In late July Live Action, an awesome pro-life group that goes undercover to Planned Parenthood clinics, released yet another video exposing the medical misinformation and lies that Planned Parenthood provides to women who seek counselling.
Here’s the video:
This is the third video that Live Action has released in their Rosa Acuna Project, which is a multi-state undercover investigation focused on exposing medical misinformation and manipulative counseling at Planned Parenthood. It’s ironic that this is exactly what Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups accuse of pro-life crisis pregnancy centers.
Pregnancy care centers across this country are a huge threat to Planned Parenthood clinics because they offer women something other than a dead baby. They offer women actual emotional, practical, medical, and even financial help when they need it most. Planned Parenthood can’t stand losing abortion clients and money, and attacks CPC’s every chance it can by claiming they are providing unscientific information and promoting rediculous legislation.
Thank you Live Action for showing the world that it is Planned Parenthood and pro-aborts who are afraid of science and give manipulative medical information, not CPC’s and pro-lifers!
The FDA recently announced that they have approved cloning company
Geron’s request to use embryonic stem cell therapy for patients with
spinal cord injuries. Embryonic stem cells have never been used in
humans because the technology has never been proven to work on animals
without side effects. The results of embryonic stem cell tests haven’t
changed but the government’s decision to allow the use of embryonic
stem cell treatment has.
Studies continue to prove that the use
of embryonic stem cell treatment results in rejection of the cells from
the body, or side effects such as the growth of teratomas or cysts.
Despite concerns from the scientific community, Geron has been eager to
engage in human embryonic stem cell therapy since 2005.
In a Lifenews.com story, Jerry Silver, neuroscience professor and stem-cell researcher at Case Western Reserve University, warns, “Frankly,
I cannot conceive of a human trial with the use of human embryonic stem
cells following immediately from experiments in rodents only. Many
treatments that work in rodents to alleviate disease fail miserably in
humans.” Stem cell researchers like Silver warn that success
with rats does not necessarily mean that the procedure will be
successful in humans. Even in the most recent tests there were side
effects on the rats used, which can be found directly from Geron’s website.
Since
the FDA has announced the approval of Geron’s bid while major health
and moral concerns remain, some people are questioning the motives of
Geron, who states “safety” as the primary endpoint in their scientific
studies. The timing also seems to suggest political or moral strategy,
as Geron announced the FDA’s approval of their embryonic stem cell
treatment 4 days into Barrack Obama’s presidency,
but has been "on hold" until now. Dr. David Prentice, former biology
professor at Indiana State University and fellow at the Family Research
Council comments in an article on Life news. "Even many
pro-embryonic stem cell scientists have expressed reservations about
Geron's trial, that it is not proven even in rats. The concern for many
of us is that Geron is endangering patient's health and very lives, to
make a political point and increase their stock price."
President
Obama supports the use of embryonic stem cells in humans, even though
there has been no proof of human success with embryonic stem cells
despite years of research. President Bush on the other hand put limits
on embryonic funding, and designated more money towards adult stem cell
technology, which has already been successful for years in treating
more than a hundred diseases and conditions. Dr. Pretice goes on to
advocate adult stem cells. "In the meantime, adult stem cells
have already shown published scientific evidence for safety and
successful repair of spinal cord injury in patients. Only adult stem
cells offer both an ethical and successful path to healing.”
This
recent FDA approval proves that legislation and funding in our country
is moving towards the proven-dangerous and less effective embryonic
stem cell treatment, and away from the already successful adult stem
cell treatments. This is being done with your money to “progress”
medical technology and health care. This is a paradox that no logical
tax-paying citizen wants to support.
