Illinois Right to Life Committee
PRO-LIFE BLOG
Friday, Jan 29, 2010 -- Hospice hastening death in Eastern Iowa I received a call from a nurse in Iowa. She explained that she had experienced some "suspicious" care decisions in her dealings with a hospice there. Her own mother was under the care of this hospice when she recognized that a prescription for morphine was dangerously high. She was forced to argue about this dosage and eventually moved her mother to another hospice. Meanwhile, another patient she knew well that was under this hospice's care was similarly prescribed a high dosage of morphine. She intervened to help prevent this dosage from being given to that patient. The patient is still alive five months later because the morphine has been rejected, as the patient was not in pain anyway. The caller explained how she took these situations to the management of the hospice, but only received evasive answers and attempted justifications. Unfortunately, this situation suggests another hospice that is failing to carry out the hospice mission to never hasten death. It is fortunate that a better hospice is available in that area. Use the IRLC Hospice Checklist to assess a hospice before making any commitments to use its services.
Thursday, Jan 28, 2010 -- Latest deception based on teen pregnancy statistics The Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion group formerly affiliated with Planned Parenthood, recently released a report showing that teen pregnancy rates increased for the first time in more than a decade. Of course, they immediately blamed abstinence programs. A more thoughtful analysis of the timing and implications was provided by American Life League: • Prior to 1990, teen pregnancy rates were increasing just about
every year, as Planned Parenthood’s sex-ed programs dominated public and private
school sex-education courses.
Wednesday, Jan 27, 2010 -- Abortion advocates going ballistic as losses mount The nightmare for abortion advocates actually began when polling data showed U.S. citizens are becoming more Pro-Life. They really took notice with the loss of a U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts. Now they are very concerned that they are losing government-funded abortion coverage, even though many pro-abortion members of Congress are still claiming that abortion is not funded under the health care bill. When Planned Parenhood rallies their supporters to demand action on health care because "too many lawmakers seem ready to give up on reform" and "we've never had a better chance to expand access to" abortion, what does that tell you about abortion coverage in the health care bill? As usual when they are losing support, abortion advocates always look for new ways to attack their opposition. In Virginia and Washington state bills have been introduced to attack pregnancy centers, trying to put them out of business. Fortunately, the Virgina bills were quickly defeated in subcommittee so the lies about pregnancy care centers received no support there. Some abortion advocates are using the trial of Scott Roeder, accused of murdering late-term abortionist George Tiller, to again ask the Obama administration to investigate Pro-Life organizations by claiming Pro-Life groups are fostering a climate of violence that motivated Scott Roeder to kill, even though he was not affiliated with any Pro-Life group. Abortion advocates cannot stomach the possibility of a positive Pro-Life message reaching the public during the February 7th Super Bowl. They are attacking the CBS-approved 30-second ad featuring University of Florida football star Tim Tebow, demanding that CBS cancel it. Of course, the leaders of this anti-life campaign have not even seen the ad, but since Focus on the Family is sponsoring it, it must be a terrible threat to abortion "rights". In fact, their diatribe is giving the ad and Pro-Lifers free publicity. Last night, Chicago CBS Channel 2 did a long story on the controversy. Does anyone think that a call for censorship will be viewed positively by the general public? After not getting even a second of coverage for the March for Life, this unexpected publicity can only be beneficial to the Pro-Life cause. The recent Supreme Court decision that rejected certain restrictions on corporate advertising as unconstitutional violations of First Amendment rights has abortion advocates nervous. The ruling rejected some long-standing precedents, suggesting a possible line of reasoning to throw out Roe v. Wade. Just when they thought everything was lined up to move rapidly in their favor, abortion advocates are finding roadblocks developing in their path. Pray that these trends continue and lead to significant Pro-Life victories.
