Tens of Thousand of Pro-Lifers Fill San Francisco Streets

Tens of Thousand of Pro-Lifers Fill San Francisco Streets

Sixth Annual Walk for Life West Coast: Tens of Thousands of Pro-Lifers fill San Francisco Streets

"It is up to us to stand, raise our voices, and protect the smallest." --- Lila Rose, 2010 Walk for Life West Coast



At least 35,000 peaceful pro-life walkers filled this city's waterfront, toddlers holding hands with grandparents and college students waving banners, as the largest crowd ever attended the 6th Annual Walk for Life West Coast, Saturday, January 23rd.

Frank Lee, coordinator of Asian Americans Pro-Life, led the rally in a prayer at the start, saying: "Every life is precious and should be cherished. We have a tough battle in front of us, but we shall overcome when we combine our efforts to make it a perfect whole!"

Students from San Francisco high schools and from Stanford, UC-Berkeley, St. Mary's of Moraga, St. Thomas Aquinas College, and Wyoming Catholic College marched alongside eight Catholic Bishops.

One hundred and twenty Catholic seminarians carried banners and Tom Martin, who worked for former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown before entering the seminary, said: "It's a great opportunity for the people of God to see that the seminarians are joining with them not only in praying for life, but also taking a stand."

Speakers included Abby Johnson, who worked for Planned Parenthood for eight years, walked away from her job as a Planned Parenthood clinic director in October after assisting in an abortion. Johnson said: "If you are here, you are an activist. We can no longer just say the words but must put our words into action." Johnson joined 40 Days for Life, a national prayer and fasting campaign outside abortion clinics. The Walk presented the St. Gianna Molla Award to David Bereit, national campaign director of 40 Days for Life.

Lila Rose of Live Action said "The fact that we have allowed abortion in this great nation, the killing of the most defenseless and weak among us has resulted in the greatest human rights abuse I believe our nation has ever seen. It is up to us to stand, raise our voices, and protect the smallest."

"If ever there was a time to 'seize the moment' in the interest of unborn babies, it is now," Evangelical preacher, author and theologian, Pastor Jim Garlow of San Diego, told the rally.

The Reverend Clenard Childress, founder of BlackGenocide.org, said "There is an obvious shifting in our culture and it stems from advances in the pro-life movement."

Walk for Life co-founder Dolores Meehan said "The tenacity of pro-lifers, showing up in their tens of thousands, despite a downpour, is a testimony to their commitment!"

The Walk for Life West Coast was started by a group of San Franciscans in 2005 to affirm the right to life from conception to natural death and particularly to change hearts hurt by the violence of abortion.

Walk for Life West Coast: www.walkforlifewc.com

Click the following for videos of the Walk for Life West Coast..

Video 1
Video 2
Video 3

Contact: Gibbons J. Cooney
Source: Walk for Life West Coast
Publish Date: January 24, 2010
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Groups Request Congressional Investigation of National Cancer Institute's Misinformation on Breast Cancer Risks of Abortion, Oral Contraceptives

Groups Request Congressional Investigation of National Cancer Institute's Misinformation on Breast Cancer Risks of Abortion, Oral Contraceptives
 


The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer announced today it is sending a letter, signed by doctors and pro-family organizations, to President Obama and the leaders of Congress calling for an investigation of the U.S. National Cancer Institute. It puts political leaders on notice of a discrepancy between what the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) says about the breast cancer risks of abortion and oral contraceptives (OCs) - "the pill" - and what Louise Brinton, the NCI's Chief of the Hormonal and Reproductive Epidemiology Branch, has reported in her research. The letter asks Congress to investigate the NCI's failure to issue timely warnings about breast cancer risks and asks political leaders to remove public funding for abortion from all legislation being considered by this Congress.
 
"As a scientist representing the official policy of the NCI, Brinton says there is no abortion-breast cancer (ABC) link," explained Professor Joel Brind of Baruch College, City University of New York, "While as a scientist publishing her findings in a peer-reviewed medical journal, she says there is a significant ABC link. Both of these points of view rely on data that is up to 20 years old, yet both points of view have been recently--within the last few months---confirmed publicly (on the NCI website and in the Dolle study, respectively. Will the real Louise Brinton please stand up? Since this direct contradiction came to light in the public eye, she appears to have been hiding under her desk."
 
The letter tells how the NCI conned women with its 2003 workshop, "Early Reproductive Events and Breast Cancer." Brinton was the chief organizer of that workshop.
 
"The NCI puts politics ahead of women's lives," said Karen Malec, president of the Coalition. "That's why we're putting both parties on notice of the NCI's misconduct. If they decide to watch women die, instead of cleaning house when we have prima facie evidence of a cover-up, then both parties will have to answer to angry women."
 
Brinton was a co-author in a 2009 study conducted by Janet Daling's team at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and led by Jessica Dolle. The Coalition previously reported the study's findings in a press release dated January 6, 2010. The Coalition features a YouTube video discussing researchers' findings. The Coalition published a January 19, 2010 newsletter explaining why co-author Kathleen Malone's claim about the study, "There are no new findings related to induced abortion..." is a lie. [2]
 
Researchers unequivocally stated their findings "were consistent with the effects observed in previous studies on younger women. Specifically ... induced abortion and oral contraceptive use were associated with an increased risk of breast cancer."

Contact: Karen Malec
Source: The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer
Publish Date: January 25, 2010
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Viewers will choose outcome of women with unintended pregnancies in new series

Viewers will choose outcome of women with unintended pregnancies in new series



A new webcast series will focus on the fictional stories of three women who face unintended pregnancies. It will allow viewers to choose how the characters' stories will end for the final episode.

Yellow Line Studio said the premiere of BUMP+ would be Friday, Jan. 22. Thirteen episodes will follow in February and March, the California Catholic Daily reports.

