Pro-life blog buzz 12-20-13

from Jill Stanek.com

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli

We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

Priests for Life reports that their lawsuit against Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate was dismissed by a U.S. District Court judge in Washington, D.C. Father Frank Pavone states: The judge’s decision today is a complete contradiction to Judge Cogan’s decision of just a few days ago in New York for organizations situated similarly to us and using exactly the same arguments.

The New York decision recognized that the religious nonprofits were being forced to cooperate with evil. Our judge, instead, claims that we are not being forced to cooperate with evil. Our judge’s decision is wrong, and we are confident of victory in our appeal.

Women’s Rights Without Frontiers prints a heartfelt letter from the two daughters of imprisoned Chinese pro-democracy activist Zhang Lin, who are now safe and living in the U.S. at the home of Reggie Littlejohn:

Zhang Anni [pictured left, with her father] has been known as “China’s youngest prisoner of conscience.” She was detained as a 10-year-old, denied food water and a blanket, and then prevented from attending school — all because of the pro-democracy activism of her celebrated father, Zhang Lin. Zhang Anni and her sister, Zhang Ruli, arrived in the United States in September 2013.

At National Review Online, Michael New discusses the CDC’s report of a 3% decrease in abortions – in 36 of 44 states reporting – in 2010. Predictably, the media credits an increase in contraceptive use. New writes:

[T]his assertion is not supported by the data. Contraception use began to increase well before abortions started to decline. And the unintended pregnancy rate has actually increased since the mid-1990s. Interestingly, since 1990 there has been a substantial increase in both pro-life public sentiment and state level pro-life laws. However, the mainstream media has scant interest in giving the pro-life movement any credit for declining abortion rates.

Jay Watts of Life Training Institute responds to a listener who objects to his message because it offends her. Should we stop defending the unborn because we are afraid of offending people?

Secular Pro-Life lists their top ten stories of the year, with six being written by guest bloggers.

Pro-Life Action League says that their annual Empty Manger Christmas Caroling at Planned Parenthoods and other abortion sites has received media attention as more states join this event. Unsurprisingly, these liberal media outlets and their commenters view the caroling as an act of hate.

Reflections of a Paralytic comments on two wrongful birth suits filed (and won) by parents of children born with disabilities. The parents claim they were not given enough prenatal information and that they would have aborted if they had known about their children’s conditions. Apparently it isn't enough that children with disabilities often qualify for subsidies and other governmental assistance. This sends a chilling message to doctors who may advise abortion even more readily in order to protect themselves from lawsuits.

Pro-life blog buzz 12-17-13

from Jill Stanek.com

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli
We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

Live Action News dissects Planned Parenthood’s 2012 annual report, which shows that the organization performed 327,166 abortions – allowing them to maintain their “largest abortion chain” status:
For taxpayers who don’t want to fund abortions, this should be especially troubling, considering that Planned Parenthood is raking in a whopping $540.6 million in taxpayer funding, or $1.5 million per day. This accounts for 45% of their revenue. Compare that to their other sources of revenue — private contributions, 26%; non-government revenue, 25%; and “other”, 4% — and it is overwhelmingly clear why the abortion industry fights to keep organizations like Planned Parenthood on the government dole. Without taxpayers to leech off of, Planned Parenthood alone would lose half a billion dollars.

Euthanasia Prevention Coalition updates us on five states (Connecticut, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Massachusetts) that are currently debating legalizing assisted suicide:
Americans need to become more aware of the threat that assisted suicide poses. Even though polls indicate that more Americans oppose assisted suicide than support it, very few Americans are aware of the push being mounted by the assisted suicide lobby.

Kansans for Life says “The Internal Revenue Service has proposed new rules for political activity by nonprofits – overturning more than 50 years of settled law – in order to conceal the true political record of pro-abortion politicians.”

Abstinence Clearinghouse links to blogger Matt Walsh’s response to a young man who was ridiculed by his high school sex ed instructor for believing in abstinence.

Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life explains the ruling of Doe v. Gomez, decided on December 15, 1995, which obligated Minnesota taxpayers to pay for abortions, “something not required by the U.S. Supreme Court“: The Supreme Court’s Doe v. Gomez decision established a new state constitutional “right” to abortion on demand. This supposed right would remain protected by the state Constitution even if Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision legalizing abortion in the United States, were to be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.Doe v. Gomez allows abortions for reasons such as “stress” or “discomfort.” It forbids the state to “interfere” in any way with a woman’s “decision making” regarding abortion.
Doe v. Gomez also obligates the state — and thus, taxpayers — to pay for abortions…. From June 1994 (under an earlier decision) through 2011, state taxpayers paid more than $19.9 million for 62,252 abortions, according to MDHS. In 2011 alone (the most recent statistics available), state taxpayers paid $1.2 million for 3,693 abortions (MDHS). The state does not report how many women have been hurt or killed from these abortions.


