By Heather Weininger, Executive Director, Wisconsin Right to Life
Editor’s note. This appears in the July digital edition of National Right to Life News. Please be sure to read the entire 37-page issue and pass stories along using your social media contacts. We count on you to spread the word.
Heather Weininger, Executive Director of Wisconsin Right to Life, and David Daleiden, who heads the Center for Medical Progress and who was a General Session Speaker at NRL 2017.
The 47th Right to Life National Convention is in the books, and all of us at Wisconsin Right to Life are glad to have had a chance to host this premier pro-life event whose slogan was “Keeping Tomorrow Alive.”
Since then, I’ve taken some time to absorb all that happened June 29-July 1 here in Milwaukee. Here’s what I’ve personally concluded: this year’s speakers were the best we have ever seen!
As the Convention kicked off Thursday morning, we were proud to hear from our very own Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch. Her strong commitment to the protection of life is truly genuine, and can be seen in how she is raising her two daughters, and how she lives her everyday life.
Plus, her enthusiasm is contagious! The Lt. Governor, after showcasing the many pro-life accomplishments of Wisconsin, exclaimed that we “are the activists of science” to universal applause from the crowd. Her address was an awesome reminder that the reason we succeed is because we have the truth on our side.
Wisconsin’s own Attorney General Brad Schimel followed with another terrific–and very personal–pro-life speech.
Just like Lt. Governor Kleefisch, AG Schimel’s passion for the right to life is authentic and genuine. He shared with the crowd not only his tireless defense of pro-life laws, but also his and his wife’s journey to parenthood through adoption.
Trust me, there was hardly a dry eye in the room after hearing him share the story of a birthmother’s courageous fight to ensure the Schimels first daughter was spared from abortion. He shares the same admiration we all have for the brave women and girls who fight against the culture of death to give their children a chance at life.
As expected, author and commentator Ben Shapiro’s speech was fantastic. He outlined every major objection to the pro-life position and just demolished each and every argument.
After his speech I had a chance to meet with a long-time friend of Wisconsin Right to Life and heard that his children had come to convention just to hear Ben Shapiro. They left saying they felt even more pro-life after hearing him. It is amazing to see the next generation of the pro-life movement feel so empowered after being armed with the facts!
David Daleiden’s talk was an equally exciting experience. To hear, first-hand, Mr. Daleiden’s efforts to expose the truth about Planned Parenthood’s role in the trafficking of baby body parts was riveting. In his speech and in his work as the head of the Center for Medical Progress, he tore away the curtain to uncover the truth about the abortion industry. His continued fight against censorship and bullying encourages use to hold up the torch and keep working to end this grisly trade of the bodies of innocent children.
Finally, it’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of our great governor, Scott Walker. Gov. Walker’s address had many attendees approaching me afterwards to tell me how jealous they were of our pro-life governor and how much they wish they had a leader like him in their state!
I get it – Governor Walker is a true hero to the pro-life movement in Wisconsin, and we need a lot more leaders like him. He fights continuously for the most vulnerable, and we are delighted that others get to see how much he is an advocate for the right to life.
Looking ahead, next year’s NRLC convention is in Overland Park, Kansas, June 28, 29, and 30. My hope is that everyone who attended National Right to Life Convention this year asks one other person to come with them next year.
From general session speakers to countless break-out workshops, there is so much to learn and share.
Together, we can expand our networks, inspire one another, and continue our work in the most important fight of our lifetime.
Together, we are “Keeping Tomorrow Alive.“