CBB Review: Racketeer for Life

Joseph Scheidler is an important figure in the pro-life movement. If you have never heard of him, than you are missing out on a key part of the last 40 years of pro-life activism. Joe is the founder and National Director of the Pro-Life Action League. He has been can the godfather of pro-life activism and now you can read his story in his new book Racketeer for Life: Fighting the Culture of Death from the Sidewalk to the Supreme Court.

Whether you find yourself an active participant of the pro-life movement or an interested bystander, this book is a MUST read. Joe has been an active participant in peaceful protest of abortion since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling in 1973. In my recent interview with Joe (link below) he told me he had no choice but to get involved. At the time of the ruling his wife was expecting their baby (unknown to them at the time that the baby was a girl) and to him the government was saying that his child’s life had no meaning. This decision launched Joe on a 44 year journey that he relays to readers in this book.

Joe has seen it all and so will you when you open the pages of Racketeer for Life. You’ll stand alongside Joe as he witnesses the conversion of many abortion doctors and rescues the unborn from certain death. One of the more fascinating aspects of the book is the persecution Joe withstood. The title of the book plays off the federal racketeering case that was brought against him by the National Organization of Women (NOW). One particularly interesting piece of evidence that comes up in the early pages of the book is a simple business card. One which Joe Scheidler scribbled the words “Sorry I missed you” and left in the locked doorway of a women’s clinic on the day he had hoped to stop and chat with the clinics director. This message showed up during the trial under the premise that it was a death threat that Joe had scrawled on the back of the card that day.

This is just one of the many noteworthy events in a mission that has spanned some 44 years. Joe Scheidler serves as a fine example of activism in a peaceful manner. His powerful witness shines forth in this book providing hope and guidance to the next generation of pro-life activists. Let’s pray that abortion becomes a thing of the past and that this generation sees far fewer years in service than Joe has.

Recently Joe Scheidler was a guest on my Breadbox Media show, Off the Shelf. You can download the episode here.

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