The Harvest is Abundant!

Three days of meetings at National Right to Life, the Ruddy Life Prizes, the Massachusetts Caucus, and the March for Life were awesome!   Tuesday night I met with and spoke to about 30 doctors from Central Massachusetts Chapter of the Catholic Medical Association and Wednesday afternoon I spoke to the Students for Life at U. Ma. Amherst. Both local groups were just as awesome as DC!   Dr Mark Rollo and his associates are so well-informed and so committed!  Meeting the students at U. Ma. was such a pleasure.  They know what is going on, how to find out what they don't know, and they want to take action to save lives.  It was such an honor to speak to both groups - as it is any time I speak to the wonderful pro-lifers in the state. Linda Thayer, who speaks to about 8,000 young people every year as well as countless adults, is working very hard to train more speakers.  Members of the first "class" have become very capable and confident under Linda's guidance.  She is ready to start another class.  If you would like to help to spread the word in Massachusetts - and, in the process, meet wonderful people - please reply to this email or call the office at 617-242-4199. Christ said, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few, so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.  Go on your way; behold I am sending you like lambs among wolves." Let's develop plenty of laborers who can go forth to educate!  Thanks, Anne       DONATIONS - WE NEED AND APPRECIATE THEM!  THANK YOU!   For more information about the Pro-Life cause in Massachusetts or to get involved    please visit our website at masscitizensforlife.org.

March for Life: one-minute time-lapse video

Since you won't ever see it on the news, I'm sending this one-minute time-lapse video of the 38th Annual March for Life which took place last Monday.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9Hjc5MCu3s   Crowd estimate: 400,000 Average age: 25 Length of time for crowd to pass camera: 1 1/2 hours   Enjoy!   Janet Callahan,  MCFL March Co-Ordinator       DONATIONS - WE NEED AND APPRECIATE THEM!  THANK YOU!   For more information about the Pro-Life cause in Massachusetts or to get involved    please visit our website at masscitizensforlife.org.

MCFL Caucus in DC - you are there

Helen Cross made a marvelous video of our Caucus on Monday morning before the March.  We were so fortunate to have Dwight Duncan, Thea Rossi Barron, Robert Alt, and Michael New.  Everyone at the Caucus really enjoyed hearing them.  I think you will, also.  You can watch the Caucus here.  Anne PS.  Helen needs photos of the Caucus and the March for the MCFL News and the web site.  Please press "reply" to email pictures or send prints to MCFL, 529 Main Street, Charlestown, 02129.  Many of you are really good photographers, I know!  Looking forward to seeing your pictures, Anne         DONATIONS - WE NEED AND APPRECIATE THEM!  THANK YOU!   For more information about the Pro-Life cause in Massachusetts or to get involved    please visit our website at masscitizensforlife.org.

Impressions from the March

The people from Massachusetts had some pretty universal impressions. 1)  Most people felt the March was bigger than last year, which had more than 300,000 people. 2)  Among all the impressive things, the new Congressmen and Senators stood out.  Instead of whispering behind their hands that they are with us, they were crowding onto the stage at the beginning of the March to proclaim that they are with us! 3)  Everyone is focused on repealing Obamacare and outlawing all government funding of abortion. 4)  Added to the ever-increasing gigantic numbers of young people were a huge number of people of color. 5)  Even people not attending the March, just driving by on the side streets, eating in the House and Senate cafeterias, or in offices, were visibly supportive.  I met a pro-life military officer from Austria in the cafeteria and I saw taxi drivers waving at people headed to the March.   There were many other excellent events planned around the March.  I'll be sharing some of those with you.  As the busses arrive back, we'll have more to share.  We have so much to do but we are really moving!  Thanks, Anne           DONATIONS - WE NEED AND APPRECIATE THEM!  THANK YOU!   For more information about the Pro-Life cause in Massachusetts or to get involved    please visit our website at masscitizensforlife.org.

