More Evidence That China Killing Dissidents and Selling Their Organs

More Evidence That China Killing Dissidents and Selling Their Organs If these stories are true–and I believe they are–China is a monster state.  I have previously covered credible charges that Falun Gong prisoners are killed and their organs sold, stating that while there was not enough proof for a "conviction" beyond a reasonable doubt, the evidence would certainly justify a "search warrant," thus compelling, it seemed to me, concerted international investigations. That hasn't happened.  Now, new charges have been leveled that not only are Falun Gong still being preyed upon and their organs sold, but so too are Tibetans and other dissidents.  From the story: In a news conference on Capitol Hill, several speakers, including attorney David Matas of B'nai Brith Canada and Ethan Gutmann of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said their investigations have unearthed a grisly trade in which an estimated 9,000 members of Falun Gong have been executed for their corneas, lungs, livers, kidneys and skins. They likened the practice to the Nazi treatment of Jewish prisoners in World War II concentration camps, which included using them for sadistic medical experiments and taking the gold fillings from the teeth of corpses. The newest wrinkle, they said, is that organs from other religious prisoners — specifically dissidents from China's Christian, Muslim and Tibetan Buddhist communities — are also being harvested to satisfy an insatiable global demand. "These groups are useless to the state," Mr. Gutmann said. "They are toxic, so you can't release them. But they're worth a great deal of money in terms of their organs." Organs from just one person can fetch a total of $100,000 on the worldwide market, he added."… The charges of organ harvesting and its spread to other religious and ethnic groups were made by the researchers and activists based on their extensive interviews with former prisoners and families of prisoners, and based on analysis of statistics, including health numbers, released by the Chinese government. So, where are our leaders complaining about human rights abuses?  You don't hear them, either?  Perhaps we've sold our soul to China along with our children's inheritance. But then again, the essential "I know nothing!" parties to this sordid business are the organ buyers–like Larry Asa Rose–who proudly wrote all about his experiences in the Chinese organ trade in the "uproarious" Larry's Kidney. After all, without people like him, there wouldn't be any place for sellers to peddle their organs. Contact: Wesley J. Smith Source: Secondhand Smoke Publish Date: April 28, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

Court Rules in Favor of Pro-Life Student Expression

Court Rules in Favor of Pro-Life Student Expression   A federal court has ruled that a New Jersey teen should not have been prevented from taking part in the national Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity. The Bridgeton High School student was not allowed to distribute pro-life literature during non-instructional times or wear a red armband bearing the word "Life."  School officials told her that public schools allowed nothing "religious." David Cortman, senior legal counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund, said the ruling provides vital protection for free speech. "When a student attends a public school, he or she retains their First Amendment rights, and that also pertains to religious speech," he said.  "This particular school has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the state, and the highest teenage abortion rate in the state, and this young lady was being a faithful witness." Contact: Roger Greer Source: CitizenLink Publish Date: April 27, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

Why Abortion Does Not Solve Child Rape

Why Abortion Does Not Solve Child Rape There is no tragedy that the abortion movement does not seek to turn to its own advantage. Consider the case of a young girl in Quintana Roo, Mexico, who was raped by her supposed stepfather and impregnated at the tender age of 10. After the girl's mother belatedly notified the authorities, she is now, at nearly 18 weeks of pregnancy, receiving proper medical care. The offending rapist has since been arrested. We should all decry the horrific sexual abuse that led to this pregnancy. But the abortion movement, led by radical feminists, wants to go further. They claim that the girl should be given an abortion, even though the Mexican state in which she lives, Quintana Roo, forbids all abortions after 90 days gestation. The underlying problem here, they insist, is that Mexican girls are not properly informed of their "right" to an abortion in case of rape before 90 days gestation, and that they are not allowed to receive one after that point. According to them, Mexico's abortion laws must be relaxed. According to CNN, which in its story on this child rape only interviewed abortion advocates (See CNN s coverage of the story): "This girl is much more than an isolated case," said Adriana Ortiz-Ortega, a researcher at Mexico's National Autonomous University who has written two books on abortion in Mexico, "and there is much more influence now from conservative groups that are trying to prevent the legalization of abortion."… Child protective services officials in Quintana Roo said in a statement last week that the girl and the fetus were in good health. But Quintana Roo state legislator Maria Hadad said the girl's doctors aren't telling the whole story. She said continuing the pregnancy could cause severe mental and physical health problems for the girl. "It's not just a high-risk pregnancy. It's a pregnancy that puts the girl at risk," Hadad told Mexican broadcaster Channel 10 in Chetumal, Mexico. This girl has surely been horrifically damaged by what has been done to her, but will subjecting her to an abortion—as Maria Hadad advocates—somehow begin to "repair" this damage? Obviously not, as any person who is truly concerned about the welfare of the girl would conclude. It would only add tragedy to tragedy. And why would Hadad attack the girl's doctors, going so far as to suggest that they may be involved in a cover up? The reason is that Hadad and others like her are not the least bit concerned about the girl as a person. The victim is only a political tool, whose pain can be commoditized to advocate the legalization of abortion on demand. That there is another tiny person involved does not even enter into their calculations. The political gamesmanship around this case distracts the public from the underlying problem: the family breakdown and pedophilia that allowed a young girl to not only be raped, but also impregnated by her supposed "step-father." According to Christine De Vollmer, president of the Latin American Alliance for the Family, a girl this young was unlikely to become pregnant from a single instance of rape. It is common, De Vollmer said, for "everybody to live in the same little house and sleep in the same bed.  And of course all kinds of things happen there, unfortunately including to children. As the bodies of these little girls are stimulated, they begin to ovulate and become pregnant at some point." As far as the so-called "stepfather" is concerned, this is often just a man who lives in the home with the mother and her children, "without any serious commitment." According to De Vollmer, the legalization of abortion will only serve to further enable child rape, since "the visible consequences (of rape) will be taken away. It would be more objective, engaging, and caring to prevent or correct these very common and dangerous situations of promiscuity to young girls before it's too late. How can politicians rend their garments over these pregnancies and at the same time turn a blind eye to the sexual abuse that goes on daily in broken homes? If nothing is done to stop the abuse, it can only end in pregnancy." Carlos Polo, head of PRI's Latin American office, noted to CNA that the abortion lobbyists are using such tragedies to advance abortion on demand. These activists are "absolute vultures," who seize upon such cases for their propaganda value, arguing that only way to save the lives of women and girls in such circumstances is to "legalize so-called 'therapeutic abortion.'" Polo said to PRI that "they care nothing about the girl herself, and abandon her as soon as they are done using her." The proper approach to such tragedies involves a consistent ethic of life. The crime of abortion cannot cancel out the crime of rape, as the radical feminists in effect argue. The rape can never be undone, nor can the girl ever return to her prior innocent state. Yet the innocent human life inside her womb—however sad the circumstance under which it was conceived—can be preserved and protected, as well as the girl herself. Only a consistent ethic of life will insist on the right of prepubescent girls not to be sexually abused; at the same time it will trumpet the right of a tiny unborn human to live. Any other position betrays them both. Contact: Colin Mason and Steven W. Mosher Source: Population Research Institute via LifeSiteNews.com Publish Date: April 27th, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

