National pro-life group urges more bills to stop late-term abortionists

    

In the wake of massive pro-life gains on November 2, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) is calling on State legislatures to mimic the Nebraska law that forced notorious late-term abortionist LeRoy Carhart to shut down his Nebraska facility.

Carhart was forced to go elsewhere to continue his abortion business after the Nebraska legislature passed Legislative Bill 103 (L.B. 103), which bans abortions over 20 weeks post-conception, based on the fact that science has definitively proven a child is capable of feeling pain at that age.

Carhart, who relies on late-term abortions for the bulk of his business, announced last week that he is looking to set up new facilities in Iowa and Maryland, with a third in Indiana providing only early term abortions. He specifically mentioned that he had to leave because of the new law.

"This sort of forced us. We had to do it," Carhart told the Omaha World Herald. "In Iowa and Maryland, we can do the later cases."

NRLC's Director of State Legislation Mary Spaulding Balch, J.D. said today that other states should adopt similar laws to L.B. 103 to bring an end to late-term abortions. "Nebraska's groundbreaking law protecting pain-capable unborn children is an example for other states in the nation."

"LeRoy Carhart's hopscotching around the nation to find areas that allow abortion for any reason, at any time, underscores the need for other states to pass similar legislation to put Carhart and the hundreds of other abortionists who perform abortions late in pregnancy out of business."

NRLC said it is planning on holding a State Legislative Strategy Conference on December 7 to plan how best to capitalize on pro-life gains made in state legislative and gubernatorial elections. The conference will concentrate on a model bill based on Nebraska's L.B. 103.

Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: November 18, 2010

I had an Abortion and I Hate Myself

     

Note: Kelly Clinger, a performer and former backup singer for the pop star Britney Spears, had two abortions when she was in her early twenties. She tells her abortion stories in more depth here. This article, written this week, tells of her continuing struggles to come to terms with the aftermath of those abortions.

This week has been a complete hell.

Someone asked if I had heard about the doctor in Orlando who has been in a lot of trouble, and when I searched for news about it, I realized it was James Pendergraft, the doctor who did my abortions.  He has now had his medical license suspended for the fourth time, this time for performing late term abortions past the time when they are legal.

When I saw a picture of the clinic, I crumbled.  When I saw a picture of the doctor, I began weeping and I couldn't stop.

Every sight, every sound, every feeling came back.  I can still remember the poster on the ceiling.  It was the last thing I saw before I fell asleep from the anesthesia, and the first thing I saw when I woke up.

The article was full of stories about women like me … ones who have suffered for months, even years, because of incomplete abortions.

There was a woman who was awake and saw her baby being pulled from her as his body fell apart in the doctor's hands.  They had her frantic 911 call as she decided she wanted the baby to live after seeing that it actually is a baby, but no one at the clinic would help.  By the time the ambulance arrived, the baby was dead.

It's an uncomfortable subject … because if I call it a baby, if I admit that it was a boy or a girl who had 10 fingers and 10 toes and a life that was already mapped out by God, then I am calling myself a killer.  If I talk about it, blog about it, pray about it, then that makes it real.

But just when I think I've pushed the memories far enough behind that they won't catch up with me, there they are again.

The self-hatred is paralyzing.  It lurks closely and tells me that I don't deserve happiness.  The guilt is suffocating.  It has affected every relationship I have.  I can't trust or attempt intimacy.

I would take a bullet for my out-of-the-womb children.  Why didn't I protect the ones inside?

I have given up hope that the past could have been different.  I cannot change what I did.  Every bible study, counseling session, and prayer seems to just be a band-aid over a wound that will never heal.

So, I will be a voice for my children who only know heaven.  I will be a voice for the millions of women who live in regret, guilt, self-hatred and fear of being "found out".  I will be painfully honest about every feeling I have, and I will stand up for life even when it's unpopular and politically incorrect.  So, please spare me your pro-life/pro-choice arguments.  I know what I saw.  I know how I feel.  I will never be the same.  I will never get over it.

And if I don't take this pain and make it my purpose, I think it might kill me.

Click here for Kelly Clinger's blog. This article reprinted by LifeSiteNews.com with permission.

Contact: Kelly Clinger
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: November 18, 2010

The Feminist Treaty

    

The rapid-fire rate at which Democrats seem to be pandering to far-left constituencies has left social conservatives next to breathless.

Just this week, Democrats in the U.S. Senate swiftly lined up hearings on a number of objectionable executive and judicial nominees, as well as extreme domestic and international legislation – some that could even fly in the face of the U.S. Constitution.

One of the most troubling hearings was called by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who resurrected the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).  The move is seen as attempt to move the treaty – for the first time – to the Senate floor for a vote.

FULL-COURT (FEMINIST) PRESS

CEDAW was first introduced in 1979 at the United Nations. To date, 186 of 193 nations have ratified the treaty. The holdouts are: The U.S., Iran, Quatar, Somalia, Sudan and four Asian Pacific or Central Asian countries.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – who coined the phrase in the 1990′s: "Human rights are women's rights, and women's rights are human rights" – is one of the staunchest proponents of seeing this feminist treaty passed.

To that end, the Obama administration became the first one since 1980 to submit the treaty to the Senate for ratification. Previous administrations have steadfastly resisted the liberal push – and for good reason, according to social conservatives.

SEEING THROUGH CEDAW

Conservative groups – including CitizenLink – have long opposed this treaty and are alarmed at the brazenness of the administration and Senate Democrats to push this legislation during the lame-duck session.

Ashley Horne, federal issues analyst for CitizenLink, said that despite a few laudable declarations used to "dress up" the treaty, the underlying intent is both shrewd and destructive to national sovereignty, the institution of marriage, family formation and religious freedom.

"One of the core – and evil – elements of this treaty is to systematically remove any gender distinction in all aspects of society." Horne said. "This would not only impact marriage, child-rearing, and religious freedom, but also the laws governing these foundational institutions."

Horne warned that, if fully implemented, CEDAW would be the greatest foreign intrusion ever into the government and military relations and policies, as well as that of every person, business and community.

