Christian Medical Association Physicians Oppose Healthcare Bill on Abortion, Conscience

Christian Medical Association Physicians Oppose Healthcare Bill on Abortion, Conscience



The 17,000 members of the Christian Medical Association today urged Members of the House of Representatives to vote against the controversial healthcare overhaul bill approved by the Senate, H.R. 3590.

In a letter to all Members of the House, CMA CEO David Stevens, MD noted that "The CMA strongly opposes this legislation because it fails to provide strong conscience protections for healthcare professionals, allows direct federal funding of elective abortions in community health centers and allows federal funds to subsidize health plans covering abortions."

CMA has led a national coalition of 50 organizations, Freedom2Care, to fight for conscience rights for healthcare professionals.

Dr. Stevens noted in the letter, "A national survey of faith-based physicians shows that the failure to protect the rights of healthcare professionals to decline to participate not only in abortion but also in other morally controversial procedures and prescriptions, may cause up to 95 percent of faith- based physicians to leave medicine. Since faith- based physicians provide much of the care for poor patients and those in medically underserved areas, their exodus would lead to a national crisis of access to care of catastrophic proportion."

Dr. Stevens also wrote, "The CMA strongly supports funding for community health centers, and many of our physicians work full-time, part-time and on a volunteer basis caring for the poor. But we cannot support federal funding for abortions that will result in yet more abortions while violating the clear will of the American people who do not want their tax dollars used to pay for them."

On the issue of federal subsidy of abortions, Dr. Stevens wrote, "Such funding, however cleverly designed to obscure the result, clearly violates the longstanding Hyde amendment and related laws. Such funding also violates the President's oft- repeated pledge to maintain the status quo on abortion funding. Besides the obvious moral wrong of funding abortions, this policy will also have negative economic consequences. Incentivized by new insurance subsidies, abortionists will simply raise prices and increase their profits. Increased abortions will rob the country of much of the younger generation that otherwise would help avert the financial strain of a top-heavy older population."

The letter also noted "government intrusion into physician-patient decision making and the allocation of medical resources, the absence of meaningful tort reform that is desperately needed to prevent the loss of some of our best physicians--especially obstetricians and gynecologists, and the lack of bipartisan and public support that should undergird any legislation of this magnitude."

Dr. Stevens urged Members to "pursue a new bipartisan, measured and focused approach to true healthcare reform. Seven key principles our members look for in healthcare reform include cost containment, quality assurance, access for the poor, economic fairness, ethical protection, prevention focus and personal responsibility."

Contact: Margie Shealy
Source: Christian Medical Association
Publish Date: March 15, 2010
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U.S. Young Adults More Pro-Life: Gallu

U.S. Young Adults More Pro-Life: Gallup
 
The percentage of young adults in the U.S. favouring legalized abortion has undergone a significant drop, falling below all other age groups except seniors, according to a Gallup poll released Friday.

The poll results also indicate that young adults are now the group most likely (23%) to favor making abortion illegal in all circumstances.

Michael Barnett, director of American Life League's LiveCampus project, said the poll backs anecdotal evidence gathered on college campuses nationwide.

"Abortion doesn't make sense to a generation that wants social justice for all human beings," said Barnett. "It doesn't take a Gallup poll to see that decades of decriminalized abortion have left an undeniable void in the lives of millennials – brothers, sisters and future classmates whose rights were denied even in the womb."

LiveCampus is a program designed to train and activate pro-life leaders on the nation's top campuses while developing resources for pregnant and parenting students, closing local abortion mills and creating counseling programs for post-abortive women.

"What we're seeing is a generation that views attacks on human beings' lives – such as abortion – as human rights abuses," noted Barnett. "As that generation gap widens, legislators hoping to attract the youth vote and pass 'health care reform' are going to have to come to grips with that."

Contact: Kathleen Gilbert
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: March 12, 2010
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NEWS SHORTS FOR MONDAY

NEWS SHORTS FOR MONDAY

Government Clinic Project Draws 'Abortion' Controversy



FREEPORT, Ill. -- A proposal to obtain a federal designation for the FHN Community Healthcare Center in Freeport drew criticism from several Stephenson County Board members Wednesday, who worried that such a clinic could operate outside the county's control, and provide abortions to the public. County Health Administrator Craig Beintema was quick to point out that these fears were unfounded, and that having a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) could only benefit the area. Even so, five County Board members Wednesday voted against a resolution to create a governing council for the proposed clinic.
Click here for the entire article from the Journal Standard.


Someday soon, Unborn Babies will have Rights



You won't find the word "personhood" in your dictionary, at least not right now. It's a safe bet, though, that it will appear in future lexicons. The idea of personhood and thus the word have been influenced by various legal, religious and philosophical traditions. It has entered the realm of politics and, as a result, will grow contentiously. Many just consider it a genderless form and a further definition of the word "manhood." In the future, we will find it has a much greater effect, especially in how we personally and legally interpret human rights.
Click here for the entire article from The Times Herald.


Dems to Stupak: More Abortions = Fewer Babies = Lower Gov' t Costs

Stupak threated with ethics complaints for opposing health care bill



Democrats explaining their stubbornness to maintain the abortion funding in the Senate health care bill have admitted that a primary motivation for doing so lies in encouraging more abortions, lest more children born put a strain on government funds, said Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) as reported by National Review Online.

"If you pass the Stupak amendment, more children will be born, and therefore it will cost us millions more. That's one of the arguments I've been hearing [from Democrat leaders]," Stupak said in a phone interview published Friday. "Money is their hang-up. Is this how we now value life in America? If money is the issue — come on, we can find room in the budget. This is life we're talking about."