NEWS SHORTS FOR WEDNESDAY

NEWS SHORTS FOR WEDNESDAY Economic, Gender Concerns May Lead To Reversal Of China's One-Child Policy The Chinese government's longstanding one-child policy "may be on its way out," as some demographers predict that the country could face a population decline in about 15 years, the AP/Google News reports. The policy limits most residents to one child, although exceptions are allowed for ethnic minorities or rural families whose first child is a girl. The government officially remains committed to the policy, which critics have linked to forced abortions, sterilizations and infanticide. Chinese officials credit the 30-year-old policy with lifting millions of residents out of poverty by preventing 400 million births. The government in 2009 commissioned feasibility studies to explore what would happen if the policy were eliminated or if it remained in place. An official with the National Population and Family Planning Commission said privately that the agency was examining ways to alter the policy but not abolish it. Click here for the entire article. More Stem Cell Lines Are Approved for Federal Funding, NIH Says The National Institutes of Health announced Tuesday that four additional lines of human embryonic stem cells are now eligible for federal funding, including the most widely used line. The NIH's approval of the lines should alleviate mounting concerns among some supporters of stem-cell research that the Obama administration was hindering research. The federal approval affects four lines derived by researchers at the University of Wisconsin, known as H7, H9, H13 and H14. H9 is the most widely used. Click here for the entire article. Many States Preform Gene Tests On Newborns Without Parents' Consent According to Brad Therrell, director of the National Newborn Screening & Genetics Resource Center, all babies born in the United States are required to be screened for a host of genetic diseases. The government has mandated that all newborns be evaluated genetically to see whether or not they might be predisposed to developing a genetic disease and most parents are not informed about the tests. The Browns from Mankato, Minnesota, are one such couple who was informed by their pediatrician that their daughter, Isabel, has a gene that allegedly heightens her risk of developing cystic fibrosis. Curious as to how the doctor obtained information about Isabel's genes, the couple inquired of her about this, only to find out that Isabel had undergone gene tests when she was born without their consent. Click here for the entire article. Doctors Sterilize Uzbek Women By Stealth When her baby died soon after delivery, Gulbahor Zavidova, 28, a poor farmer's wife, longed to be pregnant again. After months of trying she and her husband visited a doctor who told her she could never have another child because she had been sterilized. The procedure had been performed immediately after she gave birth, by doctors who did not ask her consent. On learning she could not bear children, her husband left her. "Not a day passes without me crying," she said. "I was outraged when I found out what they had done. How could they do such a horrible thing without asking me?" According to human rights groups, tens of thousands of young women like Zavidova have been sterilized without their consent in the authoritarian former Soviet state of Uzbekistan. Click here for the entire article. States on the March Against Abortion/ ObamaCare Sometimes a single word can be so filled with meaning it can form the basis of a lengthy and very fruitful discussion. For example in a class I led yesterday, we talked for 55 minutes about what to "recover" could/should/might mean. So it is with a headline blaring on the front page of Monday's USA Today: "States seek new ways to restrict abortions." Of course, "restrict" is the carefully chosen word, one that connotes a [bad] limitation on a [good] thing. In fact a much more accurate description is "protective" legislation. Click here for the entire article.