"From Juno and Bella to Glee and Desperate Housewives, a woman's right to choose has been explored across the media landscape," said the series' executive producer Dominic Iocco. "What makes BUMP+ different from the others is that we're letting the viewers decide how our characters' stories will end. We've opened the official website to comments and our team will craft the final episodes based on audience feedback. Their choice really is up to you."

Series co-executive producer Christopher Riley said the series was inspired by President Barack Obama's May 2009 commencement speech to graduates at Notre Dame.

"He urged people on both sides of the debate to find ways to communicate about a workable solution to the problem of unintended pregnancies," Riley explained.

He described the series as an "experiment to see if story can succeed where nearly four decades of angry rhetoric and political posturing have failed."

"We're not making a moral or political statement; hopefully, we're starting a conversation with the audience," Riley added, according to the California Catholic Daily.

Yellow Line Studio said a trailer for the pilot has attracted several comments and personal stories for viewers and it is gaining a following on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

The San Diego-based studio describes itself as an independent entertainment company. It operates a satellite office in Los Angeles.

The website of the series is at http://www.bumptheshow.com.

Source: CNA
Publish Date: January 24, 2010
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NEWS SHORTS FOR MONDAY

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.)

Denying Abortion Protesters' Free Speech Rights Proposed for Rockford



ROCKFORD, IL -- City leaders will begin debating Monday whether Rockford should adopt a "bubble law," an ordinance that would prevent protesters from coming within 8 feet of a person or vehicle entering or exiting a health care facility, including the Northern Illinois Women's Center abortion clinic. The sidewalks outside the clinic at 1400 Broadway are a regular gathering spot for abortion protesters and have been for several years. Some protesters pray quietly. Some yell through a megaphone. Some carry Bibles. Some walk back and forth on the walkway with signs bearing anti-abortion photos and messages. Ald. Karen Elyea, who is proposing the ordinance, and City Attorney Jennifer Cacciapaglia, who drafted it, said the law could help increase the level of safety outside the clinic for clients and protesters. Ald. Karen Elyea, who is proposing the ordinance, and City Attorney Jennifer Cacciapaglia, who drafted it, said the law could help increase the level of safety outside the clinic for clients and protesters.
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Colorado Personhood Amendment Encounters Historical March for Life Success, Legal Setbacks



Friday's Colorado March for Life, presented by Colorado Right to Life, was the largest in recent history, with marchers at the State Capitol numbering nearly 1,500. The march was marked by an unprecedented number of teens, with young people making up the majority of participants.
 
'Personhood' was the theme, with each speaker highlighting the need to recognize Personhood rights for preborn babies from the moment of their biological beginning. The Personhood USA slogan "Persons Not Property" was displayed prominently, and chants of "Roe v. Wade has got to go!" resounded through the streets surrounding the March.
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Abortion Groups Attack Faith-Based Charities Providing Support to Pregnant Women



Amidst budget shortfalls and a busy legislative session, lobby groups for abortion clinics have stirred up a perfect storm for state legislators. NARAL Pro-Choice Washington and Planned Parenthood are pushing for new legislation that would place a "gag order" on faith-based charities providing free support to pregnant women. With support from a half million Washingtonians across the state, more than 45 pregnancy resource centers and medical clinics say this legislation would regulate their organizations out of existence, eliminating approximately $15 million worth of free services (annually) to women facing unplanned pregnancies. In addition, the Attorney General's Office has estimated the bill will cost Washington taxpayers more than a half million over the next four years.
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"Honk, If You Were Once a Baby"



It was a colossal crowd, as huge as it was wired. People were everywhere. Up and down the main thoroughfare and any number of side streets. Can you hear us now, President Obama?

I am in a time bind, today so let me offer just three quick impressions.

I overheard young people (and, as always, they constituted the bulk of the attendees) talking about how their parents had brought them to the March over and over again when they were children. Now as young adults, they were coming with their schools and universities or on their own. I cannot overestimate the importance of the behavior these parents had modeled for their children.
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March for Life 2010

Participants in the 2010 March for Life were consistent in their reports of the crowd enthusiasm and size.



HUGE. That is all I can say. The largest in recent memory. Some informal estimates at 300,000. In my humble opinion, there were more like 500,000 people attending the March. Pro-lifers swarmed Washington D.C. on a cool but rain free day. The sun even came out at the end of the day while the women from Silent No More gave their testimony. - Jakubczyk on Life

Today, in spite of the weather, I drove to Washington D.C. to partake in the 37th annual March For Life and had an experience like no other. I saw an enthusiastic crowd in very large numbers totally devoted to the life cause, consisting largely of young, fresh faced people chanting, praying, laughing, and enjoying life to its fullest as they marched for their firmly held beliefs.
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March for Life, Health Care Bill Dies, Bells Ring for Roe

Pictures from the 2010 March for Life...

  

 

Pelosi admits: health care dead...right now

from the Associated Press...

WASHINGTON – Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she lacks the votes to quickly move the Senate's sweeping health overhaul bill through the House, a potentially devastating blow to President Barack Obama's signature issue.

Pelosi, D-Calif., made the comment to reporters after House Democrats held a closed-door meeting at which participants vented frustration with the Senate's massive version of the legislation.

Her concession meant there was little hope for a White House-backed plan to quickly push the Senate-approved health bill through the House, followed by a separate measure making changes sought by House members, such as easing the Senate's tax on higher-cost health plans. Such an approach would be "problematic," she said.

"In its present form without any changes I don't think it's possible to pass the Senate bill in the House," Pelosi said, adding, "I don't see the votes for it at this time."
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Also read... Healthcare redo in the works

BELLS MAY RING TODAY TO MARK ROE V. WADE DECISION

All parishes in the Rockford Diocese, including St. Mary's Church in DeKalb and the Church of St. Mary in Sycamore, are being encouraged to toll their church bells on Jan. 22, which marks the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion [sic] (Courts do not make law). A news release from the diocese states that the day should be "a sorrowful reminder of the devastation wrought by the killing of the most vulnerable among us," and encourages mourning for those lost through abortion, as well as prayers for those affected and prayers of reparation for those who defend abortion.
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Healthcare redo in the works

Healthcare redo in the works



A congressional analyst believes Democrats will even have a difficult time passing a watered-down version of their healthcare bill.
 
