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NIFLA v. Becerra SCOTUS Rally Speech

March 20, 2018
Blog Post

Thank you, and I want to thank all of you who have braved this wintry weather in order to stand here in front of the Supreme Court to raise your voice and fight for free speech.

Sometimes it is hard to imagine how we have come to a certain point.
How are we arguing about the freedom of one organization to not have to advertise for its opponent?

Would anyone think it was ok for a local, state, or federal government to force a vegan eatery to advertise for a local butcher? Or, worse, would it be right to force an Alcoholics Anonymous group to post a flyer for a local brewery?

Yet, that is the very same kind of argument being heard in the Supreme Court right now, as we speak.

Pregnancy centers offer compassionate help and resources to women who find themselves in difficult circumstances. California's state government through the Reproductive FACT Act is forcing these pregnancy centers to advertise where women can get a low cost or free abortion.

Yet the very reason these centers exist is to give women a better choice than abortion!

Why should these centers have to offer abortion referrals? When is it ever a good idea to provide a medical referral before a consultation?

If pregnancy centers are forced to advertise abortion, then why aren't abortion clinics forced to advertise for pregnancy centers where women can find support and prenatal care?

This is a clear case of compelled speech. The state of California has singled out a particular kind of organization and forced on them speech that violates who they are and the reason they exist.

Compelled speech is un-American and unconstitutional.

And other states are watching. If California can get away with this brazen law, others will follow. That would cripple the free, compassionate, life changing work of pregnancy centers around the country.

I hope and pray that the Supreme Court will rule in favor of free speech. I hope and pray that they will rule that the California Reproductive FACT Act is a violation of the free speech clause, and overwhelmingly underscore and protect America's fundamental right to freedom of speech.