An exclusive Live Action webcast on Monday allowed some of the recently pardoned pro-life activists to share their stories of courage. These stories show the activists’ strength and their willingness to sacrifice everything on behalf of the most defenseless human beings — the preborn. Despite the persecution they have faced, the activists remain firm in their pro-life convictions.
The Biden-Harris administration stands accused of weaponizing the Department of Justice (DOJ) against the pro-life movement during Biden’s presidency, even as abortion-related violence was found to be committed overwhelmingly by abortion supporters. Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Biden-Harris DOJ prosecuted more than 20 pro-lifers for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and conspiracy against rights. Many of those activists were sentenced to federal prison before being pardoned by President Donald Trump last month.
Joan Bell
Joan Bell was one of several activists arrested for a rescue at the Washington Surgi-Clinic abortion facility in Washington, D.C., on October 22, 2020, during which they attempted to save the lives of preborn babies scheduled to be killed that day.
“We peacefully went into the killing center. We sat down, we prayed, and we tried to protect these most innocent little children. We did it through prayer mainly, but also through speaking with the moms and trying to dissuade them from this terrible act that we know that, ultimately, they will regret,” she told Live Action founder and president Lila Rose. “And so we prayed, we sang, we did what we could to try to save these little children. And it’s always a privilege. It’s a great privilege to be on site where children are dying and to be there to pray and act on their behalf.”
She encouraged other pro-lifers to partake in rescue work when possible and to pray outside of abortion facilities for the children being killed there, so they would know some semblance of human love. Regarding her time in prison, Bell said that while it was difficult, it was also a privilege.
“It was difficult, but it was also beautiful because you could feel God’s pleasure that you’re there because you love Him and that you’re trying to love everybody there,” she said. “The inmates, the guards, everyone. And praying for the abortionists every day, Santangelo and all the other abortionists and praying for Judge [Kathleen Kollar-]Kotelly and all our enemies, because they’re not really our enemies. There’s only one enemy; that’s Satan. And they’re deceived. I’m sure many are deceived. And some are maybe actively working for the evil one, but they too don’t know or they wouldn’t be doing it. No one would really, no one wants to be evil. So they’re deceived and we have to just keep praying and loving them. And that gave me joy and peace. And any courage I have at all comes from just knowing God’s love.”
Bevelyn Williams
Bevelyn Williams was standing in front of a door at a Manhattan Planned Parenthood in June 2020 when a staffer tried to exit and hit Williams in the back with the door; not realizing there was someone there, Williams leaned back against the door, and the staffer claimed her hand was closed in the door and injured. Police did not arrest Williams at the time, and the staffer didn’t seek medical care for five days. It wasn’t until two years later that the federal government began investigating… after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. She was prosecuted for violating the FACE Act and sentenced to more than three years in prison.
Williams told Live Action spokeswoman Christina Bennett that her faith helped to get her through her imprisonment until she was pardoned by Trump.
“It’s the same message since the Bible created the story, you know, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Daniel. In our Bible that we read, which is true and absolute, God has promised he would never leave us,” she told Live Action. “He would never forsake us. And he is a God that delivers. The God we serve delivers us. You know, Moses, he went to get those people free, and it was a risky job, but God had promised delivery.”
READ: How Roe’s reversal triggered the Biden-Harris DOJ’s persecution of peaceful pro-lifers
She added, “I feel like sometimes we allow our circumstances to create this fear that keeps us numb and paralyzed, and it keeps us from serving God full throttle. But I believe what we all represent, all 23 of us represent, is what it means when you serve God full throttle. You don’t hold on to your life, but you give it up. He said, if you give up your life for me, you’ll gain it back. That’s what we did. We gave up our life. We gave up our reputation so that we can honor God and these children. And what God did was, he’s affirmed us with one of the highest authorities, I shall say, in the world.”
Lauren Handy
Lauren Handy is the director of activism for the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU) and was present outside of Washington Surgi-Clinic in March of 2022 when pro-lifers were given the remains of over 100 aborted babies. Five of the babies appeared old enough to have likely survived outside of the womb. Shortly after finding the babies, Handy was prosecuted and sentenced to nearly five years for violating the FACE Act and conspiracy against rights for a rescue at the same facility in October 2020. She spent her time in prison ministering to post-abortive women.