She added that there are basically 10 main reasons that every Christian – every American –should be aware of:

Its foundational principle is erroneous

   1. It violates the U.N. Charter
   2. It violates the U.S. Constitution
   3. It imposes pressure illegally on the U.S. to implement quota systems for elections and government offices
   4. It would be more harmful to women than beneficial
   5. It would harm children
   6. It would attack and destroy healthy roles for men and women
   7. It would harm marriage, families and religious freedoms
   8. It would be used to promote abortion
   9. It could be used to pressure the U.S. to legalize prostitution

Click here to read full explanations

The Heritage Foundation maintains the U.S. can do better.

    "Unfortunately, much of the agenda and activities that comprise the (treaty) is, at best, a distraction from the real threats to women's human rights and, at worst, antithetical to the values and needs of women worldwide.

    "To better elevate the status of women and girls, especially in places where they are most vulnerable, the U.S. should reject much of the (CEDAW) agenda and instead reinvigorate its efforts to promote and defend the universally accepted human rights of women and men around the world."

Contact: Catherine Snow
Source: CitizenLink
Publish Date: November 18, 2010

"Stunning Upset" Walsh Wins!

    
    
     Joe Walsh and his wife Helene Walsh

Former congresswomen Melissa Bean called Joe Walsh to concede! 

Sean Hannity announced it on air pm Tuesday!  

We have a new, Pro-life congressmen after six years.

Lake County Right to Life is pleased to announce the election of Joe Walsh as the 8th Congressional District Representative.
 
The election results were released after all of the absentee and provisional ballots were counted. This election is a victory for the pro-life movement.  Representative-elect Walsh had a 100% pro-life candidate survey and was endorsed by Lake County Life PAC, the Pro-Life Victory PAC of McHenry County and Illinois Federation for Right to Life PAC .  
 
The Daily Herald is reporting that "With all ballots finally counted...  Republican Joe Walsh appears to have pulled a stunning upset over three-term Democratic incumbent Melissa Bean". His 291 vote lead could be challenged by Congresswoman Bean, "whose only hopes now may lie in a possible recount".

The Herald also reported that "Walsh currently is attending a weeklong orientation program in Washington, D.C. for newly elected congressmen".
 
Joe Walsh will join a majority in the House of Representatives who will vote to protect life.  An added bonus will be that our members will have a an open door and a sympathetic ear when they contact their Congressional Representative to express their concerns about the issues most important to them.

Lake County Right to Life is looking forward to a close working relationship with Representative-elect Walsh.

Source: Lake County Right to Life
Publish Date: November 16, 2010

Pro-abort Pelosi re-elected as head of House Dems; pro-life Boehner to lead GOP

    
     Representative John Boehner (R)

House Republicans and Democrats chose their respective leaders today, electing to renew a rivalry between Rep. John Boehner and Rep. Nancy Pelosi that became famous during the debate over health care. Boehner and Pelosi hold drastically different views, particularly on issues of life and family.

Boehner, who acted as Minority Leader for the Republicans in the previous Congress, was unanimously chosen by the House GOP conference to be the next Speaker, a position for which he ran unopposed. In a strange coincidence, it was noted that Boehner was elected the 61st Speaker of the House on his 61st birthday.

As leader of the Republicans, Boehner was a major force in the overwhelming victories in the midterm elections. He was also one of the representatives behind the "Pledge to America," a document that outlined the GOP's agenda for the upcoming years and that included a section pledging to eliminate federal funding of abortion. The preamble of the "Pledge" stated, "We pledge to honor families, traditional marriage, life, and the private and faith-based organizations that form the core of our American values."

Rep. Boehner has a long pro-life history. He has a 0% pro-choice voting record from the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL). Conversely, he has a 100% pro-life voting record from the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC).

On Monday, Boehner reaffirmed his commitment to overturning Obamacare and protecting the rights of children, at a reception put on by the Susan B. Anthony List and Students for Life of America for new members of the House.
On the other side of the aisle, Nancy Pelosi was elected by Democrats to be their Minority Leader when the 112th Congress convenes. Pelosi has been seen as a lightening rod for controversy since the mid-term elections, as many have blamed her for the overwhelming losses Democrats suffer.

In the last few days, pro-life Rep. Heath Shuler challenged Pelosi for the leadership position. Pelosi won in the end, though, with a vote of 150-43 in her favor. However, the results of the closed-door election reveal that there is a significant block of Democrats unhappy with her leadership.

Pelosi, who identifies herself as Catholic despite her views on abortion, was the continual target of Republican ads during the mid-term campaigns. Defeated Florida Rep. Allen Boyd called Pelosi the "face of our defeat."

In contrast to her successor Boehner, Pelosi is a staunch abortion advocate. She scores a 100% pro-choice rating from NARAL and is publicly backed by Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood, who cites Pelosi's support for abortion funding in the health care bill as the reason she needs to remain Democratic leader.

Richards recently wrote that, "Nancy Pelosi understands women's health issues in a deeply personal way -- and when she stands for women, it matters…Women need her now more than ever to protect their gains from those who are anxious to roll back health care and undermine their rights under the law."

Both Boehner and Pelosi will be officially selected for their positions of leadership when the 112th congress convenes in January.

Contact: Matthew Anderson
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: November 17, 2010

Non-discrimination treaty denies the obvious

    
     CEDAW: Convention on the Elimination of
     All Forms of Discrimination against Women

A Senate subcommittee will hold a hearing today on a U.N. treaty that pro-family groups claim is a very dangerous.

The hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on human rights and law concerns the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which is an international "bill of rights" for women. Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America (CWA), tells OneNewsNow that though it appears the treaty is meant to promote women's rights, the "anti-constitutional," "anti-woman" contract was actually crafted in the 1970s by what she calls "extreme feminists."

"This treaty would require countries to deny the obvious -- that men and women are different -- and it covers every aspect of life: government, schools, business [and] even family life [comes] under authority of this treaty," she explains.

 The Convention prides itself as the only human rights agreement that affirms the reproductive rights of women and "targets culture and tradition as influential forces shaping gender roles and family relations." But Wright thinks some senators apparently missed the message voters sent them in the midterm elections.

