Illinois Right to Life Committee
PRO-LIFE BLOG
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 -- Can justice be obtained in Kansas? Operation Rescue has been the force behind attempts to bring George Tiller and Planned Parenthood to justice for violating abortion laws in Kansas. Unfortunately, corruption gets revealed at every turn, protecting the abortion industry from numerous criminal charges. Finally, some rulings by the Kansas Supreme Court seem to favor allowing the prosecution to move forward. Most recently, the court ruled against late-term abortionist George Tiller, who had asked the Court to rule that a citizen’s called grand jury was unconstitutional and should be dismissed. Instead the Court found that such grand juries are indeed constitutional. The case was sent back to lower court to determine what scope of grand jury subpoenas should be allowed. The catch is the time required to resolve such issues before expiration of the grand jury. Earlier, the Kansas Supreme Court rejected an attempt by Planned Parenthood to retrieve records needed by District Attorney Phill Kline to prosecute his case against them. But now Jill Stanek reveals new possibilities that Planned Parenthood's stalling tactics could again prevent Kline from making his case before the end of his term in office. Stanek even raises concerns that for potential political reasons, even staunch Pro-Life U.S. Senator Sam Brownback could be helping Planned Parenthood's stalling strategy work. Pray that the complexity of applying loopholes and political deals to overcome the rule of law finally catches up with Kansas abortionists so justice will be done. Only then will unborn babies actually receive the protection intended when the Kansas laws restricting abortion were passed.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008 -- Darwin, Hitler, and the Culture of Death LifeSiteNews includes a commentary covering "Darwin, Hitler, and the Culture of Death." written by Michael Baggot. Two quotes from this article reveal the very real connection between Darwinism and the culture of death found in our world today: If man is the accidental byproduct of blind natural forces and not the planned creation of an Intelligent Creator, then his worth is something to be earned rather than gratefully received. The denial of man's intrinsic human dignity is at the heart of every eugenics movement from Hitler's Germany to early 20th century America to Planned Parenthood's continued mission to eliminate the "unwanted" children of the world. It should not be surprising then that the prominent bioethicist Peter Singer appeals to Darwinian evolution when attacking the sanctity-of-life ethic and defending abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia. When human life is not recognized as a gift from God created in His image, one can also see the relationship between this lack of respect for human life and the push for "plant rights" that I mentioned yesterday. Baggot's commentary was inspired by Ben Stein's movie "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed." Thanks to Ben Stein for demonstrating by example why clear thinking is not being practiced today in things passed off as modern science and philosophy. This demonstrated lack of intelligence and common sense is in stark contrast to the sound principles expressed by Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to the USA.
Monday, May 5, 2008 -- Plant "rights" to supersede human rights? Wesley Smith reports, "At the request of the Swiss government, an ethics panel has weighed in on the 'dignity' of plants and opined that the arbitrary killing of flora is morally wrong. This is no hoax. The concept of what could be called 'plant rights' is being seriously debated." A "clear majority" of the panel adopted what it called a "biocentric" moral view, meaning that "living organisms should be considered morally for their own sake because they are alive." Thus, the panel determined that we cannot claim "absolute ownership" over plants and, moreover, that "individual plants have an inherent worth." That sounds like principles that should apply to unborn children, but no such luck! As Smith notes, "Leading bioethicists argue that for a human, value comes from possessing sufficient cognitive abilities to be deemed a 'person.' This excludes the unborn, the newborn, and those with significant cognitive impairments, who, personhood theorists believe, do not possess the right to life or bodily integrity." Thanks to post-Christian bioethics, we are reaching the point where human beings who cannot qualify as "persons" have no value, but plants must be preserved because of their inherent "dignity." This bogus bioethics serves utilitarian purposes from abortion to euthanasia, but now recent prestigious medical and bioethical journals advocate using profoundly brain impaired patients in medical experimentation or as sources of organs. It's time for some good, old-fashioned morality!