Breakthrough: ND 88 Judge Allows Defense Access to University Documents

Breakthrough: ND 88 Judge Allows Defense Access to University Documents In a major ruling that may prove decisive for the defense of pro-lifers arrested on Notre Dame's campus last year, an Indiana Judge has lifted a stay order barring the lead defense attorney in the cases from pursuing discovery of crucial evidence from Notre Dame officials. St. Joseph County, Superior Court Chief Judge Michael P. Scopelitis has authorized Thomas More Society-allied attorney Tom Dixon to pursue testimony under oath from officials who were key decision makers in the arrest of the Notre Dame 88 (ND88). It will also allow him to subpoena documents that may shed light on the college's apparent inconsistency regarding the arrest and prosecution of other groups and individuals participating in similar on-campus events. The ND88 were arrested on campus last May while peacefully protesting the Catholic university's decision to honor the vehemently pro- abortion President Barack Obama. Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Society, called the recent development "very significant" in a press release Monday. Brejcha pointed to the findings of a recent investigation by the Notre Dame alumni group, Sycamore Trust, that found that homosexual rights and anti-ROTC protesters received "at worst, mere slaps on the wrist for leading unauthorized protests on campus." LSN reported last week that William Dempsey, the president of Sycamore Trust, had contacted members of the pro-gay group Soulforce, and Catholic Worker anti-ROTC demonstrators, who were arrested for trespassing on campus in March 2007. "All state that, after they were taken into custody and processed on the campus, they were released and heard nothing more," he said. However, it still remains unclear whether the decision not to pursue those cases further was made by the university or the local prosecutors or police. But thanks to the recent decision by Judge Scopelitis, the Thomas More Society may be one step closer to finding out the answer. "We believe that through discovery we may well uncover evidence that the Notre Dame police engaged in 'viewpoint discrimination:' that the university singled out the ND88 for especially harsh treatment," said Tom Brejcha Monday. Judge Scopelitis also ruled that once discovery is completed, he may convene an evidentiary hearing to review the ND 88's legal defenses before any individual trials. The Thomas More Society has urged Notre Dame University president, the Rev. John Jenkins, C.S.C., to request that the charges be dropped against the ND88 in the same way that trespass charges were previously dropped against the homosexual rights activists and anti-military protesters. Up to now, Fr. Jenkins has not acted on that request. In a telephone interview with LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) Monday, Dixon explained that the documents would allow the defense to pin down the real reason for the University's apparently disparate treatment of pro-life protesters versus other protesters. "The constitution does not allow a state actor ... to suppress speech based on viewpoint," said Dixon. Dixon pointed out that while the ND 88 processed onto campus in prayer and for three consecutive days, "they were met with large groups of pro-Obama demonstrators on campus" - whom Notre Dame officials confirmed had not sought and did not possess a permit to protest. "My clients were being arrested while pro-Obama people were standing there watching, and the police were standing there allowing them to do that." Dixon confirmed that there was still some question as to the local police's involvement in the earlier homosexualist and anti-military protests; however, he said, "either way, it seems like there's some contradictory evidence" between Notre Dame's claim to have treated all protesters according to the same protocol, and the vastly different outcomes among the different types of protesters. "[The earlier protesters] were arrested by Notre Dame and then just simply taken to the edge of campus and released: 'Go and sin no more, don't come back,'" said Dixon. "That is a far-cry different treatment from our clients, who were arrested and hauled off to jail, and you have the president of the University saying, 'I can't call for the dismissal of these cases.' "It's far different treatment, and you have to ask the question: why?" Contact: Kathleen Gilbert Source: LifeSiteNews.com Publish Date: April 26, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

ND 88 attorney may subpoena Notre Dame officials, judge rules

ND 88 attorney may subpoena Notre Dame officials, judge rules The legal defense team for the 88 pro-life protesters arrested at the University of Notre Dame may now seek testimony from university officials after a judge's ruling lifted a stay. The protesters, called the ND88, were arrested for trespassing during their demonstrations against the May 2009 commencement speech of President Barack Obama, who was granted an honorary degree by the university. St. Joseph County, Indiana Superior Court Chief Judge Michael P. Scopelitis lifted a stay order on defense lawyers. They may now seek testimony under oath from key decision makers in the arrest of the protesters. The lawyers may also subpoena documents revealing apparent inconsistencies in the treatment of the pro-life protesters compared with other protesting groups. Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Society, said the lifting of the stay was "very significant." "A Notre Dame alumni group, Sycamore Trust, recently reported that homosexual rights and anti-ROTC protesters received, at worst, mere slaps on the wrist for leading unauthorized protests on campus. We believe that through discovery we may well uncover evidence that the Notre Dame police engaged in 'viewpoint discrimination:' that the university singled out the ND88 for especially harsh treatment." Judge Scopelitis also ruled that once the discovery process is completed, he may convene an evidentiary hearing to review the defendants' "global" legal defenses before any individual trials. Tom Dixon, an attorney defending the ND88, said this means the judge wants to be sure the defenses are presented in the "appropriate procedural vehicle." The Thomas More Society says it has urged Notre Dame president Fr. John Jenkins, C.S.C., to request that the charges be dropped against the ND88, in the same way trespass charges were dropped against homosexual rights activists and anti-military protesters on the Notre Dame campus. Source: CNA Publish Date: April 27, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

Front page USA Today: Sudden, sharp spike in pro-life legislation; now a "free-for-all"

Front page USA Today: Sudden, sharp spike in pro-life legislation; now a "free-for-all" Family Research Council reported yesterday: Most of us would like to forget that March afternoon when President Obama signed his health care agenda into law. It's difficult to see those "reforms" as anything but a stinging defeat for our nation - but from it, new victories are springing up! In fact, the local response has been so overwhelming that USA Today dedicated a front-page story to the pro-life legislation that's spreading like wildfire through the states. Indeed, here are excerpts from that April 26 USA Today story... Dozens of states are passing or debating new restrictions on abortion, a trend fueled in part by passage of the nation's new health care law.... "This year, particularly in the past couple of weeks, it's really turned into a free-for-all on trying to restrict abortions," said Elizabeth Nash of the Guttmacher Institute.... So far, 2010 has been "very successful," said Mary Spaulding Balch of the National Right to Life Committee. The most significant legislation, both sides say, is a NE law signed by the governor this month that would ban most abortions at the 20th week of pregnancy based on a new rationale that the fetus feels pain.... At least 22 states have bills to increase counseling or waiting periods; 18 states have bills to expand the use of ultrasound, Nash said.... TN lawmakers last week passed a bill that would ban abortion coverage in any plan sold through its exchange. It applies even if premiums were paid with private funds because public funds would help run the exchange, said the bill's sponsor.... Contact: Jill Stanek Source: jillstanek.com Publish Date: April 27, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