 "It just screams that these senators are more interested in appeasing the liberal, radical elitists who think that the United States is immoral and needs to come under the patriarchal views of the radicals at the United Nations," she laments.

 The CWA president decides this is a good example of why the public should stay informed and show its opposition to the treaty because some senators are trying to sneak this hearing through during the lame-duck session while few people are paying attention.

Contact: Bill Bumpas
Source: OneNewsNow
Publish Date: November 18, 2010

'Bella' saving the unborn

   
    Bella, the movie

A pro-life movie that was released three years ago has gained international attention and awards and is still saving lives of unborn babies.
 
Jason Jones, co-executive producer of Bella, the movie used by pregnancy centers as a counseling tool, launched the Bella HERO initiative as part of his non-profit, the Human rights Education and Relief Organization (HERO).

 "I think I was inspired by the Holy Spirit for this program," he shares. "I wanted to get Bella in the hands of as many young, pregnant women as I could, so we came up with the idea of donating Bella DVDs to pregnancy centers. We've given out over 10,000 DVDs."

 So far, 203 women have credited the movie with their decision to turn against abortion and give their unborn babies life. In fact, three reported changing their plans in one day. A number of pregnancy centers already distribute the video to their abortion-minded clients, but Jones hopes to keep using Bella to spread the pro-life message.

 "Our website is BellaHero.com, and if you're a pregnancy center, you just go up there and sign up, and we'll send you a kit," he explains. "We work with over 500 centers right now. We'll send you a free start-up kit and the Bella DVDs. If you ever need Bella DVDs for your pregnancy center, shoot us an e-mail or contact us through our website," the pro-lifer urges.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow
Publish Date: November 18, 2010

Michigan bills seek dignified burial for abortion victims

    
      Right to Life Michigan

A new set of bills that has cleared the Michigan Senate would protect the remains of aborted babies if passed into law. The proposed legislation comes in response to the revelation in late October that abortion clinics in Delta Township and Saginaw had been illegally dumping fetal remains and medical records into a dumpster.

The new package of bills passed the Senate on November 10 with a vote of 30-8. Right to Life of Michigan (RLM) says that they have assurances from sponsors of the bill that the issue will be taken up in the House at the beginning of the next legislative session in January.

The bills aim to give greater dignity to the remains of unborn children killed in abortion. According to Right to Life Michigan, one bill (H.B. 5928) would change the Michigan health code "so that fetal remains will no longer be classified as 'products of conception,' along with the placenta, umbilical cord, and other uterine contents."

Two other bills (S.B. 1563 and H.B. 5929) would directly legislate the methods hospitals and abortion clinics use to dispose of fetal remains. RLM says that these two bills would "require hospitals and abortion facilities to bury or cremate any fetus or part of a fetus that has recognizable anatomical parts or has completed at least 8 weeks gestation."

Earlier this year 17 aborted babies were found in a dumpster used by the Women's Choice clinic in Delta Township. The remains were discovered by pro-lifer Chris Veneklase, who contacted the group Citizens for a Pro-Life Society (CPLS). Upon further investigation, Dr. Monica Miller of CPLS and Veneklase took the case to Eaton and Saginaw County Sheriffs.

After a 7-month investigation, the Sheriffs departments determined that the Women's Choice clinic in Delta Township and another in Saginaw were dumping fetal remains and patient records in dumpsters. However, the Sheriffs department was unable to file charges since abortion clinics are allowed to dispose of fetal remains in dumpsters under certain conditions. The Sheriffs also found that the clinics were improperly incorporated, and thus could not face prosecution for the dumping of patient records.

A funeral mass will be held for the 17 unborn babies at 11 am on November 20 in St. Mary's Cathedral. The mass will be celebrated by Bishop Earl Boyea of the Diocese of Lansing. A burial is scheduled to follow at St. Joseph's Cemetary in Lansing.

Contact: Matthew Anderson
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: November 17, 2010

Rotary Urged to Withdraw Invitation to Speaker from Planned Parenthood

    
     Rotary Club International

The Planned Parenthood watchdog organization Life Decisions International has urged Rotary Club of Walla Walla (RCWW) to cancel a planned event titled, "Serving Our Community With Vital Health Care -- Planned Parenthood," which is scheduled for February 10, 2011. The speaker for the event will be Anna Franks, chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho.

"We are not surprised that a Rotary Club is involved with Planned Parenthood," said Kenneth C. Garvey, director of communications for Life Decisions International. "But we continue to be appalled by the increasingly close relationship between the two pro-population-control groups."

In 2007, Life Decisions International published a report showing that Rotary International funds pro-abortion UNICEF, allows its chapters to fund abortion-committing Planned Parenthood, and works closely with the rabidly pro-abortion and pro-population-control UNFPA. Moreover Rotary's intense fascination with and promotion of population control from within its own organization through the Rotarian Fellowship for Population & Development is exposed. Titled, "Rotary's Dance With Death: Population Control Agenda And Ties To Pro-Abortion Groups Eclipse Good Works," the report specifically refutes the disingenuous statements made by Rotary officials in their absurd attempts to make people believe Rotary is not involved in such controversial and highly distressing activities.

The report concludes with these words: "It is impossible for any person with an intact conscience to turn a blind eye to Rotary's ungodly associations and population control works. One may offer up any excuse or justification he or she desires, but there is no way that anyone who truly cares about human life, born and preborn, could be associated with Rotary International. No way whatsoever."

"Rotary has been in bed with Planned Parenthood on many occasions," Garvey said. "We suggest that Rotary protect itself from further denunciation by canceling the event scheduled for February 2011."

RCWW is headed by Pedrito Maynard-Reid, who holds a doctorate in theology. Maynard-Reid once studied at Fuller Theological Seminary. The Seminary's "Purpose and Mission Beyond the Mission" states, "We aim to participate in other concerns that rightly evoke the attention of many Christians [including] the cavalier attitude toward human life which has encouraged the frightening rise in abortions."

