PRO-LIFE STUDENTS: 'ABORTION IS BAD FOR WOMEN' Pro-Life students from campuses around Illinois show that abortion is bad for women. Students for Life of Illinois (SFLI), a collegiate pro-life organization, has coordinated pro-life students on several campuses to join together in order to challenge the assumption that abortion is good for women. The "Abortion is Bad for Women" educational campaign will be hosted on campuses on Dec. 3. Student leaders have utilized educational podcasts created by SFLI to educate themselves on why abortion is harmful to women. They will then turn around and share what they learned with their peers on campus using posters, hand-outs and even facebook. Some students have already begun changing their 'facebook statuses' to broadcast the "Abortion is Bad for Women" message to their friends. Students for Life of Illinois is a regional education and activism organization for pro-life college students. "The assumption that abortion is a good experience for women has gone unchallenged for far too long on college campuses. As long as our campuses blindly accept this false assumption, more women will be harmed by abortion and overlooked by the campus communities," said Deddens. |
December 3, 2008
PRO-LIFE STUDENTS: ‘ABORTION IS BAD FOR WOMEN’
December 2, 2008
Opposition to Efforts to Legalize Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
Author of French "Right to Die" Law Opposes Efforts to Legalize Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
The author of France's "right to die" law, physician and parliamentarian Jean Lonetti, has denounced the clamor to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in a new book, noting that most people seek to end their lives due to untreated pain and isolation. The solution, he suggests, is to properly resolve the causes of the patient's existential distress, rather than to assist in his death.
The book, "At the Light of Dusk: Accounts and Impressions of the End of Life," argues that recent high-profile cases of individuals seeking assisted suicide have been distorted by the French media, provoking new demands for legalizing the practice.
The work contains an anthology of accounts of individuals who confront terrible loneliness and suffering at the end of life, and are tempted to commit suicide. |
Agency Rules Against Stem Cell Patents
European Agency Rules Against Stem Cell Patents
European regulators on Thursday ruled against allowing a patent on developing human embryonic stem cells, a decision that could stifle research by stem cell companies for commercial purposes. An appeal panel at the European Patent Office upheld a June decision to reject a patent application regarding the use of stem cells filed by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation in 1995. |
Abortion Increases Risk of Women Having Mental Problems
Abortion Increases Risk of Women Having Mental Problems - Study
Women who have an abortion are more likely to suffer subsequent poor mental health, according to a new survey. The University of Otago study found women who had an abortion faced a 30 per cent increase in the risk of developing common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Professor David Fergusson, John Horwood and Joseph Boden studied the pregnancy and mental health history of over 500 women, who took part in the long-running study from birth to the age of 30. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10545946&ref=rss |
Access To Morning-After Pill
FDA Boosts Access To Morning-After Pill
Women have easier and quicker access to the morning after pill since the Food and Drug Administration ruled that the medication could be sold to adults without a prescription, a survey of pharmacies in three large US cities shows. In 2006, the FDA approved "behind the counter" status for Plan B -- meaning that people aged 18 and older can buy the emergency contraceptive over the counter, while younger people need a prescription from a doctor. http://www.postchronicle.com/news/health/article_212189516.shtml |
Hillary To Propel Women's `Rights'
Activists Expect Hillary To Propel Women's `Rights'
President-elect Barack Obama's expected nomination today of Hillary Clinton as the next secretary of state has energized human rights and women's rights activists, who expect the former first lady to bring a dramatic new focus to the plight of women around the globe. The appointment of the New York senator - a bitter rival of Obama's during the lengthy Democratic primary battle - is to be announced in Chicago today along with the rest of his national security team. Obama plans to announce that Defense Secretary Robert Gates will keep his post and retired Marine General James L. Jones will serve as national security adviser. He will name Susan E. Rice as US ambassador to the United Nations. Also expected at the morning announcement are Eric Holder Jr., his nominee to be attorney general, and Governor Janet Napolitano of Arizona, his choice to be secretary of homeland security. |
