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February 1, 2008
Denver Abortion Clinic Builder Issued Warning
--A company building a major abortion business structure in Denver has been warned by a national paving coalition to break off work on the project, or else "my fear for you is that we are the first of hundreds of companies that will begin collaborating against The Weitz Co." The warning comes from a vice president for the coalition of 1-800-ASPHALT, which reports having contractors in 44 states from New York to California, and has contracts for millions of dollars in asphalt and site work. At issue is the work Weitz is doing for Planned Parenthood in the Denver area, where a new mega-clinic abortion facility is being developed. Because of the work, Will Duffy, a spokesman for the Collaborators Project, told WND that Weitz has been given a deadline tonight to stop work on its Planned Parenthood abortion business in Denver, or be declared a "permanent collaborator."He said that would mean pro-lifers then would expand the typical targets of their protests, now focusing on abortion businesses and abortionists' homes, to include "residential picketing of executives and business sites of any organization designated with Permanent Collaborator Status." It is the potential picketing of subcontractors and customers that has Jamie Scott, the 1-800-ASPHALT vice president, worried. And in a letter to several Weitz executives he expressed his concern. Complete story: WorldNetDaily: Denver abortion clinic builder issued warning
Abortionist: "World is a Kinder, Gentler Place" because of Abortion
--On Friday January 25, a broad array of pro-abortion activists came together at the University of Toronto Law School for an interdisciplinary symposium commemorating the twentieth anniversary of R v. Morgentaler, the Supreme Court case in which the criminal law on abortion in Canada was deemed unconstitutional.The day was divided into predominantly legal analysis of the decision and the remaining barriers to abortion access, followed afterwards by talks from abortion providers, the journalist Heather Mallick, Member of Parliament Dr. Carolyn Bennett, and a talk on abortion at the United Nations. Host Dean Mayo Moran of the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto, gave a very warm welcome and show of support for the aims of the assembled activists, followed by the same from Vicki Saporta of the National Abortion Federation, who then introduced keynote speaker Dr. Henry Morgantaler. Dr. Morgentaler's remarks reinforced his earlier public statements that safe and legal abortions contribute to a healthier and more equal society. He stated, "I also believe that the world is a kinder, gentler place because women in Canada now have choices," followed later by the assertion that, "I believe that the documented decrease in crime is directly related to women's access to abortion." When talking about the quality of medical care and compassion for patients at his clinics, Morgentaler stressed, "I am proud of what I have been able to achieve." Complete story: - Illinois Federation for Right to Life - Abortionist: "World is a Kinder, Gentler Place" because of Abortion
Maker of Abortion Drug Made Tainted Leukemia Pills Causing Paralysis
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- The Chinese government-owned pharmaceutical company that makes the abortion drug sold to thousands of women in the United States also manufactures a contaminated leukemia drug that has caused paralysis in hundreds of people. The news is a concern to pro-life advocates who say the drug is already dangerous enough. The company, Shanghai Hualian, has caused a scandal in China with the leukemia drug and officials there have already arrested people behind the problems and began a sweeping investigation. Shanghai Hualian is the sole maker of the mifepristone abortion drug that Danco Laboratories distributes to women in the United States. A New York Times report on Thursday indicates the drug is made at a different factory but just an hour's drive from the plant that makes the contaminated leukemia pills. According to the Times, FDA officials refused to talk about the problems in China and referred to a statement saying the abortion drug plant had been inspected in May and no problems were found. “F.D.A. is not aware of any evidence to suggest the issue that occurred at the leukemia drug facility is linked in any way with the facility that manufactures the mifepristone,” the FDA said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Sam Brownback Lobbying John McCain on Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- In an interview with LifeNews.com on Thursday, pro-life Sen. Sam Brownback said Republican presidential candidate John McCain is doing some re-examining of his position on embryonic stem cell research. In light of new advances in ethical forms of the science, McCain is grappling with the controversial topic. With victories in South Carolina and Florida and a lead in the polls as almost two dozen states head to Super Tuesday, more political observers say John McCain is the likely Republican nominee. McCain opposes abortion, but pro-life advocates are concerned about his votes to force taxpayers to fund embryonic stem cell research. Brownback told LifeNews.com, "I've hit him up on that hard and hit his campaign up on that hard with the breakthrough of reprogramming skin cells." "His language has changed although his position has not on this," Brownback said, implying that McCain has absorbed some of the latest news on ethical forms of stem cell research yielding embryonic-like stem cells. Brownback said he has impressed upon McCain the point that new scientific advances make it less necessary to do embryonic stem cell research, "but he hasn't come to the point that he will uphold President Bush's stance." Full story at LifeNews.com
Former Abortion Practitioner DeHenre Found Guilty of Killing His Wife
Laurel, MS (LifeNews.com)
-- Former Mississippi and Alabama abortion practitioner Malachy DeHenre has been found guilty by a grand jury of killing his wife. DeHenre, who has lost his medical license in three states over botched abortions, had pleaded not guilty to charges that he killed his wife, Dr. Mysha Rose DeHenre, 10 years ago. However, a Jones County Circuit Court jury unanimously convicted DeHenre of manslaughter after deliberating for just 45 minutes. According to the Laurel Leader Call newspaper, Circuit Judge Billy Joe Landrum asked for a pre-sentence investigation and set a sentencing date of March 13. If given the maximum sentence, DeHenre could face 20 years in prison. Six years ago a jury failed to convict DeHenre after a mistrial but the abortion practitioner was re-indicted on the charges when new evidence came to light, arrested last December and ordered held without bond. A gunshot to the head while his wife was in the couple's home resulted in her death. Full story at LifeNews.com.
Pope Benedict Condemns Human Cloning and Embryonic Stem Cell Research
The Vatican (LifeNews.com)
-- Days after President Bush re-issued his call for a ban on human cloning in the United States, Pope Benedict XVI condemned the grisly practice in a speech. The pontiff also issued a condemnation of embryonic stem cell research and said both practices are wrong because they involve the destruction of human life. The speech came before members of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a Catholic doctrinal body that the pope led before becoming the Church's leader. The Catholic leader said scientists need to stop treating human life, even at its earliest stages, as "biological matter." The Pope said it was impossible for the Catholic Church to respond to every act of science because technology is moving so quickly. However, he indicated pro-life Catholics must issue a general condemnation of any practice that destroys human life. In doing so, the Church would have a moral voice "so that scientific progress may be truly respectful of all human beings, who must be recognized as having individual dignity because they have been created in the image of God." Full story at LifeNews.com.
Abortion Practitioner George Tiller Doesn't Turn Over Files, Appeal on Friday Wichita, KS (LifeNews.com)
-- Abortion practitioner George Tiller didn't turn over any of the 2,000 medical files on late-term abortions he's done as a judge ordered him to do on Wednesday. Instead, his attorneys are working on an appeal to the Kansas Supreme Court and the judge will hold another hearing in the case. Tiller faces both charges from the state attorney general that he did illegal late-term abortions and a grand jury probe contending he violated the law others times over the last five years. On Wednesday, retired Sedgwick County District Judge Paul Buchanan rejected arguments from his attorneys and a national pro-abortion law firm that relinquishing the records would invade the privacy of the women involved. He told Tiller's attorneys to turn over the records to the district attorney's office by noon today. They didn't do so and worked on the high court appeal instead. As a result, Judge Buchanan set another hearing for Friday morning where Tiller's attorneys are expected to ask for more concessions to get more time to turn over the files or to be able to mark out more information on them. Full story at LifeNews.com
Judge Dismisses Assault Charges in Attack on Elderly Pro-Life Advocate
Harrisburg, PA (LifeNews.com)
-- A local judge has thrown out the most serious charges against a 23-year-old man who assaulted an elderly pro-life advocate. Dauphin County Judge Barbara Pianka dismissed the aggravated assault charge against Nathan Richardson, although he still faces misdemeanor charges on simple assault and reckless endangerment. Ed Snell, 69, was standing atop his automobile and protesting in front of the Hillcrest Abortion Clinic in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania when he was physically attacked and thrown to the ground with enough force to knock him unconscious. Snell tried to counsel Richardson's girlfriend, who was entering the abortion center. His words were cut short when Richardson became furious and leaped onto the vehicle to attack Snell. Snell hit his back and head on the pavement and was knocked unconscious. Full story at LifeNews.com.
