Pro-aborts stumble into sinking sand while seeking "common ground"

Pro-aborts stumble into sinking sand while seeking "common ground"           On Common Ground Project In June 2009 the Ted Turner funded pro-abortion website RH Reality Check launched "On Common Ground," an attempt to bridge the abortion divide. Its impetus, penned by then editor Scott Swenson, speaks of a naive time that seems so long ago and far away, although it was only last year:     In so many ways, the election of President Obama is viewed through a lens of its healing potential....     President Obama is asking Americans to seek common ground on one of the most controversial issues of our time, abortion....     Is it possible that in President Obama's election, Americans have a chance to heal the body politic from the divisiveness the abortion issue has caused for a generation or more?...     We believe RH Reality Check is well positioned to expand this dialog to be more inclusive while holding to our progressive roots and respecting those who believe differently but genuinely seek common ground.... It turned out that for all of Obama's schtick, he actually had a radical pro-abort agenda planned, which pro-lifers anticipated, which has only turned those in the middle off and our way, which pro-lifers didn't necessarily anticipate. Add to that the "groundswell" of pro-life laws being passed on the state level, and the pro-abort call for "common ground" is almost laughable in retrospect. It was all a PR ploy anyway, to appear reasonable while advancing the pro-abort agenda. RH Reality Check invited pro-life and pro-abortion thinkers to explore areas where they thought the 2 sides could work together. But of 15 contributors, only 2 had pro-life credentials - Kristen Day of Democrats for Life and Serrin Foster of Feminists for Life (who each only submitted 1 post over the course of 9 months, here and here). I don't fault well-intentioned people for seeking common ground on a multitude of issues. The problem with abortion and all its tentacles is the divide is ideological, and so, as Obama admitted in his Notre Dame speech, the divide is "irreconcilable." This, it seems to me, makes "common ground" impossible. So, no real surprise, Rh Reality Check aborted the "On Common Ground" project in March, 9 months after its inception, coincidentally. The problem with a pro-abort site attempting to moderate what "common ground" connotates was apparent in moderator Christina Page's farewell:     [W]e heard from many pro-lifers in favor of contraception and willing to break with the right wing anti-abortion, anti-contraception establishment in favor of a sensible approach to prevention....     [M]any pro-lifers in this forum questioned the Republican grip on the pro-life establishment and it's opposition to progressive policies, like universal health insurance.... It' pretty bad when the pro-abort moderator of a "common ground" site can't even recognize her own inflammatory verbiage. And when the only "common ground" concepts allowed are those pro-aborts condone but 90% of pro-lifers oppose - more money to Planned Parenthood to push the failed contraception mentality, for instance, or Obamacare, it's no wonder the attempt failed. But we shall see. Page announced a new site, CommonGroundwork.com, to be co-moderated by a to-be-named pro-lifer, would "go live this Spring, a fitting time for its rebirth." I just checked, and the site is not yet live, although summer doesn't commence for another 2 weeks. It will be interesting, if and when it does, to see who the pro-lifer is. Contact: Jill Stanek Source: jillstanek.com Publish Date: June 7, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

SCPI Study on Aborted Fetal DNA in Vaccines Presented at International Meeting for Autism Research

SCPI Study on Aborted Fetal DNA in Vaccines Presented at International Meeting for Autism Research           The Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute's (SCPI) founder and lead scientist, Dr Theresa Deisher, presented their ongoing study into the possible link between aborted fetal DNA in several childhood immunizations with Autism and Austim Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at the International Meeting for Autism Research in Philadelphia, PA May 20-22, 2010. The study which was met with both shock and gratitude for her work, focused on "improper integration of the residual DNA as a possible contributor to autism, particularly in genetically susceptible infants." "It is known from gene therapy studies that injected naked DNA can be transported to the brain (Wang et al. 2001); that improperly integrated therapeutic DNA has caused cancer in young children (Hacein-Bey-Abina et al. 2008); and that shorter DNA fragments have a higher probability of entering the nucleus [of the cells] (Lechardeur et al. 2002)", noted Dr Theresa whose company recently received a $500,000 grant from the Murdock foundation for their research. Dr Deisher, along with Physicist Marissa LaMadrid, PhD are investigating whether improper insertion of DNA into the vaccine recipient cells can cause autism.  Four major areas of the research involve: (1) measuring the amount and length distribution of residual human DNA in vaccines; (2) predicting sites of DNA insertion via homologous recombination (HR) and measure insertion rates; (3) modeling how brain cell function might be affected, either via loss of the ability to make proper connections or via selective growth of cells with improperly integrated DNA at the expense of healthy cells; (4) conducting epidemiology studies comparing autism rates in children injected with vaccines containing human DNA residuals. The results reported thus far were startling, to say the least. "Changepoint analysis of autism disorder demonstrates a temporal correlation with events associated with human DNA residuals in vaccines. The levels of residual DNA are well over FDA-recommended limits", stated Dr Deisher.  "Meruvax-II contains >140ng/vial ssDNA and >30ng/vial dsDNA, with average lengths of 215bp. Havrix contains >270ng/vial ssDNA and >30ng/vial dsDNA. The FDA-recommended amounts are 10ng/dose." While research has been conducted in the past on a possible link between thimerosal and autism, no one has ever looked at the contaminating DNA, something requested for years by Children of God for Life, a pro-life watchdog focused on the use of aborted fetal material in vaccines, medicines and other consumer products. "Until the advent of AVM Biotechnology and their non-profit arm SCPI we had little hope that anyone would invest the time and money to do this study", stated Children of God for Life's founder, Debi Vinnedge. "Dr Deisher's work is a blessing to hundreds of thousands of families, if not millions worldwide.  She is a direct answer to our prayers for a biotech company focused solely on moral research and ethically produced vaccines and therapeutics." For more information see www.cogforlife.org/scpiautismstudypress.htm Source: Children of God for Life Publish Date: June 3, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

