In a primetime news conference Wednesday night, a CNN reporter asked the President about the so-called Freedom of Choice Act:
As a candidate, you vowed that one of the very things you wanted to do was sign the Freedom of Choice Act, which, as you know, would eliminate federal, state and local restrictions on abortion. And at that it was above — quote, “above my pay grade.”
Now that you’ve been president for 100 days, obviously, your pay grade is a little higher than when you were a senator.
(LAUGHTER)
Do you still hope that Congress quickly sends you the Freedom of Choice Act so you can sign it?
In his response, President Obama called abortion “a moral issue and an ethical issue.” He also re-affirmed his “pro-choice” stand. He also claimed he wanted to “reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.”
As for FOCA, President Obama stated:
Now, the Freedom of Choice Act is not highest legislative priority. I believe that women should have the right to choose. But I think that the most important thing we can do to tamp down some of the anger surrounding this issue is to focus on those areas that we can agree on. And that’s — that’s where I’m going to focus.
Still, the sponsor of FOCA has said that it will be introduced soon. And notice that the President did not disavow FOCA. We must keep up the fight against FOCA. You can sign Pennsylvania’s online petition here.
CQ Politics is reporting that Congress may soon take up the issue of taxpayer funding of research that involves human cloning:
Two House members who were the chief backers of legislation to expand embryonic stem cell research are working on a new bill that would codify President Obama’s recent executive order allowing greater federal funding for the research. Their legislation will also contain language allowing the National Institutes of Health to invest in other kinds of research into human cell biology, perhaps including what is known as “therapeutic cloning.”
So-called therapeutic cloning involves cloning human embryos who are ultimately killed in the name of scientific research. The irony here is that public opinion polls have shown that the majority of Americans oppose human cloning.
National Right to Life has been warning people that Congress might try to advance human cloning. As the CQ Politics article states:
The National Right to Life Committee, an anti-abortion group, sent a letter to Congress March 31 warning that the DeGette-Castle legislation will be a “bait-and-switch,” using obscure language to conceal its intent to authorize funding for cloned embryonic stem cells.
“They know that the American public is strongly against human cloning, so they hope to empower NIH to engage in it through subterfuge,” said Douglas Johnson, legislative director for the committee.
Now’s the time to contact Congress, urging members not to fund research that involves the creation and killing of human embryos. You can do so by going here.
Lila Rose is part of a new generation of pro-lifers. The college student has been conducting undercover investigations of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion operation.
Lila’s videotaped footage indicates that Planned Parenthood engages in efforts to cover up the sexual abuse of teenage girls.
You can see Lila’s informative interview with Fox News’ Glenn Beck here.
Let’s hope that authorities take Lila’s investigations seriously and hold Planned Parenthood accountable for its treatment of young women.
A former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican has taken a selfless stand by giving up a medal rather than stand by as Notre Dame awards an honorary degree to President Barack Obama, who has amassed a pro-abortion record during his first months in office.
Mary Ann Glendon deserves the utmost praise for declining Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal in the wake of the university’s decision to defy a U.S. Catholic Bishops’ policy against honoring pro-abortion politicians.
In her letter of refusal, Glendon states:
First, as a longtime consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president an honorary degree. This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops’ express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions “should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles” and that such persons “should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.” That request, which in no way seeks to control or interfere with an institution’s freedom to invite and engage in serious debate with whomever it wishes, seems to me so reasonable that I am at a loss to understand why a Catholic university should disrespect it.
Glendon is a profile in courage, and a good role model for young women everywhere.
Thank you so much to the students who are participating in Sunday’s Pennsylvania Pro-Life Oratory Contest. It means so much to us that there are so many young people who are willing to take a stand for life! Thanks also to your parents and families for giving you support, and thanks to our oratory contest coordinators, without whom the contest would not be possible. The winner of the state contest will go on to compete in the National Right to Life Contest in June in North Carolina.
Fox News is reporting that a California man is symbolically adopting his wife’s two aborted children:
Stan Musil said he filed the posthumous “adoption” on Monday as a way to support his wife, Lisa, and help her heal from the pain of having those abortions, Lisa Musil told FOXNews.com.
“He told me ‘I love you and you are a part of me. Your babies are a part of you, and so that makes them a part of me also,’” she said.
Musil tried to numb the pain from her first abortion with drugs and alcohol–a situation that led to a second abortion.
“The world tells me that it was only a blob of tissue, but my heart tells me otherwise,” Musil told FOXNews.com by e-mail. “The grief often times was more than I could bear.”