Yesterday, “Pro-life human rights advocate and U.S. Congressman Chris Smith testified at a U.N. subcommittee hearing on the Millennium Development Goals, where he argued that strong evidence indicates that encouraging legal abortion would harm the U.N.’s commitment to reducing maternal and child mortality rates all over the world.” Today, Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) introduced legislation that combines provisions against abortion funding into one power-packed piece of legislation that will ensures the federal government is not funding elective abortions called the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.” And Tonight, Representative Chris Smith will be receiving the Wilberforce Leadership Award at the Students for Life of America 3rd annual Summer Social in Washington. Congressman Chris Smith is a modern day pro-life hero! As stated above, Chairman of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, Chris Smith has created and introduced the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” to prohibit abortion funding at all levels of government. In a letter to Lifenews.com, Congressman Chris Smith states that:
"For over 30 years, a patchwork of policies has regulated federal funding for abortion. Together these various policies ensure that the American taxpayer is not involved in funding the destruction of innocent human life through abortion on demand…This comprehensive approach will reduce the need for the numerous separate abortion funding policies and ensure that no program or agency is exempt from this important safeguard…"
Lifenews.com adds that “The bill essentially could be called a Hyde Amendment Plus, as it wraps together the Hyde Amendment, related to programs funded through the HHS appropriations, along with the Helms amendment, which applies to overseas programs, the Smith FEHBP amendment to stop abortion funding in federal employee health insurance programs, the Dornan amendment prohibiting abortion funding in the District of Columbia, and other policies governing programs such as the Peace Corp and federal prisons.” This block of federally funded abortions is essential! “According to a recent GAO report, Planned Parenthood receives over $300 million a year in taxpayer funds. This act would not only defund abortion organizations but would also make the Hyde and Helms amendments, and other pro-life protections that must be renewed annually, permanent law.”
Thank you Congressman Chris Smith for all that you do to protect the sanctity of Life and congratulations on tonight’s award!
Last night’s results of the gubernatorial primaries in Oklahoma were historic, yielding a race between Republican Mary Fallin and Democrat Jari Askins for Governor. The United States has only seen two female candidates face off in a general election for Governor three times. Oklahoma will soon have its first female governor regardless of the outcome. But make no mistake; these two female candidates are very different. Only one candidate holds the same stance on Life that the early feminist pioneers of our country held so dearly.
Like Susan B. Anthony and the other trailblazing, early feminists, Mary Fallin fights for Life. After Fallin’s win last night, SBA List Candidate Fund President Marjorie Dannenfelser said, “A new women’s movement which affirms its original pro-life roots is making its way across the country, and Rep. Fallin is one of its brightest stars.” Mary proves this with her 100% Pro-Life voting record.
The people of Oklahoma want pro-life laws put into effect, but current Governor Brad Henry has vetoed all pro-life legislation that makes it to his desk. One such bill requires mothers seeking abortions to see an ultrasound of their child before the procedure. This bill has been vetoed by Henry twice, but Mary Fallin will stop the deadlock and sign these important pieces of legislation.
With Mary Fallin as Governor, major progress will be made in the fight for Life. The people of Oklahoma need women like Mary Fallin as governor, who will work tirelessly for the unborn and their mothers- securing basic human rights for all. Hopefully, in the future, more states will be as lucky.
October will be here before we know it, and that means National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Good hearted people will buy pink merchandise from organizations that support breast cancer research. The largest of these organizations is Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Fighting Breast Cancer is a noble cause, however the people behind the pink movement don’t always adhere to their mission to, “Save lives, empower people, [and] ensure quality care for all…”
The problem is that the affiliates of Susan G Komen for the Cure donate millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood. Eric Winer, chief scientific advisor for SGK said in a letter addressing their affiliation with Planned Parenthood that, “Planned Parenthood uses these funds only for breast health education, screening, and treatment programs,” and that SGK checks the organization twice a year to make sure the money donated is used only for the previously mentioned purposes. Even if Planned Parenthood only uses the money towards measures to fight breast cancer, it does not change the fact that donations to fight breast cancer also help Planned Parenthood carry out their role as the largest abortion provider in the nation. When Planned Parenthood gets funding “just to help breast cancer,” it allows for donations from others to go straight to funding abortions. If nothing else it gives the organization more money to thrive.
There are also studies that link abortion to breast cancer- which is precisely what SGK is supposed to be fighting against. These studies have been disputed for years, but in an article “Planned Parenthood deepens link to breast-cancer group,” Jill Stanek uses the most basic of logic to explain how abortions cause more breast cancer (at least indirectly). The following are facts that SGK acknowledges; childbearing protects women from breast cancer (The more children you have and the sooner you have them decreases your chance for breast cancer), breast-feeding protects against breast cancer, and never having children or delaying having children increases a woman's risk of getting breast cancer. So it is pretty obvious that abortion helps cause Breast Cancer, simply because having children helps prevent breast cancer.
Since the pro-life cause is “kind of a big deal” here at SBA List, as well as a root of faith for many pro-lifers, we should all make sure we know where our donation money is going during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Knowingly giving money to help the pro-abortion agenda is not “morally permissible” in the Catholic Church, despite what the “Susan G. Komen for the Multiple Causes” website may say.