Majority of Teens Staying Abstinent

Majority of Teens Staying Abstinent              Young people will listen to the message        that they should wait. Not everyone is having sex in high school, according to a government report.  The 2006-08 National Survey of Family Growth shows that 60 percent of unmarried teens in the U.S. have not had sex, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Mike McManus, president of Marriage Savers, said it proves young people will listen to the message that they should wait. "Those who remain chaste have much lower divorce rates than those who are sexually active," he said.  "The sexually active are about two-thirds more likely to divorce than those who are chaste." Paul Birch, director of the Institute for Research and Evaluation, said the survey numbers are encouraging, especially in a culture where teens are bombarded with the message that sex is the norm. "The truth is that there's really no social, scientific evidence that I'm aware of," he said, "that exclusively demonstrates that having sex is a healthy behavior for youth to be doing at this stage in their life." Contact: Roger Greer Source: CitizenLink Publish Date: June 3, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

In new video, Andrea Bocelli praises mother’s choice not to abort him

In new video, Andrea Bocelli praises mother's choice not to abort him           Italian singer Andrea Bocelli has told the       story of his mother's pregnancy, during which       doctors suggested that she abort him. Italian singer Andrea Bocelli has told the story of his mother's pregnancy, during which doctors suggested that she abort him because he would be born with a disability. In a new video he praises his mother for making "the right choice," saying other mothers should take encouragement from the story. In a YouTube video titled "Andrea Bocelli tells a 'little story' about abortion," the singer sits at a piano and tells his audience a story about a young pregnant wife hospitalized for "a simple attack of appendicitis." "The doctors had to apply some ice on her stomach and when the treatments ended the doctors suggested that she abort the child. They told her it was the best solution because the baby would be born with some disability. "But the young brave wife decided not to abort, and the child was born," he continued. "That woman was my mother, and I was the child. Maybe I'm partisan, but I can say that it was the right choice." He said he hoped the story could encourage many mothers in "difficult situations" but who want to save the life of their baby. Bocelli has congenital glaucoma and lost his vision completely at age 12 after getting hit in the head during a soccer game. The video itself is produced by www.IamWholeLife.com, an initiative of the Human Rights, Education and Relief Organization (HERO). HERO is a partner of the pro-life movie star Eduardo Verastegui.           Click here for the video. Source: CNA/EWTN News Publish Date: June 6, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

Pro-Life Activists Willing to Risk Arrest Challenging Public Prayer and Free Speech Ban in Washington, D.C.

Pro-Life Activists Willing to Risk Arrest Challenging Public Prayer and Free Speech Ban in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. prohibits prayer and free speech on the public sidewalk in our nation's capital.   D.C. police officers have threatened to arrest people praying and counseling on the public sidewalk in front of Planned Parenthood.   For many years, the pro-life community has been allowed to pray, counsel and have a peaceful witness on the public property surrounding the Planned Parenthood clinic in Washington, D.C.           People praying outside the Washington D.C.       Planned Parenthood abortion facility.           Clck here for the video.   Several weeks ago Planned Parenthood put up a fence around that public property and police are now threatening to arrest anyone who stands inside that fence. (Photos of the fence)   The Christian Defense Coalition is challenging this unconstitutional crushing of prayer and free speech and has applied for a permit to hold a prayer vigil on the public sidewalk leading up to Planned Parenthood.   That prayer vigil will take place on Tuesday, June 8, at 11:00 A.M. at Planned Parenthood 1108 16th St. NW, Washington, D.C.   Faith leaders will risk arrest before they surrender their First Amendment rights or allow prayer to be banned on the public sidewalk in the heart of our nation's capital.   The Christian Defense Coalition and their supporters are being represented by the American Center for Law and Justice.   Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, states,   "It is both disturbing and a disgrace that prayer and free speech have been banned and prohibited here in our nation's capital.   "For many years, peaceful pro-life activists were allowed to pray, counsel and share on the public sidewalk and property in front of Planned Parenthood.           Fence fence around public property in front       of the Washington D.C. Planned Parenthood       abortion facility.   "Now after putting up a fence around that public property, the Washington, D.C. Police Department is threatening to arrest anyone who steps inside that fence to pray and counsel.   "Yet, that sidewalk and property still remain public.   "We have applied for a permit for Tuesday, June 8, to pray on the public sidewalk leading up to Planned Parenthood. Our hope is that the city of Washington, D.C. will honor and respect the First Amendment and allow us to celebrate our free speech rights in the nation's capital.   "However, even if we are threatened with arrest and taken to jail will not be bullied or intimidated into silence or surrender. When free speech and public prayer are banned and prohibited, it is the duty of people of faith to peacefully challenge that injustice and boldly take a stand.   "Dr. Martin Luther King stated, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' If we allow the trampling of the First Amendment here in Washington, D.C., then free speech rights are at risk all across America." Contact: Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney Source: Christian Defense Coalition Publish Date: June 7, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

Peter Singer: Is Human Extinction an Acceptable Way to Avoid Suffering?