Stupak called the revelations "a pretty sad commentary on the state of the Democratic party."
Click here for the entire article from LifeSiteNews.


Pro-Abort China Calls Pro-Abort U.S. a Hypocrite over Human Rights



China accused Washington of hypocrisy on Friday for its criticism of Beijing's restrictions on the Internet and dissent, blaming the United States for the financial crisis and saying its own rights record was terrible. In its annual survey of human rights in 194 countries issued on Thursday, the U.S. State Department criticized China, along with Cuba, Myanmar, North Korea and Russia. China's State Council Information Office, or cabinet spokesman's office, issued its own annual assessment of the United States' human rights record in response, and this year it dwelt on America's economic woes.
Click here for the entire article from Reuters.


Hillary Rallies for More Women's Opportunities Worldwide



Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told government delegates and activists here Friday that violence against women remains a "global pandemic" and that their "subjugation" constitutes "a threat to the national security of the United States." Speaking on the final day of a two-week U.N. conference on women's rights, Clinton urged U.N. member states to expand opportunities for women and end practices that subject them to discrimination and violence. Friday's event was scheduled to review progress on the 1995 Beijing Declaration, a landmark document that sets out women's economic, social and political rights. Clinton, who attended the Beijing conference as first lady, received a standing ovation from a crowd that included her daughter, Chelsea Clinton, and former secretary of state Madeleine K. Albright.
Click here for the entire article from the Washington Post.


298 Babies Saved from Abortion…So Far

Every day, we update a number on the top of the 40 Days for Life web page. Every day, that number gets larger and larger. Every day, I am humbled and amazed at what God is doing during this campaign of prayer and fasting.

As of today, that number has grown to ... 298 babies, and their mothers, spared from abortion -- that we know of!

People praying at a 40 Days for Life vigil outside an abortion center in Mission Hills, California watched as a woman arrived for an abortion appointment. Volunteers spoke to her briefly as she walked toward the building.
Click here for the entire article from LifeSiteNews.

Post-abortion outreach ads in NYC subways invoke vitriolic response

Post-abortion outreach ads in NYC subways invoke vitriolic response



They hadn't even seen them yet but hated them. From Metro.us, March 8, with the objective headline, "Don't look now: You may not like the ads you see"...

Starting this week, the NYC subway system will be flooded with a massive ad campaign that addresses a touchy subject: abortion.

The 2k ads, which straphangers will see in nearly every subway station beginning tomorrow, depict either a woman saying, "I thought life would be the way it was before," or a man saying, "I often wonder if there was something I could have done to help her."

The ads haven't been unveiled yet, but they're already stirring up controversy, particularly from pro-choice organizations.

"The campaign suggests that feelings of sadness and self-harm are the universal experiences for someone who had an abortion," said Samantha Levine of NARAL Pro-Choice NY. "And there's no evidence to suggest that that's true."...

Levine, like so many other liberal feminist pro-aborts, is committing a patriarchal, exploitive mind game here by disallowing post-abortive mothers their feelings if negative. Thankfully more rational liberal feminists are at least acknowledging the possibility. Continuing the piece:

"The organization behind these ads has an agenda," continued Levine. "They aren't seeking to help women - they're seeking to get abortion banned."

But Michaelene Fredenburg, who started San Diego-based Abortion Changes You after her own abortion, says her ads are more about helping people than politics.

"I had an abortion when I was 18," said Fredenburg, 44. "I had a hard time.... I wanted to reach out and say you're not alone."



Loved this intro, by Fran Johns at TrueSlant.com:

As if the GA anti-choice campaign linking abortion rights to Black genocide or the Polish campaign linking abortion to Hitler weren't enough, now we have a soft sell campaign complete with well-dressed women ostensibly traumatized by a past abortion and downcast men who yearn to be good fathers....
But Fran's vision is slanted:

I have no reason, other than it seems a great way to sell stuff and make a few bucks, to question Fredenburg's altruistic intentions in founding Abortion Changes You....
Why isn't True Slant questioning the fact abortion profiteers make their living from peddling abortion?

kirbygirl87 sends mixed messages in her protest at amplifyyourvoice.org:

Not every women is depressed and regrets her decisions. Not every boyfriend or husband wants to interfere with the women's decision. What if the women felt she made the right decision, and what if the partner supported the decision? Why do ads like these always depict the women as sad and questioning her judgement [sic], do women do that often? Do we change our minds? Do we regret the decisions that we make? Not often.

Which is it, "not every," equivalent to "almost every," or "not often"?

Tracy Clark-Flory at Salon.com is a little more reasonable:

Here's the thing: I think we should acknowledge that abortion can change you, that it isn't necessarily an "eh, whatevs" event. For some women, it may be akin to getting a tooth pulled; for others, though, it results in a profound and haunting loss. None of this goes against the dominant pro-choice message, which is that women should be allowed to make their own reproductive choices based on what they feel is right for them. Women have different experiences of abortion and they should be allowed to make different decisions, too.

That isn't to say I'm super pumped about the ads, though. They present one side of the story, which is that abortion changes you, period. Not that abortion can change a woman, but that it always does, and that is quite simply a lie. It isn't the sort of message born of concern for women, but rather a concern for converting women. Also, you know what is guaranteed to change you and your life in a profound way? Motherhood. But I don't recall seeing any subways ads featuring a woman knee-deep in dirty diapers with the text, "I thought life would be the way it was before."

But here's the thing, Tracy. No one in the world maintains life won't change after having a baby. But hardcore pro-aborts do indeed try to say life won't change after abortion. Refer back to Levine's quote above.