Kenya may soon have a new constitution…with a little help from their friends: American friends, that is. The referendum to be held on August 4 is supported by the United States, though this “support” favors the “yes” vote. The Obama representative to Kenya originally did not openly support the proposed Constitution but rather the referendum process itself…until today. Michael Ranneberger, the US Representative to Kenya, has publically declared his support of Kenya’s proposed pro-abortion constitution.
In this new constitution, abortion, which is currently illegal (minus exceptions to save the mother’s life,) will include re-defined allowances for the procedure for health reasons as determined by a medical professional; the new provisions are vague and broadly defined. This translates into abortion on demand. "We, the Catholic bishops…are convinced that the constitution will result in liberalisation of abortion laws," stated John Cardinal Njue, according to LifeNews.
“Evidence gathered by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Inspector General (IG) Donald Gambatesa clearly shows that the Obama Administration has funded grantees with the express purpose of identifying and mobilizing tens of thousands of “yes” votes.” LifeNews
These recipients include The Central Organization of Trade Unions, Kenya (COTU) receiving $91,106.66 to “marshal a coalition of pro-Constitution individuals, institutions, and organizations to drum up political support for the Proposed Constitution by organizing a public rally at the historic Kamukunji Grounds, Nairobi.” Also included in the funding is the Kenya Muslim Youth Alliance (KMYA), receiving $56,953.33 from the US for “one of a series of activities that aim to contribute to an ‘overrepresentation’ of the YES voters at the next referendum. Specifically, OTI will provide support to Kenya Muslims Youth Alliance (KMYA) in the form of transportation and communications” according to LifeNews.
The population of Kenya is overwhelmingly pro-life. In March of this year, the polling company Synovate asked voters the following question: “Thinking about abortion, which of the following is closest to your view?” Approximately 69 percent of Kenyans are against legalizing abortions while only 9 percent support it. About 16 percent said abortion is not a big deal while 6 percent had no opinion. When asked, “When do you believe human life begins?” only 19 percent stated that human life begins at the time of birth. Some 77 percent of Kenyans stated that life begins at conception.
“Respondents were also asked about their views concerning the new Kenyan Constitution and found only 19 percent support it as currently written, while a majority, 52 percent, want Parliament to revise the document before passage.” LifeNews
America ought to be that “City on the Hill” as proclaimed and envisioned by early Americans. We have regressed so far that we kill our own for the sake of selfish pursuits and are now encouraging other nations to follow our lead. We have descended into a country promoting a culture of death. Are we not content with the 50 plus million children aborted since 1973 and the numerous birth control options? Must we intrude into the politics of other nations and promote our agenda there, too? I think not.
In his theological time bomb (called one of the “boldest reconfigurations of Catholic theology in centuries”) Theology of the Body, Pope John Paul II helps readers understand what it means to be human and why God so beautifully created us man and woman. The series of Wednesday audiences delivered between 1979 and 1984 have been compiled by Christopher West into a book called Theology of the Body Explained – still a hard read! Thankfully, Christopher West has further simplified his explanation of the Theology of the Body Explained into a simpler and much smaller version titled Theology of the Body for Beginners, which is much more accessible to a metro-commuting, non-theological expert, such as myself. However, my mind is blown away with every passing day because of the truths jumping off of each page– it is no wonder the Theology of the Body is expected to be a theological time bomb of the 21st century! Today’s chapter was on abortion.
In the Theology of the Body, Pope John Paul II explains that when unions are “oriented towards love and life, they build families and, in turn, cultures that live the truth of love and life. When it is oriented against love and life, the sexual act breeds death – what John Paul II grimly, yet accurately, describes as a “culture of death” is a culture that, failing to recognize the infinite worth of every human person, chooses death as a “solution” to its problems.” Still confused about the connection between our choices and the culture of death? In his explanation, Christopher West says “Asks yourself: Why do we kill approximately 4,000 unborn babies every day in the United States alone? Because we are misusing and abusing God’s great gift. Make no mistake: in the final analysis, the abortion debate is not about when life begins [it begins at the moment of conception and ends at natural death]. It is about the meaning of sex. What most men and women who fight for abortion want is not so much the “right” to kill their offspring, but the “right” to have unrestricted sex without consequences.” Consequences which are a violation of the trust God has in each of us, especially women. God entrusts women with the ability to be mothers in both the spiritual and physical sense. Joyce Little explains this as “a violation of trust, indeed of the most basic trust, whereby God the Father entrusts to the care and protection of a mother every child he creates.” “Concern for the child, even before birth, from the moment of conception and then throughout the years of infancy and youth, is the primary and fundamental test of the relationship of one human being to another.” This fundamental relationship between mother and child is the very reason women will lead the Pro-Life movement! Women like Jane Norton and Sharron Angle who are protecting the innocent unborn babies of our world by standing up for their femininity, dignity, and mission in life.
