Breakthrough Technique Directly Converts Adult Cells

    

Several revolutionary techniques detailed in the journal Nature show people demanding the use of embryos for scientific research are more outdated than ever.

While this new research that involves reprogramming adult cells is promising, the research is not problem-free: Reprogrammed adult cells may have the propensity to form tumors, just like embryonic stem cells.

But over the last three months, seven studies have been published in scientific journals showing how skin cells can be directly converted into other types. Three published by Nature in mid-August detail the process by which scientists used them to create new nerve cells and neurons — including the kind lost to Parkinson's disease.

A fourth study, done by a Swedish research team and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in June, noted that not only does direct conversion eliminate the ethical problems of using embryonic stem cells, but also their tendency to form tumors.

"The ongoing research involving progress with reprogrammed adult cells," said Dawn McBane, bioethics analyst for CitizenLink, "continues to demonstrate that unethical and impractical embryonic stem cell research should be a thing of the past."

Contact: Karla Dial
Source: CitizenLink

Adult stem cells used to treat presidential hopeful

    

Texas Governor Rick Perry supports research involving adult stem cells -- and he's demonstrated personally just how strong his support is.

Governor Perry had a spinal fusion and decompression procedure at the beginning of July -- a procedure that reportedly delayed his recent announcement to run for the GOP presidential nomination. But Dr. David Prentice of the Family Research Council says in Perry's case, there was a different twist. (See earlier article)
 
"Along with that surgery it turns out he had an injection of some of his own adult stem cells into the spinal area to assist the healing," the doctor says.
 
David Prentice (FRC)While the procedure is experimental, Prentice says there is solid evidence it will be helpful. In fact, a member of the Texas legislature is undergoing adult stem-cell treatment for multiple sclerosis.
 
Prentice points out the treatments are being used for up to 80 different diseases and injuries. "For things like these sorts of back injuries, for multiple sclerosis, for heart damage, spinal cord injury, juvenile diabetes and the list just keeps going on and on," he says.
 
Adult stem cells were recently used to construct a whole new windpipe to save the life of a cancer patient. They also are being used to treat stroke injury.
 
Prentice adds that while adult stem cells are working, "We get a lot of promises about the hope and potential of embryonic stem cells, but those are simply unsuccessful."

contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow

Conditions at Rockford Abortion Clinic Disgusting

    

State authorities have inspected an abortion clinic in Rockford, Illinois, that had not been checked for 14 years -- and the results were disturbing.

Last June, three investigators spent two days in the clinic. Local pro-life activist Kevin Rilott says what they found "should have had them shut down long ago."
 
"Their autoclave machine, which is the machine that sanitizes their medical instruments, failed two of four inspections. They also found that this clinic is, by state law, supposed to have a registered nurse on staff -- and for over three years they have not had a registered nurse there," the pro-lifer says.
 
Kevin Rilott 2In addition, inspectors found an unidentified brown substance on surgical gloves and on surgical instruments that were inserted in women. Rilott says conditions were not only disgusting, but dangerous.
 
Local media outlets have reported little about the findings -- but the activist says pro-life prayer warriors will make sure women seeking an abortion know.
 
"We're going to print up a little brochure and give it to the women who will stop on their way into the clinic and let them know what they're in for in this place. And [we'll] continue to work with the state of Illinois to make sure that they follow through on their findings," comments Rilott.
 
The report also stated that all three of the clinic's operating rooms inspected failed to insure a sanitary environment.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow

Survey: Pro-life views on the upswing in U.S.

A Gallup poll shows mixed results on public attitudes towards pro-life issues, but the results are for the most part positive.

The poll suggests overwhelming support of pro-life issues, such as a woman being informed of the risks of abortions, parental consent laws, a legally required waiting period before obtaining an abortion, and a ban on partial-birth abortions.

In its "bottom line" wrap-up about the poll, Gallup states: "Most Americans favor laws that require abortion providers to inform women of certain risks and consequences of abortion and give parents more control over their daughters' reproductive decisions. They are also broadly receptive to laws that protect the fetus late in pregnancy, including 'partial birth abortions.'"

Penny Nance, who heads Concerned Women for America, concurs with those findings. “Public opinion is trending more and more pro-life. We now know that the majority of Americans consider themselves pro-life -- and this survey is just further confirmation on the specifics of the issue [and] how far people have come in support of us on this issue.”

Nance, however, notes some areas of weakness are revealed in the survey. “It may be how the question was asked, but the survey did show some weakness on the area of conscience protections,” the CWA representative says. “I believe if we did a better job of explaining individual conscience rights of pharmacists and doctors that the public really is with us.”

She adds there were also weaknesses shown in the Gallup poll in terms of support for showing a woman seeking an abortion a sonogram of her baby, and laws preventing abortion facilities from receiving federal funds.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow

Defunding Planned Parenthood is Constitutional

Thomas More Society Files "Friend of the Court" Brief for Indiana Legislators



This week, the Thomas More Society filed a "friend of the court" brief available here in the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on behalf of more than 60 members of the Indiana General Assembly, in opposition to Planned Parenthood's assertion that defunding abortion providers imposes an "unconstitutional condition" on physicians' alleged right to perform abortions.

The brief states that "abortion providers have no constitutionally recognized Fourteenth Amendment right to perform abortions" and that funding restrictions would not "interfere with the ability of pregnant women to obtain abortions. Accordingly, because the constitutional rights of women seeking abortions have not been violated, neither has the asserted right of their providers."

In the trial court, the Thomas More Society scored a partial victory when U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt denied Planned Parenthood's request to block a provision of an Indiana law that requires doctors to tell women who are seeking abortions that "human physical life begins when a human ovum is fertilized by a human sperm" (previous media release here).

Society attorneys had also filed a "friend of the court" brief available here in the trial court on behalf of the Indiana legislators, defending both this provision and the provision of the law defunding Planned Parenthood.

"We're proud to represent the members of the Indiana General Assembly in doing the will of the people, both in preventing tax dollars from being used to support abortion providers and in ensuring that women considering abortion are fully informed about the nature of the procedure," said Peter Breen, executive director and legal counsel of Chicago's Thomas More Society.

Contact: Tom Ciesielka
Source: Thomas More Society

Sex-Selective Abortion: China's 'Vow' to Crack Down an Empty Promise?