California Assembly OKs Bill that Would Restrict Nonprofits
by Jennifer Mesko, managing editor
SUMMARY: Legislation is an 'incremental step toward forced diversity quotas.'
Legislation approved this week by the California Assembly would force some nonprofits to record the sexual orientation of board members, as well as the number of grants awarded to homosexual groups. Under AB 624, foundations with assets over $250 million would be compelled to collect information including the racial, gender and sexual orientation composition of the board of directors; and the number of grants awarded to organizations serving ethnic minority communities and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.
"Requiring foundations to collect — and publicize — the gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation of their directors and staffs, and the same data for communities and groups receiving their grants, is no doubt an incremental step toward forced diversity quotas," said Becky Burgoyne, research analyst for the California Family Council. "Mandating the gathering of such intrusive information will negatively impact the activities and impact of charity work."
AB 624 will be considered by the Senate in the next few months.
FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit the California Family Council Web site.
http://capwiz.com/fof/utr/1/EOWAIAXJPN/EFBPIAXKPD/1706377856
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February 5, 2008
The Seven Sorrows of China gives heart-wrenching accounts of the brutality of China's one-child policy By Thaddeus M. Baklinski February 1, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com)
- Dr. Mark Miravalle's sobering book, The Seven Sorrows of China, gives, in heart-wrenching detail, accounts of the brutality of the one-child policy and its effects on the Chinese people. Dr. Miravalle's account of his often intense experiences as he travels through modern China provides a disturbingly realistic picture of life outside of Beijing. The following is an excerpt from Part III of Dr. Miravalle's book, entitled The Third Sorrow: Abortion Without Conscience: The Indoctrination of a Nation: "The most alarming," he writes, "the most depressing, the most Copernican revelation of all that I have been exposed to (including the yet more grisly examples to follow), is the repeated refrain that the great majority of the people in China have lost any concept that there is anything at all wrong with having an abortion. It is considered less significant than a flu shot, a minor procedure like going to the dentist, a simple solution to a simple problem that doesn't merit any soul searching for any alternative plans. "China has become a nation who without conscience aborts their own future generations. And this is Satan's ultimate victory here. Is this conscience loss regarding the transcendent dignity and inherent right of human life to be blamed exclusively on atheistic Communism? Have not the recent influences of Western morals of secular humanism, materialism, hedonism, and ultimately unmitigated egoism, also contributed to this Chinese terrorism of the womb? In any case, the combination amounts to self-inflicted Chinese genocide, which so saddens the God that creates and loves the ethnical uniqueness of China. "New macabre manifestations of this conscienceless abortion mentality include the recent opening of five restaurants in the region of X, which began serving 'fetal soup' at the price of 300 Yuan (approximately $40) a bowl! Recent medical publications have praised the exceptional health benefits for the consuming of 'fetal remains' (this jargon allows them to overlook what this really is-unborn baby bodies). Therefore, local entrepreneurs jumped on the opportunity to distribute this new health breakthrough to the chosen few who could afford the price. So evil and scandalous is this fetal soup trade that the Government shut down the Web sites advertising the restaurants, in fear that they would scandalize the reputation of the People's Republic to outside countries and businesses. Complete story: Book Reveals Fetal Soup Served in Chinese Restaurants
New York Times Says FDA Should Inspect China Plant Making Abortion Drug Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- The pro-abortion editorial staff at the New York Times rarely sides with the pro-life movement and, when it does, something must be terribly wrong. That's the case this time as the newspaper has issued an editorial calling on the FDA to inspect a Chinese plant that makes the dangerous RU 486 abortion drug. The New York Times reported last week on how the drug is made at a different factory but just an hour's drive from the plant that makes the contaminated leukemia pills. According to the Times, FDA officials refused to talk about the problems in China and referred to a statement saying the abortion drug plant had been inspected in May and no problems were found. Following its report, the Times editorial page has now called on the Food and Drug Administration to again inspect the plant to ensure the drugs are safely made. "In light of the company’s current difficulties, the F.D.A. would be wise to reinspect the plant promptly to ensure that the RU-486 production facility is adhering to rigorous quality control procedures," the newspaper added. Full story at LifeNews.com.
Pro-Abortion Group Recycles Attacks on Barack Obama for “Present” Votes Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- A leading pro-abortion group is recycling attacks on Barack Obama that Hillary Clinton brought up during the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary saying he voted “present“ on some key abortion bills in the Illinois legislature. Obama has refuted the attacks in the past by pointing to his cozy relationship with Planned Parenthood. The attack concerns bills such as a ban on partial-birth abortion and another bill making sure babies who survive botched abortions receive appropriate medical care. Obama worked with Illinois Planned Parenthood to allow himself and other pro-abortion legislators to vote present on the bills so they would not come under fire from pro-life groups during an upcoming election. Rosemary Dempsey, the head of the Connecticut National Organization for Women, emailed pro-abortion activists with the claim that Obama is not as pro-abortion as Clinton. According to the Washington Post, the email included a quote from Bonnie Grabenhofer, the president of Illinois NOW saying the strategy Obama says he concocted with Illinois Planned Parenthood didn't have the support of all abortion advocates in Illinois. Full story at LifeNews.com.
Pro-Abortion Activist Michelman Endorses Barack Obama Over Hillary Clinton Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- Former NARAL president and leading pro-abortion activist Kate Michelman has endorsed Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton now that her initial candidate, John Edwards, has left the Democratic race for president. Michelman says Obama is doing more to pull together abortion advocates under his candidacy than Clinton. Michelman explained her endorsement in a column published on the Huffington Post blog. She said she backed Edwards because he tried to "bring America together in shared purpose, prosperity and, especially, equality." Because Obama shares the same goals, Michelman said she now endorses the pro-abortion Illinois senator "with every passion and enthusiasm I have." "Barack Obama is also calling our nation to the greatness that we all want but that we're uncertain we can still achieve,'' Michelman said of Obama. Michelman's endorsement comes just days after she complained that the media is treating pro-abortion candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as celebrities. Full story at LifeNews.com
British Report Shows Dozens of Babies Left to Die After Live Birth Abortions London, England (LifeNews.com)
-- A report from Britain shows that 66 babies were born alive on one year alone after abortions done with public money under the nation's health care system. The babies were routinely left to die after their premature birth and some survived for as long as 10 hours afterwards. According to the report, the babies were in the latter stages of pregnancy and were aborted not with a standard surgical abortion procedure. Instead, the British National Health Service says women were given drugs to soften their cervix and had labor induced to birth the child so prematurely that there is no way to provide enough care for the child to live. After birth, the babies received no medical care or attention, the report indicated. According to the Evening Standard newspaper, the babies in these abortions mostly involved unborn children who suffered from severe physical or mental disabilities, some of which may have been life-threatening. However, the newspaper said the report showed some of the babies had very minor issues such as a club foot or cleft palate that could easily be repaired with surgery after birth. Full story at LifeNews.com.