Read the press release here. Abortion Changes You ran this ad campaign in NYC in 2008. They tell me this campaign will run through the 1st week of April.

NYC is the perfect place, since at least 10% of all US abortions, 100k, emanate from NYC annually.

Contact: Jill Stanek
Source: jillstanek.com
Publish Date: March 12, 2010
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Baby Isaiah Succumbs

Baby Isaiah Succumbs



I received word last night that Baby Isaiah, the subject of a bitter futile care case in Canada, died in his parent's arms after they decided the time had come to stop treatment.  They made that decision–not the doctors and not the courts–based on the bad news they received from medical consultants who had reviewed Isaiah's case.

The media is reporting that happened.  From the story:

The parents, who are both in their early 20s, thanked Taylor and the staff for their help. They also paid tribute to thousands of people worldwide who rallied behind them on social networking sites such as Facebook. Some right-to-life and religious groups in Canada and the U.S. also expressed their support. The parents said the outpouring gave them strength in court and when they visited their son each day in hospital. They were surrounded by aunts, uncles and grandparents as Isaiah took his last breath.

Alberta Health Services initially tried to limit the time the Mays were requesting to seek a second medical opinion on Isaiah but then worked closely with the family to make it happen. The organization expressed its condolences to the family. "Physicians and staff who have been involved in caring for baby Isaiah were touched by the May family's strength. Our deepest sympathies go out to the family."

No life is unworthy of living.  Isaiah was deeply loved by his parents and his circumstances challenged us about how to best care for people with the most serious illnesses and disabilities.  I believe that the doctors who wanted to stop treatment, and those who fought to maintain it, earnestly sought what they considered best for the child.

But many futile care cases are not really over medicine, but rather, conflicting values.  When those are the stakes, the tremendous benefit of the doubt should go to patients and families, not bioethicists, physicians, or society.  Otherwise, the "right to die"–actually the right to refuse unwanted medical treatment–could easily mutate into the duty to die, by having life-sustaining treatment denied.  Alas, that is precisely what some in bioethics desire.

Isaiah's parents will at least know that the decision to stop treatment was theirs, and not that of others.  I hope it brings some consolation as they enter a time of grief.  Our most sincere sympathies.

Contact: Wesley J. Smith
Source: Secondhand Smoke
Publish Date: March 12, 2010
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Study Finds Unborn Babies Respond to Mother's Mood

Study Finds Unborn Babies Respond to Mother's Mood



Scientists have discovered that unborn babies respond to their mother's mood while she is watching a movie, becoming quiet and still if the film is sad and very lively if the film is happy.

Dr. Kazuyuki Shinohara and colleagues in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior of Nagasaki University in Japan showed 10 pregnant volunteers a cheery 5-minute clip from the Julie Andrews musical The Sound of Music. Another 14 watched a tear-jerking 5 minutes from the 1979 Franco Zeffirelli film The Champ, in which a boy cries at the death of his father.

Each clip was sandwiched between two "neutral" film clips so that the team could measure any changes in fetal movements against a baseline.

The women listened to the movies using headphones to guarantee that only the effect of the mothers' emotions was being measured and that their unborn babies were not being influenced by the movie's soundtrack.

"Fetuses can hear by the last trimester," explained Dr. Shinohara.

The team counted the number of arm, leg and whole body movements via ultrasound and found that during the happy film clip the unborn babies moved their arms significantly more than when the pregnant women watched the neutral clips.

However, the unborn babies of the women watching the sad clip moved their arms significantly less than normal.

"These findings suggest that induced emotions in pregnant women primarily affect arm movements of their fetuses, and that positive and negative emotions have the opposite effects on fetus movement," Dr. Shinohara wrote in his report.

Outlining the motive for his research Dr. Shinohara said that the association between maternal psychological well-being during pregnancy and fetal welfare has recently attracted increasing attention.

"Chronic stress exposure for pregnant women affects fetal development, resulting in preterm birth and low birth weight. In addition to stress, persistent negative maternal emotions during pregnancy such as anxiety, depression, and anger also exert an influence on fetal and later development of a child," Shinohara explained.

Shinohara concluded that while it was unclear what makes the unborn child of a happy mother "wave," he suggests that sadness releases more of the "fight or flight" hormone epinephrine (adrenalin), which redirects blood away from the uterus and prepares muscles for exertion.

The study, titled "Fetal response to induced maternal emotions" was published by The Journal of Physiological Sciences in January, 2010.

Click here for an abstract of the study.

Contact: Thaddeus M. Baklinski
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: March 11, 2010
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Planned Parenthood Distributes Graphic Sex Guide at Girl Scouts UN Meeting

Planned Parenthood Distributes Graphic Sex Guide at Girl Scouts UN Meeting

The World Association of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides hosted a no-adults-welcome panel at the United Nations this week where Planned Parenthood was allowed to distribute a brochure entitled "Healthy, Happy and Hot." The event was part of the annual United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) which concludes this week.



The brochure, aimed at young people living with HIV, contains explicit and graphic details on sex, as well as the promotion of casual sex in many forms.  The brochure claims, "Many people think sex is just about vaginal or anal intercourse… But, there are lots of different ways to have sex and lots of different types of sex. There is no right or wrong way to have sex. Just have fun, explore and be yourself!"

The brochure goes on to encourage young people to "Improve your sex life by getting to know your own body. Play with yourself! Masturbation is a great way to find out more about your body and what you find sexually stimulating. Mix things up by using different kinds of touch from very soft to hard. Talk about or act out your fantasies. Talk dirty to them."