Pro-Life Movement Moves To Personhood
Pro-Life Movement Moves To Personhood As Obama Stacks Pro-Abortion Appointees
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President-elect Barack Obama is quickly paying his debts to the pro-abortion lobby that helped get him elected. In his latest appointment, Obama appointed Ellen Moran as the new White House Communications Director. Moran is the executive director of EMILY's List, the powerful political action committee that works to get pro-abortion women elected to political office. |
Women Who Have Abortions 'at Three-Fold Risk
Women Who Have Abortions 'at Three-Fold Risk of Developing Drug or Alcohol Addiction'
Women who have an abortion are at three-fold risk of developing drug or alcohol addiction, shows a shocking new study. What's more, after an abortion, women are 30 per cent more likely to have mental disorders as compared to other ladies, the research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry has revealed. The researchers came to the conclusion after reviewing 500 women. According to Professor David Fergusson, who led the research, the findings have "important implications," because more than 90 per cent of British abortions were authorized on the grounds that keeping an unwanted baby would cause the mother mental health problems. "This evidence clearly poses a challenge to the use of psychiatric reasons to justify abortion. |
Clinic Owner Gets Plea Deal
Clinic Owner Gets Plea Deal for Doing Abortions Without License
A Los Angeles woman has pleaded no contest to practicing medicine without a license at six clinics she owned in Southern California. Bertha Bugarin pleaded to seven felony counts on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court. She was also ordered to pay $7,800 in restitution to 16 former patients. District attorney spokeswoman Shiara Davila says Bugarin performed medical procedures when physicians were not in the office. Davila says nine counts will be dismissed when Bugarin is sentenced as part of a plea agreement. She faces 10 years in state prison when she is sentenced Jan. 20. |
Truth About Abortion and Sexual Assault
TV Show Reveals the Truth About Abortion and Sexual Assault Victims and Victors Co-Editor and Elliot Institute Staffer Featured Guest This week, Amy Sobie of the Elliot Institute appears as a guest on the TV show "Facing Life Head On" to discuss sexual assault pregnancy and abortion. The half-hour show is produced by Life Issues Institute and hosted by Brad Mattes. Sobie is appearing on the show along with Nicole Cooley, a woman who underwent abortion following rape and wrote a book about her experience, and Rebecca Kiessling, who was conceived in rape and now advocates against abortion in cases of sexual assault. Sobie was invited to be a guest on the show because she co-edited the book Victims and Victors: Speaking Out About Their Pregnancies, Abortions and Children Resulting From Sexual Assault. Based on the largest survey ever done of women who became pregnant through sexual assault, Victims and Victors revealed that most women in this situation don't want abortions. In fact, most of the survey respondents said that abortion was harmful, not helpful, in cases of sexual assault. The survey also showed that: Nearly 80 percent of the women who aborted a pregnancy conceived in sexual assault reported that abortion had been the wrong solution. Most women who had abortions said that abortion only increased the trauma they were experiencing. In many cases, the victim faced strong pressure or demands to abort and in some cases, especially those involving teenage girls, was even forced to have the abortion by others. In cases of incest or ongoing sexual abuse, abortion was frequently used by the perpetrator to cover up the abuse, and in many cases the girl was given an abortion with no questions asked and then returned to the abusive situation. None of the women who gave birth to a child conceived in sexual assault expressed regret or wished they had aborted instead. Watching The Show The episode of Facing Life Head on will air in the morning on Tuesday, Dec. 2 on some cable networks, with repeats later in the week. You can watch the show three different ways: Watch the show on TV on some cable networks: http://www.facinglife.tv/showinfo.htm View the show online: http://www.facinglife.tv/episode/season_3/episode_8/episode_308.html Order a DVD of the show from Life Issues Institute online or by calling 513-729-3600. About Victims and Victors In addition to a discussion of the survey findings and other issues related to abortion and sexual assault, Victims and Victors includes personal stories from women who became pregnant through sexual assault or abuse and either had an abortion or carried to term. It also includes stories of children conceived through sexual assault, including that of co-editor Julie Makimaa.
