CBR Corporate Accountability Project at Marriott Dana Point, California

Date:  February 27, 2013

The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform (CBR) will display large abortion photos at the entrance to the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, now part of the Marriott International hotel network, beginning March 1–5, 2013, during the National Religious Broadcasters Convention.

Marriott International has admitted in writing that it permits its own hotels and those of Marriott franchisees to donate to Planned Parenthood, America’s largest abortion provider.  Marriott has also acknowledged in writing that Marriott money has been donated to Planned Parenthood, but refuses to ban this inhumane practice.

The Marriott hotel network consists of many corporations that collectively form a single, integrated, business entity.   CBR’s anti-abortion pickets will become a regular presence at the Opryland Resort & Convention Center until Marriott International prohibits Planned Parenthood donations from any of its Marriott hotels or those of its Marriott franchisees.

The first time a corporation donates to Planned Parenthood, that corporation becomes, by definition, a Planned Parenthood corporate donor.  That donor status places that corporation on a Planned Parenthood donor boycott list.  Corporations on that boycott list are subject to picketing.  Every Planned Parenthood corporate donor, however, qualifies for removal from the donor boycott list by simply promising to never give again.  Marriott International explicitly refuses to make that promise.  They will, therefore, be picketed until they change their minds.  Marriott guests are entitled to know that Marriott International permits its hotels and the hotels of its franchisees to donate some percentage of their room rates to organizations which kill babies.

CBR staff and volunteers will maintain a lawful presence at the entrance to this property in the same manner in which CBR will soon display identical aborted baby photos at Marriott properties across the country and around the world.  Many Marriott guests at other locations have thanked CBR for exposing Marriott’s refusal to prohibit Marriott hotels from supporting Planned Parenthood.  Many have assured CBR that they would not return as guests until Marriott International reforms its socially irresponsible philanthropic policy.  A simple management directive would serve this purpose with regard to its own hotels.  A similar prohibition could be imposed by a letter to franchisees, announcing that donations to Planned Parenthood will henceforth be regarded as tarnishing the Marriott brand, in violation of Marriott franchise agreements.

More information regarding this project may be obtained by contacting Fletcher Armstrong, PhD, at P.O. Box 20115, Knoxville, TN 37940, or by phone at 865-776-1312, or by email at fletcher@CBRinfo.org.  Inquiries may also be directed to Gregg Cunningham, at P.O. Box 219, Lake Forest, CA 92609, or by phone at 714-240-6976, or by email at CBR@CBRinfo.org.

Jay Watts explains how to defend the preborn by “trotting out the toddler.”

My friend Jay Watts and the Life Training Institute (LTI) offer the best pro-life apologetics training around.  Now they can come to you at no cost!

LTI has recieved a grant to reach 20,000 more high school students in 2013 than they did in 2012. This gift makes it possible for LTI to offer Jay and the other LTI speakers to Christian schools across the United States at no cost.  LTI will send these guys out to any place in the country to speak to a high school audience on The Case for Life.  What’s more, they will cover their own travel costs.  The only thing the Christian high schools — both Protestant and Catholic — need to do is open their doors.

Jay and I have worked together several times training people to debate angry pr0-aborts at CBR events.  I can assure you that Jay is a first rate presenter.  Here are links to Jay’s bio page and to his presentation at the 2013 SALT Conference.  Scott Klusendorf has assembled a whole team of talented speakers, and I encourage you to take advantage of this generous offer.

We have to be serious about getting the truth about abortion to our youth and equipping them to think and talk about this issue with their peers.  When you consider that, according to Guttmacher Institute, half of all abortions are sought out and performed on young women 15 to 24 years old, you can understand why this donor felt so strongly about reaching American high schoolers.  Since conscience demands that we talk about abortion, prudence demands that we learn to talk about it effectively and teach our children to do the same.  LTI teaches this skill better than anyone else.

Here is Jay’s presentation at the 2013 SALT Conference:

Abortion photos let HKonJ marchers see for themselves that “No evil is ever necessary. Evil is a choice.”

Thousands gathered at the annual Historic Thousands on Jones Street (HKonJ) rally and march in Raleigh, North Carolina, on February 9.  Rev. William Barber, President of the North Carolina NAACP, admonished the ralliers, “No evil is ever necessary.  Evil is a choice.”  Link to story here.

CBR’s Brooke McGowan was there to show marchers just how evil “choice” could be.  She was armed with a set of CBR’s “Choice” signs and hundreds of our “Choice” cards, which she handed out to the marchers.  (See video below.)

Videographer Chuck Suter called it the “coolest pro-life street action ever”:

A member of The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform hands a student educational material in front of their graphic anti-abortion display by the UCF Reflecting Pond on Monday. (Photo/caption from Central Florida Future)

The CBR team just wrapped up two days at the U of Central Florida.  CBR Project Director Lincoln Brandenburg (Georgia) reported on a baby’s life saved:

Just had a student at UCF tell us in tears, “It’s so weird that you guys are here today. … I think I’m pregnant, and I was considering abortion because I don’t want kids, but after seeing these pictures I’ve changed my mind.”

We are thrilled when post-abortive women join us in this work.  Debbie Picarello of Knoxville is deeply involved in the work of Deeper Still, a ministry to women (and men) who have been wounded by abortion.  She also volunteers for GAP projects all over the US.  Debbie’s presence was noted in the article and she was also quoted:

Debbie Picarello, a volunteer from CBR and Deeper Still, a ministry that provides healing retreats for both men and women who have had abortions, has had one herself.

“After a child has been aborted there’s a mother and a father left behind,” Picarello said.

To see the entire story, link here.

Check back here for more on this an other stories from Florida GAP.