Friday, May 2, 2008 -- The Chicago Sun-Times printed part of my letter I have rarely had success in getting letters to the editor printed in the Chicago Sun-Times, but my letter written on April 30th, responding to their editorial appeal for defunding abstinence education, was partially printed in today's Sun-Times. If you missed it, or refuse to read the Sun-TImes, the printed version follows: Abstinence works You can find my complete letter here. This topic must have generated feedback from parents who disagree with giving up on abstinence as the reliable means to prevent pregnancy and STDs. Might we expect that most parents are smart enough to realize that a mixed message just sets the bar too low and encourages experimentation with casual sex? Unbiased surveys confirm over 80% of parents want their teenagers to choose abstinence.. Barack Obama's view (that children need "comprehensive" sex education in case they make a mistake so they will not be punished with a baby or an STD) is not supported by most parents. The problem with the "comprehensive sex ed" approach is that teens will still end up pregnant, or contract STDs, because "safe" sex does not work; and that is before we even get to the psychological consequences of immoral sexual activity that can lead to serious depression or even suicide!
Thursday, May 1, 2008 -- Funeral Mass and burial for 18 aborted babies Bishop John Quinn of Detroit will offer the funeral Mass prior to the burial of 18 aborted babies on Saturday, May 3rd. These babies were discovered in dumpsters at the Woman Care abortion clinic on Southfield Road in Lathrup Village, Michigan thanks to the efforts of the Pro-Life group Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, headed by Monica Migliorino Miller. She brought the matter to the attention of the police, but abortionist Alberto Hodari was only required to retrain his employees about proper disposal of "medical waste." This funeral Mass and burial bring back memories of a similar situation in Chicago that actually led to expansion of the NOW v. Scheidler lawsuit to include those involved in burying aborted babies as "co-conspirators plotting to shut down the abortion industry." Of course, after 20 years the abortion industry finally lost that case so now it should be safe to bury aborted babies and uphold their dignity. Thank you to the defendents in NOW v. Scheidler for their persistence and their legal counsel for their expertise in preserving these rights!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 -- Teens are going to ... The April 30 Chicago Sun-Times carried an editorial entitled "Abstain from taking abstinence-only funds". My response to the Sun-Times editor is the subject of my 4/30/08 newsline Teens are going to ....
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 -- Hundreds of life advocates gather in Aurora Congratulations to Eric Scheidler for creating a moving program of various formats to celebrate life, while recognizing the deadly toll from abortion. Even with poor weather last Saturday, 400 to 500 people joined this special observance at the Planned Parenthood abortion fortress in Aurora, IL. Eric reports, "We packed both sides of New York Street with picket
signs and large pictures showing the beauty of life and the horror of abortion.
Along Oakhurst, the poignant 'Cemetery for Choice' mourned the deaths of mothers who have
died having abortions, while further down
Monday, April 28, 2008 -- Dr. Alveda King: Planned Parenthood Should be De-Funded LifeNews.com reports today that Dr. Alveda King, the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., says a new study released by Students for Life of America reinforces the call of black leaders to eliminate federal subsidies to Planned Parenthood. The article quotes Dr. King saying, “The Students for Life report on Planned Parenthood’s targeting of African Americans for abortion spells out why taxpayers should not be forced to contribute to that organization. The government should not be subsidizing racism, but that’s exactly what it’s doing through Planned Parenthood.” The study reviews the racist origins of Planned Parenthood, recently reconfirmed by the most recent scandal of seven Planned Parenthood chapters’ willingness to accept donations for the exclusive purpose of aborting black babies. “Defending human life is part of the civil rights struggle and I and my fellow pro-life African American leaders are not going away,” added Dr. King.