The brochure also tells students that national laws requiring HIV-positive people to reveal their status to their partner(s) "violate the rights of people living with HIV" and calls for advocacy to "change laws that violate your rights."  It explains, "There are many reasons that people do not share their HIV status. … They may worry that people will find out something else they have kept secret, like they are using injecting drugs, having sex outside of a marriage or having sex with people of the same gender."

The Girl Scouts, along with the YMCA have been co-moderating a young women's caucus that included an "Intergenerational Conversation" side event on "universal access" and "reproductive health."  One recent Girl Scout project "aims at securing the right of women, men and adolescents aged between ten and twenty-five, to better reproductive and sexual health."

Also at CSW last week, the heads of various powerful UN agencies, including the UN Population Fund, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UN Children's Fund and the World Health Organization released a "UN Joint Statement" under the name of the "UN Adolescent Girls Task Force," which calls for their agencies to promote and support programs "that empower … adolescent girls, particularly those aged 10 to 14 years."  One of the chief priorities for empowerment is ensuring access to "life-skills based sexuality education, HIV prevention, and sexual and reproductive health."

The New York Times recently reported that the UN Population Fund had co-sponsored a very controversial curriculum with UNESCO, that included teaching children as young as five to be sexually active and training adolescents to advocate for abortion.

Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women of America told C-Fam's Friday Fax, "Governments and NGOs should be aware of Planned Parenthood's insidious plan to work with UN agencies and girls' organizations in order to profit from encouraging kids to be sexually active."

Contact: Terrence McKeegan, J.D.
Source: C-FAM via LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: March 12, 2010
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NEWS SHORTS FOR FRIDAY

NEWS SHORTS FOR FRIDAY

Premature Baby 'Tom Thumb' Born at 25 weeks Weighing Half a Pound Survives



German doctors have revealed photographs of the smallest premature baby boy to have survived against incredible odds after being born at 25 weeks weighing just over half a pound. The baby, who doctors dubbed "Tom Thumb" was less than the length of a sheet of A-4 paper and weighed a fraction over 9.7 ounces (275 grams) when he was born by Caesarean section 15 weeks prematurely at the University of Medicine at Göttingen in western Germany in June 2009. For 24 hours a day, the child was in an incubator and hooked up to feeding tubes, breathing tubes, a heart monitor, a catheter and a plethora of electronic devices to monitor every vital sign as he faced risks of cerebral haemorrhage or organ failure.
Click here for the entire article from the Telegraph.


Pesky Florida Pro-lifers Bring End to Planned Parenthood Program Funding



After four years of dedicated activism, a group of Florida pro-lifers is celebrating a "David and Goliath victory" after consistent pressure apparently forced a Planned Parenthood program not to re-apply for a county grant.

Planned Parenthood of South Florida and the Treasure Coast has acknowledged it will not request a $50,000 grant from the Martin County Children's Services Council for its La Promesa program, which was aimed at teaching the Hispanic community about contraception and abortion, in fiscal year 2010/11.

While Planned Parenthood blamed "the unrelenting harassment by radical community members" for their decision, local pro-lifers denied claims of harassment, and said they merely exposed the program's uselessness and questionable reporting practices.

Local pro-life activist Ed Daccarett told LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) that pro-lifers could not say for sure why Planned Parenthood declined to apply for funding, except "we think that we did such a job in proving that the program was a total waste."
Click here for the entire article from LifeSiteNews.com.


Biking for Babies 2010



College students Mike Schaefer and Jimmy Becker decided to do something out of the ordinary last spring break.

Instead of the usual vacation, they wanted to give up their spring break year to do something productive for a cause they felt passionate about and came up with Biking for Babies.

The idea was for Mike and Jimmy to bike a 500 mile route across Illinois over their spring break with people pledging to donate money for every mile they rode. Proceeds were donated to worthy pro-life organizations to help the fight against abortion.
Click here for the video.
Click here for the entire article from Pro-Life Action League.

CORRECTION

CORRECTION: One March 10th, we reported the Represenative Sandy Cole voted Yea on HB 6205 (the Illinois FOCA bill).  This was incorrect, she was in fact on the Human Services Committee that this bill was voted out of, but she did not vote on the bill.  Elizabeth Coulson (R-Glenview) was actually the 5th vote in HB 6205's passage.

The correct roll call is...

State Representatives Naomi Jakobsson (D-Champaign), Constance Howard (D-Chicago), Annazette Collins (D-Chicago), Mary Flowers (D-Chicago) and Elizabeth Coulson (R-Glenview) voted in favor (pro-abort votes) of HB 6205.

The only two NO votes (pro-life votes) came from State Representatives Patricia Bellock (R-Westmont) and Timothy Schmitz (R-Geneva).

Disabled wary of Obama's plan

Disabled wary of Obama's plan

Disability advocates are raising concerns over President Barack Obama's proposed healthcare bill.

 

The newest plan calls for federal funding of elective abortions through community health centers and also does not provide protection for healthcare workers who object to performing abortions.
 
Dr. Kathy McReynolds, a bioethicist with Joni and Friends (JAF) Christian Institute on Disability, is troubled by many issues in the latest healthcare proposal.
 
"There's a lot of wrangling right now in Congress concerning the public money issue and abortions," she notes. "[And] I know the claim, at least right now, is that they want to be able to follow [Congressman Bart] Stupak's recommendations in the House because it more closely follows the law now.
 
"However," she continues, "the problem is that the Senate rejected that --which means...the language has to be crafted again. So they're trying to make some compromises."
 
The JAF Christian Institute on Disability was founded by Joni Erickson Tada, a quadriplegic who encourages all believers to stand against the president's latest healthcare proposal.

