February 2006 Archives

don't look back....

Charlotte was able to go back in the headbox today, with a 50 % oxygen level; and though a long way yet from how she was before she became ill, she is ever so much better than she has been.

Thank you for your notes of encouragement and your prayers-- please do keep on!

Visit the Charlotte Wyatt blog for more information.

While abortion proponents prepare to boycott South Dakota, the state's Governor Mike Rounds says several other governors are supportive (I'd like to know which ones).

WASHINGTON, February 28, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Scott McClellan, the principal spokesman for U.S. President George W. Bush said in a press conference yesterday that the President supports abortion in three cases - rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

A reporter asked a question regarding the South Dakota legislation which bans abortion except to save the life of the mother which is likely to be signed by the Governor (see coverage here)

I wonder if Toni Locy, Associated Press Writer, writes all her own words, or if someone else well-versed in strident drama heavily edits her:

Albert Mohler shares some of my reactions to the abortion debate between William Saletan and Katha Pollitt.

Why should pro-lifers pay attention to this debate among advocates of abortion rights? The answer to that question is simple--the exchange between William Saletan and Katha Pollitt demonstrates the inherent weakness of the pro-abortion argument, or its pro-choice variant. Lacking any objective definition of human life and the status of the unborn, the pro-abortion movement is mired in a pattern of endless internal debates and confusions. Saletan's argument is less radical than Pollitt's, but his position is morally arbitrary, based more in pragmatic concern than in moral philosophy.

In any event, the exchange between William Saletan and Katha Pollitt indicates that the pro-abortion movement knows that it has work to do in reaching the hearts and minds of Americans. The pro-life movement had better remind itself of the same challenge. Both sides are locked in a race to reach the hearts and minds of those still stuck in the middle.

James Teela: Stop racial profiling of abortion clinics.

When African Americans are concerned, the abortion industry obviously puts aside it's "safe and rare" mantra and instead replaces it with one that appears to embrace "numerous and near."

Justin Taylor: Mother Sues Over Unsuccessful Abortion

Here's the story from the BBC. Ms. Dow's (the mother suing over the "wrongful" birth of her daughter) lawsuit states, "As a result of the failed termination the pursuer suffered loss, injury and damage."

Suffered loss? Nope. As a result of the failed termination, you experienced gain. You did not suffer loss. You've gained the opportunity to be involved in the life of a beautiful little girl.

Today the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Joe Scheidler, the Pro-Life Action League and other pro-life petitioners, bringing a final end to the nineteen-year ordeal of NOW v. Scheidler. Today's ruling is seen as a great victory for the entire community of pro-life activists.

For more information on the ruling see the League website and SCOTUS Blog.

From LifeNews

Although she didn't receive any visitors on her birthday, this is probably the best present she could get.

Haleigh was admitted to the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston and Department of Social Services officials tell the Boston Globe she is in medically stable condition.

After making a partial recovery, Poutre has been receiving physical, speech, and occupational therapy.

Crossposted at Marlowe's Shade

For the second time in a week or so I have to correct myself. Perhaps it was because of only a cursory examination of the facts that I didn't realize that chances of ectopic pregnancies resulting in live births are extremely rare. Maybe I saw what I wanted to see.

Regardless, after extensive research it has become obvious to me that ectopic births are rare. A babyworld article describes it as rare as "one in 60 million.

It is sad to know that there is a condition like this out there. Do we force 60 million women to die so that one child may live? For those of you who have to deal with this issue I will have to concede that it is for you & God to figure out.

I won't remove this post. 1) It will serve as an important reminder to me and hopefully others as well to do more extensive research on topics that are more than just opinion. 2) There are many points in it that are still valid, such as those on rape, incest, health of the mother & life of the mother.

A doctor should always make every attempt to save the child and the mother.

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Article

A national campaign to expose the negative aspects of contraception launched today. The web-based campaign, originating out of New York, is called "No Room for Contraception."

Issues surrounding so-called emergency contraception have brought the issue of birth control to the political forefront. In order to contribute to this ongoing debate, the No Room for Contraception team has launched a website to point out the often under-exposed negative effects of widespread contraception use.

An Illinois pro-life organization has rated candidates beginning like this:

1 = Fully pro-life
1# = Rape and incest exception
2 = Not in full support of all pro-life issues

Do you think a pro-life organization can hold this position?

Or do you think it is inconsistent for a pro-life organization to condone the concept that how one is conceived determines one's worth?

... the government decides who is worth treating and who should die based on some dollar based calculation. If the NSA can't be trusted to listen to some phone calls, what makes people think that this health care calculus will be honest? - Part-Time Pundit

In debates involving abortion, embryonic stem cell research and euthanasia, euphemism are often used to make the act of killing sound more palatable and, in some cases, even desirable. The logical fallacy involved in these language gymnastics is Argument By Emotive Language, using emotionally loaded words to sway the audience's sentiments instead of their minds.

Wesley Smith comments that the phrase "early stem cells" is being used instead of "embryonic stem cells" and "therapeutic cloning" is replaced by its technical term, "somatic cell nuclear transfer." There is more:

... now euthanasia societies no longer use the word euthanasia. It is all "compassion and choices" or "choice in dying." The acts of killing are now called "aid in dying," or "death with dignity." It all gets increasingly ridiculous.

Editorial by Scott Klusendorf (Life Training Institute): Is Covenant News Intellectually Honest?

Here’s the headline from it’s site:

“Georgia Senate Committee OKs Murdering Babies After Ultrasound Pictures Are Taken–The Nazis also took pictures before killing Jews.”

I think the headline is a disgrace.

First, Covenant News forgets that morality cannot be reduced to behavior. Stealing and borrowing look the same (so do surgery and mugging), but the intentions and motivations of the actor determine their rightness or wrongness. To cite another example, a teenager who tackles an old woman might incite our rage until we learn she was about to step in front of an oncoming bus.

A little improvement-- Charlotte's oxygen is now at 60%, 5% down from yesturday. Her situation is still very critical, so please keep praying! - CharlotteWyatte Blog

More information: Charlotte Wyatt in need of urgent prayers!!! (updated)

From AbortionWatch (HT: AfterAbortion):

A pro-life politician in Kansas bravely admitted during a debate on Wednesday that she had an abortion "long ago."

State Representative Brenda Landwehr, a Republican from Wichita, was debating a bill on the house floor that would "crack down" on abortion clinics when she suddenly revealed her personal experience with the issue.

Rep. Landwehr argued that abortion "traumatizes women" and told her fellow representatives that, "I live with that pain every single day because I killed a baby."

Packaged as reproductive freedom, the birth control pill has been triumphed for decades as the means by which women were able to rid themselves from the bondage of fertility and be able to enjoy sexual relations for mere bodily pleasure. But, a closer look at chemical birth control suggests that maybe it is more of a burden on women than a redeemer.

Today:

A brain-injured Westfield girl the state sought to remove from life support turns 12-years-old tomorrow in a Boston rehab hospital.

Haleigh Poutre (HAY'-lee POOT'-Rah) has been in state custody since September. Authorities say she was beaten into a coma by her adoptive mother and stepfather.

About a week after taking custody, the Department of Social Services sought permission to remove her from life support.

But after a legal battle between the D-S-S and Haleigh's stepfather -- who was trying to keep her on life support -- Haleigh showed signs of improvement.

Haleigh's birth mother asked to visit her daughter at the Franciscan Hospital for Children on the girl's birthday, but her lawyer says the D-S-S never responded.

An agency spokeswoman says they won't change the birth mother's once-every-other-week visitation schedule.

Update: see Michelle Malkin

Cross-posted from Blogsforterri

Mary, from Olive Branch Press writes:

I just wanted to let you know that Charlotte Wyatt is in dire need of prayer. She has contracted a virus that is making breathing difficult for her. Judge Hedley has reversed his prior decision regarding the use of a respirator. Please add her to your prayer lists. For more information you can visit

Baby Charlotte's life back in doctor's hands
ITN - London,UK
The High Court has ruled that doctors should be allowed to let baby Charlotte Wyatt die if they feel it is necessary. Mr Justice ...

