NEWS SHORTS FOR THURSDAY
Case Study In Pro-Abort Media `Spin'
Last week the Los Angeles Times reported on the pro-life activities of Walter Hoye, who became the first person convicted of breaking a 2008 Oakland, Calif., ordinance that creates an 8-foot buffer zone, or "bubble," around people entering abortion clinics. L.A. Times reporter Robin Abcarian rightly describes Hoye's conviction, stemming from two Tuesday appearances at Family Planning Specialists Medical Group in the spring, where he tried to talk women out of ending their pregnancies. And that Hoye looks more "like actor Don Cheadle than a public menace." But the rest of the story—while giving space to Hoye's own words—delivers a few amazing sucker punches that display the profound difference that reporters' perspectives bring to the abortion debate.
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Four People Arrested for Giving Illegal Stem Cell Treatments from Aborted Fetuses
Hungarian police have detained four people on suspicion of carrying out illegal, untested stem cell treatments using embryos or aborted foetuses at a Hungarian private clinic. A police statement said the suspects – two Hungarians, one man living in the United States and one Ukrainian citizen – were detained on 27 July as they were preparing to treat a new patient. Police said they launched a procedure on "suspicion of a banned use of the human body". "There is well-founded suspicion that a US citizen called Julliy B has carried out stem cell treatments for money within the framework of a Hungarian stem cell research laboratory and a Hungarian-owned private clinic since 2007," police said.
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Legal Protection of Unborn is "of course" Needed
In an interview last week, Rocco Butiglione, one of Italy's best-known Christian Democrat politicians, made remarks which sparked concerns from pro-life activists, as he seemed to suggest that promoting laws against abortion is a mistake.
Butiglione had said that he had come to believe that pursuing a "common ground," abortion reduction approach is the best way to combat abortion. He also spoke of a new network of pro-life parliamentarians who are not against Law 194, which permits abortion. "We do not want the law changed. Less than ever," he was quoted as saying in an interview with Corriere della Sera, Italy's leading daily newspaper.
However in an exclusive interview with the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM), Buttiglione has now clarified his position, saying that he was quoted "out of context" and reaffirming that protection of the right to life in law is the right way to go.
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Conyers to Introduce Constitutional Amendment Making Health Care a 'Right'
During his speech at a recent National Press Club luncheon, House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) said he is introducing a constitutional amendment that would establish health care as "a right" for all Americans.
"We need a real serious bill and, by the way, the fundamental question, 'Is health care a constitutional right?'" he said. "I mean, do you have a right to health care in the American system of government or not?" Click here for the video
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Over 100k Letters Sent Urging Congress to Keep Abortion Out of Health Care
Today the Susan B. Anthony List announced that pro-life activists nationwide have sent over 100,000 letters to Congress urging the exclusion of abortion from any national health care reform effort.
"As we approach the August recess, already tens of thousands of pro-life Americans have contacted Congress urging them to keep abortion out of health care," said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. "Americans are urging Members of Congress to preserve the real common ground, our long-standing tradition of limiting taxpayer funds for abortion. This is exactly the type of policy the President has sought to achieve, one that stands the test of time, has popular support and appeals to members on both sides of the aisle. Yet both the House and Senate versions of health care reform legislation seek to undo this commonsense policy. Without language to explicitly exclude an abortion mandate, the legislation will result in Americans footing the bill for abortion on-demand in the largest expansion of government-backed abortion since Roe v. Wade."
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Obama Science Adviser: Trees Should be Allowed to Sue, Babies Not Yet "Human Beings"
Just when you thought that the high advisers to President Obama couldn't get any more radical. Consider: Cass Sunstein, his nominated regulations czar, wants animals to be able to sue their owners and has asserted that the lives of elderly people should be given less value in government regulatory cost/benefit determinations. Ezekiel Emanuel, a high health care adviser, wants to ration health care against the elderly and has asserted we all have a moral obligation to be experimented on. And now, it turns out that his science adviser wrote years ago that trees should be allowed to sue!
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