Illinois Federation for Right to Life

October 8, 2009

Relativism in Europe has Created Demographic Crisis: European Bishops

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet empire, the people of Europe have been using their hard-won freedom to indulge in relativism and materialism, said the European bishops in a recent statement. According to the bishops, this materialism has led Europeans to avoid having children which has created a looming demographic crisis

The Council of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe, (CCEE) holding their plenary assembly last week, wrote, "The development of the European Union has gone hand in hand with a growth in consumption, at least for some people."

"The mere constant acquisition of goods will never fill people's hearts ... The rules of the market and competition will never give birth to the ideal. "

In the drive to "exercise individual choice and to seek personal fulfilment," the bishops said, societies risk falling into violence.

"A society in which each individual, each group, each nation defends only their own vested interests cannot but be the jungle. Without justice, without sharing, without solidarity, social life sinks into violence. We should not be surprised then if mafia and terrorist organizations thrive against this background."

They warned against the risk of "relativism" and particularly "ethical relativism" in which "each person sets their own norms and claims their own rights."

Without specifying the rampant use in Europe of artificial contraceptives or the continent's sky-high abortion rates, the bishops warned that this relativism has led to a society in crisis in which "low birth rates and the future of its demography do not lead to optimism."

"To promote the common good and respect for the environment, men and women are prepared to make sacrifices to be shared by others. The defence of life, from conception to natural death, is not a lost cause."

At the same time, the bishops deplored the lack of public interest in the "European project" of unifying the independent nations of Europe under one European Union government based in Brussels.

"Twenty years later, we now see that the incredible European project, with a strong ethical basis, has greatly weakened. The very poor turnout in the latest European Parliamentary elections was a tell-tale sign. The hopes placed on building Europe have not so far been fulfilled," the statement said.

This "European project" has been roundly denounced by many in Europe as a means of created a gigantic pan-European superstate that will supersede national laws, particularly threatening the laws in some countries protecting the unborn and the natural family.

Democracy supporters and pro-life advocates continue to warn that the magnum opus of the "European project," the Lisbon Treaty, will allow the European Court of Justice to overturn the pro-life and pro-family laws of countries like Malta, Ireland and Poland, based on the European Charter of Fundamental Human Rights.

The CCEE statement, signed by the president of the Irish bishops' conference, Seán Cardinal Brady, concludes that the solution to the problems in Europe is the full participation in the European project. The bishops wrote, "Building Europe is truly an enterprise worth the effort. Everyone can find their own place, everyone is welcome. More than ever the road opens before us. It is not a time to slow down or to sit on the sidelines."

Contact: Hilary White
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: October 8, 2009
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NEWS SHORTS FOR THURSDAY

NEWS SHORTS FOR THURSDAY
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Populous China With Infertility Problems, Made Worse By Abortion And One-Child Policy

At least 40 million couples in mainland China have difficulties in having children or are actually infertile. This puts the infertility rate at 12.5 per cent for all couples in childbearing age. As a result of China's "one-child policy", the most populous country in the world could soon experience labour shortages and a rapidly aging population. The 2009 Investigative Report on the Current State of Infertility in China, which was released at the China International Summit Forum on Infertility in August, found a significant decline in the average sperm count of men on the mainland, from about 100 million sperm per millilitre of semen 40 years ago to about 20 million to 40 million in recent years.
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Spanish pro-lifers organizing march against new abortion bill

The Spanish Parliament is set to debate a new law on abortion that would allow mothers to end the life of their unborn children through the first trimester. In response, pro-life organizations across the country are collecting signatures and organizing a march on October 17.

Currently, Spanish law permits abortion in cases of rape, fetal abnormalities, and in cases that would compromise the health of the mother. This new law would allow abortion on demand for the first trimester. Pro-life groups expect that if the Socialist Spanish government's "new law on abortion" is passed that it will dramatically increase the number of abortions.
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McGill Pro-Life Presentation Shut Down by Protesters - Two Arrested

A controversial pro-life presentation hosted by McGill University's pro-life club Choose Life was chanted down by protesters last night. Police were called to the scene and, after repeated requests for civility, two were arrested.

The talk, entitled 'Echoes of the Holocaust' was given by Jose Ruba of the Canadian Centre for Bioethical Reform. The talk draws a parallel between past atrocities, such as the Holocaust, and abortion.

Prior to the event, the Student Society of McGill University (SSMU) passed a motion by a vote of 25-2-2 to censure the event and 'demand' that the university administration intervene to cancel it. The society, further, resolved that if Choose Life chose to continue with the event, the group would be ineligible for funding for the remainder of its existence. Click here to view video footage.
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October 7, 2009

Planned Parenthood Conducts Clinical Trials on Underage Girls

American Life League released a recent survey that reveals that at least 10 Planned Parenthood clinical trials have been conducted on underage girls as young as 13.

Twenty-eight Planned Parenthood affiliates have been involved in 33 clinical trials – some government funded – 10 of which involved young girls. Two of the 33 total trials ended in the 1990s, the remaining 31 were conducted in the last seven years, and many are still ongoing.

Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League, conducted the review.

Two of the trials in which girls as young as 14 participated dealt with getting the girls to take birth control consistently by sending them text message reminders.

"In most states, minor girls involved in sexual activity is considered sex abuse and is illegal," Sedlak said.

Other Planned Parenthood clinical trials involve African-American girls as young as 13 and trials to increase the use of "emergency contraception" (the morning after pill regimen) among girls as young as 14.

The nation's largest abortion business is also involved in trials on medical abortion techniques, birth control techniques, pain reduction during abortion, sterilization, and IUD insertion, and a trial assessing the safety and efficacy of a new "emergency contraceptive" known as Ella.

Before closing in June 2009, Planned Parenthood of El Paso was involved in clinical trials on Hispanic men and women with HIV. Planned Parenthood of New York City is also involved in trials regarding delivery of HIV health services.

Planned Parenthood affiliates conducting clinical trials on minors include Planned Parenthood of Georgia, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, Planned Parenthood of Central North Carolina, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, Planned Parenthood of Maryland, Planned Parenthood of Shasta-Diablo, Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, Virginia League of Planned Parenthood, Planned Parenthood of New York City, and Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas. Other Planned Parenthood affiliates involved in the trials are listed in the review.

"As Planned Parenthood continues to spread its tentacles throughout our country's health care establishment, it is imperative that it be met with resistance at every turn," Sedlak said. "We encourage everyone who lives in the area serviced by the Planned Parenthood affiliates mentioned in this report to launch educational campaigns against this organization."

Click here for the full review.

Contact: Katie Walker
Source: American Life League
Publish Date: October 6, 2009
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Seizures and Brain Damage Follow HPV Vaccine Injection for Girl

An 18 year-old U.K. girl has suffered severe brain damage from seizures that began after receiving the vaccination Cervarix.

Stacey Jones, 18, of Bilston in the West Midlands of England, began to have seizures days after receiving the first injection. The fits eventually caused such severe brain injury that she had to be admitted to a rehabilitation unit to relearn simple tasks.

