswaim You want status? Here's my status. tinyurl.com/kyfrcv2 #prolifecon
5:55am
Welcome to the #prolifecon Twitcast! The video feed is on. Go to tinyurl.com/kyfrcv2 or frc.org/prolifecon/ and see it in real time.
8:21am
See the premier conference for the online pro-life community! tinyurl.com/kyfrcv2 #catholic #prolife #prolifecon
8:31am
Anna Higgins, Senior Fellow for Life Studies, Family Research Council, introduces the event. #prolifecon
8:32am
Bethany Goodman, Assistant Director, March for Life Education and Defense Fund, welcomes the guests. #prolifecon
8:34am
"Going out on the National Mall in a few hours. Temperatures are below freezing, but it's an opportunity to show the world ..." #prolifecon
8:35am
"What can pro-life online activists do to help the March for Life?" [Well, we're doin' it now.] #prolifecon #whywemarch
8:36am
"We want a culture in which every child is honored." #prolifecon #whywemarch
8:38am
Live coverage on #EWTN. Live. Right now. #prolifecon #whywemarch
8:39am
"We've got an app for that." Text MARCH4LIFE to 99000. Stay connected year round. #catholic #prolifecon #whywemarch
8:41am
Tony Perkins, President of FRC, introduces the next speaker. "Life has value because it is created in the image of God." #prolifecon8:47am
Reince Priebus, Chairman of the RNC, is speaking now. "I'm from Wisconsin, so this is like summer weather here." #prolifecon
8:49am
"We're the pro-life party." #prolifecon
8:50am
Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) has served since 1994, as an advocate for pro-life issues. "Abortion ends a beating heart." #prolifecon
8:52am
"There might have been a cure for cancer, if a life had not been snuffed out." #prolifecon
8:54am
Co-sponsoring a bill prohibiting taxpayer funding for abortions, even through Obamacare. #prolifecon
8:55am
"Conscience protections." Companies like Hobby Lobby should be able to opt out of health plans that cover abortions. #prolifecon
8:58am
Birth fathers should have parenting rights, and a registry should be established to better facilitate adoptions. #prolifecon
8:59am
"There are now more Americans who are pro-life than who are pro-abortion." #prolifecon
8:59am
Joe Carter, Director of Communications, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. #prolifecon
9:01am
"It's not enough to work to overturn Roe v Wade." #prolifecon
9:02am
"Abortion should be as much of a crime as murder. We must do this through persuasion." #prolifecon
9:02am
The March is a good thing, but is not necessarily a tool for persuasion. #prolifecon
9:05am
"What we should be focusing on, is persuading people towards the dignity of human life." #prolifecon
9:06am
We see pictures of babies every hour on Facebook. They "have become a part of our pro-life context." #prolifecon
9:06am
Not by images of aborted babies, but pictures of live babies that evoke love for the child. #prolifecon
9:07am
"Our primary task is not to change the world, but to be faithful to the One who created it." #prolifecon
9:09am
Ryan Bomberger, Chief Creative Officer, The Radiance Foundation, was the product of a rape, and whose mother chose life. #prolifecon
9:13am
theradiancefoundation.org #prolifecon
9:14am
@lifehaspurpose #prolifecon
9:15am
"I'm an adoptee, and an adoptive father of four." #prolifecon9:16am
"Adoption is a transformative act of love, not just for the child, but for the family, and the for whole world." #prolifecon
9:18am
Planned Parenthood promotes the myth: Unintended equals unwanted equals unloved. They demonize adoption. #prolifecon
9:20am
adoptedandloved.com Celebrate beautiful possibility. #prolifecon
9:20am
RT @TomCrowe Have a happy "Let's all ignore the huge mass of pro-lifers in the capital" day, @CNN @msnbc, @ABC, @CBS! #marchforlife
9:21am
sallyslambs.org #prolifecon
9:22am
"Follow us on Twitter at @lifehaspurpose."
