When the Tennessee General Assembly opened its 2024 session, CBR was there to greet lawmakers with a timely message: Planned Parenthood (PP) kills more children than guns do.

Recently in Tennessee, PP has been sermonizing on issues that have little to do with abortion, birth control, or even parenthood. For example, PP has cited bans on drag shows for kids and “gender-affirming care” for children as “lowlights” for the 2023 General Assembly. (Thank you, Tennessee!) Another so-called “lowlight” was failure to pass “meaningful gun control legislation.”

So why would PP, who kills children as their primary “service,” then turn around and claim the mantle of protecting children from gun violence? Because they can’t make money killing children in Tennessee anymore, and they have little support in the legislature, so they need to ally with other causes to make themselves appear relevant.

They are not going to just go away, so our goal was to expose their hypocrisy as we reminded lawmakers that abortion decapitates and dismembers little children.

First, we stood outside the lawmakers’ only entrance to the Capitol parking garage, thereby reaching all of them as they arrived for the first day of session. Next, we took our signs to the Capitol entrance to engage pedestrian visitors as they arrived to observe the proceedings. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, we hand-delivered a letter (See next week’s email to get the full text) to all 132 representatives and senators in their offices.

Many pro-life lawmakers said they were encouraged and thankful for our presence. One female legislator even said, “I sponsored pro-life legislation in 2019. I had no idea Roe would be overturned so soon. I appreciate you being here.” A well-dressed young man smiled as he told us, “I was all ready to dislike your signs, but you guys actually have it right!”

The positive response from Tennessee legislators is a strong rebuttal to pro-lifers who refuse to expose abortion for fear it might reduce our influence with lawmakers. In Nashville, we showed that the opposite is true.

This was our first Capitol GAP, but we pray it won’t be our last. If you want to see this at your own state capitol, please email us at CBRSoutheast@CBRinfo.org.