Update from --Coyote (Sounding the Trumpet):

I thought you would like to know about baby Charlotte's worsening condition:

New ruling as Charlotte worsens:

A judge has ruled that doctors treating toddler Charlotte Wyatt can decide not to resuscitate her if they feel it would not be in her best interests.
The order came after an emergency hearing on Thursday, as Charlotte's condition deteriorated.

She has been suffering from an aggressive virus and doctors say the next few hours are "crucial".

Baby Charlotte 'extremely serious':

The judge, who heard an emergency application on Thursday evening from the hospital treating Charlotte, said the girl's mother, Debbie, still believes that if the child was ventilated she would recover.

But he said there had been a "very significant deterioration in Charlotte's condition".

Arizona Right to Life holds its annual Carolyn Gerster Awards Gala tonight to honor Virginia Evers for a lifetime of service to the pro-life cause. Virginia and her late husband Ellis Evers founded Heritage House'76 and she became known for her creation of the Precious Feet pin which presents the feet size of an unborn baby at 10 weeks in utero. The pin is seen around the world and is one of the most recognized symbols of the pro-life movement.

Addressing the attendants that evening will be Senator Sam Brownback, Republican from Kansas, who is often mentioned as a possible potential presidential candidate in 2008. Regardless of the presidential politics, Senator Brownback is well known as a stalwart defender of the pro-life cause in the Congress and as a ranking member of the Judiciary was very instrumental in the advancement of both John Roberts and Sam Alito to the Supreme Court.

Bryan Kemper of Stand True has just launched a new website, Why I Am Pro-Life. They're gathering photos and testimonies from pro-life youth.

Consider contributing to this project—just take a photo of yourself holding a sign that says, "I am pro-life" (there are some very creative signs on the site—take a look for ideas), and write a paragraph on why you're pro-life. Upload instructions here.

(Cross-posted at Generations for Life.)

Naaman directed me to the text of the bill that was submitted in South Dakota.

Bill

I'm embarrassed that I didn't read the text beforehand. It looks quite complete in my opinion and could certainly be the model upon which future bills from other states are built on. This line is probably the most important one:

Moreover, the Legislature finds that the guarantee of due process of law under the Constitution of South Dakota applies equally to born and unborn human beings, and that under the Constitution of South Dakota, a pregnant mother and her unborn child, each possess a natural and inalienable right to life.

I will ask others who are more expert at these types of legal documents, but for now I like what I see! I will include the rest of my original post just because the need to deny exceptions and compromises is still valid.

By Judie Brown

Women are told that reproductive health services are designed to better their lives. They are also told that anti-abortion zealots are infringing upon these services. You've probably heard the cries emanating from the pro-abortion crowd.

They go berserk when anyone suggests that morning-after pills are really not in the same category with the common aspirin, and should not be sold over the counter. They experience apoplexy when pro-life lobbyists ask members of Congress to hold oversight hearings on the abortion drug mifepristone (you probably know it better as RU-486). They literally go right off the edge when someone like me says, "of course the pill should be banned; it can kill preborn children."

In a move more to challenge the Supreme Court on Roe v Wade "by presenting them with such a law so clearly at odds with the original decision that the court will have to explicitly review the ruling (Hat tip - Captain's Quarters)," South Dakota moved closer to imposing some of the strictest limits on abortion in the nation as the state Senate approved legislation that would ban the procedure except when the woman's life is in danger.

The bill, designed to spark a courtroom showdown over the legality of abortion, passed 23-12 Wednesday. On Thursday, it was headed back to the House, where lawmakers already approved similar legislation.

Thanks to all those who contacted us regarding the appearance of strange links on prolifeblogs.com.... Yes, we were hacked and (hopefully) have addressed the problem. Please to let us know if you experience or see any additional issues.

... until I had an abortion - Guilt, sorrow, loss of dignity and deep shame are the most felt responses after an abortion. Our churches are full of women who have had an abortion and are too ashamed to admit it. But these are the women that need to especially stand up for the cause of life because they know first-hand the deep despair and lonely scars of regret that abortion can leave.

Please... choose life... and if you have had an abortion, may He grant you peace and heal the brokenness of this sin so that you can live a life that honors God and be enabled to encourage other women and young girls fot the glory of God...

Deo volente

Reuters - South Dakota became the first U.S. state to pass a law banning abortion in virtually all cases, with the intention of forcing the Supreme Court to reconsider its 1973 decision legalizing the procedure.

The Kindred Times: The law, which would punish doctors who perform the operation with a five-year prison term and a $5,000 fine, awaits the signature of Republican Gov. Michael Rounds and people on both sides of the issue say he is unlikely to veto it.

Associated Press: "It is the time for the South Dakota Legislature to deal with this issue and protect the lives and rights of unborn children," said Democratic Sen. Julie Bartling, the bill's main sponsor.

NY Times:

"I'm convinced that the timing is right for this," said State Representative Roger Hunt, a Republican who has sponsored the bill, noting the appointments of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. to the court.

"The strong possibility of a third appointee sometime soon makes this all very real and very viable," Mr. Hunt added, a reference to conjecture that Justice John Paul Stevens, 85, might soon retire. "I think it will all culminate at the right time."

Today, the State Senate of South Dakota passed HB1215, a bill to protect the lives of women and children. The landmark legislation will make it illegal to terminate a pregnancy except to save the mother's life.

"Passage of this legislation culminates years of legislative efforts and fact finding," commented Leslee Unruh, founder of the Alpha Center, a pregnancy center that serves women contemplating abortion, as well as those suffering from the negative mental, emotional, and physical effects of abortion. "The overwhelming mass of research could be ignored no longer. Abortion hurts women. South Dakota's legislature heard the cry of those who have been harmed by abortion and passed this bill to protect women and children."

Starting Over is a daytime reality television show where women live in a house in order to "re-invent" themselves with the help of life coaches.

Yesterday, the show featured the struggles of a woman named Jodi, who was dealing with the grief she's suffering from an abortion she had years ago.

The show tried its best to support "choice," but the grief this woman feels is heartbreaking testimony to the effects of "choice."

After writing a goodbye letter to her "little one," Jodi breaks down. She said she pictured this "pretty package" that would be her life after the abortion, but that wasn't what she ended up with.

"I realized the pretty package doesn't matter. I'd do anything to have that child now," she said, then broke down sobbing.

This is what they don't tell you at the abortion clinic. This is what the abortion rights movement would rather cover up (post-abortion syndrome? Ha, there's no such thing, they claim). If women knew what they might be facing emotionally after an abortion, that affects the abortion industry's bottom line. It IS a business after all.

This issue affects ALL women, pro-life, pro-choice, Republican, Democrat, white, black, young, old. AfterAbortion.com is the perfect example of this. Run by a pro-choice woman, it's a place for help and healing from the emotional ramifications of an abortion. You can't tell them what they're feeling isn't real. They don't need anyone's permission to know that their trauma is real.

A pro-life woman, Fredericka Matthews-Greene once said, "A woman doesn't want an abortion like she wants an ice cream cone. A woman wants an abortion like a bear wants to gnaw his own leg off when he's caught in a trap."

Is that real choice for women? Are we really honoring women and are women really expressing their freedoms when they need to climb to that freedom over the dead bodies of their children? When they feel forced to make a choice they'd rather not make because they feel they have no other choice?

Feminists for Life doesn't think so. That's why they're running a "Women Deserve Better" campaign. With Patricia Heaton, Emmy winning actress from Everybody Loves Raymond, as their honorary chairwoman, FFL is doing all they can to support women AND their babies.

Love them both. It's not an impossible concept.

From Human Events

“Population stabilization” in developing countries is an official purpose of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), though in keeping with the zeitgeist, efforts to achieve that goal are today called family planning programs. In this time of massive deficits, American taxpayers pay over $400 million a year (conservatively estimated) to reduce the populations of Third World nations whose birthrates have already collapsed or are collapsing. In fact, if USAID wants to promote long-term population stabilization in the Third World, it should be encouraging women to have more children rather than less. Birthrates have been on a rapid downward trajectory in almost every country in the world.