Contact: Allie Martin
Source: OneNewsNow
Publish Date: March 11, 2010
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Open letter to live tweeting aborter Angie Jackson from father of teen who died from RU-486 abortion

Open letter to live tweeting aborter Angie Jackson from father of teen who died from RU-486 abortion

I received the following email yesterday from Monty Patterson, father of Holly Patterson, who at the age of 18 died due to an RU-486 abortion in 2003.



Mr. Patterson gave me permission to post his note and sent a link to an informative July 2006 Ladies Home Journal article detailing Holly's death, along with others, and the risks of taking RU-486.

From: Monty Patterson

Dear Jill...

Angie Jackson's attempt to "demystify" medication abortions with pills can send the wrong message to women and young teens with respect to their health and well being.

Her message, "It's not that bad, it's not that scary, you too can have an abortion if you want one," approach is not always the case when it comes to terminating an unplanned pregnancy.

There are serious risks with the so called "abortion pill" procedure and those risks must be communicated in a clear, concise, and responsible manner so women can make informed decisions. Most women may hear about the rare possibility of death associated with medication abortion but let's put a name and face on one such example.



Let's not forget about what happened to 18-year-old Holly Patterson in 2003 and her experience with an early pregnancy termination using the Mifeprex (RU486/misoprostol) regimen. She died a tragic death after 7 days into her procedure. She was in perfect health and a pinnacle of fitness. Her story was well publicized throughout the news media and the internet.

As her father, my experience at the hospital, where she eventually died, was terrifying beyond any words that I could possibly describe.

Try to imagine the thoughts that went through Holly's mind during the last few precious moments of her life. I'm positive all she could think about was the basic instinct to survive her hopeless ordeal. I'm sure it wasn't the information she had received from Planned Parenthood that the procedure was "a safe option for ending pregnancy in the privacy of your home and it comes in an easy-to-take pill form."

I hope that Angie realizes she may be sending an unrealistic message and impression to other women and teenagers that a medication abortion really is not that dangerous. I can personally tell you that it can be a serious and life threatening procedure that can end in death.

Angie is an adult who made a conscious decision based on the resources and information she obtained. To share her reality experience with others is exercising her rights of freedom of speech and press.



However, from a parent's perspective, she might be influencing teenagers, some as young as 14 years old, that it is simply "no big deal." It is a big deal, and I'm sure that if Holly were alive today she would tell us that she made a poor and uniformed choice based upon her options at the time. Teenagers may not have the experience or knowledge to make these important life decisions on their own.

I am also very concerned that women between the ages of 20-30 years old, who are most likely to have a medical abortion, will perceive it as an extremely safe procedure with little risk to their safety, health and welfare.

Social media, such as Twitter and YouTube, has now made it possible for anyone to publish and broadcast their own sensational news story. Let's be responsible and use it wisely as someone's life may be depending on it.

Sincerely,
Monty Patterson

Contact: Jill Stanek
Source: jillstanek.com
Publish Date: March 11, 2010
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Tom Cruise’s Religion in the Spotlight Over Forced Abortion Allegations

Tom Cruise's Religion in the Spotlight Over Forced Abortion Allegations



The Church of Scientology, popularly known as the church to which Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise belongs, is facing increased scrutiny in Australia and elsewhere over allegations that the organization has abused members and even coerced women psychologically into having abortions.

Australia's Senate plans to vote soon on whether to conduct an inquiry into the allegations of the church's abuse of Australians, and especially of members of the Sea Organization, Scientology's elite religious group, whose members sign a billion-year contract to serve Scientology for millions of lifetimes.

Senator Nick Xenophon fired the first salvo in this latest battle with Scientology in November 2009, after receiving a letter from former church members relating their experiences of the church sanctioning forced abortions, assault, imprisonment, concealing sexual abuse, embezzling funds and performing blackmail.

Xenophon pressed the issue relentlessly, invoking parliamentary privilege to demand the Senate investigate. Xenophon quoted former Scientologist Aaron Saxton, who stated he had participated in bullying Sea Org members into having abortions.

"If they refused, they faced demotion and hard labour. Aaron says one staff member used a coat hanger and self-aborted her child for fear of punishment," said Xenophon in a speech to parliament.

The Australian senator's battle has fueled debate on whether Scientology should be allowed to keep its tax-exempt status. At the same time more witnesses and ex-members of Scientology have stepped forward with similar allegations against the church, putting more pressure on Australia's government to investigate and take action.

The Australian Broadcasting Company reported on its "Four Corners" program that an ex-member of the Sea Orgs revealed she and other women had been pressured into having abortions in order to remain in the elite organization.

The unidentified Sea Org member said of her abortion: "I will always have that emotional scar and wounds. It's a horrifying form of abuse that goes on very prevalently."

The complaint about coerced abortion is not new; but ever since Xenophon entered the fray, the issue has been getting much more attention and developed its own momentum. The Sea Org requires members not to have children, demanding they devote all their energies to whatever goals Scientology leaders have in mind for the church.

Scientology spokesman Tommy Davis told ABC that it was "absolutely not true" that the church asked pregnant women in Sea Org to have abortions if they wanted to stay. But he said that Sea Org members do not have children, and would have to leave the Sea Org until the child was old enough for them to rejoin.

However, Marc Headley, a former Scientology member, said that women members of the Sea Org feel enormous pressure to abort their children, because Scientology is the only world they know, and leaving the Sea Org leads to shunning from the rest of Scientology, including Scientologist friends and family. In addition to the loss of support, he said they would have to leave the Sea Org absolutely penniless.