“During my entire time, these 17 months, I can’t even tell you… it was almost a daily occurrence, people coming up to me as news about my charges spread across the [prison] campus. People would come up to me, and they would share these profound stories of grief, loss, anger, the full gambit of all emotions surrounding their abortion, their miscarriages, the family separation, losing their children or having their pregnancy during county while they’re waiting to be sentenced to go to federal, and then having their baby taken from them after surviving, giving birth being chained to a bed,” she said.
“And it’s just, they needed someone who would listen to them, who would affirm the humanity of their child, who would affirm their dignity. Because often we find that there are people who dehumanize or misunderstand or have a lot of complicated emotions concerning incarcerated people, which is understandable. I was in medium security and I was with people, living with people, who committed extreme acts of violence. And so it was all very challenging, trying to be very empathetic and walk with these people and love them.”
Handy was able to lead a workshop on building resiliency through self-compassion and had been prepared to serve her entire five-year sentence, not expecting to be pardoned at all. But the lessons she’s learned have helped her to become a better person and activist.
“Now that I know what’s specifically going on in the inside and what’s being offered, what’s basically not being offered, I know how I can better help people who are incarcerated and experiencing pregnancy loss, experiencing abortion regret,” she said. “And it’s just given me really good life experiences and perspectives. And I’m just… it’s weird to be grateful, but I have so much joy and gratitude and I’m just really excited to see where life takes me now.”
Paul Vaughn
Vaughn was a pro-life activist whose home was raided by the FBI with guns drawn, in front of his terrified wife and children. He ultimately was sentenced to six months of house arrest, and he has previously said that, in his opinion, these violent raids were specifically meant to instill fear in pro-lifers.
“I think if anything, this strategy they had to scare and intimidate the church has backfired on them,” he said during the new Live Action webcast. “And I think hopefully by God’s grace, we’re seeing the reality that perfect love casts out fear. And when you love the unborn, when you love the people out on the sidewalks that you’re ministering to, you grow in strength and courage and excitement.”
Calvin Zastrow
Cal Zastrow spoke about having been convicted of FACE Act and conspiracy charges for his part in a 2020 rescue in Tennessee.
“It was all about Jesus for me — the rescue, risking getting beat up, risking getting arrested, risking going to court, risking going to- losing, getting sued and losing everything, and losing and going to prison for decades. It was all worth it just to be close to Jesus,” he told Live Action.
Herb Geraghty
Herb Geraghty was indicted in 2022 on federal charges relating to FACE Act violations for the October 2020 rescue at Washington Surgi-Clinic. Geraghty said that prison was difficult, and saw similarities to abortion facilities.
“I just felt an incredible amount of solidarity with my unborn brothers and sisters. And the experience for me just strengthened my commitment to advocating for those who have been so totally dehumanized and abandoned. So that’s to say it was tough in there, but you also have to remember that at the end of the day, I wasn’t the one getting my arms and legs ripped apart by Sopher clamps, right? We should never forget to center the real victims about what we’re talking about here,” Geraghty said. “And so I think, I mean, I guess I can’t speak for everyone, but I can say that what I went through, I feel like is hardly a sacrifice at all compared to what unborn children experience every single day.
“Similarly, I feel like these pardons have been seen as like a big celebration for the pro-life movement, and I’m totally grateful, glad to be out. But I also just want to make it clear that there’s still a lot of work to be done. We need to actually repeal the FACE Act and pass meaningful protections for unborn children. I don’t want to let this be the pro-life win of the Trump administration. And I see people celebrating it like that’s what it is. But ultimately, whether I’m in prison or not, babies are getting killed right now, probably in whatever community you’re in right now listening to this. And so get out there, whether it’s outside the clinic or inside or wherever you need to be to actually prevent unborn children’s lives from being taken on a particular day, in a particular context, in a particular location. So that’s what it’s all about.”
To hear more stories of courage from the pro-life movement, watch the entire video on the Live Action YouTube channel.