Source: Elliot Institute Source URL: http://www.theunchoice.com Publish Date: December 1, 2008 Link to this article: |
Breakthrough with adult stem cells
Another medical breakthrough with adult stem cells Bristol University scientists in England have created a living bandage from adult stem cells that will be used to heal common sports injuries. Dr. David Stevens of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA) says knee injuries have, until now, been limited to surgical treatments such as removal of torn tissue and transplantation. However, he believes this new medical success could make knee and hip replacements obsolete. "What they're doing with this living bandage is actually creating a collagen framework, putting adult stem cells from the bone marrow directly on that and using it as a patch in the leg, in the knee joint," Stevens explains. "And what happens is that it grows in and heals a tear that usually is unhealable in many patients." He adds that researchers have made discovery after discovery for successfully treating illness through adult stem-cell therapies, even at a time when doors are getting ready to open for federal funding of research on human embryos, which are tiny human beings. "And once again we're reminded that real cures for real people are going to come not through embryonic stem-cell research, which has been very difficult to move forward, but through using the ethical [use of] adult stem cells, which all of us have in our own bodies," the Christian physician concludes.
Contact: Charlie Butts Source: OneNewsNow Source URL: http://www.onenewsnow.com Publish Date: December 1, 2008 Link to this article: |
Happy Birthday to Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research?
Wisconsin Mascot Bucky Badger and Crowd Sing' Happy Birthday' to Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research
On Tuesday, November 18, Dr. James Thomson, an anatomy professor at the University of Wisconsin, was honored at a 10-year anniversary celebration for his achievements in embryonic stem cell research.
Dr. Thomson was the first to successfully isolate human embryonic stem cells, leading to major research in this area. Ultimately, the WiCell Research Institute was formed. Millions of dollars are being put into a new building to house stem cell research on the University of Wisconsin campus.
During his speech, Dr. Thomson said the general population is "ill-prepared" for the upcoming research that has to be done for success. He criticized President George Bush for creating restrictions and uncertainty. President-elect Barack Obama is about to reverse the restrictions on embryonic stem cell research.
According to the University of Wisconsin's Badger Herald, "At the end of the event, Bucky Badger made a surprise appearance on stage and presented Thomson with a celebratory cake. The audience joined in singing 'Happy Birthday' to human embryonic stem cell research."
Steve McConkey, Underground Apologetics president, stated, "This may be a first for a school mascot to be used in supporting the culture of death. Adult stem cell research should be pursued instead of using embryos. As a UW fan, I am saddened that Bucky Badger was used for this cause."
Contact: Steve McConkey Source: Underground Apologetics Source URL: http://www.undergroundapologetics.org Publish Date: December 1, 2008 Link to this article: |
Abortionist Pleads No Contest
Abortionist Pleads No Contest to Felonies, Avoiding a Tell-All Trial
Bugarin to be sentenced for illegal abortions in January when she faces up to 10 years in jail
Instead of proceeding with a scheduled jury selection, Bertha Pinedo Bugarin, 47, pleaded no contest yesterday to seven felony charges of committing abortions without a medical license. She was ordered to pay restitution of $7,800 to 16 of her victims.
Nine additional counts are to be dismissed, according to her plea bargain agreement, when she is sentenced in January. She faces up to 10 years in jail.
Bugarin's sister, Raquel, was also charged, but earlier took a plea bargain that would have made her testify against her sister if a trail would have proceeded.
"We are praying that Ms. Bugarin goes to jail for a very long time," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, who for years has focused attention on exposing Bugarin's chain of seedy abortion mills that once blanketed Southern California.
"Bugarin is a cold-hearted predator who sought out human misery in order to profit from it. She showed no remorse or sorrow for the women she preyed upon. She has shown only contempt for the law," said Newman. "The only way to protect women from further exploitation at Bugarin's hands is to put her in jail, or, mark my words, she'll be back at it again."
Bugarin also faces 10 felonies and one misdemeanor in San Diego County that could net her nine additional years in jail.
Bugarin once ran eleven abortion mills in Southern California, with a stable of troubled abortionists that, one by one, lost their medical licenses. Most of her clinics have closed, and phone calls made Monday to offices in Panorama City, Santa Ana, and Los Angeles referred the caller to a number that has been disconnected.
