Pro-Lifers Gather to Stop the Abortion Agenda

For immediate release:

Thursday, June 18, 2009

For more information:

Derrick Jones, NRLC 2009 Press Office (704) 348-4667 or (202) 423-3329

PRO-LIFERS GATHER TO STOP THE ABORTION AGENDA

National Right to Life Convention Returns to Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, NC – Today, North Carolina Right to Life and South Carolina Citizens for Life welcome pro-lifers from coast-to-coast to Charlotte for the 37^th annual National Right to Life Convention. Located at the Blake Hotel, the convention kicks off with a general session featuring Fr. Tad Pacholczyk, director of education for the National Catholic Bioethics Center. South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster will also welcome attendees at the opening session.

“We are thrilled to return to the Carolinas for the pro-life educational event of the year,” said Wanda Franz, Ph.D., president of National Right to Life. “With an aggressive abortion agenda and attacks on life coming from pro-abortion leadership at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, this year’s convention

gives every member of the pro-life community the opportunity to network and learn from some of the leading experts in the pro-life movement.”

Author Kate Adamson will address this evening’s general session. In her book, Paralyzed but not Powerless, she tells her unique story of overcoming Locked in Syndrome (total paralysis from brain injury due to a brainstem stroke.)

Friday afternoon, renowned bioethicist and prolific author Wesley J. Smith will address the issue of assisted suicide. In 2004, National Journal named Mr. Smith one of the nation’s top expert thinkers in bioengineering.

In total, the convention will feature more than 70 workshops and five general sessions. Notre Dame alumnus Fr. James Raphael, SSJ, will address the impact of Notre Dame’s decision to honor President Barack Obama – despite his pro-abortion views and actions – on the African American and pro-life communities at NRLC’s annual prayer breakfast Friday morning. Pro-life champion Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey will finish off the convention at Saturday night’s closing banquet.

Most impacted by Roe v. Wade’s destructive legacy of abortion-on-demand are teens and college students who have faced its consequences first-hand. Running concurrent to NRLC 2009 is the 24^th annual National Teens for Life (NTL) Convention featuring sessions aimed at training pro-life teen leaders from across the country.

“The goal of the convention is that everyone – young and old – leaves energized and equipped with the tools and information they need to fight back against the abortion agenda and change hearts and minds in their home communities,” Dr. Franz added.

The National Right to Life Committee is the nation’s largest pro-life group with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters nationwide.