At a September 2008 conference in Hamburg, Germany, Headley explained, "If a female staff member for some reason was married, and got pregnant, then she's basically forced or convinced to have an abortion. If she refuses to have an abortion, then she will be offloaded from the Sea Organization and in most cases, declared; and she will not be able to speak to any of her family or friends that are Scientologists."

Headley joined five other ex-Scientologists for a highly publicized press conference back in February that also drew attention to allegations of forced abortion.

Headley, who belonged to the Sea Org for 16 years, told the New York Times in a March 5, 2010 article, that he and his wife were suing Scientology over lost wages and the two abortions, which he said his wife was coerced into having in order to stay in the Sea Org.

Contact: Peter J. Smith
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: March 10, 2010
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GOP Senators Warn House: Vote for Senate Health Care Bill Is Vote for Federally Funded Abortions

GOP Senators Warn House: Vote for Senate Health Care Bill Is Vote for Federally Funded Abortions



Republican senators said Wednesday that House members who vote for the Senate-passed health care bill would "own it," and that nothing would be changed through reconciliation, including prohibiting federal (taxpayer) funds from being used to pay for abortions.
 
"If (House members) are being told by anybody in their leadership that they're going to fix this in reconciliation in the House, it is a pig in a poke," Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) told CNSNews.com. "There is no way that this (abortion funding) can be modified or adjusted through reconciliation.
 
"And those pro-life Democrats who held the line in support of the Stupak language – assuming that reconciliation can correct that – are being promised something that they can't deliver on," Thune said.
 
"And so I think that if that is the issue that matters to you, and you're a House Democrat, then you better think long and hard, because that's not going to be a pro-life vote," he added.
 
The Stupak amendment to the House health care bill explicitly prohibits any federal (taxpayer) funds to pay for health insurance plans that cover abortion. The Senate bill has different language on abortion, which specifically allows for taxpayer-funding of certain health plans that cover abortion.
 
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said no "fix" would be made to the Senate bill through reconciliation on abortion or any other issue.



"Reconciliation only applies to law," Coburn said. "There can be no reconciliation unless there's already a law.  Which means the president will have to sign the bill for reconciliation to apply to the Senate health care bill," Coburn said. "And if it is, what is the motivation for the Senate to change anything?"
 
Coburn said in 1965  -- the last time abortion was addressed in reconciliation in the Senate -- it was rejected, and he added that the issue would become like "bird droppings" if it was reduced to the reconciliation process in the case of the Senate-passed health care bill.
 
When President Barack Obama held a summit last month to debate health care reform with members of both parties, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) told the president directly that federal law has for decades prevented federal funding of abortions and that the House health care bill had continued in that tradition.
 
"For 30 years, we've had a federal law that says that we're not going to have taxpayer funding of abortions," Boehner said, referring to the Hyde Amendment that prohibits federal funds from being used for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is endangered.
 
"We've had this debate in the House. It was a very serious debate," said Boehner. "But in the House, the House spoke. And the House upheld the language we have had in law for 30 years, that there will be no taxpayer funding of abortions," Boehner said, referring to Rep. Bob Stupak's (D-Mich.) amendment to the House bill, which mirrors the language of the Hyde Amendment.
 
"This (Senate) bill that we have before us – and there was no reference to that issue in your outline, Mr. President – begins, for the first time in 30 years, allows for the taxpayer-funding of abortions," Boehner told Obama at the health care summit on Feb. 25.

Obama did not directly address Boehner's charge about the Senate bill allowing for federal funds to pay for abortion, but instead suggested that all that Boehner said was merely the "standard talking points" and Democrats would "profoundly disagree" with many of them.
 
Thune, who served in the House before becoming a senator, said promises to change the Senate bill after it has become law should not be believed.
 
"Those of us who served in the House know full well that when you are told to trust the Senate or, 'Don't worry we'll fix it,' those are promises we've all heard before," Thune said. "And believe me we've learned the hard way on many occasions not to believe in those kind of promises."
 
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said that when then President George W. Bush was trying to get his No Child Left Behind education legislation passed, the president assured him that the bill would be altered after it passed so that states would be able to "opt out" of the program.
 
"It's still not been fixed, and it won't be this time either," DeMint said.
 
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said that House members should think ahead to the November mid-term elections before they cast a vote to pass the Senate health care bill.
 
"I can assure you that will be the primary issue between now and November," Wicker said. "So I would urge my colleagues in the House to listen to the people and do the political thing, but for heaven's sake, do the right thing."
 
All four Republican senators said that even if the Senate-passed bill made it to reconciliation, all 41 Republicans in that body have pledged to support the "Byrd Rule," which says that only budget-related items can be altered in the reconciliation bill, no extraneous matter that potentially could include the issue of abortion.

Contact: Penny Starr
Source: CNSNews.com
Publish Date: March 11, 2010
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Shooter of pro-life activist does not feel bad about murders

Shooter of pro-life activist does not feel bad about murders



The man accused of shooting and killing a pro-life advocate and a local business man in Michigan took the stand in his trial on Tuesday, saying he does not feel bad about the murders but believes he deserves punishment. The pro-life activist's sign upset his mother and nieces and should not have been shown to children, he said.

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2009, 33-year-old Harlan Drake shot and killed James Pouillon, who was holding a sign protesting abortion outside Owosso High School. Later that day he killed businessman Mike Fuoss, who he claims was unkind to his mother.

The day before the shootings, Drake had had lunch with his mother who was upset by the graphic signs. She told him that Pouillon was protesting at the high school.