Maynard-Reid is currently a professor of biblical studies at Walla Walla University (WWU), which is associated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDAC). Its official policy on abortion makes it clear that the SDAC is not pro-life: "The Church does not serve as conscience for individuals; however, it should provide moral guidance. Abortions for reasons of birth control, gender selection, or convenience are not condoned. Women, at times however, may face exceptional circumstances that present serious moral or medical dilemmas, such as significant threats to the pregnant woman's life, serious jeopardy to her health, severe congenital defects carefully diagnosed in the fetus, and pregnancy resulting from rape or incest. The final decision whether to terminate the pregnancy or not should be made by the pregnant woman after appropriate consultation. She should be aided in her decision by accurate information, biblical principles, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, these decisions are best made within the context of healthy family relationships. Therefore, any attempts to coerce women either to remain pregnant or to terminate pregnancy should be rejected as infringements of personal freedom."

Life Decisions International urges pro-life advocates, especially those who are, for now, Rotarians, to contact RCWW and strongly urge that the event be canceled. It is advisable that all pro-life people, particularly those who intend to contact RCWW, read the aforementioned report.

Contact: Dr. Pedrito Maynard-Reid, President, Rotary Club of Walla Walla, P.O. Box 418, Walla Walla, WA 99362; Phone: (509) 529-0135.

Please send a copy to Mr. David W. Hull, President-Elect, at the same address.

Source: Life Decisions International
Publish Date: November 18, 2010

Shumlin working to legalize assisted suicide

    
     Vermont Governor-elect Peter Shumlin (D)

Doctor assisted suicideFollowing the campaign promise of Governor-elect Peter Shumlin (D), Vermont is again a target for passage of legislation that would legalize doctor-assisted suicide.
 
Mary Hahn Beerworth of the Vermont Right to Life Committee recalls Shumlin's past pro-euthanasia speeches in which he expressed his belief that the government should not come between patients and their doctors. So she expects Shumlin to deliver on his pledge.

"He's been quoted a number of occasions as saying that he will, in fact, get that done, get it into law in the first part of 2011," Beerworth notes. "He has a terrible attitude toward vulnerable people and has kind of got a sneering sort of attitude toward those who are no longer 'productive,' as he calls it."

Mary Hahn Beerworth (Vermont Right to Life Committee)She thinks Vermont residents have every reason to believe the situation in the state is dire as she suspects there are enough votes in the House and Senate to pass Shumlin's legislation and have it on the governor's desk by March. But the pro-lifer assures that will not happen without a fight, even though some members are unconvinced that people will be at risk.

"They're clearly aware that people who do not want to die will die, and they seem to be immune from that kind of compassionate plea for those who are in a weak state, who are susceptible to be bullied by relatives or friends into suicide," Beerworth laments. "It falls on deaf ears for those who are intent on having this option."

The battle against assisted suicide in Vermont will begin when the legislature is gaveled into session in January.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow
Publish Date: November 15, 2010

All charges dropped against pro-life pastor

    

The Appellate Division of the Alameda Superior Court has dismissed all criminal charges against Oakland pro-life witness Pastor Walter Hoye.

Hoye was arrested in May of 2008, charged, found guilty and imprisoned for peacefully counseling and picketing at a local abortion clinic.

He was charged under a 2008 City of Oakland bubble zone ordinance, which prohibits pro-life protesters outside abortion facilities from standing within 8 feet of women seeking abortions. His lawyers claimed the bubble zone ordinance was enacted for the sole purpose of keeping Hoye away from the Oakland abortuary and was an infringement on his constitutional right of free speech.

In January 2009, Hoye was found guilty of two counts of unlawfully approaching women entering an abortion facility, a misdemeanor enshrined in city law the previous spring.

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Stuart Hing of the Alameda Superior Court stated that would not impose any fine or jail time on Rev. Hoye if he would agree to stay away from the abortion facility. Rev. Hoye refused these terms.

Judge Hing then imposed a 30-day jail sentence, a $1130 fine, and also ordered him to stay one hundred yards away from the abortion facility for three years.

In August 2009, an appeal by Hoye to federal court failed when U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer ruled that Oakland's bubble zone ordinance was constitutional.  He said the law protects access to health care, while also allowing protesters to express their opinion.

At the time, one of Hoye's lawyers, Michael Millen of the Life Legal Defense Foundation (LLDF), announced his intention to appeal the ruling to the Ninth Circuit appellate court, and commented on Judge Breyer's decision.

"It is now illegal to stand still on the sidewalk and extend your arm to hand out a piece of literature," he said.  "I don't think the Ninth Circuit is going to buy it."

"Mark this day down," he continued. "On this day, a federal court judge ruled that it is constitutional to put someone in jail for a year for holding out a hand with a leaflet."

Three months ago, the appellate court overturned Pastor Hoye's criminal conviction for violating Oakland's law restricting sidewalk counseling. In its published verdict, the appellate court agreed with Hoye's attorneys that the trial court had erred, and granted Hoye a new trial.

The case was remitted back to the trial court on September 24. However, in the appellate court's decision, Hoye was to have been brought to trial within thirty days of that date. When the time lapsed, attorney Millen asked the court to dismiss the case.

The Alameda County District Attorney's Office agreed with Millen's evaluation of the case and the court promptly ordered all charges against Hoye dismissed.

"We are pleased that Pastor Hoye is no longer under threat of further prosecution on these charges," said Katie Short, Legal Director of the Life Legal Defense Foundation, in a press release.

Short cautioned, however, that, "This is only one side of the battle. We now await the Ninth Circuit's decision on our constitutional challenge to the ordinance under which he was prosecuted."

A decision in the federal case is expected in the next few months.

Rev. Hoye told reporters that he is overjoyed at the decision and is looking forward to resuming his life-saving sidewalk witness at the Oakland abortuary.

Contact: Thaddeus M. Baklinski
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: November 16, 2010

Congressman Drops Election Complaint Against Pro-Life Group

     

The Ohio Elections Commission announced today that defeated U.S. Rep. Steve Driehaus, D-Ohio, withdrew his election complaint against the Susan B. Anthony (SBA List) – a national, pro-life advocacy organization that seeks to affect public policy.

Driehaus claimed that SBA List falsely accused him of voting for taxpayer funding of abortion when he cast his vote for President Obama's health care law.