Peter Singer: Is Human Extinction an Acceptable Way to Avoid Suffering?      At the New York Times blog, Peter Singer favorably discusses a book that I haven't read–Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming Into Existence–that illuminates the profound danger of Singer's utilitarian philosophy and the growing nihilism among the intellectual set.   From Singer's post: Have you ever thought about whether to have a child? If so, what factors entered into your decision? Was it whether having children would be good for you, your partner and others close to the possible child, such as children you may already have, or perhaps your parents? For most people contemplating reproduction, those are the dominant questions. Some may also think about the desirability of adding to the strain that the nearly seven billion people already here are putting on our planet's environment. But very few ask whether coming into existence is a good thing for the child itself. Most of those who consider that question probably do so because they have some reason to fear that the child's life would be especially difficult — for example, if they have a family history of a devastating illness, physical or mental, that cannot yet be detected prenatally. That's pretty simplistic.  People don't sit back and coolly make utilitarian decisions.  We are more vibrant than that, for good and ill, more messy.  Moreover, people who don't want children that will experience difficulties often make that decision because of the problems it will create in their own lives, a value system promoted by the popular culture–hence the ubiquitous practice of eugenic abortion, and in the Netherlands, infanticide–both of which practices are supported enthusiastically by Singer.  Reducing childbearing to crass utilitarian measurements and projections of suffering, thus, leads to justifying killing as an answer thereto, illustrating the oppression unleashed by the avoid suffering at all costs attitudes so prevalent today. Singer takes this mindset to the next logical step, sympathizing with the view that we should become extinct as a way of avoiding suffering: The 19th-century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer held that even the best life possible for humans is one in which we strive for ends that, once achieved, bring only fleeting satisfaction. New desires then lead us on to further futile struggle and the cycle repeats itself. Schopenhauer's pessimism has had few defenders over the past two centuries, but one has recently emerged, in the South African philosopher David Benatar, author of a fine book with an arresting title: "Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence." One of Benatar's arguments trades on something like the asymmetry noted earlier. To bring into existence someone who will suffer is, Benatar argues, to harm that person, but to bring into existence someone who will have a good life is not to benefit him or her. Few of us would think it right to inflict severe suffering on an innocent child, even if that were the only way in which we could bring many other children into the world. Yet everyone will suffer to some extent, and if our species continues to reproduce, we can be sure that some future children will suffer severely. Hence continued reproduction will harm some children severely, and benefit none. Erin Schell Benatar also argues that human lives are, in general, much less good than we think they are. We spend most of our lives with unfulfilled desires, and the occasional satisfactions that are all most of us can achieve are insufficient to outweigh these prolonged negative states. If we think that this is a tolerable state of affairs it is because we are, in Benatar's view, victims of the illusion of pollyannaism. This illusion may have evolved because it helped our ancestors survive, but it is an illusion nonetheless. If we could see our lives objectively, we would see that they are not something we should inflict on anyone. This is nihilism on stilts and it is polluting the West's self confidence and belief in universal human equality like the BP oil well is polluting the Caribbean.  Only the resulting mess isn't measured in polluted beaches and dead birds, but existential despair that destroys human lives. After seeming to embrace the concept of human extinction, Singer takes a step back: I do think it would be wrong to choose the non-sentient universe. In my judgment, for most people, life is worth living. Even if that is not yet the case, I am enough of an optimist to believe that, should humans survive for another century or two, we will learn from our past mistakes and bring about a world in which there is far less suffering than there is now. But justifying that choice forces us to reconsider the deep issues with which I began. Is life worth living? Are the interests of a future child a reason for bringing that child into existence? And is the continuance of our species justifiable in the face of our knowledge that it will certainly bring suffering to innocent future human beings? We have to "justify" continuing the species? Good grief.  Under the influence of anti-human advocates like Peter Singer, we have gone in the West from seeking to "secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity," to seriously questioning whether there should be any posterity at all.  This is not healthy.  But it is the natural consequence of rejecting human exceptionalism. Contact: Wesley Smith Source: Secondhand Smoke Publish Date: June 7, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

NEWS SHORTS FOR MONDAY

NEWS SHORTS FOR MONDAY Planned Parenthood accelerates push for 'sexual rights' of adolescents           International Planned       Parenthood Federation The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is boosting its efforts to influence young people, the group's annual financial report shows. IPPF-- which enjoyed $140 million in revenues in 2009, mostly from government grants-- is pushing for international recognition of the "sexual rights" of adolescents. Click here for the entire article. Help Us Defeat the Culture of Death: Come to the Baby Conference           The Baby Conference       July 8-10 in San Antonio Just a few of the topics covered and messages to be brought at The Baby Conference: The Blessing of Children--Large Family Logistics--What the Bible Says About Biblical Discipline in the Home-Everything You Need to Know About Adoption--The First Three Years--Reversal Surgery--The Wonders of Embryology--Naming Your Children--Children as Pets-Toys, Tools and Children--The Role of Grandparents in the Life of Children--The Hopeful Theology of Miscarriage--How the Local Church Builds a Culture of Life--The Myth of Overpopulation--Caring for Disabled Children--Surviving the First Fifty Years of the Pill--Top Legal issues Facing Parents--The Demographic Bomb--What the Bible Says About Birth Control--The Future of Health Care for Christian Families--Surrogacy--Designer Babies--Artificial Wombs--Brain Death--Care for the Elderly--Birthing Options. Click here for the entire article. Research Links Genetically Modified Food To Long Term Sterility           Genetically Modified Food       may cause long term sterility A new study done by Russian scientists suggests that Genetically Modified Food may cause long term sterility, that is, sterility in second and third generations. The scientists used hamsters for this research and divided them into groups. One group of hamsters was fed a normal diet without any soy products, a second group was fed non-GMO (genetically modified organism) soy, the third ate GM soy and the fourth group was fed an even higher amount of GM soy than the third. Each group produced about seven to eight litters of baby hamsters each without any problems. But when the researchers selected new breeding pairs from the offspring, the second generation had a slower growth rate and reached their sexual maturity later than normal. They also had a mortality rate, five times higher than the hamsters who didn't eat soy. Click here for the entire article. New UN Report Confirms Canada's Refusal to Fund Third World Abortion           Third World Abortion Tools A new report from the World Health Organization and UNICEF has underscored the wisdom behind Prime Minister Stephen Harper's decision to exclude abortion from Canada's maternal and child health initiative.  Declaring that 2 million maternal, newborn, and stillbirth deaths result each year from a lack of skilled birth attendants, the Countdown to 2015 Decade Report (2000-2010) reveals the importance of the simple solutions that Harper outlined when he first announced the initiative in January. The report, released Thursday, tracked the progress over the last decade of the 68 countries where more than 95% of all maternal and child deaths take place.   Click here for the entire article. Poll: 60 Percent of Americans Favor Repeal of Health Care Bill           President Obama signs       the Democrats' health       care bill into law. Nearly two out of three Americans polled are in favor of repealing the health-care bill that Congress passed in March according to a recent Rasmussen Report.   Down three points from last week, this is the second straight week the polling company has found support at or above 60 percent for a repeal of the bill that will reform the national health care system. Click here for the entire article. Antidepressants during pregnancy cause alarming 68 percent increased risk of miscarriage           Antidepressants during        pregnancy can cause        miscarriage Back in 2005, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that exposure to the antidepressant paroxetine (sold as Paxil, Paxil CR, and Pexeva) in the first trimester of pregnancy might increase the risk for birth defects, especially heart problems. Did this halt the widespread prescribing of paroxetine and other antidepressants for pregnant women? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Click here for the entire article.