Stacey's mother, Julie Jones, believes that the vaccine Cervarix is unsafe and caused the swelling in the brain that has been diagnosed as the cause of Stacy's neurological problems.

Cervarix, made by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), vaccinates patients against human papillomavirus (HPV) strains 16 and 18, which is sexually transmitted. It is meant to protect against the later onset of cervical cancer, which is caused by these two strains in approximately 70% of cases.

Cervarix also contains the adjuvant AS04, which is designed to stimulate the body's immune system to create more antibodies.

Britain's National Health Service (NHS) began vaccinating girls aged 12 and 13 with Cervarix last year; more than 1.4 million vaccinations have been given thus far. The government of the UK claims that widespread vaccination with Cervarix will save 400 lives a year. The drug is recommended by the Department of Health, but it is not compulsory.

There have been more than 4,600 reported adverse reactions to the vaccine in the UK. In addition to seizures, other reported adverse effects include paralysis, nausea, blackouts, shivering, headaches, muscle weakness, dizziness, fainting, blurred vision, and soreness. It has not yet been approved by the FDA for use in the US.

Cervarix has previously been accused of causing the paralysis from the waist down of a 13 year-old girl, Ashleigh Cave, who collapsed 30 minutes after being given the injection at school. The girl's mother, Cheryl Cave, is planning legal action against the vaccine's producer, GlaxoSmithKline.

A 14-year-old also recently died shortly after receiving this vaccination, although many claim that she likely died because of a pre-existing condition. GSK recalled the batch with which she was injected as a precautionary measure.

Dr. Diane Harper, who helped develop the drug, has claimed in an interview with the Sunday Express that the drug is being "over marketed" and that there could be serious side effects. The risks of taking the vaccination, according to her, could be worse than the risk of developing the cancer the vaccine helps prevent. She also claimed that the drug would do nothing to lower rates of cervical cancer.

Last year GlaxoSmithkline (GSK) won a contract with the UK to distribute the vaccine. GSK had been competing with Sanofi-Pasteeur MSD, which was marketing the rival vaccine Gardasil, developed by Merck. The government saved approximately £18.6m by deciding to use Cervarix rather than Gardasil. Although Gardasil is used more widely than Cervarix, it has been linked to numerous serious reactions in the US, including death, spontaneous abortion, and Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Religious organizations and parents have also criticized the distribution of Cervarix on the grounds that it will increase promiscuity and that the best cure for HPV is simply to practice premarital abstinence.

Contact: James Tillman
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: October 6, 2009
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Un-natural Selection: Birth Control Pills May Alter Choice of Partners

Is it possible that the use of oral contraceptives is interfering with a woman's ability to choose, compete for and retain her preferred mate? A new paper published by Cell Press in the October issue of the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution reviews emerging evidence suggesting that contraceptive methods which alter a woman's natural hormonal cycles may have an underappreciated impact on choice of partners for both women and men and, possibly, reproductive success.

Human females are only fertile for a brief period during their menstrual cycle, just prior to ovulation. Many scientific studies have established that partner preferences of both women and men vary significantly according to predictable hormonal fluctuations associated with the natural menstrual cycle. According to these studies ovulation is associated with a profound shift in some female physical characteristics, behaviors and perceptions related to mate attraction.

Studies suggest that ovulating women exhibit a preference for more masculine male features, are particularly attracted to men showing dominance and male-male competitiveness and prefer partners that are genetically dissimilar to themselves. This is significant because there is evidence suggesting that genetic similarity between couples might be linked with infertility. Further, some studies have suggested that men detect women's fertility status, preferring ovulating women in situations where they can compare the attractiveness of different women.

The oral contraceptive pill alters the hormonal fluctuations associated with the menstrual cycle and essentially mimics the more steady hormonal conditions associated with pregnancy. "Although mate choice studies in humans have routinely recorded pill use during the last decade to control for its confounding effects, little effort has been invested in understanding the consequences of such effects of the pill," says study author Dr. Alexandra Alvergne from the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield.

Dr. Alverne and colleague Dr. Virpi Lumma reviewed and discussed new research supporting the conclusion that use of the pill by women disrupted their variation in mate preferences across their menstrual cycle. The authors also speculate that the use of oral contraceptives may influence a woman's ability to attract a mate by reducing attractiveness to men, thereby disrupting her ability to compete with normally cycling women for access to mate.

Of particular interest is the fact that women taking the pill do not exhibit the ovulation-specific attraction to genetically dissimilar partners. "The ultimate outstanding evolutionary question concerns whether the use of oral contraceptives when making mating decisions can have long-term consequences on the ability of couples to reproduce," suggests Dr. Lummaa.

Taken together, an increasing number of studies seem to suggest that the pill is likely to have an impact on human mating decisions and subsequent reproduction. "If this is the case, pill use will have implications for both current and future generations, and we hope that our review will stimulate further research on this question," concludes Dr. Lummaa.

Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: October 7, 2009
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Hospital Counselor Leaves Abortion Unit during 40 Days for Life

Most 40 Days for Life prayer vigils are conducted outside abortion facilities that are either in stand-alone buildings or in medical office parks.

There are, of course, some exceptions.

One of those exceptions is in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where abortions are performed in a hospital. So it's hard to know who among the many hundreds of women entering the hospital are there for an abortion, and good news about lives changed through prayer is hard to come by.

Still, local coordinator Julie Culshaw has always been convinced that prayer works. Vigil participants were asked to pray for specific people in the hospital, including a woman who worked part-time as a counselor in the abortion unit. Julie just learned that this woman has given up that position and has asked for a transfer to another ward.

"She said she 'felt such darkness' when she had to work in the Pregnancy Termination Unit, as it is called," Julie said. "Praise God; this is an answer to prayer!"

At another 40 Days for Life vigil location -- this one will have to remain anonymous, for reasons you will see -- a local business had been helping the campaign. The business owners serve as agents for a prominent national company.

"Abortion advocates have continually harassed the local agents and pressured the national corporation to mandate that they disassociate from our 40 Days for Life campaign," said the local 40 Days for Life coordinator. "I cannot in good conscience ask them to place their livelihood as risk."

It's really too bad. 40 Days for Life had been good for this company's business. Still, the local campaign coordinator is optimistic. "My heart rejoices that we were honored with this level of persecution and the opportunity to persevere and witness to God's truth and pray for His glory to be revealed in the strength and sustenance He provides for us to continue onward."

Sometimes, the truth is revealed in other ways.

It isn't often that anyone from Planned Parenthood agrees to publicly debate abortion; but in Lubbock, Texas, a Planned Parenthood representative agreed to take part in a discussion organized by a group of pro-life medical students at Texas Tech.

But once a notice of the event was published in the newspaper, the Planned Parenthood spokesperson backed out, reportedly saying he would be unable to participate in anything related to 40 Days for Life.