The three-member commission panel said it found probable cause to investigate the charges and scheduled a Dec. 2 hearing. With Driehaus' withdrawal, the case likely will be dismissed.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president and CEO of SBA List, said that today's announcement is a bittersweet victory.

"Despite his efforts, Rep. Driehaus could not avoid facing the consequences of his health care vote at the ballot box," she said.  "On Election Day, Driehaus' constituents sent a clear message by siding with the SBA List and voting him out of office."

Dannenfelser added that they will continue to pursue a federal lawsuit challenging the state's law.

"We remain gravely concerned," she said, "that the statute allowing Rep. Driehaus to launch his complaint … can be used to silence free speech again."

Source: CitizenLink
Publish Date: November 16, 2010

No Charges for Unlicensed Abortionist as ND Prosecutors Ignore Laws

     

State's Attorney Birch Burdick has announced that he will not file criminal charges against an abortionist Lori Lynn Thorndike, who committed illegal abortions at the Red River Women's Clinic in Fargo, North Dakota, while her medical license was lapsed.
 
Brudick used abortion clinic rhetoric word for word by describing Thorndike's licensing issues as "an administrative oversight" and noted that she had active medical licenses in South Dakota and Colorado at the time she was doing abortions on a lapsed license in North Dakota.
 
"North Dakota laws are very explicit.  It is a Class B Felony to commit abortions in that state without a valid North Dakota medical license. Burdick has decided all on his own that the laws of North Dakota that were enacted for the protection of vulnerable women should not be enforced," said Operation Rescue spokesperson Cheryl Sullenger.
 
Sullenger also received a letter today from the North Dakota Board of Medical Examiners Executive Secretary Duane Houdek, dated November 9, 2010, informing her, "At this point we are soliciting additional information regarding the complaint against Dr. Thorndike. All of this information will be forwarded to the members of one of the Board's investigative panels who will decide whether formal proceedings should be brought against this physician."
 
The letter went on to say that the matter would be discussed at a meeting of the Board scheduled for November 18, 2010. However, the day after the letter was written, the Board unilaterally decided to reinstate Thorndike's license without a hearing of the Board, and has since equivocated on whether or not the matter will be brought up at the referenced meetings.
 
"There is obviously some kind of monkey business at work in North Dakota. In this case, no one is saying that Thorndike did not break the law. They simply refuse to enforce the laws that were broken," said Sullenger.

"When authorities give abortion abuses a wink and a nod, it only serves to reinforce the dangerous notion that is prevalent among abortionists that they are above the law," said Sullenger. "Allowing abortionists to break the law without consequences creates an atmosphere that opens the door to further abuses that eventually cost women their health and sometimes their lives. Burdick and Houdek will have a lot to answer for when - not if - their lack of good judgment comes back to haunt the women of North Dakota."

Contact: Troy Newman
Source: Operation Rescue
Publish Date: November 17, 2010

Closure of Two More Abortion Clinics Continues National Trend

Surgical abortion clinics continue to close at a rate of nearly two per month

     

Two notorious abortion mills have closed or are scheduled to close, contributing to the national trend of clinic closures first documented by Operation Rescue last year in "Project Daniel 5:25."

In Yakima, Washington, the Cedar Women's Clinic, which was the first abortion clinic to open in that city 31 years ago, closed Monday due to a dramatic decrease in the demand for abortions. According to statistics kept by the state, the abortion rate for women ages 15 to 44 dropped from 18 per 1,000 in 2008 to 16.7 per 1,000 in 2009. One abortion clinic remains in Yakima.

     

In Michigan, Womancare of Downriver in Southgate owned by the troubled owner, abortionist Alberto Hodari, is currently in escrow to a physician whose practice does not include abortions. Once escrow closes, so will the abortion clinic.

One woman, Jennifer McCoy, is particularly relieved that Hodari's Southgate abortion clinic has been tentatively sold. That was where she says Hodari forced an abortion on her when she was 16-years old. "That clinic will never do another abortion again," she said.

All of Hodari's six Detroit area abortion clinics were put up for sale last year. Hodari appeared to be liquidating his assets so he could leave the country after repeated complaints, fines, and lawsuits have recently overwhelmed him.

The closures continue a national trend of decreasing numbers of abortion clinics. Operation Rescue conducted extensive research and documented that over two-thirds of America's abortion clinics have closed since 1991, when there were over 2,100 clinics nationwide.

"When we released our 'Project Daniel 5:25' listing of all remaining surgical abortion clinics in the United States last December, there were 713. Today, counting the Southgate mill, which will soon close, there are only 694," said Operation Rescue spokesperson Cheryl Sullenger. "That great news for women and their pre-born babies."

Twenty abortion clinics have closed in the past 11 months at a rate of nearly 2 per month.

Operation Rescue maintains the most accurate listing of abortion clinics available on its Project Daniel 5:25 page. The project was named after the Biblical story of Daniel, who was able to read the handwriting on the wall and predict the fall of a wicked kingdom.

As a new feature, Operation Rescue has added names of some abortionists to the clinic list with links to documentation of their legal problems and abortion abuses.

"Government funding continues to artificially prop up a failing abortion industry. Without tax-funding, more of these clinics would fold," said Sullenger. "Until we can encode legal protections for the pre-born, we must work to expose and defund the abortion industry. Closing clinics is a proven way to reduce abortions and save lives."

Contact: Troy Newman
Source: Operation Rescue
Publish Date: November 17, 2010

USCCB again urges: no contraception, sterilization mandates in health care

     

Addressing the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Preventive Services for Women on November 16, Deirdre McQuade, spokeswoman for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, urged that contraception and sterilization be excluded from the list of "preventive services" that insurance companies will be compelled to provide free of charge, without copayments, under the health care legislation passed in March.

While the Obama administration has not included contraception and sterilization in the list of preventive services in its "Interim Final Rules," Planned Parenthood is lobbying for their inclusion.

"The Conference has a particular concern that contraceptives and sterilization not be mandated as 'preventive' services," said McQuade. "To prevent pregnancy is not to prevent a disease—indeed, contraception and sterilization pose their own unique and serious health risks to women and adolescents. In addition, contraceptives and sterilization are morally problematic for many stakeholders, including religiously-affiliated health care providers and insurers."