Twin Unborn Babies Save Mother's Life, Loosen Tumor After Abortion Refused London, England (LifeNews.com)
-- Doctors sometimes suggest to women who become pregnant while dealing with cancer that they should have an abortion to save their own life. However, in the case of a British woman, her twin unborn children saved her life when the knocked loose a tumor that had been developing on her cervix. Unknown to 35-year-old Michelle Stepney, a tumor had been developing insider her and she headed to the hospital thinking she may have had a miscarriage. Doctors diagnosed her with life-threatening cervical cancer and suggested she have an abortion on her twin babies to be able to have chemotherapy, according to the London Daily Mail. Stepney declined and physicians agreed to give her lower doses of chemotherapy with the hope of stopping the cancer during the pregnant, the newspaper said. Ironically, the babies ultimately saved their mother's life as their constant kicking dislodged the developing tumor. "I couldn't believe it when the doctors told me that the babies had dislodged the tumor," she told the newspaper. "I'd felt them kicking, but I didn't realize just how important their kicking would turn out to be." Full story at LifeNews.com
Scientists Use In-Vitro Fertilization to Create Unborn Baby With Three Parents London, England (LifeNews.com)
-- Scientists in England can increasingly be counted on to advance the kind of mad science that used to be confined to substandard sci-fi flicks on late-night television. After cloning animals and creating human-animal chimeras, scientists in Britain have created a human embryo through in-vitro fertilization who has three parents. A team from Newcastle University say they made the unborn child from DNA from a man and two women. They say the discovery could result in eliminating hereditary diseases such as epilepsy by ensuring that women don't pass on DNA defects to their children. The idea targets problems with the mitochondria of DNA cells that is responsible for passing along some forms of disease to children such as liver failure, blindness, muscular dystrophy, diabetes and deafness. The Newcastle scientists exchanged the mitochondria of cells from one woman with that of another. The team used 10 human embryos from fertility clinics for their experiments, meaning all ten of the human beings were killed for their research project. But pro-life advocates are disappointed by the research, which required the destruction of human life to occur. Josephine Quintavalle, of the pro-life group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said it was another step towards "designer babies." "It is human beings they are experimenting with," she said. "We should not be messing around with the building blocks of life." Full story at LifeNews.com.
Bioethics Watchdogs Say Don't Subject Lauren Richardson to Euthanasia
Dover, DE (LifeNews.com)
-- Bioethics watchdogs are weighing in on the Lauren Richardson case and say that the courts and her family shouldn't subject the young woman to euthanasia. Richardson has become the next Terri Schiavo as her parents engage in a massive legal and philosophical debate about whether to take her life. Lauren Richardson is a 23-year-old woman who overdosed on heroin in August 2006 while she was three months pregnant with a baby girl. Doctors kept Lauren on life support until she delivered her baby in February 2007. Shortly thereafter, her parents began a fight that is reminiscent of the battle over Terri's life and death. Noted attorney and author Wesley J. Smith wrote on Monday that he viewed a video Richardon's father released and he says she seems reactive particularly when her father attempts to interact with her. "Whether she is conscious or not is irrelevant to her equal moral worth as a human being," Smith adds. "The fight in this case is over whether she lives as a profoundly disabled woman or is made to die slowly over two weeks by dehydration--as Terri Schiavo did," Smith explained. "If we did that to a dog, we would go to jail. Do it to a disabled woman who needs a feeding tube and it is called medical ethics." Full story at LifeNews.com.
South Dakota Committee Limits Pharmacist Conscience Clause on Abortion
Pierre, SD (LifeNews.com)
-- A South Dakota Senate panel has approved a bill that would limit the pharmacist's conscience clause the medial professionals enjoy there. South Dakota is one of the few states to allow pharmacists to object to dispensing a drug because it could cause an abortion, but the bill overturns that right. SB 164 would prevent pharmacists from using their moral or religious objection to abortion as a reason for opting out of dispensing a drug, such as birth control or the morning after pill. The Senate Health and Human Services Committed voted 4-3 for the measure and now it heads to the full Senate for its consideration. The bill says women wanting such drugs would be able "to obtain and use safe and effective methods of contraception without interference of government entities." Full story at LifeNews.com
Kansas Supreme Court Blocks Grand Jury From Getting Tiller Abortion Records Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com)
-- The Kansas Supreme Court temporarily blocked a Wichita grand jury from gaining access to 2,000 abortion records in a case against late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller. He stands accused of doing illegal late-term abortions and a grand jury has been convened to probe the matter further. Tiller faces charges from both the state attorney general that he did illegal late-term abortions and a grand jury probe contending he violated the law other times over the last five years. On Wednesday, retired Sedgwick County District Judge Paul Buchanan rejected arguments from his attorneys and a national pro-abortion law firm that relinquishing the records would invade the privacy of the women involved. He told Tiller's attorneys to turn over the records to the district attorney's office by noon Wednesday. They didn't do so and worked on the high court appeal instead. Today, the Kansas Supreme Court agreed to block the records request until it has a chance to hold a full hearing on the issue. Chief Justice Kay McFarland said Tiller's challenge to the medical records request raised "significant issues" that the state's high court should explore. Full story at LifeNews.com.
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February 8, 2008
Abortionist Says He'll Obey Law Yet Bar Men from Room By Penny Starr CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer February 07, 2008 (CNSNews.com)
- After gaining national media coverage of a videotaped speech at Wayne State University in Detroit where he told medical students it was acceptable to lie to patients, Dr. Alberto Hodari told Cybercast News Service he will no longer tell couples that Michigan state law prohibits the man from being in the room when an abortion is performed.Hodari said in the speech that he lied about the state law because men who witnessed an abortion usually fainted and one man tried to sue him for an injury he suffered from the fall.
As a result, Hodari would tell the men they could not be in the room where abortions occurred, adding in his videotaped speech: "My wife says we doctors have a license to lie, and it's true. It's absolutely true. Sometimes you need to lie to a patient about things they want to do or no."But while Hodari told Cybercast News Service he will no longer invoke a non-existent state law, he vowed to continue banning men from the operating room.
"I don't feel comfortable with the boyfriend or husband falling down," Hodari said."Abortion does hurt," Hodari said, adding that he thinks abortions are "more an emotional trauma" for men than women and that "women have much stronger personalities" than men. Complete story: Abortionist Says He'll Obey Law Yet Bar Men from Room -- 02/07/2008
Lawsuit after abortion survivor's speech banned
"We just don't like to encourage discussion of those types of issues in our facilities"
A lawsuit has been filed against the school district in Rapid City, S.D., after a facilities manager refused permission for a community group to use an auditorium to feature the testimony of an abortion survivor.
"We just don't like to encourage discussion of those types of issues in our facilities," the lawsuit says one of the defendants, Ronald Mincks, announced. Mincks at the time was assistant buildings and grounds supervisor.
The dispute is over requests by members of the group Citizens for Life to be granted access to an auditorium for after-school events, just as other community organizations are allowed. The action was filed by the Alliance Defense Fund, a law firm that defends the right "to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding and litigation." "Pro-life groups shouldn't be discriminated against for their beliefs," said Byron Babione, senior legal counsel for the ADF. "They have the same First Amendment rights as anyone else in America. "The equal access rights of Citizens for Life must be honored regardless of whether school district officials agree with the group's message," he said. The complaint describes how school district policy, while allowing other community groups to use district facilities for a variety of meetings, twice denied Citizens for Life permission, expressly banning meetings with a religious purpose. The complaint said Citizens for Life President Allen Carlson in August 2006 asked for permission for the group to meet at Dakota Middle School's auditorium to host a meeting at which Gianna Jessen, a survivor of a saline abortion, would speak. School officials rejected the request and then refused to comply with an open-records request for documentation about other groups that were granted permission to use the facilities. Complete story: Lawsuit after abortion survivor's speech banned
How Many People Do You See?