AP reported that "China vows [a] crackdown on sex-selective abortions" to close the gender gap. Don't hold your breath.

A BBC News article, "China acts to protect baby girls," reported the same vow in 2004. Zhao Baige, then Deputy Director (now Vice Minister) of China's National Population and Family Planning Commission, vowed seven years ago: "Illegal sex determination and sex-selective abortion must be strictly banned . . . China has set the goal of lowering the sex ratio to a normal level by 2010."

The result? In 2004, there were 117 boys born for every 100 girls born. In 2011 -- a year after China had vowed to bring sex ratios to a normal level -- there are now 119 boys born for every 100 girls born. The gender gap has not closed, but widened.

Same government. Same vow. Should we expect a different result?

We remember Zhao from the 2009 Copenhagen climate summit. Leading the charge to define human beings as walking carbon footprints, she stated:

"The [Chinese One Child] policy on family planning proves to be a great success. It not only contributes to reduction of global emission, but also provides experiences for other countries -- developing countries in particular -- in their pursuit for a coordinated and sustainable development. The 400 million births prevented as a result of China's policy since it was introduced in the 1970s, and the drop in the child-per-couple average from 5.8 to 1.8, resulted in 1.8 billion fewer tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) being emitted each year."

Zhao's statement inspired a spate of articles extolling Chinese-style population control to combat global warming. CNN's Ted Turner injected new energy into this movement during the 2010 climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico, when he stated that the whole world should adopt the One Child Policy.

Make no mistake. China's One Child Policy is enforced through forced abortion, forced sterilization and infanticide. Women are dragged out of their homes, strapped to tables, and forced to abort babies they want, up to the ninth month of pregnancy. Women sometimes die during these violent procedures. The One Child Policy is China's war on women. Adopting it world wide would hurl women's rights back to the dark ages.

Watch a four-minute video exposing the truth about forced abortion in China:
http://www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/blog/?p=219

Sign a petition against forced abortion in China:
http://www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/index.php?nav=sign_our_petition

Contact: Reggie Littlejohn
Source: Women's Rights Without Frontiers

Planned Parenthood: Former Exec Says U.S. Should Adopt China's One Child Policy

In a new letter to the editor of the Napa Valley Register, Norman Fleishman wrote that, unless the U.S. enacts the Obama administration's health care plan and China's One Child Policy, "the world is doomed to strangle among the coils of pitiless exponential growth."

It is inexcusable that someone in Fleishman's position should make such an appalling recommendation. As a former Planned Parenthood Executive Vice President, he is obligated to get his facts straight.

China's One Child Policy causes more violence to women and girls than any other official policy on earth. It is China's war on women. It is enforced through forced abortion, forced sterilization and infanticide. It has led to gendercide, the sex-selective abortion of baby girls. Planned Parenthood should agree: whether you're pro-choice or pro-life, no one supports forced abortion, because it's not a choice. To watch a four minute video exposing the truth about forced abortion in China, click here.

In China, a woman's body is not her own. It is the domain of the state. The Chinese Communist Party functions as "womb police," wielding the very power of life and death over women's wombs. This is a terrible violation of both women's rights and human rights. After 30 years of such a legacy, one thing is clear: it is time for the international community to rise up for the women and girls of China. To sign a petition against forced abortion in China, click here.

Fleishman's recommendation that the United States adopt the One Child Policy brings into sharp focus the following issue, which Planned Parenthood must publicly resolve, since it is publicly funded. Does Planned Parenthood truly stand for "choice," or does it stand for population control, even if that means forced abortion? If Planned Parenthood stands for "choice," then why are they working hand in hand with the Chinese Communist Party's coercive population control machine? The IPPF website openly declares, "The China Family Planning Association (CFPA) plays a very important role in China's family planning program. It supports the present family planning policy of the government, which is appropriate for the present national situation . . ." www.ippf.org/en/Where/cn.htm.

If Planned Parent really stands for "choice," they should oppose forced abortion in China, not seek to expand it to America. Women's Rights Without Frontiers calls upon Planned Parenthood immediately to repudiate Fleishman's remark -- if they indeed disagree with it.

Contact: Reggie Littlejohn
Source: Women's Rights Without Frontiers

New Website to Protect Life at the End of Life

People who are dying are often vulnerable and need protection. Assisted suicide exploits the fear, loss of control and vulnerability that can accompany the dying process, and this is especially true among the elderly. Pro-life advocates are increasingly concerned about the risk for “elder abuse” in connection with assisted suicide. Others at risk include those with serious health conditions, the disabled and depressed.

A new web site launched this week provides information on the risk of assisted suicide to these and other groups, as well as help in assessing the threat of legalizing assisted suicide in various states. The web site entitled, Choice is an Illusion, was created by two folks with deep knowledge and experience in this area: Alex Schadenberg and Margaret Dore, along with William Reichel, MD.

Pro-assisted suicide advocates continue their crusade to legalize and sanitize assisted suicide in a number of states – and may be targeting your state in their search for a perfect test case in the courts. As these efforts continue to develop, this web site will be a helpful tool to bookmark and review as you seek to promote a pro-life ethic for end-of-life decisions.

The new website is http://www.choiceillusion.org/

Contact: Carrie Gordon Earll
Source: CitizenLink

Congressmen Defend State’s Right to Defund Planned Parenthood

A law prohibiting Indiana from distributing Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood has some powerful advocates on its side — namely, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), 25,000 Americans and 41 U.S. Representatives — most of whom are from states also trying to defund Planned Parenthood.

Signed in May by Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, the law was immediately put on hold when Planned Parenthood and the ACLU challenged it in federal court, which later granted a motion for preliminary injunction. The case was then appealed to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) filed on behalf of the congressmen — including all Indiana House Republicans — a “friend of the court” brief on Aug. 8, defending the state’s right to distribute federal funds as it sees fit.

“HEA 1210 (Indiana’s state law) is not rendered unreasonable or inconsistent with federal Medicaid law simply because it bolsters Indiana’s strong interests in encouraging childbirth and ensuring that abortions are not directly or indirectly subsidized by public funds,” the brief states. “Indiana may reasonably conclude that sending large sums of public funds to abortion providers that also provide non-abortion services within the same organization serves to indirectly subsidize abortion activities.”