"The question is," asked Dan in Lubbock, "if abortion is such a good thing, in their view, why isn't it robustly defensible 24/7?"

The answer is simple: They cannot argue the facts. There is no defense for abortion ...

... And that's something even children understand.

It was a dark, rainy day in Richmond, Virginia. Becca was headed to the abortion facility to pray at the 40 Days for Life vigil with her 3-year-old daughter, Anna. "As we drove to the clinic," she said, "I explained to her why we were going, what we would be doing there, and who we would be praying for."

While they were standing in the rain, Becca took Anna's picture. It's the only time Becca can ever recall that Anna didn't smile for a picture.

Anna is only 3 years old, but she understands. Please continue to pray that all may see, with a child's eyes, the darkness that must be overcome.

Contact: Dave Bereit
Source: 40DaysforLife.com
Publish Date: October 7, 2009
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Doctors who Allowed Suicidal Woman to Die Acted Lawfully: Coroner's Inquest

Doctors who allowed a young British woman to die in hospital after she swallowed poison and declared her intention to commit suicide acted lawfully, according to the findings of an inquest this week. Under the provisions of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the coroner's inquest ruled that doctors had no choice but to allow the woman to die after she had written a letter saying she did not want to be saved.

The Mental Capacity Act, passed by Tony Blair's Labour government, created "advance directives," or "living wills," which were ostensibly meant to allow terminally ill patients to decline treatment which could prolong their lives. According to that Act, doctors who violate such a document can be charged with criminal assault for treating patients against their wishes.

In October 2008, Kerrie Wooltorton, 26, swallowed anti-freeze and, after arriving at a Norwich hospital emergency ward, presented a suicide note asking doctors not to save her life. The doctors followed her request, claiming that her wishes were legally binding under the provisions of the Act.

Pro-life advocates in Britain have long warned that the Mental Capacity Act is an open door to legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide. SPUC Pro-Life, a leading anti-euthanasia group, has said that the case is clearly one of doctors assisting in a suicide, which remains a criminal offense. SPUC has argued that the case should be prosecuted as such "to highlight the perverse state of the law."

Anthony Ozimic, spokesman for SPUC Pro-Life, said, "It appears from press reports that doctors either did not have regard for the concerns of Miss Wooltorton's relatives, or that they ignored their wishes.

"The coroner's verdict in this case is disgraceful. It sends out the message that if you are depressed and attempt suicide, doctors need not treat you. Depressed people are being officially treated as worthless. It is clear that Miss Wooltorton's relatives regarded her as having committed suicide while suffering from depression."

Wooltorton, who was reportedly depressed about not being able to have children and had attempted suicide nine previous times, arrived at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital fully conscious and stated that she was "100 per cent aware of the consequences" of her actions. Wooltorton had called an ambulance, but claimed it was because she did not want to die "alone and in pain." After consulting legal advice, the attending physician decided to allow her to die.

Wooltorton's family has urged Parliament to revisit the Mental Capacity Act that Health Secretary Andy Burnham has said was never meant to be used in this way. Her father said, "I am ashamed to be English with the way the law stands. It is plain daft. Hospitals should not be allowed to let people die like this."

The Daily Telegraph quoted Dr. Vivienne Nathanson, Head of Ethics and Science at the British Medical Association, who confirmed the decision, saying that doctors must follow the patient's wishes when they are competent to make decisions for themselves.

She said, "The main issue for doctors in these cases is to determine a patient's mental capacity in deciding whether or not they want treatment to save their life."

She praised the Mental Capacity Act for having "clarified matters," saying it "establishes the legal framework for such decisions."

"However hard doctors find this issue, their ultimate aim is to act in the best interests of their patients, normally this means following competent patients' wishes."

The Wooltorton decision comes shortly after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) issued guidelines that said that while the law prohibiting assisting suicide is not being overturned, people who help their relatives commit suicide will not be prosecuted as long as they do so without a view to personal gain.

George Pitcher, Religion Editor of Telegraph Media and an Anglican minister said that while the DPP guidelines are not directly related to the Woolterton case, they are part of a "new climate of creeping 'suicide rights' and stealth-euthanasia" in Britain.

He added that the state of the law that allowed Woolterton to die, is "where euthanasia's enthusiasts - from Dignity in Dying to the manipulative Lord Falconer and the malleable DPP - have brought us."

Contact: Hilary White
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: October 6, 2009
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Woman births child wrongly implanted

An Ohio woman has given birth to a baby boy whom she carried to term after learning a fertility clinic had mistakenly implanted her with another couple's embryo.

Carolyn Savage, 40, of Sylvania, Ohio, delivered a 5-pound, 3-ounce boy at a Toledo hospital after choosing not to abort him though she learned he was not her son 10 days after embryo implantation.

The boy's genetic parents are Paul and Shannon Morell of Troy, Mich., who learned a day after Savage and her husband Sean about the embryo mix-up by an undisclosed clinic. They were concerned their unborn child would be aborted after they learned of the mistake, but the Savages said they never considered aborting the baby or seeking custody, according to the Associated Press.

"We will be eternally grateful for his guardian angel, Carolyn Savage, and the support of the entire Savage family," the Morells said in a statement after the Sept. 24 birth, AP reported.

"There's no way we could possibly repay them," Shannon Morell said, according to ABC News.

In their own statement, the Savages offered "heartfelt congratulations to the Morell family on the birth of their son."

A week before the birth, Carolyn Savage said, as reported by ABC, "We're trying to look at it as a gift for another family that eight months ago we didn't know."

The mothers have gone to doctors' appointments together and intend to stay in touch, according to ABC.

The Morells have 2-year-old twin girls conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF).

The Savages have sons 15 and 12 years of age as well as a 1-year-old daughter. Their little girl was conceived through IVF. Because of previous complications, Carolyn Savage was told this pregnancy with what was to be her fourth child would need to be her last.

The Savages have an agreement with a surrogate mother to carry and give birth to a remaining embryo conceived by IVF, ABC reported.

A pro-life bioethicist said the story demonstrates the need for oversight of fertility clinics.

"This is an entirely unregulated industry, a business," wrote David Prentice, senior fellow for life sciences at the Family Research Council. "Maybe it's about time we took a harder look at the whole idea of cavalierly creating life in the lab."

Contact: Tom Strode
Source: BP
Publish Date: October 6, 2009
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NEWS SHORTS FOR WEDNESDAY

NEWS SHORTS FOR WEDNESDAY
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Citizens call for elevated charges against abortionist

Business owner to face trial on 2 counts this week

A minister in Pompano Beach, Fla., has scheduled a news conference to call on prosecutors in Miami-Dade County to elevate the charges against Belkis Gonzalez, the owner of the Hialeah abortion business where a child named Shanice died in 2006.

Rev. O'Neal Dozier of the Worldwide Christian Center Church told WND he will ask prosecutor Katherine Rundel to raise the stakes in the prosecution, changing the counts from "tampering with physical evidence" and "failure to hold a medical license" to "murder, which is indeed the proper charge."