Tuesday, Jan 26, 2010 -- Mixed messages on the direction of health care "reform" Maybe Democratic leaders who are pushing the government takeover of health care have decided "if you can't convince them, confuse them." After signals suggesting the need to create a scaled-back health care bill in response to Scott Brown's Senate win in Massachusetts, the hard line push seems to have returned, given the message from President Obama's advisors on the weekend television shows, but the strategy will be worked out behind closed doors as usual. While President Obama will apparently downplay health care in favor of focusing on job creation and control of government spending during his State of the Union address tomorrow, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now plans to try talking House members into approving the Senate's pro-abortion health care bill with some changes, and then having the Senate use the controversial reconciliation process to affirm those changes. The Senate would vote on the House changes to its health care bill using the reconciliation process normally reserved for budget items. This move would allow the Democratic majority to pass the changes with 51 votes instead of needing 60 votes to end a filibuster, which can't be stopped now that Scott Brown of Massachusetts gives the Republicans 41 votes. Pelosi plans to flesh out the potential changes that could get enough votes in the House when Democrats hold party caucus meetings this week. Her strategy could be short lived if House members have too many objections to various provisions in the Senate bill. Pray, and call your Congressman, to encourage House members to have more than enough objections that cannot be resolved. Be sure to remind them there is an election in November.
Monday, Jan 25, 2010 -- Abortion, euthanasia, and the death penalty as life issues As has been done for a number of years, my church observed a memorial for the 51 million babies lost to abortion since 1973. Positive feedback was received about the video played for this memorial, but suggestions were also made to include other life issues. In considering videos for next year's memorial for babies lost to abortion, finding material that would cover Down syndrome babies, and possibly those with other disabilities, who are aborted so frequently would be consistent with a memorial for babies lost to abortion. An image of Terri Schiavo did appear in this year's video so euthanasia was subtlely addressed. To address it more as part of a memorial for babies lost to abortion, one approach would be a video that portrayed the slippery slope from abortion to euthanasia. It might be difficult to cover such concepts in a 3-4 minute video. Might it be possible to schedule playing another video on euthanasia some other time of year? The annual memorial for Terri Schiavo (Terri's Day) is March 31, the day she died from starvation and dehydration. With both abortion and euthanasia, people may encounter friends, relatives, or neighbors who are or know someone who is considering abortion, or people who are struggling with pressure to take steps that will hasten the death of an ailing relative. Offering a memorial for aborted babies helps to encourage a change in perspective and the possibility of taking action that may save a life. If an appropriate time could be determined to focus on euthanasia, this information could have a similar direct effect. Addressing the death penalty is much more remote. No one in a church congregation is likely to have any means to deal with carrying out or blocking use of the death penalty. Making this issue even more remote in Illinois, there is a moratorium on use of the death penalty so it has not been used even once since at least 2002. When there were 47,717 abortions in Illinois in 2008, and 25,529 of those occurred in Cook County, and both cultural attitudes and outside pressure on families are encouraging more frequent use of actions or inactions that hasten death, it seems that the emphasis needs to be placed on these issues that can potentially have a direct bearing on saving lives.
Friday, Jan 22, 2010 -- Spilling the beans on Planned Parenthood's real agenda While I listened to the brief, but inspiring, talks of religious and political figures at the Rally for Life that preceeded the 2010 March for Life, EWTN broke away at one point to interview Abby Johnson, the former director of a Texas Planned Parenthood. Abby was attending her first March for Life, as a recent convert to the cause. Abby very quickly revealed some key points about the agenda of Planned Parenthood. Their goal is to "make every family planning center into an abortion center" by dispensing the abortion drug RU-486. They are "abortion minded all the time." Abortion will make them money and "that is what Planned Parenthood is about." "Planned Parenthood plans to open super-centers. All of them will be late-term abortion facilities, up to 24-25 weeks." Remember this testimony from an insider the next time you hear Planned Parenthood claim that "they prevent more abortions daily than pro-lifers ever do" as they tout their birth control distribution as a means to reduce unwanted pregnancy and abortion. They must know the reverse effect in fact occurs. Otherwise, they would be totally violating their own business objectives.
Thursday, Jan 21, 2010 -- 40 Days for Life coming to 4 Illinois cities, 156 nationally The locations of the Lenten
40 Days for Life vigils (from Feb 17th to Mar 28th) have been announced. Four of
these vigils will take place in Illinois. The Illinois locations are: If you are able to attend 40 Days for Life at any of these locations, allow some time on your calendar now to help maintian this 40-day vigil. Whether you can participate at the vigil or not, plan to pray and fast for the success of 40 Days for Life. May more babies be saved, more abortion industry employees converted, and more abortion locations closed.