“It’s been a desire of mine to establish a memorial where post-abortive women can go to have the names of their aborted children engraved to honor their remembrance,” she said. “As this is coming to fruition, I was wondering what last name I would put on this memorial, and my sweet husband asked if we could find some way he could legally adopt my babies and then they could take his name.”
The Musils were put into contact with NightLite Christian Adoptions Executive Director Rod Stoddart:
“I explained that it’s not possible from a legal standpoint, because there’s no birth certificate and no child living now to be adopted,” Stoddart told FOXNews.com. “But from an emotional standpoint, there’s no reason why we could not do an agreement between them where he would adopt those children and give them his name.”
Stan Musil’s selfless action offered hope and healing to his wife–and communicated the humanity of the preborn child. Maybe the idea will catch on!
A recent news report points out a disturbing fact: there’s a clear link between abortion and domestic violence. The article, which was posted on the Catholic Exchange website, notes:
“When a woman gets an abortion, the couple is more than twice as likely to argue when discussing future children, and nearly three times as likely to experience domestic violence, compared with women who carry the pregnancy to term and raise the child, according to a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Public Health on Mar. 24.
“’Abortion may play a vital role in understanding the aetiology [cause] of relationship problems,’ the authors stated. The study said that abortion within a current relationship causes 116% more arguing when discussing future children, and 196% more domestic violence.
“The researchers found that abortion affected future relationships as well.
“‘For both men and women the experience of an abortion in a previous relationship was related to negative outcomes in the current relationship,’ they wrote.
“’Men whose current partners had an abortion were more likely to report jealousy (96% greater risk) and conflict about drugs (385% greater risk).
“‘These results suggest that abortion may play a vital role in understanding the aetiology of some relationship problems,’ the study’s authors wrote.
We also know from research that as many as 60 percent of abortions are coerced, meaning that someone is pressuring the woman to have an abortion. In some cases, that coercion takes the form of violence.
Reuters is reporting that the recession is driving some pregnant women to abort their preborn children:
“The pregnancy was unexpected, and for one 32-year-old single mother in Syracuse, New York, the ailing economy became a factor in her decision to have an abortion.
“‘More so now that we are in a recession … I felt I had to go through with the procedure because I cannot afford another child,’ said the woman, a registered nurse who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was worried about job security.
“‘People say, ‘You’re a nurse, you’ll always have a job.’ I think it’s not as true as people think it is.’”
At this point, there is no hard data to substantiate the idea that the recession is resulting in an increase in abortions. That’s because we don’t have abortion totals yet and won’t for some time. However, what a sad commentary on our society, that a woman facing economic need would be driven to sacrifice her young.
In tough times, pregnancy resource centers become all the more important, since they provide the concrete help and counseling which can aid a pregnant woman in a difficult situation. For more information on Pennsylvania’s Alternatives to Abortion program, Real Alternatives, visit http://www.realalternatives.org/.
It appears there’s a danger that the Obama Administration may try to make abortion part of its health care reform package. In an alert on the National Right to Life website, we learn that this pro-abortion package is likely to be voted on this summer:
“NRLC and other pro-life analysts believe that the impending legislation will contain provisions that will amount to a federal mandate for employers to offer insurance that would pay for abortion on demand, funded by government-mandated premiums and taxes. The plan is also likely to include coverage of abortion on demand for low-income citizens. Other possible provisions could require the creation of more abortion-providing facilities in many states, and could invalidate state laws that make it more difficult to get abortions — for example, laws requiring parental notification or a court-issued waiver before an abortion can be performed on a minor.”
We know that, in Pennsylvania, the abortion rate dropped, largely because of our parental consent requirement. That means that, if the Obama Administration’s pro-abortion health care reform bill is passed, abortions in Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the country could skyrocket.
Please urge your Senators and Congressional representatives to oppose abortion as a part of health care reform. You can make your voice heard by clicking here.
National Right to Life is responding to the guidelines for embryonic stem cell research being issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
“NIH characterizes the Dickey-Wicker Amendment as prohibiting federal funding of the ‘derivation’ of stem cells from human embryos, the term ‘derivation’ being a euphemism for ‘killing a human embryo by cutting out its stem cells.’ It is true that federal funding of such activity is prohibited by the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, but the prohibition in the Dickey-Wicker Amendment is much broader: It prohibits federal funding of creating human embryos by any method, explicitly including human cloning, or any ‘research in which’ human embryos are harmed in any way.”
