Murder or assisted suicide: both wrong, both tragic

Back in Sept. of 2010,  I posted this from the Seattle Weekly.com. It was a somewhat strange story about a man ,  called homeless by the article , was found strangled. Another homeless man stepped up when the police were at the scene investigating and said that  he had done the strangling as a favor to his friend who was depressed and said he wanted to die. I posted the article and expressed my viewpoint against assisted suicide if indeed that was what it was. I do realize it is legal in WA.  We cannot know if the deceased actually said he wanted to die but regardless he should have received help to live and not die.

One of my faithful readers, anonymous, who monitors this to disagree with me on assisted suicide/abortion/escr/right to life anything  and a person who says he/she is a cousin of the deceased and claims this was murder and keeps writing to demand an apology. Although I point out that I posted what the article said and am against assisted suicide and consider it murder, he keeps telling me to be a good Catholic and apologize as his cousin was murdered. Well, thanks for considering me Catholic which is beside the point but I am not a Catholic.  My mother, however, thanks you for thinking that.

I do not support assisted suicide and what happened to his cousin is tragic, no doubt. I can say that I consider assisted suicide  murder but what is important is not my opinion but the disposition of the case. Did the deceased actually say that to Joshua? We will  never know. I had asked the cousin to tell me the disposition of the case  which surely he/she is following as I am interested in how this turned out. He/she never did so when he wrote to complain the last time that his cousin was murdered and demand an apology for an article that I did not write;  I wrote to the reporter asking for the disposition of the case. He did not know and was not following it. I called the DA and got transferred to several different places but finally got some information on Joshua Stattman who is alleged to have committed the crime. He is still in custody with bail set at one million dollars. There is a preliminary hearing set for 1-19-11.

So for anonymous that supports assisted suicide but is sure this is murder and for  the cousin who is sure this is murder and wants an apology for an article I did not write, let's see what the courts decide. I am opposed to murder and assisted suicide and hope justice is done in this case. Murder or assisted suicide, a life is lost and that is tragic and I oppose both.

TN: Man charged with assisted suicide and abuse of corpse. CT: son charged with assisted suicide

From Tennessean: The man had been charged with abuse of a corpse when he dumped his wife's body in the woods after her death. TBI continued to investigate and now has charged him with murder and assisted suicide in giving her pills that she overdosed on.

In CT, a man is charged with manslaughter in the death of his father who suffered from Alzheimer s Disease by an overdose of alcohol and  amitriptyline. The son claimed the father had confided his intent to commit suicide  before he became incapacitated.

Ryan Scott Bomberger.....when a woman is raped

Preview of ProLifeCon: Ryan Scott Bomberger

From Family Research Concil blog

I hope I get to hear this man speak in person. What an inspiration and I love it when there is a human face on the what if a woman is raped?

"As ProLifeCon draws nearer, I am excited to introduce you to some awesome speakers who will be sharing their experiences.  However, I am really excited to hear from Ryan Scott Bomberger, who is the Chief Creative Officer at The Radiance Foundation.  Ryan’s story is inspiring, as he was adopted at six weeks by a loving family since his birth mother chose life, instead of abortion.
Ryan has had a passion for adoption and pro-life, pro-family causes since childhood, and he has been involved in several youth outreach programs.  His passion for creativity has led him to minister to others through this medium.
Please register for ProLifeCon today to hear from exciting speakers, who will leave you more empowered to make a difference in your community."

Miracle 12oz-baby Audrey Jean born 15 weeks early

From Catholic Vote.org.

Have some Kleenex handy:

Audrey Jean was born 15 weeks early at just 25 weeks gestation due to severe pre-eclampsia and severe IUGR. At birth she weighed only 12 ounces (350 grams) and was 10 inches in length. The doctors gave us very little hope in her survival. But the minutes turned into hours and hours into days. She surpassed all expectations. After 93 days in the NICU, we brought our beautiful, healthy baby girl home. This video is a photo [and video] journal capturing our journey with Audrey from birth through her first 8 months of life! Her journey is truly remarkable. Enjoy!

A website which catalogues the tiniest surviving babies puts Audrey Jean at almost 100 grams heavier and several weeks older than other babies who have survived extreme-premature birth.
The video above is a rare chance to witness outside the womb what normally happens to little babies at this age inside the womb.
A new study shows that unborn twins interact with each other as early as 14 weeks. Audrey Jean is almost twice as old as the babies in that study.
37 states allow abortions past 24 weeks gestational age. Pro-abortion organizations believe all state bans on abortion are unconstitutional.

Celebration of Life for Isaiah was more than inspirational.....he was a life worth celebrating

 Update again: I attended the Celebration of Life yesterday. Inspirational does not begin to describe the event. This young couple is mature beyond their years...they taught  us so much. You wonder if this needs to be a private family only funeral and should you even intrude on their grief...but this couple who happens to be creative and talented made it a true celebration of life. Isaiah who by earthly terms lived one hour was a life and one worth celebrating! They taught us that...and maybe they will share this beautiful tribute on their face book page. From the funeral brochure they made .... to the video pictures of Issiah's short life to the song that the father sang accompanied by sisters and brothers to the poem written and read by the mother....words escape me except that they will probably not know this side of heaven the testimony of Isaiah and their family.