Down on the Pharm updates readers on a previous blog about Joshua Ackley (pictured right, foreground), a publicist representing Girl Scouts of America by day and Homopunk band member by night. Since this news about Ackley’s lifestyle has been exposed, he has been moved to a less visible position within the GSUSA organization. Apparently, “[the] worry among the scout moms was that, with this stuff on his mind, he’s not the person to be interacting with the girls, or representing the scouting organization.”

Judie Brown of American Life League explains the difference between ethics and morality:
We see that ethics today are not always grounded in sound, moral reason and common sense. In fact, as one expert defines it, today we actually have two sets of medical ethics—and the worst of it is that the wrong-headed set is prevailing. On the one side we have secular bioethics. On the other we have the moral law.
The problem with secular bioethics is, of course, that the natural law is tossed out the window in favor of what one or two so-called experts believe to be the best idea at any given time for deciding what is acceptable and what is not. This is where professionals like [the pro-infanticide] Dr. Minerva found their calling.
But on the other side of the aisle we find the professionals, including physicians, educators, lawmakers, and common ordinary folks like you and me who understand that making rational decisions or providing intelligent solutions to complex questions requires a grounding in the moral law.

Does Marriage Matter to Children

After reading Dr. Land's article "Adoption: The Best Option," I was reminded of a recent television show produced by the Oprah Winfrey network titled "Fatherless Sons" Lifeclass. On that show, about 150 men were part of the television audience, ranging in ages from 12 to over 70 years old. Oprah and Iyanla Vanzant held a very frank discussion of the impact fatherlessness has on our nation and our children. When asked by Oprah to define what a father is, Iyanla said "Protector, provider, to be a model, a demonstration of what it means to be a man." Oprah then stated that fatherlessness in our nation is "an epidemic." According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 41% of all babies born in the U.S. are to unmarried women. In some communities, it is almost double that amount.

One of the many professionals participating in the program, Roland Warren, the former president of The National Fatherhood Initiative, stated that "kids have a hole in their soul in the shape of their dad" and that there are "consequences to father-absence." From the 12-year-old boy to the 70+ year old man, heartbreaking stories were shared about the deep hurt, rejection, and aching that exists within these men for a Daddy. Statistics and data were shared on the outcomes for men who are raised in fatherless homes: twice as likely to go to jail, less likely to graduate college, earn less money, more likely to father a child out of wedlock, and so on.

A series followed the "Fatherless Sons" class that was aimed at women, "Daddyless Daughters." It was the same format and basically similar outcomes for the women. Audience members shared their deep ache to have a man, a father, to love and protect them. Promiscuity among fatherless girls was one of the outcomes that Iyanla discussed in depth. Statistics for the women were not any better than for the men.

So back to my question and the article: Does Marriage Matter to Children? According to the data, yes. In my work as an educator, I encounter teens and teachers alike who share stories of heartbreak in the lives of children. Teens from unmarried homes are 40% more likely to become pregnant, less likely to attend or graduate from college, more likely to repeat grades, and so on. In an article in The Atlantic, data is analyzed which leads the author to state "Adolescent family structure has important implications for family formation among young adults." He says that children from less privileged homes are even more positively impacted by married parents. The likelihood of living in poverty is much greater for children whose mothers are not married. Children who are born to unmarried parents are more likely to live in poverty and to have poor developmental outcomes. (Rebecca Ryan, "Marital Births and Early Child Outcomes: The Moderating Influence of Marriage Propensity." Child Development, May/June 2013)

Clearly, the benefits to children growing up in a home with a mom and dad who are married are great. When young women experience an unplanned pregnancy, the outcomes and consequences of that child being raised by an unmarried mother must be considered. Fully informed decision-making demands no less. The option most often chosen by young women in this situation is parenting, abortion is the second most chosen option, and adoption is a very distant third with less than 1% of women of any age choosing this option. All of the options are hard; they each have very different outcomes and will be a decision that this woman will live with for the rest of her life. So will the child in two of the options. Let me share with you the comments of a 14-year-old young man in regard to the choice made by his biological mother when faced with this difficult decision:

"I love my family, my school, my church and my life. I also love playing paintball with my dad and friends, playing football and hanging out with my friends. All of this might not have happened if a very brave woman, my birth mom, hadn't chosen life and adoption for me. I was adopted when I was a newborn. I was one of the lucky ones whose birth mom chose adoption. She wanted me to have a mom and a dad who were married and ready to be parents. I think she is one of the bravest people I know of and so are you if you are a birth mom! Her sacrifice gave me a great life and a chance to be everything she wanted for me. There are so many parents who want to be moms and dads that there are enough for all of us!