"Use of prescription contraception actually increases a woman's risk of developing some of the very conditions that the 'preventive services' listed in the Interim Final Rules are designed to prevent, such as stroke, heart attacks and blood clots (especially for women who also smoke), so a policy mandating contraceptive services as 'preventive services' would be in contradiction with itself," she continued, adding:

Currently, such employers and insurance issuers [who object to contraception and sterilization] are completely free under federal law to purchase and offer health coverage that excludes these procedures. They would lose this freedom of conscience under a mandate for all plans to offer contraception and sterilization coverage. 

Thus the Administration's promise that Americans who like their current coverage will be able to keep it under health care reform would become a hollow pledge.

Source: CWNews.com
Publish Date: November 17, 2010

Striking down Prop. 8 would have 'Roe v. Wade' impact, Archbishop Kurtz says

     

If the hotly debated Proposition 8 in California is overturned by the judicial system, the cultural impact of defeating the traditional marriage initiative will be "akin to Roe v. Wade," said Archbishop Joseph Kurtz at the ongoing fall bishops' meeting.

Archbishop Kurtz, who is the Chairman of the U.S. bishops' Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage and Family Life, made his comments Nov. 15 at the bishops' three-day fall assembly in Baltimore, Maryland.

During his remarks, the archbishop asserted that if Prop. 8 – which is expected to reach the Supreme Court – is struck down, "the decision will have a moral, legal and cultural impact" similar to the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion.

"In our nation we find ourselves at a moment of great opportunity but also great consequence," he said.

"The urgency of our priority to promote, protect and strengthen marriage has not abated," he said, noting that over the last year, attempts to redefine marriage have moved from the state level to the federal level.

"So, in a sense, today is like 1970 for marriage," he said. "If, in 1970, you knew that Roe v. Wade were coming in two or three years, what would you have done differently?"

"And so now, the vital question that stands before all of us in this country is: What will we do for marriage?"

Archbishop Kurtz then recalled the Pope's visit to the U.S. in 2008, where the Pontiff "summoned us to remember our duty as bishops" and to "boldly" proclaim and uphold the institution of marriage – defined as between one man and one woman.

The Ad Hoc committee, he noted, "seeks to assist this proclamation."

Briefly updating the bishops on the recent work of the committee in conjunction with Knights of Columbus, the archbishop discussed the launching of their "Marriage: Unique for a reason" instructional campaign, including video and booklets.

A short video from the next series on the topic of marriage's benefits for children called "Made for Life" was also screened at the conference.

"Brothers," he told his fellow bishops, "our proclamation makes a difference. Even recent polling indicates this difference, as those who go to church every Sunday are more likely to support the true meaning of marriage."

"And this support has remained steady, despite the challenges of our culture," he emphasized.

Source: CNA/EWTN News
Publish Date: November 16, 2010

Don Berwick's Death Panel?

    

Are Medicare director Don Berwick and the Obama administration delaying or denying patients access to medical innovations? That's a question the Senate's Finance Committee should ask Berwick, who heads up the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), when he testifies November 17.

The timing couldn't be better. Medicare won't pay for Provenge, the first cancer vaccine, since it was approved in April. It's waiting for the Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC) -- also meeting on the 17th -- to decide whether the Food and Drug Administration, the National Cancer Institute, and cancer experts are right in supporting Provenge use for prostate cancer patients.

MEDCAC was established in 1998 so CMS could ask leading scientists and doctors to recommend what information should be collected to determine the best use of new technologies. But recently MEDCAC has -- under CMS direction -- begun evaluating whether innovations are cost-effective.

In November 2008 Medicare bureaucrats asked MEDCAC: At current Medicare prices, how confident are you that CTC has a similar ratio of cost per LYS (Life Years Saved) as optical colonoscopy? In 2009 CMS asked MEDCAC: What are the desirable measures of the cost-effectiveness of screening genetic tests for the prevention or early detection of illness or disability? By 2010 CMS was simply asking MEDCAC whether CMS should cover new technologies unless there was evidence of its cost and clinical effectiveness from long and expensive studies. As one speaker at a MEDCAC hearing about genetic tests noted, "if clinical outcomes as defined… become[] a requirement for reimbursement, it will reduce investment in new genetic tests and the market introduction of these tests, and ultimately their use. "

That's the goal. But given Provenge's high profile, asking about its cost-effectiveness would be controversial. Since the one-time treatment runs about $90,000, CMS thought it could ask if Provenge was effective without mentioning cost. Hence, Dr. Louis Jacques, the director of the Coverage and Analysis Group at Medicare, told Forbes: "We've been getting questions from people," says Jacques. "'Well, what's up with Provenge? Is it a drug? Is it a biologic? Is it something else? Does it really work? It has been interesting to look at the evidence around it."

Does it really work?!

Maybe Dr. Jacques didn't get the memo about the FDA approving Provenge. The FDA said Provenge "substantially improved survival to patients with a fatal disease. The risks… are minor relative to the benefit of improved survival." Or perhaps he didn't see the May 6 National Cancer Institute statement asserting: "The field of cancer immunotherapy received an important boost last week with the FDA's approval" of Provenge. On May 29 the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Drugs & Biologics Compendium added Provenge to its list of standard therapies. On June 15 Aetna said it would cover Provenge.

Federal law requires that CMS cover any cancer drug approved by the FDA or NCCN compendium therapy. Instead, on June 30, an anonymous individual requested that CMS hold a MEDCAD hearing on Provenge before it covered the drug. CMS immediately accepted the query from the secretive party. Perhaps the Finance Committee can find out who that was.

MEDCAC will render its decision based on a just released evaluation of the FDA data conducted by the Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ). AHRQ tried to pretend it wasn't second-guessing the FDA and the NIH. In October, the report name was changed on AHRQ's website from "The Efficacy and Safety of Sipuleucel T" (Provenge) to "The Outcomes of Sipuleucel T." The reviewers determined the FDA data used to approve Provenge was "adequate" but not entirely convincing. You might wonder: What expertise in prostate cancer did the authors use to draw to that conclusion? The answer is none unless you count nursing, a master's degree in statistics, or a PhD in sociology. Apparently CMS believes AHRQ's collective wisdom towers over the oncology expertise of the FDA, NCI, and NCCN.