 

Isaiah: Celebration of Life to be shared with others

 To bring closure  to this post that inspired so many. The family will hold a celebration of life for Isaiah. I had been watching the paper for the obit and calling the funeral home and thought perhaps  they wanted a private service which I could certainly understand.  As they continue  to recover, they are going to allow  us to grieve with them.  Through  the miracle of the internet, people from literally all over the world were praying for this family.

 

"Heather & Craig Plus 16 Legs We will hold a Celebration of Life service for Isaiah on Wednesday, January 12th. All of our friends and family are invited to come and help us celebrate his precious life."

"We have been greatly encouraged by the many messages, prayers, and comments we have been receiving - hearing of the inspiration that Isaiah's story has been to so many people in so many places has been very therapeutic for us. We haven't had the time to respond to many of them, but we have been thanking God repeatedly for all of you!"

"Today, we finally came home from the hospital! Heather lost a lot of blood in her surgery and had to have several blood transfusions - she will require quite a bit more time to fully recover. Praise God for protecting her from the many other, more dangerous scenarios that could have played out."

TN: 25th in abortions....DE: Small state with the most abortions

25: Tennessee

2008 Abortion Rate 
15.5 abortions per 1,000 women (15-44)
19,550 total abortions

01: Delaware

2008 Abortion Rate 
40 abortions per 1,000 women (15-44)
7,070 total abortions

 

You can see the full report of  the states here. But what does this all mean and where are we headed?  Americans United for Life has a thorough  legal analysis. 

The headline scream that abortions have been in decline but have stalled. Pro abort blogs like to throw another subject line at you saying reports of clinic harassment is up. I wonder about their sources and their definition of harassment. With 40 Days for Life gaining more traction, peaceful praying on a public sidewalk in front of abortion mills can be interpreted  by pro aborts as harassment. I listened to Abby Johnson's web cast on the roll out of her book Unplanned. She  tells of the feelings of the clinic workers to having people outside peacefully praying and how they considered that harassment.

Tennessean: article dismisses ADF complaint against Vanderbilt....Update Vandy changes policy one day after ADF files complaint

Update: 8:21 PM 1-12-11....great news. Vanderbilt has decided to abandon the policy that they deny having in the first place. Per this story

Vandy has had a change of heart. 

ADF said they will be "monitoring the situation to make sure the university continues to comply with the law. It’s ironic that Vanderbilt changed its policy one day after denying that it required the pledge.”

Tennessean has an article responding to the Alliance Defense Fund's complaint.  I posted about it here. The Tennessean never has hidden their support of abortion.  They start off with the facts but then find two lawyers who say that ADF does not have much of a case because....Vandy does have a non discrimination policy.....which by the way is not stated in the acknowledgment but of course students are supposed  to just know that I guess.  The spokesman for Vandy says this is just to inform the applicants that they may be providing care to a woman who has had an abortion or  is seeking one. Here is the wording...what does it say to you? I think ADF is right when they say this is their way of screening out pro life personnel and a violation of their rights. The two lawyers they trot out for their article indicate that the wording in the required acknowledgment may not be the best but if they do not actually force someone  to participate in an abortion against their conscience they do not actually break the law. Pretty lame Vandy. Here is the actual wording...I think it is pretty clear that pro life nurses are not to apply and there is no advising of legal rights of conscience. No dice Vandy

Applicants to the nursing program's women's health track are required to sign an acknowledgment stating, "I am aware that I may be providing nursing care for women who are having" procedures including terminations of pregnancy.

"It is important that you are aware of this aspect of care and give careful consideration to your ability to provide compassionate care to women in these situations," the acknowledgment states. "If you feel you cannot provide care to women during this type of event, we encourage you to apply to a different track of the Nurse Residency Program to explore opportunities that may best fit your skills."

Update: Boyle in Nashville instead of hearing......Hearing set for dr. who flashed gun at 40 Days for Life prayer vigil ......runs abortion mills in TN and SC

Update: Thursday, January 13, 2011.....so where is the good dr. right now when he is supposed to be at his preliminary hearing in Charleston SC????? Where's Gary...prayer advocates report that he is at his Nashville abortion facility  on Welshwood  at the  time of his reported hearing in South Carolina. Reporter in SC reports that the hearing was continued.....Boyle is a busy man don't you know.

 Hearing is set for tomorrow for the dr. who flashed a gun at  the 40 Days for Life people doing a prayer vigil in front of his abortion mill in Charleston SC. We have written about him before here and here. This is the dr. who runs abortion mills in TN and SC and has been in trouble with the law in the past. Although MSM like to portray the people on the public sidewalk outside his clinics as protesters, they actually were peaceful law abiding people praying for 40 Days for Life. Of course many see prayers as being a dangerous  thing as in watch that lady, she is holding a rosary in her hands...
Pix above is the Women's Center in Nashville...one of the most notorious abortion mills he owns. 
He got into a scrape with the law with this mill for operating without a required certificate of need from the Health Dept. The Health Dept. attempted to shut them down but with the liberal judges and ACLU he is still in business there he is up and running as a judge ruled that to make him abide by the rules other ambulatory surgical treatment centers do is a violation of a woman's right to privacy.

