ProLifeBlogs

Colorado Personhood Launch

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:16:31 -0700

29 June 2009

Press Conference Announcing Colorado's 2010 Personhood Initiative

Denver, June 29, 2009 -- Colorado Right To Life and Personhood USA will submit language for a new Personhood initiative to the Colorado Legislative Council Staff on Thursday, July 2, 2009, marking the beginning of the 2010 Colorado Personhood Initiative. The state's largest pro-life organization joins with this national political action group based in Denver to fight for the affirmation of the rights of all humans from the beginning of their biological development.

"Over half-a-million Coloradans voted for personhood in 2008. Their votes acknowledging the God-given right to life of the preborn revolutionized the pro-life movement and they encourage us toward victory," stated Gualberto Garcia Jones, one of the initiative's sponsors. "Personhood USA's volunteers plan to work around the clock to keep the momentum going in order to ensure that all humans are protected in Colorado."

The initiative has been endorsed by eminent Georgetown University medical ethicist Dr. Dianne N. Irving. Once approved by the Secretary of State, grassroots volunteers will begin collecting signatures to place the Initiative on the 2010 ballot.

"In 2008 our state's Personhood Initiative demonstrated an unparalleled grassroots effort, with more signatures gathered by volunteers than any other ballot initiative in the state's history, and 1,300 petition circulators," said Leslie Hanks, the 2010 co-sponsor and long-time vice president of Colorado Right To Life. "Abortion is wrong because it's a baby; it's always wrong to intentionally kill a baby."

What: CRTL and Personhood USA submit language for new Personhood Initiative to Colorado Legislative Council Staff.

When: Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 at 11:00 a.m.

Where: Denver, Colorado - Colorado State Capitol in front of the west steps.

Thanks to PersonhoodUSA for the video coverage.

New Stanek WND column, "Eight new pro-life films shine"

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:22:52 -0700

Many excellent pro-life movies and documentaries have been recently released covering a wide spectrum of our issues. In fact, the movies seem to be coming so fast I have delayed posting this column several weeks to try to catch the latest. Even last week I read of one more but have to draw the line somewhere.

My star rating is out of four possible. Because of the volume, I am providing thumbnail reviews. Films are listed in alphabetical order....

Come What May

Stars: 2-1/2

Released Spring 2009. Dove-family approved. 93 minutes. Fiction.

Synopsis: Pro-life college law student argues against Roe v. Wade in "moot court" while pro-abortion mother argues against parental notification before US Supreme Court. Patrick Henry College student production (and school infomercial) - impressive in that regard but not up to Hollywood standards. Good information on Roe v. Wade decision; good love story role modeling. $10-15 online.

Demographic Winter

Stars: 4

Released Spring 2008. 56 minutes. Documentary.

Synopsis: Details the catastrophic social and economic consequences of the worldwide population decline. Sobering, must see - more than once. $18 online.

The follow-up to this movie, Demographic Bomb, was released June 20, but I only have seen a press release.

Lines That Divide: The Great Stem Cell Debate

Stars: 4

Released June 2009. 57 minutes. Documentary.

Synopsis: First, I promise this film is not boring, making excellent use of movie clips and celebrity sound bites in combination with graphics and interviews of scientists on both sides of the debate. Covered are not only ethics but women's health as well as media, political and terminology obfuscation. Very current information provided. $20 online.

Read thumbnail reviews of 5 more pro-life films in my column today, "Eight new pro-life films shine," at WorldNetDaily.com

In addition, several weeks ago I asked you to list names of pro-life films of which you were aware and got many, many responses. (Thanks!) There is a pro-life angle to more movies than I thought. I have listed names you gave me on page 2 in alphabetical order. If you think of more, I'll add them to the list.

Should Pro-Life Lesbians and Homosexuals be allowed to March for Life using their banner?

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:46:13 -0700

The March for Life in Washington D.C. is hosted by the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. They secure the permits and have the right to allow or deny any group from participating in the annual march which seeks to end decriminalized abortion in America.

Click here to hear the president of PLAGAL (Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians) make her case.

And then come back to vote!

Online Surveys & Market Research

New Stanek WND column, "Abortion vs. cat 'murders'"

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:18:54 -0700

... In April someone began mutilating and killing cats in 2 Miami-Dade neighborhoods. The outcry with demands to make it stop were instant.

Animal cruelty is despicable. Only sick people hurt and kill defenseless animals. That's how Jeffrey Dahmer got his start.

