Protest Victories
I have heard this many times, “John, XYZ Inc. is supporting evil. However, you are wasting your time with this protest.” By the grace of God, Pro-Life Waco has experienced many victories.
Moreover, we have NEVER struck out. Even if the central protest goal was not achieved, there are many areas of positive impact. I summarized these benefits in a one-page essay, Step UP to the Plate: The Benefits of Public Square Outreach Events.
Here are PLW’s Top 5 outright victories where abortion-supporting organizations flipped 180 degrees. I have learned that we are more powerful than we think! At times I have been surprised by the extent and speed of our victories.
Victory #1 (2004) Girl Scout Cookie Boycott in Central Texas.
The Cookie Boycott focus was local. However, the impact was national. The local Waco Girl Scout Council permitted its logo on flyers promoting Planned Parenthood Nobody’s Fool. Then in 2003, Planned Parenthood began using the pornographic children’s book, It's Perfectly Normal. This triggered PLW's demand for a “divorce” of Girl Scouts from Planned Parenthood. PLW ran radio ads on the local American Family Radio station. A torrent of local controversy erupted, and national coverage quickly developed. After three weeks of controversy, the Waco Council voted to sever all ties with Planned Parenthood. The boycott controversy was educational. Parents across the country learned that Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood are in the same camp regarding sexuality and abortion immorality.
Victory #2 (1989 to 2013) Nobody's Fool “sex ed” folds after a 24-year run.
Planned Parenthood’s sex seminar for children in grades 5-9 was offered on one day each July. At its high point, Nobody’s Fool lured 700 children.
Pro-Life Waco challenged Nobody's Fool through the decades with yard signs, billboards, a billboard truck, letters to the editor, and dozens of foot soldiers on the sidewalk for the event each year. Attendance declined to less than a hundred. In June of 2013, the Waco newspaper announced Nobody’s Fool had been terminated.
Victory #3 (2022) 400 life-defenders swamp Waco City Council to crush proposed city ordinance. In July, a City Council member proposed a “GRACE” Act ordinance to block the Waco PD from enforcing Texas abortion laws. For the August council meeting, Pro-Life Waco organized a turnout of around 400 pro-life citizens to protest and speak against the ordinance. That was the end of the road for this pro-abortion initiative, which was enacted in other Texas cities.
Victory #4 (2015) Target backs down on support for 50 Shades of Gray movie.
Target stores nationwide featured displays for this deplorable movie.
Pro-Life Waco was the only organization in America to challenge Target. John Pisciotta personally called on Waco managers and mentioned sidewalk protests were likely. The display vanished the next day. PLW organized a protest at Target in Georgetown, Texas. We held signs and talked with management. The displays were removed in Georgetown and four other Target stores in the same region.
Victory #5 (2018) Wacoan Magazine terminates Planned Parenthood ads.
In December of 2017, the magazine carried a full-page ad promoting the new abortion facility in Waco. Pro-Life Waco protested with signs each month for three months at WACOAN Magazine located on a very busy street. WACOAN management contacted PLW and agreed not to run Planned Parenthood Waco ads in exchange for no more protests.