MA on the March

About 400 people from Massachusetts just left our caucus to join another 2500 at the March.   We were so fortunate to hear Professor Dwight Duncan, Thea Rossi Barron, Robert Alt fron the Heritage Foundation, and Professor Michael New discuss the implications of Roe v Wade, what will probably happen to Obamcare in the courts, what it was like to lobby with Dr Jefferson, and what the pro-life Movement accomplished in 2010.   After the caucus, constituents delivered Repeal Obamcare petitions to their Congressmen and our Senators.   Every time an elevator door opened, people in MCFL blue caps poured out.   As we approach our MA meeting place, the sea of blue caps gets thicker.  I believe there will be 400,000 people at this March. The weather is cold but not anywhere near as cold as home.   I sure you join me in commending all these wonderful people!    Anne             DONATIONS - WE NEED AND APPRECIATE THEM!  THANK YOU!   For more information about the Pro-Life cause in Massachusetts or to get involved    please visit our website at masscitizensforlife.org.

Meet Sen. Rick Santorum! Special Invitation to MCFL Members

Former Pennsylvania Rick Santorum and his wife, Karen, are pro-life heroes.  Many of you have read Karen's Letters to Gabriel about their baby whose brief life inspired us all. Catholic Citizenship has invited Senator Santorum to a fund raiser they are hosting on Feb 1st.  The tickets are $100.  Knowing how much pro-lifers would like to meet the Senator, Catholic Citizenship has kindly extended a special invitation to members of Mass. Citizens.  If you are a member of MCFL, you may attend the event for $50. It happens that a large number of our wonderful email family are not actually members.  Since you can become a member for $25, you could becomes a member and still save $25 on the Santorum event. Here is your invitation: Please join us as we welcome former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum on Tuesday, Feb. 1st, at the Hotel Indigo in Newton, MA. Come and fellowship with a faithful public servant who diligently upheld Catholic values in the public square. Meet the man who is rumored to be a presidential candidate in 2012.     For the event flyer, please click here. To RSVP on-line, please click here. If you need to join Mass Citizens before registering for the event, please click here.     DONATIONS - WE NEED AND APPRECIATE THEM!  THANK YOU! For more information about the Pro-Life cause in Massachusetts or to get involved please visit our   website at masscitizensforlife.org.

Visit our new, fully interactive website

We have launched a new, fully interactive website that will allow the prolife community to interact with each other on a daily basis, strategize and receive breaking prolife information and news. Visit http://massprolife.com/             DONATIONS - WE NEED AND APPRECIATE THEM!  THANK YOU! For more information about the Pro-Life cause in Massachusetts or to get involved please visit our   website at masscitizensforlife.org.

MA vote on Repeal / New Pro-Life Legislation Coming 1/20

Every single one of our Congressmen voted against H. R. 2, to Repeal Obamacare!  The vote was 245 to 189 which bodes very well for all of our legislation.  This article in National Review presents a fine case for the importance of the vote:  http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/257546/battle-rejoined-editors On Thursday, January 20, Reps. Chris Smith and Daniel Lipinski, who are the co-chairs of the Pro-Life Caucus, will introduce H. R. 3, No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act and the Protect Life Act. The former will put an end to the annual fight over various separate abortion funding prohibitions here and there in appropriation negotiations.  It will be a permanent ban on federal taxpayer funding of abortion.  No such comprehensive prohibition currently exhists. The Protect Life Act is a fix to Obamacare.  It adds a prohibition on abortion funding to Obamacare. Constituents have requested Congressmen Lynch and Neal to be original cosponsors of H. R. 3 before it is introduced tomorrow.  We'll keep you informed as it progresses.  Anne Note that repeal is H. R. 2 and funding ban is H. R. 3 - the first things being considered in the 112th congress.           DONATIONS - WE NEED AND APPRECIATE THEM!  THANK YOU! For more information about the Pro-Life cause in Massachusetts or to get involved please visit our   website at masscitizensforlife.org.

Not unexpected!

This gruesome news just came out. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41154527/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts We are filing a State Partial Birth Abortion Ban this week.  I hope that will help to keep something like this from happening in Massachusetts.  Actually, let's hope similar things are not already happening here and we just haven't heard about them yet. I'll be telling you more about the Legislators' Breakfast that we held yesterday, about the wonderful people we met, and about our bills when they are all filed later in the week. Please share this story with people - even people who are not pro-life will be moved.  Thanks, Anne             DONATIONS - WE NEED AND APPRECIATE THEM!  THANK YOU! For more information about the Pro-Life cause in Massachusetts or to get involved please visit our   website at masscitizensforlife.org.

Repeal vote tomorrow - shocking new problems with Obamacare!