More at Marlowe's Shade

In a news release yesterday, Don Stenberg, the former Nebraska Attorney General who is currently running for the U.S. Senate, said that he expects the U.S. Supreme Court to overrule the 2000 partial-birth abortion case that bears his name and outlaw the gruesome procedure.

Stenberg, who as Nebraska’s Attorney General in 2000 argued the partial birth abortion case, Stenberg v. Carhart, in the Supreme Court of the United States, said he was pleased the Court has agreed to reconsider that decision. “In my opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court will correct a grave injustice, and will overrule Stenberg v. Carhart in a 5 – 4 decision,” Stenberg said.

What do you think about forced abortion? Should the government decide who lives & dies & carry out executions of the unborn?

Six years after its much criticized ruling that Roe v. Wade fully protects the brutal practice of partial-birth abortion, the U.S. Supreme Court today agreed to take another look at the issue.

The justices announced that they would review a lower-court ruling that has blocked enforcement of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, a bill signed into law by President George W. Bush on November 5, 2003. The Bush Administration had urged the Court to accept the appeal, most recently in a brief filed by the Solicitor General on February 14.

LifeNews.com has an interesting analysis of the partial birth abortion case and how Samuel Alito's appointment may shift the Supreme Court in our favor: click here. Alito said, "... when Congress makes findings on questions that have a bearing on the constitutionality of legislation, I think they are entitled to great respect."

From Australian Broadcasting Company

Darwin-based voluntary euthanasia campaigner Philip Nitschke has been referred to the New Zealand Ministry of Health for allegedly holding euthanasia workshops without being registered.

The Medical Council of New Zealand made the referral after Dr Nitschke held three workshops in January based on the book Killing Me Softly.

More at Marlowe's Shade

WASHINGTON, D.C. United States, February 21, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The legality of partial-birth abortion will come under the scrutiny of the U.S. Supreme Court, the court announced today. The Court will hear arguments and decide the case during its next term, which begins in October.

An analysis by National Right to Life notes that the federal law now stands a good chance of being approved and the decision will rest on Justice Anthony Kennedy. Among currently sitting Supreme Court justices, five have voted in favor of Roe v. Wade -- that is, in support of the doctrine that abortion must be allowed for any reason until "viability" (about five and one-half months), and for "health" reasons (broadly defined) even during the final three months of pregnancy. Two justices (Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas) have voted to overturn Roe, and two (John Roberts and Samuel Alito) have not voted on the matter. Justice Kennedy, although a supporter of Roe, voted in the 2000 Stenberg case to allow Nebraska to ban the partial-birth abortion method.

From Right to Life of Michigan:

On February 21, 2006, justices on the U.S. Supreme Court of the United States appropriately announced that they would review a lower court ruling which blocked the enforcement of the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. Since the U.S. Supreme Court has decided to review the case, sometime in the future they will hear arguments and rule on whether the federal government is allowed to ban the horrendous practice of partial-birth abortion. This decision is positive and may allow justices to fairly interpret the law and allow the law to protect babies in the process of being born.

The Associated Press article is here.

"The Supreme Court said Tuesday it will consider the constitutionality of banning a type of late-term abortion, teeing up a contentious issue for a newly-constituted court already in a state of flux over privacy rights.

The Bush administration has pressed the high court to reinstate the federal law, passed in 2003 but never put in effect because it was struck down by judges in California, Nebraska and New York. "

La Shawn Barber pointed out the idiotic law that forces Wall-Mart to dispense the morning after pill.

Article

It's unbelievable that a state can force us to participate in immoral acts, expecially those that kill people! Next they'll say that we can allow group sex in a bar with minors. Oh yeah, Canada already does that.

Southern Baptist theologian and educator, Dr. Al Mohler, considers this question in the current editorial on his excellent web site. Actually, he points primarily to the answer given in a recent article published in the new issue of Society, one of the nation's most influential social science journals. The author of that article is Jon A. Shields from the University of Virginia's Center on Religion and Democracy.

It was because of a group of patriots known as the minutemen that the Americans in 1775 were able to stand up to the British and prevent His majesty’s army from seizing a cache of munitions at Lexington and Concord. The “shot heard ‘round the world” signaled the start of the War of Independence and the American Revolution.

Soon thereafter representatives from the thirteen colonies gathered in Philadelphia and in the summer of 1776 had written and ratified the Declaration of Independence.

This past January while in Washington for the March for Life, my son and I went to the National Archives to see this historic document. It was appropriate that during a march to protest the failure of this government to protect its people we would view the document that acknowledges what all free peoples have known since the dawn of time – our right to life is from God who alone is the giver and taker of innocent human life.

It's important to expose the unnecessary risks that are being taken by women, usually at the urging of their doctors. Since the invention of the pill, more and more women are being encouraged to use remedies that are supposed to help to prevent pregnancy. It seems that the emphasis is upon sexual intercourse, but to hell with the consequences.

Only last week, moronic female politicians in the Australian Parliament collaborated in a move that is designed to allow the use of the combined therapy of Mifepristone/Misoprostone, for the purpose of abortion. Despite the fact that prominent feminists Renate Klein and Germaine Greer spoke out against the introduction of this deadly drug, those of us who fought to stop the amendment lost the battle.

John Naughton points out the lies and misdirection of the proponents of embryonic stem cell research and also challenges Senator Paula Colodny Hollinger of Maryland.

I would like to add to this piece the fact that the culture of death does nothing to acknowledge the successes of adult stem cell research because they are locked in a pursuit of research which kills many human beings to heal or benefit others.

Hitler's man Mengele was doing exactly the same thing around 60 years ago, except he didn't mind if they were alive & breathing. Today's scientists and "doctors" aren't far behind. Click here to read an article about Mengele and his bizarre genetic pursuits.

People like Senator Hollinger are in favor of experimentation which kills human beings for the benefit of science. This is not Nazi Germany, this is happening right now and is supported by the modern culture of death, mostly supported by Democrats.

Peter

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Post by John Naughton

The February 13-19 Washington Times National Weekly Edition reported:

A new Pentagon strategy report... bluntly states that China is the greatest potential challenge to the U.S. military and is rapidly building up its military....

The Pentagon report... notes that Beijing is investing heavily in military force, "particularly in its strategic arsenal and capabilities designed to improve its ability to project power beyond its borders."

The February 20-26 edition reported on satellite photos of China showing nuclear warheads stored in a secret underground submarine tunnel. Reported the WT:

Adm. Gary Roughead, commander of the Navy's Pacific Fleet, said he did not consider China "a threat." But he also said in a speech Feb. 14 that China's purpose behind its rapid military buildup is not fully known.

Well, I consider China a threat, and I can guess why China is engaged in "rapid military buildup." Connecting more dots, China's one-child policy resulting in a grave disparity between boys to girls born is well-reported. It is hard to believe this isn't purposeful.

Feminists and liberals aren't the only ones upon whom promotion of the overpopulation myth and abortion worldwide will backfire.

This is not to imply that we in the Pro-Life movement shouldn't blog or continue our existing ongoing efforts. What I am saying though is that we need to involve ourselves more in action efforts.

There are many wonderful things people do to help the unborn and the women who might deliver them.

Many if not most babies aborted late-term in hospitals and abortion mills have birth defects. They are aborted because they have Down syndrome, spina bifida, anacephaly, etc. Abortionist George Tiller and others make this sort of abortion into a specialty.

The other side is clear on why most late-term babies are aborted, as LifeNews.com reported on February 12:

[US Sen. Rick] Santorum described an exchange he had with [US Sen. Hillary] Clinton on the Senate floor during the debate on the partial-birth abortion ban. Santorum was explaining to members of the Senate about some medical diagrams he had showing the partial-birth abortion procedure and how an unborn child is killed in the process. Clinton objected. She said the pictures were inaccurate and wanted to know where the photos were of babies with severe disabilities -- claiming the abortion procedure was used mostly in such circumstances.