Gonzalez is scheduled to go to trial Friday for minor felony counts related to the death of Shanice Osbourne. Dozier's news conference is scheduled today.
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Planned Parenthood Rally Backs Sex-Ed Funding

A small group of demonstrators gathered in front of the Historic Chester County Courthouse (WEST CHESTER, PA) on Thursday afternoon to show support for comprehensive sex education. The demonstrators, who were affiliated with Planned Parenthood, said more funding needs to be made available for school sex education programs. And they said abstinence-only programs need to go. "Students need medically accurate, age-appropriate information, including information about condoms and birth control," said Joy Migala, a Planned Parenthood employee.
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Girl Scouts to Recognize Pro-Abort Community Leaders at 15th Annual Santa Barbara Women of Distinction Reception

Girl Scouts of California's Central Coast has announced three Santa Barbara area women as recipients of the 15th Annual Women of Distinction Award for having compassionately demonstrated extraordinary community altruism and leadership in their chosen fields. Carol Palladini, Founding Chair, Women's Fund of Santa Barbara. Ms. Palladini currently serves on the Oversight Committee of the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara--an organization which has given over $2 million since 2004 to programs that help educate, house, heal, and support women and families. Ms. Palladini has also been a Board member of the local Planned Parenthood affiliate and was its 2005 Volunteer of the Year. She served with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) as an advocate for foster children and Board President.
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YWCA Accused of Coercing Topeka Inmate to Have Abortion

A Topeka Capital-Journal report uncovered a web of illegal activity within the Topeka Correctional Facility that ended with inmate Tracy Keith receiving an abortion. Keith said that after a prison instructor raped her, she struggled with the decision of whether to have an abortion or choose adoption. However, after receiving counseling from the YWCA's Battered Women's Task Force, she chose to have an abortion. The pro-life community was critical of the counseling arrangements and with the result.
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N.J Governor Wants U.S. Taxpayer Funding for Planned Parenthood

New Jersey applied this week for the federal government's permission to offer free family planning services to about 70,000 residents who do not have medical insurance but do not qualify for subsidized care. At a Planned Parenthood office on Tuesday, Gov. Jon Corzine touted the step as a key to fill in a "health-coverage" gap. "This is another major incremental step to making sure everyone has access to health care,'' he said. He made the announcement with four weeks to go in his re-election bid. Both the Democratic incumbent and his Republican opponent, Chris Christie, are aggressively courting the votes of women. Corzine supports abortion rights; Christie does not. In left-leaning New Jersey, that's a contrast that Corzine likes to bring up.
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Did Planned Parenthood soak taxpayers?

Planned ParenthoodThe American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) is appealing a decision related to alleged fraud by Planned Parenthood affiliates in California.

ACLJ attorneys are representing a whistleblower in the case, a former financial officer of Planned Parenthood. No action was taken so a private lawsuit was filed. ACLJ's Jay Sekulow explains the rationale behind his client's suit.

"A private claim is authorized under federal law precisely because politically powerful groups like Planned Parenthood are often not prosecuted, not brought to any kind of civil justice for their overbilling practices," he states.
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October 6, 2009

ACTION ALERT: The Chicago "Bubble Zone" Ordinance

ACTION ALERT

The Chicago "Bubble Zone" Ordinance

Chicago abortionists -- led by Planned Parenthood -- are pushing the Chicago City Council to adopt a new "bubble zone" ordinance, which would prohibit pro-lifers from coming within eight feet of any person approaching an abortion clinic.

The bubble zone would make sidewalk counseling nearly impossible within the city limits! Such a chilling attack on free speech could even halt the 40 Days for Life campaign going on right now!

The proposed ordinance was passed by the Human Relations committee last week, and could be voted on by the City Council as early as this Wednesday.

Please ACT NOW to stop the Chicago Bubble Zone and protect free speech.

Call Mayor Daley's Office TODAY at 312-744-3300
Tell them you oppose this unconstitutional restriction on your freedom of speech.

Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Appeal on Case Censoring "Choose Life" License Plates

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal in Choose Life Illinois v. White, upholding a Seventh Circuit ruling that the Illinois system for approving specialty plates was not discriminatory.

The case was filed in 2004 after citizens had collected more than the requisite number of signatures, but were denied a "Choose Life" license plate. In 2007, a Northern Illinois District Court judge ordered Secretary of State Jesse White to distribute the plates. The Illinois Attorney General's office brought the matter to an appeals court, where the ruling was overturned.

"Ever-increasing numbers of pro-life Americans want to proudly display the 'Choose Life' message on their vehicles - as evidenced by the fact that 22 states now offer such plates," commented Dr. Charmaine Yoest, President and CEO of Americans United for Life.

"Illinois is unfairly censoring the freedom of speech of its citizens by not allowing them to obtain a plate with a life-affirming message."

Mailee Smith, AUL Staff Counsel, noted, "Pro-life citizens in Illinois followed the rules in applying for a 'Choose Life' license plate, but were prohibited from obtaining the plate because the Illinois Secretary of State did not like its pro-life message. As the last defense for constitutional rights, the U.S. Supreme Court should have stepped in to correct the State's clearly unconstitutional action."

As in other states, the proceeds from the proposed "Choose Life" license plates would have gone to organizations such as pregnancy care centers that provide adoption counseling and referrals.

Americans United for Life filed a brief in the Seventh Circuit on behalf of a large coalition of Illinois pregnancy care centers. However, AUL says the court refused to accept the brief. The Alliance Defense Fund and the Thomas More Society also intervened in the case.

The battle for the popular plates have reached the courts in several states, in most cases leading to victory for their pro-life backers.

On Oct. 7 of last year, the Supreme Court declined to hear a similar "Choose Life" license plate case in Arizona - however, in that case, the refusal left in place a ruling favoring the license plates. A 2006 refusal also left New York's "Choose Life" license plates legal.

Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: October 5, 2009
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Health care legislation still ‘deeply flawed’ on pro-life concerns, U.S. bishops’ officials say

Health care legislation still 'deeply flawed' on pro-life concerns, U.S. bishops' officials say

Kathy Saile / Richard Doerflinger

Officials with the U.S. bishops' conference said that proposed health care reform legislation remains "deeply flawed" on pro-life issues, though they praised the bill for making health care more affordable to at-risk families.

The Senate Finance Committee rejected pro-life amendments proposed by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), which the U.S. Conference on Catholic Bishops (USCCB) had supported.

One proposal would have forbidden federal subsidies for benefits packages that cover abortions, with rare exceptions. Insurers could have offered supplemental abortion policies if they were funded solely by private premiums of those choosing to purchase them.

Another amendment proposed by Sen. Hatch would have forbidden federal agencies and state and local governments receiving federal funds under this bill to discriminate against health care providers that decline to perform, refer for, or pay for abortions.

"The bill remains deeply flawed on these issues and must be corrected," Richard Doerflinger, Associate Director of the USCCB's Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, said in a statement.