Confronted with the reality that they lack the votes necessary to pass their desired version of healthcare reform, Democrats are now deciding how they can scale back the legislation so it can win congressional approval.
 
Dan Holler, deputy director for Senate relations at The Heritage Foundation, gives an idea of what a smaller Democratic healthcare bill might entail.
 
"What they're talking about right now are some insurance market reforms, some things to help small businesses, closing the gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage...and bumping up how long children -- I guess you can call them children -- but keeping dependents up to 26-years-old on their parents' coverage," he explains.
 
He also notes that Democrats are forced to scrap major tenets of their original bill.
 
"The individual mandate, the employer mandate, the public option, the OPM-run plan, the national or state exchanges -- a lot of the big picture stuff is being thrown aside because they just can't move it through [because] they found it to be too unpopular," Holler reports.  "But, all of that said, what they're proposing is still going to be very hard to do."
 
The analyst says if Congress jettisons the individual mandate, there will be no insurance industry support for the reforms that were tied to that mandate.  That scenario, he predicts, will render the bill "unworkable."

Limited overhaul
Appearing on CBS's The Early Show today, former Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean says he still thinks Democrats can get a scaled-back health care bill through Congress. But Dean also said he doubts Republicans will work with Democrats on a compromise measure -- even one far more modest and less costly than versions passed by the House and Senate.

The former Vermont governor said he believes Republicans concluded "they can benefit" politically from resisting President Barack Obama's ambitious health overhaul. But he also said the American people want changes in the system, saying "they didn't want something that was written by the insurance industry."

Contact: Jim Brown
Source: OneNewsNow
Publish Date: January 22, 2010
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Eugenics - the evil root of abortio

Eugenics - the evil root of abortion



A documentary and expose' on the abortion business has caught the attention of some members of Congress.
 
The documentary, Maafa 21, traces the history of Planned Parenthood to its founder, Margaret Sanger, who believed in eugenics -- controlling and eliminating certain population groups, especially including minorities such as African-Americans. Mark Crutcher of Life Dynamics produced the film. He says the project has proven itself effective after having been shown and discussed by a number of churches and media outlets.
 
"We're seeing committed people who are on the pro-choice side coming over saying, 'This thing has totally, completely turned me around on the abortion issue. I never knew any of this stuff was going on. I never knew anything about this eugenics and black genocide aspect of abortion,'" explains Crutcher.
 
The documentary has been shown to members of Congress and their staff twice, and it has made an impact as the producer says the film flies in the face of the argument that a woman has a right to do what she wants with her body.
 
"Every day in this battle we hear them say, 'Well, this issue is not really abortion. The issue is do we trust women in privacy and reproductive freedom' -- and all that nonsense. [But] what you quickly see when you study this is that's just marketing hype," Crutcher comments. "The reality is that abortion is about eugenics and black genocide."
 
He adds that an irrefutable argument for that is made in the documentary, Maafa 21.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow
Publish Date: January 22, 2010
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Supreme Court Loosens Restrictions on Campaign Ads

Supreme Court Loosens Restrictions on Campaign Ads
 


Ruling allows advocacy organizations to spend money endorsing or opposing candidates in the days preceding an election.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that corporations may use money from general funds for campaign ads.

For the past two decades under federal laws like the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill, right-to-life organizations, pro-marriage groups and even unions and corporations were prohibited from airing political ads mentioning candidates within 60 days of an election.

James Bopp, an attorney with Bopp, Coleson and Bostrom, said the ruling is a First Amendment victory.

"(People) are not going to be discriminated against when they come together in a group to advocate their issues," he said.  "Rather than having to form shadowy groups in order to do this sort of activity, they can just forthrightly do it themselves."

The justices voted 5-4 to overturn some of the restrictions.  In his opinion, Justice Anthony Kennedy explained that the laws placed an undue burden on those taking part in the political process.

"The First Amendment does not permit laws that force speakers to retain a campaign finance attorney, conduct demographic marketing research, or seek declaratory rulings," he said, "before discussing the most salient political issues of our day."

The decision does not affect the ban on direct contributions to candidates by corporations and unions.

Tim Goeglein, vice president of external relations for Focus on the Family Action, said the pro-family movement will benefit.

"Organizations like Focus on the Family Action, the family policy councils, all of our allies," he said, "this will give us an incredible voice in the great issues of our time."

Contact: Steve Jordahl
Source: CitizenLink
Publish Date: January 21, 2010
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On 37th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade Poll Finds Majority of Americans, and Nearly 6 in 10 Young Adults, Say Abortion 'Morally Wrong'

On 37th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade Poll Finds Majority of Americans, and Nearly 6 in 10 Young Adults, Say Abortion 'Morally Wrong'

New survey shows 56% of all Americans and 58% of those 18-29 years old say abortion 'morally wrong'



On the eve of the 37th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion throughout the United States, a new survey shows a strong majority of Americans believe abortion to be "morally wrong."

"Millennials" (those 18-29) consider abortion to be "morally wrong" even more (58%) than Baby Boomers (those 45-64) (51%). Generation X (those 30-44) are similar to Millennials (60% see abortion as "morally wrong"). More than 6 in 10 of the Greatest Generation (those 65+) feel the same.

The most recent Knights of Columbus -- Marist survey -- conducted in late December and early January -- is the latest in a series of such surveys commissioned by the Knights of Columbus and conducted by Marist Institute for Public Opinion. In October of 2008 and July of 2009, the survey has been tracking an increasing trend toward the pro-life position -- a trend confirmed by Gallup and Pew surveys in mid-2009. K of C -- Marist surveys are available online at www.kofc.org/moralcompass.

