Pro-Abortion Group NARAL Asks Members of Congress to De-Fund Abstinence Education
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The prominent pro-abortion group NARAL has asked members of Congress to eliminate funding for abstinence education programs in the FY 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. NARAL president Nancy Keenan sent a letter to pro-abortion Rep. Paul Hodes, a New Hampshire Democrat, last week urging him and his colleagues to press for eliminating or cutting the funding further beyond the cuts the pro-abortion Congress made to abstinence previously. "I thank Rep. Hodes for taking the lead and answering the public's call to move away from the failed Bush-backed 'abstinence-only' policies that have put our teens at risk," Keenan claimed. "For eight long years, President Bush and his anti-choice allies in Congress pushed hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars into [abstinence education programs]." Meanwhile, Hodes sent his own letter to members of Congress asking them to eliminate funding for the Community-Based Abstinence Education program. CBAE is one of three separate programs that provides abstinence education funds for programs that have been proven to help teenagers make healthy choices. Reps. Lois Capps (D-CA), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Jane Harman (D-CA), and Diana DeGette (D-CO) were among the pro-abortion lawmakers signing on to the letter. The new omnibus spending bill that Congress recently approved and President Barack Obama signed, cut total funding for abstinence education by $14.2 million compared with the previous year. It also cuts abstinence education funding by $42 million compared to what President Bush had asked for in his last months of office. The cuts are seen as the first step by abortion advocates in Congress to zero out all abstinence education funds through the Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) program, the Adolescent Family Life Act, and through Title V. Democrats cut the CBAE budget by 13%, leaving only $95 million to fund national programs to help teenagers make healthy choices for a positive lifestyle.
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The prominent pro-abortion group NARAL has asked members of Congress to eliminate funding for abstinence education programs in the FY 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. NARAL president Nancy Keenan sent a letter to pro-abortion Rep. Paul Hodes, a New Hampshire Democrat, last week urging him and his colleagues to press for eliminating or cutting the funding further beyond the cuts the pro-abortion Congress made to abstinence previously. "I thank Rep. Hodes for taking the lead and answering the public's call to move away from the failed Bush-backed 'abstinence-only' policies that have put our teens at risk," Keenan claimed. "For eight long years, President Bush and his anti-choice allies in Congress pushed hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars into [abstinence education programs]." Meanwhile, Hodes sent his own letter to members of Congress asking them to eliminate funding for the Community-Based Abstinence Education program. CBAE is one of three separate programs that provides abstinence education funds for programs that have been proven to help teenagers make healthy choices. Reps. Lois Capps (D-CA), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Jane Harman (D-CA), and Diana DeGette (D-CO) were among the pro-abortion lawmakers signing on to the letter. The new omnibus spending bill that Congress recently approved and President Barack Obama signed, cut total funding for abstinence education by $14.2 million compared with the previous year. It also cuts abstinence education funding by $42 million compared to what President Bush had asked for in his last months of office. The cuts are seen as the first step by abortion advocates in Congress to zero out all abstinence education funds through the Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) program, the Adolescent Family Life Act, and through Title V. Democrats cut the CBAE budget by 13%, leaving only $95 million to fund national programs to help teenagers make healthy choices for a positive lifestyle.