Friday, April 25, 2008 -- Is it art or is it a mirage? I have been very reluctant to even attempt to comment on the Yale student's so-called art project that is connected with abortion. The latest report seems to raise questions about whether any art project even exists. Robert Storr, dean of the Yale School of Art, in a statement to the media, indicates "neither he nor any other Yale faculty have seen (Aliza) Shvarts' art project," and he referred to the alleged presentation as a "phantom work." Maybe art itself is now supposed to incorporate verbal sparing over whether the described display is real or fake, or is it real? If it is real, it will be banned from display because it contains dried human blood. If it is fake, what will be displayed? Do any videos exist? Do any fake or real blood samples exist? Are you sufficiently confused yet? No matter what is the real nature of this crassly conceived "art" project, it seems to have nothing significant to say about either side of the abortion issue. Still, abortion proponents do not seem to be critical of this fiasco, while Pro-Lifers are appalled. If the project is fake, will Shvarts fail a course and miss graduation? Exactly what type of achievement does Yale expect to supply a degree? Their art school should be called on the carpet for tolerating such antics? Thursday, April 24, 2008 -- Revealing information about Planned Parenthood Earlier this month Lincoln (NE) Right to Life reported that Planned Parenthood Lincoln had stopped taking abortion appointments at the present time. "Since the end of 40 Days for Life/Lenten Prayer Vigil (on March 16th) they have only been open once" and "they were closed again on Friday April 11th." No information was available on why they stopped doing abortions, but the same situation was occurring at the Council Bluffs Iowa Planned Parenthood - "Meryl Severson is not doing abortions there for now either." I checked the web site of PP Nebraska and Council Bluffs (PPNCB) to see if they had any information on why they were not taking abortion appointments. I found a revealing video about changes at PPNCB. Scroll down the page to find the link to start the video. This video reveals that PP does not get enough money from Title X to support distribution of contraceptives. They expect to get 30% more from Medicaid to cover their "costs". Since they are only getting 2% more in Nebraska, they have voluntarily withdrawn from Title X as of April 1, 2008. Apparently PPNCB gets more Medicaid payments in Iowa so they plan to open a second location in Council Bluffs. Both of those locations will remain in Title X and other government programs to cover contraception. Might this situation suggest PP is overbilling the government for contraceptives all over the nation, as reflected in the California lawsuit that made the news recently? PPNCB is also closing their Omaha Dodge Health Center, but they have future plans to open a new facility at that site. Might this location be planned for another mega abortion facility?
Wednesday, April 23, 2008 -- Distorted testimony on abstinence education Carrying out an agenda that defies logic and cannot be supported by a fair review of the studies that have evaluated the success of abstinence education, Congressman Henry Waxman held a hearing to push for reduced funding for abstinence education. For accurate information about the effectiveness of abstinence education, check the just released Heritage Foundation study.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 -- Earth Day proponents oppose human life I did not observe Earth Day. In Family Research Council's Washington Update, Tony Perkins provides a great explanation of why Pro-Lifers should not observe Earth Day. His article entitiled "Down to Earth Day" follows: An estimated billion people are celebrating Earth Day around the world, but few seem to understand its true motivation. Today isn't just another reminder to use recycled paper or drive energy-efficient cars. It's a calculated attack on the sanctity of human life. Population control is inextricably linked to the environmental and abortion movements. For years, the Sierra Club and other green militants have said that the best way to consume fewer resources is to have fewer children. Their own website says, "Talk to your decision-makers and demand an increase of funding for voluntary family planning programs and access to comprehensive sex education for young people." Last year, Optimum Population Trust released a paper that was even less subtle. It claimed that children are "bad for the planet" and called on nations to reduce the global population by five billion--which would only be possible by forced abortion and sterilization. And how could we forget Barry Walters? The Australian professor published an article last year advocating a "baby tax" for every couple with more than two children. The crisis du jour is global warming, but even that is just another excuse to fund "Planet" Parenthood and similar groups. Stewardship of God's creation is the responsibility of every Christian. But we must realize that there's a greater threat to the environment than climate change or scarce resources--and that's the threat of environmental extremism that elevates the planet above people.