Defense Bill Includes Abortion Funding for Military Bases

Defense Bill Includes Abortion Funding for Military Bases               Senator. Roland Burris, (D-IL) Democrats have offered an amendment to the Department of Defense spending bill would allow abortions on U.S. bases. Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., proposed the amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act in a closed committee mark-up.  It would allow taxpayer funded abortions on both domestic and overseas military bases.  Elective abortions have not been allowed on military bases since the Clinton administration.  Speaking from the floor Thursday, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told his colleagues that the Burris amendment would change that.  "Abortion-at-will will be the requirement for our military installations," he said, "and the medical facilities on those installations.  And I guarantee you (the amendment) will be challenged on the floor of the House and Senate, with separate amendments.  Members will be given a chance to vote on this separate issue." Contact: Roger Greer Source: CitizenLink Publish Date: June 1, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

"Walk 4 Life" for Southside Pregnancy Center

"Walk 4 Life" for Southside Pregnancy Center      Southside Pregnancy Center will host its 26th annual "Walk 4 Life" fundraising event on Saturday, June 19, 2010 at Chicago Christian High School's Track & Field in Palos Heights, Ill (12001 S. Oak Park Ave.). Event day begins with registration/check-in at 9:15am, followed by a brief opening program at 10:00am and ending with a one-mile walk around the track.  The Walk is scheduled to conclude by 11:30am. Those who prefer to "Rock 4 Life" can do so in one of the available rocking chairs on site. The Walk 4 Life is a day to CELEBRATE LIFE; an event the whole family can enjoy. "This is a great opportunity for the community to come together and make a difference in the lives of others.  By raising awareness and funds, Southside Pregnancy Center will continue to offer FREE limited medical services and crisis pregnancy intervention to those in need,"  said Kathy Bozyk, executive director for Southside Pregnancy Center.  Walkers are encouraged to visit www.SouthsidePregnancy.org to PRE-REGISTER and access their FREE, user-friendly "Walk 4 Life" promotional webpage.  Walkers can customize their webpage and link to other social networking groups such as Facebook© and Twitter to help them achieve their personal fundraising goals quickly and effortlessly.  All ONLINE pre-registrants (by 5pm Friday, June 18th) will receive a FREE water bottle at the event registration/check-in table on event day. Others may pre-register by calling 708.346.9070 or by faxing their completed form to 708.346.9077.  Additional pledge forms can be mailed upon request or can be downloaded at www.SouthsidePregancy.org.  Last minute Walkers are welcome to participate and can register on event day. For more information about the "Walk 4 Life", visit www.SouthsidePregnancy.org or call the events office at 708.346.9070. Source: Illinois Review Publish Date: June 1, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

Pro-life Patience Wears Thin as Illinois Parental Notice Law Languishes in Legal Limbo

Pro-life Patience Wears Thin as Illinois Parental Notice Law Languishes in Legal Limbo      Illinois' parental notice law has languished unenforced for nearly 15 years since its initial passage. Now that the constitutionality of the law has been repeatedly vindicated in the courts, pro-life attorneys are demanding the law be enforced. The embattled Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995 requires that one parent or legal guardian must be notified 48 hours in advance when a minor aged 17 or younger seeks an abortion. Attorneys from the Thomas More Society filed an appeal with the First District Appellate Court on Friday in an effort to implement the law, which has been challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union, saying there is no longer a legal basis to delay its enforcement. "The Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act has held up numerous times against attacks by the ACLU and other opponents, and we believe there is no legal reason to prevent implementation of this long-overdue and much-needed law in Illinois," said Peter Breen, Thomas More Society executive director and legal counsel. "It is time to enforce this law and put an end to secret abortions in Illinois." Judge Daniel Riley of the Cook County Circuit Court dismissed the ACLU lawsuit this past March, ruling the Act constitutionally valid. While he viewed the 1970 Illinois State Constitution as including a right to abortion, he said the Act should stand since the Illinois right to abortion is not broader than the federal right, thereby allowing for certain restrictions.   However, Riley issued an indefinite stay on his order for the duration of the ACLU's legal appeal, which was filed on Thursday. Thomas More Society legal counsel Peter Breen told LifeSiteNews.com that they are challenging the stay, as the appeal process could take years and further delay the implementation of the  repeatedly vindicated law. "It's been absurd the delay on this law," said Breen, noting that the Act was approved in 1995. The Thomas More Society has intervened in the case on behalf of county prosecutors Stu Umholtz, Republican State Attorney of Tazwell County, and Ed Deters, Democrat State Attorney of Effingham County. The State Attorneys are demanding the law be enforced, so they can defend the interests of parents in their counties whose minor daughters are procuring secret abortions. Breen added that the Thomas More Society is acting to ensure that Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan defends the parental notice act properly. Breen explained that otherwise Madigan has little incentive to defend the pro-life law, as Planned Parenthood was the fourth largest contributor in her election campaign. The pro-life legal advocates plan to file a docketing statement with the district court within a week, and will then prepare briefs arguing for the immediate implementation of the law. The appeals process, Breen said, may go as far as the state Supreme Court, which would likely rule in favor of the law. Five years previously, the Supreme Court created a court by-pass procedure designed to make the law constitutional in Illinois. But Breen cautioned that the outcome will depend on the strategy of the ACLU, which has shown a willingness to delay a law as long as possible before dropping an appeal they may very well lose. In November 2009, the ACLU intervened in court to strike down the parental notice law on the very day it was finally supposed to go into full effect. However, the Illinois Medical Disciplinary Board and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation decided to enforce the pro-life law without further delay. The law had been in legal limbo for nearly 15 years while various constitutional issues were hashed out. Since the passage of the Parental Notice of Abortion Act in 1995, over 50,000 Illinois girls below the age of majority have obtained abortions, more than 4,000 of whom were 14 years old or younger, without any requirement to notify their parents beforehand. Contact: Peter J. Smith Source: LifeSiteNews.com Publish Date: June 1, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