So from all of us kids who were given the blessing of adoption, I want to say a very big 'THANK YOU!' You are a hero to a child!"


Those comments are from my son whose birthmother chose adoption, picked my husband and me to be his parents and gave us the greatest blessing we will know on this earth. Adoption is the option most likely in 2013 to provide a child with married parents, given the statistical data from the U.S. Census Bureau. If marriage is so beneficial and healthy for children, we must look more closely at the option of adoption and the benefits it brings to children, families and our nation. There are an estimated 2,000,000 couples wanting and waiting to adopt.

Joi Wasill is a wife, mom, educator and the founder of a teen pregnancy education program operating in schools since 2002.

Pro-life blog buzz 12-10-13

from Jill Stanek.com

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli

We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

Coming Home has a bold rebuttal to Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s appearance on Meet the Press, where he claimed that Obamacare wouldn’t really be a problem if it were'nt for the HHS contraception mandate:

So, give the Church that exemption and she will go mute on all of the other horrors this law is visiting on Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
“You’re not gonna hear from us anymore.”
No, Cardinal Dolan. Most respectfully, we need you and the other bishops to fight for us…. Want to fill the pews? Defend your flock! The nation has awakened to the trap laid by Obama, the imprisonment, the economic destitution coming under this law, the massive carnival of death on the other end of the life spectrum, and not just abortion. The nation is aroused, and my bishops are losing the forest for the tree.
There is not a shred of moral decency in this law. It is a eugenicist’s dream. It preys on the very weakest on both ends of the life spectrum and impoverishes everyone in-between.
In your interview two years ago, you indicated that the president made all sorts of promises to you and the bishops and then broke them all. Where is your outrage and disgust? You cannot deal with such men. You can only defeat them.
This president and his signature piece of legislation are tearing this nation apart. This is the golden moment for our bishops to stand and fight, with a nation desperate for leadership in that fight. This is our defining moment in the Catholic Church.
This is bigger than contraception and abortion.
This is the forest, not just one tree.

Generations for Life suggests that pro-lifers send Christmas greetings to Mary Wagner of Toronto, who has been in jail since August for the crime of offering life-affirming help to women inside an abortion mill.
According to GFL, “this was the sixth time Mary had been arrested since she began her campaign of civil disobedience in March 2010. Since then, she has spent nearly three years in prison.”

View the promotional video (below) and send Mary a card of encouragement at:

Mary Wagner
Vanier Centre for Women
P.O Box 1040
655 Martin St.
Milton, ON L9T 5E6
CANADA
When mailing, please carefully follow all rules and restrictions, listed at the blog link above.

Bound4Life applauds the European Parliament’s rejection of a bill that would have labeled abortion a fundamental human right, mandating that pro-life countries offer abortion in their public healthcare systems. Especially targeted were the pro-life countries of Ireland, Poland and Malta:
The measure the European Parliament is now considering contains no limits regarding gestational age – leaving open the possibility of elective-abortion-until-day-of-birth as a human right. Doubly disturbing are the severe infringement on conscience protections of physicians (specifically gynecologists and anesthesiologists) that are proposed.
While it is good news that it was defeated it was sent back to committee, don’t be surprised to see another attempt.

Josh Brahm highlights the innovative pro-life efforts of Online For Life.

Expose Abortion shares a chilling quote from former abortionist, Dr. Anthony Levatino. No wonder the industry fights so hard to silence those who leave:The resident on call got the job of doing the salines… and they were horrible because you saw one intact, whole baby being born, and sometimes they were alive. That was very, very frightening. It was a very stomach-turning kind of existence.

The FRC Blog has an interview with pro-life Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) about how Obamacare is using federal money to fund abortion in certain healthcare exchanges, in defiance of the Hyde Amendment.

Down on the Pharm questions why the Girl Scouts of America would hire Joshua Ackley as their spokesperson and public relations specialist. Ackley has a second job as a band member in “homo-punk” or “homo-core” genre and is a member of the Dead Betties (pictured right), profiled at 100questionsforthegirlscouts.org. How does one manage to promote positive and healthy images for girls by day while exploiting them in some of the band’s images?

Euthanasia Prevention Coalition explains why safeguards and controls don’t work once laws authorizing euthanasia are passed: At a press conference, Prof. Dr. Etienne Montero, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Namur, Belgium, gave an overview of 11 years of euthanasia in Belgium. The proponents of euthanasia in Belgium recognize that most requests for euthanasia are not rooted in physical pain, which can be controlled, but in psychological suffering. Examples include loss of meaning, loneliness, weariness of life, and need to master one’s death. In situations of suffering, a euthanasia request is understandable, but courts cannot give the right to euthanasia without endangering the lives and security of its citizens. All citizens are at risk of excesses and abuse.