Monday, April 21, 2008 -- Proclaiming what the politically correct world rejects On Friday, I wrote about Senator Barbara Boxer's antics to prevent the Senate resolution welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to the USA from including the phrase “witnessing to the value of each and every human life.” Her censorship did not prevent Pope Benedict from addressing some politically incorrect topics in his homily during his Mass at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York on April 20th. In quotes below, the Pope not only proclaims the dignity and rights of every human life, including unborn children, he also declares that true freedom requires turning away "from the burden sin" and proclaims the existence of "unchanging truths" found in Jesus. The Gospel teaches us that true freedom, the freedom of the children of God, is found only in the self-surrender which is part of the mystery of love. Only by losing ourselves, the Lord tells us, do we truly find ourselves (cf. Lk 17:33). True freedom blossoms when we turn away from the burden of sin, which clouds our perceptions and weakens our resolve, and find the source of our ultimate happiness in him who is infinite love, infinite freedom, infinite life. May you find the courage to proclaim Christ, "the same, yesterday, and today and for ever" and the unchanging truths which have their foundation in him (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 10; Heb 13:8). These are the truths that set us free! They are the truths which alone can guarantee respect for the inalienable dignity and rights of each man, woman and child in our world - including the most defenseless of all human beings, the unborn child in the mother's womb. Pray that true freedom and unchanging truth will overcome the falsehoods of moral relativism that justify abortion, euthanasia, and embryonic stem cell research.
Friday, April 18, 2008 -- Censorship based on the unspoken subject of abortion Pope Benedict XVI is having an impact on the subject of abortion as described in my newsline Censorship based on the unspoken subject of abortion.
Thursday, April 17, 2008 -- Obama and the sex life of 12 year olds Jill Stanek wrote an article (Obama and the sex life of 12 year olds) that raises some serious issues about the positions taken by Barack Obama on sex education and abortion. Jill notes that: Obama voted against a parental notification law as Illinois state senator, where his daughters live. So he voted against being notified if they abort. And as U.S. senator, Obama voted against a law prohibiting interstate trafficking of minors for abortions without parental consent. Her closing comment is both how sad, but how true: "Obama certainly thinks his parent-to-child communication skills are better than for either of those scenarios to occur. But if he also thinks it possible that his pre-teen daughters may 'make a mistake' and have sex while living under his roof, he'd better think again." Just imagine being those girls and hearing their father effectively send the message that he expects them to be having sex anywhere between 12-16 years old, but they better get an abortion if they make a "mistake". Is that child abuse? It should be!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 -- Concern expressed for life and true freedom President George W. Bush welcomed Pope Benedict XVI to the White House today. Within his remarks were the following observations: Most of all, Holy Father, you will find in America people whose hearts are open to your message of hope. And America and the world need this message. In a world where some invoke the name of God to justify acts of terror and murder and hate, we need your message that "God is love." And embracing this love is the surest way to save men from "falling prey to the teaching of fanaticism and terrorism." In a world where some treat life as something to be debased and discarded, we need your message that all human life is sacred, and that "each of us is willed, each of us is loved" and your message that "each of us is willed, each of us is loved, and each of us is necessary." In a world where some no longer believe that we can distinguish between simple right and wrong, we need your message to reject this "dictatorship of relativism," and embrace a culture of justice and truth. In a world where some see freedom as simply the right to do as they wish, we need your message that true liberty requires us to live our freedom not just for ourselves, but "in a spirit of mutual support." In his response, Pope Benedict included the following thoughts: Freedom is not only a gift, but also a summons to personal responsibility. The preservation of freedom calls for the cultivation of virtue, self-discipline, sacrifice for the common good and a sense of responsibility towards the less fortunate. It also demands the courage to engage in civic life and to bring one's deepest beliefs and values to reasoned public debate. Democracy can only flourish, as your founding fathers realized, when political leaders and those whom they represent are guided by truth and bring the wisdom born of firm moral principle to decisions affecting the life and future of the nation. Defense of human life depends on the preservation of these principles in the conduct of our government leaders and the formation and interpretation of our laws. I pray that we will find and select candidates who reflect these values. Otherwise, the future defense of human life will become that much more difficult.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 -- Demonstration for "responsible" sex education The Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH) scheduled a demonstration for today in downtown Chicago, starting at 28 E. Jackson, to ask Governor Blagojevich to reject funding of "abstinence-only-until-marriage" education. Of course, ICAH, in partnership with Planned Parenthood, wants more funding for "sexual health education" which they previously called "comprehensive sex education." Maybe enough people have already figured out that "comprehensive sex education" does not work so ICAH is already trying another name. In any case, ICAH is certainly no friend of true adolescent health. You can usually learn a lot by observing one's friends. Any group aligned with Planned Parenthood is certainly no true friend of adolescents. Consider this. To encourage teens not to drink or take drugs, would you teach
them safe drinking or drug safety? Of course
not! You would clearly state the benefits
of abstaining from drugs and alcohol and explain the serious consequences of drug and
alcohol use. What if teens go ahead and drink or use drugs anyway? Should we change our message to teach them safe
drinking and drug safety because they are going to do it anyway? No, we know instintively that such a mixed message
would just encourage more teens to do drugs or drink alcohol. Why should we treat teenage sex any differently? We know that teens who abstain are better
students, do not get sexually transmitted diseases, experience better emotional and mental
health, and do not have untimely pregnancies. So-called comprehensive sex education (alias "sexual health
education") provides a mixed message that just encourages sex. Insist on abstinence education in your local
schools and request state and federal funding of abstinence education.