China Has a Gender Gap of 32 Million Extra Boys Due to Sex-Selection Abortions, Infanticides
Beijing, China (LifeNews.com) -- Because of the higher incidence of sex-selection abortions and female infanticides, a new study published in the British Journal of Medicine says that, in 2005, there were 32 million more males than females under the age of 20. "Sex-selective abortion accounts for almost all the excess males," say the authors, pointing to the cultural preference for boys and the use of ultrasounds to determine the sex of the baby for an abortion when a girl is found. Although choosing to have an abortion on the basis of sex is illegal in China, enforcement is spotty. The study included nearly five million people under the age of 20 and covered every county in China. It found that overall ratios of boys were high everywhere, but were most striking among the younger age group of 1-4 years, and in rural areas, where it peaked at 126 boys for every 100 girls. There, the cultural preference for girls is at its highest. In most other countries, boys slightly outnumber girls at birth, with ratios between 103 and 107 boys per 100 girls. The authors noted the bachelor society that the phenomenon is producing. As a result, China can expect to see "very high and steadily worsening sex ratios in the reproductive age group over the next two decades," the report concludes, an outcome likely to increase social tensions as millions of men will be unable to find brides. The news comes after a report indicating sex-selection abortions may be decreasing in Shanghai. New figures in Shanghai indicate an improvement -- however sleight -- in the figures in the large urban city. The gender ratio for newborns among families considered to be permanent residents amounted to 114.8 boys for every 100 girls last year, down from 115.2 in 2007. That is the first time the gender imbalance improved in eight years, according to population control officials. According to the Shanghai Daily newspaper, the ratio for the city's most stable population was 106.5 boys to 100 girls in 2008, 1.2 points lower than in 2007.
Beijing, China (LifeNews.com) -- Because of the higher incidence of sex-selection abortions and female infanticides, a new study published in the British Journal of Medicine says that, in 2005, there were 32 million more males than females under the age of 20. "Sex-selective abortion accounts for almost all the excess males," say the authors, pointing to the cultural preference for boys and the use of ultrasounds to determine the sex of the baby for an abortion when a girl is found. Although choosing to have an abortion on the basis of sex is illegal in China, enforcement is spotty. The study included nearly five million people under the age of 20 and covered every county in China. It found that overall ratios of boys were high everywhere, but were most striking among the younger age group of 1-4 years, and in rural areas, where it peaked at 126 boys for every 100 girls. There, the cultural preference for girls is at its highest. In most other countries, boys slightly outnumber girls at birth, with ratios between 103 and 107 boys per 100 girls. The authors noted the bachelor society that the phenomenon is producing. As a result, China can expect to see "very high and steadily worsening sex ratios in the reproductive age group over the next two decades," the report concludes, an outcome likely to increase social tensions as millions of men will be unable to find brides. The news comes after a report indicating sex-selection abortions may be decreasing in Shanghai. New figures in Shanghai indicate an improvement -- however sleight -- in the figures in the large urban city. The gender ratio for newborns among families considered to be permanent residents amounted to 114.8 boys for every 100 girls last year, down from 115.2 in 2007. That is the first time the gender imbalance improved in eight years, according to population control officials. According to the Shanghai Daily newspaper, the ratio for the city's most stable population was 106.5 boys to 100 girls in 2008, 1.2 points lower than in 2007.
New Figures Show Abortions Increasing in Nebraska and Iowa Because of Troubled Economy
Lincoln, NE (LifeNews.com) -- Preliminary figures in Nebraska show abortions are on the rise in the two Midwestern states because of the troubled economy. Penny Dickey, an official with Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa, says the abortion business did about 3,000 abortions from July 2008 through February 2009, which is 15 percent higher than the same period one year earlier. Those abortions took place at four locations across Iowa, including centers in Des Moines and Sioux City. Meanwhile, LeRoy Carhart, who does late-term abortions at his Bellevue abortion center near Obama, also says abortions are on the rise. "Economic reasons have always been one of the primary reasons why women terminate pregnancies," he said. During the first two weeks of January, he said he did 77 abortions at his center, which is 25 more than during the same two-week period in 2008. And during the last three weeks of March, Carhart says he did 196 abortions, 37 more than during all of March last year. Last year in Nebraska, abortions rose by 13 percent to 2,813, based on preliminary figures. Abortions overall have been declining in the state since peaking in 1990 at 6,346, so last year's number is still the second lowest since the state started tracking abortions in 1974. But the rise is concerning pro-life advocates like Greg Schleppenbach, an official with the Nebraska Catholic Conference, and Julie Schmit-Albin of Nebraska Right to Life. Schmit-Albin says more support is needed for crisis pregnancy centers that help women with alternatives to abortion and provide them support and services that lessen a woman's feeling that she should have an abortion when in a tough financial situation.