Pro-life blog buzz 12-6-13

from Jill Stanek.com

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli

We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.
The Washington Times says stem cell research funding is turning toward adult (instead of embryonic) stem cells, even in traditionally liberal states:“Money talks,” said Gene Tarne, author of papers for the Charlotte Lozier Institute that find that the bulk of stem cell funding grants in California and Maryland are moving toward “ethical” research that doesn’t use human embryos.
“The shift looks like a sea change from when state funding strongly favored research from embryonic stem cells over “adult” stem cells, which are taken from the placenta, umbilical cord and some mature tissues and do not kill human embryos.”…
[A] Kansas stem cell research center that, by law, won’t use stem cells culled from human embryos also is taking off….
The center… is “a visionary move” to “support science that can actually lead to a lot of new therapies and potentially change the face of medicine,” said Dr. Buddhadeb Dawn, director of the center, which is housed at the University of Kansas Medical Center….
Excluding embryonic stem cell research is not an impediment, Dr. Dawn said. “Adult stem cells are the ones that have been shown to be effective for patient treatment,” he said.


At National Review, Michael New discusses the significance of the new meta-analysis of 36 separate abortion/breast cancer link studies. The study “concluded that induced abortion raises the risk of breast cancer by 44 percent. Each of the 36 studies showed a positive correlation between abortion and breast cancer.” Despite the academic credentials and the findings, the mainstream media is showing a “circle the wagons” mentality in lock step with the abortion industry, as usual.

Pro-Life Action League promotes the “Empty Manger Christmas Caroling” event, to be held outside abortion facilities. Some cities are already posting their events and schedules. PLAL gives you all the resources necessary to host your own event.

At Life Training Institute, Dr. Rich Poupard discusses Michigan’s heavy restrictions and regulations on a surgical procedure for minors: requiring parental consent, admitting privileges for doctors, and informed consent of patients…. But is he is talking about abortion?
If you haven’t figured it out, I’m not talking about abortion access. I’m talking about access to routine third molar surgery. These “restrictions” that I mention are dealt with every single day by my own patients, in the office where I practice. Yet the same type of standards, when applied to those adolescents seeking abortion care, are seen as some horrific barrier to care.

ProLife NZ shares a post from The Leading Edge regarding a New Zealand couple who was awarded compensation for personal injury – because they didn’t have the opportunity to abort their daughter, who has spina bifida, and whom they claim to love:
It now sets a legal precedent which declares that being denied the opportunity to kill an innocent human being before birth is an act which causes injury to the persons who would have procured the killing if they had been afforded the opportunity to do so. I wonder how long it will be before someone tries to test this new ruling to see if it applies to the killing of persons without disabilities prior to birth as well – or is it just those with spina bifida and Down syndrome who come in for such prejudicial rulings in the Brave New Zealand?

Pro-Life Wisconsin reports that state Democrats are going for broke in introducing a bill to ban all restrictions on abortion. PLW also explains their stance that anything less than a Personhood amendment is making peace with the abortion industry.

Secular Pro-Life showcases the pro-life documentary, 40, which will have its world premiere on Wednesday, December 11th. Watch the trailer:

Pro-life blog buzz 12-3-13

from Jill Stanek.com

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli

We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

Josh Brahm offers his advice to pro-life politicians on how to reduce their pro-life beliefs to a 30-second sound bite. This is vitally important, because abortion advocates have thus far been successful at using rape and incest cases to shut down debate:

I am pro-life because we know the unborn are alive, because they’re growing. We know the unborn are human because they have human parents, and I think human beings like me and you are valuable.In fact, I think all human beings have an equal right to live, because they all have something special in common: they’re human. That’s why racism and sexism are wrong. Racism is wrong because it focuses on a surface difference that doesn’t morally matter and ignores the thing we all have in common, which is the thing that does morally matter: that we’re human.And because the unborn are clearly human, they should be given an equal right to life as well.

Live Action reports that “Texas attorney general and gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott has put his money where his pro-life mouth is and announced grants to 13 nonprofits in Texas for the purpose of supporting adoption, the result of profits from the state’s relatively new pro-life license plates.”
Naturally, abortion supporters objected to this option, but so far 2,300 people have made the choice to freely pay more for their plates knowing that the increase will benefit adoption. Now that is choice!