Monday, April 14, 2008 -- Defying biology and morality to defend abortion "rights" The Democratic candidates for President answered questions about their religious faith at Sunday's first ever “Compassion Forum” to address “Faith in Public Life.” Both candidates were asked “Do you believe that life begins at conception?” Did both of them fail biology class? Hillary Clinton answered, “I believe the potential for life begins at conception. For me, it is also not only about a potential life. It is about the other lives involved.” Barack Obama stated, “This is something that I have not, I think, come to a firm resolution on... I don't presume to know the answer to that question. What I know... is that there is something extraordinarily powerful about potential life and that that has a moral weight to it that we take into consideration when we're having these debates.” For Clinton, “individuals must be entrusted to make this profound decision” so government must give them license to kill their babies. For Obama, the 'moral weight' he ascribes to 'potential life' is not sufficient to prevent abortion under any circumstances. Deacon Keith Fournier observed, “The 'Compassion Forum' left the Child in the Womb out of the conversation.”
Friday, April 11, 2008 -- Abortion does not reduce future crime rates Three economists have done another analysis to determine if statistics support the concept that abortion reduces crime rates. They focused on England because abortions have been legal there since 1969 and because the British health system requires all abortions be reported to the government. What was the conclusion? "Violent crime does not decrease at all over the period. The trends are not supportive of a link between abortion and crime," the economists write at the VoxEU web site. In 2001 John Donohue and Steven Levitt first introduced the theory that legalized abortion reduced future crime rates. A few months ago Levitt was featured on an ABC morning news program, still promoting this frequently criticized theory, now further refuted by these results from England. A study released in November 2005 by
Christopher Foote, a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, revealed that
the data Levitt used was faulty
Thursday, April 10, 2008 -- Komen races for the cause, not the cure The Komen Foundation sponsors the annual "Race for the Cure" to fight breast cancer. However, STOPP, Int'l has revealed the scope of donations received by Planned Parenthood from Komen. STOPP reports that Komen chapters donated a total of $711,485 to Planned Parenthood affiliates from April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006. This hefty sum of donations, intended by the donors to fight breast cancer, was given to the nation's largest abortionist who contributes to the increasing occurrence of breast cancer, both through the abortions they commit and from the contraceptives they distribute. If you were considering Komen a good cause, maybe you should reconsider.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008 -- iPS stem cell "success" still problematic LifeNews.com has given a rather glowing report on the latest progress working with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS). This new type of iPS cell is made by adding three or four genes to a normal skin cell, reprogramming it so that it acts like an embryonic stem cell but without using embryos, eggs, or cloning. Reporting that "scientists at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research have used the reprogrammed cells to successfully treat Parkinson's in mice," LifeNews stated, "Parkinson's symptoms were significantly reduced and the cells were able to replace lost or damaged neurons." Not included in the LifeNews article, but reported by Family Research Council's Washington Update was the negative result, "Rats treated with iPS cells showed reduced Parkinson's symptoms; however, many also showed tumor development, a typical result with any embryonic stem cell." While it is good news that stem cells equivalent to embryonic stem cells can be created without killing embryos, the major news from this most recent research should be that the equivalence includes the same old problem -- tumors are prevalent when these cells are used as treatments. Treatments that produce results without tumors are still only achieved using stem cells from adults or from umbilical cord blood. There is little reason to get excited about potential progress from iPS cells any time soon, if ever.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008 -- Wrong Choice Movement Now who could that be? Deacon Keith Fournier has made a proposal to improve the accuracy of terminology. Since many who are pro-abortion like to cover their tracks by calling themselves pro-choice, he suggests that we call them the "wrong choice movement." Even many of these self-proclaimed "pro-choicers" admit that abortion is a tragic decision and a last resort. Of course, right after that, they claim abortion is safer than childbirth (false), never affects mental health (false), etc. To be accurate, we can call them the "wrong choice movement" because they reject the right to life of the baby and ignore the many immediate and long-term effects on the mother. As David Reardon of the Elliot Institute stated earlier, "Abortion is a poor choice."