Wednesday, Jan 20, 2010 -- Can the health care bill survive after the MA election? I don't see how. The election of Republican Scott Brown to take the seat previously held by Edward Kennedy's has changed the dynamics in Washington, D.C. Per Gary Bauer of Campaign for Working Families, it appears members of Congress do not see how either. He reports, "Even Barney Frank is in full retreat, saying today: '…there is now no bill that I believe can pass or should pass.' Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) was even more frank, saying, 'If there isn’t any recognition that we got the message and we are trying to recalibrate and do things differently, we are not only going to risk looking ignorant but arrogant.'" Bauer further observed, "Late yesterday evening, Democrats huddled in Speaker Pelosi’s office to commiserate after the people of Massachusetts drove a stake through the heart of the trillion-dollar, pro-abortion, Big Government, socialized medicine monstrosity. Speaker Pelosi kept a stiff upper lip as she quietly left Capitol Hill just before midnight after a contentious caucus meeting. Fear and panic is spreading among the rank and file. Democrats are in total disarray today." Lifenews quotes Bart Stupak saying, "The Senate bill, and I know leadership has flowed with the idea over the weekend that let's just take the Senate bill and just vote on it in the House floor. I bet it wouldn't get a hundred votes." It looks like the idea of avoiding any more Senate votes is not going anywhere either.
Tuesday, Jan 19, 2010 -- Planned Parenthood is shrinking while awaiting a gov't bailout I recently checked to confirm the closure of Planned Parenthood Express in Schaumburg. That location has disappeared from locations listed for Illinois, but the count dropped by two. What other Planned Parenthood location was closed? After checking further, I was able to determine that their location in Clinton, IL was also closed recently. Planned Parenthood of Illinois now has 18 locations statewide, down from 25 just a few years ago. Their count shows 22, but they double count each of the four locations that commit abortions. Are they trying to cover up their shrinking presence in Illinois? Nationally, at the end of 2009 Planned Parenthood had 817 locations (down from 844 at the end of 2008), including 797 clinics and 20 "express" sites. Express sites dropped from 31 to 20 in just one year, suggesting that they have not found this approach effective. Just a few years ago, over 50 express sites existed. The health care bill in Congress must be stopped or Planned Parenthood will get a huge govenment bailout and their downward trend will be turned around.
Monday, Jan 18, 2010 -- On MLK Day, where is the outrage about black genocide? On a day when Americans across the country celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his desire to regard all people as Americans worthy of equal treatment, his niece, Dr. Alveda King, says King's dream, if announced today, would also include protecting unborn children from abortion. She said he would agree that, when it comes to treating all people with respect, that he would include babies before birth. Where are President Obama, Jesse Jackson, and the Congressional Black Caucus? Unfortunately, they all support "a woman's right to choose" even though this choice represents the genocide of future generations of African-Americans, with Planned Parenthood ready and willing to carry it out. In observing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Arizona Congressman Trent Franks noted, "An astonishing 50% of African-American babies are killed by abortion, and nearly 80% of abortion clinics are deliberately located in or near predominantly minority neighborhoods." When will African-American leadership finally recognize the serious impact of the "right to choose" that they support?
Friday, Jan 15, 2010 -- 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade one week away Do you know the #1 killer in our nation? It's not cancer. It's not heart disease. It is abortion! And it is curable! Abstinence and adoption are the two recommended treatments. Abortion does not happen by chance or heredity like cancer. It is a chosen decision. Choose life! January 22, 2010 is the 37th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton Supreme Court decisions that legalized abortion nationwide for all nine months of pregnancy under any circumstances. After Roe v Wade in 1973, the annual abortion rate climbed almost every year through 1990, peaking with over 1.6 million abortions. Pregnancy care centers, informed consent and parental notice laws, etc. cut annual abortions to 1.2 million 15 years later in 2005. In the last few years, annual abortions have continued to decline slowly, but remain well over one million per year. The adverse impact of Roe v Wade is visible throughout our society. The legal system has established inconsistent, unsound, and unjust legal principles. Respect for and treatment of women has been damaged by focusing so much on abortion at the expense of other women’s issues. The medical profession has moved toward viewing death as a solution. The Roe v. Wade ruling has circumvented the political and legislative environment by restricting political and legislative action on abortion. During these 37 years over 51 million babies have died when their mothers were victimized by the lie that abortion will solve their "problem". Pray for an end to this American holocaust. If you (or a person you know) needs to talk to someone to seek reconciliation and healing from an abortion, people are available who are ready to help you. Please call Rachels Vineyard at 877-HOPE4ME or your local pregnancy care center (see “abortion alternatives” in the Yellow Pages).