National Right to Life states that the NIH action may be part of a bait-and-switch strategy under which “Democratic leaders in Congress will suddenly bring up new legislation that they will claim codifies today’s NIH action, but which will in fact authorize further expansions involving the deliberate creation of human embryos for use in research, by human cloning and other methods. NRLC laid out the evidences that such a ‘bait and switch’ strategy is in the works in a detailed letter sent to members of Congress on March 31, which is posted on our website at: http://www.nrlc.org/Killing_Embryos/NRLCHousecloningwarning.pdf.”
To urge Congress not to authorize funding for research that kills human embryos, go to http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/issues/alert/?alertid=12900506&type=CO .
Fox News is reporting that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin criticized President Barack Obama’s pro-abortion stand during a speech at a pro-life dinner in Evansville, Indiana.
Palin also challenged the idea that unexpected pregnancies are a nuisance that must be ended through abortion:
“Palin said the challenges she faced during her pregnancy with her son Trig, who was born with Down syndrome, gave her an opportunity to live out her anti-abortion beliefs. She said she prayed often during her pregnancy, especially after tests revealed that her son would be born with the condition.
“‘The moment he was born, I knew that moment my prayers had been answered,’ Palin said. ‘Trig is a miracle. He is the best thing that ever happened to me and I want other women to have that opportunity.’
“She challenged the notion that children must be born perfect and that unplanned pregnancies are inconvenient and can be ended by abortion. ‘I know for sure my son is perfect just as he is, made in the image of God,’ she said.”
You can watch a portion of Palin’s emotional speech at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZIf-ZUWRzo&feature .
LifeNews.com is reporting that the Obama Administration is pursuing a pro-abortion agenda at the United Nations:
“…Austin Ruse, the president of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, a pro-life organization that lobbies at the United Nations, says Obama is pushing abortions in ways that receive less attention but could have more far-reaching effects.
“’Obama’s negotiators at the UN have already made aggressive pro-abortion and anti-family statements,’” Ruse tells LifeNews.com. ‘Obama’s administration is gearing up to make a frightening new global attack on the unborn child.’”
Ruse said he “watched in horror as the previous pro-life positions of the United States were overturned in an instant by radical feminists representing the new Obama administration.”
Ruse calls President Obama the most pro-abortion President in U.S. history.
Our twice-monthly e-mail newsletter, the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Online News, is now up and ready for viewing at http://www.paprolife.org/resources/e_news.html . Be sure to note this week’s urgent legislative alert opposing the nomination of pro-abortion activist Dawn Johnsen for a top Justice Department post.
Also, our Executive Director, Michael Ciccocioppo, recently took part in a television debate in Allentown. The topic? Should taxpayers pay for abortion. You can view the 30-minute program at http://www.wfmz.com/businessmatters/ . Scroll down under the “show archive” and click on: ”Should tax money fund abortions?” After you finish watching the video, feel free to go to the show’s blog at:
http://www.wfmz.com/businessmatters/blog.asp . Then scroll down and click on “Comments” under the entry for April 01, 2009. You can add your comments to the ones already posted.
You might think that the pro-abortion actions of the Obama Administration would be disheartening to members of the pro-life movement.
Think again.
The pro-life movement is actually gaining strength during these difficult times, according to a report in LifeNews.com, based on information from Politico.com.
“The Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life women’s group, had more letters and emails sent from its web site action center during the first quarter of this year than during each of the last two years.
“And Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, an Obama supporter who ran for election to the Senate as a pro-life advocate, told the news web site his office has received more communications on abortion issues than any other political topic.
“Casey spokesman Larry Smar said that the postcard mailing the nation’s Catholic bishops organized against FOCA produced the largest amount of mail Casey’s office received.
“The uptick in pro-life activism started after Obama was elected president in April, but the laundry list of pro-abortion actions since he took the oath of office has increased the intensity of the pro-life response.”
Thanks to all of you who have stepped up your pro-life activism in the wake of Washington’s abortion agenda. With your help, preborn children and their distraught mothers can once again be protected in law.
The Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation just completed its annual student essay contest. We received more than 350 entries from all around the state addressing the topics of abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, and embryonic stem cell research.
Reading the essays was a truly inspiring experience. It’s comforting to know that the next generation of pro-life leaders are so passionate about defending the sanctity of innocent human life.
Take John-Paul Heil of Camp Hill, who wrote, “It is time for Americans to cast off their apathy and to take a stand against the oppression which subjects many of the youngest members of our nation to a death sentence.”