In his encyclical Evangelium Viate (The Gospel of Life) John Paul II writes “It is an illusion to think we can build a true culture of life if we do not…accept and experience sexuality and love and the whole of life according to their true meaning and their close interconnection” (EV 97) He then discuses the importance of respecting the meaning and dignity of human life – a logic which does not necessarily “bode well” with all of our popular culture. This is why John Paul II urges the 21st century to be the century that takes on the task of building a culture of life and opposing the culture of death. LOVE LET’S LIVE!
Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 16-3 in favor of confirming Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. The mainly party-line vote (Sen. Lindsey Graham was the only Republican to vote in favor), comes after a several week long questioning period. Despite having never argued a case at trial and never having argued before the Supreme Court, Elena Kagan was nominated by President Obama to be Solicitor General of the US on January 2009. Sixteen months later, on May 9, 2010 it was announced that President Obama had selected Kagan to be the replacement justice for pro-abortion Justice John Paul Stevens and serve on the highest court in the land, despite having no judicial experience whatsoever.
Kagan, who has expressed support for the landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade served as a law clerk for pro-abortion Justice Thurgood Marshall, one of the seven concurring justices of Roe. Kagan has cited Marshall as her inspiration and “role model.” In the 1990s Kagan worked in the Clinton administration drafting letters for the president and advising him on a number of matters, including abortion. Kagan’s nomination has been subject to intense scrutiny for a number of reasons, including her barring of military recruiters from the Harvard campus when she was the Harvard Law Dean and her belligerence towards groups such as the NRA, which she grouped together with the Ku Klux Klan. However, none of her positions have drawn more concern than her positions on abortion.
From 1995 to 1999, Kagan served as President Bill Clinton's Associate White house Counsel and Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council, during which time Congress passed the Partial Abortion Ban by a two thirds margin. However, under Kagan’s advice, President Clinton vetoed it which put him at risk of being overridden, a bad political situation. Kagan urged him to support the more moderate version of the ban, with an amendment from then Minority Leader Tom Daschle, which included an exception for “the health of the mother.” “Health of the mother” has been used by pro-abortion doctors and activists for decades to obtain elective abortions for frivolous, non-health related reasons. In fact, most doctors agree that partial birth abortion is never needed to protect the health or life of the mother. LifeSiteNews.com reports “[The] American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists…panel in October of 1996 drafted a medical report on partial-birth abortion, which stated that they “‘could identify no circumstances under which [partial-birth abortion] would be the only option to save the life or preserve the health of the woman.’“ The article goes on to detail how Kagan altered the report to fit her own agenda.
“Kagan, however, in a December memo called the draft a "disaster" and wrote the following statement, which [she] included in the final draft of the ACOG report: ‘"An intact D&X [dilation and extraction, or partial-birth abortion], however, may be the best or most appropriate procedure in a particular circumstance to save the life or preserve the health of a woman, and a doctor should be allowed to make this determination."’
Kagan is likely to have also interfered with testimony from the American Medical Association also regarding partial birth abortion. By tampering with the statement by the ACOG, Kagan displayed a complete disregard for judicial objectivity and ethical boundaries. It is no wonder that Americans United for Life’s Bill Saunders called Kagan “very extreme” and warned against her nomination, which he predicted would be “bad” for pro life causes. This week SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser wrote a letter to every senator urging a “no” vote on Kagan’s confirmation, citing “deep concern over her objectivity in weighing factual information concerning abortion” and “a willingness to bend medical facts to support an ideological point of view,” which she called “inconsistent with the temperament required of a Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.” Kagan’s confirmation vote will likely happen before August 6, when the Senate begins a five week recess. So far nine senators, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have announced they will vote against confirmation. In addition to the Susan B. Anthony List, National Right to Life Committee, Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America, Right to Life Advocates, Pastors for Life, and Operation Rescue have expressed opposition to Kagan’s confirmation.
Thursday night, as reported by Lifenews, Planned Parenthood threw a party-featuring 300 cheering high school students and college students where Cecile Richards presented Nancy Pelosi with the “Champion of Women’s Health” award.
Since “Women’s Health" is primarily a euphemism for abortion, I’m actually inclined, for once, to agree with Planned Parenthood. Pelosi certainly is their champion! Her efforts to ram health care that includes taxpayer funding of abortion down the throats of Americans, for which she is being rewarded, practically make her the abortion queen. Or maybe Cecile Richards is the queen? Pelosi can be abortion princess.