He said it was "especially disheartening" that the committee did not support "longstanding conscience language" on abortion that has been accepted as part of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's health care reform bill.

In a recent letter to the Senate, the USCCB said that the various health care reform bills have not met President Barack Obama's pledges to bar federal dollars from paying for abortions and to maintain current conscience laws.

Kathy Saile, USCCB Director of Domestic Social Development, said the bill took steps towards making health care more affordable, but explained that many families are still vulnerable to high health care costs.

"As Congress continues to debate health care reform, it should take further steps to help at-risk poor and low-income families and implement access as soon as possible," Saile commented, suggesting that access to programs like Medicaid should be expanded as soon as possible.

The Senate Finance Committee also defeated amendments which would have placed additional restrictions on health care access for legal immigrants and their families.

"Legal immigrants, who work hard and pay taxes, should be treated equally with U.S. citizens," stated Kevin Appleby, Director of Migration Policy and Public Affairs for the USCCB. Appleby said it was "counterproductive" for the public health system to leave immigrants outside the system and thereby making them dependent upon emergency care and unable to access preventive treatment.

"The U.S. bishops will continue to push for affordability grants to legal immigrants and their families and a removal of the five-year waiting period for legal immigrants to access Medicaid," he added.

Source: CNA
Publish Date: October 6, 2009
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Pro-Abortion EU Assembly Report Delayed Due to Public Opposition

Pro-Abortion EU Assembly Report Delayed Due to Public Opposition

"Keep lobbying" says pro-life leader

A debate in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on a pro-abortion document scheduled for Friday has been postponed after lobbying by pro-life people all over Europe. The proposed resolution, "Fifteen Years Since the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action (Document 11992)," was not called to a vote on October 2 as planned, due to lack of support by the public and Assembly members.

The European Centre for Law Justice (ECLJ) said, "Mrs McCafferty, Rapporteur of a pro-abortion recommendation, has delayed in presenting her text to a vote of the Parliamentary Assembly of PACE. She asked for a delay, after being surprised by the sudden and growing opposition within the public and the members of the Assembly."

The ECLJ said, "The vote was put off because it was believed the resolution would not have had a majority of support."

Promoted by Christine McCafferty, the veteran pro-abortion British MP, the report proposed to bring legal abortion to all states by 2015. The Alliance of Romania's Families, in a letter to Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Acting Secretary General of the Council of Europe, said that the report's wording - "sexual and reproductive rights" - is a code meaning the promotion of "abortion, immoral sexual practices, risky lifestyles, and promiscuity."

"This interpretation has frequently been promoted by representatives of various countries of the European Union, some of which occasionally claimed to speak on behalf of the entire European Union on this subject," the Alliance said.

The proposed document, they said, aimed to undemocratically create "new rights," saying that international human rights law does not recognize the existence of "sexual rights." They noted that even the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) explicitly rejected attempts to recognize a right to abortion under the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) had called on supporters throughout Europe to lobby their delegates to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to stop the vote. John Smeaton, SPUC director, said, "No doubt Mrs McCafferty will try again and we must all be ever-vigilant. But as I have said before: Pro-life lobbying works. Never give up!"

Contact: Hilary White
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: October 5, 2009
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Study Shows Recession Making Women Think Again About Pregnancy

Several sources have recently covered a survey conducted by AGI, a former Planned Parenthood affiliate, which found that because of the current economy, many women want to delay pregnancy or limit the number of children they have. The poll showed that 64% of women agreed with the statement, "With the economy the way that it is, I can't afford to have a baby right now."

It's easy to see how this thought could cross the minds of couples in today's culture. "How could we care for a child in this economy when things are so unstable?" "Would we be wise to think about starting a family when the economy is in shambles?" It's funny how the voice of uncertainty can slowly creep in and start taking over.

You see, the truth of the matter is, the economy is not really the culprit here. I have heard this concern voiced to me many times...even when the economy wasn't in this shape. As young couples are just starting out, trying to "make their way in this world," they are constantly bombarded with the world's view of the proper order of things: get your life together completely, and don't have children until you have enough money and resources saved to support an entire village. If you mess up this order, you will be deemed a bad parent forever!

What IF you become pregnant and you don't have your life together by the world's standards? This particular survey was conducted of women who were conscientiously deciding that the economy was the deciding factor of whether or not to have children right now. If that's the case, what happens when they get pregnant anyway? Their minds are already made up that they can't handle it. So where do they go?

Many women who walk into pregnancy centers everyday are facing similar financial burdens. Before their visit, they are often not aware of the resources around them that can help - churches, day care co-ops, adoption support, community-based agencies, and free pregnancy center services offering parenting support and material resources - cribs, clothing, diapers, etc. Unfortunately, the lie that has been sold to them is, "You're all alone. You're weak - you can't do this. There is no help out there for you." And tragically, some women tell us later on that believing those lies caused them to choose abortion.

This is the time for pregnancy centers to step up their efforts in reaching, educating, and connecting with women in this economy. The lies are just that - lies! Women aren't alone, there is help for them out there, and they can be good parents, even in a bad economy.

So my message to the women surveyed is this: Do not be afraid! If you are pregnant, and you still have doubts and fears, find your local pregnancy center. They exist to provide free services to women and men facing unplanned pregnancies. And finally, remember that "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him." (Nahum 1:7)

Contact: Kay Sanford
Source: Pro-Life Blogs
Publish Date: October 5, 2009
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Thomas More Society Thanks the American Civil Liberties for Telling Chicago City Council: VOTE 'NO' on Speech Suppression of Pro-Life Activists

Chicago City Hall

Last week the tide turned against free speech when Chicago's leaders targeted pro-life advocates with a municipal ordinance that would restrict their speech rights and prevent them from helping women going to area abortion centers. Within 50 feet of an abortion clinic, the ordinance imposes an 8-foot "cone of silence" that prevents anyone from coming within 8 feet to speak to or pass a leaflet to a person near an abortion clinic, with a $500 fine imposed for violating the ordinance. The Thomas More Society believes this ordinance is aimed at persons who seek to offer help and support with a woman's pregnancy at abortion clinics, because a substantial number of women at Chicago-area abortion clinics who are offered assistance with their pregnancies accept that help and choose to have their children.

Even though the organization supports abortion rights, the ACLU of Illinois has issued a statement that made clear that the Chicago Council "...must honor the Constitution and tolerate the widest amount of free speech in public ways." The Chicago-based Thomas More Society applauds the ACLU for standing up for the free speech rights of all Americans, regardless of their position on abortion.

"This sort of peaceful and lawful conduct on public sidewalks in front of abortion clinics is protected by the First Amendment. We thank the ACLU for joining us in opposing this ill-conceived ordinance," said Peter Breen, Executive Director & Legal Counsel, Thomas More Society, who testified in opposition to the measure before the Chicago City Council's Committee on Human Relations.