"Americans of all ages -- and younger people in even greater numbers than their parents -- see abortion as something morally wrong," said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. "America has turned a corner and is embracing life -- and in doing so is embracing a future they -- and all of us -- can be proud of."

He added: "Advances in technology show clearly -- and ever more clearly -- that an unborn child is completely a human being. That, coupled with the large number of Americans who know one of the many people who has been negatively affected by abortion are certainly two of the reasons that Americans are increasingly uncomfortable with Roe v. Wade's legacy of abortion, and with abortion generally. The majority of Americans now understand that abortion has consequences, and that those consequences are not good."

The question on abortion was part of a larger survey, which will be released in the next several days.

This report presents the findings from a survey of 2,243 Americans -- including an oversample of 1,006 Millennials. Reports for Americans have a margin of error of +/-2% and for Millennials it is +/-3%. Data were collected from December 23, 2009 through January 4, 2010 using an online, probability-based panel from Knowledge Networks, Inc. Additional information is available at www.kofc.org. Data on the polls commissioned by the Knights of Columbus are available at www.kofc.org/moralcompass.

Contact: Andrew Walther, Pat Korten
Source: Knights of Columbus
Publish Date: January 22, 2010
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A Choice for Life

A Choice for Life



Sixteen years ago my best friend made a decision that changed her life. At twenty *Jean was single, popular, and enjoying the college life while working part time at a law office. She had a boyfriend but nothing serious. She was too smart to get tied down so young. Her sights were set on law school.

Everyone loved Jean, and things seemed to be going according to plan until one morning when everything came crashing down.

Jean had discovered that she was pregnant.

Not wanting to be burdened by an unwanted pregnancy Jean wasted no time planning for an abortion. "At that moment I knew my life was going to change, but it wasn't the change I wanted. I so wanted to be free. I didn't feel like I had an option other than abortion," she shared.

It wasn't much later that my friend walked into what she thought was an abortion clinic. She had readied herself for the appointment having disconnected herself from the fetus within her. A pregnancy didn't have to mean a baby.

As Jean entered the Pregnancy Crisis Center a kind woman met her and listened to her story. The woman soon learned that my friend had entered the center by accident. Jean was terrified. The resolve that she had mustered to enter what she thought was an abortion clinic was disintegrating. The counselor asked Jean if she would like to stay anyway. Jean agreed.

Jean relates her encounter and subsequent emotions:

The counselor was patient and answered my questions. She shared information about the development of the baby. I hadn't allowed myself to think of it as a baby. When I came to terms with the reality that there was a person inside of me, I wondered, "How can I destroy a life?" I just knew I couldn't. That is when everything really changed. I didn't know if I should get married, or if the father would even marry me. I was so confused and selfish. I thought terrible things like, "Maybe, if I could just lose this baby. Then I'd be free." And I knew this meant I had to stop drinking. Even though I didn't know what the future held I made the decision to keep my baby.

I asked Jean how she feels about her decision now – sixteen years later. "I have a beautiful, fifteen-year-old daughter. She is wonderful. It is only by God's grace that I walked into the wrong place so many years ago," she smiled. "I didn't find the answers all at once, but I did find hope, and I want others to discover that hope. I had no idea that there were people praying for me a 'wild child!' And I thank God every day."

I thank God as well for Jean's bravery to face the unknown embracing the life that God created, and for her desire to reach out to young women faced with the same challenges she has endured since that life-altering day.

Abortion is one of the most polarizing words in our vocabulary, and today marks the 37th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. Many still celebrate this landmark case as a victory for women's rights, but I see no victory for women here. I mourn this day as we count nearly 50 million lives lost to abortion legally in the United States alone. I mourn the women whose arms are empty or lightened due to our ignorance. The fallout from the taking of these lives along with legislation enacted as a result affects so many more.

May we choose to celebrate life and be gentle and loving toward those affected by this tragedy, and may God have mercy on us all.

Contact: JP Murie
Source: Caffeinated Thoughts
Publish Date: January 22, 2010
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Scottish Bill Would Allow Active Euthanasia by Non Doctor

Scottish Bill Would Allow Active Euthanasia by Non Doctor



The new Scotland Parliament bill to legalize assisted suicide–which I noted in an earlier post, permits disabled or dying teenagers access to "end of life assistance"–clearly includes active mercy killing.  From the bill (no link, my emphasis):

1. Lawful to provide assistance under this Act(1) It is not a criminal offence or a delict for a person (a) to provide end of life assistance in accordance with this Act; or (b) to provide assistance, including assistance by participating in any step required by this Act, to enable another person to obtain or provide end of life assistance in accordance with this Act.
(2) In this Act "end of life assistance" means assistance, including the provision or administration of appropriate means, to enable a person to die with dignity and a minimum of distress….

11. Requirements relating to the actual provision of assistance (1) The end of life assistance must, so far as reasonably practicable, be provided in accordance with the agreement between the requesting person and the designated practitioner.

Note that since the method of killing isn't specified or limited, it would seem that any method agreed upon by the suicidal person and the killing actor would be legal, theoretically including being shot in the head, so long as it  "allowed a person to die with dignity," which is in the eye of the dying person, it would seem, and caused "a minimum of distress," which a bullet to the head would provide. Most wouldn't want to be shot, of course, but these days, who knows?

And it is very clear that the actual suicide assister/killer need not be the patient's physician or, for that matter, even a health care practioner:

10 Agreement on provision of assistance (1) Where the second formal request is approved, and before end of life assistance can be provided, the requesting person and the designated practitioner must agree (a) that end of life assistance is to be provided; (b) who is to provide the end of life assistance; (c) on the place where that assistance is to be provided; and (d) on the means by which that assistance is to be provided.

While Secton 11 (6) requires the doctor to be present, he/she clearly need not do the deed.

So, in summary: Under the bill, qualified teenagers can be killed without regard to parental approval, doctors need to OK the euthanasia/assisted suicide but need not perform the act–demonstrating yet again, that euthanasia is not a medical act–and any swift method of killing is okay so long as it is done in private.  Good grief!