Lincoln, NE (LifeNews.com) -- Preliminary figures in Nebraska show abortions are on the rise in the two Midwestern states because of the troubled economy. Penny Dickey, an official with Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa, says the abortion business did about 3,000 abortions from July 2008 through February 2009, which is 15 percent higher than the same period one year earlier. Those abortions took place at four locations across Iowa, including centers in Des Moines and Sioux City. Meanwhile, LeRoy Carhart, who does late-term abortions at his Bellevue abortion center near Obama, also says abortions are on the rise. "Economic reasons have always been one of the primary reasons why women terminate pregnancies," he said. During the first two weeks of January, he said he did 77 abortions at his center, which is 25 more than during the same two-week period in 2008. And during the last three weeks of March, Carhart says he did 196 abortions, 37 more than during all of March last year. Last year in Nebraska, abortions rose by 13 percent to 2,813, based on preliminary figures. Abortions overall have been declining in the state since peaking in 1990 at 6,346, so last year's number is still the second lowest since the state started tracking abortions in 1974. But the rise is concerning pro-life advocates like Greg Schleppenbach, an official with the Nebraska Catholic Conference, and Julie Schmit-Albin of Nebraska Right to Life. Schmit-Albin says more support is needed for crisis pregnancy centers that help women with alternatives to abortion and provide them support and services that lessen a woman's feeling that she should have an abortion when in a tough financial situation.
Missouri Official Who Targeted Pro-Life Advocates in Criminal Profiling Report Reassigned
Jefferson City, MO (LifeNews.com) -- The Missouri Highway Patrol has reassigned the director of a center that produced a report saying pro-life advocates were more likely to be potential criminals. The report caused a national controversy last month and pro-life groups and elected officials reacted in outrage when they were named in it. The Missouri Information Analysis Center, a segment of the federal Department of Homeland Security, compiled the report and released it under pro-abortion Gov. Jay Nixon. This week, the Missouri Highway Patrol announced that the center's director, Van Godsey, had been reassigned to another department and replaced with Lt. David A. Hall. Critics of the report say that making a change in the person who oversees the program does remedy the problem and they are looking for a full investigation of the center. The 'Missouri Documents', as they came to be called, listed over 32 characteristics police should watch for as signs or links to domestic terrorists, which could threaten police officers, court officials, and infrastructure targets. The report targeted pro-lifers as potential threats to public safety and specifically warns law enforcement that displaying "anti-abortion" material may be a sign of a potential threat. Missourians United for Life told LifeNews.com that it was calling on Governor Nixon, who is pro-abortion, to publicly apologize for the creation of the report. "Jay Nixon and his administration are abusing state law enforcement by targeting pro-life Missourians and violating their civil and political rights," said Ed Martin, president of the group.
Jefferson City, MO (LifeNews.com) -- The Missouri Highway Patrol has reassigned the director of a center that produced a report saying pro-life advocates were more likely to be potential criminals. The report caused a national controversy last month and pro-life groups and elected officials reacted in outrage when they were named in it. The Missouri Information Analysis Center, a segment of the federal Department of Homeland Security, compiled the report and released it under pro-abortion Gov. Jay Nixon. This week, the Missouri Highway Patrol announced that the center's director, Van Godsey, had been reassigned to another department and replaced with Lt. David A. Hall. Critics of the report say that making a change in the person who oversees the program does remedy the problem and they are looking for a full investigation of the center. The 'Missouri Documents', as they came to be called, listed over 32 characteristics police should watch for as signs or links to domestic terrorists, which could threaten police officers, court officials, and infrastructure targets. The report targeted pro-lifers as potential threats to public safety and specifically warns law enforcement that displaying "anti-abortion" material may be a sign of a potential threat. Missourians United for Life told LifeNews.com that it was calling on Governor Nixon, who is pro-abortion, to publicly apologize for the creation of the report. "Jay Nixon and his administration are abusing state law enforcement by targeting pro-life Missourians and violating their civil and political rights," said Ed Martin, president of the group.