9:23am
Read "From one adoptee to another: Dear Elijah ..." at theradiancefoundation.org #prolifecon
9:24am
toomanyaborted.com #prolifecon
9:26am
Brian Fisher, Co-Founder and President, Online for Life, joins us via Skype. #prolifecon
9:26am
Online For Life: So every life makes their mark. #prolifecon
9:28am
Non-profit based in Dallas, TX, with 25 on staff, and 6000+ users on App. #prolifecon
9:30am
More than 1400 babies saved, including those in hardship situations. Also a source for pro-life graphics. #prolifecon
9:31am
Formula for saving babies from abortion: Market Penetration + Effectiveness = Babies Saved #prolifecon
9:32am
Core Mission: Call center referrals for women w/crisis pregnancies: Marketing Outreach > Call Center > Pregnancy Center > Church #prolifecon
9:34am
prolifeapp.com is a new app replacing the "online for life" app. #prolifecon9:35am
Over time, this app shows the effectiveness of your prayers in saving the unborn, all monitored by OFL. #prolifecon
9:38am
onlineforlife.org prolifeapp.com #prolifecon
9:40am
Arina Grossu, Director, Center for Human Dignity, Family Research Council. #prolifecon
9:42am
Someone once said: "First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a socialist ..." #prolifecon
9:43am
"If life is not respected at one level, it will not be respected at another level." #prolifecon
9:43am
Dr Henry Potrykus, Senior Fellow, FRC's Marriage and Religion Research Institute (MARRI) #prolifecon
9:45am
Subject: Some things abortion has done to the country, economically and otherwise. #prolifecon
9:46am
Abortion legalization causally reduces births by about 10 percent. #prolifecon
9:48am
Dr Potrykus' study is quite elaborate, and too much to summarize in this venue. #prolifecon
9:51am
More details at: marri.us/abortion-effect #prolifecon
9:57am
Jason Jones, who flew in from Hawaii, co-produced the film "Bella." #prolifecon
9:58am
An upcoming film "Gimme Shelter," opens this weekend, which shows the human side of crisis pregnancies. #prolifecon
10:01am
gimmeshelterthemovie.com #prolifecon
10:03am
Intermission until 10:10 local time. #prolifecon
10:04am
And ... we're back! #prolifecon
10:11am
Kristan Hawkins, President, Students for Life of America #prolifecon
10:12am
The majority of abortions in America are performed on college-aged women. #prolifecon
10:13am
The young people are not the future of the pro-life movement, they ARE the pro-life movement. #prolifecon
10:15am
"Be the revolution." #prolifecon
10:18am
RT @SisterToldjah From pro-abortion to pro-life: My #MarchForLife thoughts on #RoeAt41 bit.ly/KFvMiq #fb
10:19am
RT @CatholicLisa via @WomenOfGrace Braving Cold and Snow, March for Life Goes On! dlvr.it/4ltqSL #Catholic10:19am
Roland Warren, CEO, Care Net #prolifecon
10:22am
Provider of training and referrals for crisis pregnancies. #prolifecon
10:23am
When the slaves were free, they left being slaves, but returned as sharecroppers. There are still issues to this day. #prolifecon
10:26am
We do very little in the pro-life movement to engage fathers and husbands. When Roe v Wade is overturned, is that a win? #prolifecon
10:27am
care-net.org #prolifecon
10:28am
"Most single mothers are not single mothers by choice, but by chance. We need a family-centric approach to this issue. #prolifecon
10:30am
"We can't just be pro-life, we have to be pro-abundant life." #prolifecon
10:31am
The story of the Holy Family is the pro-life narrative. It is not just about "unplanned" pregnancy, but about raising a child. #prolifecon
10:33am
Jane Fuller, Executive Director, Assist Pregnancy Center of Virginia #prolifecon
10:34am
Pregnancy centers belong to associations, but are otherwise independent. #prolifecon
10:36am
Women with unplanned pregnancies do not respond well to the description of "crisis." #prolifecon
10:36am
"We believe that 'choice' means providing all the information available, including the risks associated with abortion." #prolifecon
10:38am
"We are here for women and their partners, no matter their choice." #prolifecon
10:39am
"I can't believe there's a heartbeat. I can't believe I would have aborted that child. I felt a weight lifted from me." #prolifecon
10:42am
"We have women who come in considering abortions, who come in solely for the state-required ultrasound." #prolifecon
10:44am
"Anyone who can take infanticide and make it look like a suitable option, that's very good marketing through manipulation." #prolifecon
10:46am
"We need to expose the absurdity that abortion is 'quality health care.'" #prolifecon
10:47am
Congressman Andy Harris (R-MD) #prolifecon
10:48am
The only physician who sits on the House Appropriations Committee. Funding for abortion is approved not by law, but annually. #prolifecon
10:50am
Loopholes in the Affordable Care Act presently allow *administrative* funds to cover health plans that cover abortion. #prolifecon
10:52am
[NOTE: At this juncture, a question was asked by yours truly, in the face of examples provided, as to whether the executive branch of government violating the rule of law so openly, represented a much more serious problem than the handling of a single appropriation, adding something about "high crimes and misdemeanors," which resonated with those present. The congressman, to his great credit, used what time was left to rise to the occasion, and provide an excellent summation of the complexities of the law in this matter. Watch for it in the video replay beginning at 2:46:56.]