"Kind of under my breath, I said, 'I'll take care of that tomorrow,'" Drake said in court on Tuesday, NBC 24 reports.

"I did not believe that he should be showing the sign to children, especially at a high school where young girls of impressionable age would see that and either be disgusted or scared," he continued, saying that his nieces saw the signs and had nightmares.

Driving to the high school on the day of the shootings, Drake claimed his only thought was that they "didn't have to see that sign again."

Asked by his attorney why he hoped Pouillon would not be there, Drake said "so that I wouldn't have to shoot him."

Drake's defense has argued that he is battling mental illnesses and was insane at the time of the shootings. The prosecution has argued that his thought processes show premeditation.

The accused shooter said he deserved to die for murdering two people, but that he does not feel bad about doing it, NBC 24 reports.

Source: CNA
Publish Date: March 11, 2010
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Charges Filed in Georgia Assisted-Suicide Death

Charges Filed in Georgia Assisted-Suicide Death
 


Four members of the assisted-suicide network, Final Exit, were charged on Tuesday with helping a 58-year-old Georgia man kill himself.

A grand jury indicted Thomas Goodwin and three others with assisting in the death of John Celmer, after notes were found suggesting Celmer had sought help from Final Exit.  Celmer was diagnosed with mouth and throat cancer, but reports indicate he was in remission at the time of his death.

Wesley Smith, senior fellow in human rights and bioethics at the Discovery Institute, said terminal illness is often used as a reason for assisted suicide, but it's not the ultimate goal.

"The ultimate goal, it seems to me," he said, "is a radical individualism that says people have the right to die at the time and in the manner of their choosing, and the place of their choosing.  But this is a very insidious movement that dulls people's understanding of the importance and sanctity of human life."

He said the indictments will be used by assisted-suicide groups to distance themselves from "radicals" and to promote state legislation they say would prevent future abuses.

"The only problem is, state guidelines don't protect against abuses," he said, "and the very people they claim are radicals are their colleagues in the World Federation of Right to Die Societies."

Contact: Kim Trobee
Source: CitizenLink
Publish Date: March 10, 2010
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NEWS SHORTS FOR THURSDAY

NEWS SHORTS FOR THURSDAY

'Colored Blind Abortion Regulations' Pass in Georgia House Committee



A bill that would criminalize race-based abortions narrowly cleared committee at the Georgia Capitol Wednesday evening, drawing the Georgia General Assembly closer to a full-blown abortion debate. House Bill 1155 grew out of Georgia Right to Life's ongoing campaign to widen its reach in the black community. The bill would make it illegal for anyone to solicit or coerce a woman to have an abortion "based in any way on account of the race, color, or sex of the unborn child." Doctors would face up to 10 years in prison if they perform an abortion despite knowing that the woman has been coerced. The women who get the abortions would not be criminally liable at all, the bill states.
Click here for the entire article from Macon.


Rocks Thrown at Australian Pro-Life Election Candidate



A pro-life candidate running in the upcoming South Australian state election says he has had rocks and a garbage bin thrown at him when he attempted to stop vandals from taking down his election posters.

Trevor Grace, founder of the Save the Unborn Party, says his pro-life election posters, which feature a baby grasping the finger of an adult hand, are designed to create awareness about the high abortion rate in South Australia.
Click here for the entire article from LifeSiteNews.com.


Harlan Drake Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder



A jury found Harlan Drake guilty of two counts of first-degree murder today. Harlan Drake, 34, was charged with first-degree murder in the Sept. 11 shooting deaths of James Pouillon, 63, in front of Owosso High School and gravel pit owner Michael Fuoss, 61, in his Owosso Township office. Drake's lawyers sought a legal insanity defense. His trial began March 1 and jurors began deliberating early Thursday morning. They could have found Drake guilty, guilty but mentally ill, not guilty, not guilty by reason of insanity or guilty of a lesser charge, second degree murder.
Click here for the entire article from the Flint Journal.


Dutch Group Pushes for Suicide for Elderly Who are "Tired of Living"



The Dutch parliament may soon be considering the possibility of legalizing suicide and euthanasia for the elderly who are simply "tired of living" after a Dutch right-to-die group collected enough signatures to force a debate on the issue.

The euthanasia advocacy group "Of Free Will" is demanding that legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide be extended beyond those who are terminally ill to healthy individuals over the age of 70 who "consider their lives complete."
Click here for the entire articel from LifeSiteNews.com.

HB 6205 (Reproductive and Health Access Act or the IL FOCA Bill) Passes out of House Committee

HB 6205 (Reproductive and Health Access Act or the IL FOCA Bill) Passes out of House Committee

HB 6205 (the IL FOCA bill) Passed the Illinois House Human Services Committee with a vote of 5 - 2, but with the following amendment...

The Reproductive Health and Access Act conflicts with the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995 or the Health Care Right of Conscience Act, the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act of 1995 or the Health Care Right of Conscience Act, respectively, controls.

It permits the noncontributory portion of a program of health benefits to include the expenses of obtaining an abortion, induced miscarriage, or induced premature birth unless, in the opinion of a physician, certain conditions exist.

It also deletes language that excludes (which then means the bill does NOT exclude) provisions concerning reimbursement for medical assistance, abortions and induced miscarriages and premature births unless, in the opinion of a physician, certain conditions exist.

It also provides that the "Comprehensive Health Education Program" (sex ed) shall comply with the Reproductive Health and Access Act.

Click here for more details on this bill from the Illinois General Assembly Web Site.

The roll call was...