The AHRQ report understates the impact of Provenge on survival. First, it begrudges the fact that many patients receiving chemotherapy after taking Provenge live longer. It focuses on the median survival benefit of 4.5 months (which tells you the midpoint of patient survival but not how many patients lived longer and for how long). Then it raises doubts about safety. And finally the study glosses over the finding that terminal prostate cancer patients who received Provenge were 40 percent more likely to be alive in three years than those who did not receive it. The AHRQ report is ideology masquerading as medical facts. The routine and expanding using of AHRQ to guide life or death decisions undermines the legitimacy of real science.

MEDCAC meets this week but CMS can take months to decide. This callous and possibly illegal process reflects Berwick's stated belief that only a centralized entity should decide what's best for us. People with prostate cancer have died and will die waiting. If that's not a death panel, I don't know what is.

Contact: Robert M. Goldberg
Source: The American Spectator
Publish Date: November 16, 2010

Feminist Majority Foundation to offer free condom placement

Well, that's all they have left to do.

    

The Feminist Majority Foundation released a remarkably indicting statement today.

Entitled, "Unintended pregnancies linked to ineffective contraception use," it admits "many" baby-averse but sexually active females don't use the contraceptives they know they should or are sloppy or lazy about them. Well, that's not quite how FMF put it…

    A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey of over 7,000 women revealed that many women, despite their desire to avoid pregnancy, fail to use birth control or do so improperly and ineffectively. The CDC reports that approximately 50% of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended.

    Though oral contraception is 92-99% effective when used correctly, many women who rely on this method fail to take the pill consistently – at the same time everyday. Similarly, condoms are reported to be about have a 95% effectiveness rate, but their actual effectiveness is about 85% due to frequent improper usage.

FMF links to a CDC report that indicates by "many" it actually meant "darn near all":

    In the US, almost half of all pregnancies are unintended…. [M]ost women of reproductive age use birth control. In 2002, 98% of women who had ever had sexual intercourse had used at least one method of birth control. However, 7.4% of women who were currently at risk of unintended pregnancy were not using a contraceptive method.

If half of all pregnancies are accidents, but 98% of sexually active females not only know about but have demonstrated they can use contraceptives, then only 2% of unintended pregnancies are of mothers who are completely ignorant about contraception. These would have to include young girls who are victims of rape and incest.

What, unintended pregnancies are not entirely the fault of abstinence education, or mostly, or even somewhat? Rather, they're predominantly the fault of usually unmarried (83%)  young women (18-29) who have been taught how to be sexually active but lack the maturity or wherewithal to protect themselves?

The CDC adds:

    Since 2000, several new methods of birth control have become available in the US, including the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system, the hormonal contraceptive patch, the hormonal contraceptive ring, the hormonal implant, a 91-day regimen of oral contraceptives, two new barrier methods, and a new form of female sterilization.

So there is a wide array of contraceptive options available, something for everyone.

One other point. Guttmacher states "about half" of abortions are repeats. So its post-abortive comprehensive sex ed is also a pathetic failure – at least 50%, not counting mothers becoming accidentally pregnant again who decide against an abortion redo.

Now Planned Parenthood is spearheading a drive for a government panel to declare contraceptives "preventive" medicine, so they'll be provided free as part of Obamacare?

Due to the dismal failure of the 1960s contraceptive mentality social experiment, part of the cost of this "preventive" care will have to be employing workers to physically dispense the Pill every day in little cups woman to woman or stand by for condom placement.

Contact: Jill Stanek
Source: JillStanek.com
Publish Date: November 16, 2010

Driehaus withdraws complaint against Susan B. Anthony List

    
On October 5, pro-life Democrat Congressman Steve Driehaus filed a complaint with the Ohio Election Commission, accusing the  Susan B. Anthony List of planning to erect a fraudulent billboard in opposition to his reelection campaign.

Driehaus claimed the healthcare bill he voted for in March, sans the Stupak Amendment, did not allow taxpayer funding of abortion, as SBA List maintained.

Driehaus's complaint had a chilling effect, causing the billboard company to refuse to post SBA List's sign, below:

SBA List did get its message out alternatively, via a $50,000 radio ad buy as well as loads of free media, and Driehaus went on to lose to Republican pro-life champion Steve Chabot 52-45%.

As an aside, the ACLU filed an amicus brief on SBA List's behalf, writing that Ohio election law was unconstitutional.

Nevertheless, even after Driehaus's loss, his complaint remained – until today.

SBA List has just issued the following press statement. Note that this won't be over until the OEC says its over, and even then it won't be over, because SBA List is going to go after this unconstitutional Ohio election law in federal court, which is wonderful:

    Today, the Susan B. Anthony List responded to Rep. Steve Driehaus' (OH-01) request for withdrawal of his Ohio Elections Commission complaint against the SBA List. The OEC has been scheduled a hearing for Thursday, December 2 to consider Driehaus' request. SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser offered the following statement:

    "Rep. Driehaus' decision to withdraw his complaint is a victory for the SBA List and for truth. The SBA List will not object to Rep. Driehaus withdrawing his complaint as we do not want to spend additional time and resources defending what the public already knows to be true – that the health care bill funds abortions with taxpayer dollars. Rep. Driehaus used an Ohio criminal statute to ensure that billboards stating the truth about his vote in favor of the pro-abortion health care bill were never erected. Despite his efforts, Rep. Driehaus could not avoid facing the consequences of his health care vote at the ballot box. On Election Day, Driehaus' constituents sent a clear message by siding with the SBA List and voting him out of office.

    "The SBA List remains gravely concerned that the statute allowing Rep. Driehaus to launch his complaint – and which cost the SBA List tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees – remains law and can be used to silence free speech again. The ACLU of Ohio's amicus brief called the law 'vague and overbroad,' and said 'it cannot withstand constitutional scrutiny.' The ACLU of Ohio went on to argue that 'the people have an absolute right to criticize their public officials, the government should not be the arbiter of true or false speech and, in any event, the best answer for bad speech is more speech.' The SBA List will continue to pursue its federal case to declare the law unconstitutional in an effort to protect future speech."

