NEWS SHORTS FOR MONDAY
(Referral to Web sites not produced by The Illinois Federation for Right to LIfe is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)
House Healthcare Bill Rewards Activism on Women's Issues
Women may seem to be the driving force of health reform, given all the attention recently paid to gender disparities in insurance premiums. In fact, the massive health reform bill unveiled by the House of Representatives yesterday contains several sections that pertain just to women in terms of abortion coverage, pregnancy services, and prohibitions against excluding those with pre-existing conditions, specifically mentioning women who've been victims of domestic violence. While the bill does provide maternity coverage as part of a basic benefits package that insurers must provide in their coverage, it specifically says that public funding can't be used for abortions--which would include coverage under the public option--except where it's already allowed, such as in cases of rape or incest or where a mother's life is at risk.
Click here for the full article.
Student President Faces Removal after Allowing Pro-Life Display
Sacramento, California - A Christian student government president in California is facing a recall amidst anger from some administration and students after the student government permitted a pro-life demonstration during the college's annual Constitution Day celebrations.
Constitution Day at Sacramento City College, which took place this year on September 16-17, is an annual celebration of the Constitution and free speech, which features external speakers and organizations who request an invitation from the Associated Student Government (ASG).
ASG president Steve Macias, 19, and student affairs commissioner Monica Guzman now risk losing their positions in a recall vote after the ASG welcomed the Genocide Awareness Project (GAP).
Click here for the full article.
Pro-Life Bioethicist Honored
Dr. Leon Kass is the winner of the 2010 Paul Ramsey Award for excellence in bioethics.
Kass served as chairman of President Bush's Council on Bioethics from 2001-05.
The Center for Bioethics and Culture, which presents the award each year, said Kass has defended the dignity of human life while advancing ethical biotechnology.
Click here for the full article.
Bill Would Require Baltimore Crisis Pregnancy Centers To Post Signs Saying They Do Not Offer Abortion
Legislation (FID 09-0406) before the Baltimore City Council that would require crisis pregnancy centers to post signs stating that they do not provide abortion services prompted a "contentious" debate at a hearing on Wednesday, the Baltimore Sun reports. City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D), who introduced the bill, said it is "about truth in advertising."
According to the Sun, the bill would affect at least four crisis pregnancy centers, which offer adoption information and counseling but do not provide abortion services or dispense contraception. Two of centers are funded by the Roman Catholic Church. Carol Clews, director of one of the centers, showed the city council a release form and a statement of care that the facility displays. Clews said, "We already inform our clients in a variety of ways about the services we perform."
Click here for the full article.
Killing for Organs: Should We Harvest Those Wanting Euthanasia or Due to Receive Capital Punishment?
I have been warning that the drive has been renewed to expand the number of organ donors by opening the door to killing for organs, in this column about. Now, another article in the journal Bioethics, by Christian Coons and Noah Levin, add new targets to the list of potential (killed-for-organs) donors–people who want assisted suicide and prisoners due to receive capital punishment.
First, they claim that the Dead Donor Rule (DDR)–that prohibits killing for organs–is untenable and should be rejected. They go into a lot of detail about the reasons, but that, I think, is too arcane to deal with here. Then they argue that if someone is going to die inevitably anyway, why not take their organs even though it causes death. They illustrate their point with a silly mind game. From the article (link to Abstract)
Click here for the full article.
Sedation with Dehydration used as "Slow Euthanasia" UK Survey Reveals
"Slow euthanasia by deep sedation" is a current reality in the British health care system, and not just a journalistic myth, a survey of UK doctors has revealed. The study found that continuous deep sedation (CDS) was more frequently requested by patients or relatives seeking a "hastened death" and was associated "with a greater incidence of other end-of-life decisions containing some intent to end life by the doctor".
Under existing medical care protocols in the UK, patients who are designated as dying, can have food and hydration withdrawn until they die of dehydration, even when continued hydration can still be of medical benefit.
"Doctors supporting legalization of euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide, or who were nonreligious, were more likely to report using CDS," the researchers found.