"Let's not make the mistake of thinking that Bugarin's crimes are an anomaly," said Newman. "She was just unfortunate enough to get caught. In reality, illegal practices take place every day at our nation's abortion mills. We haven't met an abortionist yet that did not think he or she was above the law. In this case, we are grateful for the prosecution of Bugarin, but saddened that it took so many years - and so many broken lives - to bring her to justice."
Contact: Troy Newman, Cheryl Sullenger Source: Operation Rescue Source URL: http://www.operationrescue.org Publish Date: December 2, 2008 Link to this article: |
Only Full Term Pregnancies Reduce Mothers' Breast Cancer Risk
A new article in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons says African American women are being disproportionately exposed to an unsafe surgical procedure that is a "probable cause" of the high preterm birth rate among blacks. [1]
The authors, Brent Rooney and his colleagues, cited numerous studies, the Institute of Medicine, and other authorities acknowledging the abortion-preterm birth (APB) link.
Black Americans are three times more likely to have an early preterm birth (EPB) before 32 weeks gestation and four times more likely to have an extremely preterm birth (XPB) before 28 weeks gestation in comparison with non-black Americans. The risk of cerebral palsy for XPB babies is 129 times greater than that of full-term infants. Blacks represent 12.5% of American females; but 38.2% of all abortions are committed on blacks.
Rooney's group cited Harvard research dating from 1973 showing that only full-term births provide mothers with a significant reduction in breast cancer risk.
"Medical texts have long acknowledged this protective effect," said Karen Malec, president of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer. "A first full-term pregnancy matures 85% of a woman's cancer-susceptible breast lobules into cancer-resistant lobules. Every subsequent full-term pregnancy reduces risk by 10%."
The APB link means a large U.S. financial burden in excess medical malpractice and hospital costs. Rooney's group reported a median damage award of $2 million in cases of medical negligence in childbirth and cited research showing excess neonatal hospital costs totaling over $1.2 billion annually.
Poland reduced its XPB rate by 21% in less than a decade by severely restricting abortion. Poland's 1997 XPB rate is 43% lower than the U.S. rate.
"President-elect Barack Obama and other elected officials should take a lesson from Poland," concluded Malec. "We challenge them to institute a REAL CHANGE in America, instead of throwing more money at the problem, deepening the U.S. economic crisis, participating in genocide, crippling black babies and causing their mothers to develop breast cancer."
The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer is an international women's organization founded to protect the health and save the lives of women by educating and providing information on abortion as a risk factor for breast cancer.
References:
1) Rooney B, Calhoun M, Roche L. Does induced abortion account for racial disparity in preterm births, and violate the Nuremberg Code? J Am Phys Surg . Available at: http://www.jpands.org/vol13no4/rooney.pdf
Contact: Karen Malec Source: Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer Source URL: http://www.abortionbreastcancer.com Publish Date: December 2, 2008 Link to this article: |
December 1, 2008
NEWS SHORTS
Ad Showing Woman Seducing Santa Promotes Free Morning-After Pills and Condoms for Christmas A new advertisement from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), sometimes described as the "British Planned Parenthood," depicting a semi-pornographic Christmas scene is being used to tout free morning-after pills and condoms for the Christmas season. The ad shows the lower half of a man clad in "Santa" get-up grasping the rear of a woman in a mini-skirt whose leg is entwined around the "Santa" figure, set against the backdrop of a typical Christmas living room scene. "Santa only comes once a year ... but that's all it takes!" reads the ad, implying that the woman could get pregnant even if she only has sex with Santa once a year, without using contraception. BPAS's website explains that they "recognise that Christmas is a time when people don't think about contraception as a priority, but accidents still happen." In order to remedy the shortened holiday schedule of family planning clinics and pharmacies, BPAS will be providing a "Free Christmas Pack" containing a dose of the abortifacient morning-after pill, three condoms, a leaflet on "what your options are in case the pill doesn't work" and another on general sexual health services. http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/nov/08112803.html Abortion Now Number One Cause of Death in Spain New report reveals immense toll taken by abortion in formerly Catholic country Abortion is now the number one cause of death in Spain, and represents the most common type of violence against women in the formerly Catholic country, according to a new report by the international Institute for Family Policy (IPF). The report, which was issued on the International Day of