“Assisted Suicide: Why Now?”

"Assisted Suicide: Why Now?"      Legatus Magazine asked me to write a piece on the recent successes in assisted suicide advocacy.  I said yes, I wrote, and it is now out. I begin with a brief recitation of the history of modern assisted suicide advocacy, starting with the failed attempt to place a legalization initiative on the 1988 California ballot, through legalization by the Montana Supreme Court in 2009.  Then, it is on to the primary subject of "why now."  From my column: A question amidst all of this Sturm und Drang naturally arises: Why now? After all, 100 years ago when people did die in agony from such illnesses as a burst appendix, there was little talk of legalizing euthanasia. But now, when pain and other forms of suffering are readily alleviated and the hospice movement has created truly compassionate methods to care for the dying, suddenly we hear the battle cry "death with dignity" as "the ultimate civil liberty." In fighting assisted suicide since 1993, I have often pondered the "why now" question. I've found two answers: First, the perceived overriding purpose of society has shifted to the benefit of assisted suicide advocacy, and second, our public policies are driven and defined by a media increasingly addicted to slinging emotional narratives rather than reporting about rational discourse and engaging in principled analysis. Add in a popular culture enamored with social outlaws, and the potential exists for a perfect euthanasia storm. I discuss Yuval Levin's important insight, discussed here before: Social commentator Yuval Levin, a protégé of ethicist Leon Kass, described the new societal zeitgeist in his recent book Imagining the Future: Science and American Democracy. While not about assisted suicide per se, Levin hit the nail on the head when he described society as no longer being concerned primarily with helping citizens to lead "the virtuous life." Rather, he wrote, "relief and preservation from disease and pain, from misery and necessity" have "become the defining ends of human action, and therefore of human societies." In other words, preventing suffering and virtually all difficulty is now paramount. In such a cultural milieu, eliminating suffering easily mutates into eliminating the sufferer. The prevent-suffering-at-all-costs agenda is harnessed by assisted suicide advocates through publicizing heart-rending stories of seriously ill or disabled patients who want to die. Illustrating how potent this emotional narrative has become, even the ghoulish Jack Kevorkian is being remade into a big softy concerned solely with relieving suffering. I get into the real Jack Kevorkian, again, also discussed here previously.  And I end on a hopeful note, touched with a dose of realism: Still, there is good news in spite of the darkening sky: Principle and virtue are not dead. To the consternation of assisted suicide advocates, the sanctity-of-life principle has not yet completely lost its vitality. The vast majority of doctors in Oregon do not assist patient suicides; most of such deaths are facilitated by the advocacy group Compassion and Choices. In Washington, physicians and health corporations — such as the Providence Hospitals — have pushed back against the new law by stating publicly that they will not participate. And despite millions of dollars spent promoting the agenda (financed by the likes of George Soros), assisted suicide has not broken into the mainstream of American law and medical practice. But they will keep trying. Successful resistance does not require giving up vital principles. Opponents, however, will have to tailor their message of true compassion and care in ways that resonate within the current cultural milieu. Just saying that killing is wrong is no longer enough. The case against assisted suicide is compelling, but since it often lacks emotional immediacy, it is sometimes hard to make in a tabloid media addicted to provocative images and soundbite analysis.  But slowly, we are succeeding. For example, according to the most recent Gallup Poll on the issue, 46% of those polled think think assisted suicide is morally wrong, tied with 46% who don't.  That's a steep decline from the 53-41 pro assisted suicide view polled in 2004. Contact: Wesley J. Smith Source: Secondhand Smoke Publish Date: June 1, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