Another thing Pelosi is the champion of : hypocrisy. The prime example of this being her blatant actions and words against life while still, bizarrely, claiming to be a faithful Catholic.
Pelosi has earned her title. We’ll let her keep it, but let’s do everything we can to take away her power.
The Missouri Governor Jay Nixon signed a bill into law on Wednesday that requires clinics to offer every woman an ultrasound as well the opportunity to listen to her unborn baby’s heartbeat. The state will also provide literature on the risks associated with abortion- including this awesome sentence:
"The life of each human being begins at conception. Abortion will terminate the life of a separate, unique, living human being." (AP)
Missouri is also doubly awesome for being the 5th State to opt-out of taxpayer funding of abortion in the new federal health care bill, following Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.
The Bad:
Nebraska has been passing some great legislation, like the Fetal Pain Bill previously blogged about on SuzyB. They also passed a law that required mental health screenings for women seeking abortions to determine if they have risk factors for mental or physical problems after abortions and to determine if they were being pressured into the procedure. The bad part is, on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press, District Judge Laurie Smith Camp put a halt to a law at the request of Planned Parenthood, who calls the screenings “irrelevant to abortion.” It’s pretty apparent which side really cares about the health of women.
The Ugly:
In addition to Pennsylvania, as Kathryn Lopez of the National Review reports, New Mexico will be receiving federal funding for a high risk pool state health plan, 37 million dollars to be exact, which covers “elective-abortion services.” This is just the beginning of the federal funding of abortion consequences of the health care bill.
The Random (but profound):
Harry Reid has a lot of voices speaking against him. Even from beyond the grave.
In Charlotte McCourt’s obituary, which appeared in Tuesday’s Las Vegas Journal-Review, her family wrote:
““We believe that Mom would say she was mortified to have taken a large role in the election of Harry Reid to U.S. Congress. Let the record show Charlotte was displeased with his work. Please, in lieu of flowers, vote for another more worthy candidate.”
McCourt is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, whose members tend to be very pro-family and pro-life. Reid, who is also LDS, was obviously not living up to those values.
Let’s all make sure we’re joining the voice of Charlotte McCourt, fulfilling her dying wish, and demand support for pro-life Sharron Angle for Nevada Senate.
CNS News reports that the U.S. will subsidize a new $500-million United Nations agency called “UN Women.” It will aim at advancing women worldwide, including “reproductive health,” which is pretty much a code name for abortion. Wendy Wright from Concerned Women for America is concerned:
“The priority of the leaders who orchestrated the development of this ‘uber-agency’ is sexual and reproductive rights. That means abortion and sexual license -- homosexual, lesbian, prostitution, etc.,”
And SBA List is concerned as well. Not only do we have to keep fighting the plague of abortion in our own country, but we must prevent the disease of the abortion lie - that killing leads to freedom- from spreading throughout the world by means of our influence and our taxpayer dollars. It is imperative that we continue to watch how our money is being used to “aid”- and in case the quotation marks don’t get the point across I mean that with the upmost sarcasm- women. We need the Mexico City Policy and permanent legislation like it in order to prevent taxpayer assisted harm to women and babies around the world.
Pro-abortion President Obama has officially authorized the first government run health care program that will utilize taxpayer funding for abortions. Pennsylvania, home of pro-abortion Governor Edward Rendell, is the first state to have the new health care system implemented. Douglas Johnson, legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee, says that “The Obama Administration will give Pennsylvania $160 million in federal tax funds, which we've discovered will pay for insurance plans that cover any legal abortion…President Obama successfully opposed including language in the bill to prevent federal subsidies for abortions, and now the Administration is quietly advancing its abortion-expanding agenda through administrative decisions such as this, which they hope will escape broad public attention.”
A June 28, 2010 press release from the office of Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Joel Ario stated that: "The state will receive $160 million to set up the program, which will provide coverage to as many as 5,600 people between now and 2014," according to the release. "The plan's benefit package will include preventive care, physician services, diagnostic testing, hospitalization, mental health services, prescription medications and much more, with subsidized premiums of $283 a month."
For the pro-life community, the elusive “much more” gives rise to many questions regarding abortion. Page 14 of the 60 page “Solicitation for State Proposals to Operate Qualified High-Risk Pools” states "elective abortions are not covered," yet neglects to define “elective”.