John Smeaton notes how the abortion industry is targeting pro-life Ireland by introducing a bill to allow abortions “in cases of fatal ‘foetal abnormality’.” He rightly points out that “the movement for abortion and the movement for eugenics have in fact always been closely associated with the former developing seamlessly from the latter.”

ProWomanProLife features a Canadian Physicians for Life article which argues that abortions should be defunded due to strained medical resources – and because they are never medically necessary. Europe is currently grappling with this issue, and the US is starting down the same road.

A Culture of Life questions the rush to vaccinate increasingly younger patients with Gardasil when more information is needed about its adverse affects. Japan has recently withdrawn support for the vaccine.

Pro-life blog buzz 11-15-13

from:Jill Stanek


by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli

We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

Clinic Quotes shares an admission from the pro-choice side regarding post-abortion trauma:
Rosemary Candelario, director of Massachusetts Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, on why pro-choice groups often claim that abortion does not contribute to emotional trauma for women:

“I think the fear in the [abortion rights] movement is if we admit abortion is hard for some women, then we’re admitting that it’s wrong, which is totally not the case. I’ve heard from women who are having problems dealing with their abortion who are still ardently pro-choice.”


Down on the Pharm discusses the latest sexual research which shows how women (surprise!) don’t actually benefit in any way from casual sex.

Funny… that’s not what the latest (and tasteless) ProgressNow Colorado ads promoting Obamacare (sample pictured left; click to enlarge) seem to portray.

Abortion State gives the firsthand account of being investigated by the Department of Justice simply for attempting to contact abortionist Julie Komarow, M.D., for an interview regarding her involvement with reported wrongdoings at Planned Parenthood. Komarow had previously sought legal action (unsuccessfully) to prevent her name from being mentioned in the interview, and when the writer attempted to contact her for a comment via email, landline and cell phone, she filed a restraining order for harassment.
Soon, the DOJ began monitoring the writer’s blog and treating the case as a possible FACE Act (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) violation, which could result in heavy fines and jail time. The writer was not contacted to ask about his intentions prior to opening a federal case.

American Life League’s Judie Brown asks why, in this sex-saturated culture where chastity is mocked and maligned despite rising STD rates, it is the baby who is deemed the enemy of the feel-good culture:
… [I]n order for the abortion cartel to continue raking in the money, is has to create at least one, if not two, generations of individuals who will suffer anything for the cause of sexual relations. This is why one-third of Americans today have a sexually transmitted disease.
Professor emeritus James V. Schall, S.J., commenting on the statistic and the money spent on preventive treatments, opined, “Not only are there these diseases with us but also the millions of abortions which are also the results of failed ‘sexual transmission’ techniques that were designed to prevent the conceptions of children. Contraception methods and sexual education programs have not worked. In fact, they seem to have made the problem worse.”…
That baby, or any preborn human being at any stage of his development, is not anyone’s enemy. Each is a flesh and blood human being just like you and me.The enemy is the force in society that will not rest until every expectant mother detests her child and wants nothing more than to kill him.


RealChoice takes a look at some pro-choice state license plates. For some reason, they just don’t seem as pleasing as the pro-life ones.

Expose Abortion has many quotes from former abortion workers whose stark revelations shine a light on the mindset of the abortion industry. Former abortion provider Kathy Sparks is quoted as saying, “I remember one of the doctors stating that he could do three abortions in ten minutes and make the same amount of money as delivering one woman full term.”

Family Research Council blogs about the mayor-elect of New York City, who has declared war on non-profit pregnancy resource centers who provide services that are free and confidential. Bill DeBlasio shows his true liberal colors – seeking to deny true choice in communities while promoting only one “choice” – abortion.

Veteran pro-life educator Scott Klusendorf of Life Training Institute has must-read advice for new pro-life speakers.

At Catholic Vote, Michael New points out that many factors could be at fault for Ken Cuccinelli’s failed run for governor of Virginia – however, his pro-life stance isn’t one of them.

Live Action releases video of an Albuquerque late-term abortionist at Southwestern Women’s Options explaining the procedure and bragging that people come to Albuquerque from everywhere, due to their lax abortion restrictions. Beautiful Albuquerque, you deserve better than being the late-term abortion capital. November 19th is your chance to speak.

Pro-life blog buzz 11-12-13

from Jill Stanek.com

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli

We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

Secular Pro Life applauds abortion workers who outed the illegal operation of a notorious abortionist:
"Abortion workers in Philadelphia have done the right thing, likely saving the lives of unborn babies and, quite possibly, the lives of women as well.According to Operation Rescue, it was abortion workers who outed Steven Chase Brigham’s illegal operation of an abortion business in Philadelphia."