Most US abortions involve coercion or pressure, group says

Most US abortions involve coercion or pressure, group says          20-year-old Caitlin Bruce wanted to      keep her child after seeing its ultrasound      image. The Elliot Institute, an Illinois organization dedicated to helping women recover from the aftermath of abortions, suggests that "probably the majority of abortions in the United States are unwanted or coerced in one way or another." The group cites studies that show many women procure abortion under pressure from their families or boyfriends, while some feel pressure from their employers to end their pregnancies. More ominously, the group notes that homicide is the leading cause of death among pregnant women in the US. The Elliott Institute made its findings public as an abortionist in Michigan admitted that he had forcibly restrained a woman who tried to leave his operating room after he began an abortion. Dr. Abraham Alberto Hodari said that although Caitlin Bruce told him she had changed her mind about the procedure after seeing an ultrasound image of her unborn child, he could not stop the procedure safely. Michigan Abortionist Admits to Forcing Client into Abortion Michigan abortionist Abraham Alberto Hodari has admitted to having an assistant forcibly restrain a woman who changed her mind about having an abortion, claiming he had already begun the procedure and wanted to guarantee a "safe abortion." Local station NBC 25, which has determinedly pursued this story of forced abortion at Hodari's Flint's Feminine Health Care Clinic, reports that 20-year-old Caitlin Bruce wanted to keep her child after seeing its ultrasound image. Bruce said that Hodari was in the midst of inserting a speculum, a medical tool used for the dilation and examination of the vagina and cervix, when she pleaded with him to stop the abortion. "I just told him stop please," she told the news station.  "I'm really nervous and I don't want to do this anymore." Hodari insisted to NBC 25 that it was "too late" for him to stop. The abortionist, who was vacationing in Italy at the time of the interview, told the station that "there was blood and tissue on [his instruments] from pregnancy." He thought Bruce would have suffered complications, such as infection or severe bleeding, if he had listened to her. However, the trustworthiness of the Michigan abortionist has been called into question by comments he made at Wayne University in 2007, where he told medical students that doctors have a license to "lie" to their patients. Flint obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Mona Hardas, M.D., found Hodari's medical ethics abhorrent. She told NBC 25 that Hodari had an obligation to stop the abortion, and could have had Bruce transported to the emergency room for a second opinion as to whether the fetus could be saved. "I am shocked," Hardas said. "I can't believe this is still happening in this day and age." Hodari faces civil charges over the alleged forced abortion. Although Bruce filed a police report, the Genesee County prosecutor has yet to press criminal charges against the abortionist. Bruce's story aligns with testimonies from other women who have described similar horror stories of coerced abortions at Hodari's hands.  A report by Operation Rescue shows Hodari has a record of 49 documented lawsuits over a span of decades. The history of Hodari's abortion practice also does not fit in with the story he told NBC 25 that he provides women "safe abortions." The abortionist has been implicated in the deaths of at least four women from abortion-related complications.  In June 2009, the Disciplinary Subcommittee of Michigan's Board of Medicine fined Hodari $10,000 for negligence in connection with the botched abortion death of Regina Johnson.  Numerous complaints have been filed against the abortionist for improper disposal of human remains and abortion records found in Hodari's dumpster.  Hodari received a sentence of six months' probation on one such count in February. In November, Hodari put his abortion clinics on the market along with his collection of expensive classic cars and hastily filed for divorce from his wife of 29 years. Local activists told Operation Rescue that it appeared that he was attempting to liquidate his assets so he could flee the country, possibly to his former home in Argentina. Source: CWNews  LifeSiteNews.com Publish Date: June 2, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

Mexican Supreme Court: Distribute Morning After Pill, or Go to Prison

Mexican Supreme Court: Distribute Morning After Pill, or Go to Prison           The Supreme Court of Mexico Building The Supreme Court of Mexico has ruled that the abortifacient 'morning after pill' must be distributed by all hospitals in Mexico, public and private. A Supreme Court Minister stated that officials who refuse to comply with the ruling may be removed from their positions, prosecuted, and imprisoned. Doctors universally acknowledge that the pill can take the life of the zygote, which is a human life at the earliest stage. But the court ruled on Friday that it does not cause abortions, and therefore is compatible with the right-to-life amendments recently passed by the states of Mexico. "We have finished with a matter that is very debatable and probably our decision is not universally convincing, but it is the product of the personal conviction of each one of the ministers, of our personal juridical knowledge and of our faithful knowing and understanding," said Supreme Court President Guillermo Ortiz. Minister José Ramón Cossío authored the court's decision and said that those who refuse to comply "could be subject to very severe consequences, because noncompliance is one of the gravest points that the Constitution addresses." "If at the end of the day there were defiance of the sentence, [an official] can be removed from his office and be subject to a penal process for committing a crime against the administration of justice," he added. According to Cossío, doctors would not be given the privilege of conscientious objection. "If the general authorities of the government have the pill, and some doctors don't wish to give it, there are also sanctions against them contained in the Official Norm and the General Law of Health," he said, claiming that "we're not talking about an abortive process, and therefore there is no objection of conscience.  The doctor must offer [the morning after pill]." Emilio González, governor of the state of Jalisco and author of the suit challenging the directive, said that he would comply with the Supreme Court decision. Although the court's decision theoretically applies also to Catholic hospitals, the bishops of the country have yet to comment on the decision. Contact: Matthew Cullinan Hoffman Source: LifeSiteNews.com Publish Date: May 31, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