I have often observed that, when it comes to defending legalized abortion, the pro-choice mob has more tricks than a monkey on a hundred yards of grapevine. Of course, this is probably a natural response given that the task they have chosen is to defend the indefensible.In any event, among their catalogue of rhetorical gymnastics, one of the most amazing is their contention that the unborn child is simply a part of the mother’s body. They make this argument hoping that the public will conclude that, since society would never interfere with a woman’s decision to have her appendix out, it likewise has no place interfering with her decision to have an abortion. The problem is, the assumption supporting this argument is asinine even by the abortion lobby’s standards. To assert that the unborn is part of the woman’s body is the same as saying that when a woman is pregnant she has 4 arms, 4 legs, 2 heads, 2 hearts, 2 brains, etc. It also suggests that, if her child is a boy, for nine months of her life she has a penis. Having said all that, for those of you who truly believe in this “baby as part of the woman” philosophy, I want to raise a serious issue. I ask you to imagine a photo of conjoined (Siamese) twins and answer this simple question: Is that a picture of one person or two? Before you answer, understand that, from a biological standpoint, conjoined twins are far closer to being one person than is a mother and her unborn child. Conjoined twins are always the same sex, always have the same DNA, are always the same blood type, always share at least one external body structure and often share several internal organs. And as long as they are joined, if one dies they both die. Complete story: Mark's Blog: How Many People Do You See?
John McCain Tells Federalist Society He Will Appoint Conservative Judges Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- For the pro-life movement, the most important issue in the upcoming presidential elections is the nomination of judges who will be open to overturning Roe v. Wade. In a letter Republican presidential hopeful John McCain sent to the Federalist Society on Thursday, he sounds out the kinds of themes that delight pro-life groups. Just ahead of a major speech to a conservative political group, and on the heels of Mitt Romney exiting the presidential race, McCain sent the Federalist Society. That's a conservative jurist group that features a large number of pro-life attorneys and judges and others who understand the Supreme Court's decision in Roe was an overbearing reach of raw judicial power. In the letter, McCain promised to nominate "judges who understand that their role is to faithfully apply the law as written, not impose their opinions through judicial fiat." "When I was running for president in 1999 I promised that, in appointing judges, I would not only insist on persons who were faithful to the Constitution, but persons who had a record that demonstrated that fidelity," the letter said. Full story at LifeNews.com.
NARAL Gives John McCain 96% Pro-Life Voting Record on Abortion Issues Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- NARAL president Nancy Keenan emailed her supporters early on Wednesday asking for money for a campaign to begin bashing John McCain for his pro-life voting record on abortion. She didn't waste any time in launching the attack as, later in the day, NARAL issued a press release blasting the possible Republican nominee. Keenan said she's worried that some people on the conservative side who disagree with McCain on other political issues will make it appear to some voters that he's not "extreme in his opposition" to abortion. "John McCain has a 25-year record of voting against women's freedom and privacy, and he has even gone so far as to call for the overturn of Roe v. Wade," Keenan said. McCain served in the U.S. House from 1983 to 1986 and in the U.S. Senate since 1987. During that time, Keenan said her organization has given him only a 4 percent pro-abortion voting record -- including a rating of 0 from 2002 through 2007. According to NARAL, McCain has voted pro-life 123 times out of 128 votes, for a 96 percent pro-life voting record. Keenan said McCain has a "documented record of hostility toward" abortion and that, on pro-life issues, "McCain is neither a moderate nor a maverick." Full story at LifeNews.com.
Super Tuesday Voting Totals Show Uphill Battle Against Pro-Abortion Candidate Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- The Democratic party will ultimately be represented by Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama -- both abortion advocates -- in the general election. Whichever Republican candidate takes on the winner will have an uphill climb given the number of voters in both parties who went to the polls on Super Tuesday. Some political observers say that reflects both a lack of excitement on the Republican side with the candidates running but also a lack of excitement overall. On the Democratic side, pundits say they are motivated to replace President Bush, who has been a pro-life stalwart while in office. On Super Tuesday, 14.6 million Democrats went to the polls while just 9 million Republicans showed up. The disparity was, not surprisingly, seen Democratic states like California, Illinois, New York and Massachusetts. But, a concern for pro-life advocates, it was also seen in tossup states like Missouri (820,000 Democrats to 584,000 Republicans) and in states pro-life Republican presidential candidates normally carry like Georgia (1.04 million Democrats to 954,000 Republicans), Oklahoma (401,000 to 329,000), and Tennessee (614,000 to 547,000). Full story at LifeNews.com
James Dobson Issues Endorsement for Mike Huckabee in Republican Primary Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- After snubbing likely Republican nominee John McCain, pro-life leader Dr. James Dobson has issued an endorsement for GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. The former Arkansas governor is hoping to launch a late comeback against McCain, who has more than half of the delegates needed to capture the nomination. Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, has never issued an endorsement in a presidential primary before and this one didn't come until McCain and Huckabee were the only two major candidates left standing. He said Huckabee's "unwavering positions on the social issues" including "the sanctity of human life, resonate deeply with me and with many others." "That is why I will support Gov. Huckabee through the remaining primaries, and will vote for him in the general election if he should get the nomination," Dobson added. Full story at LifeNews.com..
President Bush Says November Election Battle About Abortion, Judges Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- President Bush spoke to the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday morning and laid out what the presidential election battle will look like this year. He portrayed the fight as one between a candidate who opposes abortion and one of two Democrats who support unlimited abortions at taxpayer expense. "On matters relating to America's moral compass, we have defended human life," President Bush explained. "There's another philosophy, and it's advanced by decent people who see the world differently." "On the rights of the unborn -- the most vulnerable among us -- one side supports abortion on demand," the president said. "You and I believe in the worth of every human being, the matchless joy of adoption, and the right to life." President Bush also said the election battle this year involves a fight over the kind of judges a president will put on the Supreme Court. "On the federal judiciary, one side says we should confirm judges who believe in the 'living Constitution' -- which basically means they can make up laws as they go along," Bush said. "I say we need judges who respect our values, do not follow the political winds and revere the plain meaning of our Constitution," Bush added. "We need more judges like John Roberts and Sam Alito." Full story at LifeNews.com.
Bush Administration Opposes HIV/AIDS Bill Over Abortion Funding, Abstinence Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- The Bush administration sent a letter to Congress yesterday indicating that the president would oppose a bill that funds the AIDS relief program unless Congress removes funding for pro-abortion groups. Leading pro-life organizations have joined President Bush in saying they will work to defeat the bill if it's not amended. While he appreciates that Congress is working towards reauthorizing the President's Emergency plan for AIDS Relief, the Bush administration said it was concerned by changes Democrats made to it. The State Department said the president "opposes the draft in its current form" and would like to work with members of Congress to fix the problems. The letter touched on the concerns pro-life groups have that pro-abortion groups will become eligible for funding because the reauthorization bill talks about "reproductive health" and "family planning" -- code words international groups use to refer to abortion. "We are deeply concerned that the draft repeatedly invokes 'reproductive health' and 'family planning,' and requires linkages, referrals on reporting training, support, and direct funding for these activities," the administration said. The statement said those terms are not needed "and should be struck from the bill." Full story at LifeNews.com.