Violence Against Women, notes that Spain has one of the most liberal abortion laws in Europe, allowing women to kill their unborn child for "psychological" reasons at any time during their pregnancy. Under Spain's practically nonexistent restrictions, abortions have more than doubled since the mid 1990s, climbing from 51,006 in 1996 to over 120,000 in 2007. The abortion rate is now approaching one in five pregnancies (18.3%), according to the report. http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/nov/08112802.html Czech Cabinet Approves Bill Enabling "Abortion Tourism" The Czech cabinet has passed a controversial bill that would allow Czech doctors to kill the unborn children of EU residents from other countries with more restrictive abortion laws. Members of the Christian Democrat party (KDU-ÈSL) on Tuesday asked KDU-ÈSL head Jiri Cunek to begin coalition talks to attempt revision of the bill to change the "abortion tourism" provisions before it is submitted to the Parliament for final approval, according to the Czech News Agency. http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/nov/08112806.html Lawyers Vow to Bring Battle for Pro-Life Illinois License Plates to Supreme Court Attorneys with the Thomas More Society have petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit to reinstate a previous district court ruling allowing the distribution of pro-life license plates, stating that otherwise they would appeal to the US Supreme Court. About two weeks ago, the three-Judge panel of the Appeals Court denied the "Choose Life" license plates protection under the First Amendment, stating that the "very contentious and divisive" content on license plates proposed by Choose Life Illinois (CLI) was too controversial. The plates, designed to benefit adoption services, display the words "Choose Life" with drawn images of smiling children. http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/nov/08112604.html Kenny Chesney Song Helps Save Unborn Child, Gives Hope to New Parents A heart-rending tale of a reluctant young father discovering the joy of sacrificial love, Kenny Chesney's hit country song "There Goes My Life" has stunned audiences with its message of the sanctity of human life since its 2003 debut. The song even appears to have saved the life of at least one unborn child, according to a comment posted under the music video on Youtube, and has possibly played a part in saving others. The lyrics, written by Neil Thrasher and Wendell Mobley, capture perfectly the quandary of a young man whose dreams are shattered when he learns his girlfriend is pregnant. "There goes my life," Chesney sings. "There goes my future, my everything. Might as well kiss it all good-bye." In the music video the father of the child is portrayed as a star football player who is forced to give up a promising career to care for his child. |
Just In Time for Christmas - Gift Cards for Abortions from Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood of Indiana has announced just in time for Christmas that it will begin selling gift certificates at its clinics and online, which can be used for all PP services, including payment for birth control, STD testing, and abortions. The Planned Parenthood of Indiana website says the gift cards can be used for "services or the recipient's choice of birth control method," and poses the question "Why not buy a loved one a gift this holiday season that they really need"? When asked about the appropriateness of a gift card for abortion, Chrystal Struben-Hall, Vice President of Planned Parenthood of Indiana told WISH-TV, "They really are intended for preventative healthcare. We decided not to put restrictions on the gift certificates so it's for whatever people feel they need the services for most." Indiana Family Institute President Curt Smith, however, said he is appalled by the certificates. "I think the way to help family planning is to give the money where there's no agenda. So if somebody wants to help a woman at a time of crisis, they can support the life centers throughout Indiana," Smith said in the WISH-TV report. One blogger at the highly popular "Hot Air" blog quipped, "What kind of relationship would you have to have with someone for a gift certificate from Planned Parenthood to be appropriate? If you're buying for your significant other, cash works just as well. If you're buying for friends, um … what's the message there? 'Merry Christmas, buddy. The next prostate exam's on me.'" To express your opinion on Planned Parenthood gift cards contact: Planned Parenthood of Indiana 200 South Meridian Street Post Office Box 397 Indianapolis, Indiana 46206 Phone: 317-637-4343 Fax: 317-637-4344 Email: Click here Contact: Thaddeus M. Baklinski Source: LifeSiteNews.com Source URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com Publish Date: November 26, 2008 Link to this article: |
Texas Court Ruling on Murder Case Defines Unborn Child as "Person"