Thursday, Jan 14, 2010 -- Preview of heavy hand of government in health care? LifeSiteNews reports that Noble High School in North Berwick, Maine was denied Title X “family planning” funds from the Federal government on the basis that offering “emergency contraception” at the school’s health-clinic was a necessary prerequisite. The school board approved plans to offer contraception to students and screen for sexually transmitted diseases, but had blocked distributing abortifacient “emergency contraception,” called the “morning after pill.” Although the school’s health-center secured $18,000 in state funds, the school was denied matching funds from the Federal government for that reason. IRLC would be opposed to any high school offering any contraception to students, but this situation demonstrates what happens when Federal funding is involved in health care. Local decisions get overruled by Federal policies. Just imagine how such policies will control individual health care decisions if the current health care "reform" would get approved!
Wednesday, Jan 13, 2010 -- PP director promotes natural family planning There must be a misprint! How can the executive director of a Planned Parenthood affiliate want to publicize natural family planning? Laura Wershler, executive director for Sexual Health Access Alberta (SHAA, formerly known as Planned Parenthood Alberta), has criticized the medical establishment for its pill-focused approach to contraception. I know what you think -- the new name indicates this organization is no longer affiliated with Planned Parenthood. Not correct! SHAA is affilated with the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health (CFSH, formerly Planned Parenthood Federation of Canada), and CFSH is shown as the Canadian member of International Planned Parenthood Federation. What could motivate Laura Wershler to advocate natural methods of birth regulation that involve awareness about the woman’s reproductive cycle? It seems that health concerns and environmental factors are motivating some women to “ditch” the pill. Wershler observed, "What's happening is we're not developing support, programs and advocacy for women looking for non-hormonal methods." Does she represent a new insight that will move Planned Parenthood away from pushing hormonal contraceptives, or simply an anomaly that will quickly disappear?
Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 -- More attempts to paint Pro-Lifers as domestic terrorists [Update: On 01/20/10 Erroll Southers withdrew his name from consideration as TSA nominee.] Will prominent Pro-Life leaders begin appearing on the no-fly list? Since Transportation Security Administration (TSA) nominee Erroll Southers classifies Pro-Life advocates among home-grown terrorist groups, how long might it take after he is confirmed? A recently revealed documentary asked Southers, "Which home-grown terrorist groups pose the greatest danger to the U.S." Southers explained, "Most of the domestic groups that we pay attention to here are white supremacist groups. They're anti-government, in most cases anti-abortion, they are usually survivalist type in nature, identity oriented." Fortunately, Senator Jim DeMint, a South Carolina Republican, put a hold on the nomination of Southers to head the TSA, and the new video is likely to expand opposition to his nomination. This video is the latest reminder of the 2009 report by the Department of Homeland Security that was sent out to law enforcement around the nation, saying Pro-Life advocates were right-wing extremists. That report was later rescinded, but apparently the concept was just put on the back burner until another approach might be tried later.
Monday, Jan 11, 2010 -- Do private insurers like paying for abortion? David Whelan, a staff writer at Forbes, published an article (ObamaCare: Why Private Insurers Like Paying for Abortion) on January 7th that establishes the premise that most private insurance companies pay for abortions and find it financially rewarding to do so. It appears to me that this Forbes article claiming health insurance covers abortion because it saves the insurance companies money is either poorly researched, or intended to mislead by attempting to convince people that it is not reasonable to prevent abortion funding under the insurance exchanges created by the current health care bill. Since the only reference cited in the article is John Nugent, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Maryland, I think that the article is guilty on both counts. In August 2009 statistics became available from Michigan about funding sources for abortions in that state, as covered by LifeNews. Only 1.8% of abortions were paid for with insurance while 98.1% were paid for "out-of-pocket." So I looked at pro-abortion web sites to see what they had posted about state restrictions on insurance coverage of abortion. I found Guttmacher statistics showing states that restrict abortion coverage in health care insurance. But Michigan was not listed as a state where abortion coverage was restricted by state law. So, given that only 1.8% of Michigan abortions are covered by insurance without having a state law restricting such coverage, how can anyone conclude that insurance companies favor abortion for financial reasons?