Nurses Punished For Refusing to Assist in Abortions

Nurses Punished For Refusing to Assist in Abortions They say that "no one is pro-abortion," in the words of Barack Obama to Alan Keyes during their U.S. Senate contest in 2004. No? No one is pro-abortion? I think that's patent nonsense, and today's example comes to us from Long Island, where 8 nurses are being disciplined for refusing to participate in non-emergency abortions. Not only are some people pro-abortion, they are so pro-abortion that they insist that pro-lifers take part! The Long Island Catholic has the story (H/T: Moral Outcry): EAST MEADOW — Eight nurses who refused to participate in an abortion at Nassau University Medical Center here March 31 are resisting disciplinary action levied on them by hospital officials. "This is a horrendous situation," said one of the labor/delivery nurses disciplined who asked that her name not be used. She and the others, she said, had signed paperwork at the time they began working there stipulating that they would not be required to assist in abortions but have often faced pressure to do so. Some of the nurses involved have lost vacation time and others have their cases still pending, union officials report. "The decision against these nurses by the hospital goes against protocol, goes against procedure, and goes against the law," said Jerry Laricchiuta, president of the Civil Service Employees' Association (CSEA) Nassau Local 830. The union is filing a grievance and is "considering litigation." "This was not an emergency situation and at no time was the patient endangered," said Ryan Mulholland, communications director for the CSEA local. The hospital's administrator, Arthur A. Gianelli, president and CEO of NuHealth System, declined to comment, citing "confidentiality requirements." Joining the union in speaking up for the nurses are the Long Island Coalition for Life and Feminists Choosing Life of New York State. On March 30, the patient, who was about 15 weeks pregnant, came to the hospital for surgery to prevent a miscarriage, Mulholland said. She had come to the hospital before because of complications. After preparation for surgery began, further complications ensued. The next day, she decided to have an abortion rather than undergo the surgery. "Several of us had put in letters years ago stipulating that we do not participate in abortions," the labor/delivery nurse noted. "There are many reasons for that, other than our religious beliefs, and we represent many different religious backgrounds. Most of the doctors don't perform abortions either." So the attending physician asked them for assistance in contacting a nurse who would be willing to assist with an abortion, she said. Because the patient was stable and in no danger and was being monitored for vital signs, the physician decided to wait until later in the afternoon for that nurse to arrive. ...The procedure began when the nurse willing to assist in abortion came on duty. The baby died before the procedure was completed, Mulholland said, with no ill effect to the woman. On April 2, all the nurses who resisted assisting in the abortion were verbally reprimanded, Mulholland said. In addition, three lost vacation time and the other five also face further disciplinary action. They were cited for alleged insubordination, failing to provide patient care and endangering patient safety, refusal to sign the form, refusing to accept transfer of a patient from another unit, and conducting union business in a patient care area. No specific reference to abortion was made. ...Florence Scarinci, Long Island representative for Feminists for Choosing Life of New York State, said "it is sad that 'pro-choice' always seems to mean the choice to have an abortion, rather than the choice not to participate in abortion." [Emphasis added.] Source: Lake County Right to Life Blog Publish Date: April 27, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

Leaders' goal: make health care pro-life

Leaders' goal: make health care pro-life Richard Land and more than 50 other pro-life leaders have told the members of the House of Representatives they will work to restore pro-life policies undermined by the new health-care law and the subsequent executive order from President Obama. Meanwhile, a pro-life congressman has introduced legislation to amend the health-care measure to bar money for abortions in any program funded through the new law. In a letter to the House, Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, and his fellow pro-lifers pointed to what they described as the "anti-life policies" in the legislation, but they gave most of their attention to the shortcomings they saw in the executive order. The order fails to apply the principles of the Hyde Amendment to the health-care law, they said. The Hyde Amendment prohibits Medicaid and other funds through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from paying for most abortions. In pointing to the inadequacies of Obama's executive order, the pro-life advocates said: -- It directs the HHS secretary to issue regulations that will establish "accounting schemes so that taxpayer subsidies may pay for insurance coverage that includes abortion" and "implement the abortion surcharge that will require many Americans to pay at least $1 per month into an abortion slush fund to directly pay for elective abortions;" -- It fails to reverse measures in the law that enable the federal government to administer insurance plans for its employees that fund abortion; -- It does not invalidate language that would mandate abortion coverage in all plans if HHS defines the procedure "as a preventive service;" -- It does not include conscience protections for pro-life, health-care workers. "Pro-life organizations are working together to ensure that the anti-life policies included in the Act and reiterated by the Executive Order are removed and that the Hyde amendment principles are restored," the April 19 letter said. "We will not cease in our pursuit to respectfully and deliberately advance the right to life and protect the vulnerable unborn." Rep. Joseph Pitts, R.-Pa., introduced the Protect Life Act, H.R. 5111, April 22. When introduced, the bill had 50 co-sponsors, including seven Democrats. The measure would prohibit federal funds for abortion or abortion coverage under the health-care law, protect private insurance companies from being required to cover abortion and establish conscience protections for health-care workers. "The new health care law is riddled with loopholes that allow taxpayer subsidies for coverage that includes abortion," Pitts said in a written statement. He is grateful to have bipartisan support for his measure, Pitts said. "I never want protecting life to be a partisan issue," he said. The Democrats co-sponsoring Pitts' bill are Reps. Travis Childers of Mississippi, Lincoln Davis of Tennessee, Tim Holden of Pennsylvania, Dan Lipinski of Illinois, Jim Marshall of Georgia, Mike McIntyre of North Carolina and Gene Taylor of Mississippi. Childers and Davis are members of Southern Baptist churches. In addition to Land, others signing onto the letter to the House included David Bereit, national director of 40 Days for Life; Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List; Melinda Delahoyde, president of Care Net; Day Gardner, president of the National Black Pro-life Union; Tom Minnery, senior vice president of Focus on the Family; Mathew Staver, chairman of Liberty Counsel; David Stevens, chief executive office of the Christian Medical Association; J.C. Willke, president of International Right to Life Federation, and Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life. Contact: Tom Strode Source: BP Publish Date: April 26, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

