A non-profit pro-life pregnancy center in Chicago, Aid to Women, has faced vengeful vandalism. Established in 1978, the organization manages two maternity homes and five pregnancy centers. The shocking incident of vandalism saw chaotic red paint splashed across one of their locations, doors sealed with cement, and the phrases “fake clinics” and “the dead babies are in Gaza” spray-painted. As a consequence, all Friday appointments with women seeking support had to be canceled.
This unsettling incident came on the heels of the Democratic National Convention, where fervent support for legal abortion was consistently proclaimed. Planned Parenthood went as far as to set up a mobile clinic offering free abortions and vasectomies near the convention venue. Vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz underscored his commitment to legal abortion in his acceptance speech, reminiscing about pro-abortion legislation he signed as the governor of Minnesota.
Historically, Democrats maintained a moderate stance on pro-life issues. Things shifted dramatically in 2016, when the Democratic Party’s platform called for a repeal of the Hyde amendment, signaling an end to restrictions on federal funding for abortions. The 2020 party platform notably excluded any language about “reducing the need for abortion.”
Since May 2022, there have been 92 attacks on pro-life groups and pregnancy aid centers following the leak of the Dobbs decision. The FACE Act, intended to protect pro-life pregnancy centers, has typically penalized pro-lifers engaging in civil disobedience instead. The Biden administration’s Department of Justice has often ignored such attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers, thereby allowing the recent act of vandalism to go unpunished.