But knowing the same sorts of torturous acts are committed every day against human beings in at least 25 Miami area abortion clinics with no public protest makes me a little crazy. These would include... an abortion survivor who was suffocated in a plastic bag and thrown on the clinic roof for a week until he was so infested by maggots he couldn't be properly autopsied....

Mainstream media accounts attempting to humanize, dramatize and describe the cat killings in contrast to how they attempt to dehumanize, sanitize and obfuscate abortion make me a little crazy. Some excerpts:

"At a news conference... city and county leaders... reassured the community that the 'reign of terror' was over." (CBS)

"... the killing spree..." (KPLG)

"... [M]y heart goes out to those families who have lost their dear kitties 'cause I understand that pet owners feel very strongly about their little family members.... To see them so violated and so mutilated just defies all common sense and is painful for everyone involved. Thankfully... the terror has come to an end. And what of the perpetrator, depraved, demented, twisted." - Miami-Dade Commissioner Katy Sorenson (CBS)

"... a slew of brutal cat murders and mutilations..." (CBS)...

Continue reading my column today, "Abortion vs. cat 'murders,'" at WorldNetDaily.com.

OFL Leads Campaign Against Sotomayor with Online Petition

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 21:45:51 -0700

Sign the petition opposing Sonia Sotomayor at www.stopsotomayor.com

WASHINGTON, June 11 /Christian Newswire/ -- On May 26, the day that Judge Sotomayor was nominated to the Supreme Court, Organized for Life stepped up as a leading force against President Obama's nominee. Organized for Life's PAC, OFL Action, has opened a petition site at www.stopsotomayor.com to oppose the addition of another pro-abortion justice to the Supreme Court.

Sonia Sotomayor, in these few short weeks since her nomination, has made it clear that she is not with the majority when it comes to the dignity and protection of life. This has become more evident with the news of her involvement as a member of the board of a group that filed six legal briefs in support of abortion rights.

Peter Shinn, national director of Organized for Life, commented that, "Sonia Sotomayor is out of step with the American people. Senators Feinstein, Snowe, and Wyden are confident that Sotomayor will uphold Roe and so are we. The pro-life movement must unite to protect the unborn from another pro-abortion justice."

Ruben Obregon, president of Organized for Life, added, "Sotomayor's involvement as a board member of a group that filed six legal briefs in support of abortion rights and taxpayer funding of abortion is a key indicator of how she will cast her votes on the nation's highest court. The pro-life majority of this country does not want to see another pro-abortion activist justice impose abortion on our society. Pro-life activists, the Davids in this epic battle for life, can only stop the Goliath of the White House by banding together and signing the petition at www.stopsotomayor.com ."

The petition against Sonia Sotomayor be found at www.stopsotomayor.com and will be sent to President Obama and the members of the United States Senate. Let's go out, let's get organized for life, and let's legally protect our children, one Supreme Court justice at a time.

Assisted Suicide Endangers All

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:43:02 -0700

By Ken Connor

Last week in Washington state a 66-year-old woman with terminal cancer made history as the first person to undergo physician-assisted suicide since that state legalized the practice in November of 2008.

Proponents of legalized suicide celebrated Washington's approval of this policy as a victory for the "death with dignity" movement. These suicide advocates, in keeping with the rhetorical tactic of their ideological cousins in the pro-abortion movement, equate "dignity" with "choice." Unfortunately, as with the abortion debate, the "choice" rhetoric of the right-to-die movement eclipses critical moral and ethical questions which ought to be at the forefront of the debate.

Is suicide really a way to honor life and preserve dignity? What are the social and cultural implications of normalizing the "right to die?" Will voluntary physician-assisted suicide give way to involuntary physician-assisted suicide where doctors decide whether their patients would be better off dead? Will the "right" to suicide be transmogrified into a "duty" to commit suicide? Will the elderly who consume more than they produce be deemed "resource hogs" that have a duty to die and get out of the way? In an age of scarce economic resources, will the critically ill or the handicapped or the demented be viewed as expendable by their younger, healthier counterparts? How will the medical profession be transformed if those who are trained to cure are given a license to kill? These and many other questions should be asked and answered before we decide it's okay to encourage terminally-ill persons to choose self-destruction in the name of dignity.

But we won't get answers if we allow this debate to be defined solely in terms of the euphemistic "right to choose." Indeed, these questions won't even be asked.

