Philadelphia became a battleground in the fight over abortion rights as Justice Sunday III -- a rally supporting Judge Samuel Alito's confirmation to the Supreme Court -- took place at the Greater Exodus Baptist Church in the north of the city last night.
Numerous demonstrations were held yesterday as well to voice opposition to Alito's confirmation, including a Planned Parenthood rally at Independence Hall, which drew more than 100 supporters.
The Justice Sunday rally, which featured conservative Christian activist Rev. Jerry Falwell and Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), was aired on radio shows and satellite television and shown at churches across the country.
Speakers voiced concerns regarding a perceived hostility toward religion in the United States, citing the removal of plaques displaying the Ten Commandments and prohibition of school prayer as examples of the nation's moral decline.
"Do you resent the fact that the court has made it impossible to participate in these activities?" James Dobson, founder of family-values group Focus on the Family, asked the crowd, which responded with a resounding "yes."
Organizers said the decision to hold the event in Philadelphia -- the northernmost city to host Justice Sunday -- was part of an effort to reach the city's traditionally Democratic black Christian population.
Tom McClusky, a lobbyist for the Family Research Council, which hosted the event, said the Council specifically sought "an African-American community and an African-American church" for the rally. Justice Sunday I and II had been held in Louisville, Ky., and Nashville, Tenn.
Rev. Herbert Lusk, who heads the Greater Exodus Baptist Church and serves as an adviser for President Bush's faith-based initiatives program, has faced criticism for his ties with the Bush administration. Since 2002, the church has received nearly $2 million in federal grants through the program.
Some also took issue with the choice of venue.
"People at [the Justice Sunday] event are speaking for people they should not be speaking for," said Sheila Webb-Halpern, who helped organize the Independence Hall protest.
Campus political groups and advocates and opponents of abortion rights were largely either unaware of the event or opted not to formally take part, due in part to a lack of potential participants. Many students had yet to return to campus from winter break.