Many know I became involved in the pro-life movement by my experience as a nurse at a hospital who discovered it was aborting late-term babies alive and letting them die. Most of those babies had birth defects. I noted then and afterward when speaking with mothers who aborted their handicapped babies that most counselors surrounding mothers in this type of crisis pregnancy are pro-abortion: high-risk doctors, social workers, geneticists, and even priests and pastors.

The majority opinion is that it is best to put the preborn baby out of his/her misery and shorten a mother's grieving time by aborting.

We know this is the wrong advice, but how well do we articulate the right advice? How well do we come alongside mothers in this type of crisis pregnancy? Is it fair to critique hospitals and medical personnel on the alternative they offer without offering our own alternative?

Perinatal hospice responds to all these questions. This ministry conceived by perinatalogist Dr. Byron Calhoun is growing.

The Haven Network is a new perinatal hospice program in Rockford, IL, with Dr. Calhoun as a founding member.

I have known Jean Heise, The Haven Network's president, for many years, which is one reason I'm particularly excited about it. Jean is a thorough, top-notch professional who has been laying the groundwork for The Haven Network for as long as I've known her.

That Jean and the organization are prepared to announce it publicly means it is ready to make a profound impact outside its immediate sphere. In fact, Jean reported to me in an email that she and Dr. Calhoun are working with other five states to launch similar ministries. Excellent! For more information, contact Jean at thehaven@insightbb.com.

As we approach the anniversary of Terri Schiavo's death, both the Schindlers and Michael Schiavo are publishing books recounting their experiences and opinions.

Terri's parents, Mary and Robert Schindler, her brother, Bobby, and her sister, Suzanne Vitadamo have aptly named their text A Life That Matters: The Legacy of Terri Schiavo - A Lesson for Us All. From the publisher:

In 2004-5, when the Terri Schiavo case divided the country, one side of the story was buried under the avalanche of politics and power. Now, Terri Schiavo’s parents, brother, and sister speak out—for Terri and themselves. A LIFE THAT MATTERS may well change every assumption you have about Terri’s too-brief life and prolonged, agonizing death.

Reading this article on the SCNT debate in Missouri, previously posted by Tim, this section popped out at me:

Steven Teitelbaum...said he believes that cells in a Petri dish are not persons. But science, he said, cannot answer the question.

“It depends on your religious tradition, your ethics, the feeling in your gut…” Teitelbaum said. “When does a soul come into the body, if at all? Clearly, no one knows that.”

But, if Teitelbaum is correct that no one knows for sure, why would he automatically say it is okay to destroy life that people are unsure about? Wouldn't logic dictate that if "science cannot answer that question" that we should err on the side of caution?

With all the of buzz over Cheney's hunting accident, I am reminded of my philosophy professor's favorite analogy:

Teens Killed By Abortion

John Jakubczyk from Arizona Right to Life wrote a blog today titled "The Abortion holocaust - why words have meaning".

He said:

"It is interesting that some people are offended by the comparison and yet are unwilling to address the reality that children are being killed in the name of "choice" and "convenience." It is a reflection of a society that will permit abortion but ban smoking in public buildings."

The President asks the Supreme Court to take the case - the paperwork was filed with the court earlier this week.

Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote for MSNBC in 2005, "The time has come to let Terri Schiavo die". His piece continues to be an example of how the "experts" can be brilliantly wrong in their assessments of a situation - even one within their own field of expertise.

Naturally, Caplan is involved in the upcoming ethics conference at the University of Pennsylvania featuring Michael Schiavo, Judge George Greer and Ronald Cranford, all of whom were central characters in the effort to remove Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube for the purpose of ending her life. He moderates a session and is delivering the closing remarks.

The media cards always seemed stacked against Terri’s parents and family, the Schindlers, as they desperately fought for her life. In an article about Caplan, the North Country Gazette explains one reason why:

Arthur Caplan did his best to taint the media, appearing on MSNBC, advocating her death, appearing before the House Judiciary Committee to testify against a federal review, testifying against House Bill 1151 "The Incapacitated Persons Legal Protection Act" which would have allowed federal intervention in cases like Schiavo's where state courts have ruled in favor of terminating life support.

Read the rest of the North Country Gazette's report: Click Here

Missouri’s cloning war came to the Capitol on Thursday when two Washington University scientists wrangled over research on early stem cells and the laboratory techniques used to grow them. The Kansas City Star reports the essense of their debate:

The conclusion? It comes down to whether you view the cells created by the process to be a person.

The "cells" are not just an arbitrary group of cells (e.g., blood cells) but are, by definition, a new human life possessing unique characteristics. The "clump" or "group" will not develop into a human but rather is already a human individual.

I suppose the question above could be better framed by asking, “When is a human being a person?” or “What is the value of human life?”

From United Press International:

Canadian researchers said Friday they have uncovered a natural defense mechanism to Alzheimer's disease.

Not surprisingly, it involves stem cells -- those derived from bone marrow.

In Alzheimer's patients, plaque forms in the brain, but the brain's resident immune cells, called microglia, can't fight off the substance. The plaque can then kill off the brain's neurons, or nerve cells.

However, microglia harvested from bone marrow stem cells do appear capable of defeating the plague, said researchers from the Faculty of Medicine at Université Laval and the research centre at Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec, Canada.

From LifeNews

Government prosecutors investigating the faked embryonic stem cell research supposedly conducted by Hwang Woo-suk and his colleagues have confirmed that his team never created patient-specific embryonic stem cells that would supposedly overcome rejection issues. Park Han-cheol of Seoul District Prosecutors' Office, who is leading the Hwang probe, told the Korean Herald newspaper, "there is no possibility that NT-1 is a cloned somatic stem cell."

"There is no doubt about this in the scientific field," he added.

Continued at Marlowe's Shade

Ideology, not science, governs the APA's support for abortion:

According to a spokesperson for the American Psychological Association, the APA's pro-choice position, first adopted in 1969, is based on a civil rights view, not on scientific proof of any mental health benefits arising from abortion.

This was in yesterday's The Australian.

Article reprinted in entirety on my blog with an editorial comment. WARNING: parental discretion advised.

Hat tip: Reader Mike Perry

By Judie Brown

I am flabbergasted and aghast, not to mention madder than ... well, I'm quite steamed. So many news items have come rolling off the Internet lately – indicating a convergence of evil so amazing – that one would think the devil has been put in charge of the entire world. Here's just one example.

While lawmakers in the Australian parliament debated her bill that has paved the way for legalizing the RU 486 abortion drug, MP Lyn Allison shrugged off concerns that the pills are dangerous and worries about more women dying. Now she admits the drug is unsafe and should only be used on consultation with a physician.... more here.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Feb. 16 /Christian Newswire/ -- A women's group berated the American Cancer Society (ACS) today because women's cancer deaths rose by 409 cases in 2003, while men's cancer deaths declined by 778 cases. Last week, the ACS celebrated a small net decrease of 369 cases - allegedly the first decline in deaths from all cancers since the government began keeping national statistics 75 years ago.

Massachusetts state pharmacy board ordered Wal-Mart yesterday to stock emergency-contraception pills at its stores in Massachusetts. This is the story about how abortion rights extremists used the government to force a corporate retail giant to stock an abortifacient.

Related:

Emergency contraception's lethal secret

Abortifacient Drug Pushers Admit Scheme - Three women who are suing Wal-Mart after being denied the abortion-causing Plan B morning after pill have admitted to the Associated Press that the action was planned with abortion rights groups and lawyers.

Pro-Abortion Groups Demand Walmart Carry the 'Morning After Pill'

Santa Ana, CA – A woman was rushed to the hospital by ambulance on Saturday, February 11, 2006 after a botched abortion at Clinica Medica Para La Mujer De Hoy located in Santa Ana, California. Pro-life sidewalk counselor Tim Nissen had the presence of mind to photograph the incident with a cell phone camera.
According to Nissen, the woman was “awake and screaming” as she was wheeled from the front door of the abortion mill and loaded into an awaiting ambulance.