Texas Court Ruling on Murder Case Defines Unborn Child as "Person" A Texas appellate court has upheld its ruling that affirms the personhood of an unborn child who was murdered along with its mother. Jacob Eguia, who was convicted of the capital murders of a woman and her nearly eight months gestation unborn child, challenged the court's ruling on several points. He argued that finding him guilty of the unborn child's death violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution and Art. I, Sec. 6 of the Texas Constitution, which bars giving preference by law to a religion. In the Texas Penal Code, as the court noted, "'Person' means an individual," and "individual" may refer to "an unborn child at every stage of gestation from fertilization until birth"; and "'death' includes, for an individual who is an unborn child, the failure to be born alive." According to the court's published opinion, Eguia complained that "the State's definition of 'individual' 'has the effect of endorsing religion as it is based solely upon a religious belief that life begins at conception.'" Justice Elsa Alcala concluded that, because a statute does not violate the Establishment Clause when serving a secular purpose, "the definition of 'individual' serves the State's legitimate secular interest in protecting unborn children from the criminal acts of others." The court also cited precedent to affirm that, "a statute is not automatically rendered unconstitutional simply because it advances ideals that harmonize with religious ideals." In addition, Eguia argued that under such a statute abortion practitioners would also be guilty of murder, but the court noted that earlier legislation had already "narrowed the class of murderers who may be charged by specifically excluding 'conduct committed by the mother of an unborn child' and 'a lawful medical procedure performed by a physician ... with the requisite consent, if the death of the unborn child was the intended result of the procedure.'" Contact: Kathleen Gilbert Source: LifeSiteNews.com Source URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com Publish Date: November 27, 2008 Link to this article: |
New Planned Parenthood Report Boasts of Abortion Advocacy in Traditionally Pro-Life Regions
International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) has just released its annual performance report for 2007-2008 in which it boasts of pushing its abortion agenda in traditionally pro-life countries throughout Africa, Latin America and the Islamic world. IPPF asserts that "access to safe legal abortion is a public health and human rights imperative" and that the organization's goal is to achieve "a universal recognition of a woman's right to choose and have access to safe abortion, and a reduction in the incidence of unsafe abortion." Advocacy trumps accuracy in a number of places in the report. For example, IPPF Director General Gill Greer claims that a new target under the Millennium Development Goal on maternal health for "universal access to sexual and reproductive health by 2015" was agreed to by the UN General Assembly in 2006. This is false, as the United States and other delegations have pointed out. The report highlights the work of the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association (IPPA), an IPPF member association, and its work in the country to combat "opposition from religious groups" which "severely hamper service provision." IPPA has included abortion as one of its priority areas and works on the ground to provide contraceptives, "safe abortion" and to challenge Indonesian Decree no. 23/1992 that states abortion is only permissible if it is proven necessary to save the life of the mother. The report includes a story of an Indonesian woman seeking to terminate her pregnancy after attempting self-abortion using herbs and misoprostol. This raises questions about IPPA's work in providing abortions in countries where it is restricted. The report only says that after being referred to IPPA the woman's pregnancy was terminated, but does not state whether IPPA conducted the abortion or whether or not the abortion was necessary to save the life of the mother. This leaves unanswered whether IPPA is facilitating illegal activity. IPPF acknowledges the controversy surrounding its "sexual and reproductive health and rights" agenda and thus makes advocacy one of its top priorities. The primary advocacy accomplishment in the IPPF report is the organization's work in drafting, promoting and implementing the African Union's Maputo Plan of Action, a non-binding three-year action plan that explicitly contains abortion targets and indicators that remain hotly contested among African nations. IPPF and the UN Population Fund have advocated for the development of national action plans to speed up the implementation of the Maputo Plan of Action throughout the African continent. The performance report lists a series of meetings that IPPF has organized and initiated with government officials, civil society, regional economic communities and even the media to push the action plan. The report concludes with a wide range of performance indicators such as advocacy activities, the number of abortion-related services, the number of contraceptive services, and types of contraception provided by IPPF and its member associations. Business is booming for IPPF: in 2007 the organization reported a 50% increase from the previous year in the total number of abortion-related services provided by member associations globally. Contact: Samantha Singson Source: LifeSiteNews.com Source URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com Publish Date: November 28, 2008 Link to this article: |