Or Hannah Grimes of Bedford, who observed, “Teens everywhere are writing letters to editors as a way to educate people about the pro-life movement. They are getting involved with demonstrations and events. Young people are also volunteering their time to work at crisis pregnancy centers. There is so much work that can be done by teenagers who are willing to educate themselves and stand up for the rights of the unborn.”
You can read more from John-Paul and Hannah in the spring issue of our quarterly newspaper, LifeLines. If you would like to become a member of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation so that you can receive LifeLines, visit http://www.paprolife.org/donate/membershipform.html .
Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion operation, has now issued its annual report for 2007-08.
The report claims that Planned Parenthood prevented “roughly” 621,000 unintended pregnancies, and, as a result “helped avert 295,000 abortions.”
But there’s a problem with Planned Parenthood’s arithmetic. You would think, paging through the beginning of the report, that abortions decreased at Planned Parenthood. In fact, they rose by more than 5 percent, from more than 289,000 to more than 305,000.
The inconvenient truth is that abortions increased at Planned Parenthood, even at a time when the total number of abortions nationwide decreased.
Planned Parenthood has some explaining to do to American taxpayers, who pumped more than 300 million dollars into Planned Parenthood’s coffers.
The University of Notre Dame’s decision to award an honorary degree to pro-abortion President Barack Obama continues to attract criticism.
Fox News is reporting that ten Holy Cross priests are objecting to the invitation:
“The members of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, which helps run the university, asked the Rev. John Jenkins, the Holy Cross priest who is Notre Dame’s president, and the university’s board of fellows to reconsider the invitation to Obama because he supports abortion rights.
“‘Failure to do so will damage the integrity of the institution,’ said the letter published Wednesday in Notre Dame Observer.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of students recently gathered on campus for a rally opposing the President’s scheduled appearance. You’ll find coverage at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6HosPP3baU&feature
National Right to Life has issued a legislative alert regarding the nomination of pro-abortion activist Dawn Johnsen to a top position in the U.S. Justice Department:
“Dawn Johnsen has a long history as a pro-abortion strategist, propagandist, and litigator, including about five years as legal director for NARAL, as well as work on behalf of the ACLU and Abortion Rights Mobilization. Throughout her career, Johnsen has expressed her opposition to all limitations on abortion in vivid terms, and she has often criticized courts for being, in her view, insufficiently expansive in their application of pro-abortion legal doctrine. For example, Johnsen has criticized the Supreme Court rulings that upheld the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, the Hyde Amendment that prohibits the use of federal Medicaid funds for abortion, and others. Moreover, Johnsen was the lead author of a brief that claimed that limits on abortion constitute ‘reducing pregnant women to no more than fetal containers,’ and she has stated that ‘progressives must not portray all abortions as tragedies.’”
To urge your Senator to oppose Dawn Johnsen for the position of assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel, click here.
President Barack Obama is being urged to support pregnancy resource centers as a way to reduce abortion. Such centers provide concrete help to women facing unexpected pregnancies.
In a column for LifeNews.com, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation Education Director Maria Vitale notes how Pennsylvania’s alternatives to abortion program is empowering women and saving lives:
“More than 150,000 women have received support services from Real Alternatives. Real Alternatives has now become a model for the nation and a number of other states are attempting to duplicate its success. With the economic downturn placing a particular strain on pregnant women and their families, pregnancy resource centers are more important than ever in providing a safety net to some of our most vulnerable citizens.
“That’s a story the media should be telling—the story of a government program that really works, that is empowering women to make good decisions for themselves and their families every day.
“If President Barack Obama truly wants to reduce abortions in this country, he’ll become a cheerleader for Real Alternatives and other programs like it. As Real Alternatives states, through the program, ‘a woman is able to make more informed choices concerning her child, as well as begin to plan for a future that will include independence and self-sufficiency.’”
Pregnancy resource centers provide an important service in our communities. They should be celebrated for their efforts by leaders of both major political parties.
Thursday, April 9th, is the deadline for getting comments into the Department of Health and Human Services objecting to the Obama Administration’s efforts to remove the department rule which provides protection for health care workers who do not want to take part in abortions.
You can send your comments in via http://www.freedom2care.org/ . Through that website, you can also learn more about this latest effort to violate the conscience rights of medical professionals.
You can also call the White House at 1-202-456-1111 and let the President know that you do not support the removal of the conscience clause.