Planned Parenthood — which receives more than $350 million a year from taxpayers via “government grants and contracts” challenged the law by saying it has a “constitutional right” to perform abortions and receive public funds.

CitizenLink Judicial Analyst Bruce Hausknecht said federal law clearly “gives the states wide latitude in determining who qualifies as a Medicaid provider, and that’s what Indiana is taking advantage of.”

This year, six states moved to defund Planned Parenthood: Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. Planned Parenthood is suing Indiana, Kansas and North Carolina in federal court.

“The state efforts to defund Planned Parenthood are the latest installment of the state versus federal health care battle, and one that will continue in the future,” said Carrie Gordon Earll, senior director of issue analysis for CitizenLink. “If (they) are successful in securing their rights in federal court, you will see even more states try to defund Planned Parenthood next year.”

Contact: Karla Dial
Source: CitizenLink

Pharmacists' conscience obsolete in new bill

     

A pro-life pharmacist says a bill introduced in both houses of Congress that would force pharmacists to dispense controversial medication, regardless of their conscience, would impact those who object to birth control and emergency contraception.

Pharmacists for Life International (PFLI) opposes the bill introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey) and Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-New York). Spokesman and pharmacist Bo Kuhar believes pharmacists' constitutional rights would be violated.

"The Supreme Court has many times ruled both at the state and the federal level a person does not have to park their sincerely held beliefs ... their faith and their morals at the door when they come to work or go to school, or whatever it is that they're doing in their everyday life," Kuhar says.

But the proposed bill would require that. He says making the decision is not just based on the patient's and doctor's views and religious beliefs.

"Pharmacists are very intimately involved with patients on a ... day-to-day basis, and they are definitely one of the factors and part of the healthcare team, and not just a robot dispensing drugs blindly and not making judgments and decisions," the PFLI spokesman contends.

So Kuhar is encouraging people to contact their elected representatives to bring the legislation to a halt, making sure that pharmacists, like others, can continue to make decisions based on sincerely held religious and ethical beliefs.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow

Defunding Planned Parenthood is Constitutional

Thomas More Society Files "Friend of the Court" Brief for Indiana Legislators

    

This week, the Thomas More Society filed a "friend of the court" brief available here in the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on behalf of more than 60 members of the Indiana General Assembly, in opposition to Planned Parenthood's assertion that defunding abortion providers imposes an "unconstitutional condition" on physicians' alleged right to perform abortions.

The brief states that "abortion providers have no constitutionally recognized Fourteenth Amendment right to perform abortions" and that funding restrictions would not "interfere with the ability of pregnant women to obtain abortions. Accordingly, because the constitutional rights of women seeking abortions have not been violated, neither has the asserted right of their providers."

In the trial court, the Thomas More Society scored a partial victory when U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt denied Planned Parenthood's request to block a provision of an Indiana law that requires doctors to tell women who are seeking abortions that "human physical life begins when a human ovum is fertilized by a human sperm" (previous media release here).

Society attorneys had also filed a "friend of the court" brief available here in the trial court on behalf of the Indiana legislators, defending both this provision and the provision of the law defunding Planned Parenthood.

"We're proud to represent the members of the Indiana General Assembly in doing the will of the people, both in preventing tax dollars from being used to support abortion providers and in ensuring that women considering abortion are fully informed about the nature of the procedure," said Peter Breen, executive director and legal counsel of Chicago's Thomas More Society.

Contact: Tom Ciesielka
Source: Thomas More Society

Missouri -- a nat'l model for pro-life legislation?

     

Missouri's ban on late-term abortions has gone into effect despite the views of the state's governor. Governor Jay Nixon, who supports abortion, did not veto the measure but let it instead go into law without his signature.
 
Pam Fichter of Missouri Right to Life applauds her state legislators. "We have a very solid, bipartisan pro-life majority in both houses in the Missouri legislature," she explains, "and they were all on board on this vote -- and we have a very comfortable number that we would be able to override any veto...."
 
The pro-life activist has no doubt where Nixon stands on the issue. "...We don't have any delusion that the governor's changed his position," she shares. "He's still pro-abortion, but he was dealing with the political reality that he was just outnumbered."
 
Fichter believes the Missouri legislation would be a good model for other states to consider.
 
"We've seen tremendous successes across the country on protecting human life at a time when we have the most anti-life administration in the history of our country," says the activist. "We're seeing the states become even more motivated and more energized to enact pro-life legislation."
 
The bill limits late-term abortions with exceptions for the life or significant health danger to the mother.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow

Abortion drugs among ObamaCare's free contraceptives

     

The Obama administration says health insurance plans under the government-organized system must cover birth control as "preventive care" for women, with no copays, beginning in 2013.
 
The rules issued Monday by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius include a provision that would allow religious institutions to opt out of offering birth-control coverage. But critics say the conscience exemption will not cover faith-based groups engaged in activities other than worship.
 
Paul Rondeau of the American Life League says it is no surprise that the administration would impose this requirement. "This recommendation by an organization -- which, in fact, is already on record as supporting abortion and considering it 'women's healthcare' -- this was a foregone conclusion back when ObamaCare assigned it to the Institute of Medicine to make recommendations at a later date," he states.
 
With no copay, insurance companies are expected to pass the cost on to their customers through slightly higher premiums -- meaning individuals who object will be forced to cover the cost of birth control for others.
 
Coverage with no copays for the "morning-after" pill is likely to become the most controversial part of the change, because some religious conservatives say Plan B and ellaOne are abortion drugs. Rondeau points out there are no conscience protections for medical professionals.
 
"All pro-life medical health professionals working at an organization which does not qualify or does not apply for a religious exception ... are put at risk and are going to be forced into a situation of having to prescribe birth control and perhaps even commit morning-after abortions because they're not covered under this act," he laments.
 
Under the plan, counseling to prevent sexually transmitted diseases will be free. Historically that has meant prescribing contraception rather than teaching abstinence -- the only true method of preventing STDs.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow 

Abortion drug as dangerous to mother as to baby

     

The abortion drug RU-486 has killed and injured far more women and girls than previously thought, according to a government report that only recently surfaced.
 