Arizona Legislature Needs to Approve Women's Right to Know Bill on Abortion
Phoenix, AZ (LifeNews.com) -- In a new editorial, Republican state Rep. Nancy Barto explains why the Arizona state legislature needs to approve the Women's Right to Know bill which provides them more information about abortion's risks and alternatives. Barto writes: "Women in Arizona lack informed consent when seeking an abortion. It is standard practice for a patient to receive complete and accurate information before agreeing to virtually any other invasive medical procedure, including the information required in this bill: alternatives, risks and time to consider the options before undergoing the surgery. All except for abortion." The omnibus bill also has other pro-life provisions. "The second problem HB 2564 solves is parental consent. Editorial writers are correct in stating current Arizona statute requires a minor seeking an abortion to obtain a parent's consent. But loopholes render the laws virtually unenforceable. This bill simply requires a parent's notarized signature - ensuring parents have a meaningful opportunity to give consent before an abortion is performed on their daughter, while still allowing an option for minors who are in abusive parental situations." The bill also updates important civil rights protections for medical professionals. Barto says, "Rights of conscience have always been an integral part of abortion statutes, allowing medical professionals to opt out of providing abortions. But medical advances require we update these protections to include abortion medication, since these present a moral dilemma to some who do not wish to participate in causing the abortion of a child." She concludes, "The fact this bill passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support (36-19) should be some indication of its common-sense nature."
Phoenix, AZ (LifeNews.com) -- In a new editorial, Republican state Rep. Nancy Barto explains why the Arizona state legislature needs to approve the Women's Right to Know bill which provides them more information about abortion's risks and alternatives. Barto writes: "Women in Arizona lack informed consent when seeking an abortion. It is standard practice for a patient to receive complete and accurate information before agreeing to virtually any other invasive medical procedure, including the information required in this bill: alternatives, risks and time to consider the options before undergoing the surgery. All except for abortion." The omnibus bill also has other pro-life provisions. "The second problem HB 2564 solves is parental consent. Editorial writers are correct in stating current Arizona statute requires a minor seeking an abortion to obtain a parent's consent. But loopholes render the laws virtually unenforceable. This bill simply requires a parent's notarized signature - ensuring parents have a meaningful opportunity to give consent before an abortion is performed on their daughter, while still allowing an option for minors who are in abusive parental situations." The bill also updates important civil rights protections for medical professionals. Barto says, "Rights of conscience have always been an integral part of abortion statutes, allowing medical professionals to opt out of providing abortions. But medical advances require we update these protections to include abortion medication, since these present a moral dilemma to some who do not wish to participate in causing the abortion of a child." She concludes, "The fact this bill passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support (36-19) should be some indication of its common-sense nature."
Indiana State House Approves Senate-Passed Feticide Bill on Unanimous Vote
Indianapolis, IN (LifeNews.com) -- The Indiana House approved that would put stiffer penalties in place for criminals who kill or injure a pregnant woman and her unborn child. Current state law allows two charges for the death of or injury to mother and child, but little justice for the baby if she is pre-viability. The law allows two charges after the point of viability, but beforehand relies on a feticide law that only charges criminals with two to six years in prison for taking the unborn child's life. Only then is the attack considered a murder, voluntary manslaughter, or involuntary manslaughter and only then can prosecutors get involved. Last week, the House approved the bill, which ups the penalties under the state's feticide law to six to 20 years, on a 95-0 vote after the Senate had already approved it 40-9. The House made one change to the Senate language -- removing reference to the death of an unborn child and replacing it with the current language in the feticide statute, which refers to the termination of a human pregnancy. The measure was introduced after a local Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi complained he was unable to fully prosecute a case from 2008 involving a pregnant woman who was in her fifth month of pregnancy. The robber shot Katherin Shuffield and the twin babies she was carrying died after the incident. Mike Fichter, the executive director of the pro-life group Indiana Right to Life, told LifeNews.com previously that the law needed to be changed.