Friday, Jan 8, 2010 -- Everyone is NOT doing it! Parents are familiar with their children's attempts to get permission for something by saying "everyone is doing it." The media, entertainment industry, and advocates of "comprehensive" sex education are all telling us that among teenagers, "everyone is doing it" with regard to sexual activity and that "abstinence does not work." On 1/6/10 the Chicago Tribune published an article "Checking America's Pulse." Included was a chart showing the results toward achieving national health goals set 10 years ago by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Categories ranged from strokes and heart disease to fruit and vegetable consumption. Did you know that DHHS set a goal that condom usage among sexually active 9-12th graders (ages 15-17) reach 49% for girls and 79% for boys? Would you be happy to know that they consider the goal achieved because their statistics show that sexually active girls went from 39% usage in 1995 to 56% in 2002 while boys went from 70% usage in 1995 to 84% in 2002? Apparently teenagers are having sex and more of them are "taking precautions" consistent with the message of "comprehensive" sex ed. But wait a minute! Another goal was that 75% of 9-12th grade students (both boys and girls ages 15-17) are not sexually active. What kind of results were achieved on that goal? Not a chance, right? Don't you recall hearing often that nearly half (or more) of teenagers are sexually active? Well, it is true that the 75% goal was not achieved. However, DHHS statistics show that 9-12th grade girls who are NOT sexually active moved from 62% in 1995 to 70% in 2002, while 9-12th grade boys who are NOT sexually active moved from 57% to 68% in that period of time. Thus, a solid majority of both male and female high school students are practicing abstinence, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers this is a healthy practice, and set a goal for even more students to join them. Still, something does not seem right! If NOT being sexually active is officially recognized as healthy for teenagers, why is teaching abstinence considered out-of-touch, as labeled by the current politically correct urgency to teach "comprehensive" sex ed? Where do these statistics that nearly half (or more) of teenagers are sexually active originate from? Have we discovered another case where the proponents of "science" and "medical accuracy" are conveniently lying with statistics? Let's consider two examples. Fifty-two percent (52%) of teens report that they have sexually active friends. Since many students could know the same person who is sexually active, this statistic is meaningless in determining sexual activity rates. Currently 46.8% of all high school students report they have had sexual intercourse. Again, this statistic does not reflect ongoing sexual activity. If the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services statistics have any merit, the difference must mean that a significant number of teenagers found casual sex undesirable and chose abstinence instead. Everyone is NOT doing it!
Thursday, Jan 7, 2010 -- Value of life experienced through tragic circumstances Doesn't everyone praise people when they hear their stories of overcoming tragic circumstances? People who struggle with disabilities are the most common case. Their achievements and determination are praised and recognized. Anyone who might discriminate against them is insensitive or worse. How many of those same people are willing to write off unborn children with disabilies under the logic "they would be better off dead" or "they would suffer too much"? Where do they think the people who they were just praising came from? It's like the right brain is disconnected from the left brain. Recognizing the value of life must begin at the beginning. People who will face challenges must be allowed to live or they will never have the opportunity to overcome those challenges. Sometimes other circumstances raise awareness of the value of life as well. LifeSiteNews has reported on Cathie Doroshenko, who died in her home, 3 ½ years after giving birth to her daughter Victoria Faith. Victoria was saved from premature death only through her mother's stubborn refusal to get an abortion, over and against medical advice to the contrary. In 2003, when Cathie was 11 weeks pregnant, she was diagnosed with Stage III lung cancer. After being advised by doctors at the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York that it would be in her "best interest to abort her fetus" before beginning treatment for cancer, she told her husband Peter that she was not going to give up on herself or her child because of the cancer. Steps were taken to protect Victoria from those cancer treatments that were started before her birth, and she was born healthy. Cathie battled the cancer for 3 ½ more years while cherishing motherhood with her new daughter and her husband. Mike Hermanstorfer thought he had lost everything when his wife apparently died in childbirth. Neither the medical steps taken to save her nor the caesarean section to save their baby appeared to be successful. After a few agonizing minutes of doctors trying to revive the baby, the father says he saw his son begin to stir in his arms, and soon learned that his wife had also miraculously revived. "I had everything in the world taken from me, and in an hour and a half I had everything given to me." Both of these families understand the value of human life. May others gain such insight without needing to experience such tragic circumstances. It is time to connect the recognition of the achievements of those who must overcome obstacles with the origin of those obstacles, so the lives of all unborn children are respected and given this chance to succeed.