Dying with dignity does not require suicide. The question, "Do you want to suffer and die or die with dignity?" presents a false choice and assumes that there are only two alternatives at the end of life--pain or death. Properly employed, modern medicine has the tools to mitigate pain. Hospice care, for example, employs a multi-disciplinary approach to ensure that terminally-ill patients endure their final time on earth with dignity--free from pain and nourished physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Hospice care does not seek to stop the dying process. The goal of hospice care is to make a difficult time as comfortable and peaceful as possible for both the patient and their loved ones. The important distinction between palliative care and physician-assisted suicide is that the first respects the inviolability of human life in spite of the difficulties presented by illness while the second rejects the sanctity of life in favor of an expedient escape from pain and fear.

The embrace of the right to physician-assisted suicide endorses a form of radical, atomistic individualism that ignores the fact that people are part of a larger community--including families and society--and that the decisions of individuals impact others as well. One does not have to look very far to see that granting a license to kill to those who are trained to cure undermines the ethics of the medical profession: Holland's embrace of voluntary physician-assisted suicide quickly led to a rash of involuntary "suicides" perpetrated by doctors who presumed to know what end was best for their patients.

We ought not to confuse curing with killing. For thousands of years, physicians have taken an oath to first "do no harm" to their patients. Changing the paradigm to "kill or cure" will wreak havoc on medical ethics and put untold numbers of lives in jeopardy.

The philosophy animating the right-to-die movement is that life's value is measured only by material standards. Once those standards are no longer being met, one's life no longer has value. In contrast, those who view life as a sacred gift from God believe that every stage of life is precious and holds unique meaning. This is true even at the end of life. There is meaning to be found in suffering, not only for the person suffering, but for those providing care and comfort to the sufferer. A person's final time on this earth is a time for reflection and absolution, a time to share love and forgiveness. For those providing care, this time provides an invaluable opportunity to provide comfort and succor in a most profound way, and it affirms the fragile and precious nature of life.

Euthanasia means "good death"--but where should we draw the line? Exchanging a "sanctity of life" ethic for a "quality of life" ethic will put the weakest among us at great risk. If our society adopts the notion that the terminally-ill are mere vessels of pain and decay--no longer worthy of our best efforts at care and comfort--it will set a dangerous precedent that will inevitably impact other vulnerable members of our society.

When quality of life becomes the reigning criteria, then not only the terminally-ill, but the disabled, the elderly, and the infirm become prime candidates for "dignified" death by suicide. Consider the elderly for a moment: A significant proportion of elderly residents in nursing homes are afflicted with age-related disabilities and dementia. They often don't know who they are, or where they are. Frequently, they don't recognize their children and, in child-like fashion, they may require assistance with even the most basic activities of daily living. A compelling argument can be made that their "quality of life" has been diminished. How long will it be before doctors, family members, and legal guardians who embrace the quality of life calculus decide that the lives of such individuals (who are also expensive to maintain) are no longer "dignified" and are unworthy of living? This terrifying prospect has already become a reality for some vulnerable individuals right here in America. It will only get worse unless we seriously reevaluate the merits of the right-to-die movement.

As with other issues involving life's most critical questions, the right to die is not a simple matter of "choice." Its implications stretch much further than the wishes of any one individual. It is incumbent upon policy makers to understand these implications, and to not be swayed by the misleading rhetoric of choice, or the allure of the bottom line. They will also do well to remember that the idea that there are some lives "not worth living" undergirded Adolph Hitler's Aryan-supremacy world view. His policy of eliminating the "unworthy" began with the mentally handicapped and physically disabled but spread to millions of Jews.

The world has seen what happens when we embrace the notion that there are those among us whose lives are not worth living. We must not repeat this mistake again.

Ken Connor is an attorney and co-author of "Sinful Silence: When Christians Neglect Their Civic Duty" He is also Chairman of the Center for a Just Society. For more articles and resources from Mr. Connor and the Center for a Just Society, go to www.centerforajustsociety.org

New Stanek WND column: "Missing from Tiller's eulogy: The A-word"

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:40:49 -0700

Of everything I read about the June 6 funeral of late-term abortionist George Tiller, I thought this was the most telling, from the New York Times:

But for the most part, Dr. Tiller's funeral focused less on his work than on his life with his family and friends. The word abortion was never uttered....