Pro-Abortion Groups Send Senate Emails Against Pro-Life Judicial Pick Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- Abortion advocates have generated tens of thousands of emails against a pro-life nominee for a federal judicial post. NARAL, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and others have lobbied fiercely against Honaker's nomination in advance of a Tuesday hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The pro-abortion complaints center around the confirmation of Wyoming pro-life advocate Richard Honaker to be a federal district court judge. Honaker, an attorney and former state legislator, received an appointment from President Bush to the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming. Pro-abortion groups have fiercely opposed Honaker's nomination because of his efforts to prohibit abortions in Wyoming. He is known in pro-life circles for proposing the Human Life Protection Act in the state legislature in 1991 and was behind a subsequent state ballot vote in 1994. Voters defeated the ballot measure that year. NARAL has set a form up on its web site that allows abortion advocates to sign a petition that goes to their senators to urge opposition to Honaker's nomination. The group claims about 66,000 people have used the form to register their opinions. Full story at LifeNews.com.
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February 12, 2008
Pro-Life Leader Gary Bauer Endorses John McCain for President, Cites Abortion Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- Gary Bauer, the former Republican presidential candidate and chairman of pro-family group America's Values, issued an endorsement of John McCain for president on Monday. The pro-life advocate cited McCain's opposition to abortion -- in contrast to the pro-abortion positions of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama -- as a main reason. "John McCain has dedicated his life to defending human rights around the world, including the rights of the unborn," Bauer told LifeNews.com in a statement. "I admire his consistent 24-year pro-life record and demonstrated commitment to the values that keep our families and communities strong," Bauer added. "I am proud to support John McCain for president." McCain said he appreciated the support of the former president of the Family Research Council. "I have long admired Gary's commitment and passion for our shared pro-life and pro-family values," the Arizona senator said in receiving the endorsement. Full story at LifeNews.com.
Planned Parenthood Radio Ad Bashes John McCain for Opposing Abortion Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- Planned Parenthood has joined its colleague NARAL in launching an attack on John McCain because of his pro-life position and voting record against abortion. However, the abortion business went further by airing the first advertisement blasting McCain and saying he would oppose abortion as president. The 60-second ad started on Sunday and will air in the Washington, D.C. area through Tuesday as voters in Maryland, Virginia and the nation's capital head to the polls in the next Republican primaries. In the ad, Planned Parenthood's Action Fund says McCain has voted against abortion throughout his entire career and supports overturning Roe v. Wade, which allowed unlimited abortions. The ad attacks McCain, saying he has an “anti-choice” stance on abortion and that his “plan to outlaw abortion threatens the lives and health of women.” “I do not support Roe v. Wade. It should be overturned," the ad says. "That’s John McCain, not Mike Huckabee, and those are his real views. Even though John McCain knows what’s at risk, he wants abortion to be illegal again, just like it used to be," it adds. The radio spot adds that McCain has a “zero percent rating from Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the lowest rating in the US Senate." Full story at LifeNews.com.
Pro-Life Advocate: Mike Huckabee Should Stay In to Lobby McCain on Abortion Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- A leading pro-life advocate who works on international population and abortion issues says Mike Huckabee should stay in the Republican presidential race. Steven Mosher, the head of the Population Research Institute, believes Huckabee's presence will help John McCain acknowledge he needs to strengthen his pro-life views. "The pro-life cause benefits from Governor Huckabee's continued presence in the race," Mosher tells LifeNews.com. "Of all the candidates, Huckabee has run the most gracious--and issues oriented--campaign," Mosher explains. "That means that, as long as Huckabee is in the race, McCain will be forced to address the issues that separate him from his conservative, pro-life base." Full story at LifeNews.com
Barack Obama Tops Hillary Clinton in Maine, 20 Delegates Behind for Nomination Augusta, ME (LifeNews.com)
-- Barack Obama captured another victory in the Maine Democratic caucus on Sunday by a good margin over Hillary Clinton. The win landed the pro-abortion Illinois senator another 15 delegates to nine for Clinton and helped bring him to only a 20 delegate deficit on the way to the nomination. With 99 percent of the precincts reporting, Obama captured the support of 59 percent of Maine Democrats compared to just 40 percent for Clinton. As a result of the victory, CNN estimates that Obama now has 1,121 delegates -- just a short step behind Clinton, who has 1,148 pledged delegates and super delegates. Other media outlets watching the race have different delegate tallies. According to an Associated Press tally, Clinton has 1,136 delegates compared to 1,108 for Obama. Real Clear Politics now has Obama in the lead for the first time with 1,143 delegates compared to 1,138 for Clinton. Full story at LifeNews.com.
Polls: John McCain Trails Pro-Abortion Barack Obama, Leads Hillary Clinton Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- Several new polls of the three most likely candidates to appear in the November presidential elections show John McCain ahead of Hillary Clinton, but trailing Barack Obama. McCain appears to be the likely nominee while Obama and Clinton are in a close race for the right to represent Democrats. A new poll from Rasmussen Reports of registered voters nationwide shows McCain running three points ahead of Clinton, 46 to 43 percent, with 11 percent undecided. However, he trails Obama by a 44 to 41 percent margin with 15 percent of Americans undecided. Six of the last seven national polls show Obama ahead with just one showing McCain with a one percent lead over his Illinois colleague. On the other hand, McCain has a lead in five of the last surveys against Clinton with one from Time showing the two candidates tied at 46 percent apiece and the CNN survey having Clinton ahead by three percent. Full story at LifeNews.com.
Oregon Man Who Killed Wife in Test of Assisted Suicide Law Indicted for Murder Salem, OR (LifeNews.com)
-- An Oregon man who killed his disabled wife in a test of the one-of-a-kind state law that allows assisted suicide there was indicted on a murder charge by a grand jury on Friday. John Roberts, 51, was arrested on February 2 after he called police to inform them that he killed his wife Virginia Roberts. John Roberts says Virginia was afflicted with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease and he took her life to see if the state would allow him to get away with voluntary euthanasia, or so-called mercy killing. However, court documents show Virginia had never been diagnosed with any terminal or life-threatening disease. A doctor’s report showed Virginia in good health other than having carpal tunnel syndrome and indicated she was never diagnosed with ALS. "We'd be remiss in doing our job if we didn't do a thorough investigation, if we didn't look at all the evidence and say ‘what is this telling us?’” Claudio Grandjean of the Gresham Police told KGW Channel 8 television. “The evidence will speak for itself." Full story at LifeNews.com.
Pro-Life Groups to Release Documentary on World's Underpopulation Crisis Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- A slate of pro-life groups are set to mark the release of a new documentary that focuses on the underpopulation crisis around the world. European nations are seeing births at below replacement rate, abortion has decimated the population of Russia and nations like Japan may be unable to support an aging population. Those are some of the issues profiled in "Demographic Winter: the decline of the human family." Organizations including the Heritage Foundation, Family Research Council, World Congress of Families, and the Latin American Alliance for the Family are unveiling the film tomorrow. In a statement sent to LifeNews.com, they say Demographic Winter highlights the "global phenomenon" of the "catastrophic consequences of rapidly falling birthrates." "Worldwide, birthrates have declined by 50% in the past half-century," the groups say. "There are now 59 nations, with 44% of the world's population, with below replacement birthrates." Full story at LifeNews.com.