The National Right to Life Committee sent this letter to Congress.  It outlines more outrages in Obamacare.    Rasmussen reports that 75% of Americans want Obamacare repealed or changed.      January 6, 2011   RE:  NRLC urges "yes" vote on H.R. 2 to repeal Obama health care law   Dear Member of Congress:   On behalf of the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the nationwide federation of state right-to-life organizations, we urge you to vote in favor of the repeal of Public Law 111-148, the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," when repeal legislation (H.R. 2) comes before the House of Representatives on January 12.   As enacted, the PPACA contains multiple provisions authorizing federal subsidies for abortion, and additional provisions on which future abortion-expanding regulatory mandates may be based.  Many of the abortion-subsidizing provisions of the legislation are detailed in an NRLC affidavit posted on our website here, and further documented in other materials posted here.    In addition, the PPACA contains multiple provisions that will, if fully implemented, result in government-imposed rationing of lifesaving medical care.  Among the most dangerous: ·  The department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will be empowered to impose so-called "quality and efficiency" measures on health care providers, based on recommendations by the Independent Payment Advisory Board, which is directed to force private health care spending below the rate of medical inflation.  In many cases treatment that a doctor and patient deem needed or advisable to save that patient's life or preserve or improve the patient's health but which runs afoul of the imposed standards will be denied, even if the patient wants to pay for it. ·  The law empowers HHS to prevent older Americans from making up with their own funds for the $555 billion the law cuts from Medicare by refusing to permit senior citizens the choice of private-fee-for-service plans whose premiums are sufficient to provide unrationed care but which HHS, in its unlimited discretion, disallows.  The Obama health care law could thus lead to elimination of the only way that seniors will have to escape rationing -- by limiting their right to spend their own money to save their own lives. ·  The law instructs and authorizes state bureaucrats to limit the value of the insurance policies that Americans may purchase.  Not only will the exchanges exclude policies from competing in an exchange when government authorities do not agree with their premiums, but the exchanges will even exclude insurers whose plans outside the exchange offer consumers the ability to reduce the danger of treatment denial by spending what those government authorities claim to be an "excessive or unjustified" amount.  This will create a "chilling effect," deterring insurers who hope to compete within the exchanges from offering adequately funded plans even outside of them, so that consumers will find it increasingly difficult to obtain health insurance that offers adequate and unrationed health care.     To summarize:  The law is so riddled with provisions that violate right-to-life principles that it cannot simply be patched.   It must be repealed, and any replacement legislation must contain all necessary safeguards for the right to life of the most vulnerable members of the human family.    NRLC intends to include the roll call on passage of H.R. 2 in our scorecard of key right-to-life roll calls of the 112th Congress.   If you have questions regarding the abortion-related aspects of the law that are not answered in the material referenced above, please contact the NRLC Federal Legislation Department at 202-626-8820 or at federallegislation@nrlc.org.   If you have questions regarding the rationing issues associated with the law, please contact the NRLC Powell Center for Medical Ethics at 202-378-6683 or at MedEthics@nrlc.org.   Respectfully,   David N. O'Steen, Ph.D            NRLC Executive Director   Douglas Johnson NRLC Legislative Director   Burke Balch, J.D. Director Powell Center for Medical Ethics   The vote will likely be late tomorrow, Jan 19th, so please call your Congressperson first thing in the morning.  You might want to stress these points which were outlined in the letter.   1. You don't want bureaucrats in Washington (the Department of Health and Human Services, based on recommendations by the Independent Payment Advisory Board)to dictate what treatment your doctor or hospital can - and can't - give you through so-called "quality and efficiency measures." 2. In order to protect senior citizens' lives, we must ensure their right to get unrationed medical care under Medicare. As Medicare is slashed by billions of dollars, we must not deny older Americans the choice of adding their own money, if they wish, to get unrationed insurance - as the Obama health law would empower federal bureaucrats to do. 3. Consumers will be denied the choice of plans offered by insurers who allow their customers to spend what state bureaucrats deem an "excessive or unjustified" amount for their health insurance. Don't keep us from spending our own money to save our own lives!   Congressman John W. Olver , 202-225-5335 Congressman Richard E. Neal, 202-225-5601 Congressman James P. McGovern, 202-225-6101 Congressman Barney Frank, 202-225-5931 Congressman Niki Tsongas, 202-225-3411 Congressman John F. Tierney, 202-225-8020 Congressman Edward J. Markey, 202-225-2836 Congressman Michael Capuano, 202-225-5111 Congressman Stephen F. Lynch, 202-225-8273 Congressman William D. Keating, 202-225-3111   Your call is important!.  Thanks, Anne     Detailed information on these and other components that will result in rationing is available here.       DONATIONS - WE NEED AND APPRECIATE THEM!  THANK YOU! For more information about the Pro-Life cause in Massachusetts or to get involved please visit our   website at masscitizensforlife.org.