Click here for the full article.
(Referral to Web sites not produced by The Illinois Federation for Right to LIfe is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)
House Healthcare Bill Rewards Activism on Women's Issues
Women may seem to be the driving force of health reform, given all the attention recently paid to gender disparities in insurance premiums. In fact, the massive health reform bill unveiled by the House of Representatives yesterday contains several sections that pertain just to women in terms of abortion coverage, pregnancy services, and prohibitions against excluding those with pre-existing conditions, specifically mentioning women who've been victims of domestic violence. While the bill does provide maternity coverage as part of a basic benefits package that insurers must provide in their coverage, it specifically says that public funding can't be used for abortions--which would include coverage under the public option--except where it's already allowed, such as in cases of rape or incest or where a mother's life is at risk.
Click here for the full article.
Student President Faces Removal after Allowing Pro-Life Display
Sacramento, California - A Christian student government president in California is facing a recall amidst anger from some administration and students after the student government permitted a pro-life demonstration during the college's annual Constitution Day celebrations.
Constitution Day at Sacramento City College, which took place this year on September 16-17, is an annual celebration of the Constitution and free speech, which features external speakers and organizations who request an invitation from the Associated Student Government (ASG).
ASG president Steve Macias, 19, and student affairs commissioner Monica Guzman now risk losing their positions in a recall vote after the ASG welcomed the Genocide Awareness Project (GAP).
Click here for the full article.
Pro-Life Bioethicist Honored
Dr. Leon Kass is the winner of the 2010 Paul Ramsey Award for excellence in bioethics.
Kass served as chairman of President Bush's Council on Bioethics from 2001-05.
The Center for Bioethics and Culture, which presents the award each year, said Kass has defended the dignity of human life while advancing ethical biotechnology.
Click here for the full article.
Bill Would Require Baltimore Crisis Pregnancy Centers To Post Signs Saying They Do Not Offer Abortion
Legislation (FID 09-0406) before the Baltimore City Council that would require crisis pregnancy centers to post signs stating that they do not provide abortion services prompted a "contentious" debate at a hearing on Wednesday, the Baltimore Sun reports. City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D), who introduced the bill, said it is "about truth in advertising."
According to the Sun, the bill would affect at least four crisis pregnancy centers, which offer adoption information and counseling but do not provide abortion services or dispense contraception. Two of centers are funded by the Roman Catholic Church. Carol Clews, director of one of the centers, showed the city council a release form and a statement of care that the facility displays. Clews said, "We already inform our clients in a variety of ways about the services we perform."
Click here for the full article.
Killing for Organs: Should We Harvest Those Wanting Euthanasia or Due to Receive Capital Punishment?
I have been warning that the drive has been renewed to expand the number of organ donors by opening the door to killing for organs, in this column about. Now, another article in the journal Bioethics, by Christian Coons and Noah Levin, add new targets to the list of potential (killed-for-organs) donors–people who want assisted suicide and prisoners due to receive capital punishment.
First, they claim that the Dead Donor Rule (DDR)–that prohibits killing for organs–is untenable and should be rejected. They go into a lot of detail about the reasons, but that, I think, is too arcane to deal with here. Then they argue that if someone is going to die inevitably anyway, why not take their organs even though it causes death. They illustrate their point with a silly mind game. From the article (link to Abstract)
Click here for the full article.
Sedation with Dehydration used as "Slow Euthanasia" UK Survey Reveals
"Slow euthanasia by deep sedation" is a current reality in the British health care system, and not just a journalistic myth, a survey of UK doctors has revealed. The study found that continuous deep sedation (CDS) was more frequently requested by patients or relatives seeking a "hastened death" and was associated "with a greater incidence of other end-of-life decisions containing some intent to end life by the doctor".
Under existing medical care protocols in the UK, patients who are designated as dying, can have food and hydration withdrawn until they die of dehydration, even when continued hydration can still be of medical benefit.
"Doctors supporting legalization of euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide, or who were nonreligious, were more likely to report using CDS," the researchers found.
Click here for the full article.