Contact: Peter Breen
Source: Thomas More Society
Publish Date: October 6, 2009
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Irish Pass Lisbon Treaty

Irish Pass Lisbon Treaty

Fear, disinformation and vast government spending bought Irish Lisbon vote say pro-life campaigners

Fears about jobs and the recession intimidated the Irish electorate to vote Yes in Friday's referendum on the EU's Lisbon Treaty say pro-life No campaigners. Sixteen months after the Irish voted "No" to the Lisbon Treaty, and in the middle of a severe economic downturn, they have resoundingly changed direction and voted Yes in Friday's referendum 67 per cent to 33 per cent.

The Irish electorate, said Richard Greene of leading pro-life No campaign group Cóir were "shamelessly bullied" into supporting the Treaty. "It's a grubby victory for the elite who spent enormous sums frightening and manipulating people," said Greene. He added, "The Yes campaign was dirty, extremely well-funded and entirely based on fear and lies. This is a victory for bullies, and for those who did not respect the wishes of the people."

Pat Buckley, the EU spokesman for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), said the Yes vote will prove to be a "pyrrhic victory for the Irish Government and for Europe."

"Sadly our government were not strong enough to accept the first verdict given by the Irish people in voting No and gave in to European demands to 'do it all over again and make sure you get the right answer this time'," Buckley said. "European democracy has suffered a significant setback and the will of the Irish electorate has been disgracefully manipulated."

The Irish government lavished upwards of €20 million (US $30 million) to secure a Yes vote that No campaigners warned would leave Irish constitutional protections for the right to life vulnerable to EU pro-abortion biases at the European Court of Justice. More funding came directly from the EU who supported the creation and activities of individual Yes campaign groups. Anti-EU groups, who said the move was unlawful, have threatened a legal challenge after 1.1 million copies of an EU booklet were distributed, at a cost to the taxpayer of €151,000.

Bruce Arnold, political commentator and parliamentary correspondent for the Irish Independent, argued that the second Lisbon referendum was characterized by "fear, lies and an array of blatant illegalities by the Irish Government."

No campaigner Anthony Coughlan wrote that the threat from Lisbon includes a massive shift in power at the expense of smaller states to the "Big Four" states, Germany, France, Britain and Italy. Lisbon, opponents say, is a means to create a "supranational EU federal state," which would have the power to override the Irish Constitution and laws in all areas covered by the treaties. The Lisbon Treaty will give the EU power over national laws and remove the ability of national electorates to have a say in the process.

After the formal ratification of Lisbon by the Irish government, the only remaining obstacle is the signature of Czech president Vaclav Klaus, a noted Eurosceptic. Klaus, however, has told media that with the Irish voting Yes, it is now "too late to stop Lisbon." After Ireland's vote, the Polish President, Lech Kaczynski, said that he would sign the Lisbon Treaty Bill, "without undue delay."

An intervention from the Vatican Secretariat of State came too late to sway Irish voters, most of whom are Catholics. Speaking to a Czech newspaper on Friday, the day of the vote, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone warned that the EU dictates to individual states on "laws or views" and that the Lisbon Treaty posed a threat to Irish "traditions and history."

"Individual European countries have their own identity," Cardinal Bertone said. "The European Union prescribes its laws or views to them and they must comply with their traditions and history." Resistance to this process by states like Ireland is "logical," he said. "The Church wants to encourage the states in this."

This intervention came weeks after a statement made by the Irish bishops conference telling their flock that there were no ethical reasons not to support the Lisbon Treaty.

MEP Nigel Farage, a leading British Eurosceptic, described the result as "a victory for big money, a victory for thuggery and a travesty of democracy."

The eyes of Lisbon watchers are now turned toward the U.K.'s Conservative Party leader, David Cameron, who has won a 20 per cent lead in the polls against Labour, partly on his promise to give the British people a referendum on the treaty. Cameron is widely expected to win the 2010 general election handily and become Britain's next Prime Minister.

Farage, however, warned of a possible turn-about from Cameron's party, which is now in Manchester at the annual party conference. "It appeared over the last couple of days, as it became clear that there was going to be a Yes vote in Ireland, that Mr. Cameron and Mr. Hague were beginning to weasel out of that."

Richard Greene issued a direct public appeal to the Conservative leader to hold a referendum on Europe in the next British parliament.

As recently as the Wednesday before the vote, despite repeated promises, David Cameron had indicated that a Yes vote in Ireland might change the Tory commitment to a referendum. While the Conservative party has been lashing Gordon Brown's Labour government over their broken promise of a UK referendum, Cameron said Wednesday, "If this treaty is still alive, if it is still being discussed and debated anywhere in Europe, then we will give you that referendum, we will name the date during the election campaign, we'll hold that referendum straight away and I will lead the campaign for a No."

But Cameron immediately followed with the caveat, "Now, if those circumstances change, if the Germans ratify, if the Poles ratify, if the Czechs ratify, if the Irish vote Yes to the treaty, then a new set of circumstances (apply), and I will address those at the time."

Thus far, even with the result of the Irish referendum filling newspaper headlines, Cameron has declined to say if he would hold a referendum on the Lisbon treaty if it was ratified before the election. James Kirkup, writing on his Daily Telegraph blog from the Conservative party conference in Manchester, said there is no sign of any talk from the party Eurosceptics of Europe, the Lisbon Treaty or a British referendum.

"By rights," Kirkup wrote, "this conference should be a Tory bloodbath over Europe. David Cameron's position on a Lisbon referendum is untenable. He knows it, you know it, the dogs in the street know it. And you can be sure that Tory Eurosceptics know it: they're happy enough to say so. But only in private. Publicly, they're all nice as pie, insisting that everything will work out for the best."

Contact: Hilary White
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: October 5, 2009
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NEWS SHORTS FOR TUESDAY

NEWS SHORTS FOR TUESDAY
(Referral to Web sites not produced by The Illinois Federation for Right to LIfe is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)

Renegade Doctor Offers Controversial 'Death Kit'

Step aside Jack Kevorkian, there's a new "Dr. Death" in town. Ten years after the notorious Michigan doctor was ultimately jailed for killing a patient -- one of 130 he helped die through lethal injection -- Philip Nitschke, a new renegade physician, is spreading the gospel of assisted suicide -- and he's coming to the United States next month. Nitschke is the 61-year-old Australian founder and director of the pro-assisted-suicide organization, Exit International. (Motto: "A Peaceful Death Is Everybody's Right.") Based in Melbourne, Australia, the vocal advocacy group has gone beyond the legislative projects of other right-to-die organizations, who want to decriminalize euthanasia, to develop an array of educational tools for people considering ending their lives on their own terms.
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City School District Settles Lawsuit Filed By Anti-Abortion Group Over Auditorium Use

The Rapid City School District has agreed on a settlement with a group that wanted to rent an auditorium for an event before a 2008 vote to ban abortion. A court document that asks for an extension in deadlines states that both sides are exchanging settlement documents, but no details were filed. Citizens For Life and its president, Allen Carlson of Rapid City, sued the district over claims the group was prevented from holding events at a school.
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Pro-Life Ad Rejected by Newspaper

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh newspaper has rejected an anti-abortion advertisement as too controversial. The Advance-Titan decided not to run the 12-page insert from the Human Life Alliance. The advertisement, called iCare, contains information about abortion, its side effects, contraception, the development of a pre-born child and adoption. Virginia Zignego, a spokeswoman for Pro-Life Wisconsin, says the newspaper's decision to reject the advertisement demonstrates its bias and amounts to censorship.
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Manassas Police to Abortion Protestors: Move It?