Penny Nance of Concerned Women for America says her organization "is deeply disturbed that the [Food and Drug Administration] is now reporting in a very quiet, underhanded way that this drug is very dangerous. The new report shows that about 2,200 have been injured by this drug and 14 women have died."
 
Concerned Women for America has said from the beginning that the drug is designed to at least kill one life, that of the baby. She says now it is known that it also kills women.
 
She has issued a call to action to contact the FDA and also members of Congress to let them know that they need to put pressure on the FDA to reconsider their decision to allow RU-486 to be sold in the U.S.
 
RU-486 is known to cause sepsis, which is potentially lethal, but also significant blood loss requiring hospitalization and a transfusion.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow

Educating NAACP on abortion

     

The Life Education and Resource Network (LEARN), a pro-life African-American group, is trying to get the NAACP's attention concerning abortion.
 
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will not address the fact that 36 percent of abortions in the U.S. kill black babies. So, LEARN volunteers have been following the organization around the country and distributing copies of Life Dynamics' MAAFA 21, a documentary that demonstrates Planned Parenthood's connection with the eugenics movement to reduce or eliminate minority populations.

"The difficulties we had [were] with security," reports LEARN spokesman Clenard Childress. "Most people were anxious to be able to view the video, and, of course, you had a few that were very supportive and protective of the NAACP status quo."

The pro-life group managed to pass out 3,000 copies of the DVD to members of the convention.

"To think that this is in the hands of 3,000 participants of the NAACP is exciting to me, and I'm praying that those seeds that we have sown would manifest and be fruitful soon," Childress notes. "I'm looking for a new wave of social activists and advocates for the unborn through that particular project."

In his opening address, NAACP pPresident Benjamin Jealous stated, "The NAACP's task in the 21st Century is to turn racial equality into racial justice." However, the organization refuses to address the fact that abortion has killed at least 20 million black babies to date.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow

August 4th was a victory day for us in Springfield!

     

HB2093 was signed into law by Governor Quinn and is now Public Act 97-0254.  This Act extends the list of persons required to report child abuse or neglect to include any physician, physician's assistant, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, medical technician, certified nursing assistant, social worker, or licensed professional counselor of any office, clinic or physical location that provides abortions, abortion referrals or contraceptives.

This act was in response to the video exposure of Virginia Planned Parenthood's failure to report abused minors who had been subjected to sexual trafficking and exploitation. Now in Illinois, Planned Parenthood will be a mandated reporter of all such information.

Thank you for your help in getting this passed.  In the next session we are hoping to advance an Ultra Sound Bill, so we will again need your assistance in getting the bill passed.

Source: Illinois Federation for Right to Life

August 4th was a victory day for us in Springfield!

     

HB2093 was signed into law by Governor Quinn and is now Public Act 97-0254.  This Act extends the list of persons required to report child abuse or neglect to include any physician, physician's assistant, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, medical technician, certified nursing assistant, social worker, or licensed professional counselor of any office, clinic or physical location that provides abortions, abortion referrals or contraceptives.

This act was in response to the video exposure of Virginia Planned Parenthood's failure to report abused minors who had been subjected to sexual trafficking and exploitation. Now in Illinois, Planned Parenthood will be a mandated reporter of all such information.

Thank you for your help in getting this passed.  In the next session we are hoping to advance an Ultra Sound Bill, so we will again need your assistance in getting the bill passed.

Source: Illinois Federation for Right to Life

NRLC compares announced candidates for President

     

Most people understandably don't tune in to politics until relatively close to the election. But with the presidential stakes as high as they are in 2012, more Americans are taking an earlier-and more intense-look than usual.

We know that President Barack Obama is joined at the hip to the Abortion Establishment, wedded to promoting abortion in every way he can, including most specifically ObamaCare. But what of the Republican candidates?

The comparison piece "Where do the candidates stand on life" is 2012 Comparison piece now available from National Right to Life.  There are 9 candidates listed, all the announced candidates for the office of President of the United States who have scored a minimum of 3% in a national poll.

In addition to President Obama, the candidates include Congresswoman Michele Bachmann; Businessman Herman Cain; former Speaker Newt Gingrich; former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman; Congressman Ron Paul; former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty; former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and former United States Senator Rick Santorum.

The comparison-based on public statements, statements from the campaigns, and/or statements appearing on websites-addresses the positions of the nine candidates on four issues: Taxpayer funding for abortion; Roe v. Wade/abortion; Funding for Abortion Providers; and ObamaCare.

If/when more candidates announce, their positions will be added.

Be sure to click here and see where the candidates stand.

Jury awards $36 million to abortion survivor in judgment against late-term abortionist

     

An Orlando, Florida, jury handed down a whopping $36,766,000 civil judgment against notorious late-term abortionist James Pendergraft (pictured below left).

There is nothing on this in the news yet. I'm going by information provided by pro-lifers who have been in the courtroom all week.

Pendergraft is a convicted felon who pro-lifers will also remember was the owner of the clinic where Baby Rowan was aborted alive and allowed to die in 2005.

The case that went to trial this week against Pendergraft resulting in that behemoth judgment was by a mother named Carol Howard, who went to Pendergraft's Orlando Women's Center on November 11, 2001, to abort her 22.3 week old baby girl, who survived.

Sidewalk counselor Patte Smith communicated with Howard in 2004 and gained access to information and court documents until Howard's attorney cut off communication. But this is how we know the backstory to today's jury decision.

Howard was single and pregnant for the 3rd time. She had one living child and had aborted the other.

The method of abortion at this stage was induction of labor and delivery. "If all went according to plan Carol Howard's infant would be stillborn," Patte wrote. "Carol paid $1300 cash to have her infant murdered. All did not go according to plan.

"According to her medication flow sheet," Patte continued, "200mg of Cytotec were administered to Carol Howard every hour beginning at 1:30pm through midnight. At 1:30am clinic worker Tanya Severance noted in her chart: '1am Patient was very upset about us not being able to give her pain meds. She left without signing release. Would not talk with us before leaving in a fit of temper…. She also thought this was taking way to[o] long.'"

In labor, Howard left the Orlando Women's Center and went to Arnold Palmer Hospital.

In the early morning hours of November 16, Howard delivered her baby daughter alive. The tiny girl weighed 1 pound, 6 ounces. The child, "JH" in court documents, was resuscitated and survived.

