In February, the American Civil Liberties Union filed an aimless lawsuit against seven Pro-Life cities in Texas that became Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn. This pitiful attempt to silence the efforts of Pro-Life citizens and intimidate city councils on behalf of the abortion industry came to a sheepish end when the ACLU dropped the lawsuit. Realizing that any case against the merits of the ordinance would be fruitless, abortion advocates have now changed tactics and opted in favor of character assassinations targeting Pro-Life activist Mark Lee Dickson, and attacking employees of Texas Right to Life.
Anti-Life forces invariably drag any effective effort to protect innocent preborn children to court. They attempt to intimidate the Pro-Life movement into submission through vicious, endless, and expensive litigation. The cities of Waskom, Naples, Joaquin, Tenaha, Rusk, Gary, and Wells were the latest targets of a lawsuit, but they refused to surrender to the legal games of the abortion industry. These cities’ courage, prudence, and determination forced the ACLU to drop the lawsuit, securing legal victories for the Pro-Life movement and these Texas cities.
Realizing they couldn’t win the argument about the legality of the ordinances, the abortion industry has turned to engaging in ad hominem attacks. The Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equity, Texas Equal Access Fund, and the Aifya Center have each filed separate lawsuits against Mark Dickson and Right to Life of East Texas, claiming to be victims of defamation because of his advocacy for the equal and enduring value of preborn children. Two of these plaintiffs, the Lilith Fund and Texas Equal Access Fund, were also plaintiffs in the lawsuits against the Pro-Life Texas cities. Rather than choosing to continue with their original lawsuit—or to abandon their legal efforts altogether—these anti-Life organizations have baselessly claimed defamation, vindictively seeking money for their bruised egos.
They claim that Mark Dickson’s efforts to unmask the heinous product these abortion organizations are really peddling – ending the lives of unborn children – somehow makes him a liar. Further, the abortion organization’s lawsuit imply the same of employees of Texas Right to Life by their association with Dickson. These personal attacks are appalling examples of the depths to which anti-Life forces will resort when they don’t get their way in court. These lawsuits will again prove to be without merit, as they represent little more than mudslinging rhetoric from the abortion industry.
Public intimidation is certainly a useful tool in our era of “cancel culture” and outrage mobs. However, the Pro-Life movement is resilient and impervious to such tactics. Mere intimidation disguised as defamation lawsuits will not engender surrender or despair within the Pro-Life movement. Texas cities will continue to become Sanctuary Cities for the Unborn. And Pro-Life activists will continue to proclaim the truth rooted in God and His natural world, even in the face of frivolous lawsuits.
Texas Right to Life stands in firm support of Mark Dickson’s efforts to assist cities in becoming Sanctuaries for the Unborn. We encourage Pro-Life Texans across our state to boldly stand with us against the underhanded intimidation of those who seek to profit from the deaths of the innocent. Now is the time for cities across our state and nation to fight back against the industry of death by boldly passing ordinances to protect their preborn neighbors.