Contact: Wesley J. Smith
Source: Secondhand Smoke
Publish Date: January 22, 2010
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NEWS SHORTS FOR FRIDAY

NEWS SHORTS FOR FRIDAY
(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.)

Roeder Jury Selected; Trial to Begin Today on The Anniversary of Roe V. Wade



Opening statements in Scott Roeder's first-degree murder trial are scheduled to begin Friday following six days of jury selection. Most of the juror questioning occurred behind closed doors, with a final session open to some reporters today, and a jury panel of 14 was seated Thursday afternoon. Roeder, 51, of Kansas City, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Wichita abortion doctor George Tiller, one of a handful of doctors in the country who performed late-term abortions.
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Terri Schiavo's Brother Says the Press Is Still Lying About His Sister



It's been nearly five years since his sister, Terri Schindler Schiavo, was starved and dehydrated to death, and Bobby Schindler says the mainstream press is still "telling lies" about her.
 
"It's still being misreported by the mainstream media," Schindler told CNSNews.com Thursday. "There's things that are being said that were simply not true."

"They refer to Terri as being brain dead," Schindler said of news accounts. "I see that all the time, and it simply is not true. They say that she was on artificial life support, without explaining to people what artificial life support means. There's this perception out there that Terri was on a machine – that people like Terri need machines to keep them alive. And it simply is not true."
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Contraceptives delivery by 11-year-olds is 'dangerous prescription,' critics warn



A Planned Parenthood partner in Ecuador is using youth as young as 11 to deliver the contraceptive injection Depo-Provera as part of a "peer-to-peer" model. Critics said it was a "dangerous" program that undermined parental authority, corrupted youth and would be illegal in the United States.

Veena Siddharth, the vice president for international programs for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), and Dee Redwine, PPFA Latin America regional director, wrote about the program in a Dec. 15 article in Global Health Magazine. Planned Parenthood operates the program through a partnership with the Ecuadoran group, Centro Medico de Orientacion y Planificacion Familiar (CEMOPLAF).
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Care Net on Roe Anniversary: Pregnancy Centers Flourish Yet Endure Numerous State Attacks

On the 37th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, Care Net President Melinda Delahoyde said the pro-life pregnancy center movement is flourishing and contributing to the growing culture of life across the nation. Yet, because of the movement's effectiveness, abortion advocacy groups are mounting an increasing number of attacks in state and local governments across the country, she said. "The compassionate outreach of pregnancy centers is infectious and our movement is growing," Delahoyde said. "Yet these numerous attacks on pregnancy centers call for a new level of support and partnership to defend their critical work."
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Low-Dose Birth Control Pills Decrease Bone Density in Young Women



A new study showing a link between long-term use of oral contraceptives and a decrease in bone density in women under the age of 30 has found that the modern low-dose forms of estrogen pills have the greatest risk of harming a woman's bone density.

The study, published in the January issue of Contraception Journal, measured bone mineral density (BMD) of the hip, spine, and whole body to analyze how both the duration of taking the contraceptive pill and the estrogen dose affected bone density in young women.
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Why is National Cancer Institute Covering up Link?: Abortion Breast Cancer Coalition Letter to Congress



The US National Cancer Institute (NIC) has again denied the link between abortion and breast cancer to a Globe and Mail reporter, despite one of their leading researchers being named as co-author on a study that admitted up to a 40 per cent increased risk of breast cancer associated with induced abortion.

In 2003, Louise Brinton, NCI's chief of the Hormonal and Reproductive Epidemiology branch, was an organizer of the NCI workshop in 2003 that told women it is "well established" that "abortion is not associated with increased breast cancer risk." Then, in 2009, Brinton was co-author of study, published in April last year by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, in which she admitted that abortion raises breast cancer risk.
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Researcher: Abortion is $38.5 Trillion Drag on the Economy

Researcher: Abortion is $38.5 Trillion Drag on the Economy

  

In its latest estimate on the economic impact of abortion, the Movement for a Better America is reporting that the abortion toll is projected to climb to a new high of 52,333,000 as of January 22, 2010, the 37th anniversary of Roe V. Wade.

The group also estimated that the economic impact has risen to $38.5 trillion in lost U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) since 1970.

"This year alone, the impact involved another $2.45 trillion, or roughly equal to half the GDP of Germany and France combined," said the Movement in a press release.

MBA President Dennis Howard, who has been researching the economic impact of abortion since 1992, said, "The number of lives lost to surgical abortion has reached 17% of the total U.S. population of 307,000,000.  So it's not surprising that this year's increase is equal to 17% of U.S. GDP."

The estimates are based on average GDP per year since 1970 after abortion became legal in our largest states and the cumulative number of abortions.

The estimates do not include babies lost to abortifacients and contraception because of the lack of public data. Said Howard: "However, the economic impact of these is similar to abortion. My guess is they would double the impact based on abortion alone."

Howard has been warning since the mid-1990's that the US faced a major financial crisis based on ongoing demographic trends.  In 1997, he wrote: "I see little hope that we can avoid an eventual crash on Wall Street that will make the 1930's looking like cashing in your cards after a bad game of Monopoly."

He even gave percentages as to when a crash would occur. He wrote then: "I'd give it a 50% chance of happening by the year 2000, an 80% chance by the year 2010, and a 100% chance of happening by 2020."

Howard cited the collapse of the former Soviet Union as an example of the impact of demographics on economies. "The main reason for their collapse was internal – 300 abortions for every 100 live births for decades ... Right now, there are not enough younger women to reverse their population decline. They could lose another 40 million people by 2050."

"Meanwhile," he said, "the Muslim world is going in the other direction – with rates of natural increase 5 to 6 times higher than ours. They will own the second half of this Century unless we reverse course."

Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: January 20, 2010
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Governors Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee Join Virtual March for Life

Governors Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee Join Virtual March for Life



Hundreds of thousands of Americans are expected to attend tomorrow's National March for Life, which takes place annually on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. Americans United for Life Action, in an effort to bolster the real March for Life, launched the first-ever Virtual March for Life www.virtualmarchforlife.com earlier this week. This innovative online campaign allows people to create an avatar of themselves and "march" online. The Virtual March for Life currently boasts 45,000 Americans and is growing by the minute. As part of this effort, the Virtual March for Life is featuring prominent leaders who are lending their support to the cause.

"The healthcare bill as currently written will unravel long-standing federal policy by allowing public funds to be used for abortion. Because of the magnitude of this threat, this year's national March for Life will be the most important in history. We created the Virtual March for Life to encourage people to be here tomorrow and to give voice to countless Americans who can't be in Washington but wish they could. We are encouraging everyone to click and be heard," said Dr. Charmaine Yoest, President and CEO of Americans United for Life Action.

This list now includes:

• Governor Sarah Palin

• Governor Mike Huckabee

• Dr. James Dobson, Focus on the Family

• Tony Perkins, Family Research Council

• Sen. Jim DeMint

• Rep. John Boehner

• Rep. Mike Pence

• Rep. Eric Cantor

• Rep. Tom Price

• Marco Rubio, U.S. Senate candidate in Florida

• Erick Erickson, RedState.com

To view updates of more leaders joining the march, click here.

AUL Action's President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest is available to discuss the Virtual March for Life's mobilization of pro-life activists across the nation this week and the abortion provisions in the health care bill.

• Visit Virtual March for Life's website.

• Check out AUL Action's video about the Virtual March for Life.

• Follow the Virtual March for Life on Twitter. Marchers can live-tweet using the hashtag #March4Life.

• Go to Virtual March for Life's Facebook fan page.

Contact: Heather Smith
Source: Virtual March for Life
Publish Date: January 21, 2010
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Non Terminal

Non Terminal



A very telling bill has been tabled in the Scottish Parliament to legalize assisted suicide. Notably, it is not restricted to the terminally ill–but allows people who can't live independently to receive poison pills. Also, the age limit is only 16.  From the End of Life Assistance Bill (no link):

Eligibility requirements(1) A person may make a formal request for end of life assistance under this Act only if the person
(a) is 16 years of age or over at the time of making the first formal request;
(b) has been registered with a medical practice in Scotland for a continuous period of at least 18 months immediately prior to making that request; and
(c) satisfies the requirements of subsection (2).

(2) The requirements of this subsection are that the requesting person
(a) has been diagnosed as terminally ill and finds life intolerable; or
(b) is permanently physically incapacitated to such an extent as not to be able to live independently and finds life intolerable.

Imagine the potential for abuse, coercion, and abandonment.

Anyone who says the assisted suicide agenda is merely a "limited safety valve" when nothing else can be done to alleviate suffering is really not paying attention.

Contact: Wesley J. Smith
Source: Secondhand Smoke
Publish Date: January 21, 2010
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License Revoked, but Abortion Clinic Continues Operations

License Revoked, but Abortion Clinic Continues Operations



The Gentilly Medical Clinic for Women in New Orleans, Louisiana, is still taking appointments for abortions and seeing abortion patients even though it has had its operating license revoked by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals this week, reports Operation Rescue.

The clinic was charged with violating laws requiring that abortion clinics have a licensed nurse on staff, and that they have proper state and federal licensing for controlled substances.

Abortionist Ifeanyi Charles Anthony Okpalobi (pronounced ok-PAH-luh-bee), a Nigerian national, was warned repeatedly that his clinic was not in compliance with the law. He has 30 days in which to appeal the decision during which time he can remain open for business under Louisiana law. The appellate process could take up to six months.

Operation Rescue investigators have confirmed today that the Gentilly Medical Clinic for Women is open and taking patients.

"It is appalling to think that Okpalobi could continue to endanger women even though his clinic license has been revoked," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "Okpalobi was told several times to comply with the law has he did not do it. When abortionists take the attitude, which Okpalobi appears to have taken, that he is above the law, that creates a dangerous situation for women who are not aware that his abortion mill does not meet legal standards put in place for their protection."

"When one has a driver's license revoked, that is it. The person cannot drive in the interest of public safety. We should take the safety of women as seriously. We demand that the State of Louisiana act to immediately close the Gentilly Medical Clinic for Women in order to protect women from this scofflaw abortionist," said Newman.

"We urge anyone with additional information about Okpalobi's abortion clinic abuses to come forward and participate in the Abortion Whistleblowers program. They may earn a reward of $10,000 for information leading his the arrest and conviction," said Newman.

Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: January 20, 2010
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Babies Go to Congress

Babies Go to Congress



Heartbeat International, an association of more than 1100 pregnancy help centers, is providing an opportunity for women served by these centers to bring their babies to Capitol Hill. These moms, accompanied by their babies, will meet with Members of Congress on January 21, 2010 to express their gratitude for the life-saving work of pregnancy help centers.

Our elected representatives need to know that pregnancy resource centers exist in most of their districts. These help centers are serving communities by uniting thousands of compassionate individuals with a passion for life, who also fund the community-based centers and serve as volunteers, to provide the emotional and practical help women facing unexpected pregnancies need. This network, including doctors, lawyers, nurses, social workers, educators and other professionals, provides the vital information women need to make an informed decision, the facts that abortion providers often leave out. As Peggy Hartshorn, President of Heartbeat International, stated, "Alternatives to abortion must be available so no woman ever feels forced to abort her baby."

Moms and babies saved by pregnancy help centers want to send the clear message that pregnancy resource centers (PRC) are good for America. You can find out more about the untold story and impact of the PRC movement, and the tremendous good being done in our midst, at www.apassiontoserve.org. A combined services report, A Passion to Serve, A Vision for Life, records the development and vital work of the three major pregnancy resource network groups—Heartbeat, CareNet and the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA). If you are interested in locating a pregnancy resource center, you can access http://www.optionline.org.