Len Munsil made the formal announcement of his bid to be the Republican candidate for governor on February 14, 2006. Displaying the skills that have served him well as a lawyer, public policy expert and advocate for families, Len gave a speech that could aptly be described as a "State of the State" with substance. He introduced himself to the people of Arizona by way of his Arizona family roots. He continued with a rendition of his growing up in Arizona and his being educated here in Arizona. He capped off his reasons for running for governor by inviting the packed house of supporters to meet his family, starting with his wife Tracy and continuing with each of his eight children. Such a was visible expression of Len's desire to impact the state of Arizona for the better.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — "So-called emergency contraception is a risky drug regimen that can take the life of a newly formed human person," said Judie Brown, president of American Life League. "The decision in Massachusetts forcing pharmacies to sell this potentially lethal product is just one more example of the culture of death in our society. The additional misinformation presented in Tuesday night's episode of the 'Boston Legal' program only serves to compound the damage by misleading viewers, who are not provided with an accurate account of the drug's effects."

Cirucit Court Judge George Greer is speaking during an April ethics symposium at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics. He will appear with Michael Schiavo, the Flordia man who won a 12-year legal battle in Greer's court and ended his wife's life by withholding nutrition and hydration.

The meeting, titled “The Legacy of the Terri Schiavo Case: Why is it so hard to die in America?” also features Dr. Ron Cranford, a well-known euthanasia advocate who drew national attention in the Terri Schiavo case by testifying that she was in a persistent vegetative state. Reportedly, he has been on the board of the Euthanasia Society of America, has ties to the Hemlock Society and testified similarly in other cases.

The North Country Gazette has published an editorial related to Greer's appearance titled, "Eroding Public Confidence."

Pinellas' probate court judge Greer has done more, in our opinion, to erode the public confidence in the judiciary than any other judicial officer in the United States of America today.

Read the Rest

Demonstrating creative tenacity, Pennsylvania's Face the Truth America (warning: aborted baby photo on home page of FTTA) did not quit when Trone Outdoor Advertising rejected its billboard ad concept, a live baby photo next to an aborted baby photo with the caption, "YOUR CHOICE."

The group resubmitted the ad layout with a "CENSORED" bar across the aborted baby photo, and this time Trone approved it.

"We think the 'CENSORED' bar will attract as much attention as the raw picture," wrote FTTA organizer Bob Newman in a letter to supporters. I agree.

The 14'x48' display will go up March 1 for six months at mile marker 114.7 on the westbound PA Turnpike, where 25,000 vehicles a day pass by.

Newman reports such a great response that FTTA has contracted a second billboard on the eastbound Turnpike at mile marker 114.6. For more information contact Bob at info@facethetruthamerica.com.

For the First Time Since Terri Schiavo's Death David Gibbs III, George Felos and Gloria Allred to Appear on National Cable Channel WealthTV to Discuss the Impact of Terri Schiavo

In a WealthTV exclusive, these legal powerhouses will appear for the first time together on national television. David Gibbs III (attorney for the family of Terri Schiavo) and George Felos (attorney for Michael Schiavo) will join the renowned attorney Gloria Allred to discuss the fascinating case of Terri Schiavo and its effect on the nation.

For Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Felos this will be the first time that they have appeared together on national television since the death of Terri Schiavo.

"The Impact of Terri Schiavo" will be a 60-minute program featuring a live studio audience who will be able to ask questions about the Schiavo case, legal issues regarding right to life versus right to die, the role government plays in these decisions, and much more. Through this forum, WealthTV grants viewers deeper insight into the revolutionary case and what it means to them as well as society at large.

WealthTV is committed to bringing intellectually stimulating programs with topics that affect viewers and their families. This one-hour special will air on February 27th, the day after the premiere of the two-hour documentary "The Terri Schindler-Schiavo Story."

Source: Press Release, Note: visit WealthTV and watch the preview. See North Country Gazette for more.

Charmaine Yoest posted a piece about Gabriel, a child with Down Syndrome. When you see the smile on that boys face you have to wonder what people would do if they knew that their child could be filled with that kind of joy, if they just gave him/her a chance.

Article

Family of Terri Schiavo and volunteers of their Foundation urge members of Congress to seek federal protections for the disabled

The family of Terri Schiavo today responded to Senator Mel Martinez’s recent interview with television news channel, Bay News 9, in which he expressed regret for his involvement in the Senate’s move to protect Schiavo’s life in March of 2005.

On an episode of Political Connections - aired Sunday, February 12, 2006 - Martinez stated that Schiavo’s case was “better left to the state courts to deal with” and he explained that he felt that the federal government’s involvement was likely a mistake.

Chicago is no longer my kind of town. It's a liberal Democrat kind of town. It's a town with a gay and lesbian center – funded by taxpayers. It's a town that aborts over 20,000 of its residents a year. It's Jesse Jackson's home town. It's a town where Republicans meet in catacombs. It's a town where even Catholic priests vote 4-to-1 Democrat.

Continue reading my column, "Barbequed sacred cows," on WorldNetDaily.com.

WorldNetDaily.com reports today on a bill introduced in the Kansas legislature calling for unannounced inspections of all state out-patient clinics.

Two bills similar to HB2829 were presented in the past and subsequently shot down by pro-abortion Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

This most recent attempt is in large part due to revelations last year of "[s]hockingly unsanitary conditions discovered at an abortion clinic in which the proprietor was accused of eating a fetus," according to WND.

The proprieter was Krishna Rajanna, whose mill was finally closed last spring after years of complaints. I wrote about Rajanna in the column, "'Fetus eater' loses medical license."

Some of Rajanna's former employees "made allegations of coffee cups full of syringes, medical tools stored near toilets and fetuses stored in refrigerators used by employees for lunches," stated WND.

More than that, the employees took pictures. This seems like a great time to review some of those pictures.

Rajanna's "recovery room"

Why was a food processor in Rajanna's utility room?

Fetuses in the Freezer

Rajanna shopped at Price Chopper

Here's a headline for you "Polls Distort U.S. Views on Abortion".

Wow, really?!

Sorry Newsmax, I'm not making fun of you.

Article

From the Schindler's - please help spread the word:

Dear Faithful and Supportive Friends,

No words can adequately express how grateful we are to every one of you who fought so valiantly to help us try to save the life of our dear daughter and sister, Terri. Please accept our most heartfelt thanks for your support, prayers and acts of kindness for Terri and our family. We have received tens of thousands of condolence messages, letters, cards and emails from all over the world. We are forever grateful to you.

As a family we are still grieving our great loss. Since Terri’s death we have decided to carry her legacy of life and love forward so that her sacrifice will not have been in vain, and that others may avoid the same terrible fate.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — "Planned Parenthood continues to deluge the public with its array of over-sexed novelty items," said Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League. "Along with the infamous condom key chains, the abortion giant also offers condoms packaged like lollipops and now is sponsoring a condom art contest – just to name a few. It's scary to think what will be next."

Under a new law proposed in the state of Indiana, women seeking an abortion would hear from their doctors that human life begins at conception, and that their baby might be able to feel pain.

Current law in Indiana requires doctors to tell women about the age of their baby and its potential viability, and to offer to show an ultrasound of the child, and also provide information on risks and alternatives to abortion. The law would go farther than almost any other legislation in the country in requiring that women be fully informed about the act of abortion - only South Dakota has brought in a similar law, which has been blocked by court proceedings.

In August 2005 JAMA published a report that was actually a commentary on the authors' selection of existing medical literature, entitled, "A Systematic Multidisciplinary Review of the Evidence," in which the authors concluded that evidence regarding the capacity for fetal pain is limited but indicates that fetal perception of pain is unlikely before the third trimester, and that little or no evidence addresses the effectiveness of direct fetal anesthetic or analgesic techniques.

FRONT ROYAL, Va., Feb. 14 - The Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer, President of Human Life International (HLI), responds to the attempt by condom manufacturers and the abortion industry to pervert St. Valentine’s Day.

"The condom industry is in bed with the abortion industry to exploit a day that traditionally is a celebration of selfless love and marriage. All week at campus centers across the country, organizations that make their money killing pre-born children through abortion will be passing out condoms to students.

