The Knight Shield - November 2022

    November is here! One of my favorite months...Thanksgiving, Veterans Day, hunting season, the

changing colors, the cool air.

    We did our fall road cleanup. We had a dozen or so guys and it went well. Beautiful weather and a light garbage load made it a breeze. We were done in about an hour.  We had our Rosary Rally. It was well attended although pretty cold. What a wonderful way to honor Respect Life month and to show support to defeat Proposal 3. We hosted the St. Joseph Pilgrim Icon, I’m not sure what happened at the 9:30 and 11:30 Masses, but we did the service at 7:45 and 4:00 Masses. The Icon has moved on to St. Peter’s now.

    At the writing of this, the Trunk or Treat is coming up this weekend. I will give a report at our next meeting and mention it next month.

Our pancake breakfast has moved to November 6th. Please plan on helping out with this. These events are really fun to work and it is a good opportunity to show the parish what we do. Also on November 6th is the Memorial Mass for Knights that have passed away this year. We have four being honored. Our next corporate communion is November 20th at the 11:30 Mass. Please consider going to Mass with your brothers and their families.

This November is a very important election for the right to life. I am going to focus on Proposal 3 versus talking about candidates, as I think we all know where they stand. Since Roe V Wade in in 1973 there have been more than 63 million abortions, or murders more appropriately worded. The population of France is 65 million for a little perspective. Today for every 1,000 births there are 195 abortions. The writers of Proposal 3 are masking the truth with words like "reproductive freedom" and calling abortion

"woman’s healthcare" instead of what it really is.  Here is the actual text from the Proposal to amend the

Constitution of Michigan. Please, as you read this, pay attention to what the words are saying and, more importantly,  what they do not say. It is pretty scary.

Article 12, Section 28 Right to Reproductive Freedom

(1) Every individual has a fundamental right to reproductive freedom, which entails the right to make and effectuate decisions ab out all matters relating to pregnancy, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion care, miscarriage management, and infertility care. An individual’s right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, burdened,

nor infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means. Notwithstanding the above, the state may regulate the provision of abortion care after fetal viability, provided that in no circumstance shall the state prohibit an abortion that, in the professional judgement of an attending health care professional, is medically indicated to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual.

(2) The state shall not discriminate in the protection or enforcement of this fundamental right.

(3) The state shall not penalize, prosecute, or otherwise take adverse action against an individual based on their actual, potential, perceived or alleged pregnancy outcomes, including but not limited to miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion. Nor shall the state penalize, prosecute, or otherwise take adverse action against someone for aiding or assisting a pregnant individual in exercising their right to reproductive freedom with their voluntary consent.

(4) For the purposes of this section: A stat interest is “compelling” only if it is for the limited purpose of protecting the health of an individual seeking care, consistent with accepted clinical standards of practice and evidence based medicine, and does not infringe on that individual’s autonomous decision-making. “Fetal viability” means: the point in pregnancy when, in the professional judgment of

an attending health care professional and based on the particular facts of the case, there is a significant likelihood of the fetus’s sustained survival outside the uterus without the application of extraordinary medical measures.

(5) This section shall be self-executing. Any provision of this section held invalid shall be severable from the remaining portions of this section.[10]

After my simple mind reads this, I note the following:

• There is no provision for minors to need parental con-sent.
• There is no provision that only a physician can perform an abortion.
• There is no provision that the facilities be inspected or have to answer to any one.
• There is no provision for time or duration of the pregnancy.

This will make MI one of the most lenient states in the country, and put us up there in the world. The verbiage just has no restrictions and is purposely vague.

We are really up against it guys. The K of C MI donated $50k to the effort, and we are being outspent by the ACLU and Planned Parenthood...they have $10 million to $400 thou-sand. We need to spread the word about the lies and omissions in this proposal. With amending the state constitution it would open the door to abortion on demand, meaning no restrictions up to and after birth. So please talk to your friends and family to spread the truth. Also vote your con-science in a few weeks.

Vivat Jesus

Tom Gray