Abortion does not bring healing after rape, maintains Mexican woman who chose life

Abortion does not bring healing after rape, maintains Mexican woman who chose life In an interview with Mexican columnist Sergio Sarmiento, Lianna Rebolledo, who was raped at the age of 13 but chose to carry her child to term, explained that "abortion is not the solution" to an unplanned pregnancy, even "in cases such as rape." Rebolledo said in the interview that during her upcoming visit to the city of Cancun to promote the Forum for the Defense of Life, she hopes to meet the 11-year-old Mexican girl who was raped and is currently 19 weeks pregnant. The girl has been the object of intense pressure from feminist groups to undergo an abortion, but has resisted saying that she understands "a life is growing in her womb." Carlos Polo of the Population Research Institute said the girl's case is the modus operandi of abortion supporters in Latin America who seek to legalize the procedure at any cost.  Rebolledo's testimony shows that these kinds of situations are not resolved by abortion and that young girls need to be protected and guaranteed a chance to grow and mature in a safe environment. Click here for the video. Source: CNA Publish Date: April 27, 2010 Link to this article. Send this article to a friend.

NEWS SHORTS FOR TUESDAY

NEWS SHORTS FOR TUESDAY Oklahoma House Overrides Veto On Abortion Regulations The Oklahoma House has overriden Gov. Brad Henry's vetoes of two anti-abortion measures. House members voted 81-14 Monday to override Henry's veto of a bill to require women to undergo an ultrasound and listen to a description of the fetus before getting abortions. The House voted 84-12 to override a second veto of legislation to prevent lawsuits in cases where a parent might argue a child with birth defects would've been better off aborted. At least 76 votes, or three-quarters of the 101-member House, were needed to override. Click here for the entire article. Michigan Senate Passes Bill To Restrict Embryonic Research Stem cell research proponents slammed the Senate's passage of bills -- supported by pro-life groups -- that they say would unconstitutionally restrict embryonic research in the state. The bills, passed Wednesday, prohibit the sale or purchase of human eggs and would require research facilities, including universities, to file annual reports listing how many human embryos they have stored and other data. The legislation includes civil fines of up to $5,000, and would make some violations felonies punishable by up to a year in prison. Click here for the entire article. US aid programs faulted for obsession with condoms An African journalist, writing from Kinshasa, says that the intense focus of US foreign aid on expanding family-planning programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo is "certifiably insane." The urgent need for the country's impoverished people is an adequate supply of ordinary medicine. Antibiotics, not condoms, save lives. Click here for the entire article. Euthanasia bill turned away, but work goes on Canada's Parliament has defeated a euthanasia bill -- but that paves the way for much needed work, says one of the opposition leaders. Parliament voted against the proposed euthanasia/assisted suicide measure 228-59. But Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition tells OneNewsNow that the lopsided vote does not mean the last word on the matter has been heard. Click here for the entire article. Abortion money could have funded Mexico City's schools, laments archdiocese The Archdiocese of Mexico City stated last week that the $24 million the Mexico City government has used to finance abortion since it was legalized in 2007 could have been used to build 300 schools in the country. According to an editorial by the archdiocese's news service, the funds provided by the Mexico City government have contributed to the murder of more than 39,000 "human persons in their fetal stage, destroyed with the consent of their mothers, doctors and the government" of Mexico's capital city. Click here for the entire article. Arizona Considers Opt-In Language for Sex Education   Arizona lawmakers are considering a sex-ed "opt-in" bill designed to protect parents' rights.  Cathi Herrod, president of the Center for Arizona Policy, said SB 1309 would address the growing concern over children being exposed to explicit sexual content without parental knowledge. "Most parents want to be able to provide that education themselves, but at least have an opportunity to review those materials before their children are exposed to them in the schools," she said.  "This is a simple move to protect parents' rights to know what's going on with their children in the schools." Click here for the entire article.

Judge Allows Discovery to Begin in the Case of the ND 88

Judge Allows Discovery to Begin in the Case of the ND 88



Judge Scopelitis, the judge in the trial of the ND 88, has lifted the stay of discovery in the case. The ND 88 are the pro-life activists arrested for walking on the property of the University of Notre Dame in protest of the school's honoring of President Barack Obama in May of 2009.

This leaves lead attorney Tom Dixon free to pursue depositions and find out more about the events that lead to the arrest of the ND88. Read the Notice of Deposition [PDF] to see what Tom is seeking to find out, including:

•    Who gave authority to the Notre Dame Police Department to arrest the ND88
•    Who decided that the ND 88 were not allowed on campus during the month of May, 2009, and when those decisions were made
•    Notre Dame's policies and practices regarding demonstrations on campus
•    All communications between Notre Dame and any outside policing entities regarding the treatment and arrest of the ND 88 and which communications occurred prior to the arrests

And more . . .