Steve Ertelt of Lifenews.com had the following to say about Pennsylvania’s “high risk” insurance program: “The proposal specifies coverage "includes only abortions and contraceptives that satisfy the requirements of" several specific statutes, the most pertinent of which is 18 Pa. C.S. § 3204, which says abortion is legal in Pennsylvania. The statute essentially says all abortions except those to determine the sex of the baby are legal.” "Under the Rendell-Sebelius plan, federal funds will subsidize coverage of abortion performed for any reason, except sex selection," said NRLC's Johnson. "The Pennsylvania proposal conspicuously lacks language that would prevent funding of abortions performed as a method of birth control or for any other reason, except sex selection -- and the Obama Administration has now approved this."
Proof, once again, that President Obama’s Executive Order was in fact meaningless. So what are Pro-Life citizens to do? Stand up! Vote! And let your voices be heard this November by electing Pro-Life leaders into Congress. A full list of Susan B. Anthony List endorsed candidates can be found here.
Yesterday, the Weekly Standard published the results of a poll comparing California's two leading candidates for the Senate: Carly Fiorina (R) and incumbent Barbara Boxer (D). Boxer is one of the Senate's most notorious abortion advocates, and the results of this election could have a great impact on legislation relating to abortion. Carly Fiorina is endorsed by the SBA List as one of this year's leading pro-life candidates.
"California Democratic senator Barbara boxer is trailing Republican
challenger Carly Fiorina by 2 points--47% to 45%--in a new
SurveyUSA poll of likely voters released this evening. Fiorina has
been closing in on Boxer--cutting the Democrat's lead from six,
to five,
to four,
to three
points in the last four polls--but this is the first
public poll showing Fiorina in the lead.
"The same SurveyUSA poll shows Republican Meg Whitman leading Democrat
Jerry Brown 46% to 39% in the California gubernatorial race."
This simple statement served as the theme for the 21st anniversary of the World Population Day on July 11. The director of the United Nations World Population Fund (UNFPA) commemorated the day by promoting the 2010 censuses and the necessity for the incoming data.
Just why do they need this data? According to the UNFPA director’s statement, “Censuses are central to UNFPA's mandate and mission to support countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girls and woman is treated with dignity and respect.” Those goals sound marvelous. However, what happens when unwanted pregnancies occur and life does not follow these guidelines? Should a pregnancy be terminated if it is not wanted? Policies ensuring “that every pregnancy is wanted” could conveniently translate into abortion services
The Convention on the Rights of the Child states that “the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth.” If the United Nations and the signatory nations to the Rights of the Child admit that the developing being inside the womb is a child, then how is abortion justified by numerous nations that are party to this document? Article 6 further states that “every child has the inherent right to life” and deserves protection and special care to ensure survival and development. It is quite clear that the United Nations admits that an unborn child is a human being fully deserving of care and protection. How is it not a criminal offense then, when an unborn child is deprived of life? What criteria is used to determine whether or not a fetus is human? The United Nations Population Fund strives “to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted.” Is the “wanted” factor the determining criteria? A pregnancy may not be ideal in a situation, but fear and selfishness should not motivate one to seek an abortion.
Defining a child as one who is wanted is a fluid and dangerous definition. The Population Day theme, “Everyone Counts,” must include all human beings, not just those who are “wanted.”
On Saturday, July 10, over 30 leading pro-life experts grouped into 10 "power panels” met to “address the biggest challenges facing the pro-life movement -- and the solutions that can help bring an end to abortion in your community.” Susan B. Anthony List President, Marjorie Dannenfelser, was one of three panelists discussing legislative and political efforts. Marjorie Dannenfelser was joined by Pro-Life leaders Tom McClucky of Family Research Council and Dr. Charmaine Yoest of Americans United for Life. Throughout the webcast listeners are encouraged to bypass the bureaucracy of Washington and “positively impact the legislative and political process in your community, throughout your state, and across the nation.”
The virtual conference was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the Pro-Life community. Luckily, audio recordings of each “power panel” are available at www.EndingAbortion.com. Listeners can attend one, or all, of the sessions for FREE! According to Christian Bereit, nation director of 40 Days for Life and co-host of the event, "The goal is to educate, equip, and empower pro-lifers to have a greater life-saving impact right where they live…A renewed groundswell of grassroots interest can also help make the pro-life issue of primary importance prior to this fall's elections."
Visit www.EndingAbortion.com to listen to a powerful array of topics ranging the power of prayer and post-abortive advocacy to the Pro-Life youth revolution and the case for Life. Enjoy!