On May 25, 2004 Howard filed a civil lawsuit against abortionist Randall Whitney, Pendergraft, and Orlando Women's Center (Case 04CA-1202 Orange County, Florida), to provide funding for lifetime care of "JH," who was severely harmed as a result of the abortion and premature delivery.  According to court documents, the now nearly 10-yr-old girl lives with:

cerebral palsy
loss of function of left side of body
strokes/brain damage
physical, emotional & cognitive delays
lung damage & chronic lung disease &
seizure disorder

A jury awarded Howard $18,255,000 in damages against Pendergraft, with court costs against him at $462,000.

However, the judge in the called the jury back this morning, and after hearing expert testimony they awarded Howard $36,766,000.

I have no documentation on any of this yet but am working on it. However, pro-lifers have been present in the courtroom all week and taking notes, and Patte is a scrupulous record-keeper.

The press has been utterly silent on this trial all week.

Source: JillStanek.com

House Committee Votes to End Funding for International Abortion Groups

     

It's the pro-life policy that presidents have batted about since President Reagan first announced it in Mexico City in 1984.

Now, the House Foreign Affairs Committee has voted 25-17 in favor of the policy that would keep taxpayer dollars from going to international groups that promote or provide abortions. It was added to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act.

First put in place by Reagan with an executive order, the Mexico City Policy was dropped by President Clinton, reinstated by President George W. Bush, then excised again by President Obama. The effort in the House aims to take it away from presidents and make it law – although it has almost no chance of passing in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

Douglas Johnson, legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee, said the State Department has been determined in its pro-abortion efforts.

"They're doing this at the United Nations, they're doing it through foreign aid programs, and through Secretary of State Clinton," he said. "So, this is a huge issue."

Source: CitizenLink

Federal Lawsuit Dismissed, Taxes to Fund Human Embryonic Stem-Cell Research

 
    

Chief Judge Royce C. Lamberth for the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., shocked life advocates today when he dismissed an ongoing case challenging federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research.

In a 38-page decision, Lamberth said that he was bound by the U.S. Court of Appeals decision to that overturned his earlier order, which found that using taxpayer funds for the destruction of human embryos likely violated a federal law, known as the Dickey-Wicker amendment.

"While it may be true that by following the Court of Appeals' conclusion as to the ambiguity of 'research,' this Court has become a grudging partner in a bout of 'linguistic jujitsu…,' " Lamberth opined. "Therefore, the D.C. Circuit's conclusion that the term 'research' in the Dickey-Wicker Amendment is ambiguous binds this Court."

The lawsuit sought to remove taxpayers from having to fund research that involved the destruction of embryos. Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund, Advocates International and Gibson, Dunn & Grutcher, LLP represented James L. Sherley and Theresa Deisher, the two adult stem-cell scientists in the case.

"It has raised awareness among the general public about the truths of stem-cell research and the fact that adult stem cells are the preferable stem cells," Deisher said. "Those moneys should be spent in ways that will benefit patients and taxpayers rather than embryonic stem-cell scientists."

Contact: Catherine Snow
Source: CitizenLink

HHS considering contraception for all

The federal government is considering a recommendation that would require health insurance companies to fully cover birth control for women.

The Department of Health and Human Services is reviewing the Institute of Medicine's report that recommends eight preventive services for women, one of which is free contraception. (See earlier story) Janice Crouse of Concerned Women for America (CWA) tells OneNewsNow the government should not force this stipulation on insurance companies because pregnancy is a healthy condition.

"You use medicine to prevent disease -- not to end a pregnancy or to prevent a pregnancy," she points out. "They are encroaching on our conscience rights as individuals, and I think it's very reprehensible. If people want to buy birth-control pills, that's their choice to do that; but they should not ask the rest of us to fund that for them."

Crouse further believes this is another example of how today's culture devalues life.

"It's another way of saying we have to do something to keep women from having babies; we have to do something for the government to have control over even the most private areas of our lives," she contends.

And the CWA senior fellow points out the irony in the fact that "all of those people who yell and scream about government staying out of people's bedrooms are the very ones who are saying, 'Oh, we've got to provide everybody with birth-control pills.'"

Crouse is also concerned that controversial, dangerous, and abortion-causing contraceptives are part of this provision.

Contact: Bill Bumpas
Source: OneNewsNow

A secret weapon against abortion

     

There's something new in the battle over abortion. However, in one sense, it's not new at all.
 
It's a secret weapon -- although it's not that secret.
 
It's organized prayer and fasting against abortion.
 
"Oh, is that all?" "What's new about that?"
 
There's a relatively new outreach that has been organizing peaceful prayer vigils (but I repeat myself) -- around the clock -- in front of abortion clinics. It's called "40 Days for Life." They organize a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week commitment to prayer for 40 days in a row in select cities. (In rough urban areas, where it might be dangerous for a couple of praying people to be out all night, they change the 24-hours to 12-hours.)
 
David Bereit is the national director of 40 Days for Life. He notes, "We've had now eight nationally coordinated campaigns that each of those is made up of local campaigns. There have been 1,382 local campaigns that have taken place in 387 cities, and that's been in all 50 American states, as well as Canada, Australia, England, Ireland, northern Ireland, Spain, Denmark, the country of Georgia, Armenia and Belize."
 
Based in Fredericksburg, Virginia, this organization has seen incredible results since they began in 2004.
 
They claim that, so far, at least 4,313 would-be aborted babies (that they know of) have been saved from the procedure. That's 4,313 babies, presumably bringing joy to their mothers right now.
 
They claim that 53 clinic workers have had a change of heart because of the vigils and have left the abortion field as a result.
 
The most famous of these is Abby Johnson, former director of the Planned Parenthood clinic of Bryan, Texas. When she saw a sonogram of an abortion, she walked away from the business. She had no idea where to go or what to do. But she saw the pro-life people silently praying in front of the clinic she directed and sought them out. She has since written a book about her whole change of heart -- unPLANNED.
 
40 Days for Life also claims that, thanks to their efforts, 14 abortion clinics have shut down. Again, this is all because of peaceful prayer vigils, around the clock for 40 days in a row in select cities.
 
It may be just a coincidence that these clinics closed their doors during or after the 40-day long prayer meetings. On the other hand, someone once described a coincidence as a miracle where God chooses to remain anonymous.
 