Source: Thomas More Society
Publish Date: April 26, 2010
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Illinois Federation for Right to Life

2600 State Street, Ste E

Alton, IL  62002

 

Phone: 618.466.4122

Web: www.ifrl.org

E-mail: mail@ifrl.org

 

Scheidler v. Trombley Lawsuit Appeals to the Illinois Supreme Court

Scheidler v. Trombley Lawsuit Appeals to the Illinois Supreme Court



In the summer of 2007, Eric Scheidler and the Pro-Life Action League sued Planned Parenthood for libel.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois CEO Steve Trombley claimed that the Pro-Life Action League and its activists, who were resisting the building of the infamous "Abortion Fortress" in Aurora Illinois, had a documented history of violence -- a claim that is simply untrue.

But the suit was turned on its head when Planned Parenthood counter-sued under the Illinois Citizen Participation Act, a new, untested law intended to protect the little guy from big business.  Ironically, it is now being used to protect the $1 billion dollar a year corporation, Planned Parenthood, from the small, grassroots non-profit, the Pro-Life Action League.

Worse yet, in all this time, the libel claims have yet to be heard on their merits AND Eric and the Pro-Life Action League could be on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars in Planned Parenthood's attorneys' fees.

But there is new hope now as TMS attorneys have appealed the case to the Illinois Supreme Court, the highest court in the State. Now the case has a chance to be heard on its merits so the truth can come out.

Click here to read the whole saga of this important case

Click here to read the Petition for Leave to Appeal [PDF] to the Illinois Supreme Court

Source: Thomas More Society
Publish Date: April 26, 2010
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Illinois Federation for Right to Life

2600 State Street, Ste E

Alton, IL  62002

 

Phone: 618.466.4122

Web: www.ifrl.org

E-mail: mail@ifrl.org

 

Zoning Battle over Aurora Planned Parenthood Continues Monday

Zoning Battle over Aurora Planned Parenthood Continues Monday

Attorneys Appearing to Defend Appeals that Aurora, Planned Parenthood Violated Zoning Laws
 

 
Attorneys from the Thomas More Society will appear in court on Monday for a hearing on whether they can proceed in their zoning case against the Planned Parenthood mega-facility in Aurora, Ill. The various defendants have filed three separate motions, including motions to dismiss and for summary judgment. The Thomas More Society's case alleges that the Planned Parenthood facility in Aurora, Ill. disregarded zoning laws and violated numerous Aurora laws when it was built in 2007.
 
The Thomas More Society also claims that the City of Aurora continues to refuse to apply the correct zoning ordinance to Planned Parenthood, even after the City admitted that its outside attorneys applied the wrong ordinance to the facility during their legal review in September 2008.
 
"This facility should never have been built, and Planned Parenthood made a mockery of Aurora's development process," said Peter Breen, Thomas More Society executive director and legal counsel.
 
Judge Neal W. Cerne will hear the argument and may rule from the bench on Monday.

Contact: Stephanie Lewis
Source: Thomas More Society
Publish Date: April 26, 2010
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Pouillon Murderer Sentenced to Life in Prison

Pouillon Murderer Sentenced to Life in Prison



Harlan Drake, the truck driver who shot and killed pro-life activist James Pouillon and local gravel pit owner Mike Fuoss, has been sentenced to life in prison.

The sentence was handed down by Circuit Judge Gerald D. Lostracco on Thursday. According to the Flint Journal, the judge told Drake that, “As you go off to prison today, you’re certainly no hero in anyone’s book.”

Drake shot and killed Pouillon on September 11, 2009, as the pro-life grandfather stood outside of the Owosso High School, holding a sign with the picture of a child and the word “Life” on one side, and a picture of an aborted baby on the other.

Drake stated during the trial that he specifically targeted Pouillon for his pro-life activities, and that he only decided to kill Fuoss, a former employer against whom he had a grudge, after shooting Pouillon and realizing that he had nothing to lose.

Troy Newman of Operation Rescue told LifeSiteNews.com in response to the sentencing that “I think it’s the right decision. It serves the cause of justice. It sends a clear message to other people that murdering Christians will not be tolerated.”

“But,” he continued, “we never celebrate when people experience tragedy in their lives. We’ll pray for Harlan that he has a conversion in jail, some time in the future.”

Of Pouillon, Newman said: “He’s one of the 21st century martyrs, clearly.” Last December Operation Rescue announced that the organization was posthumously awarding Pouillon the 2009 Person of the Year Malachi Award.

During the murder trial, Drake expressed no regret for killing Pouillon and Fuoss. However, prior to hearing his sentence on Thursday, he apologized to the families of the two men. "I would like to apologize to the families of the men I shot," he said. "They don't deserve the pain they feel, but I did - I deserve to go to jail forever."

However, he also launched a verbal assault on the judge, calling him a “hypocrite and a racist,” after the judge accused Drake of seeking to be a “hitman” to settle his grudges.

Family members of the two murdered men read statements about the deceased.

“Mr. Drake, you took away my (grandpa), the person who I trusted most,” said Holly Pouillon, who read a statement by her 16-year-old daughter Madison. “I wish you would have gotten to know him as a man, not just hate.”

Pouillon was killed only minutes after dropping Madison off at the very school in front of which he was holding his pro-life sign when he was shot.

Holly said, however, that she forgave Drake. "May God be with you."

