All Democratic Presidential Candidates Continue to Claim Abortion is a Human Right

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders
Credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr

On the Democratic presidential primary debate stage Wednesday night, candidates for the most powerful political office on the planet once again affirmed their stance that abortion should be a human right.

“I believe that abortion rights are human rights,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. “I believe that they are also economic rights. And protecting the right of a woman to be able to make decisions about her own body is fundamentally what we do and what we stand for as a Democratic Party.”

“We should codify Roe v. Wade into law,” said Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders's answer to an abortion question included this statement, “I get very tired, very tired of hearing the hypocrisy from conservatives who say, ‘Get the government off our backs, we want small government.’ Well, if you want to get the government out of the backs of the American people, then understand that it is women who control their own bodies, not politicians.”

It is sad that the Democrat party neither has the morality to recognize unborn children as real people nor the intellectual diversity to include even a single candidate on the stage who contests that belief. Even Joe Biden has moved away from his previous support of the Hyde Amendment, which prevents Medicaid funds from being used for abortions except in cases of incest or rape.

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Wall Street Journal Report Exposes Google's Pro-Abortion Bias in Search Results

A report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) shows that when Google serves search results related to abortion, it isn't doing so in good faith.

Google's autocomplete results that appear in a drop-down menu when typing the words "abortion is" are wildly different than the results from other search engines, which contain words that negatively describe abortion. Instead, it includes only phrases that positively describe abortion, such as "abortion is healthcare" and "abortion is legal."

Additionally, searching the word abortion will cause Google to find nearby clinics on Google maps before showing any results at all. If a user scrolls down to the results, they will find that many of them come from Planned Parenthood, and none of the links are sponsored ads. According to the WSJ report, 39 percent of Google results for "abortion" comes from Planned Parenthood, while only about 15 percent of search results using other websites come from Planned Parenthood.

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Pennsylvania Governor Vetoes Down Syndrome Protection Act

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf took to Twitter on the evening of November 21 to film himself vetoing the Down Syndrome Protection Act, as he had promised he would.

The legislation would have made it illegal to abort a child because they were diagnosed with Down syndrome. In his response, Gov. Wolf said that the bill would "interfere with the rights of women to make their own health care decisions."

This is of course untrue. This bill would not prevent women from receiving any form of healthcare. Pro-abortion advocates use the argument of healthcare because they have few arguments to stand on except to say that pregnant women are sick when they don't want to have a baby and healthy when they do. This makes no sense from a logical perspective, but the conveniences and monetary value provided by abortion are so great that abortion advocates are willing to forego logic.

Another attack on abortion: VETOED ✅ pic.twitter.com/xpV63KVVAV

— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) November 21, 2019

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Pennsylvania State Representative Gives Emotional Defense for Protection of Miscarried/Aborted Bodies

Pennsylvania State Representative Frank Ryan defended HB 1890 on the floor or the House of Representatives this week; telling fellow legislators that he only feared one thing when he died.

“All I worry about is my son Eddie,” he said as his voice cracked.

Eddie died as a result of a miscarriage, and the subject is particularly emotional for Ryan because he was unable to retrieve his son's body. The hospital disposed of Eddie's remains on its own.

Ryan further explained that he was afraid his son would ask him in the afterlife, “Why weren’t you there to protect me, Dad?”

House Bill 1890 would require medical facilities and abortion centers to give families the opportunity to give respect to the lives of their children through burial or cremation.

PA House members passed the bill by a vote of 123-76

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Pro-Life Organizations Suing New York for Forcing them to Hire Pro-Abortion Employees

Three pro-life organizations have announced that they will be working with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) to fight new legislation forcing New York employers to accept pro-abortion employees.

The newly-signed law forbids employers from hiring or firing employees based on their "reproductive health decision-making" and includes no religious exemptions.

The organizations teaming up with ADF include the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA), First Bible Baptist Church in Hilton, and the pro-life pregnancy care service CompassCare according to the Catholic News Agency.

CompassCare released a statement on its decision to pursue legal action against the state of New York.

“This law is a trifecta of constitutional violations, hindering freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of association. To be clear, obeying this law would force CompassCare to violate its mission and beliefs. CompassCare cannot in good conscience obey this law. We sue not because we want to but because it is needed to ensure pro-life Christians can continue expressing their convictions publicly and peaceably.”