NEWS SHORTS FOR WEDNESDAY

NEWS SHORTS FOR WEDNESDAY Planned Parenthood Pushes for Free Birth Control Under Obamacare      As health reform regulations begin to take shape, Planned Parenthood has begun a quiet campaign to ensure that birth control is counted among the free preventive services that health insurers must cover under the Affordable Care Act. Birth control barely came up in the health care reform debate, brushed aside by the more heated debate over abortion language and coverage. But with numerous religious groups opposed to contraceptive use, this issue is all but certain to become a flash point as implementation moves forward. Beginning Sept. 23, six months after the reform law passed, many health insurance plans will be required to provide free preventive services coverage, with no co-pays or out-of-pocket costs. During the reform debate, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) added an amendment that specified guaranteed "additional preventive care and screenings" specific to women's health would also receive coverage. Click here for the entire article. SC House-Senate Budget Conference Committee Abandons Unborn Babies In State Budget Compromise           South Carolina House       of Representatives The six-man (FOUR REPUBLICANS, two Democrats) House-Senate Budget Conference Committee *** agreed to throw out the SC House-passed amendment (March 17-18) banning state-funding of abortions in the State Health Insurance Plan for rape, incest, and unrestricted life of the mother "abortions", in the FY 2011 State Budget compromise [ FY 2011 State Appropriations (Budget) Bill - H 4657 ]. The Republican-majority SC Senate had earlier (April 28) refused to pass the same amendment. Click here for the entire article. Women in Italy to Be Offered $5,514 to Not Have Abortions           Roberto Formigoni In a policy welcomed by anti-abortion campaigners but dismissed by critics as propaganda, women in northern Italy who cannot afford to have their babies are to be offered €4,500 (£3,700; $5,514) not to have an abortion. Roberto Formigoni, the centre-right governor of the Lombardy region, said that the offer was to fulfil his pledge in regional elections in March that no woman should have to have an abortion because of economic difficulties. During the regional poll the ruling centre-right coalition, led by Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister, made a pitch for the Catholic vote by supporting Vatican policies on issues such as abortion and birth control. Click here for the entire article. 26 Pro-Life Groups Unite in Nationwide Protest Against Birth Control Pill           Protest the Pill Day American Life League and 26 other pro-life organizations have joined together for "Protest the Pill Day: The Pill Kills the Environment" on June 5. At the national event launch at 11 a.m. outside of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Dr. James Joyce, M.D., Jennifer Giroux, R.N., and pro-life activists Marie Hahnenberg, Michael Hichborn and Katie Walker will testify to the harmful effects birth control has on our environment and our health. The event will draw attention to the environmental and health hazards of the nation's most commonly used contraceptive method – the birth control pill – which turns 50 years old this year. Click here for the entire article. Pro-abortion Speaker Pelosi says public policy should line up with Christian teachings           Speaker Nancy Pelosi House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, addressing a May 6 Catholic conference on Capitol Hill, said she believes Catholics must pursue public policy in keeping with the values of "the Word made flesh" and must be prepared to answer to Jesus Christ for how their actions "measured up." Pelosi, a pro-abortion rights Catholic, has been rebuked for her statements supporting abortion. Her recent comments on religion came at the event "A Washington Briefing for the Nation's Catholic Community," sponsored by the National Catholic Reporter and Trinity Washington University. Click here for the entire article.

Illinois Planned Parenthood to face the music

Illinois Planned Parenthood to face the music      A Dupage County judge has denied a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against a Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Illinois. In 2006 and 2007, plans were under way for what was originally described as a medical facility for doctors. But Peter Breen, executive director of the Thomas More Society, explains that it appears officials were trying to bring a 22,000-square-foot, $7.5-million abortion facility in under the radar. Peter Breen (Thomas More Society)"There were several surgical rooms, a number of examination rooms, and after about a year in the development process, it was finally uncovered and laid out in the major newspapers here in Chicago that this was intended to be a mega-abortion facility for Planned Parenthood, which at the time was their largest in the country," Breen reports. Since the city of Aurora and the Zoning Building Board of Appeals have been turning a blind eye to the abortuary's violations, he is pleased that the court will allow the case to proceed. "We've been pursuing a suit for over two-and-a-half years now, and we've been trying to get the zoning laws of Aurora and the building code laws of the city of Aurora imposed on the Planned Parenthood....The political leaders in Aurora are friendly to the Planned Parenthood message and have ignored the cries of their citizens to have the laws equally enforced against Planned Parenthood," the executive director laments. Several remaining procedural actions need to be addressed before the case goes to trial. Contact: Charlie Butts Source: OneNewsNow Publish Date: June 1, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

Thomas More Society appeals in effort to end delay of IL Parental Notice of Abortion Act

Thomas More Society appeals in effort to end delay of IL Parental Notice of Abortion Act      Today, attorneys from the Thomas More Society filed an appeal in an effort to vacate the stay Judge Daniel Riley imposed on the implementation of the IL Parental Notice of Abortion Act, arguing that there is no legal basis to further delay the law. "The IL Parental Notice of Abortion Act has held up numerous times against attacks by the ACLU and other opponents, and we believe there is no legal reason to prevent implementation of this long-overdue and much- needed law in Illinois," said Peter Breen, Thomas More Society executive director and legal counsel. "It is time to enforce this law and put an end to secret abortions in Illinois." Earlier this spring, Judge Riley dismissed a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union that challenged the constitutionality of the Act and imposed a stay of his decision until the ACLU's appeal of that decision is complete -- a process that could take years. The Thomas More Society has argued that the continuation of the temporary restraining order via Judge Riley's indefinite stay violates Illinois law and contradicts the will of the people, particularly after the law had been found constitutional and valid. Source: Pro-Life Blogs Publish Date: May 31, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

FDA Urged to Reject Dangerous Over-The-Counter Abortion Drug

FDA Urged to Reject Dangerous Over-The-Counter Abortion Drug      Today, Americans United for Life filed testimony with the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs, urging the FDA not to approve the abortion drug Ulipristal or make it available over-the-counter. "The FDA and abortion proponents are misrepresenting Ulipristal as an 'emergency contraception' drug -- it's simply the next generation of RU-486," said Dr. Charmaine Yoest, President and CEO of Americans United for Life. "The American people need to know that Ulipristal is a dangerous drug that will place women's lives in danger." The abortion drug RU-486 is the parent compound of Ulipristal. RU-486 subjects women to drastic health risks, including risks of bacterial infection and hemorrhage. To date, at least 13 women have died after using RU-486. Ulipristal is subject to similar risks, and unsupervised, over-the-counter access would put countless women's lives in danger. Click here to read the  testimony filed by Americans United for Life with the FDA Advisory Committee. Contact: Matthew Faraci Source: Americans United for Life Publish Date: June 1, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