YWCA Supports Freedom of Choice Act
YWCA Supports Freedom of Choice Act The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) has "always been pro-choice" and would support President-elect Barack Obama signing the Freedom of Choice Act into law, Dr. Lorraine Cole, chief executive officer of the YWCA, told CNSNews.com. The YWCA launched its "Own It! Campaign" on Nov. 24 at the National Press Club, an event to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the YWCA and to "engage younger women on the important issues they face today." At the event, the group distributed the results of a national survey, "What Women Want: A National Survey of Priorities and Concerns." In the report, 31 percent of the women interviewed said abortion should be legal in most cases, and 23 percent said it should be legal in all cases; 24 percent said it should be illegal in most cases, and 16 percent said it should be illegal in all cases. The other respondents were not sure or declined to answer. "Well, the YWCA has always been pro-choice, so this is a topic that we would be very supportive of, and again, in a survey that we just completed of women, the majority of women across age groups support a woman's right to choose," Cole told CNSNews.com. According to their official web site, the YWCA of the USA adopted a "freedom of choice" position in 1967 at the YWCA National Convention "following an extensive debate by the nearly 1,000 delegates from local associations all over the country." Their Web site says: "All viewpoints were thoughtfully considered before the decision was made." It goes on to say that their pro-choice position was "reaffirmed" at their 1988 national convention and "remains an important part of the comprehensive YWCA public policy agenda." Mark Crutcher of Pro Life Dynamics, a non-profit organization that conducts abortion research and runs an "Abortion Malpractice Litigation" campaign against abortion providers, said an organization like the YWCA taking a pro-choice stance is "outrageous." "It's undefendable," he said. "I would understand it when you see something like the Playboy Foundation supporting legalized abortion. You see those kinds of people supporting abortion rights, and it makes perfect sense. "What doesn't make sense is an organization who claims to be Christian and support the interests of women having a pro-choice stance. That's absolutely preposterous," Crutcher added. Crutcher said the Freedom of Choice Act only encourages "men who prey on women" to act irresponsibly. "It gives men who prey on women a way out," he said. "'I'll pay for half the abortion' is considered male responsibility now." Dr. Dorothy Height, chairperson of the executive committee of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the largest civil rights organization in the United States, and chair of the National Council of Negro Women, participated in the YWCA event. Height, 96, served on the staff of the YWCA from 1944-1977. In 2004, she was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Bush on behalf of the U.S. Congress. She said she would support Obama signing the Freedom of Choice Act into law. "I certainly would, because I believe that women should have the right to choose what they will do with their bodies," Height told CNSNews.com. "I think that having the law in a sense, makes it not only legal – abortions legal – but it also has a way of helping control a situation, and I am so pleased to know that he (Obama) will support that." Contact: Nicholas Ballasy Source: CNSNews.com Source URL: http://www.cnsnews.com Publish Date: December 1, 2008 Link to this article: |
Obama Appoints Abortion Activists to His Team
President-elect Barack Obama hasn't wasted any time advancing his radical pro-abortion agenda. Over the weekend, Obama appointed Ellen Moran, executive director of Emily's List, as his White House communications director. Emily's List is a group that spends hundreds of millions of dollars funding pro-abortion Democrat candidates. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said it comes as no surprise to those who followed Obama's record that he is forming such a strongly pro-abortion team: "Ms. Moran's fealty to abortion is so strong that after the Supreme Court upheld the ban on partial-birth abortion, she saw it as a call to arms to raise more funds for her group to work towards overturning the decision and cut off funding for politicians who voted to ban the gruesome practice." Obama also recently named Melody Barnes, who formerly served on the boards of Emily's List and Planned Parenthood, as his director of Domestic Policy Council. "President-elect Obama was arguably the most pro-abortion member of the U.S. Senate," said Ashley Horne, federal policy analyst for Focus on the Family Action. "As such, his selection of staff who share his pro-abortion views is disappointing but not surprising." Contact: Devon Williams Source: CitizenLink Source URL: http://www.citizenlink.org Publish Date: November 26, 2008 Link to this article: |