Wednesday, Jan 6, 2010 -- Health care provider or abortionist? Planned Parenthood claims they are a vital health care provider, including the claim that they reduce unwanted pregnancies and abortions. If you have seen my previous commentary, you are already aware that I am not buying such claims. New evidence confirms my conclusion with an exclamation point! On January 18th, Planned Parenthood is planning to open its largest abortion business in the nation -- 78,000 square feet in Houston, Texas. This new abortion center dwarfs new ones in Denver (50,000 sf) and Aurora, IL (22,000 sf). Exactly why would you build such large facilities if you were sincerely working to reduce abortions? The testimony of Abby Johnson, the former director of a Planned Parenthood facility in nearby Bryan-College Station, has already confirmed that their employees are expected to work to increase Planned Parenthood's high profit abortion business. Isn't that internal confirmation that they know wider distribution of birth control leads to more abortions, not less? Since Planned Parenthood has an international branch, what does their recent annual report for 2008-2009 tell us? International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) boasts of increased activity across all of its lines of work, including condom distribution, advocacy and abortion services. IPPF’s abortion business boomed. The organization provided 1,134,549 “abortion services” compared with 652,010 in the previous year -- almost double in just one year. Despite this huge increase in abortion services, IPPF remains unsatisfied with the figure, arguing that "in comparison to other types of services provided by IPPF Member Associations, these figures remain low and indicate that much needs to be done in terms of future investment in this area if IPPF is to meet its objectives of providing women with the choice and right to safe abortion when faced with an unwanted pregnancy." Again, within their own materials, Planned Parenthood reveals their agenda is to increase abortions. Why did they not suggest the need to expand distribution of birth control as a means to prevent unwanted pregnancy? Could it be they are fully aware they have already flooded most third world nations with birth control supplies, making them much easier to find than other critical medical supplies? All the evidence reveals that Planned Parenthood is primarily an abortion provider. All other health care services are incidental as a means to both locate and generate abortion business. With their mission of population control, more abortions helps achieve that mission. If some mothers become infertile after unsafe abortions, and some even die, this mission is advanced further. No wonder they focus on minority populations that are considered less desirable.
Tuesday, Jan 5, 2010 -- Another case of using morphine to hasten death Today I had a long conversation with a woman who is haunted by images of witnessing her father succumb to a combination of morphine and Ativan. Her father's doctor on a number of occasions would blatantly say, "It's time. It will only take a day." But this caller and her mother rejected the idea that it was time to hasten her father's death. After a number of such occasions over six months, the doctor managed to achieve his goal by introducing morphine when the patient was brought to the hospital for a blood transfusion. This supposedly easy exit actually extended over four days. During that time this daughter stayed with her father and witnessed him going through agitated states of screaming and wild movements that required three people to hold him down until he was calmed down. Circumstances prevented her from getting this course of treatment reversed, but she is convinced that her father was killed prematurely. She is bothered by this unethical termination, but also by witnessing the lack of peace that her father experienced as he neared death. Unfortunately, too many medical professionals consider this approach of hastening death as compassionate care. These agents of death might be encountered in hospitals, nursing homes, or hospice care. Do not accept such an approach as compassionate or justified, even for patients who have serious breathing problems or other adverse conditions. This case is another example showing that hastening death is not the right solution.
Monday, Jan 4, 2010 -- There was actually some good news in 2009 American Life League's STOPP Report for 12/30/09 includes some good news on life issues. Planned Parenthood clinic locations in the USA have continued to decrease, from 813 in 2008 to 797 now. These numbers do not include so-called express clinics, but those numbers have also been decreasing, including the January 14, 2010 closure of the Schaumburg express location. The number of Planned Parenthood non-express clinics has fallen from a high of 938 in 1995 to 797. Express locations peeked at around 50 just a few years ago and have dropped back to 30. It would be tragic if this trend was reversed in 2010 because of increased government funding for Planned Parenthood under the health care bill. Reality is finally catching up with Planned Parenthood. 2009 saw Planned Parenthood endure its worst nightmare -- a director of one of its abortion facilities left, became pro-life, and is now telling the world how abortion is the most profitable single procedure at Planned Parenthood and how Planned Parenthood is actively trying to increase the number of abortions at its facilities to increase its income and profits. You can watch this former PP employee, Abby Johnson, being interviewed by Bill O’Reilly. Read more good news stories for 2009 compiled by LifeSiteNews.
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