Burris pushes for military abortions

Burris pushes for military abortions If you thought Roland Burris was a harmless lame duck filling Barack Obama's old U.S. Senate seat until next January, you were mistaken.  Burris has taken advantage of his lack of accountability to try and overturn a longstanding military policy that would cause U.S. taxpayers to pay for military abortions -- both overseas and in the states.  Thursday, Burris' amendment striking the current restriction on military abortions passed out of U.S. Senate Armed Service Committee in a 15 to 12 vote. If Burris' amendment becomes law, all military medical facilities will be required to provide unrestricted abortions, including for the purposes of sex selection as well as anytime in the pregnancy, from conception to baby's birth.      Mississippi Senator Wicker led the discussion in opposition to Burris amendment:     The committee yesterday decided to reverse this long-standing policy and to say that indeed abortions, for whatever reason, will be performed in these facilities that are paid for by taxpayer expense that are there for the care of our service members to keep them healthy and to repair their injuries. We're going to use those facilities for elective abortions. If this amendment stands -- and I guarantee you it will be challenged on the floor of the House and Senate, with separate amendments -- Members will be given a chance to vote on this separate issue.     But if this stands, our military installations, Fort Bragg, Columbus Air Force Base, Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi, their medical facilities will be able to be used for abortions, performed late term, abortions performed for purposes of sex selection, abortions performed for any reason. Abortion-at-will will be the requirement for our military installations and the medical facilities on those installations. Click here for Senator Burris' website response section.  Let him know what you think -- after all, he still represents Illinoisans, whether he acknowledges it or not. The bill number is HR 5136, entitled: The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 Source: Illinois Review Publish Date: May 28, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

Rockford Abortion Mill Hits New Low In Grotesque Window Dressing

Rockford Abortion Mill Hits New Low In Grotesque Window Dressing      Grotesque "decorations" in the windows of the notoriously bizarre Northern Illinois Women's Center abortuary in Rockford, featuring such things as rubber chickens hanging from nooses, a nun in a coffin, and posters taunting the pro-lifers who regularly keep vigil outside with mocking and hateful messages, has hit a new level of offensiveness. A sign, located a few feet away from a door to the abortion mill marked "main entrance" has a picture of Jesus sticking up his middle finger at passers-by with the words "Even Jesus Hates You." Rockford Pro-Life said in their newsletter that pro-life sidewalk counselors were shocked, that, even considering this abortion mill's history of bigotry, they would place a sign with this message near their new main clinic entrance. One sidewalk counselor was quoted to say, "What are they trying to do to these women, break their spirit?" Another pro-lifer commented, "it looks like their message to a woman facing the most difficult decision she will ever make in her life is Jesus hates you, go ahead and kill your baby." Another angle the abortion mill has taken is to post signs that personally attack the Catholic priests who gather every week to pray at the abortuary. "An unofficial count of mothers entering the mill within a month of these devout priests praying showed the abortion totals to be cut at least in half. This is also when signs started appearing in the mill windows attacking Catholic Priests," a spokesman for Rockford Pro-Life observed. "On Friday May 28th, the abortion mill sank to a new low even for them," the pro-lifer said. "As a priest was quietly praying the prayers of the Church accompanied by a seminarian, someone inside the building that houses the Northern Illinois Women's Center put a sign that clearly stated, "F.... Your Perverted Priests." It was reported that Catholic priests have also had to endure personal insults from the abortion mill landlord and security guard. The car of one priest has been egged by an abortion supporter at this mill. A priest has also had a hand-written sign taped to his car while he was quietly praying on the sidewalk in front of the mill. The sign read, "I Rape Children." As one Rockford area pro-lifer said, "This group of priests has prayed at this mill no matter the weather, intimidation, and mocking threats they have faced. In the spirit of Jesus Christ, they have responded to these attacks with prayer, humility, and love." The response of the pro-life community in the face of these attacks has been both prayerful and hopeful. "It is the hope of the Rockford Christian community that Rockford city officials will look into the long and hate-filled history of the abortion mill and come to a decision that this kind of bigotry is not acceptable in our city," the group said in a statement.   "As for these holy men who pray and work for life and for an end to the demonic inspired culture of death in Rockford, we owe them our support, prayers, and grateful thanks for leading us in this battle against sin, Satan, and death." Contact: Thaddeus M. Baklinski Source: LifeSiteNews.com Publish Date: May 31, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

Abstinence message - teachers wrong, student right

Abstinence message - teachers wrong, student right A middle-school student in Minnesota has regained his right to wear at school a T-shirt bearing an abstinence message.       Virginity Rocks t-shirtOfficials at Hastings Middle School had initially prohibited seventh-grader Johnathon Kinney from wearing the T-shirt with the message "Virginity Rocks!" On April 26, two school teachers confronted Kinney about the shirt, informing him that it was offensive and should be covered up. School officials also warned Kinney against wearing the shirt again.   After contacting the principal about the incident -- and finding he supported the teachers' decision -- Kinney's parents contacted The Rutherford Institute. John Whitehead, president of the Institute, explains the sequence of events that followed.   "We sent a very strong legal letter saying we're going to sue the school district because this is a First Amendment right of school students," says the attorney.   John Whitehead"In order to prohibit students from doing anything at schools, you have to show that somehow it's going to cause disruption or reasonably forecast it's going to cause disruption," he explains. "They couldn't show that here -- so once the lawyer for the school board looked at the issue, they knew that school officials were wrong."   Whitehead tells OneNewsNow that wearing the T-shirt is one way for students who agree with Johnathon Kinney to express their free-speech rights.   "On the front it says 'Virginity Rocks!' -- and on the back it says 'I'm loving my wife and I haven't met her yet,'" he shares. "It's a pretty radical message in a school system where there are virtually no morals."   Whitehead says he is pleased that school officials have recognized their error and have agreed to respect the student's First Amendment rights by allowing him to wear his T-shirt to school. Contact: Bill Bumpas Source: OneNewsNow Publish Date: May 31, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.