A new abortion law went into effect in Spain this Monday, July 5, which raises abortion to the status of a civil right. Abortion was first legalized in Spain in 1985, but was permissible only under three circumstances:
1) To save the life of the mother. 2) In the case of rape and incest. 3) In the case of fetal abnormalities (http://www.clinicasabortos.com/aborto-legal.asp).
In February of this year, the PSOE: Partido Socialista Obrero Español (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) – Spain’s ruling party – succeeded in getting its new abortion law approved by Parliament. It was subsequently signed by both José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (Spanish Prime Minister and member of the PSOE) and Juan Carlos I (King of Spain). The new law codifies that women have the “right” to obtain abortions up to the 14th week of gestation, no questions asked. The debate surrounding the law had already struck a nerve with the Spanish people and spurred them into action even before anything had been approved. Grassroots pro-life organizations such as Hazte Oír (http://www.hazteoir.org/) and Derecho a Vivir (http://derechoavivir.org/) took Zapatero and the PSOE to task immediately, and organized a series of very successful demonstrations and ad campaigns to show the strength of the opposition to the liberalization of Spain’s abortion laws. The most famous of these was the demonstration on October 17, 2009 in Madrid, which brought approximately 1.5 million pro-life activists to the Spanish capital (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/oct/09101908.html).
Despite the massive show of public disapproval, the bill narrowly passed through Parliament, was signed and officially became law on Monday. It was immediately met with political and legal resistance; the governors of the Spanish regions of Murcia and Navarre said that they would not enforce the law in their regions until the Constitutional Tribunal (Spain’s highest court) declares the law to be constitutional (
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/ley/aborto/nace/resistencia/elpepusoc/20100706elpepisoc_2/Tes). (Spain’s conservative party, the PP: Partido Popular [People’s Party] had already filed a suit against the law.) Since the initial resistance, however, Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso – Governor of Murcia – has recanted his opposition after receiving a letter from the Spanish Ministry of Health, which urged him to “take all appropriate measures to put the law into effect immediately.” Valcárcel justified his decision by saying that he would support the new law because of “legal imperative, not because we agree with it, since its effects are irreversible” (http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/Murcia/recula/dice/ahora/acatara/nueva/ley/aborto/elpepisoc/20100708elpepisoc_5/Tes). Other regions, including Madrid and Galicia, have also expressed a more lukewarm disapproval of the new law.
While the battle over the new law continues, the Spanish people will continue to encounter a new urgency to reclaim their heritage and culture from a nihilistic government that seeks to destroy the foundations of that people’s society. As one young pro-life activist from Valencia unhesitatingly affirmed, “Abortion is murder.”
Check out this video from SarahPAC on the rise of pro-life women, the "Mama Grizzlies," she first mentioned at the Susan B. Anthony List Celebration of Life Breakfast on May 14th.
In case you didn't already know, a lot of Federal tax dollars go directly into Planned Parenthood's bank accounts each and every year. Their 2008 Annual Report shows them receiving $349.6 million in government grants and contracts. A recent Government Accountability Office report also shows that Planned Parenthood reported spending $657.1 million in federal funds from 2002 to 2008, despite receiving over $2.3 billion tax dollars in government grants and programs during that same period. That means $1.6 billion of American taxpayer dollars are unaccounted for.
The Susan B. Anthony List is leading a petition to Congressman Edolphus Towns of the Committee of Oversight and Government Reform to investigate this $1.6 billion dollar problem. You can sign that petition here.
While many in the Pro-Life community have long been suspicious as to why Planned Parenthood should receive such a large amount of taxpayer money and for what exactly they were using it, concerns have considerably deepened in the wake of the missing $1.6 billion and an ongoing legal struggle brewing out in California.
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) is representing a former Los Angeles Planned Parenthood affiliate employee named P. Victor Gonzalez who is suing Planned Parenthood for knowingly over-billing the California state government, and through it the federal government, to the tune of TENS OF MILLIONS of dollars, for birth control drugs and devices provided to clients. Previously, a Federal district court in California had dismissed the lawsuit but recently the California 9th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously reinstated the lawsuit. The suit is being filed under the federal False Claims Act (FCA) which allows for employees within organizations to bring fraud to light acting as whistleblowers.
While this is not the final victory in this particular case this decision allows for the claims of fraud to be fully presented in court and for Planned Parenthood's alleged discrepancies to come into the consciousness of many more American taxpayers. The simple existence of such a lawsuit begs the question once again of Planned Parenthood: what is your biggest concern? Is it truly to promote the health of women or is it to make a nice, fat profit from a range of services which include the killing of innocent unborn children, i.e., performing abortions? Once again we are reminded of the crushing injustice of having our tax dollars going toward organizations that are in the business of destroying life and of the absolute necessity to fight until such injustices are amended.