Contact: Sherry Crater
Source: FRCBlog
Publish Date: January 20, 2010
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Planned Parenthood Uses Teens to Distribute Injectable Birth Control in Rural Ecuador

Planned Parenthood Uses Teens to Distribute Injectable Birth Control in Rural Ecuador



Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) has launched a program in rural Ecuador that uses people ages 11 to 19 to deliver the hormone injection Depo-Provera, a birth control method that prevents the release of eggs from the ovaries.
 
In a Dec. 15 article in Global Health Magazine about the program, Veena Siddharth, vice president for international programs for PPFA, and Dee Redwine, PPFA Latin America regional director, wrote about the "peer-to-peer" model that Planned Parenthood operates through a partnership with the Ecuadoran group, Centro Medico de Orientacion y Planificacion Familiar, or CEMOPLAF.
 
"What if I told you that Juan, a community health care worker in rural Ecuador, is providing injectable contraceptives outside the clinic setting to indigenous community members?" the article begins. "What if I told you that Juan is actually a 15-year-old and the clients he's reaching are also youth?"
 
The article goes on the say that Juan is one of about 30 young people, ages 11 to 19, who receive training, including "introduction to injections in general, training in Depo Provera in particular" and bio-safety procedures. The teens also hand out other contraceptives, including birth control pills and condoms.
 
The article states that the program reaches the most hard to reach indigenous people because "for the first-time user, it's less invasive than other long-acting methods."
 
"Add to that confidentiality (no pill pack laying around), the accessibility (outside clinic walls), and the convenience (a promoter comes to you every 12 weeks.)," the article states.
 
It is unclear from Planned Parenthood's latest report if any of the $349.6 million it receives from the federal government – which is prevented by law to fund abortion but can be used for other family planning expenses – is part of the $6.9 million the organization reports using for its "International Family Planning Programs" for the fiscal year 2007-2008.
 
Steven Mosher, president of the Population Research Institute, a non-profit group that advocates against population control through abortion and other means, called the program "dangerous."
 
"We know Ecuador has a left-wing government," Mosher told CNSNews.com, "but to allow this kind of program to go forward, I mean, just think of the emotional and the medical consequences of allowing teenagers – you can't even get teenagers to make up their bed – and you are going to allow them to go out and inject their peers with a powerful, steroid-based drug without a medical examination, without awareness of any counter indication of taking the drug?
 
"This is a dangerous prescription for young people in Ecuador," Mosher said.
 
Calls to Pfizer, the American pharmaceutical company that manufacturers Depo-Provera, were not returned, but its Web site contains many warnings about the drug, including one for physicians who prescribe the drug.
 
"Women who use Depo-Provera Contraceptive Injection may lose significant bone mineral density," the warning states. "Bone loss is greater with increasing duration of use and may not be completely reversible.
 
"It is unknown if use of Depo-Provera Contraceptive Injection during adolescence or early adulthood, a critical period of bone accretion, will reduce peak bone mass and increase the risk of osteoporotic facture in later life," the warning continues.
 
CNSNews.com tried repeatedly by phone and by e-mail to ask Planned Parenthood questions about the program in Ecuador, including 1) how the program is funded; 2) who trains the teens to provide injections; 3) how the women who are given the contraceptive are selected; 4) if parental notice is required in Ecuador; and 5) whether teens treated outside the clinic receive medical supervision.
 
Planned Parenthood did not respond to CNSNews.com's requests.
 
Jim Sedlak, vice president of the American Life League, a pro-life advocacy group, said there is a reason why Planned Parenthood operates such programs outside of the United States.
 
"It's absolutely outrageous and, of course, this would be totally illegal here in the United States," Sedlak told CNSNews.com, adding that the medical aspect is not the only reason the program is objectionable.
 
"It is an assault on parental authority," Sedlak said. "Certainly, Planned Parenthood has used these peer-to-peer programs frequently all over the United States, but they've carried it to a horrible extreme in Ecuador where they have 15-year-old kids going out and giving birth control shots to other 13-, 14-, 15-year-old kids."
 
Mosher said that contraceptive injections do not protect young people from sexually transmitted diseases and can actually encourage them to become sexually active.
 
"It encourages risky sexual behavior, absolutely," Mosher said.
 
The article by the Planned Parenthood staff said the organization plans to expand the program in Ecuador over the next two years.

Contact: Penny Starr
Source: CNSNews.com
Publish Date: January 21, 2010
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NEWS SHORTS FOR THURSDAY

NEWS SHORTS FOR THURSDAY
(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.)

Supreme Court rolls back campaign spending limits



The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that corporations may spend as freely as they like to support or oppose candidates for president and Congress, easing decades-old limits on business efforts to influence federal campaigns.
 
By a 5-4 vote, the court overturned a 20-year-old ruling that said companies can be prohibited from using money from their general treasuries to produce and run their own campaign ads. The decision, which almost certainly will also allow labor unions to participate more freely in campaigns, threatens similar limits imposed by 24 states.
 
It leaves in place a prohibition on direct contributions to candidates from corporations and unions.
Click here for the full article.


House lacks votes to OK Senate health bill



Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she lacks the votes to push the Senate's sweeping health overhaul bill through the House, a potentially devastating blow to President Barack Obama's signature issue.
 
The California Democrat made the comment to reporters Thursday after House Democrats held a closed-door meeting at which participants vented frustration with the massive version of the legislation.

Pelosi said, "In its present form without any changes, I don't think it's possible to pass the Senate bill in the House....I don't see the votes for it at this time." (Watch related video report)
Click here for the full article.


Obamacare: Rationing Against Prematurely Born Babies



It's funny: The more some Obamacare supporters deny that it would lead to health care rationing, the more it is advocated among the bioethics set and in the Medical Intelligentsia. Now, there is an explicit call to deny very early premature babies life-sustaining treatment because of the cost.  From a letter to the editor published originally in the Journal of Medical Ethics:

Rationing and providing only comfort care should be considered not just at the end of life for adults, Freeman maintains, but also in instances of extremely premature births. He cites studies showing that intensive care for infants born at 22-23 weeks resulted in more than 1,700 extra days in intensive care, with less than 20 percent surviving. Of those 20 percent, less than 3 percent survived without profound impairment that required expensive interventions.