Bereit noted that the time is ripe for change in America's view of abortion. "So we're seeing the abortion industry on a rapid decline right now, and if ever there were a time for people of faith and conscience to take action to do something to speak up for those that cannot speak for themselves, I really believe that time is right now."
 
There indeed may be a shift in Americans' views in this area. For example, a recent Gallup poll conducted in May 2011 found that 51 percent of Americans believe abortion is "morally wrong," while 39 percent view it as "morally acceptable."
 
When it comes to opposition to publically funded abortion, then the percentage goes ups even higher. There are many Americans who identify themselves as pro-choice, but oppose their tax-dollars' paying for it. They think, "If you want to have an abortion, that's your business -- but don't make me pay for it."
 
There are now more pro-life pregnancy centers providing free services for women with unwanted pregnancies than there are clinics where they do abortions. Bereit says, "In most communities in America there are now Christian pregnancy help centers, and there are 2,300 of these now; whereas, the abortion industry is down to 672." Of course, there are far more abortions that take place in those 672 clinics than babies that are saved in the 2,300 centers.
 
When you look in the yellow pages under abortion, it's often a mix between pregnancy centers (offering pro-life alternatives to abortion) and abortion clinics. How do you tell the difference between the two? My friend Janet Folger Porter says that's easy. Just look for the credit card logos. The abortion clinics have them; the pregnancy centers don't. One is a business; the other is charity, all funded by volunteer donations.
 
Abortion is often just about money. And lots of it. But it has been, is now, and always will be blood money.
 
Thankfully, groups like 40 Days for Life may well be helping to change the landscape in America when it comes to abortion, one prayer at a time.

Contact: Dr. Jerry Newcombe
Source: OneNewsNow

Compassion said to be key in helping those who have had abortions

     

Compassion and understanding go a long way when it comes to helping people who have had abortions.

David C. Reardon, known as an expert in the after-effects of abortion, told more than 150 people at Holy Angels Parish center in Meriden Conn. that advocates for life must reach out with love to women and men who are suffering after an abortion.

Dr. Reardon was the keynote speaker at the seventh annual St. Gerard's Center for Life Mothers' Banquet. He is the director of the Elliot Institute, based in Springfield, Ill., which describes its mission as postabortion research, education and advocacy.

Dr. Reardon, who has a doctorate in biomedical ethics from Pacific Western University, has written books and articles about the mental health effects associated with abortion.

He said that in one survey, 78 percent of women say they "would rather have their baby if they had loved ones who were supportive." He cited another survey saying that 68 percent of women are pushed toward abortion by other people. He called the pressure "social abortion."

After having an abortion, he said, women hear such comments as "that life didn't matter; your grief isn't real," he said, which makes them experience what he called "forbidden grief." For such a woman, he added, advocates for life should "wear compassion on our sleeve [and] not throw stones at her for having had an abortion."

After having an abortion, women who want to begin to heal feel trapped, he said, and afraid of condemnation.

Men also can suffer negative effects, he said, which can manifest themselves as self-destructive behavior, failed relationships, addictions to cover past pain, depression and suicide.

"We want to give them a hug and cry with them," he said. "We need to recognize that shame is a dangerous weapon. It closes doors on people who need help. Messages of hope counteract messages of despair."

Advocates for life should deal with the minds, hearts and hope of men and women dealing with the pain of abortion, he said.

Dr. Theresa Krankowski, director of St. Gerard's Center for Life in Hartford, introduced a few of the mothers whose babies were saved through the intervention of the people at St. Gerard's.

Dr. Krankowski said that the work at St. Gerard's now is aided by a new ultrasound machine, which is operated by volunteer nurses. The machine was acquired through funds from the Knights of Columbus.

She said that St. Gerard's has served 3,000 mothers and their children in the seven years of the center's existence. In addition, she said, "400 babies were saved who otherwise would've died from abortion."

She outlined other programs as well. Dr. Krankowski noted, "We're committed to the truth. We have 116 women in our chastity program. Every week, those girls are there for the message [that] your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit." St. Gerard's also provides post-abortion healing and baptism preparation programs, she said.

"We are committed to helping mothers with all they need," said Dr. Krankowski. "This is the message of true love."

Printed with permission by CNA from the Catholic Transcript, newspaper for the Archdiocese of Hartford, Conn.

Source: CNA

Report: American taxpayers provide one-third of Planned Parenthood's annual budget

     

A new in-depth report on Planned Parenthood by a pro-life group shows that American taxpayers give substantial amounts of money to the abortion provider each year.

"By Planned Parenthood's own accounting, $363 million – one-third of its budget annually – comes from the American taxpayer," said president of Americans United for Life Dr. Charmaine Yoest.

"While Congress is discussing going deeper in debt and raising the debt ceiling … our government is quietly subsidizing the world's largest abortion provider with $1 million a day."

Americans United for Life says its report, "The Case for Investigating Planned Parenthood," is the result of their legal team researching more than 20 years of Planned Parenthood records, law enforcement reports, and other materials.

At a July 14 press conference in Washington, D.C. – hosted by Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) and Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.) – Yoest outlined some the study findings.

In addition to taxpayers providing over $360 million annually to Planned Parenthood, the report documented that government funding of organization has doubled since 1998 – as well as the number of abortions performed.

The report claimed that the organization has committed numerous financial malpractices and human rights abuses over the last two decades. It cited failure to report criminal child sexual abuse, failure to comply with parental involvement laws and willingness to refer to substandard clinics as some of the offenses.

The report also states that Planned Parenthood has been documented as assisting people engaged in prostitution and/or sex trafficking, and has "dangerously" misused the abortion drug RU-486.

Analysis showed that Planned Parenthood has provided inaccurate and misleading information to women regarding fetal development and about abortion's health risks. The report also stated that "considerable misinformation" has been given to patients on emergency contraception, including the pill "ella".

Documentation also touched on Medicaid fraud allegedly committed by Planned Parenthood and its local affiliates. The report outlined four cases – in California, New York, New Jersey and Washington state – where Planned Parenthood affiliates have been exposed for fraudulent overbilling practices.

"American taxpayers are being forced to directly support this abortion-saturated organization which is fraught with fraud and misuse of government monies," Yoest said on Thursday.