Clearly they all knew: Tiller was murdered for his "life's" work, but the reason was unmentionable? Sad. Even in death George Tiller's "vocation" was anathema....

Conversely, without ever saying the A-word, family and friends implied that if anything would earn Tiller a place in both heaven and history as a martyr it would be the tens of thousands of abortions he committed. From the Associated Press:

"Dear God, get heaven ready, because Mr. Enthusiasm is coming," said Larry Borcherding, of Overland Park, who first met Tiller a half-century ago when both were students at the University of KS. "Heaven will never be the same. It will be a better, better place with George in it."...
But if what Tiller did was so heroic, why not describe it?
"Dear God, get heaven ready, because one of the few who not only stomached but relished aborting late-term babies (We called him 'Mr. Enthusiasm'!) is coming!...

Continue reading my column, "Missing from Tiller's eulogy: The A-word," in today's WorldNetDaily.com.

Pro-life professor lauds abortion vigilantism worksheet

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:08:37 -0700

Dear friends,

I just read Abortion Vigilantism Worksheet. I am a pro-life professor of ethics. I plan to use this in class. It is the best thing on this subject I have ever read. I just want to thank you profusely for devising it.

Shalom, Dr. Ronda Chervin

http://www.americanrighttolife.org/news/abortion-vigilantism-worksheet

Ronda Chervin received a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Fordham University and an MA in Religious Studies from Notre Dame Apostolic Institute. She is a widow, mother, and grandmother. Ronda converted to the Catholic Faith from a Jewish, though atheistic, background and has been a Professor of Philosophy and Theology at Loyola Marymount University, the Seminary of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is an international speaker and author of some fifty books about Catholic thought, practice and spirituality. Ronda is currently discerning being a consecrated widow in an ecclesial movement in Connecticut.

Call for Life Today!

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:01:05 -0700

It's the first Friday of the month and it's time to call for LIFE!

Thank you for all you do for the unborn. Without us speaking out for them, they would die in silence, killed by abortion or embryonic stem cell research. In the end, our representatives, through our prodding, will do the right thing and end abortion and human killing research.

I would like to ask everyone to do one more thing for the unborn this month. Please contact at least 2 people who might do just a little bit more to help the unborn and encourage them to join us in the Monthly Call for Life. It's only once a month, and it's so easy! Go to monthlycallforlife.com for everything you need to say and do.

Pro-Life Unity - prolifeunity.com

United we stand - Divided they die

Pass it on

AUL Snags Top Pro-Life Blogger

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:40:18 -0700

Dawn Eden has joined Americans United for Life (AUL) as Senior Fellow, Publications and New Media Outreach. Her focus will be on writing and research to promote AUL's legal expertise through both traditional media and "new media" outlets.

Congratulations Dawn!

Abortionist Tiller Dead

Sun, 31 May 2009 16:38:51 -0700

Fr. Pavone, following news that abortionist George Tiller was shot to death today in Wichita, Kansas.

"I am saddened to hear of the killing of George Tiller this morning. At this point, we do not know the motives of this act, or who is behind it, whether an angry post-abortive man or woman, or a misguided activist, or an enemy within the abortion industry, or a political enemy frustrated with the way Tiller has escaped prosecution. We should not jump to conclusions or rush to judgment.

"But whatever the motives, we at Priests for Life continue to insist on a culture in which violence is never seen as the solution to any problem. Every life has to be protected, without regard to their age or views or actions."

George Tiller died from the same philosophy by which he lived. And we in the pro-life movement regret his death as loss even as we regret and mourn the deaths of those tens of thousands of innocent children whom he killed over the last 35 years. We regret his death because we seek the conversion of the soul, the restoration of the person and the recognition of wrongness of ones actions so that reconciliation can occur for that person.

We have seen former abortionists realize the evil they had done and seek the forgiveness of both God and their fellow citizens. Leaders such as Joe Scheidler have reached out for years to those who worked in the abortion industry and have brought them out of the hell they were living. In such remarkable events one finds additional proof of the supremacy of the pro-life perspective over the selfish calloused approach promoted by the abortion proponents.

But let us keep everything in perspective. George Tiller made a living killing babies and harming women. He danced with death every day. Tragically someone with Tiller's mentality thought that he or she could act with the same impunity that Tiller claimed in his actions. And as Fr. Pavone noted, at this point we do not know who acted and for what purpose or motive.