Jill Stanek, Blogger, jillstanek.com #prolifecon
11:00am
"My topic today is 12 blogging tips in 12 minutes." #prolifecon
11:02am
"1. Strive for excellence." #prolifecon
11:02am
"2. Find your niche." #prolifecon
11:03am
[NOTE: This is my niche. How am I doing?] #prolifecon
11:03am
"3. Think of your blog as a vocation." #prolifecon
11:04am
"4. Develop a mission statement." #prolifecon
11:05am
"5. Blog strategically." #prolifecon
11:05am
"6. Simplest way to get more traffic? Blog often." #prolifecon
11:06am
"7. Keep it pithy." #prolifecon
11:07am
"8. Give photo credit." #prolifecon
11:09am
"9. Write original content." #prolifecon
11:12am
"10. Cross post." #prolifecon
11:12am
"11. Be accurate." #prolifecon
11:13am
"12. Develop a thick skin." #prolifecon
11:13am
PHOTO: Jill StanekThe Duggar Family, Stars of TLC's "19 Kids & Counting" #prolifecon
11:14am
Jim Bob and Michelle. #prolifecon
11:14am
The Duggars share a moving account of their 19th baby born prematurely through an emergency c-section. #prolifecon
11:18am
God says: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." They told of a miscarriage that was a side effect of contraception. #prolifecon
11:19am
RT Michelle @duggarfam at @FRCdc #prolifecon "If we speak the truth in love, this generation can c abortion is wrong" ow.ly/i/4mzuN
11:20am
Josh Duggar, one of the 19, introduces a special guest, Senator and former Presidential candidate Rick Santorum. #prolifecon
11:23am
[Rick Santorum is standing right next to me. I told him, "Hey, you're wearing the vest." Thumbs up. "Good job." He was mildly amused.] #prolifecon
11:27am
"Women who have been lied to, abandoned by their men, by the sexual revolution, want to do the right thing ..." #prolifecon
11:30am
"... but do not always know where to turn. This is a movement of love, not of judgment." #prolifecon
11:31am
"Teenagers are more pro-life than the generation that gave us Roe vs Wade. The truth doesn't go away by ignoring it." #prolifecon
11:32am
"If abortion is such a good thing, why don't they come right out and say 'We need more abortions," as though it's a good thing?" #prolifecon
11:34am
"See that little baby moving around in there? It's hard to say that's not a human life." #prolifecon
11:35am
"If the campaign is all about defense, you're going to lose." The opponent will assume the narrative, and box you in a corner. #prolifecon
11:40am
And so ends another ProLifeCon. The temperature is 9 degrees above. Things could be worse. #prolifecon
11:43am
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After the event, I was able to spend a few minutes with some of the celebrity guests, including seven-month-old Marcus Duggar, son of Josh and grandson of Jim Bob and Michelle. I was also among those who spoke briefly with Senator Rick Santorum, as he explained the difficulty of appealing to the "social conservative" base of voters who would support a pro-life candidate for high office, citing the tepidity of other such political figures themselves, and the lack of faith in a victory. He pointed out how the field is then carried by a "moderate" candidate, who ends up losing to a more strident, if ideologically opposed (and vehemently pro-abortion) opponent.All in all, except for a few technical difficulties in the beginning, which were overcome with the kind assistance of the FRC support staff -- Note to self: The operative word at a conference of online activists is "online." -- the day was a success.
And finally, lest we forget, the Gentleman from Maryland, Congressman Andy Harris, gets our Tip of the Black Hat, for being such a good sport.
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