Contact: John Jalsevac
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: April 23, 2010
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Sex-selective abortion a rising concern

Sex-selective abortion a rising concern

While Canada has no abortion law, the country is trying to deal with sex-selective terminations.



According to Patrick Craine, a reporter with LifeSiteNews.com, that also leaves responsibility with doctors to determine what terms of abortion are acceptable. So to remedy the issue, Dr. Brandan Leir and Dr. Allison T. Thiele have called for new medical guidelines.

"Researchers are arguing that based on the fact that Canada has no law, the doctors themselves need to step in and follow guidelines that will restrict sex-selective abortion because it's very clear that the vast majority of Canadians oppose sex-selective abortion," Craine explains.

A study indicates that 92 percent of Canadians oppose the practice. But the journalist remarks that one difficulty in dealing with the problem is that a couple could determine a child's sex with a sonogram, and then go to a clinic to abort.

"At least the doctors wouldn't be complicit," the LifeSiteNews.com reporter comments. "Sure, we need to have laws against sex-selective abortion, but if the doctors were to take this stand, then they would be protected in their own conscience."

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada has a policy against sex-selective abortions, but Craine adds that Leir and Thiele were trying to point out that nothing is being done to stop the issue in doctors' practices.

One suggestion has been that doctors not check the sex of the unborn baby, because once known, physicians have an obligation to reveal the information to the parents.

Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow
Publish Date: April 24, 2010
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Mandatory Sterilization in China

Mandatory Sterilization in China



Some of the most earnest global warming alarmists look to China as the model for radically controlling human population in order to SAVE THE PLANET!  But that is to long for tyranny.  Example: China is forcing thousands of people to be involuntarily sterilized for violating the “one child” policy. From the story:

Doctors in southern China are working around the clock to fulfil a government goal to sterilise — by force if necessary — almost 10,000 men and women who have violated birth control policies. Family planning authorities are so determined to stop couples from producing more children than the regulations allow that they are detaining the relatives of those who resist. About 1,300 people are being held in cramped conditions in towns across Puning county, in Guangdong Province, as officials try to put pressure on couples who have illegal children to come forward for sterilisation.

Radical environmentalism increasingly seems sympathetic to tyrannical “solutions.”  China is the last country that we should seek to emulate.

Contact: Wesley J. Smith
Source: Secondhand Smoke
Publish Date: April 24, 2010
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Ruling Mexico City Party Seeks Imprisonment for Doctors who Refuse to Cooperate with Abortions

Ruling Mexico City Party Seeks Imprisonment for Doctors who Refuse to Cooperate with Abortions



Members of Mexico City's ruling Party, the Democratic Revolution (PRD), which passed legislation in 2007 legalizing abortion on demand during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, are now pushing legislation that would throw doctors in prison for refusing to do abortion referrals.

According to the proposed law, doctors will be subject to one to four years imprisonment, and a fine equivalent of 100 to 300 days of minimum wage, as well as the suspension of their license, should they fail to inform women that they can kill their unborn child free of charge in city clinics.

Beatriz Rojas, the legislator who introduced the measure, wants to punish doctors who "based on moral or religious concepts intend to influence the decision of the woman, misinforming her or deceiving her, regarding the decision to interrupt the pregnancy."

According to the Mexico City newspaper Milenio, Rojas says that many doctors in city medical clinics have refused to give women information about the availability of abortions in the capital, even after officials have made visits to request that the information be given.

Although abortion has been legal in Mexico City since 2007, and approximately 40,000 abortions have been performed since then, large numbers of doctors and other health care professionals refuse to have anything to do with the deadly procedure.

Opposition to abortion is even stronger outside of the capital, where seventeen states have passed pro-life amendments to their constitutions in response to the Mexico City law.

Rojas' proposed legislation will also require all doctors to perform the abortions themselves, unless they have registered officially as conscientious objectors.

The bill will now be reviewed by various committees, and if approved by them will pass to the general legislature for a vote. It reportedly has twenty-two cosponsors.

Contact: Matthew Cullinan Hoffman
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: April 23, 2010
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NEWS SHORTS FOR MONDAY

NEWS SHORTS FOR MONDAY

Mississippi House Passes Abortion Regulation



Following a short, explosive fight Saturday morning, the Mississippi House sent to the governor a bill restating that Mississippi will not allow the use of any public funds on abortion. Some lawmakers argued the legislation was necessary in light of the new federal health care law that requires states to set up health insurance exchange programs by 2014. Others suggested the proposal was de-signed to bolster politicians' campaigns. The House is set to reconvene Wednesday because a lawmaker held the bill for reconsideration. It passed 75-32.
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Related News...

Abortion Feud Hauls Mississippi House Back To Capitol On Saturday



Mississippi lawmakers are arguing over whether to pass a bill banning public funding of abortion once all parts of a federal health care law are in place in 2014. The bill says abortion coverage could not be offered by any Mississippi health insurance exchange created under the federal health law. House Public Health Chairman Steve Holland, a Democrat from Plantersville, says Mississippi already has a law banning public funding for abortion.
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Oklahoma Governor Vetoes 2 Baby Killing Regulations



Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry vetoed two abortion bills Friday that he said are an unconstitutional attempt by the Legislature to insert government into the private lives and decisions of citizens. One measure would have required women to undergo an intrusive ultrasound and listen to a detailed description of the fetus before getting abortions. Henry said that legislation is flawed because it does not allow rape and incest victims to be exempted. Lawmakers who supported the vetoed measures promised an override vote in the House and Senate as early as next week. A national abortion rights group has said the ultrasound bill would have been among the strictest anti-abortion measures in the country if it had been signed into law.
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Oklahoma Lawmakers Work To Override Veto Of Baby Killing Regulations



