OPINION:
They are grandmothers, fathers, concentration camp survivors. They are single women, senior citizens, Christians, atheists, Republicans, Democrats, straight, transgender.
So many different “lived experiences” as liberals like to say. So, what is it that landed this incredibly diverse group of people in federal prisons across the country and the target of Biden-Harris’ Department of Justice?
Their only crime, in the eyes of this current administration, is that they are all pro-lifers who stood up for life at abortion centers, as the last line of defense for babies and their mothers.
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And they are being sharply prosecuted by the Biden-Harris DOJ and thrown in federal prisons for multiple years for violating the FACE ACT.
If you recall, the FACE ACT was signed into law by President Billy Clinton. And it was supposed to safeguard access to both abortion centers, pregnancy centers and places of worship from violent attacks. But what started as a bipartisan attempt to protect these entities has become a one-sided prosecution of pro-lifers. And the facts bear this out.
SEE ALSO: Tough week for pro-lifers as activists convicted, pregnancy center attacked after DNC
In the last two years alone, since the Dobbs leak in 2022, there have been nearly 100 attacks on pregnancy centers and pro-life groups. And the FBI knows that.
FBI Director Christopher Wray recently confirmed in a congressional hearing that 70% of abortion-related violence targets pro-lifers. And we’re not just talking peaceful sit-ins or blocking entrances like the recent FACE Act violations from pro-lifers. We’re talking firebombings, defacing property, death threats, as well as slaughtered and decapitated animals thrown on pregnancy center property.
But shockingly, to date, there have been no FACE Act indictments against those who have attacked pro-life clinics besides the four radical individuals charged in Florida. Yet, prosecutions of pro-life individuals constitute around 97% of all FACE Act cases.
It is the Biden-Harris team that has made it a jewel in their crown to aggressively go after their ideological opponents. In 2022 alone, their DOJ charged 26 pro-life people with violations against the FACE Act.
It is has gotten so bad that Republican members of Congress have taken notice and action. Rep. Chip Roy has been outspoken about these prejudicial attacks. He created a bill to repeal the FACE Act altogether, since it has not been applied equally or fairly since its inception.
“Free Americans should never live in fear of their government targeting them because of their beliefs,” Mr. Roy said. “Yet, Biden’s Department of Justice has brazenly weaponized the FACE Act against normal, everyday Americans across the political spectrum, simply because they are pro-life.”
SEE ALSO: Not your average grandpa: 5 reasons Tim Walz is an abortion fanatic
And who are these individuals that have had the book thrown at them?
One of these victims is Lauren Handy, a progressive activist with the pro-life organization Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising. Ms. Handy was mortified after hearing the group Live Action’s undercover taped confessions of infamous abortionist Dr. Santangelo, when he admitted that babies born alive from his late-term abortions would be left to die. Ms. Handy knew this was a federal crime and quickly staged a protest at his center where she and her peers allegedly blocked an entrance. Ms. Handy was also responsible for rescuing the bodies of five late-term aborted babies, known as the DC Five, suspected victims of late-term abortion crimes from this same facility.
Or what about the pro-life group in Nashville that gathered peacefully in front of an abortion center praying and singing praise and worship songs? They were targeted and faced 11 years of federal prison time.
And who could forget Mark Houck? A Catholic pro-life dad who had a dozen armed FBI agents raid his home while his wife and children were there. Mr. Houck and his son were standing near, but not blocking, the entrance to an abortion center. And despite a state court throwing out this case, the federal government said they arrested and charged Mr. Houck because he pushed back on a pro-abortion activist who had been harassing his son. Eventually, Mr. Houck was acquitted.
Most recently, a group of pro-lifers in Michigan were charged with violations after standing outside of an abortion facility peacefully demonstrating. Many of these participants were older, including Eva Edl, an 89-year-old Soviet prison camp survivor. Mrs. Edl was forced into a camp as a young child by Yugoslavian communist dictator Josip Broz Tito before fleeing to the United States. Now she awaits sentencing from the U.S. government, which could condemn her to 10 years in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
These are just a few stories and faces of people across the country who have been targeted and convicted under this administration.
I would be remiss not to point out the blatant double standard from our current administration, especially Vice President Kamala Harris.
Ms. Harris has repeatedly and publicly cherry-picked who deserves “justice” and who does not. Most notably, it was Ms. Harris who, during the violent George Floyd riots, used social media to encourage everyone to donate to help bail out rioters: “Chip in now to the @MNFreedomFund to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota,” she tweeted as Minneapolis burned.
As New York Post reports, “That endorsement helped the Minnesota Freedom Fund raise $40 million cash it soon used to release accused murderers, rapists, and thieves.”
What we are seeing across the country is an accelerated targeting of pro-life Americans. This is a striking post-Dobbs development, and corporate media have willfully turned a blind eye to the willingness of the current administration and its agencies to wield federal power in one direction. Not only do the stats bear this out but also our government’s own public rhetoric. They are open about it. And that is terrifying.
How can we live in a country where our leaders spend time and resources targeting their ideological opponents? Is the thinking, if they’re not voting for me, then they are expendable?
I don’t know what will happen next, but I do know it is not sustainable for us to live in a country that aggressively jails people who believe in standing up for the sanctity of life.
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Emily Erin Davis is a published author and bilingual media professional, communicating in both English and Mandarin Chinese. Previously, she served as a global humanitarian and content creator, providing on-the-ground news and help. You may have seen her or read her words at USA Today, Newsweek, Fox News and more. She’s currently continuing her humanitarian work as the VP of Communications at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, as she fights for everyone’s fundamental right to life. As great as her career is, her most impactful roles are mom and wife.
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