US Vice President JD Vance cited a 40 Days for Life leader extensively in a defense speech in Munich as an example of defending free speech and democracy.

On Friday 14 February, the Vice President of the United States of America cited 40 Days for Life former local leader Adam Smith-Connor's arrest for a thoughtcrime extensively to European leaders as an example of Europe losing the plot of free speech. Adam said that he was overwhelmingly thankful to Vice President Vance for raising his plight in front of world leaders and that nobody should be criminalized for their prayers or thoughts.

Vance also gave the example of the Scottish government writing to residents in their own homes telling them that buffer zone legislation would even impact activity in their own home as another example of tyranny.

The subsequent international viral media coverage of the speech amounts to the largest media coverage a 40 Days for Life leader has ever experienced as this was international front-page news. Vance said, “Perhaps most concerning, I look to our very dear friends, the United Kingdom, where the backslide away from conscience rights has placed the basic liberties of religious Britons, particularly in the crosshairs."

The policing of thought crimes in Britain is one of the worst cases of censorship and free speech violation in the world. It is impressive of Vance to provide a wake-up call to the government to provide a basic wake up to restore free speech and basic standards of human rights. Many commentators have already brought parallels with George Orwell’s book 1984 and the legislation in Britain which amounts to thoughtcrimes.

Adam Smith-Connor is a 51-year-old physiotherapist and Army veteran, who was arrested and fined for praying silently for his unborn child in his head. He is a post-abortive father and assisted with abortions in a military hospital in the past. He has been a bold and courageous 40 Days for Life leader for many years before focusing on his charge and conviction for silent prayer in Bournemouth. See a video and podcast on Adam below:

Abortion worker leading a vigil

Another abortion worker leads a vigil

This is the second example of a British 40 Days for Life leader having viral international media coverage, following the story of Isabel Vaughan-Spruce being arrested for silently praying outside an abortion facility. The silent prayers in the cases mentioned have impacted the consciences of millions of people, galvanizing a national and international debate on abortion and free speech, and raising the profile of the pro-life movement in a way no amount of money could pay for.

Vance’s speech berating European leaders for abandoning basic principles of democracy demonstrates that the debate on free speech and abortion has barely begun yet. It gives great hope to pro-life activists under persecution from national legislation that change is possible at an even higher level. Adam is appealing his conviction in July where no doubt he will get even further international media coverage, given his case has been given such a high profile now, even challenging the relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States.

Not surprisingly, Vance’s words were strongly attacked in the British media. A BPAS spokesperson on the BBC Today program could barely string a sentence together to challenge Vance’s words, stating that she was ill on Twitter. But Scottish politicians were quick to accuse him of misinformation stating that they were proud of their legislation.

The Scottish government will be under much further scrutiny in the event further legal cases come to light on this issue following Vance’s words. Supporters of Vance’s words have said that if we cannot think thoughts in our heads on certain British streets we have no hope for freedom anywhere else. Former Conservative minister Michael Portillo said he started cheering during Vance’s speech and said that many Britons would welcome such direct messaging to European leaders. Government minister Jonathan Reynolds said he disagreed that the ‘threat within’ is a bigger threat to Europe than Russia.

Overall, Vice President Vance stunned and surprised the audience with his speech. His speech attacked European leaders for overturning elections, ignoring religious freedoms, not acting to halt illegal immigration, and ignoring the will of their people. His comments brought his audience to a stunned silence and carefully and articulately chastised cancel culture. Vance said, “I believe deeply that there is no security if you are afraid of the voices, the opinions, and the conscience that guide your very own people.”

The international debate and media coverage that Vance’s words have generated is extremely encouraging because it demonstrates how buffer zone legislation can be deeply flawed, leading to further opportunities to highlight the pro-life cause on a higher level, and how prayer even if banned can have an even greater impact than ever possibly imagined.

Adam’s prayers have now impacted millions of people and generated an international media storm. He signed up as a 40 Days for Life leader. Never in his wildest imagination did he imagine being quoted extensively on a stage of world leaders for his pro-life courage and example. His appeal will now generate another major international media storm as the world will be watching more than ever before.

The Scottish government will face further ridicule and scrutiny for extreme legislation amounting to thoughtcrimes and criminalizing silent prayer. We live in very exciting times in which the carpet underneath abortion providers, supporters, and politicians can be pulled from beneath their feet in a moment without notification. Now is the time for extreme thoughtcrime legislation to have the ridicule and scrutiny it deserves for its extreme and ludicrous nature.