Thirty-eighth Annual Assembly huge success!

I am sorry to be slow in getting this out.  I have been busy answering emails from people who attended the Assembly saying how good it was.  We had the largest crowd in at least four years - more than 600 people.  It was such a pleasure to stand at the top of the stairs at Faneuil Hall and watch all the children and young people as they came up the stairs.   Many of those youngsters are members of the Hanafin family of Burlington who received the Family of the Year Award. The Heartbeat Crisis Pregnancy Center, also of Burlington, received the Thomas J. Flatley Trophy, presented by Marta Martins-Ribeiro, the survivor of a failed abortion in Brazil.   Ambassador Raymond Flynn, who spoke about pro-life heroes, praised Dr. Mildred Jefferson, Dr. Joseph Stanton, Ambassador Mary Ann Glendon, Phil Moran, Esq., Joe Reilly Roy Scarpato, and others.   Ray maintained, "The heart of the pro- life movement is families like the Hanafins -- Rose and Charlie and their 11 children, 60 grandchildren, and 4 great grand children. They have contributed to a stronger and better America, like so many other pro- life families."   He said he had worked with, and counted among his friends, two remarkable pro- life and human  rights heroes - Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa -- who inspired people throughout the world. "They were the voice of the poor, the weak and the voiceless. We must all try and follow in that great tradition,"   The Treblemakers from the Montrose School charmed attendees with their delightful songs.  Pat and Eric Anthony and Helen Cross provided beautiful instrumental music.   Longtime radio personality Jeanine Graf, was the emcee. The program included an opening prayer and tribute to Dr. Mildred Jefferson by Dr. R. Gary Heikkila.  Deacon Frank McHugh introduced the Holy Hours for Life, which will take place next Sunday evening in 175 parishes in the Boston Archdiocese to provide prayer support for the people traveling to D.C. for the March, and he gave the closing prayer.   The people at the Assembly set forth to make 2011 a banner pro-life year.  I invite you to join them in promoting life.  Anne

Important announcement at Assembly! Busses to March: status

We have a very important announcement to make at the Assembly! I have listed the few busses that still have some seats available to D. C.  Their destination points are nicely spread across the state. Hope to see you at the Assembly!  Anne   Red Eye - Cambridge: Leave Sunday, 1/23/11 at 8:30 PM; Depart DC Monday, 1/24/11 after March.  Cost: $35 ($20 for students).  Contact: Laura Garcia at 617-251-4483 or garciald@bc.edu.  SPACE AVAILABLE as of 1/13/11 Red Eye - Chicopee Area: Leave Sunday, 1/23/11 at 11:00 PM; Depart DC Monday, 1/24/11 after March.  Cost: $45 (students $25).  Contact: Lauren Congo, MCFL Pioneer Valley Office at 413-583-5034 or info@pvmcfl.org; Susie Lopes at 413-592-6015 or Walter James at 413-733-4580.  SPACE AVAILABLE as of 1/13/11 Red Eye - North Adams: Leave Sunday, 1/23/11 at 10:00 PM; Depart DC Monday, 1/24/11 after March.  Cost: $25. Contact: Dan Kelly at 413-448-8460.  SPACE AVAILABLE as of 1/13/11 Red Eye - Weymouth: Leave Sunday, 1/23/11 at 9:00 PM; Depart DC Monday 1/24/11 at 5:00 PM.  Cost: $50 (students $10).  Contact: Sally Healy at 781-848-3796.  SPACE AVAILABLE AS OF 1/13/11 Red Eye - Worcester: Leave Sunday, 1/23/11 at 8:30 PM; Depart DC Monday 1/24/11 after March.  Cost: $75 ($85 after 12/31/10).  Contact: Respect Life Office, Diocese of Worcester at 508-929-4311 or aledoux@worcesterdiocese.org. SPACE AVAILABLE AS OF 1/13/11 2-Day - Burlington: Leave Saturday, 1/22/11 at 10:00 PM; Depart DC Monday, 1/24/11 at 5:00 PM.  Cost: $193 Double Occupancy ($172 Triple; $147 Quadruple; $285 Single).  Contact: Theresa Gorey at 978-475-6673 or 978-886-2911 (cell) or thegoreys@comcast.net; Jane Finn at 978-658-6115 or 978-618-5005 (cell). LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE AS OF 1/11/11. 2-Day - Natick: Leave Sunday morning, 1/23/11; Depart DC Monday, 1/24/11 after March.  Cost: $150 per person, double occupancy.  Contact: Jason Giombetti at 508-907-6220 or stpatjason@comcast.net.  SPACE AVAILABLE as of 1/11/11 3-Day - Malden/Burlington: Leave Sunday, 1/23/11 at 7:30 AM (Malden) and 8:00 AM (Burlington); Depart DC on Tuesday, 1/25/11 at 11:00 AM.  Cost: $200 per person double occupancy ($310 Single).  Contact: Janet Callahan at 781-324-3564 or janet.callahan@yahoo.com.  LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE AS OF 1/13/11.