"National Condom Week is a shameless marketing stunt promoted by the abortion industry that targets high school and college students using the same techniques that in the past were used by Big Tobacco.

That is what E.J. Dionne Jr. from the Washington Post says he has.

Here is the entire quote from his article:

I have more sympathy than most liberals with the right-to-life movement because I believe most right-to-lifers are animated not by sexism or some punitive attitude toward sexuality but by a genuine desire to defend the defenseless. Surely that view should encompass efforts to reduce the number of abortions in our nation. That's why I hope Tom Suozzi finds imitators, and allies on both sides of the question.

How swell it is that there are people like Suozzi who wants to "reduce the number of abortions in our nation". Why reduce? If abortions are not wrong and if they are legal anyway, why go through the trouble of reducing them? If they save us money and make society better, wouldn't we want to increase them?

Tallahassee, FL - Florida's parental notification law was upheld in federal court by U.S. District Judge William Stafford. The ruling was a blow to Planned Parenthood and its affiliate abortion clinics.

In 2004, Florida's constitution was amended to overrule a previous decision by the Florida Supreme Court, which struck down Florida's parental notification law. The constitutional amendment provided that the legislature may enact laws that require minors to notify their parents prior to obtaining an abortion. The Florida legislature passed such a law that went into effect on June 30, 2005. Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, along with three abortion clinics and two doctors, filed suit seeking to block the law. Judge Stafford denied the emergency request to block the law. The court has now issued a final ruling in which the opinion states: "Florida has carefully crafted a parental notification statute that serves a compelling state interest." Judge Stafford relied upon the recent Supreme Court decision involving parental notification law in New Hampshire. The court wrote that states have a right to require parental involvement because of their "strong legitimate interest in the welfare" of minors who may lack the maturity, experience or judgment to choose whether to have an abortion.

David Ridenour was director of "organizational ethics" at the Hospice where Terri Schiavo died and contributed to the the campaign of the judge that ordered her feeding tube removed. We now learn from the North Country Gazette that David E. Ridenour was also a member of the marriage tribunal of the St. Petersburg Roman Catholic Diocese under the leadership of Bishop Robert N. Lynch.

Read the rest

Regarding the Herald News' rejection of Right to Life of Will County's pro-life ads three weeks ago, Steve Vanisko of Joliet's Herald News copied me on the following email he wrote to ABC yesterday:

After re-examining the ads that were submitted by Will County Right To Life, The Herald News has decided that the ads will be allowed to run should this group decide to do so. For the record, the original decision to not run them was mine and at no point did I state that the ads were “too graphic”. If that was stated by a representative of this newspaper, it was done so in error.

I e-mailed Jill Stanek Sunday afternoon and left a message with the local contact before 9:00am this morning requesting that they contact me. The purpose of this contact was to inform them of my decision.

Steve Vanisko
Advertising Director
The Herald News

Several pro-lifers also forwarded me the same note they received from Mr. Vanisko in response to their emails to the newspaper.

I appreciate that Mr. Vanisko changed his mind on the matter. However, I do not appreciate his questioning the fact that his subordinate did relay to us that he/the advertising department originally rejected our ads because they considered them "too graphic." Our " local contact" with the newspaper wrote down what the ad rep said verbatim, including also, "We have to be careful."

Nevertheless, this is a victory for the pro-life movement, demonstrating increasing influence with MSM. Thanks to all news organizations and bloggers who publicized the censorship and to all pro-lifers who emailed the newspaper.

In the end, I must also thank the Herald News. Whereas Right to Life of Will County would have paid hundreds of dollars for our ad to be seen by only thousands of people, we ended up paying zero dollars, and the ad was seen by millions of people.

I must also commend the Herald News for posting a letter to the editor from me yesterday on another pro-life topic, thereby demonstrating good will.

FYI, I have been invited on The Laura Ingraham Show at 11:15 EST today to discuss the ad flap.

Update: Due to breaking news, I've been bumped to tomorrow, about 11:30 a.m. EST.

Update, 2/14: Follow-up email from Steve Vanisko, posted with his permission:

Jill,

I just read the latest news on your site and felt compelled to clarify one item.

My point in indicating that I never stated that the ads were "too graphic" was to emphasize that I (that's me, the one who made the decision) never said (or even implied) that were the case. I simply told my rep yes to two ads and no to three of them--with no other comment. When this newspaper declines and ad, it is done so with no explanation. That is the policy that has been established so comments like "too graphic" don't take on a life form like they did in this instance.

My sales rep apparently used the "too graphic" phrase in her conversation with [name of RTL of Will Co. contact]. Her other comment about being careful was inappropriate as well. Due to this error, these words were inaccurately portrayed as the official stance of this newspaper. Of all that happened, the fallout from her decision to expound on this decision is what troubles me most. Given our poor handling of this situation, I talked to [name of contact] yesterday and asked her to deal with me directly in the future.

Steve

Michael Schiavo is speaking during an April ethics symposium at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics. Almost one year ago, Schiavo won a 12-year legal battle and ended his wife's life by withholding nutrition and hydration.

The meeting, titled “The Legacy of the Terri Schiavo Case: Why is it so hard to die in America?” also features Dr. Ron Cranford and Circuit Judge George W. Greer.

Cranford is a well-known euthanasia advocate who drew national attention in the Terri Schiavo case by testifying that she was in a persistent vegetative state. Reportedly, he has been on the board of the Euthanasia Society of America, has ties to the Hemlock Society and testified similarly in other cases.

Greer is the judge who ordered the suspension or nutrition and water to Terri Schiavo.

"We must not inflict life on children who will be resented; we must not inflict unwanted children on society," writes columnist Anne Lamot. WorldMagBlog's Aaron Earls retorts, "Lamott's reasoning-death is better than resentment-should come as a suprise to most normal human beings who have faced resentment and lived to tell about it."

Read the rest here.

Here are two ways we can challenge abortion, euthanasia, and the culture of death:

Three Illinois public policy organizations held a press conference today to protest last week’s unilateral hold-up by state Rep. William Delgado (D- 3rd District, Chicago) of House Bill 4156, which would halt taxpayer funding of human cloning in Illinois and regulate documented gross human cloning and embryonic experimentations.

HB4156 has 51 cosponsors and enough confirmed votes to pass on the Floor of the Illinois House, yet Rep. Delgado refused to allow the Human Services Committee he chairs to even vote on it.

HB4156 with its proposed amendment would not only have stopped Gov. Blagojevich with his plan – already in place – to force taxpayer funding of human cloning experimentation, it would have provided controls on this unregulated research that exploits women and destroys human life.

“The citizens of Illinois do not approve of the research House leadership is asking them to fund,” stated Joe Carter, Director of Communications for the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity.

“For example, in 2003, Chicago researcher Norbert Gleicher announced he had inserted human male cells into female embryos and allowed the ‘she-males’ to live six days before destroying them,” continued Carter. “In 2005, researchers at California’s Salk Institute announced they had successfully implanted human cells into mouse brains. Because human eggs are a scare resource, researchers have even begun inserting human cells into rabbit and cow eggs in order to conduct cloning research.”

Stated Jill Stanek, Pro-Life Coordinator for Concerned Women for America of Illinois, “Thanks to Rep. Delgado and the House leadership, unethical research like this will not only go on unfettered, but the people of Illinois may have to pay for it.

“While Delgado said he opposed human cloning, he still refused to let his committee vote on HB4156,” said Stanek. “So we appealed to House Leader Rep. Michael Madigan and Rules Committee Chairwoman Barbara Flynn-Currie. But they refused to move the bill to another committee, where it might have received a fair hearing.”

“Likewise, Gov. Blagojevich’s actions also betrayed his words,” said Fran Eaton of Eagle Forum of Illinois. “He also stated his opposition to human cloning. Yet in last July’s Executive Order #6, he sanctioned taxpayer funding for ‘somatic cell nuclear transfer,’ the technique used to produce a cloned human embryo.”

The groups call on liberal General Assembly Democrat leaders to yield to the will of the People of Illinois and ban taxpayer funding of human cloning and regulate its research.