"We are very grateful to the Members of Congress who have stepped forward today to take a stand on behalf of the American taxpayer in calling for an investigation and hearings into Planned Parenthood and its systemic abuse of federal funding."

To read the full report, visit: http://www.aul.org/aul-special-report-the-case-for-investigating-planned-parenthood

Source: CNA

Conscience Rights At Stake as HHS Considers Mandates for Abortifacients in Obamacare

     
 
NPR ran a story today on the Institute of Medicine's report to be released tomorrow which will include a list of recommended services to be covered with no cost-sharing under the Obamacare law.

But there are a few key points that NPR did not include.  The real issue is not about "birth control" as such but rather about specific contraceptives that can function as abortifacients, in particular, emergency contraceptives. This isn't a matter of opinion or political ideology.  The FDA approved label for Plan B suggests it can prevent implantation of an embryo. Moreover, the most recently approved EC, "ella", is chemically similar to RU-486 and it may destroy an embryo after it is already implanted.

Additionally, this is a question of whether the government should mandate every health plan to cover these drugs free of cost. Whatever one's position is on the issues of contraceptives, abortifacients, and such, it does not matter whether proponents of such drugs do not care about the effect on human embryos. The point is that many Americans do care, and many religious health plans would care, and that they should not be forced to violate their conscience.  Non-discrimination laws are in effect for this very reason. The IOM recommendations will potentially require people who are not in favor of these drugs to cover and participate in something they find objectionable. You don't have to agree with such objections, but at the same time people should not be forced to violate their consciences.

Here is our letter to HHS with more information.

And here is more information on ella, taken from my public comments at the second IOM meeting on January 12, 2011:

"While the FDA approved the drug application of Ella as an "emergency contraceptive," this drug is known to be chemically and functionally similar to the abortifacient drug, RU-486.  In a study published this month in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy, "the mechanism of action of ulipristal in human ovarian and endometrial tissue is identical to that of its parent compound, mifepristone."[1]

In one study of ulipristal on monkeys, 4 out of 5 fetuses were aborted.[2] On one with rats, all were aborted.[3] "[E]xisting studies in animals are instructive in terms of the potential abortive effects of the drug in humans."[4]

A recent study concluded that "it can be reasonably expected that the prescribed dose of 30 mg of ulipristal will have an abortive effect on early pregnancy in humans."[5] This is the dose of ulipristal now available as an EC in the United States.""

[1] Harrison, D, Mitroka, J Defining Reality: The Potential Role of Pharmacists in Assessing the Impact of Progesterone Receptor Modulators and Misoprostol in Reproductive Health. Annals of Pharmacotherapy January 2011, Volume 45

[2] European Medicines Agency.CHMP assessment report for EllaOne. (Doc.Ref.: EMEA/261787/2009). London,UK. www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/EPAR_Public_assessment_report/human/001027/WC500023673.pdf (accessed 2010 Dec 9).

[3] Food and Drug Administration. Mifeprex label. www.accessdata.fda/gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2000/20687lbl.htm (accessed 2010 Sept 26).

[4] Harrison, D and Mitroka, J Defining Reality: The Potential Role of Pharmacists in Assessing the Impact of Progesterone Receptor Modulators and Misoprostol in Reproductive Health. Annal of Pharmacotherapy January 2011, Volume 45

[5] Ibid

Contact: Jeanne Monahan
source: FRC Blog

Abortion group accused of misusing Hyde Amendment

     

Various pro-life groups -- American Life League among them -- are joining with Americans United for Life in calling for a government probe of Planned Parenthood.
 
AUL has submitted a 181-page report on how Congress and state governments can effectively investigate Planned Parenthood. The Case for Investigating Planned Parenthood alleges the abortion-provider "often tries to underplay the significance of abortion to its business model," pointing out abortion "has a tremendous impact" on the group's bottom line financially.
 
Jim Sedlak of American Life League (ALL) says he was not surprised with the content of the report.
 
"It was great to see it all put together," he tells OneNewsNow. "It just lays out for the congressmen why this organization is not deserving of any taxpayer money. And since we have a real deficit problem in DC, I think they ought to just cut out Planned Parenthood completely and that'll at least help a little bit towards solving the problem."
 
Sedlak says pro-life groups have proof the abortion business has violated the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits use of tax dollars for abortion. The ALL spokesman adds that the League has released a new video (right) showing how the Hyde Amendment does pay for some abortions.
 
"Abortions that they don't pay for, Planned Parenthood uses other government money to pay for programs so that it can free up money to do abortions," he says.
 
All in all with the information that has surfaced about Planned Parenthood over the past decade, Sedlak suggests it is time for Congress put the organization under close scrutiny.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow

Judge Rules: Catholic Charities Will Continue to Receive Children for Adoption/Foster Care Services from Illinois State

     

Today, in response to an emergency motion brought by attorneys for Catholic Charities, attorneys for the State of Illinois, Office of the Attorney General, announced in court that the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) would reverse course and resume the referral of new foster care cases to the Charities. After Catholic Charities won a preliminary injunction last week, DCFS responded by ceasing referrals of children in need of foster care and adoption services to the Charities. The Charities' emergency motion presented today sought to clarify that the status quo under the preliminary injunction included the continuation of new referrals. A copy of the emergency filing is here.
 
The emergency filing pointed out that when Judge John Schmidt entered the preliminary injunction, he ordered DCFS to continue its relationship with Catholic Charities as it stood prior to the expiration date of last year's contracts on June 30, 2011. Usual practice as of June 30 included referring children in need of care.
 
The Charities were also given leave to file a motion by Friday to amend their complaint both to add new claims and to add as a new plaintiff to the lawsuit the charitable arm of the Diocese of Belleville, Catholic Social Services of Southern Illinois.
 
The Court has given the parties until July 29 to file motions for summary judgment, with responses due one week later. Hearing on the motions remains set at August 17, 9 a.m.

Contact: Tom Ciesielka

Health Secretary Appears Before Congress, Defends ‘Rationing’ Board

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius appeared before two House committees this week, trying to testify on controversial aspects of ObamaCare.

At issue: The Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) that's made up of 15 presidential appointees — a majority of whom are required to be a nonphysicians —  who have the power to analyze the financial drivers of the Medicare system, as well as determining which beneficiaries can receive care.