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Pro-Life Activist Arrested Outside Planned Parenthood Clinic in Aurora Illinois

On November 16th, pro-life activist Mario Navarro was arrested outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora, IL. Fellow activists criticized police officers and asked what the charges were, but police refused to answer. They further asked if they would be arrested for standing in the road where the arrested activist stood, and they would not answer that question either. The full exchange can be seen in the video above.

In an email to LifeSiteNews, Navarro stated, “There is a public easement which was decided in federal court to be accessible to sidewalk councilors. Part of that agreement was that those standing there would not be arrested for doing so. The citation after the arrest was for disobeying a lawful order of a police officer, however that order was in violation of a federal court decision.”



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#GivingTuesday

Make a Charitable Gift on #GivingTuesday and Help Us End Abortion and Save Lives. Help us to continue our life-saving work by giving the gift of life on December 3, 2019. It’s now easier than ever, just Click Here.

The Illinois Federation for Right to Life... 

 - Sponsors educational seminars and conventions to train volunteers and educate the public on pro-life issues. 

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 - Serves as a communications center for the exchange of ideas and news of interest to pro-life people in Illinois.

 - Provides knowledgeable individuals to participate in radio and television programs as well as public forums to discuss pro-life issues.

 - Promotes programs and activities which increase respect for the dignity and value of every human life. 

Effective Action is only possible through citizen-involvement! We Need Your Help! Please donate today! Please note, donations made are designated 501(c)(3) and are tax-deductible as charitable contributions.

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The IFRL is the largest grassroots pro-life organization in Illinois. A non-profit organization, that serves as the state coordinating body for local pro-life chapters representing thousands of Illinois citizens working to restore respect for all human life in our society. 

Spread news and action alerts that the IFRL publishes, and please support the IFRL with a very critical donation to keep the news and alerts coming, and keep us in Springfield fighting to protect lives.

 

Without your support lives will be lost. We need resources to educate our legislators. Many times members of the General Assembly do not have the time to read proposed laws before they vote. They do not know how destructive some of these laws can be to the families of Illinois. This is where the IFRL comes in. We alert you, so you can alert your legislators and work with us to hold back the forces that threaten innocent lives. We are in this together and we need your help! We need your prayers, your letters, your calls and your donations - now more than ever! Lives are at stake!  Donations made through the below link are designated 501(c)(3) and are tax-deductible as charitable contributions.

Stranger Makes Signs Telling Family to "Let the baby die."

A family was asking for donations to help pay for their four-month-old son's medical treatments by using signs posted around their hometown of Toledo, Ohio. They recently discovered signs reading "Stop asking for money. Let the baby die. It's called Darwinism. Happy Holidays," sitting near their calls for help.

The community has banded together in the past to help pay for genetic testing baby RJ needed to diagnose his conditions, and his family hopes they continue to do so in spite of these hateful outbursts.

Watch the video above or click here to learn more.

Democratic Attorneys General Association Criticized for Rejecting Pro-Life Democratic Candidates

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards

The Democratic Attorneys General Association now requires candidates to take a pro-abortion stance in order to receive endorsements, campaign assistance, data analysis, or any other services the organization provides to candidates and elected officials.

In a video posted on Nov 17th, New York Attorney General Letitia James spoke about the policy, saying, “Attorneys general are on the front lines of the fight for reproductive freedom. They have the power to protect your rights.”

Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats for Life of America, responded by referencing the recent re-election of Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, who is a pro-life Democrat:

“Governor Edwards did not run from his pro-life position, he embraced it and was proud to promote a whole life agenda to protect and support life from womb to tomb. This was a source of strength for his campaign. An abortion-rights candidate would have lost. Imposing a litmus test on candidates would force one-third of Democrats, who oppose abortion, out of the party and lessen the opportunity for Democratic gains.”

Day further emphasized that supporting pro-life democrats was a matter of inclusion.

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Report Says Dutch Pediatricians Support Euthanasia for Children

A small report from three Dutch teaching hospitals claims that 84% of pediatricians support euthanasia practices for children between the ages of 1 and 12. A bill that legalizes this was recently introduced in the lower house of the Dutch Parliament.

The small survey size of 38 doctors said that they treated 359 seriously ill children within that age range within the last five years. In 46 of these 359 cases, the doctor believed that assisted suicide would have been a better option for the child than what was provided.

“Especially with seriously ill children, whose dying phase can be accompanied by a lot of pain and suffering and whose death process can take weeks, a large number of parents and doctors have the desire to speed up or shorten that process,” said Professor Eduard Verhagen.