Manassas police Chief John J. Skinner recently caught some heat when he changed up the permits for demonstrators on Sudley Road at Forestwood Lane. Right-to-life advocates often demonstrate with signs at an intersection that is near an abortion clinic. Skinner said a couple of months ago he received several complaints from motorists who said their view was obstructed when they were trying to turn onto Sudley Road. So Skinner rewrote the permits, with advise from the city manager and city attorney, to move the demonstration site away from the intersection to "create a small safety zone" and to restrict signs from being placed in the ground. After Skinner changed the conditions of the permits, several of the protesters complained to the city council, saying their First Amendment rights were being violated. Skinner said safety concerns guided his decision to place restrictions on the demonstration site.
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Planned Parenthood Group Holds Fundraiser at Museum Featuring 'Sex Life of Robots' Exhibit

Planned Parenthood of New York chose the Museum of Sex for the second year in a row as the venue for its annual "Summer, Sex and Spirits" fundraiser.

In July, the Planned Parenthood affiliate held a "party/benefit" at the museum, which featured exhibits at the time of the event such as "Sex Life of Robots," "Sex Machines," and a photo display documenting the "Oscars of Porn."
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Adultery & Murder: Doctor Spiked My Tea to Induce Abortion, Ex-Lover Tells Court

Doctor spiked my tea to induce miscarriage, lover tells court A medical secretary at a west London hospital has told a court that her doctor lover spiked her Earl Grey tea to make her have an abortion. Bella Prowse, 33, said she found herself pregnant after starting an affair with married hospital consultant Dr Edward Erin. But she refused to have an abortion even though he begged her to and said that she had ruined his life, the Old Bailey heard. Miss Prowse, an unmarried mother of a daughter, said she found yellow powder after Erin had made her a cup of tea.
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October 5, 2009

Chicago tightening the screws on pro-lifers

Chicago tightening the screws on pro-lifers

Chicago is considering restrictions on pro-life counselors outside abortion clinics.

The Human Relations Committee of the Chicago City Council has voted unanimously in favor of the proposed ordinance, which would restrict the proximity of picketers outside any medical clinic. Joe Scheidler of the Pro-Life Action League believes the Council is trying to take away pro-lifers' First Amendment rights to speak to people on the public sidewalk.

"They're talking about an eight-foot 'bubble zone' around each person coming to a medical facility, which means abortion clinic," he explains. "[And] they're trying to keep us 50 feet away from the entrance door to hospitals, medical clinics, healthcare facilities -- in other words, abortion clinics."

According to Scheidler, proponents of the proposed measure argue pro-life counselors scare patients and yell at them. But the pro-life activist counters that accusation.

"We're sidewalk counselors -- we talk to these women, we're trying to befriend them," he says. "We have to talk within eight feet of them because if you're going to hand them any literature [or] show them any pictures of fetal development, you have to be standing by them."

Scheidler says the ordinance, which will come up for a vote before the Council as early as Wednesday, is obviously directed at stifling the constitutional rights of pro-lifers. If it passes, he says the Thomas More Society, which is based in the Windy City, is likely to file suit.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow
Publish Date: October 5, 2009
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They Really, Really Want To Kill For Organs

Today, we see more advocacy for lethal medicine in The Journal of Medical Ethics, an international publication. From the article by Dr. F.G. Miller (No link, here's the abstract):

Revisiting the still-provocative essays of Jonas on brain death and organ donation helps in mapping present and future ethical and policy options. Four options seem most salient. First, we can follow the lead of Jonas by adopting a stance of deontological rectitude that abandons vital organ procurement from brain-dead, but still-living patients. This position is logically tidy and unassailable if its major premise is endorsed: (1) doctors must not kill patients; (2) brain-dead patients are alive; (3) procuring vital organs from brain-dead patients would cause their death; therefore, (4) this practice is wrong and must cease. However, the validity of the first premise is debatable; and if applied consistently, it would have drastic consequences. For not only would it put a stop to the life-saving practice of vital organ transplantation using the organs of brain-dead individuals; it also arguably would rule out the routine practice of deliberately stopping life-sustaining treatment, assuming the reasonable, but unorthodox, view that this practice involves causing death.

Amazing. For years bioethicists have said removing unwanted life support isn't killing. And they are right, since death comes from the underlying disease. But now, it is because we want more organs? This is surreal.

Here is what is going on: The very crowd–or better stated, their successors–who assured us that brain death was dead, are now saying it isn't. And the reason for both arguments is the same–to increase the supply of organs. But if brain dead isn't dead, the only ethical answer is to stop killing patients, not find new ones to terminate.

Miller goes through some other possible scenarios, for example, suggesting that people have a time limit on life support, which would permit killing for organs once their time was up:

A second position attempts to justify vital organ donation while maintaining (at least nominally) the dead donor rule by appealing to a distinction between the death of the human being and the death of the biological organism. According to this position, Jonas is right that the brain-dead patient is biologically alive; however, what matters ethically with respect to vital organ procurement is whether the human being has ceased to exist. In this ''higher brain'' position, the permanent loss of consciousness is regarded as the death of the human being. Once human life has ceased, stopping life-sustaining treatment is appropriate (or imperative), and there can be no ethical objection to extracting vital organs beforehand.

Like heck there can't! Miller then suggests a third possible approach:

A third position justifies vital organ donation while retaining the traditional cardiopulmonary criteria for determining death by biting the bullet of abandoning the dead donor rule. As suggested above, this position sees vital organ procurement from ''brain-dead'' but still-living patients as exposing them neither to harm nor violating their rights as long as it is connected with a previous plan to stop life-sustaining treatment and proper consent, both for stopping treatment and organ donation. Stopping life-sustaining treatment when justified is a legitimate act of causing the patient's death; procuring vital organs before treatment withdrawal is justified on essentially the same ethical grounds of self-determination and nonmaleficence.

Miller also notes that we could keep the status quo, that brain dead patients are dead, for which he says there is "no plausible and coherent [philosphical] account."

This blatant bait and switch tactic has been used in bioethics for decades to undermine the sanctity and equality of human life. (We should only dehydrate those in PVS/But if the seemingly PVS aren't really unconscious, all the more reason to dehydrate because they are suffering, etc.)