Leading Physician Convinced Babies Feel Pain at 20 Weeks of Pregnancy Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- A leading physician who has investigated the pain premature infants feel says he's convinced that unborn children have the capacity to feel pain as early as 20 weeks into pregnancy. Dr. Kanwaljeet Anand, a University of Arkansas professor, is the foremost authority on the subject. He recently spoke with the New York Times about his research. Anand says it started at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, England when he was a resident at a neonatal intensive care unit. He noticed babies would come back from surgeries in terrible condition and realized it was because they were suffering through the operations without anesthesia. Clinical trials eventually showed that babies suffered massive stress without it and babies who received anesthesia beforehand were 15 percent more likely to survive such early operations. Today, the standard of care that Anand discovered is routine. As technology advanced, so did the ability to determine when babies began to have the capacity to feel pain. Full story at LifeNews.com. Source story: Babies - Fetal Pain - Abortions - Women - Pregnancy and Obstetrics - Medicine and Health - New York Times
McCain Reiterates Opposition To Abortion, Says He Would Appoint Strict Constructionist Judges To Supreme Court
At the Conservative Political Action Conference Thursday, Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) reiterated his opposition to abortion rights and said he would appoint strict constructionist judges to the Supreme Court, the New York Times reports (Bumiller/Kirkpatrick, New York Times, 2/8). At the conference in Washington, D.C., McCain said, "I believe today, as I believed 25 years ago, in ... judges who enforce, and not make, our laws; the social values that are our true source of our strength; and, generally, the steadfast defense of our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, which I have defended my entire career as God-given to the born and the unborn."McCain said he intends to nominate judges to the Supreme Court "who have proven themselves worthy of our trust that they take as their sole responsibility the of laws made by the people's elected representatives." McCain added that he would appoint judges of the "character and quality" of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito and "who can be relied upon to respect the values of the people whose rights, laws and property they are sworn to defend" (Speech transcript, 2/7).
President Bush did not mention McCain's name while addressing the conference on Friday morning but said, "We have had good debates and soon we will have a nominee who will carry a conservative banner into this election and beyond." He added, "I'm absolutely confident that with your help, we will elect a person who shares our principles" (Riechmann, AP/Google.com, 2/8). Complete story: McCain Reiterates Opposition To Abortion, Says He Would Appoint Strict Constructionist Judges To Supreme Court
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February 15, 2008
Catholic Bishops in Kentucky Say Abortion the Top Priority for Pro-Life Voters Frankfort, KY (LifeNews.com)
-- The Catholic bishops in Kentucky have released a joint letter making clear that, for pro-life Catholic voters, abortion should be the top issue considered when heading to the polls. With a presidential election featuring a clear contrast on abortion, the letter will motivate many Catholics to get involved. The bishops of each of the four Catholic dioceses in Kentucky released the letter, entitled "Reverence for Life: Conscience and Faithful Citizenship." "Our religious beliefs affirm basic human rights and obligations that are essential to the fabric of our social life. In particular, respect for human life is numbered among those basic values that underpin the very foundation of civilization," they wrote. "The recognition of abortion on demand as (a) legal situation that sanctions an intolerable moral evil calls for a response," they added. "A moral evil that negates a public good demands the exercise of a moral responsibility to limit and eliminate that evil." Full story at LifeNews.com
Abortion Backers Can't Ignore New York Times Story That Babies Feel Pain
by Laura Echevarria
Sunday’s New York Times contained an article that was out of the ordinary—at least for the New York Times. “The First Ache” by Annie Murphy Paul was a balanced look at the issue of fetal pain. Pioneering the field of fetal pain is Dr. Kanwaljeet (Sunny) Anand. Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Anand was a resident in the neonatal intensive care unit at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, England. Many of his patients were preterm infants in need of surgery and Dr. Anand soon discovered that infants returning from surgery were in significant distress and he had to spend considerable time stabilizing them. Getting permission to observe the surgeries, Dr. Anand realized that the problem was likely that these tiny children were given a paralytic to hold them still during surgery but no anesthesia. The assumption was that their nervous system was too immature to register pain. Dr. Anand thought the opposite was true. Full story at LifeNews.com..
Study Finds Women Who Have Abortions Experience Post-Traumatic Stress Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- A new study published in the journal BMC Psychiatry finds that women who have abortions typically experience high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder. The findings mirror other research reports showing women are more likely to suffer mental health issues following abortions compared with keeping the baby. The study appeared in the July 2007 issue of the professional psychological publication but it only coming to light now. The research involved 155 women from South Africa who had abortions and were evaluated one month and three months afterwards. Approximately 20 percent of the women had post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms just one month later. The results led the authors to note that "high rates of PTSD characterize women who have undergone voluntary pregnancy termination. Looking at the women three months after the abortion, the number of women experiencing the PTSD symptoms increased 61 percent. Dr. David Reardon, the head of the Elliot Institute and a post-abortion research who has been involved in more than a dozen studies documenting the psychological impact of abortion on women, notified LifeNews.com of the new study. "The abortion industry should not be subjecting women to a procedure that is likely to increase or cause symptoms of post-traumatic stress or other mental health problems," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com.
Portland, Oregon Pro-Life Advocates Lobby Builder of New Abortion Business Portland, OR (LifeNews.com)
-- Pro-life advocates are lobbying the builder of a new abortion center in the heart of the black community in Oregon's largest city. They hope Ankrom Moisan Architects will step down from its position as the main designer of the new abortion business Planned Parenthood is building. Bill Diss, a member of St. Francis Parish in Sherwood, is organizing a prayer vigil in opposition to the firm's involvement. He says the firm is taking a double standard by having previously built a Catholic assisted living center and a Catholic school and now building an abortion facility. “How can they build a worship center one day and a place that kills babies the next day?” he told the Catholic Sentinel newspaper. ACTION: Contact Ankrom Moisan Architects and urge it to withdraw from building the Planned Parenthood abortion business. Contact it at 6720 SW Macadam Avenue, Suite 100, Portland, Oregon 97219, phone (503) 245-7100, fax a letter to (503) 245-7710, or use the form here to send an email message. Full story at LifeNews.com.
Washington Pro-Abortion Groups Upset Drug Stores Not Selling Morning After Pill Olympia, WA (LifeNews.com)
-- Abortion advocates in Washington are upset that drug stores are not all making the morning after pill available for sale. The Washington affiliate of NARAL conducted a statewide survey and claims about 10 percent of the drug stores do no sell the Plan B pill, which can cause an abortion in some cases. The group says its survey found those stores either do not sell the drug or have a pharmacist who refused to dispense it. Karen Cooper, the head of the pro-abortion group, held a news conference and told reporters that the group surveyed 80 percent of the pharmacies in the state and she said some of the pharmacists refused to answer her questions. Warren Hall, the head of the Washington State Pharmacy Association, told AP he doesn't think the NARAL figures are correct. He said one of his three pharmacies shows up on NARAL's list as refusing to dispense the drug even though he sells it to customers. The state has over 1,000 pharmacies and whether pharmacists should be forced to dispense the controversial drug has been a major debate. Full story at LifeNews.com.
John McCain's Campaign Begins Effort to Reach Out to Pro-Life Voters Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- John McCain's presidential campaign is beginning its effort to reach out to pro-life voters now that the Arizona senator is a virtual lock to become the Republican nominee. Campaign staffers talked with CBN News correspondent David Brody about the efforts to work with pro-life advocates to oppose Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. Brody writes in an article on Wednesday that McCain has already started calling top pro-life leaders across the country in an effort to assure them he will carry the pro-life banner on abortion as president. He says McCain hopes to build a network of top pro-life advocates like Sen. Sam Brownback and Gary Bauer, both former presidential candidates, to make his case. "The sales pitch to social conservatives is basically this: McCain is solidly pro-life, he'll be good on judges and do you really want a Democrat in the White House?" Brody writes. Brody says the argument about judges -- namely that Obama and Clinton will appoint judges who will keep abortions legal for another 35 years while McCain would likely appoint judges who will be willing to overturn Roe v. Wade -- is a "compelling one." Full story at LifeNews.com.