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Woman Sues Chicago Planned Parenthood Clinic for Negligence. Fainted and Broke Neck after IUD Procedure.

Credit: bloomsberries / Flickr

Morgan Castro is suing a Chicago Planned Parenthood clinic for negligence after breaking her neck.

The 26-year-old woman told staff at a Planned Parenthood clinic on Laselle Drive in Chicago that she felt dizzy following an intrauterine device (IUD) insertion procedure. Rather than monitor her closely and keep her safe, they left the room. She fainted and fell to the floor with nobody else around.

According to the lawsuit: “Following the insertion of the IUD, Morgan felt dizzy. Morgan informed the healthcare provider of those symptoms. After being informed of Morgan’s dizziness, the healthcare provider left the room, leaving Morgan alone and unmonitored. Morgan lost consciousness and fell from the table to the ground.”

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UK Man Arrested for Praying Outside Abortion Facility

Christian Hacking, a 29-year-old man was recently released after being arrested for praying outside an abortion facility in London.

While the man was praying outside the abortion facility, he was approached by a police officer who told him that he was in violation of a court order that served as a buffer zone. When he refused to leave, police told him to stand up, which he obviously could not because he was wheelchair-bound. Eventually, police picked him up and carried him to their police van without telling him what he was charged with.

Hacking vowed to continue praying despite the incident, while officials argue that he should have been prosecuted.

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Planned Parenthood Launches Mobile App to Help Users Find Abortion Facilities

Planned Parenthood both announced and launched a new mobile application called the "Abortion Care Finder" last week. The app finds the nearest Planned Parenthood facility able to legally commit an abortion. If the nearest Planned Parenthood facility that can commit abortion is farther than 60 miles away, then the app will direct them to a different abortion provider.

Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill says that the app was created to counteract increased state regulation and clinic Planned Parenthood clinic closings. “Restrictions have just been coming so fast and furious,” she said to the New York Times.

Much of the legislation that would be restricting abortion is currently hung up in court battles, but an app like this will direct more and more women to cross state lines when possible and seek abortions in states like Illinois when they are restricted in other states.

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Bernie Sanders Announces Plan to offer Abortion to Veterans at VA Facilities

Bernie Sanders at an Iowa Rally
Credit: Matt Johnson / Flickr

On Veteran's Day, Bernie Sanders announced his new plan to make changes to the medical services available at veteran hospitals. Most notably, Sanders wants to add abortion to that list.

The plan does include modernization of services to veterans and would open 50,000 positions for doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, it also reaches farther than “ensur[ing] that all veterans are treated with dignity and respect,” would imply.

A description posted on his campaign website says that Sanders's plan will “ensure that women veterans will no longer be forced outside the VA system for basic women’s health services, including fertility treatment, abortion care, or specialized cancer treatment and prevention services.”

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Daleiden and Center for Medical Progress found Guilty in Planned Parenthood Trial

David Daleiden
Credit: American Life League / Flickr

After exposing the abortion industry's practice of selling human body parts from aborted children, the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) along with David Daleiden and all of the individuals involved with filming and releasing undercover videos have been found guilty of multiple crimes by a U.S. District Court jury.

The Mary Thomas Moore Society, a group that provided legal counsel for the defense told the press that the "process was unfair."

The CMP made the following statement in a press release:

"While top Planned Parenthood witnesses spent six weeks testifying under oath that the undercover videos are true and Planned Parenthood sold fetal organs on a quid pro quo basis, a biased judge with close Planned Parenthood ties spent six weeks influencing the jury with pre-determined rulings and by suppressing video evidence, all in order to rubber-stamp Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit attack on the First Amendment. This is a dangerous precedent for citizen journalism and First Amendment civil rights across the country, sending a message that speaking truth and facts criticizing the powerful is no longer protected by our institutions."

Between all of the charges and defendants, Planned Parenthood was awarded $2.2 million, including punitive and compensatory damages as well as attorneys' fees.

The pro-life defense lawyers have already stated that they plan to appeal.

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Wisconsin Man Charged with Attempted Homicide of His Preborn Child

Jeffrey Smith
Credit: Marathon County Sheriff's Department

If the lives of preborn children continue to be devalued, the frequency of cases like this will only increase.

Jeffrey Smith is facing charges for attempted first-degree intentional homicide for allegedly trying to drug the mother of his child and abort the child against her will.