We are so used to celebrities being pro-abortion, but A Voice for Hope decided to list openly pro-life celebrities. She found 71. The list may surprise you. Did she miss anyone?

Stand for Life reports on anti-abortion “truth trucks” showing pictures of abortion victims in Albuquerque during early voting to ban late term abortions there. Voter turnout is high, according to reports. Local news covered reaction to the photos:

Wesley J. Smith comments about New Jersey nurses being told that they would be fired for refusing to assist with elective abortions. Their own union backed the hospital’s threat to terminate for their refusal to participate. Alliance Defense Freedom lawyers were able to prevail in their lawsuit, but what it took to do so causes deeper concerns: 

"I am convinced that cases like this are the opening stanza of a coming symphony of pressure against Hippocratic medical professionals. Indeed, very powerful forces in politics, culture, and medicine want to conscript medical professionals to participate or be complicit in abortion – and eventually, assisted suicide/euthanasia. (Victoria, Australia, already has such a law for doctors regarding abortion and Quebec’s new euthanasia legislation would force doctor complicity.)"

At Pro Life Action League, Monica Miller, Director of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, tells how chronicling a terrible finding saved another baby from abortion. After a pro-life activist retrieved the remains of 17 aborted babies from a dumpster in Lansing, Michigan, as well as the names of the mothers who aborted them (talk about a HIPAA violation!), Monica painstakingly photographed the remains:

One of the photos was of a tiny arm and hand of a 7-week aborted baby, torn at the shoulder.This photo was printed in my book Abandoned: The Untold Story of the Abortion Wars.
How that photo saved another life is a touching read. You just never know.

Bryan Kemper of Stand True shares an incredible story of a harsh beginning for a young man whose family members thought should have been aborted. The story of this life is hard to read but has an ending that makes you smile and agree taking the life in the womb is never the answer despite the circumstances surrounding the conception and birth. This is Bryan’s own story and shows that God has a plan for each life.

Pro-life blog buzz 11-9-13

from Jill Stanek.com

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli

We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

Can they stop the inevitable? Americans United for Life discusses how SCOTUS is trending on abortion related cases:The Cline case “illustrates momentum for overturning the abuses of Roe. Multiple cases are advancing toward the Supreme Court as it has signaled its willingness to consider the impact of its unrestricted abortion policy on women and their unborn children,” said AUL’s Dr. Charmaine Yoest.

MN Citizens Concerned for Life notes how unsanitary conditions of an abortion chain in Texas also threaten Minnesota women:The latest inspections of Whole Woman’s Health abortion centers in Texas have revealed continuing health violations by the abortion chain. Yet WWH’s Minneapolis abortion center remains neither licensed nor inspected by the state of Minnesota….
WWH launched its Minneapolis center… in early 2012. Legislation to license and inspect abortion facilities was passed by the Minnesota Legislature in 2012, but the measure was vetoed by Gov. Mark Dayton.Four of the five WWH clinics in Texas have been cited for violating safety standards in just the last three years.

The Leading Edge recommends the documentary The Human Experience and discusses why this is a pro life film even though the words “abortion” or “pro-life” are never uttered.

Live Action notes how popular shows sometime stumble on the truth and help break through liberal sound bites about abortion. CBS’s The Good Wife had a episode in Season One entitled, The Heart, which showed the photo by Michael Clancy of an actual surgery that took place in utero at Nashville’s Vanderbilt Hospital in 1999. In this episode, a pregnant mother, who had previously lobbied for abortion rights, was carrying a baby with a fatal heart defect. Her lawyers argued for the insurance company to authorize payment for life saving surgery in utero.

Coming Home discusses a LifeSiteNews story (quoted below) about thoughts on “breeders” by a homosexual activist who favors forced abortion for population control:

Women should be forced to abort their children for the next 30 years as a part of global population control, homosexual activist Dan Savage told Australian television….
“You know, I’m pro-choice, I believe that women should have a right to control their bodies,” he added. “Sometimes in my darker moments, I’m anti-choice. I think abortion should be mandatory for about 30 years.”

Michael New discusses tactics by an Alabama abortion clinic in reaction to the 40 Days for Life prayer vigils in front of their facilities. Interestingly, supporters were asked to “adopt” a pro-lifer by name and make a donation every time that person came to pray.

Those who say abortions are not coerced should respond to an incident reported by Big Blue Wave, where a woman left the abortion facility by way of the window to escape an abortion.

Pro-life blog buzz 11-5-13

from Jill Stanek.com

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli
We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

At National Review Online, Wesley Smith wonders why Planned Parenthood has to close so many clinics in Texas due to the new law requiring the abortionist on call to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles:If abortion was really only 3% of PP – as the organization claims – would a safety restriction of this kind really force 12 PP clinics to close?”If they were serving women for routine medical needs, STI testing and giving out free birth control, this would not be needed. Time to get your talking points freshened up.