Canada Court Prevents Hospital From Killing Samuel Golubchuk in Euthanasia Winnipeg, Canada (LifeNews.com)
-- The family of Samuel Golubchuck won a victory on Wednesday when a court issued an injunction preventing Grace General Hospital in Winnipeg from removing Samuel Golubchuk's life support and killing him. His family has been arguing with hospital officials who claim he is to far gone to receive proper medical care. Grace Hospital will not be allowed to remove the respirator, dehydrate, or starve Golubchuck while the family presents more evidence at a trial. Samuel Golubchuk is an elderly Jewish man who is on life support. His children are strongly opposed to removing him from a ventilator and feeding tube and have cited Jewish law which forbids such actions depriving people of their right to life. The children also say that their father would oppose the stopping of lifesaving medical care if he could express his treatment wishes. Full story at LifeNews.com.
Senate Questions Pro-Life Judicial Nominee Richard Honaker on Abortion Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday held a hearing on Wyoming pro-life advocate Richard Honaker for a federal district court judge post. Honaker told members of the committee he would not legislate from the bench but at least one pro-abortion member of the panel said his answers weren't good enough. Honaker, an attorney and former state legislator, received an appointment from President Bush to the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming. Pro-abortion groups have fiercely opposed Honaker's nomination because of his efforts to prohibit abortions in Wyoming. He is known in pro-life circles for proposing the Human Life Protection Act in the state legislature in 1991 and was behind a subsequent state ballot vote in 1994. Voters defeated the ballot measure that year. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, most strongly questioned Honaker on abortion and his legislation to make abortion illegal in Wyoming. Honaker confirmed his legislation was an attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade but he said his role as a legislator is “absolutely contrary” to the role a judge plays and promised he would not legislate from the bench. ACTION: Contact your senator and urge support for Richard Honaker's nomination by calling 202-224-3121 or going to http://www.senate.gov. Full story at LifeNews.com.
Catholic College in Texas Under Fire for Hosting Pro-Abortion Hillary Clinton Rally San Antonio, TX (LifeNews.com)
-- A Catholic college in Texas is coming under fire from pro-life advocates for hosting a rally for pro-abortion Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Clinton's campaign has set up a rally at Greehey Auditorium on the campus of St. Mary's University and Catholic leaders there are concerned. News of the rally reached San Antonio Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, who said the Catholic educational institution is wrong to give Clinton a platform to air views that go against Catholic Church teaching against abortion. "Our Catholic institutions must promote the clear understanding of our deep moral convictions on an issue like abortion, an act that the Church calls 'an unspeakable crime' and a non-negotiable issue," he said. "It is clear that the records of Senator Clinton and some of the other candidates for President on important life issues are not consistent with the teaching of the Catholic Church," Gomez said. ACTION: Send your comments about the Clinton event to St. Mary's University, One Camino Santa Maria, San Antonio, Texas 78228, call (210) 436-3011 or go here to send an email note. Full story at LifeNews.com.
Battle Over Samuel Golubchuk, Canada's Terri Schiavo, Advances "Futile Care"
Wesley J. Smith, a noted bioethicist and attorney, says euthanasia is becoming less and less about a patient's "choice" and more about a so-called duty to die. He said euthanasia advocates "will impose the duty to die, first through futile care theory--which is just beginning now--and then later through more explicitly terminating actions." He worries cases like Golubchuk's will advance the notion that doctors or medical bean-counters will have a significant influence over who lives and dies. Smith says "doctors are presuming the right to terminate Mr. Golubchuk's life support and have the temerity to claim that they have the right to decide when the burden of treatment outweighs the benefit of being alive." "If futile care theory prevails, what in the world makes anyone think that the forced removal of people from wanted treatment will stop at the ICU?" Smith concludes. "People who only need feeding tubes will soon be dehydrated (if they are not lethally injected first), and care will be rationed based on other criteria." Full story at LifeNews.com.
Catholic Archbishop Warns Pro-Life Voters on Supporting Pro-Abortion Candidates Denver, CO (LifeNews.com)
-- Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput says pro-life Catholics should only considering backing pro-abortion politicians in very limited circumstances -- such as cases when both candidates are pro-abortion. Even then, Chaput admonished Catholics to lobby the candidate to change his abortion views. Chaput addressed the thorny issue of abortion and voting during a speech at the new Augustine Institute, a Catholic graduate school in Denver. Asked whether Catholics should not vote or vote for the candidate who is least pro-abortion, Chaput said "there's no one Catholic answer to the question." "If you're a Democrat can you legitimately vote for someone who is pro-choice? I imagine so," Chaput told the audience, according to a Rocky Mountain News report. However, Catholics shouldn't vote for pro-abortion candidates without making a concerned effort to tell them their views are wrong. "But you have to tell them forcefully you want them to change . . . voting is (just) the minimum," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com.
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February 18, 2008
ll Clinton Lashes Out at Pro-Life Advocates During Ohio Stop for Hillary Steubenville, OH (LifeNews.com)
-- Former president Bill Clinton made a campaign stop for Hillary in Steubenville, Ohio on Sunday and found himself greeted by more than 100 pro-life students from nearby Steubenville University. According to eye witnesses accounts, Clinton lost his temper and lashed out at the pro-life students during the speech. Clinton's heated response came after being questioned on his support of abortion-on-demand. "I gave you the answer. We disagree with you," Clinton said about the position he and Hillary Clinton hold on abortion. Clinton relied on the old argument that pr-life advocates want to put women in prison, even though abortion bans have never targeted women because they are a second victim in the abortion process. "You want to criminalize women and their doctors and we disagree,” he said of the pro-life advocates. “If you were really pro-life, if you were really pro-life, you would want to put every doctor and every mother as an accessory to murder in prison. And you won't say you want to do that because you know that because you know that you wouldn't have a lick of political support,” he added. Full story at LifeNews.com.
University of North Carolina Prof Suggests Abortion for Down Syndrome Babies Chapel Hill, NC (LifeNews.com)
-- A University of North Carolina professor is under fire for suggesting that parents who discover their unborn child will have Down syndrome should have abortions. The comments offended one student who has a brother with the condition and highlighted attempts by disabilities groups to head off abortion as a solution to the disability. Professor Albert Harris told his embryology students last week that babies who have Down syndrome should be aborted. "In my opinion, the moral thing for older mothers to do is to have amniocentesis, as soon during pregnancy as is safe for the fetus, test whether placental cells have a third chromosome #21, and abort the fetus if it does," he said. Harris has taught at the college for 35 years and he told the newspaper he's made the pro-abortion statement several times before in an attempt to spark discussion. He told the newspaper he has no apologies for the remark. "I know somebody who had a child like this, and it ruined their life," he said. ACTION: Contact UNC about Professor Harris at Office of the Chancellor, 103 South Building, Campus Box 9100, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-9100. Email chancellor@unc.edu, call (919) 962-1365 or fax (919) 962-1647. Full story at LifeNews.com.