Monday, April 7, 2008 -- Describing how abortions are committed Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, has created two videos and placed them on YouTube. In these videos Fr. Pavone demonstrates how abortions are committed. He covers both first trimester abortion and second trimester abortion. If you know someone who thinks abortion should be a choice, please suggest they learn more about what is being chosen by watching these short videos. Of course, we know abortion kills the baby, but how can anyone think that such unnatural procedures can be safe for the mother?
Friday, April 4, 2008 -- Abortion leads to more child abuse April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. This is another problem where one of the causes is ignored because it is not politically correct. What is that cause? Abortion! Refer to my press release for details.
Thursday, April 3, 2008 -- Some cracks appear in Kansas corruption Thanks to Operation Rescue, the outrageous level of corruption used to protect Planned Parenthood is becoming visible in Kansas state government. If Planned Parenthood has any similar corrupt networks established in other states, no wonder they have so far been able to cover their deceitful tracks in reaching their now $1 billion scam. But cracks are finally appearing in Kansas as the pressure for justice mounts. Scandal earlier forced the resignation of the pro-abortion Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison. Now the top two officials of the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts have resigned over issues raised concerning scandals involving Board ineptitude and cover-ups, that have prevented reasonable enforcement action against Planned Parenthood and notorius late-term abortionist George Tiller. Chief Counsel of the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts Mark Stafford has resigned, joining his boss, Executive Director Larry Buening, who first resigned after calls for their ouster were made in the Kansas Legislature.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008 -- Planned Parenthood's scam reaches $1 billion Planned Parenthood released their latest annual report on March 28th. That report revealed over $1 billion in revenue, including $336 million from public funds. Even though Planned Parenthood is classified as a non-profit organization, they reported a profit (excess revenue) of $112 million. As the largest abortion provider, their market share grew to nearly 24% with 289,650 abortions committed, representing a 9.3% increase from the previous year. Family Research Council put it this way: Would you invest in a company whose affiliates are complicit in sexual crimes
against children? It is time to end this scam. Planned Parenthood's access to government funding must be ended!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008 -- Appeal filed on Illinois Parental Notice ruling Yesterday, the Thomas More Society issued a press release upon filing an appeal of Federal Judge David Coar's ruling against the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act. On March 19th, Judge Coar denied a motion to reconsider his ruling so the next step was filing an appeal. The appeal has been filed with the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Thomas More Society is representing two Illinois State's Attorneys who have petitioned to represent themselves in the case. The appeal raises issues about an Illinois law that Judge Coar failed to consider in his justification for why the Illinois law was not enforceable. His ruling was based on lack of a means to establish consent for an abortion after a judge waived the parental notice requirement, but another Illinois law makes it clear that a pregnant woman, even a minor, can make her own medical decisions and thus give consent for the abortion. Pray that the Appeals Court will make the correct decision!
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