TN Vanderbilt currently forces nursing students to sign pledge to participate in abortion in violation of conscience and the current law

NASHVILLE — "The Alliance Defense Fund filed a complaint Tuesday with the Department of Health and Human Services against Vanderbilt University for requiring nursing residents to participate in abortion procedures. Vanderbilt receives more than $300 million in federal tax dollars each year, and federal law prohibits grant recipients from forcing students or health care workers to participate in abortions contrary to their religious beliefs or moral convictions."

“Christians and other pro-life members of the medical community shouldn’t be forced to participate in abortions to pursue their profession,” said ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman. “People enter the medical profession to protect and heal the helpless. Federal law protects them from being required to kill the helpless. The law clearly states that grant recipients cannot accept taxpayer dollars and require health care workers to participate in abortions, which is precisely what Vanderbilt is doing.”

“We repeatedly see universities and other users of taxpayer dollars tell students and staff that they must submit to the institution’s preferred ideology or take a hike,” said ADF Senior Counsel David French. “What many of these institutions truly want--besides money--are people who share their leftist political and social views.”

(Prolifer)ations 1-11-11

from Jill Stanek.com

by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN
As always, we welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs! Please email Susie@jillstanek.com.
Be sure to check out our newest addition, MN Citizens Concerned for Life.

• MN Citizens Concerned for Life notes Nigeria’s lack of focus on actually improving the health of women, instead promoting legalized abortion with a study on the most “cost-effective” abortion options (vacuum aspiration coming in 1st), released in the African Journal of Reproductive Health.

• Wesley J. Smith draws attention to an “artistic” celebration of… death. Damien Hirst will no doubt offend many a bereaved parent with his latest piece – a baby’s skull studded with 8,000 diamonds. Smith points out: When human bodies are plasticized and put on display as if they were having sexual intercourse, and a baby’s skull is studded with diamonds, it isn’t art. It is a nihilistic and decadent disrespect for the dead….
  
• SuzyB posts interviews with all RNC Chair candidates, focusing on pro-life issues.
• ProWomanProLife has thoughts on the case of a Christian mental health worker recently fired for distributing pro-life materials to coworkers.
• SecularProLife discusses the disturbing double-standard between crimes committed by pro-aborts and those committed by pro-lifers. SPL comments on the case of Linda Meek, an abortion clinic director who planted a fake bomb at her facility: How many years in prison do you think an anti-abortion activist would get for placing a fake bomb at an abortion facility? Ten? Five? Surely not zero.
  When it’s a pro-abortion activist, though, all she gets is probation!
  

Disabled toddler drowns under suspicious circumstances

 Horrifying and tragic story from Australia. Parents of children need a strong support system to keep them from going crazy themselves and potentially doing something crazy or lethal. I pray this family who wondered out loud about legal euthanasia for their disabled child did not do  this on purpose. It does appear suspicious that they would leave a disable toddler in a pool unattended and the mother who is trained in CPR did not perform this. They will find no peace in  their lives if that is the case. And if two people know of  the deed, one eventually will turn on the other one.
pix from Daily Telegraph

Commercial Appeal's Ricard Locker ...most accurate on pro life SJR 127.

 Today is a good day in TN regardless of snowfall and school closings. The 107th Tennessee General Assembly  begins its session. This is a big year for pro life advocates as SJR 127 will certainly come up for a vote. We also welcome the most pro life list of legislators. May they not forget why they won election and be  swayed by all the highly paid lobbyists for the abortion industry roaming the halls. The reporters will also be roaming looking for a good sound bite. It is frustrating that no matter how much you try to explain it to them, they can't get it right. Is it because the misinformation is deemed more newsworthy? I hope not. 






Family Action Council /TN  points out some of the misinformation in their email blast today ....

"Yesterday’s Chattanooga Times Free Press reported on SJR 127, saying it “would strip the Tennessee Constitution of any language construed to protect the right to an abortion.” The reporter, who is a friend and actually a good reporter as far as I’m concerned, sort of got it right. He rightly noted that the “right to abortion” in Tennessee’s constitution was a consequence of judicial construction. There is, in fact, no language in the state constitution regarding abortion."

I don't know how many times this particular reporter has been given the correct language and explanation of SJR 127. Every time I see it, I write and correct him.   Fowler goes on to The Scene, a liberal rag  who like the umpire who does not call it like he sees it but sees it like he calls it.

"Of course, the November 11, 2010, edition of the Nashville Scene takes the prize for inaccuracy and hyperbole by saying SJR 127 “would amend the state constitution to strip abortion rights and force women to have the babies of even their rapist.”