Indianapolis, IN (LifeNews.com) -- The Indiana House approved that would put stiffer penalties in place for criminals who kill or injure a pregnant woman and her unborn child. Current state law allows two charges for the death of or injury to mother and child, but little justice for the baby if she is pre-viability. The law allows two charges after the point of viability, but beforehand relies on a feticide law that only charges criminals with two to six years in prison for taking the unborn child's life. Only then is the attack considered a murder, voluntary manslaughter, or involuntary manslaughter and only then can prosecutors get involved. Last week, the House approved the bill, which ups the penalties under the state's feticide law to six to 20 years, on a 95-0 vote after the Senate had already approved it 40-9. The House made one change to the Senate language -- removing reference to the death of an unborn child and replacing it with the current language in the feticide statute, which refers to the termination of a human pregnancy. The measure was introduced after a local Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi complained he was unable to fully prosecute a case from 2008 involving a pregnant woman who was in her fifth month of pregnancy. The robber shot Katherin Shuffield and the twin babies she was carrying died after the incident. Mike Fichter, the executive director of the pro-life group Indiana Right to Life, told LifeNews.com previously that the law needed to be changed.
California Planned Parenthood Advocates Confront Orange County Board Over Grant
Santa Ana, CA (LifeNews.com) -- Upset that the Orange County Board of Supervisors denied it a grant worth nearly $300,000, Planned Parenthood supporters this past week lobbied the members to restore the grant, calling their actions "unconstitutional," "irresponsible" and "the equivalent of modern book burning." The board voted unanimously March 10 to suspend Planned Parenthood's grant with several supervisors saying they were opposed to abortions and didn't want to send taxpayer funds to an abortion business. Representatives from several groups submitted petitions from political groups to a representative from Orange Coast College's student government to encourage the board to rescind its decision. About 50 showed up in support the effort at a recent meeting. Planned Parenthood board president Allyson Sonenshine presented a petition containing some 2,400 signatures and said that the decision would cause the pro-abortion group financial problems. She admitted that the number of abortions has risen because of the tough economic climate. Three speakers voiced support for the board's decision, including Fountain Valley resident Bob Cielnicky and his wife, Bev. "I would like to assure you that there are many residents in Orange County and beyond that applaud your decision," Bob Cielnicky said. "You did what was right." Supervisors did not respond to speakers because the issue was not on the agenda.
Santa Ana, CA (LifeNews.com) -- Upset that the Orange County Board of Supervisors denied it a grant worth nearly $300,000, Planned Parenthood supporters this past week lobbied the members to restore the grant, calling their actions "unconstitutional," "irresponsible" and "the equivalent of modern book burning." The board voted unanimously March 10 to suspend Planned Parenthood's grant with several supervisors saying they were opposed to abortions and didn't want to send taxpayer funds to an abortion business. Representatives from several groups submitted petitions from political groups to a representative from Orange Coast College's student government to encourage the board to rescind its decision. About 50 showed up in support the effort at a recent meeting. Planned Parenthood board president Allyson Sonenshine presented a petition containing some 2,400 signatures and said that the decision would cause the pro-abortion group financial problems. She admitted that the number of abortions has risen because of the tough economic climate. Three speakers voiced support for the board's decision, including Fountain Valley resident Bob Cielnicky and his wife, Bev. "I would like to assure you that there are many residents in Orange County and beyond that applaud your decision," Bob Cielnicky said. "You did what was right." Supervisors did not respond to speakers because the issue was not on the agenda.
