True heroism is giving a voice to the voiceless

The Nashville 11 have been called many different things: terrorists, criminals, pro-lifers, Christian nationalists. I call them modern-day heroes who loved God so much that they extended their love to others, no matter the cost.

On March 5, 2021, a group gathered at an abortion clinic in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, to pray, sing hymns, and speak with the women who used the clinic’s services. They communicated well with police and other authorities and were respectfully compliant – no brick throwing, no flame throwing, no arson, or tear gas. Just a peaceful, Christian gathering to educate women about the dangers of abortion while reminding them that the children they were expecting were alive.

These 11 people were charged with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, while several of them were also charged with “conspiracy against civil rights.” Ironically, these charges were brought four months after abortion was no longer considered a federal civil right, after Roe v. Wade was lifted on June 24, 2022.

The trial ended on January 30, 2024, and six of the defendants were officially convicted on July 2.

Their crime? Preventing murder. Loving others too much. Fulfilling Bible commandments too well.

The consequences? Prison. Trials. Long, drawn-out court proceedings, interrupted plans, trumped-up charges, life in uncertainty, FBI raids in the early hours of the morning.

The verdict: Guilty on all counts – and several of them are still awaiting sentencing.

Who are these people? Chester Gallagher, Paul Vaughn and Paul Place from Tennessee. Heather Idoni, Caroline Davis, Calvin Zastrow and Eva Zastrow from Michigan. Coleman Boyd from Mississippi. Dennis Green from Virginia. Eva Edl from South Carolina. James Zastrow from Missouri.

For most of the world, these are just obscure names. But they are real People with real Stories, opposite real consequences. And we rarely hear about these people who are fighting a legal battle of epic proportions.

If we don’t stand up and raise our voices now, who will? And a more pressing question: If it can happen to them, why not to us??

I was delighted two years ago when Roe v. Wade was repealed and given back to the states. I’m so happy to be part of the generation that lived through that. But have we really won a victory when people are being sued at the federal level for something that was granted to the states? Shouldn’t the state decide in that case?

And it did decide, with all clarity. Some of the people who were in the clinic that day were arrested for trespassing. Not for violations of the FACE Act, not for “conspiracy against civil liberties,” but TrespassingA local court heard the charges and those involved were able to resume their lives.

Eighteen months later, the FBI raided two of their homes, while others were contacted or provided court documents.

But the Nashville 11 counted the cost. They found the price was well worth the sacrifice of their freedom, their privacy, their safety and their peace of mind.

It is our duty to learn from these heroes. A true hero denies self-preservation, gives his life, and is willing to suffer for what he believes in. Heroes are not created in an instant; heroes are created because they are moved – moved by the power of their faith, their beliefs, and their God. And these existential, seemingly trivial details will make them rise as heroes or sink them as vile cowards. They will either stand before a tribunal parroting the current politically correct arguments or boldly proclaim, “Here I stand, I can do no other.”

When Benjamin Franklin was asked what form of government was created when America was founded, he replied, “A republic, if you can maintain it.”

If you can keep itHave we preserved this sacred trust?

The men and women who fought to establish our Republic knew what it meant to suffer, to sacrifice, and to pay the price for their beliefs and actions.

Do we live our beliefs with such fierce zeal? Are our beliefs worth dying for if necessary?

There have been many great crimes committed in the 20th and 21st centuries. I firmly believe that the greatest crime was the Holocaust of the 1940s…but not by the perpetrators. The worst criminals of the 1940s were those who knew what was going on and did nothing about it, the “good people” who only sought peace and security for themselves and their families and listed the reasons why they themselves could not be blamed.

But no one is ever immune from the hand of the tyrant. Not then and not now.

We know what is going on in our country. We know about the illegal raids and the babies being murdered. We know about the sexual assault and subsequent mutilation of children in our schools, libraries, and hospitals. We know about the many people referred to as “J6ers” who sit in prison for years without charge. We know about the “Nashville 11” who were tried and found guilty.

We know it. We must not forget it. It is our duty to examine ourselves, our convictions and our beliefs, to take a courageous stand and to willingly give up “our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor” in order to achieve “liberty and justice for all”.

To learn the stories of the Nashville 11, the men and women involved in USA v. Gallagher, visit www.stifledcry.com.

Kaitlyn Smith is home educated and determined to take advantage of every opportunity God gives her. She is fortunate to live a simple life with her family of eleven on their small southern homestead, living only for the glory of God and finding beauty and joy in the everyday, simple tasks of life.

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To leave a comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].

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