Texas Scorecard by Mark Lee Dickson July 1, 2021
Dickson: The Fight for Unborn Life on the US-Mexico Border
“We are going to be loud, and we are going to be a voice for the unborn. We will be silent no more!”Edinburg (pop. 101,170), located just 20 minutes from the U.S.-Mexico border, could be one of the next cities in Texas to declare itself a sanctuary city for the unborn.
Edinburg is the county seat of Hidalgo County, a Texas county that Biden carried with 58.04 percent of the vote. If the city were to pass the ordinance, it would be the first city to outlaw abortion in a county where a majority of the residents voted Democrat in the 2020 presidential election.
The effort to see Edinburg pass an ordinance outlawing abortion began when Mary Villarreal, pro-life coordinator for Holy Family Church in Edinburg, heard about a federal judge dismissing a lawsuit that Planned Parenthood brought against the city of Lubbock for outlawing abortion within city limits. The news of the lawsuit’s dismissal encouraged Villarreal to approach her council with an opportunity to stand for life. “Despite what many would believe, the majority of the people here in Hidalgo County are pro-life. We are polluted, like much of the country is. Many in leadership do not want to give us our voice back,” Villarreal said. “We need more in leadership who [will] stand up and be the true voice of the people—the voice of both the born and the unborn.”
Richard Montesdeoca agreed with Villarreal. Montesdeoca is a part of Prosperity Hidalgo PAC and stands in full support of the effort, believing that outlawing abortion is what the majority of Hidalgo County wants for their community. “The Hispanic community is conservative, and the individuals creating havoc are from outside of the state of Texas. It isn’t consistent with the Hispanic culture to have an abortion. Large families are typical and encouraged in our community.”
On June 15, 2021, Villarreal and Montesdeoca ended up leading more than 50 residents of Edinburg before the mayor and city council to request that they recognize June 27, 2021, as Pro-Life Apostolate Day. A part of that proclamation read, “We respectfully request and petition our local governing body to consider maintaining the city of Edinburg as a Sanctuary City for the Unborn.”
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/commentary/dickson-the-fight-for-unborn-life-on-the-us-mexico-border/