State lawmakers say they will try to override Gov. Brad Henry's veto of two abortion bills. The governor vetoed the two measures on Friday. One bill that would require women seeking an abortion to have an ultrasound exam and listen to a doctor describe the fetus. The other measure would prevent so-called "wrongful-life" lawsuits in cases where a parent might argue that a child with birth defects or other problems would have been better off aborted. In vetoing the bills, the governor said he wanted to prevent an expensive and lengthy legal battle. A similar law was challenged and ruled unconstitutional early this year for violating the state single subject rule.
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Research Into Stem Cells Of Adults Stirs Hopes



Many researchers are coming to believe they can achieve as much using adult stem cells as using controversial human embryonic stem cells. A year after President Barack Obama eased restrictions on research into embryonic stem cells and pledged billions in new stimulus money for it, researchers are almost giddy with enthusiasm about progress in the field. They're confident stem cells will treat -- maybe someday cure -- heart disease, diabetes, spinal cord injury and other disorders. But the excitement is not generated by stem cells harvested from human embryos. Instead, researchers are coming to believe they can get results almost as good from adult stem cells taken from the patient's own bone marrow or belly fat, and even full-fledged adult cells from muscle tissue or skin.
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National Pro-Life T-Shirt Week Kicks Off April 27



The National Pro-Life T-Shirt Week (NPLTW) begins this Tuesday, along with a photo scavenger hunt contest in which contestants can enter to win a free iPod Touch.

NPTW and the "Yo! Where's the Shirt?" Photo Scavenger Hunt are sponsored by the American Life League (ALL).

"Thousands of young people across the country will take to the streets and the schools a civil rights message for the 21st century: All human beings deserve human rights," announced ALL in a press release Monday. ALL has stated that more contestants have registered for this year's contest than in last year's, in which 3,000 photos were submitted.

In addition, NPTW has launched a new iPhone App to help photo contest contestants take photos and complete tasks.

Click here to visit the photo contest's Facebook page.
Click here for the National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day Web site, where shirts and stickers can be purchased.
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Notre Dame Anti-Military, Pro-Gay Protesters Let Go; Pro-Lifers Still Face Fines, Imprisonment

Notre Dame Anti-Military, Pro-Gay Protesters Let Go; Pro-Lifers Still Face Fines, Imprisonment

“The stark facts, then, are that the University has treated pro-gay and anti-military demonstrators far more generously than pro-life demonstraters," alleges the Sycamore Trust



While numerous pro-life protesters who were arrested for trespassing at the University of Notre Dame last year continue to face up to a year in prison and a $5,000 fine, anti-military and pro-gay demonstrators who were previously arrested on campus had their charges dropped, according to a shocking new investigation by the Sycamore Trust. Furthermore, the president of the University, Fr. John Jenkins, has reportedly refused to discuss the disparate treatment.

William Dempsey, Notre Dame alumnus and president of the Sycamore Trust, notes in the organization's latest bulletin that Jenkins has responded to inquiries about the pro-lifers (who were arrested last May while peacefully protesting Obama’s commencement speech and honorary degree) by saying that, "The University cannot have one set of rules for causes we oppose, and another more lenient set of rules for causes we support. We have one consistent set of rules for demonstrations on campus – no matter the cause."

While Notre Dame does not have power to drop the charges, the University's recommendation to dismiss would likely carry great weight with the St. Joseph County prosecutor.

Dempsey says that "we doubted that any organization would saddle itself with such an inflexible policy." Hence, his organization set about investigating how past trespassers have been treated.

It turns out that members of the pro-gay group Soulforce, and Catholic Worker anti-ROTC demonstrators, who were arrested for trespassing on campus in March 2007, were let off scot free. Dempsey says that he interviewed participants in each case, who "all state that, after they were taken into custody and processed on the campus, they were released and heard nothing more." It is unclear whether the decision not to pursue the cases further was made by the university or the district prosecutors, although the Trust suggests that it originated with the university.

Having related the information to Notre Dame, says Dempsey, a spokesman replied that "this exchange is no longer serving any purpose from our perspective, and, as a result, we have decided to discontinue communications with you on this topic."

After writing Fr. Jenkins, the Trust reported that "his brief response was not encouraging."

"He seconded the spokesman’s termination of the discussion and he characterized as 'not warranted' unidentified 'inferences' and 'assumptions' in Bill Dempsey’s wide-ranging exchanges with the University spokesman, but he did not dispute the facts respecting the Soulforce and Catholic Workers arrests."

"The stark facts, then," the Trust alleges, "are that the University has treated pro-gay and anti-military demonstrators far more generously than pro-life demonstrators and that it declines to explain why.

"The mystery of the University’s attitude toward the pro-life demonstrators deepens."

The bulletin further points out how the prosecution of the pro-life "Notre Dame 88" can and already has wreaked havoc on the defendants' lives, even prior to sentencing: the Trust reports that one defendant and her husband have already been declined as foster parents thanks to the trespassing charges.

"The University’s position is bewildering, for there are many compelling reasons for the University to recommend to the prosecutor that he drop these cases," notes the group. "The University’s stance obviously impairs Father Jenkins’s post-Obama efforts to shore up Notre Dame’s pro-life credentials. The demonstrators are intensely dedicated and include many notably sympathetic individuals."

"The question, then, is why the University persists in endorsing these prosecutions."

Contact: Kathleen Gilbert and John Jalsevac
Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Publish Date: April 22, 2010
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