Making Texas a Sanctuary for the Unborn
You may have heard of the controversies over sanctuary cities. These cities are local jurisdictions that seek to pressure or protest the Trump administration over its crackdown on illegal immigration, by making sure illegal aliens who live in these cities have no fear of deportation. These jurisdictions, they claim, are protecting those whose right it is to live here, in this country, without fear of losing their job, freedom, or family.
On the other side of the aisle, the religious and non-religious alike see that the truly oppressed, targetted class are unborn children, disproportionately minority, who are being deprived of life on a daily basis. There is a wave beginning to move across the state of Texas to make our cities sanctuary cities for the unborn. This grassroots movement sends a message to those that seek the destruction of life that their ideology is unwelcome and unacceptable in Texas.
The wave is currently being led by Right to Life East Texas Director, Mark Lee Dickson, who helped the city of Waskom, Texas, become the first in a growing list to declare themselves sanctuary cities for the unborn. Dickson moves through local legislatures, with the support of town-leaders and the local community, by helping city councils adopt unprecedented ordinances that outlaw abortions within their cities’ limits, respectively.
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Dickson (left) with active prayer group in support of the Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance in Mount Vernon, TX. Image courtesy of Mark Lee Dickson
Dickson, in describing the movement, said, “We have cities that are reaching out to us on a daily basis… Cities everywhere are looking at cities like Waskom and saying, ‘Can we be more like these cities? Can our city outlaw abortion as well?’ It is a great thing!”
Dickson continued, “Today I met with some people from Fort Worth and Euless who want to see their city outlaw abortion. Yesterday I met with [a group] from Greenville that wants [that], too. All the while answering phone calls and messages from people who all want the same thing—they all want to see the end of the abortion holocaust.”
These ordinances are reflective of most Texas cities’ pro-life stance as well as their repudiation of Roe v. Wade. The ordinances outlaw the practice of providing abortion services within city limits and also allow cities future mechanisms to enforce the ban after Roe is overturned. The cities, at which point, would begin to prosecute abortion clinics and providers with a fine per abortion.
The strategy creates a firm disincentive for abortion providers to move into a sanctuary city, for fear of future litigation. It also allows the general public to immediately file suit against an abortion provider for violation of a standing city ordinance.
Dickson is working, not just across East Texas, but across the entire state to expand the number of cities that protect the right to life of infants. Congratulations are in order for those courageous cities that have already stood up against the genocidal practice of infanticide, in order of their decision this year: Waskom (June 11), Omaha and Naples (Sept. 9), and Joaquin (Sept 17).
In a report by Dickson, the next city in the works to become a sanctuary is Tenaha, Texas, on Monday, September 23rd (see Tenaha’s city council meeting agenda here). Other Texas cities that have citizen interest in adopting these ordinances in the near future are Mount Enterprise, Gilmer, Henderson, Greenville, and Abilene.
The communities at the center of the movement are exceptionally excited. One resident of Mount Enterprise, Amy Blackwell, describes her lived experience:
Blackwell in front of the clinic she went to years ago, with Mr. Brocato, who prayed with her and changed her mind about getting an abortion. Image courtesy of Mark Lee Dickson
“Not only am I an advocate for the unborn but also for the broken and hopeless. My passion in life is to tell my story, in hopes that it may save just one of these [people]. I, myself have driven across state lines to an abortion clinic because I thought there was no other way. I want the residents of Mount Enterprise to know that I understand their fears but also need them to know there is hope and help.”
She continued:
“Many times, the voices of the people in small-town, rural America are drowned out by BIG news and BIG towns. If our town becomes a sanctuary city for the unborn, we will give back the voices of its residents.
As someone who has visited an abortion clinic in the past and changed my mind, I know how important it is for others to stand in the gap for those thinking that abortion is the only way.”
You can read the rest of Amy’s story in her upcoming book: The Testimony I Never Wanted.
Many others like Amy are active and passionate in this process. For instance, attorney in Greenville, Elisha Hollis, said of the movement, “[E]gregious bloodshed has continued and has even been celebrated since Roe v. Wade was decided… Communities must decide when enough is enough and ultimately take a stand. In doing so, they can spark change in their counties and often in their states as well, if not in the nation as a whole.”
Hollis concluded, “Becoming a Sanctuary City for the Unborn is this first step… It's time for the communities to stand up for what is right and build change from the ground up.”
While outlets like USA Today and Vice seek to demean these city councils and their decisions for being too white, too male, and too racist, three of the four cities’ councils passing this vote have included both women and minority voices—underreported in the mainstream outlets, but verified by Mr. Dickson. Our contributors at CRIT-LARGE will be following the story closely to ensure that the furtherance of this strong and just effort will not be smeared or misreported.
It is our desire that this groundswell of support grows to state-wide and national proportions. Show your support for our Texas: Sanctuary for the Unborn series by following the project as the story develops and more cities come forward to defend the most vulnerable among us.
Author’s Note: To support the sanctuary cities for the unborn movement, you can donate at sanctuarycitiesfortheunborn.com. You can also sign his petition to make your city next on the list, and follow him on Facebook at Right to Life East Texas.