    Rep. Steve Driehaus filed a complaint with the OEC on Tuesday, October 6, 2010 alleging that the SBA List falsely accused him of voting for taxpayer funding of abortion as a result of his vote in support of health care legislation. The complaint was spurred by the SBA List's intention to put up four billboards in his congressional district. Rep. Driehaus' attorney convinced Lamar Companies to not to put up the billboards in order to avoid being added to the complaint. The OEC's staff attorney recommended that Driehaus' complaint be dismissed, but a probable cause panel of the Commission voted 2 to 1 to hold a full hearing to decide if SBA List broke Ohio law by putting false statements on its billboards. On October 20, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio filed an Amicus Brief in support of the SBA List's case. The billboards were never erected.

    On October 19, the SBA List announced a $50,000 radio ad buy across Rep. Driehaus' district to spread its message and, on November 2, Steve Driehaus lost his re-election bid. The OEC must now formally accept Driehaus' request in order for the complaint to be officially dismissed. A hearing has been set for Thursday, December 2.

Contact: Jill Stanek
Source: JillStanek.com
Publish Date: November 16, 2010

UN lobbyists are defending the unborn against anti-life bias

    

Today at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Pat Buckley, lobbying on behalf of SPUC, was once again in the forefront of the struggle against abortion and in leading efforts to uphold solemn international human rights agreements which defend the right to life from conception until natural death.

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural  Rights (CESCR) during its 45th session (1 – 19 November 2010), held a Day of General Discussion (DGD) on the right to sexual and reproductive health in accordance with articles 12 and 10 (2) of the Covenant. The day was to provide an opportunity to exchange views and to garner insights from practitioners and academic experts. The day consisted of four panels on the following themes:

   1. Definitions and elements of the right to sexual and reproductive health;
   2. Cross-cutting issues and groups in focus;
   3. Legal aspects and State obligations; and
   4. Conclusions.

Pat Buckley was present at this meeting, having travelled from New York where he has been working flat out on behalf of the unborn for three weeks. Several weeks earlier Pat had submitted a paper to the CESCR outlining SPUC's position:

    "The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) asserts that the Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) has no authority under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) to issue a general comment on the right to sexual and reproductive health. Furthermore, even if the CESCR did possess such authority pursuant to the ICESCR, a right to sexual and reproductive health does not encompass a right to abortion."

Pat gave a telephone interview to SPUC headquarters in London about the proceedings of this meeting. Far from being a balanced and fair exchange of views, Pat told us that:

    "4 panels spoke during the meeting. Three panels had 3 speakers, and one panel had 2 speakers. They were all pro-abortion. The panels were completely unbalanced. This is the sort of thing that brings the UN into disrepute. The vast majority of the NGOs who spoke were pro-life."

Pat told us that, due to time constraints;

    "I didn't have time to present the whole statement. I wanted to underline the right to life of the unborn, so I presented these sections (emboldened below) as the most important."

At the time of writing this post, the day of comment is still underway. Pat will be reporting further on this meeting and the final outcomes. We are very grateful to Pat and fellow pro-life NGOs who are speaking up boldly and unequivocally in defence of the unborn and their fundamental and inherent right to life. Below is Pat's statement in full:

    Mr. Chairman, my name is Patrick Buckley, I represent the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children. I have already submitted a paper on behalf of my organisation challenging the right of this committee to draw up a general comment on a term not used in the carefully crafted wording of the Convention.

    We say in addition that the right to life of all human beings from the moment of conception to natural death, is protected in the bill of rights consisting of the UN Charter, the Universal declaration of Human Rights and the subsequently enacted Covenants and other legally binding Conventions.

    We also say that the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) recognizes human rights during the entire pre-natal period of life.

    First the preamble of the CRC expressly says that children need rights while they are in the pre-natal period of their life-cycle and this follows on from the original 1959 Declaration on the Rights of the Child:

        "the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth."

        * The CRC having used the term child in its preamble in respect of a human life before as well as after birth in Article 1 defines the word child as all "human beings" who are under 18 years of age (unless the State sets a lower age limit).
        * The right to health, in Article 24 is for the benefit of the child who is the rights holder under the convention and expressly gives children rights during the entire pre-natal period.
        * When Article 1 is read in the light of Article 24, "human being" covers children during the entire pre-natal period, that is to say, from conception onwards. Article 24 reads:

    1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest atainable standard of health …

    2. States Parties shall pursue full implementation of this right, in particular, shall take appropriate measures: …

    (d) To ensure appropriate pre-natal … health care for mothers." (Article 24; italics and underlining added.)

    The child is the right-holder of the right to pre-natal care, not the mother, according to the text of Article 24:  States Parties recognize the right of the child … to pre-natal … care.

        * The fact that the text says "pre-natal …health care for mothers" (emphasis added) does not convert the right into the right of the mother. By definition, pre-natal care is medical care that is delivered to the mother's body. The care to the child is delivered through actions directed at the mother's body.

          In other words, the child has the right to have health care given to his or her mother, for the purpose of ensuring the child's well-being.

    We also say that it is the duty of this committee to implement this Convention in accordance with the terms of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, which sets out interpretive norms for all treaties.

    Article 31 of the VCLT says:  "A treaty shall be interpreted in good faith in accordance with the ordinary meaning to be given to the terms of the treaty in their context and in light of its object and purpose."
    In other words, attention must be paid to the actual text of the treaty and, as an aid to interpretation, to its surrounding context.

    We say that there is no such right as a right to abortion, no right to take innocent human life and there never can be such a right. We also call on this Committee to reject pressure from powerful international organizations, which derive huge financial benefit from the taking of human life.

    Finally we reiterate that this committee is not empowered to reinterpret the terms of the Convention and we further assert that there is no room for ideological crusades on the part of the Committee in attempting to expand the scope of the convention whilst ignoring the plight of the most vulnerable human beings, babies once conceived and awaiting birth.