Planned Parenthood: a catastrophe in Boston?

Last Friday, two ambulances and a fire-truck pulled up to Planned Parenthood on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, apparently to pick up the victim of a botched abortion.   According to Bill Cotter of Operation Rescue, Boston, pro-life counselers outside the clinic saw one woman wheeled out the front door on a gurney and loaded into one of the ambulances. We know from grizzly experience that the "clinics" don't like the bad publicity so they only call an ambulance in the most dire of circumstances. Planned Parenthood's annual report for 2008 lists more than $363 million in tax-payer funds.  That year it performed 324,008 abortions, a 5.8 percent increase from the previous year, which also set a record high.  The model in Massachusetts of large central abortion facilities surrounded by small feeder facilities, which are funded by stimulus money, is typical of what is going on across the country as PP is cornering the market on the abortion business.   The Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act ensures that taxpayer money authorized by the federal government for family planning efforts won't go to PP, the nation's biggest abortion business. Please educate yourself on this Act.  It will help when it is time to call D. C.  Also, very importantly, it is the kind or information which can be very helpful to you in educating your friends and acquaintances. Many of us have been in front of PP on Commonwealth Avenue.  Just picture the emergency vehicles and add another victim to PP's total.  We must keep working as hard as we can!  Anne

Ray Flynn to Keynote Assembly For Life, January 16

Annual MCFL Assembly for Life Sunday, January 16, 2011 Faneuil Hall, 2:00-4:00 pm Ambassador Raymond Flynn, Featured Speaker Jeannine Graf, Emcee Dr. R. Gary Heikkila, Opening Prayer and Tribute to Dr Jefferson The Montrose School A Cappella Choir The Hanafin Family of Burlington will receive the Family of the Year Award from Ambassador Flynn.  Three generations of Hanafins - close to 60 strong - are leaders for life. Heartbeat Crisis Pregnancy Center of Burlington will receive the           Thomas J. Flatley Trophy from Marta Martins-Riberio Deacon Frank McHugh, Deacons for Life   Patricia and Eric Anthony and Helen Cross, instrumental music       Ambassador Ray Flynn, former Mayor of Boston and State Representative from South Boston, who authored the Doyle Flynn Law in 1977, has attended most of the Assemblies for Life over the years (when he was in Boston).  He a powerful spokesman for life.  Among his many commitments, Ambassador Flynn now writes a weekly column in the Boston Herald. Jeannine Graf , former radio star and committed pro-lifer, is always a joyful addition to any pro-life event The Montrose School, a parent founded and sponsored  independent day school for girls grades six through twelve, is in the middle of exams.  Such is the commitment to life at the School that the a cappella choir and their talented conductor, Karen Demirjian, have taken their study time to grace our Assembly. Members of the Hanafin Family - about 60 activists strong - started and re-started the Burlington Chapter, the Pro-life group at Merrimack College, the Pro-life group at Burlington High (the first of its kind in the state) and one serves as Chairman of the Greater Lawrence Chapter.  Marta Martins-Roberio was born in Brazil as the result of a botched abortion, which, thank the Lord, she survived.  We feel it is very appropriate for her to present the award to Heartbeat of Burlington, which saves babies from abortion. Muriel Ostrowski is the director of Heartbeat.  The beneficiary group who brings the most Walkers to the Walk to Aid Mothers and Children displays the Flatley Trophy for the next year. Those who attended A Celebration of the Life of Dr Mildred Fay Jefferson were fortunate enough to hear Dr R Gary Heikkila speak about her.  Dr Heikkila is a retired Pastor who currently writes a column for The Gardner News entitled, "Spiritual Insight" Deacons for Life, made up of Permanent Deacons in the Archdiocese of Boston, began a few years ago to sponsor Holy Hours for Life the night before the March for Life so that local people could give prayer support to the people traveling to Washington, DC.  Last year 180 parishes participated.  Locations and times are in the January 13th Pilot. The Anthonys and Helen Cross are professional musicians of great talent who frequently enhance our events.  Most recently, they provided inspiring music at Dr Jefferson's Memorial.   DONATIONS - WE NEED AND APPRECIATE THEM!  THANK YOU! For more information about the Pro-Life cause in Massachusetts or to get involved please visit our   website at masscitizensforlife.org.

Repeal, CL plates, Assembly parking, and the shooting

1. The House will not be voting this week on Repeal, so it might be best to hold off further calls until the end of the week.  I will send you then a very informative letter from National Right to Life with some other outrages in Obamacare. 2. To follow up on the medi,a which assume that we are somehow responsible for the tragic shootings in Arizona, I share this from abc News, The News Blotter (7pm, Jan 9, 2011),  "One day [Loughner] started making comments about terrorism and laughing about killing the baby," classmate Don Coorough told ABC News, referring to a discussion about abortions. "The rest of us were looking at him in shock ... I thought this young man was troubled." Another classmate, Lydian Ali, recalled the incident as well. "A girl had written a poem about an abortion. It was very emotional and she was teary eyed and he said something about strapping a bomb to the fetus and making a baby bomber," Ali said. 3.  If you got your MCFL News and/or my letter at the end of November, you know that Howie Carr had agreed to speak at the Assembly for Life about the power of the pro-life vote.  Last Wednesday Howie let us know that he would have to withdraw for family reasons.  We are so fortunate that Ambassador Ray Flynn will give the keynote presentation.  Ray is such a good friend to all of us! 4.  Parking at Faneuil Hall for the Assembly.  Sometimes we do well on the street.                                    If not, this garage is extremely handy and economical. 5.  We heard from Ken and Merry Nordeen who have been doing such a great job with the Choose Life Licanse plates, "Happy New Year!  Thanks to all of you for your generous support in 2010! Let's make 2011 the year we hit 3000 plates on the road!" I hope you saw the picture of your plate on the back page of the current MCFL News.  If you don't yet have a plate, I need you to know it is quite simple now - just go to any RMV.  They all have plates. The next Choose Life plate I see may be yours! Anne   DONATIONS - WE NEED AND APPRECIATE THEM!  THANK YOU! For more information about the Pro-Life cause in Massachusetts or to get involved please visit our   website at masscitizensforlife.org.

Assembly for Life flyer. Please Forward.

CLICK HERE to see a pdf version of the 2010 Assembly for Life flyer  if you are having trouble viewing images in this email. Please, forward this email to as many interested people as you can!

Giffords' shooting, media trying to blame pro-life!

We pray for all the victims of the Arizona shooting and their families. Usually I do not send you an entire article but this piece, "The Blame Game Begins", which Steve Ertrlt has just posted on Life News, is worth reading and saving - it will serve you well.   Anne   Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head at close range outside a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona on Saturday morning as a gunman opened fire and shot her and more than a dozen other people.   Giffords was holding a public event at the grocery store, her first "Congress on Your Corner" event of the year designed to meet local constituents. Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said the gunman, 22-year-old suspect Jared Lee Loughner, waited in line to approach Giffords and shot her in the head from about two feet away. Loughner then reportedly opened fire and at least six people were killed in Saturday's rampage, with 13 injured, including Giffords. Federal Judge John Roll, 63, was among those killed, and he was stopping by the event on the way back from attending Mass. He had been appointed by pro-life President George Bush in 1991 at the recommendation of Sen. John McCain. Church of Christ pastor Dorwan Stoddard, a 9-year-old girl who was shot in the chest, Christina Taylor Green, Dorothy Morris, 76, and Phyllis Schneck, 79, were among those killed in the senseless act. The issue of abortion has been a significant one in the response to the shootings. The social networking web site Twitter became an early place for people on all sides of the debate to easily weigh in with their comments in response, and it quickly became a bastion of misinformation. Apparently based on early reports wrongly indicating Giffords was shot because she was pro-life, Twitter became dominated by comments from those who claimed she opposed abortion. "Gabby Giffords voted against amnesty and was pro-life," a frequently re-tweeted message said. Yet, according to the National Right to Life Committee, Giffords had a 100% pro-abortion record during the 2009-2010 session of Congress, including supporting the ObamaCare bill that funds abortions. Although she supports legalized abortion, Giffords, who barely defeated her pro-life Republican opponent Jesse Kelly in November, does take conservative stands on other political issues, including immigration. That didn't stop prominent liberals from blaming pro-life advocates. "Mission accomplished, Sarah Palin," tweeted Daily Kos founder Mark Moulistas after the shooting - in a comment that received significant criticism from conservative activists. And NOW president Terry O'Neill, the head of the pro-abortion women's group, blamed "extreme right-wing opponents" just hours after the tragic shooting and called for a Justice Department investigation "to the fullest extent of federal anti-terrorist legislation" to determine whether the shooting was "part of a conspiracy." "Conservatives cannot have it both ways, screaming sexist, racist and homophobic slurs at legislators as they vote for health care reform, putting legislators on a violence-inciting 'Targets' list, and then simply saying how sorry they are when someone explodes into murder," she said. Daily Beast's Howard Kurtz Saturday evening denounced his colleagues for behaving so unprofessionally, according to a Newsbusters report. "Let's be honest: Journalists often use military terminology in describing campaigns. We talk about the air war, the bombshells, targeting politicians, knocking them off, candidates returning fire or being out of ammunition. So we shouldn't act shocked when politicians do the same thing. Obviously, Palin should have used dots or asterisks on her map. But does anyone seriously believe she was trying to incite violence?" "This isn't about a nearly year-old Sarah Palin map; it's about a lone nutjob who doesn't value human life. It would be nice if we briefly put aside partisan differences and came together with sympathy and support for Gabby Giffords and the other victims, rather than opening rhetorical fire ourselves," he added. That didn't stop MSNBC's Keith Olbermann from saying, "If Sarah Palin, whose website put and today scrubbed bullseye targets on 20 representatives including Gabby Giffords, does not repudiate her own part in amplifying violence and violent imagery in politics, she must be dismissed from politics." Yet the New York Times' Paul Krugman, and Jane Fonda are trying to use this sad event as an opportunity to silence conservative voices in this nation. Media watchdog Noel Sheppard noted: "It was fairly clear to anyone with an above room temperature intelligence quotient from the moment this story broke that liberal media members would immediately point fingers at conservatives. I was actually counting the minutes before the first such accusations were lodged, and was by no means surprised by what ensued. "I'm not shocked, Keith," he added. "He did exactly what I expected which much like Kurtz leaves me feeling depressed beyond belief for I fear this incident is going to become a clarion call by folks like Olbermann and his ilk to further push for censorship of conservative views on the airwaves." Back on Twitter, the conversation has turned towards blaming pro-life advocates for the shooting. "Who wants to bet whether or not the scumbag that shot 18 people in Arizona was 'pro-life,'" numerous Twitter users re-tweeted, adding that pro-life people are supposedly "hypocrites." Another said, "Pro-life groups in US: full of guns and hate, and they shot people." "So the AZ shooter was pro-life. Those pro-lifers sure are violent. A confused bunch of hypocrites. Ever heard of non-violent change? Try it," another said, claiming Loughner was pro-life but basing the claim on no substantiating information. Other Twitter users sent out tweets saying pro-life people are never victims of such attacks, despite the shooting death of James Pouillon, who protested abortion outside a local high school in central Michigan and was shot because the shooter didn't like his use of graphic abortion pictures. House Speaker John Boehner, who is pro-life, said Sunday morning that flags on the House side of the Capitol will be flown at half-staff to honor Giffords, who is still recovering, and the other victims.   DONATIONS - WE NEED AND APPRECIATE THEM!  THANK YOU! For more information about the Pro-Life cause in Massachusetts or to get involved please visit our   website at masscitizensforlife.org.