 It’s all about abortion, abortion, abortion.

Pro-Life Wisconsin applauds the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruling against the HHS mandate in favor of Catholic business owners:
Justice Janis Rogers Brown nails it when she writes that the burden of the HHS mandate “becomes substantial because the government commands compliance by giving the Gilardis a Hobson’s choice. They can either abide by the sacred tenets of their faith, pay a penalty of over $14 million, and cripple the companies they have spent a lifetime building, or they become complicit in a grave moral wrong…. If that is not ‘substantial pressure on an adherent to modify his behavior and to violate his beliefs,’ we fail to see how the standard could be met.”
Bring on the SCOTUS!!

Pro-Life in TN reposts a piece by Family Action TN that explains how Tennessee could soon take the mantel from Texas as the pro-life epicenter: "On November 4, 2014, Tennesseans will go to the polls to vote on a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would put the constitution back where it was before four activist judges re-wrote it in 2000. If voters approve the amendment, Tennesseans will once again be back in control of what abortion policies our state will have."

In a shocking exclusive, Abortion State (Washington) reports that a police record it has obtained shows Planned Parenthood Bellington tried to cover up the rape of a 10-year-old by a 31-year-old illegal immigrant:The police record, authored by Deputy Smith, states the following:
“On the afternoon of 09 18 2012, I contacted Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood to obtain a copy of the records documenting ’s treatment at their care (sic!) facility. I was referred to their records contact…. Sherry who told me Planned Parenthood would not follow the mandated reported (sic) law as codified in RCW 26.44.030.12(b) and refused (to) provide medical records. I then advised Planned Parenthood that I would seek a court order for their records….”

Suzy B explains how Republican Tom Ridge, the pro-abortion former governor of Pennsylvania, has a lot of nerve to set his sights on pro-life conservatives:
"Earlier this week… Ridge went on an all-out verbal assault against social conservatives, including pro-lifers, within the Republican Party. He called social conservatives “narcissists and ideologues” that are “too damned self-righteous” and are imposing “tyranny” on the nation. He said that pro-lifers had forgotten about the separation of church and state and he laid the blame for electoral losses at their feet…."

Ridge’s own self-righteousness is alarming considering his record on abortion. In the wake of the Kermit Gosnell trial in Philadelphia, many Americans wondered how such a monster could work undetected for such a long period of time. The grand jury in the case placed the blame squarely upon Governor Ridge. Describing Ridge’s administration, they said the following:

“…the Pennsylvania Department of Health abruptly decided, for political reasons, to stop inspecting abortion clinics at all. The politics in question were not anti-abortion, but pro. With the change of administration from Governor Casey to Governor Ridge, officials concluded that inspections would be ‘putting a barrier up to women’ seeking abortions. Better to leave clinics to do as they pleased, even though, as Gosnell proved, that meant both women and babies would pay.”

At National Review Online, Michael New picks apart a Politico op ed that tried to say abortion is a winning issue for Texas gubernatorial candidate and late-term abortion supporter Wendy Davis:
Davis’s 13-hour filibuster of a 20-week abortion ban this past June certainly raised her national profile. It may well help her raise money from supporters of legal abortion outside Texas. However, there is little evidence that Senator Davis’s extreme position on abortion has endeared her to Texas voters.

Fowler: Forget Texas, Tennessee is the abortion epicenter

Cross Posted on: 11-1-2013 by: David Fowler Family Action TN


Over the last couple of years, several states have passed tough laws restricting abortion. Texas has been one of the chief “offenders” in the eyes of the abortion rights crowd. This week Texas made national news twice as a federal judge struck down its latest pro-life measure, then again when an appeals court reinstated some of the law’s restrictions. But this week, it became apparent that Tennessee is going to become the epicenter of the battle in America for life and death.

Tennessee has a strongly pro-life state legislature, but I bet you don’ hear a lot about our state passing laws like those in Texas. Maybe you have wondered why.

If so, here’s your answer. Since a state Supreme Court ruling in 2000, Tennessee has been one of only sixteen states in the nation with a state constitutional right to abortion. And our court’s ruling was the toughest of the bunch.

The results is that our state is the only state in the entire Southeast that does not have at least an abortion-specific informed consent law or a law requiring a waiting period between the information being given and the abortion procedure.

And because of the court’s ruling, we can’t have a meaningful informed consent law, or much of anything else. Legislatively, there’s not much point passing a law that you know our court will strike down.