Yesterday, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal took out his pen and signed into law two pro-life bills. Women in Louisiana will now be given the opportunity to see an ultrasound of their unborn child before undergoing an abortion. Another new law bans coverage for elective abortions in the insurance purchasing pools set up by the health care reform legislation passed in March.
Thank you Governor Jindal and State Senator Sharon Broome, who sponsored the pro-life legislation!
In this week's issue of The Weekly Standard, John McCormack discusses the future of pro-life Democrats. McCormack, who has been covering the role of pro-life Democrats (and pro-life Republicans) in the health care debate since it first began, provides great insight into the history of these elusive politicians, and what lies ahead.
"Three months after his career-defining health care vote, Michigan Democratic representative Bart Stupak still bristles at questions surrounding the deal he cut with President Obama on abortion. “The executive order says public funds cannot be used for abortion,” says Stupak, and those who say otherwise are “dishonest.”
Stupak may not be dishonest, but he’s certainly mistaken about the executive order that secured his vote, and the votes of other self-proclaimed pro-life Democrats, for Obamacare. Doesn’t the executive order simply affirm the Senate bill’s main abortion-funding provision that Ben Nelson signed off on—a provision that Stupak called “unacceptable” back in December? “I didn’t like the Nelson language on December 24, and up through that time,” Stupak replies. “Then there were changes in it, in the final bill. They cleaned it up quite a bit. There were changes made.” In fact, the abortion language passed by the Senate on December 24 is identical to the language signed into law by President Obama on March 23.
“I didn’t think we were going to get into the nitty gritty,” Stupak says after I ask him about the section of the executive order that says subsidized plans may cover elective abortions so long as federal subsidies are “segregated” from private dollars—the main funding mechanism of abortion in the bill and something Stupak had long rejected as a meaningless bookkeeping scheme. “I’m happy to call back if you want to get into the nitty gritty,” he says, “but in all honesty I don’t have [the executive order] sitting here in front of me.” Stupak said that on June 15. He never called back.
In Stupak’s defense, he may not have been prepared to discuss the executive order because the topic of the interview was the future of pro-life Democrats. But it’s hard to talk about the future of pro-life Democrats without discussing what happened in March. It was a defining moment that revealed there may not be a future for pro-life Democrats.
The health care vote confirmed that when a pro-life Democrat’s principles collide with his loyalty to the broader Democratic agenda, it’s the pro-life principles that give way. This pattern goes back all the way to Roe v. Wade. It happened long ago with the likes of Jesse Jackson and Richard Gephardt and Al Gore. Ultra-liberal Dennis Kucinich of Ohio—long a pro-lifer—tossed that position overboard the instant he launched his vanity presidential campaign in 2004. Harry Reid of Nevada sold out what remained of his pro-life principles in exchange for becoming the Senate Democratic leader in 2005. The Senate’s health care vote in December claimed the credibility of the two remaining pro-life Democrats in that chamber: Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, who announced he’d rather pass a national health care bill that funds abortions than pass no bill at all, and Ben Nelson of Nebraska, who held out for a bit of extra federal cash for Nebraska known as the Cornhusker Kickback.
But Stupak was supposed to be different. He held out in spite of intense pressure from party leadership and activists for months. “I’ve had so many death threats, I don’t know if most of them were for or against health care, before or after [the vote],” he says. As Stupak told The Weekly Standard two weeks before the health care vote in March: “If I didn’t” cave in before, “why would I do it now after all the crap I’ve been through?”
Good question. We still don’t fully know the answer. But the reason doesn’t matter to pro-life groups. The lesson they took away from the health care vote is that there needs to be a day of reckoning for the Stupak Democrats, who cannot claim to be pro-life after voting for taxpayer-funding of abortion. So far, the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List has had some success targeting these members through its $1 million Votes Have Consequences campaign.
The Susan B. Anthony List is dedicated to advancing, mobilizing and representing pro-life women in the political process.
Its connected Candidate Fund increases the percentage of pro-life women in politics.
October will be here before we know it, and that means National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Good hearted people will buy pink merchandise from organizations that support breast cancer research. The largest of these organizations is Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Fighting Breast Cancer is a noble cause, however the people behind the pink movement don’t always adhere to their mission to, “Save lives, empower people, [and] ensure quality care for all…” 