Yeas... (voted against life)

Naomi D. Jakobsson (D) 103rd District (217) 373-5000 naomi@naomijakobsson.com

Constance A. Howard (D) 34th District (773) 783-8800 howardca@ilga.gov

Sandy Cole (R) 62nd District (847) 543-0062 NO EMAIL

Annazette Collins (D) 10th District (773) 533-0010 collinsar@ilga.gov

Mary E. Flowers (D) 31st District (773) 471-5200 flowersme@ilga.gov

Nays... (voted for life)

Patricia R. Bellock (R) 47th District (630) 852-8633 NO EMAIL

Timothy L. Schmitz (R) 49th District (630) 845-9590 info@timschmitz.org

What next?

We expected this pro-abortion committee to pass this bad bill, but the vote margin shows just how hard the pro-abortion lobby has been working on our state Reps.

But they're not the only ones at work. We are too. The hearing this morning was packed with representatives. All our calls are having an impact!

The next step is for this bill to move to the House floor. The bill made it out of committee last year too, but pro-lifers like you pummeled their reps with calls and it never came up for a vote.

We can do it again this year and kill Illinois FOCA -- if every single one of us joins the fight.

CALL your state rep and tell them to VOTE NO on HB6205.

If you've already called, please call again TODAY. Click here to get talking points and contact links or Click here to find your Representative's contact information.

Source: Illinois Federation for Right to Life
Publish Date: March 10, 2010
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Illinois Bill, 'Reproductive and Health Access Act,' Would Increase Breast Cancer, Premature Birth Rates

Illinois Bill, 'Reproductive and Health Access Act,' Would Increase Breast Cancer, Premature Birth Rates, Reports Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer



The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer announced today its opposition to the euphemistically-named Illinois bill, "Reproductive and Health Access Act," HB 6205. The women's group has published a position paper for legislators and interested citizens.

"Contrary to what the bill's title says, it will significantly damage the health of women and their children in subsequent pregnancies," declared Karen Malec, president of the Coalition. "It is indisputable that an expansion of abortion in Illinois will lead to increased rates of breast cancer and premature births.

"Medical texts report that increased childbearing, starting at a younger age, and increased breastfeeding sharply reduce breast cancer risk. Childbearing helps protect women from breast cancer. Abortion results in the loss of that protective effect. Doctors are ethically obligated to inform pregnant women that abortion will leave them with a higher breast cancer risk than would childbearing.

"Our position paper shows that the abortion-premature birth link is settled science -- with three systematic reviews and meta-analyses last year having confirmed it and the Institute of Medicine's recognition of it. Premature birth increases the risks of neonatal death, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and difficulties walking, seeing and hearing.

"The bill requires public schools to teach comprehensive sex education which often involves informing students about oral contraceptives. Our position paper shows that oral contraceptives were linked to a four-fold increased risk of the deadly triple-negative breast cancer. The World Health Organization has listed combined oral contraceptives as a Group 1 carcinogen -- meaning carcinogenic to humans. Oral contraceptives are on the same list as asbestos, tobacco, benzene, arsenic, cadmium and combined hormone replacement therapy. Teachers who push these drugs will be giving some students a death sentence.

"It is deplorable that abortion enthusiasts in government and the abortion industry would ignore more than a half-century of scientific evidence and inflict catastrophic injuries and deaths upon Americans. Terrorists have not wreaked such immense destruction on this country," asserted Mrs. Malec.

Contact: Karen Malec
Source: Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer
Publish Date: March 10, 2010
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Planned Parenthood Fundraiser Draws Support From American Idol, Jay Leno, Cheesecake Factory, Wheel of Fortune, Paula Deen and Hundreds More.

Planned Parenthood Fundraiser Draws Support From American Idol, Jay Leno, Cheesecake Factory, Wheel of Fortune, Paula Deen and Hundreds More.



Tomorrow Planned Parenthood's 31st Annual Food Fare will take place at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica California. The annual event started in 1979 with a demonstration by Julia Child. Attendees are paying big money to attend this fundraiser for the largest child killing organization in the world.

Day Session:
10:30 am to 2 pm
Tickets $125 in advance, $150 at the door

Night Session:
6:30 pm to 9:30 pm
$175 in advance, $200 at the door

Two of the Item donors to this blood money fund raiser were Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert and Dance for Kids. It just saddens me that businesses that cater to children help raise money for the killing of innocent babies. Do they not realize they are helping to kill off the very children who could be their customers in just a few years??



I was also disappointed to see some of my favorite restaurants on the list of donors to one of the deadliest and most racists organizations in history. I loved the fish tacos at Cheesecake Factory, but I have no intention of ever eating there again. Pinks Hot Dogs and Tommy's World Famous Hamburgers were places I would often visit when I go to Los Angeles; thank God In & Out Burger is NOT donating to this event. Every year at the March for Life my best friend and I go eat at Fogo de Chao Steak House for his birthday; I guess I will have to find another place to celebrate next year.

Last year Planned Parenthood raised over $450,000 from this event and since it started in 1979 they have raised over $7.2 million dollars in blood money. Restaurant critic, author, and radio host Merrill Shindler has said, "…For sheer culinary pleasure, there's nothing like the Planned Parenthood Food Fare – a tribute to the tasty culinary diversity of LA!" We hope you'll join us to experience good food for a good cause! Purchase your ticket today.

For the sake of all the precious children who will never get a chance to experience good food, I will never grace any of these restaurants again. If you want to avoid these businesses and not financially support accessories to murder like California Pizza Kitchen, Paula Deen, Souplantation and hundreds more, check out the blood money fundraiser web site. http://www.pplafoodfare.com

Contact: Bryan Kemper
Source: BryanKemper.com
Publish Date: March 10, 2010
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