In the true bioethics tradition of proposing radical changes, but hedging to keep such advocacy from coming back to haunt, Miller then concludes with telling us what he really wants (in my italics):

Where do we go from here? We face an unsettled and unsettling situation characterised by the moral imperative to continue vital organ transplantation, the entrenched norm that doctors must not kill, and the increasingly transparent fiction that the brain dead are really dead. In at least the near future it is probable that we will continue to muddle through. In the longer run, the medical profession and society may, and should, be prepared to accept the reality and justifiability of lifeterminating acts in medicine in the context of stopping lifesustaining treatment and performing vital organ transplantation.

In other words, Miller thinks we will one day agree to kill for organs. I disagree. Miller's prescription will destroy what little public faith remains in the organ transplant sector. That is why I intend to cast as bright a light on these articles as I can: It is the best way to prevent killing for organs ever from happening. since American people simply won't stand for it. This, in turn, will help retain the necessary public support for organ transplant medicine.

Oh, and considering the ongoing debate how the weak and vulnerable would fare under Obamacere, here's an interesting tidbit: Miller is a bioethicist at the National Institutes of Health.

Contact: Wesley J. Smith
Source: Secondhand Smoke
Publish Date: October 3, 2009
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America's pro-life, pro-abortion gap oh so slight

America's pro-life, pro-abortion gap oh so slight

A recent poll indicates Americans are more pro-life than ever.

A Pew Research Center poll conducted in 2008 showed those who favor keeping abortion legal outnumbered those with a pro-life view 54 to 40 percent. But the latest poll, the results of which were released last week, shows that gap reduced to 47 and 45 percent, respectively, with a two-percent margin for error -- a statistical dead heat.

Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America believes the hard work by pro-lifers is paying off. "One reason why it's so important that the public supports the sanctity of human life and the protecting of unborn children is that in order to pass laws, we've got to have the public supporting those laws," she explains.

The poll, she adds, may reflect that Americans are seeing the reality that Washington is dominated by pro-abortion forces.

"Our politicians and our law enforcement should be taking a serious look at this-- and especially now that Congress is dealing with healthcare reform," Wright urges. "And this poll should encourage politicians to ensure that any healthcare package does not end up using government money to pay for abortions."

Polls are one thing, says Wright -- but the opinions that really register, she points out, are the ones delivered by constituents to their elected representatives.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow
Publish Date: October 5, 2009
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FDA Hold on Embryonic Stem Cell Experiments

Speaking of clinical trials, in case you missed it the FDA has put another hold on Geron's proposed experiments to put embryonic stem cells into human spinal cord injury patients. Geron's human experiment was approved back in January 2009, and they were supposed to start experiments with patients in July.

As an aside, one excuse offered by Geron as to why the trial had not yet started was car airbags… apparently the airbags in accidents are keeping patients from getting severe spinal cord damage to qualify for the trial.

Many have expressed concern about the risky nature of Geron's experiments with patients, including some embryonic stem cell researchers. Evan Snyder, a leader in the stem cell field, has noted that "A clinical trial is nothing more than an experiment on a human," he says. "Most experiments fail." And James Wilson, gene therapy researcher, warns stem cell scientists not to repeat the mistakes of his own field, including rushing into unsafe clinical trials.

The FDA hold is likely due to further safety concerns with embryonic stem cells. That would seem to be the only grounds for a hold based on federal regulations under CFR sec. 312.42. Geron claims that no teratomas have been observed in animal studies, though they do admit "In some animals, human non-neural differentiated cell types were observed in the injury site". After the current FDA hold was iissued, Geron put out a statement explaining that cysts developed at the injury sites of treated animals, and they are working with FDA to answer any questions. They claim no teratomas have been seen, and hopefully nothing like this.

Still, there is cause for concern. Dr. Steven Goldman says

"It's not ready for prime time, at least not in my mind, until we can be assured that the transplanted stem cells have completely lost the capacity for tumorigenicity."

But with the political pressure in favor of embryonic stem cell research, the hold will likely be release and the experiments on patients move ahead. And Geron will likely claim success (to get another stock bump.) Despite the fact that adult stem cells have already shown documented evidence not only of their safety, but of their efficacy at treating spinal cord injury.

Evidence of adult stem cell success for spinal cord injury patients has already been published by groups in Portugal, Australia, and Ecuador. Adult stem cells–real hope and help now.

Contact: David Prentice
Source: FRC Blog
Publish Date: October 5, 2009
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NIH Director Ignorant On Stem Cells?

NIH Director Ignorant On Stem Cells?

Does the Director of the National Institutes of Health not know the difference between embryonic and adult stem cells? Or is he just biased?

In an interview with the New England Journal of Medicine, Francis Collins talks about the number of "stem cell" clinical trials:

Steinbrook: What will the results of stem-cell research mean for human health?

Collins: My crystal ball is just as cloudy as everyone else's. However, the developments in understanding stem cells and how they could potentially be brought to bear for a whole host of medical problems are some of the more exciting things that have happened in the last decade. In terms of therapeutics, we are just so early on. The one clinical trial approved by the Food and Drug Administration – for spinal cord injury – is currently on hold.

What?!? The "one clinical trial" Collins refers to is the one embryonic stem cell experiment with patients that is out there. And it is indeed on hold.

But there are at least 2,000 clinical trials for Adult Stem Cells (this search term doesn't capture them all).

By the way, there are quite a few done on the NIH campus itself.
Remember, it's the National Institutes of Health…

Contact: David Prentice
Source: FRC Blog
Publish Date: October 5, 2009
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Pro-Life Activists Display 140 Foot Image of the Number 71 on the Lawn of the United States Capitol

The display was shown on Friday, October 2

The number 71 represents the percentage of Americans who oppose taxpayer funded abortions according to a nationwide Zogby poll.

This display is part of national campaign organized by the Christian Defense Coalition called "Abortion is Not Health Care."

This initiative has included prayer vigils, rallies, demonstrations and lobbying in Washington, D.C. and across the nation over the past several months.

The Christian Defense Coalition and Generation Life have joined Operation Rescue in a online
campaign called "I am 71." For more information go to Iam71.org.

The large display of the number 71 is to encourage members of Congress to listen to the wisdom of the American people and ensure that not penny of public money will be used to pay for or subsidize abortions.

Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, states,

"Americans overwhelmingly do not want their tax dollars to be spent on abortions. They know that health care reform should be about healing and mercy not the crushing of human rights through abortion.

"This 140 foot image of the number 71 on the lawn of the United States Capitol is a powerful reminder to the members of Congress that they should listen to the wisdom and heart of the American people and recognize that supporting abortion through tax dollars is a betrayal of social justice and human rights.

"We encourage all people of good will who support the dignity of human life to get involved with the the online campaign Iam71.org and let their voices be loudly heard in this national debate on health care reform.

"To all members of Congress we ask you to step into the present in which America is embracing a culture of life and pledge that not penny of taxpayer money will be used for abortions."

Contact: Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney
Source: Iam71
Publish Date: October 3, 2009
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