Catholic Belmont Abbey College Honors Pro-Life Values on Abortion Coverage
Belmont Abbey College is one of the few Catholic colleges in the southeastern United States, located about ten miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina. Unfortunately, its president and chancellor are currently embroiled in a defense of the college’s Catholic identity against eight faculty members who insist on insurance coverage for voluntary sterilization, abortion, and contraception. Founded by Benedictine Monks in 1876, Belmont Abbey College has 120 faculty and 1,200 students. Under its new president, Dr. William Thierfelder, the college has begun to get national attention with an aggressive and innovative advertising campaign. I talked with Ken Davison, Vice President for College Relations, about the sequence of events that led to the present controversy. The college asked its insurance carrier, Wellpath, to meet with faculty and staff to brief them on their various insurance options. Following the meeting, a faculty member, reading the documents closely, discovered the coverage for voluntary sterilization, abortion, and contraception, and alerted the administration by e-mail. The president immediately asked Wellpath to remove this coverage, since they ran contrary to Catholic teaching. Full story at LifeNews.com.
New Zealand Abortions Wrongly Classified as Mentally Necessary, Prof Challenges Wellington, New Zealand (LifeNews.com)
-- The New Zealand government has released new figures for abortions there showing 17,934 abortions in 2006. The Abortion Supervisory Committee Report also determined that 98.9% of the abortions were approved on mental health grounds, but a leading abortion researcher challenges that contention. The abortion reporting agency indicated having abortions will prevent women from developing mental health problems. But, Professor David Fergusson of Canterbury University, challenges that notion and points to his own working showing women who have abortions are 40 percent more likely to have mental health problems. His 2005 study found nearly half of women who had abortions "had elevated rates of subsequent mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, suicidal behaviors and substance abuse disorders.” Ferguson wants the committee to commission more research and "have an assessment six months later to see what the evidence is revealing.” "That would have been the responsible and sensible course of action to take," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com.
Terri Schiavo's Family Lobbies Canadian Hospital on Samuel Golubchuck's Behalf Winnipeg, Canada (LifeNews.com)
-- The family of Terri Schiavo is coming to the aide of Samuel Golubchuck and has lobbied a hospital in Canada to not revoke his food and water or his lifesaving medical treatment. The Schindler family's help comes just as Golubchuck's family celebrated a court decision in their favor. Golubchuck's family won a victory this past week when a court issued an injunction preventing Grace General Hospital from removing Samuel Golubchuck's life support and killing him. His family has been arguing with hospital officials who claim he is to far gone to receive proper medical care. Grace Hospital will not be allowed to remove the respirator, dehydrate, or starve Golubchuck while the family presents more evidence at a trial. The family is getting help from Bobby Schindler, Terri Schiavo's brother, who says their situation is worse because they are in agreement about Golubchuck's care but are fighting hospital officials who are bent on letting him die. "We're against what the hospital is doing," Schindler told the Canadian Press. "This is alarming when you have hospitals making these decisions." Schindler said he wrote hospital officials on Samuel's behalf and, "They did respond, but it basically said they were giving the gentleman the best care they could." Full story at LifeNews.com.
Pro-Abortion Magazine “The Nation” Paints Worldwide Pro-Life Group as Racist Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- A leading magazine with a pro-abortion slant has painted an international pro-life group as racist because it is concerned about the severe underpopulation problems plaguing, Europe, Russia, Japan and other parts of the world. The magazine will release an article on the World Congress of Families in its March 3 issue. The article, "Missing: The 'Right' Babies," written by reporter Kathryn Joyce, attempts to paint the pro-life group and others sounding the alarm about the coming demographic winter as concerned only with preserving the white majority of Europe and the United States. The organization told LifeNews.com that characterization is ironic given that the population control movement, which The Nation supports, was started by Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger to limit the birth of ethnic populations. The group said the article calls the World Congress of Families an organization made up mostly of “Mormon, Catholic and evangelicals” and “token links” to Jews, Muslins or others with a pro-life perspective who aren’t of European decent. But Alan Carlson, the international secretary of the group, told LifeNews.com that the organization has worldwide support from nations and ethnic groups considered minorities in the United States and Europe. ACTION: Send your complaints to The Nation, 33 Irving Place New York, New York 10003, (p) 212-209-5400, (f) 212-982-9000, or send a letter to the editor. Full story at LifeNews.com.
Ohio Policeman Bobby Cutts Guilty of Killing Pregnant Girlfriend, Unborn Child Canton, OH (LifeNews.com)
-- Former Canton police officer Bobby Cutts was found guilty on Friday of killing his pregnant girlfriend Jesse Davis and her nine-month unborn child Chloe. After deliberating for more than 21 hours about the case, the jury of six men and six women reached a unanimous verdict. The case is one of the latest to draw the nation's attention to violence against pregnant women and how they are frequently targeted because of their pregnancy. The jury found Cutts guilty of aggravated murder in the death of Chloe and guilty of a lesser murder charge related to Davis' death. Because Chloe's death occurred during the commission of another crime, Ohio law makes Cutts eligible for the death penalty. During the trial, Cutts sobbed on the witness stand as he admitted killing Davis and Chloe, though he claimed their deaths were an accident and he didn't mean to harm them. Prosecutors contended Cutts strangled Davis because of disagreements about child support and financial issues. Full story at LifeNews.com.
Mike Huckabee Vows to Continue Campaign Despite John McCain's Inevitability Washington, DC (LifeNews.com)
-- John McCain may be the inevitable Republican nominee, but GOP hopeful Mike Huckabee says he's in the race to stay until one of the candidates winds up with the delegates needed to officially capture the nomination. Huckabee and his supporters appear to want to continue pressing pro-life themes as long as possible. “People ask me, why am I staying in this race? Well, first of all, I got in it to win and I’m staying in it to win," Huckabee told a crowd of 500 supporters in Wisconsin. “If nobody gets 1,191 delegates before the convention, then we’ll settle it at the convention like it used to be done in the old days and I’ll take my chances there like anybody else," he added, according to a CBS News report. Huckabee appears to want to carry the banner for issues he hopes McCain will press during the campaign -- ones that chagrin pro-life voters and conservatives on other topics. “In many ways, the discussion over the next several weeks is not just about the next election, it is about the next generation,” he said. "It’s not just about the politics of the Republican party, it’s about the principles of the Republican party." Full story at LifeNews.com.
How lying marketers sold Roe v Wade to America
"Women must have control over their own bodies."
"Safe and legal abortion is every woman's right."
"Who decides? You decide!"
"Abortion is a personal decision between a woman and her doctor."
"Who will make this most personal decision of a woman's life? Will women decide, or will the politicians and bureaucrats in Washington?"
"Freedom of choice – a basic American right."
In one of the most successful marketing campaigns in modern political history, the "abortion rights movement" – with all of its emotionally compelling catch-phrases and powerful political slogans – has succeeded in turning what once was a heinous crime into a fiercely defended constitutional right. During the tumultuous 1960s, after centuries of legal prohibition and moral condemnation of abortion, a handful of dedicated activists launched an unprecedented marketing campaign.
Their aim was twofold: first, to capture the news media and thus public opinion, and then, to change the nation'sabortion laws.Their success was rapid and total – resulting in abortion being legalized in all 50 states, for virtually any reason, and throughout all nine months of pregnancy. Since the Supreme Court's controversial Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, American doctors have performed well over 40 million abortions.
Although polls consistently show a clear majority of Americans disapprove of unfettered abortion-on-demand, the movement's well-crafted, almost magical slogans – appealing to Americans' deeply rooted inclination toward tolerance, privacy and individual rights – have provided the abortion camp a powerful rhetorical arsenal with which to fight off efforts to reverse Roe, which struck down all state laws outlawing abortion. Complete story: How lying marketers sold Roe v. Wade to America - David Kupelian