When the mother was 20 weeks pregnant, she found residue in her wattle bottle that she believes was caused by Smith putting something in her drink while she was in the bathroom. She called the police and explained that Jeffrey wanted her to abort her child, and she thought Smith was trying to force an abortion on her when she wanted to keep the child. When police investigated, they found Mifepristone, a drug used in the abortion pill regimen which prevents preborn babies from receiving nutrients. Smith was arrested but pled not guilty.

His trial was meant to be held on November 12 but has been delayed until January 14, 2020.

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Photographer Blacklisted by Catholic Hospital After She Counseled Woman Seeking Abortion

Photo by ShareGrid on Unsplash

Jennie Drude, a photographer in the Houston area who specialized in taking pictures of newborns at hospitals, was recently told by St. Luke’s Catholic Hospital that she would not be allowed back because she counseled a woman who was planning on getting an abortion.

“So because I informed this patient of her legal rights in the state of Texas, the hospital said I was unprofessional and I am no longer allowed to work there and earn money,” said Drude.

The woman Drude spoke with was pregnant with a child that had a fatal condition called anencephaly. Drude used her own experience losing a child at birth and handed this woman a pamphlet explaining her legal rights as a patient.

Drude later discovered that nurses from St. Luke's were told that they were not allowed to contact her or respond to her calls for further explanation about their decision.

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U.S. House Judiciary Committee Approves Unconstitutional Measure to Resurrect Dead Equal Rights Amendment

1978 ERA Demonstration
Credit: Cornell University / Flickr

In a 21-11 party-line vote, the House Judiciary Committee voted to approve a measure that would resurrect the Equal Rights Amendment, which the Supreme Court recognized as dead in 1982, and retroactively erase the seven-year deadline for States to ratify it. If the Equal Rights Amendment was added as written to the U.S. Constitution, any federal or state law that restricted abortion or how it was funded would be seen as discriminatory and unconstitutional.

National Right to Life Senior Policy Advisor Douglas Johnson stated, “In 1983, the House Democratic leadership, also recognizing that the old ERA was dead, attempted to start over — but the full House voted down the ERA on November 15, 1983. For those who desire an ERA, the only constitutional path is to start over — which would allow Congress to consider revisions to the ERA language.”

Rep. Jacki Speier (D-Ca.), told the New York Times she thought a vote of the full House was likely “before the end of the year.”

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New Zealand Legislators Advance Assisted Suicide Bill

Edit: This legislation has now passed Parliament with an amendment that requires the public to vote on it in the 2020 General Election.

On Wednesday, the New Zealand Parliament voted 69-51 to advance the End of Life Choice Bill. If passed into law, this would allow terminally ill persons with six or fewer months to live to be euthanized. They could commit assisted suicide or be provided a prescription for a lethal dose of drugs to take themselves. The only other condition is that two doctors agree the person requesting to die is well-informed.

A 51st parliament health committee report regarding similar legislation in 2017 expressed concerns about the legalization of assisted suicide:

“[some participants in the inquiry] cited concern for vulnerable people, such as the elderly and the disabled, those with mental illnesses, and those susceptible to coercion. Others argued that life has an innate value and that introducing assisted dying and euthanasia would explicitly undermine that idea. To do so would suggest that some lives are worth more than others. There were also concerns that, once introduced, eligibility for assisted dying would rapidly expand well beyond what was first intended.”

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Florida Public High School Rejects Student Pro-Life Club. Alliance Defending Freedom Threatens Legal Action in Response.

Picture from March for Life 2019
Credit: American Life League / Flickr

Gabrielle Gabbard attempted to form a pro-life student group called "Sharks 4 Life" affiliated with the national group, "Students for Life." Even though the school allowed students to form several other political and religious groups, including Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Gay-Straight Alliance, and Collier Students for Change (an affiliate of the Florida Democratic Party), Gulf Coast High School claimed that Sharks 4 Life was too political and too controversial. This stance could very quickly get the school into legal trouble, however.

Alliance Defending Freedom sent a letter to Gulf Coast High School on November 7, asking administrators to reconsider the decision and gave them a week to provide written proof of the club's approval. Alliance Defending Freedom rightfully claims that the school's discriminatory conduct is in violation of the Constitution and the Equal Access Act.

“Public school officials can’t refuse to recognize a student organization for being too ‘political’ or ‘controversial,’ especially when they have rightfully approved a whole host of other clubs formed around religious, political, and social interests,” said Alliance Defending Freedom legal counsel Michael Ross in a press release. “The First Amendment doesn’t permit a public school to play favorites when approving student organizations.”

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