The Republican-led Budget Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee subcommittee on health met on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, to hear testimony from the secretary, as well as physicians, legal experts and consumer advocates.

Questions in both committee hearings centered around power, patients and payments.

Conservatives are concerned that the new health care law actually prevents congressional oversight and judicial review. A supermajority of the Senate (67 votes) is required to reject or amend IPAB recommendations. If Congress fails to act, the secretary is mandated to carry out the board's directives.

"If IPAB decides to reduce provide(rs') payments for dialysis, is it possible that some providers will stop offering dialysis?" subcommittee chairman Joe Pitts, R-Penn., asked Sebelius. "And won't that limit patient access? That's rationing."

Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., ranking member of the health subcommittee, agreed with Pitts. "We don't need IPAB."

Budget Committee member Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., a former nurse, expressed her concern regarding the constitutionality of the unelected board making "recommendations" that carry the weight of law. "I have a problem with … its transparency and how this board is going to operate behind closed doors without public opinion, public comment."

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and who testified at the health subcommittee hearing, said that IPAB "could lead not only to the death of patients, but also to the death of innovation."

IPAB and Congress are not the solution, Perkins said.

"Injecting more government into the equation only punishes patients and squeezes out the cutting-edge science that could treat them. This is just one more reason to contact your congressmen and tell them to not rest until ObamaCare is laid to rest."

Contact: Catherine Snow
Source: CitizenLink

Special Note from the IFRL President

The Illinois Federation for Right to Life (IFRL) is a statewide grassroots organization.  As an organization the IFRL encourages members to become active in the cause for life. To become a member one must donate a minimum of $3.00 annually.  A member is entitled to vote for the individual who will represent him or her as their Congressional District (CD) Director on the IFRL Board.

The elections for CD Directors are held every two years. Applications of individuals interested in running for the position of CD Director for their congressional district are now being accepted.  All candidates for CD Directors must be paid members of the IFRL and the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) by August 1, 2011. Any donation to NRLC in the last year will qualify a candidate as a member of NRLC.

A CD Director is obligated to attend the quarterly board meetings of the IFRL. The board meetings are held at different locations throughout the state. The Directors are expected to support IFRL activities with an emphasis on lobbying, elections, education and fundraising activities.

Anyone interested in becoming a candidate for CD Director must submit his/her name to the IFRL office at 2600 State St. Suite E., Alton, IL. Letters must be postmarked no later than August 1, 2011. Applications may be faxed to (618) 466-4134 no later than August 1, 2011.  Please include a statement indicating membership with the IFRL and NRLC.

For Life,

Pat Conklin, IFRL President

Abortion drug RU-486 is quietly killing women across America

     

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) quietly released a report that details the dangers for women who are considering using Mifepristone, also known as the abortion drug "RU-486." The report states that 14 women have died and more than 2,200 women have experienced serious medical problems from the drug in the United States alone. In addition, the complications of this abortion-inducing drug have led 612 women to be hospitalized, of which 339 were required to undergo a major blood transfusion and 256 suffered from a variety of infections. In spite of serious complications, this drug is continuing to be marketed as "safe" and, according to the Abortion Care Network website, "Many women feel that Mifepristone is private and more natural."

This study also reveals that abortion businesses are misdiagnosing or misusing this drug. In the face of the FDA's warning against prescribing it to "patients with confirmed or suspected ectopic pregnancy," there were 58 cases where it was given to women who had an ectopic pregnancy.

Mifepristone suppresses a woman's immune system. In some cases, fragments of the unborn child or other cells are not entirely expelled from the uterus, causing infection and complications. RU-486 can result in endometritis (an irritation of the lining of the uterus), pelvic inflammatory disease (involving the nearby reproductive organs), and pelvic infections with sepsis (a systemic infection spreading beyond the reproductive organs). The FDA classified 48 of the infections as severe infections, which "generally involve death or hospitalization for at least 2-3 days, intravenous antibiotics for at least 24 hours, [and] total antibiotic usage for at least 3 days..."

These results reinforce other findings by the FDA, which reported adverse effects associated with RU-486 in 2006. That earlier study showed 1,100 women having experienced serious medical repercussions as a result of taking this abortion drug.

Mathew D. Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, said: "I hate to say this, but we told you so. We warned that the RU-486 abortion drug would kill and injure women. But the Obama administration and its abortion allies have lost common sense, because they are blinded to reality by their radical commitment to the holocaust. President Obama and the FDA must halt this destructive abortion chemical."

See a PDF of the report here.

Source: Liberty Counsel via ProLife Blogs

Web Site Documents 'Pro-Choice' Violence

     

Human Life International's (HLI's) updated web site, www.prochoiceviolence.com, provides extensive research on the surprising amount of violence perpetrated by abortionists and the proponents of "choice," compared to the relatively few violent crimes committed by "pro-life" advocates.

Dr. Brian Clowes, director of research for HLI, and lead researcher for HLI's "Pro-Choice Violence" project, had the following to say upon the launch of the site:

"If people truly understood how backwards the media narrative is regarding the supposed intolerance and violence of pro-lifers, compared to that of 'pro-choicers,' we would be having a very different conversation about abortion in our nation today. Pro-lifers should learn the truth about how peaceful their movement really is, although most know by experience; and by comparison, how many crimes are committed by abortionists and those who defend their ability to destroy innocent human life.

"The point of this project is not to demonize any person who defends the false 'right' to choose abortion, it is to set the story straight. Countless TV shows hold up an archetype of the loud, abusive, or even violent pro-lifer attacking the well-intentioned, heroic abortionist who is supposedly just trying to help women. News reports dwell on the real and sometimes fabricated crimes against abortionists, and routinely refuse to cover real crimes committed by those who either perform abortions or use violence to intimidate pro-lifers. While most pro-choice activists would not participate in such attacks, the fact that they go ignored by the media actually encourages those whose support for the violence of abortion translates into violence against those who would defend an unborn child's right to life."

The web site www.prochoiceviolence.com has several sharable documents, each focusing on a different aspect of the phenomenon of pro-choice violence. It also features a growing collection of videos in which pro-lifers are abused or attacked for their views.

Due to the graphic nature of much of the material, readers are to be cautioned.

Contact: Stephen Phelan
Source: Human Life International