An Australian MP says that the country could become a Muslim nation within 50 years because "we are aborting ourselves almost out of existence," and that it's important politicians consider the ramifications "for the community and the nation we become in the future."She also says that there are 250,000 children born each year, there are 100,000 abortions and 70 adoptions - "Termination is more acceptable than adoption."

"I have read … comments by a certain imam from the Lakemba Mosque [who] actually said that Australia is going to be a Muslim nation in 50 years' time," said Mrs Vale, MP for the southern Sydney seat of Hughes.

"I didn't believe him at the time. But … look at the birthrates and you look at the fact that we are aborting ourselves almost out of existence by 100,000 abortions every year … You multiply that by 50 years. That's 5 million potential Australians we won't have here."

Keysar Trad, head of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia, said Mrs Vale's remarks were outlandish and that they pandered to xenophobia and the "community's shortage of understanding about Islam".

Keysar Trad, head of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia, said Mrs Vale's remarks were outlandish and that they pandered to xenophobia and the "community's shortage of understanding about Islam".

The article tweaked my curiosity about Islam's position on abortion, so I Googled to find out.

My daughter & I enjoyed some time together last night taking pics around D.C. in the snow. For those of you who might "choose" to take the life of your children, you're going to miss out on a lot of fun!

With respect to the destruction of human embryos, we have no intention of compromising on the sanctity of every life, no matter at what point in its development. We have no intention of conceding even a single human life....

The Post-Dispatch reports Senator Talent’s capitulation on banning embryonic stem cell research in Missouri, and, as usual when reporting on stem cell research, gets the story completely wrong.

- find out why: ChipBennett

Related: Wesley J. Smith, Alternative to cloning: an unintended Trojan Horse?

LifeNews: Missouri Senator Jim Talent Under Fire for Stem Cell Research Flip-Flop

By Dawn Eden

When a New York Times reporter Gardiner Harris says that abortion drug "Mifeprex or RU-486, is so controversial that some officials have been threatened after speaking about it publicly," shouldn't he say why the officials were threatened? It seems to me that if an official feared retribution for speaking about a probe of the drug's safety, the threats must have come from supporters of the drug. No one who opposes the drug would wish to hamper such a probe.

Harris writes of the infection that caused the abortion-drug deaths that are being probed, "Another intriguing mystery is why all four lethal Clostridium sordellii infections occurred in California." Now, there's a reporter who hasn't been exercising his Google finger. Users of RU-486 have been dying of that infection since the drug was first tested.

More at the Dawn Patrol

So far, a total of 23 US states have introduced fetal pain legislation – 19 in 2005, and four this year, which would require that abortionists disclose to women the reality that killing an unborn baby by abortion causes pain to the child.

So far Arkansas, Georgia, Minnesota and Wisconsin have all passed the bills, although Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed the legislation last month. Doyle claimed that, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the bill failed “to reflect a consensus of medical opinion,” and “intrudes on the doctor-patient relationship in a heavy-handed manner.”

The Governor relied on a Journal of the American Medical Association so-called study that concluded that the unborn do not experience pain. As reported by LifeSiteNews.com, http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/aug/05082501.html, the editor of the JAMA told Knight Ridder news she was unaware of bias by the study’s authors. As pointed out by the US National Right to Life Committee, “The lead author, Susan J. Lee, is a medical student and former NARAL employee.”

The connection to pro-abortion activism doesn't end there. Co-author Eleanor Drey is the director of an abortion clinic in San Francisco. Dr. Drey is also on the staff of the Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy, a pro-abortion advocacy center at the University of California-San Francisco.

JAMA editor-in-chief Catherine D. DeAngelis told Knight Ridder she was unaware of the authors’ connections, and acknowledged it might create an appearance of bias that could hurt the journal’s credibility.

Apparently, the pro-life advertisement shown here and two others like it were too graphic (huh?) for the Joliet based Herald Times. According to Jill Stanek, president an Illinois chapter of the National Right to Life Committee and a ProLifeBlogs author, the newspaper refused to publish the ads (click here) CNSNews.com Correspondent Dawn Rizzoni picked up the story and now FoxNews is reporting the story.

Janet Folger will interview Jill about the ad controversy on her Faith2Action radio show this afternoon at 2:30p EST.

Related: Not too graphic for Fox News

Prior Articles:

Newspaper Draws Fire for Declining Pro-Life Ads

Illinois Newspaper Rejects Sonogram Ads as 'Too Graphic' (CNSNews)

CNS News: "IL newspaper rejects sonogram ads as 'too graphic'"

What's wrong with these pictures? (Feb. 4)

Update From LifeNews:

TAKE ACTION: Contact the Herald News and express your opinion about their denying pro-life ads in their newspaper. Joliet Herald News, 300 Caterpillar Drive, Joliet, Illinois 60436 • (815)729-6161. You can also contact senior editor Bill Wimbiscus at 815-729-6124 or bwimbiscus@scn1.com.

It is estimated that there are over 400,000 human embryos currently in cold storage at fertility clinics across the U. S. (Generations for Life) These tiny human beings were conceived through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) — an unnatural process that violates God’s intentions for how people should reproduce.

One very difficult question that pro-lifers now have to answer is:

What should be done with these embryos?

Click here for more (and check out this cool pro-life blog)

I agree that there is never a situation in the law or in the ethical practice of medicine where a preborn child's life need be intentionally destroyed by procured abortion for the purpose of saving the life of the mother. A physician must do everything possible to save the lives of both of his patients, mother and child. He must never intend the death of either. - more from ALL

Warriors For Life Mini GAP today at Connecticut & K from 3 - 5 pm. Show up & help us pass out flyers & speak to the uninformed.

Last week we spoke with many people who did not know what abortion really is. Albert & I spent 15 minutes or so talking to a black woman and her daughters, explaining how abortion is the modern black genocide. They stood in stunned disbelief as they heard the facts and statistics.

We won't zoom in on the signs because that is not the purpose of this action alert.

"How is AOC meant to work? This is what held me up in deciding how to display the flag."

A friend/reader asked that question, and in case others wonder the same:

AOC works as described on their website: "Familiarize yourself with local resources and make a list to share with other Americans on Call--family members, local churches, local schools and other organizations."

Here's how.

Apparently, the pro-life advertisement shown above and two others like it were too graphic (huh?) for the Joliet based Herald Times. According to Jill Stanek, president an Illinois chapter of the National Right to Life Committee and a ProLifeBlogs author, the newspaper refused to publish the ads (click here) CNSNews.com Correspondent Dawn Rizzoni picked up the story and now FoxNews is reporting the story.

Prior Articles:

Illinois Newspaper Rejects Sonogram Ads as 'Too Graphic' (CNSNews)

CNS News: "IL newspaper rejects sonogram ads as 'too graphic'"

What's wrong with these pictures? (Feb. 4)

"A Distant Thunder" is a compelling new movie that combines supernatural chills with courtroom drama to expose the reality of partial-birth abortion. The film is very good, and it is also very important to the pro-life movement.

But I can tell you other aspects of the movie....

Continue reading my column, "A Distant Thunder," on WorldNetDaily.com.

The New York Times decided earlier this week not to reprint the offensive cartoons that have led to widespread violent riots by Muslims. “That seems a reasonable choice for news organizations that usually refrain from gratuitous assaults on religions symbols,” The Times wrote on Feb. 7, 2006.

The same editorial Board decided seven years ago to print an image of the Virgin Mary, covered in dung and surrounded by pornographic images. “Cultural experimentation and transgression are not threats to civility but part of the texture and meaning of daily life,” said a Times editorial on Sept. 29, 1999. But, on Feb. 7, the Times re-published the Virgin Mary dung image.

Today Jay from StoptheACLU celebrates his 29th birthday and the one year anniversary of his blog. We join the other bloggers who have expressed their support for his efforts and who appreciate his friendship.

