By Lori Hadacek Chaplin
In a modern-day David and Goliath story, the pro-life community of Brighton, New York—a suburb of Rochester—recently stymied construction of a 6,500 square-foot surgical abortion center.
Learning of Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York’s intent to build at Westfall Medical Park, an upstate community mobilized, forming Brighton Residents Against Violence (BRAVE; BraveNY.org). Brighton, predominantly elderly with a population of approximately 37,000, already had three abortion clinics located within a 10-minute driving distance of each other. Brighton resident Carol Crossed, a leading member of BRAVE, told Celebrate Life Magazine, “The Brighton community is the most liberal area in the county except for the city of Rochester. That’s why Planned Parenthood came here; they figured they could get away with it.”
BRAVE had no intention of allowing a fourth abortion mill into its community. However, the seven-month-long fight, beginning in June 2021, wasn’t for the faint of heart. BRAVE conducted six weeks of door-knocking campaigns, and 62 members made 127 presentations to the Brighton Town Board and at the planning board meetings.
To read the remainder of this article, visit clmagazine.org/topic/pro-life-activism/tenacious-pro-lifers-halt-planned-parenthood-construction.
To read other inspirational and educational articles, visit the Celebrate Life Magazine website at clmagazine.org.