That might fly in some places, but not in America.
Click here for the full article.


Filling Gaps in Bones with Adult Stem Cells



A new study shows that adult stem cells encased in a spongy matrix can be used to fill in large gaps in bones, providing a potential alternative to bone grafts. Georgia Tech researchers tested the method in rats with large bone gaps, to simulate massive injuries. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal adult stem cells or amniotic fluid stem cells were tested. Eight weeks after the treatment, new bone bridged the gaps in four of nine defects treated with scaffolds seeded with adult stem cells, one of nine defects in the amniotic stem cell group, and none of the defects in rats treated with the scaffold alone.
Click here for the full article.


Adult Stem Cells Save Legs



A number of different reports have shown that adult stem cells can save limbs that might otherwise have been amputated. The most recent results, published in Bone Marrow Transplantation, reported salvage of legs in seven out of nine patients treated with their own peripheral blood adult stem cells. The paper also gives a nice summary of some of the previous clinical trials in this area.

Critical limb ischemia, the severe loss of oxygen to extremities, is an end-stage of peripheral artery disease (PAD). often results in amputation of the affected limb, and can be life-threatening.
Click here for the full article.


35,000 Pro Lifers in San Francisco This Saturday



A woman who walked away from her job as a clinic director at Planned Parenthood clinic and a UCLA student who leads a group intent on exposing abuses in the abortion industry will speak at the 6th Annual Walk for Life West Coast Saturday, January 23rd in San Francisco.

More than 35,000 people from colleges, high schools and churches from as far away as Denver and Texas will rally at 11 AM, Saturday, January 23rd, and walk 2 miles across San Francisco, through Fisherman's Wharf ending at Marina Green in sight of the Golden Gate Bridge.
here for the full article.

Heed the People, Mr. President

Heed the People, Mr. President

An unknown Republican–who explicitly ran against Obamacare–has won in Massachusetts! This is a hard blow for Obamacare, and an opportunity. The people want reform. I do. But they don't want Hillarycare, squared. They don't want centralized control with its prospects for rationing. They don't want the debt. They loathe the back room deals.

REPUBLICAN VICTORY DEALS MAJOR BLOW TO OBAMA HEALTH CARE BILL

BOSTON, Massachusetts -- Republicans have won a stunning upset in Massachusetts' Senate election, dealing a potentially fatal blow to US President Barack Obama's health care reforms. Republican Scott Brown pulled off the surprise victory on Tuesday, capturing the late Democrat icon Edward Kennedy's seat in a stern rebuke of Obama exactly a year after he swept into office. With more than 80 percent of the vote in, Brown had an invincible lead of five percent over his Democratic rival Martha Coakley, CNN and MSNBC reported. Coakley originally expected a cakewalk in a historically left-leaning state, but Brown's populist challenge to Democrat rule in Washington turned the race into an unstoppable insurgency. Click here for more...

In other news....

As you may have heard, Haiti has had another earthquake, this time registering as a 6.0.  This one took place near the capital.  Many organizations are helping with this devistation, and so is planned parenthood - but is it really help?

Capitalizing on the compassion of developed nations towards Haiti following the disastrous 7.0 scale earthquake last Tuesday, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) has launched a fundraising appeal in order to further their aims in the devastated pro-life nation.

Within a day of the disaster, IPPF had sent out an appeal letter, seeking "urgent" support for their Haitian affiliate PROFAMIL.

IPPF, the world's largest abortion provider, claims that funds are needed in order to restore "basic medical services" at the PROFAMIL clinics.  According to their letter, PROFAMIL has operated since 1984, providing "low-cost, quality sexual and reproductive healthcare."

"Planned Parenthood, true to form, is using the disaster and the suffering in Haiti to raise money to perpetuate itself in its ongoing attack on decency, morality, and the right to be born," commented Rita Diller, national director of Stop Planned Parenthood (STOPP).

"While millions of people are suffering unbelievably and are without the most basic necessities, Planned Parenthood wants to grab the donations that should be going to provide medical care, food, clothing, and housing, and funnel it to its local affiliate that pushes condoms on children as young as 10 years old," she continued.  "Planned Parenthood has no shame.  What would you expect of an organization that killed over 305,000 innocent pre-born children last year alone?"

Pro-lifers, however, do have the option of contributing to a legitimate health care agency that needs funds to bring obstetrical support to Haiti.  Dr. Robert Walley, president of MaterCare International, a pro-life organization dedicated to providing maternal care in the developing world, informed LifeSiteNews that they are initiating a long-term project to help rebuild maternity care in the country.

"Pregnancy does not stop because of a disaster of this kind," observed Dr. Walley, pointing out that pregnant women are enduring the same hardships as the rest.  For women who are about to deliver, he said, "the situation is particularly bleak," given that six of the hospital's in Port-au-Prince have been lost.  "In all likelihood, as their homes have been destroyed, they simply deliver in misery where they lie, in the open without any dignity or privacy," he said.

"It almost seems that with these type of tragic circumstances somehow the world believes that life simply stops, so emergency obstetrical care for life threatening complications is not an immediate priority," he said.  "The result is an enormous increase in the number of maternal deaths."

MaterCare will be sending a team to Haiti this week to conduct a needs assessment.  They will then assemble a volunteer emergency team of obstetricians, general surgeons, pediatricians, anaesthetists, and nurses.

"We offer life and hope," said Dr. Walley.  "The pro-abortion side are already seeking funds for their death and despair and the Haitians have had enough of that."

Donations to MaterCare International can be made via their secure donations page, or by contacting them by e-mail at info@matercare.org, or phone at 1-709-579-6472.

Source: LifeSiteNews.com