Link to CNS News story: http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=\Culture\archive\200602\CUL20060209a.html

Link to LifeNews.com story: http://www.lifenews.com/state1399.html

You saw the ads here first: http://www.prolifeblogs.com/articles/archives/2006/02/whats_wrong_wit_1.php#trackbacks

A pro-life student was punched and knocked down by a pro-abortion woman during a pro-life rally at the College of William and Mary. Authorities are withholding the girl's name, but she told campus police she was distributing pro-life literature during the event when the woman assaulted her.
William and Mary spokesman Bill Walker told the Associated Press the incident happened Tuesday night and that the student told officials the woman punched her and pushed her to the ground rather than accept the literature.

Walker said the college does not tolerate violence and indicated college officials "will be looking actively" for the culprit.

more from LifeNews

Many of us have a "calling". Many others are in search of their calling. Some could care less what their calling is and just want to enjoy life one day at a time.

Generations for Life, the youth outreach division of the Pro-Life Action League, is pleased to announce the launching of a new blog that speaks to teens about the life issues. GFL Director Annie Casselman and Co-Director John Jansen will contribute to the blog, as will I from time to time.
We invite you to visit Generations for Life today, and welcome your help spreading the word about this new online resource.

From Ireland Online

Some 400 cases of euthanasia were reported in Belgium last year, up from 200 cases four years ago, according to figures published today.

About one third of assisted suicides are the result of a surgical procedure.

In some cases, medical treatment is stopped or not started at all, said Wim Distelmans, chairman of Belgium’s euthanasia evaluation committee.

Some 80% of the mercy killings were performed in the northern region of Flanders, where there is a network of specialised doctors, Distelmans was quoted as saying.

Continued at Marlowe's Shade

In the middle of an interesting review of ABC's Nightline (post-Ted Koppel) came this bombshell from Mark Joseph:

...I was traveling abroad when the Casey abortion decision was handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court. At the time one of the networks in the country I was visiting had an agreement with CBS whereby they would broadcast the first three stories on the CBS Evening News for the benefit of their viewers. Hearing elsewhere that a decision had been handed down, I tuned in to hear the details only to see that on this particular day the broadcast skipped the top story-Casey, and proceeded with stories 2, 3 and 4. Confused, I called the network and asked why story #1 was missing.

To my astonishment the producer said that it was the lunch hour, and since many housewives were home and would be upset by a story about abortion, they had thus decided not to broadcast the story.

"But your job isn't to decide who will be upset by news," I argued back. "It's to report the news." He didn't disagree but stood by their decision...

Some would guess heart disease or cancer or even crime or AIDS?

According to the National Center for Injury and Prevention, in 2003, 77,372 African-Americans died from heart disease, 62,660 died from cancer, 8,932 died from homicide, and 7,479 died from HIV/AIDS.

All of those deaths combined (156,443) don't come anywhere close to the leading cause of death in Black community. The leading cause of death in the Black community is abortion.

It is estimated that there were 1.29 million abortions in the United States in 2002. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 35.6% of abortion reported by race were performed on Black women. That means that around 459,240 abortions were performed on Black women in 2002. That means that 459,240 Black unborn children were killed by abortion in a single year. More than 1,200 every day.

Abortion kills about 3 times more African-American human beings every year in the United States than heart disease, cancer, homicide and HIV/AIDS combined.

LifeNews.com has a call for action going out to Virginia residents. HB 189 "is headed for the Virginia state Senate after getting a successful committee vote and House approval. The pro-life measure would subject abortion centers to the same safety requirements the state has for hospitals."

Article

Why shouldn't abortion mills be required to maintain safety standards?

We are working on major Pro-Life Unity and action efforts in the Washington D.C. area. Many of us got together last weekend to figure out ways we can better work together to help individual Pro-Life efforts get more boots on the ground.

It is huge news when the Republican organization of the Nation's Second City, Chicago, issues a press release memorializing African-American children lost to abortion. Imagine the GOP in New York or LA writing such a piece.

Entitled "Black Dehumanization," the release today is one in a monthlong series by the Cook County Republican Party called "Then and Now" to commemorate Black History Month. The series contrasts the political parties' commitments to civil rights in the past (Then) and present (Now).

Today, the Cook Co. GOP compares the Democrat Party of the 1850's to the Democrat Party of 2006. There's not much change.

Then, in 1857, it was a Democrat-controlled Supreme Court that determined a former slave, Dred Scott, was not a citizen and should be returned to his master.

Now, according to the Cook Co. GOP:

The Democratic Party, true to its pro-slavery past, recently defined another group of human beings as non-citizens, thereby excluding them from legal protection under the law. This group of Americans is the unborn. In the tortured reasoning of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, unborn children are essentially property. And just as the Dred Scott case predominantly (though not exclusively) affected African Americans, the Roe v. Wade decision has paved the way for a veritable black genocide. Recent statistics indicate that since 1973, abortion has reduced the black population by over 25%....

Incredible.

The release goes on to spotlight Planned Parenthood as "aggressivly peddl[ing]" abortion to inner city black communities.

As an aside, PP's atrocious focus on blacks is spotlighted in a powerful new ad by LifeCommercials.com. Click on the "Why" ad.

Kudos to the Cook County Republican Party. Excellent job.

From LifeNews

Officials from the South Korean government who have been looking into the fraudulent embryonic stem cell research work of Hwang Woo-suk's team have found that he embezzled government funds and mismanaged public donations over the last few years.

More at Marlowe's Shade

Blogs4Life conference blogger and photog Jewel of ~Jewels~of~the~Jungle~ has a great gallery of photos posted from the 33rd Annual March For Life in Washington, D.C. Worth a visit!

I hate to kick Seattle while they are down, but here is one for Clone the Truth from the Seattle Post Intelligencer. This description of SCNT is so bad, it was hard to know where to begin. As this was an AP story, I also sent a letter to AP. Here it is:

Dear Editor,

I am writing to inform you of an error in the article "Stem-cell research divides GOP in Missouri" by Sam Hananel, dated 2/6/06 as seen on www.seattlepi.com.

Hananel describes somatic cell nuclear transfer or SCNT incorrectly. He wrote, "Anti-abortion groups claim the procedure destroys human life because researchers grow cells using the altered nucleus of a human egg."

This description of SCNT is not even close to accurate. In SCNT, researchers remove the nucleus of an egg, replace it with the nucleus of a somatic cell, creating a cloned embryo, from which researchers extract the embryonic stem cells. So it is from a cloned embryo that researchers extract stem cells, not from the "altered nucleus of a human egg."

Life & Liberty Ministries’ Truth Truck arrived in Detroit on Friday, February 3rd, two days prior to Super Bowl Sunday. The organization was met with immediate opposition from the Detroit Police Department, including the arrest and incarceration of the organization's director, Dennis Green.

According an LLM press release, on Feb. 3rd, Green was issued a ticket for not having a vehicle registration, despite his claim that the ticketing officer and a police supervisor were given a valid registration.

The following day, LLM’s Truth Truck was pulled over by several City police cars and Green was told that he could not drive in the downtown area. LLM representatives claim the officers were asked what ordinance was being violated and further allege that the officers berated Green for his pro-life message and impounded the truck.

On the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a local newspaper refused to run any of the three following ads to be paid for by Will County Right to Life in Illinois. The newspaper's ad department stated they were too "graphic." Since when are ultrasounds "graphic"? In fact, these ultrasound photos are beautiful. Parents proudly display them on their refrigerators, for goodness sakes.

What's wrong with these pictures? Why is the mainstream media censoring the truth about preborn babies?

The abortion pill RU-486 has caused the deaths of eight American women. If this were any other drug, it would've been pulled off the market by now. And if those who support abortion rights really cared about the lives and safety of women, they'd be fighting to remove the drug as well, or at least replace it with a safer one.

But they're not. They're fighting to keep it on the pharmacy shelves. It's obvious from their actions that they care more about profits than about women's lives (and they do profit from this drug...women can't just take it and stay at home to abort in private...they must make several trips to the abortionist to complete the process).

Click here to urge your Representative and Senators to support The RU-486 Suspension and Review Act, also known as Holly's Law (Holly is an 18-year-old girl who died after taking RU-486).