Let this event remind this nation why abortion is ultimately a destructive act for all involved. Let us pray for the end to abortion in our nation and throughout the world.

Cross-posted: Jacubczyk on Life

Tiller Murder Defies Pro-Life Principles

Sun, 31 May 2009 16:34:32 -0700

A.L.L. STATEMENT ON GEORGE TILLER KILLING

Washington, DC (31 May 2009) - The following is a statement from Shaun Kenney, executive director of American Life League, on the killing of abortionist George Tiller.

"Leaders within the pro-life movement often discuss justice in connection with our mission to end the tragedy of abortion. Today, Dr. George Tiller's life ended in an act defying those principles.

With genuine sorrow, we reflect on today's events in prayer. Justice for all human beings includes the lives of those with whom we fundamentally disagree as well as the victims of abortion. We firmly hope the perpetrators of this act are apprehended, that the facts be made known, and that justice according to the law is preserved and dispensed.

Today's actions were tragic, and serve as another reminder that all human life is sacred. Pro-lifers by our nature and commitment to human rights reject violence as a means of resistance. Our thoughts and prayers indeed extend to the Tiller family and the community at Reformation Lutheran Church.

American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death.

Kansas Group Condemns Shooting of Abortionist George Tiller

Sun, 31 May 2009 16:29:55 -0700

The Kansas Coalition for Life Unequivocally Condemns the Shooting of Abortionist George Tiller

Although at the time of this writing, it is not known who killed Abortionist Tiller, we do know for certain that this crime was NOT the work of any true proLife person. A true proLife person respects human life as a gift from God, and leaves all life and death decisions to God Himself.

This killing - if it is in any way connected to a genuine proLife group, has the potential to set back the proLife movement by 20 years or more.

The Kansas Coalition for Life asks all reporters and commentators to make a clear distinction between lawless thugs who act on their own accord, and the good proLife people who obey the law, seeking a change in abortion laws via peaceful means and the legislative process.

It is completely misleading, for the media to imply, in any way that this is the work of the proLife movement. We urge the media to report responsibly and truthfully in this regard.

KCFL would have much preferred that Abortionist Tiller follow the footsteps of Dr. Bernard Nathanson, a former abortionist who is now one of America's most prominent and effective proLife leaders.

In 1993 Shelly Shannon, who had no connection whatsoever to any proLife organization, brought shame on all proLife groups by her stupid action, when she attempted to kill abortionist Tiller as he entered his abortion facility on East Kellogg Drive at Bleckley Street in Wichita.

Tiller's death comes at a time when all recent polling data shows that the peaceful proLife message has the support of a majority of American voters. We hope this terrible news does not hurt the steady progress that the proLife movement has made by peaceful legal means over the years.

Source: KCFL news release

Tiller Murder a Lawless Act of Violence

Sun, 31 May 2009 16:24:26 -0700

Americans United for Life President and CEO, Dr. Charmaine Yoest, issued the following statement to address the murder of Dr. George Tiller:  

"We condemn this lawless act of violence. The foundational right to life that our work is dedicated to extends to everyone. Whoever is responsible for this reprehensible violence must be brought to justice under the law."

Tiller Murder Condemned

Sun, 31 May 2009 15:28:11 -0700

WASHINGTON - The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the nation's largest pro-life group, today condemned the killing of Dr. George Tiller. The following statement may be attributed to NRLC Executive Director, David N. O'Steen, Ph.D.:

National Right to Life extends its sympathies to Dr. Tiller's family over this loss of life.

Further, the National Right to Life Committee unequivocally condemns any such acts of violence regardless of motivation. The pro-life movement works to protect the right to life and increase respect for human life. The unlawful use of violence is directly contrary to that goal.

The National Right to Life Committee has always been involved in peaceful, legal activities to protect human lives threatened by abortion, infanticide and euthanasia. We always have and will continue to oppose any form of violence to fight the violence of abortion. NRLC has had a policy of forbidding violence or illegal activity by its staff, directors, officers, affiliated state organizations and chapters. NRLC's sole purpose is to protect innocent human life.

NRLC will continue to work through educational and legislative activities to ensure the right to life for unborn children, people with disabilities and older people. NRLC will continue to work for peaceful solutions to aid pregnant women and their unborn children. These solutions involve helping women and their children and do not involve violence against anyone.

The National Right to Life Committee is the nation's largest pro-life group with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters nationwide. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect those threatened by abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and assisted suicide.