One consequence of our lack of such basic, commonsense regulations for the protection of women is that we are now the fifth highest provider of abortions to out-of-state women in the nation (based on information released by the Center for Disease Control in November, 2012).

In other words, Tennessee has become an abortion destination. Florida may be the “sunshine state,” but at least we are becoming known for something – an abortion haven.

But Tennessee’s low profile nationally when it comes to abortion is about to be raised. Substantially.

On November 4, 2014, Tennesseans will go to the polls to vote on a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would put the constitution back where it was before four activist judges re-wrote it in 2000. If voters approve the amendment, Tennesseans will once again be back in control of what abortion policies our state will have.

That profile began to be raised some this week. This coming Monday, November 4th, the campaign being organized by Yes on 1 to pass the amendment will kick off with its first major fundraising event. That event caught the eye of the press. And not just in Tennessee. It became a story in newspapers across the nation.

For the media and abortion advocates, any attempt to pass something pro-life is a problem that they think America needs to be warned about. And in this case, what Tennessee is doing required a five-alarm warning.

The reason this amendment is a major “problem” is simple. Unlike what happens in Texas and other states, abortionist have not had to convince the people of Tennessee and their elected representatives to support pro-abortion policies over pro-life policies; the state Supreme Court took the issue out of their hands and declared abortionists the winner on all abortion issues. But the amendment would change that.

In response to the news about the fundraiser, representatives of Planned Parenthood made it clear that they intend to put up a strong fight to defeat the amendment. And they will.

If our experience is like that in other states where pro-life measures have been up for public vote, abortion money will pour in from other states.

So, Tennesseans, be ready. You may not get much “love” when it come to presidential politics, but next year, you will become the focus of attention around the nation as Tennesseans decide whether they want to be known as an abortion destination.

Pro-life blog buzz 11-1-13

from Jill Stanek.com
by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli

We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

Abortion Pill Risks notes a disturbing recent case report which calls into question the safety of off-label use of RU-486 for abortion. The FDA relies on voluntary reporting of serious adverse events of the drug’s use:
A case report published in the July 2013 issue of Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology confirms the discovery of the first known global death case of “Fatal Clostridium septicum following medical termination of pregnancy.”…A number of different off-label or alternative medical abortion regimens have been recommended by providers in the United States. In the United States the FDA has issued public health advisories to warn health care professionals about the risks of sepsis and toxic shock in medical abortion and to reinforce use of the FDA approved regimen which does not include the vaginal use of misoprostol.

At CatholicVote, Michael J. New discusses the results of a new Quinnipiac poll on Catholic attitudes toward abortion and same-sex marriage.

40 Days for Life notes the success of the campaign in England, where many originally thought 40 Days would have little appeal, as it was considered “too American.” The campaign garnered media attention from the Guardian and the BBC.

Euthanasia Prevention Coalition reports that Belgium, which is already considered a pioneer in euthanasia, is considering extending this practice to children as long as the parents consent, as well as to people with dementia. Advocates say that denying children this opportunity is unjust, but opponents state that children cannot reasonably be expected to decide to end their own lives. What if the parents say yes and the children object? (And who decides for those with dementia?) Once this door is opened, how can it ever be closed?
Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life discusses how Planned Parenthood is “making a difference” in Minnesota.

Blogger Matt Walsh has a powerful satirical piece on “ending the stigma of infanticide”:

Meanwhile, abortion groups across the nation have organized pro-abortion events in 32 states, as part of their “1 in 3″ campaign. It aims to feature women telling uplifting and inspirational stories about their abortions. The organizers want to “end the stigma of abortion.” It is the act of violently murdering an unborn human, why should there be any negative feelings attached to it?…
Why stop at ending the stigma surrounding abortion?…
Let’s end the stigma surrounding child murder. All child murder — not just the trendy kind, which we've dubbed “abortion.”…
Make infanticide legal. Do you know why? Because we don’t deserve to prohibit it. We can’t sit here, ignoring the silent screams of millions of murdered children, and pretend that we have ethical standards. We can’t do that. We don’t get to do that. We can’t celebrate the genocide of 50 million human infants and then pretend to be horrified because a girl stashes her dead baby in her handbag, or a psychotic sociopath drowns all of her kids in the bathtub. And Gosnell? What in the h*** is he doing in a prison cell? He did exactly what every other abortionist does, he just didn't dress it up and try to make it look pretty. He murdered children in a drab, run down building, and put the corpses in the fridge. Non-jailed abortionist murder children in nicer buildings, and throw the bodies in the hazardous waste dumpster out back. So one is in prison, and the others aren't due to, what, aesthetic differences?

Live Action posts video of HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ dodge when questioned whether Obamacare enrollees can determine whether plans cover abortion before enrolling: