Letters to the editor

40 Days for Life to begin Wednesday

40 Days for Life, a worldwide movement consisting of a 40 day period of prayer, fasting, and community outreach to end abortion, begins Sept. 27 and ends Nov. 5, 2023.

Since its inception in 2007 in College Station, Texas, the lives of 23,525 babies have been saved — and these are just the ones we know about! 251 abortion workers have left their jobs, and 145 abortion clinics have been closed. This shows the power of prayer and what can happen when women are given the facts of the development of their unborn child.

These women experience the love and care that is offered to them by sidewalk counselors and are made aware of all the free services offered by pregnancy centers, such as Heartland Pregnancy Center of Ottumwa or Cradle of Hope, offering help in Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield. 64 nations are participating in this year’s campaign. The campaigns are held twice a year.

There have been over 1,000,000 people take part in this peaceful, prayerful program. 20,000 churches have been involved and there has been 9,207 campaigns.

Through medical advances, we are learning how quickly the baby develops in the womb. Even Dr. Seuss knew, “A person’s a person, no matter how small!”

With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, we have the chance to protect the preborn child. May we do all in our power to defend our innocent preborn brothers and sisters.

Please pray and fast during these 40 Days. Please pray that EVERY child conceived in the womb is given the opportunity to be born and have a chance to enjoy the precious gift of life!

If possible, go to the Emma Goldman abortion facility in Iowa City and be a prayer witness on the sidewalk. You may save a life!

Karen Crossland

President of Jefferson County Right to Life

Prey in the tabernacle

WIC funding cuts, proposed and reported … and isn't it about time! Good thing the Pro-Life Republicans are fighting to nip this pernicious government bloat in the bud.

If those children, especially the ones in the one-to-five demographic, get free handouts of fruit and vegetables — potentially totaling a whopping $25/month worth! — they'll probably stop working altogether.

Let's better prey on them in the cherished free market system tabernacle — that will surely reward them much better as they can learn the discipline hunger teaches. Look how well North Korea is doing!

Scott Hartley

Fairfield