Honduras Congress Approves Law Banning More After Pill, Says Can Cause Abortions
Tegucigalpa, Honduras (LifeNews.com) -- The Honduras House of Representatives has approved a bill that would prohibit sales of the morning after pill because it can cause abortions in some circumstances. The legislation bans the purchase, sale, use or distribution of the Plan B pill because of its abortifacient nature. Liberal Party Representative Martha Lorena Alvarado sponsored the bill and the Medical College of Honduras issued a statement saying the drug can kill an unborn child between the stages of conception and implantation. According to a CAN report, Alvarado said the so-called emergency contraception pill "is a hormonal bomb that acts directly in the body causing thousands of physical changes in girls, who are the ones taking it the most, 12, 14 and 16 year-old girls take it after a night of partying, making it a pharmaceutical abortion." Honduras, like most other South American nations, makes abortion illegal and Alvarado noted Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru and Argentina have also banned the morning after pill because it can sometimes cause abortions. Representative Silvia Ayala of the Democratic Unification Party cited abortion advocates who say the drug can't cause abortions, but that is only because they have defined the beginning of human life as starting at implantation and not conception.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras (LifeNews.com) -- The Honduras House of Representatives has approved a bill that would prohibit sales of the morning after pill because it can cause abortions in some circumstances. The legislation bans the purchase, sale, use or distribution of the Plan B pill because of its abortifacient nature. Liberal Party Representative Martha Lorena Alvarado sponsored the bill and the Medical College of Honduras issued a statement saying the drug can kill an unborn child between the stages of conception and implantation. According to a CAN report, Alvarado said the so-called emergency contraception pill "is a hormonal bomb that acts directly in the body causing thousands of physical changes in girls, who are the ones taking it the most, 12, 14 and 16 year-old girls take it after a night of partying, making it a pharmaceutical abortion." Honduras, like most other South American nations, makes abortion illegal and Alvarado noted Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru and Argentina have also banned the morning after pill because it can sometimes cause abortions. Representative Silvia Ayala of the Democratic Unification Party cited abortion advocates who say the drug can't cause abortions, but that is only because they have defined the beginning of human life as starting at implantation and not conception.
Malta Should Adopt Constitutional Amendment on Abortion, Priests for Life Spokesman Says
Valletta, Malta (LifeNews.com) -- Father Denis Wilde, one of the leading spokesman for Priests for Life, told a group of pro-life advocates in Malta that they need to keep pressing for a constitutional amendment that would protect unborn children under law. The island nation in the Mediterranean already prohibits abortion but local pro-life advocates want to strengthen the ban and prevent any weakening of it in the face of pressure from the United Nations and other European nations to allow some abortions. "You should put your fortresses up to avoid the invasion," Wile told members of the Malta-based local pro-life group Gift Of Life, which has spearheaded the constitutional amendment effort. "Right now it looks like abortion will never be legalized in Malta. But a court decision could change everything," he said, referring to the Roe v. Wade decision that essentially allowed unlimited abortions in the United States. Around four years ago, Gift Of Life started campaigning for a constitutional amendment that would make the introduction of abortion in Malta more difficult. Wilde said he believed the amendment should state that every human was a person and should be protected from conception. Wilde said that more than 50 million unborn children have been killed in the United States since the infamous 1973 decision. "That is 4,000 deaths every day, 1.3 million per year and 50 million in the last 36 years," he said. Last September, Gift of Life renewed its effort to enshrine legal protection for unborn children in Malta's constitution. The group had suspended its campaign while Maltese residents were caught up in the March elections. "We believe that it is now time to reopen talks with the Government and the Leader of the Opposition on the way forward towards finally updating the Constitution of Malta, to clearly extend the right to life to the unborn child," the group said.
Valletta, Malta (LifeNews.com) -- Father Denis Wilde, one of the leading spokesman for Priests for Life, told a group of pro-life advocates in Malta that they need to keep pressing for a constitutional amendment that would protect unborn children under law. The island nation in the Mediterranean already prohibits abortion but local pro-life advocates want to strengthen the ban and prevent any weakening of it in the face of pressure from the United Nations and other European nations to allow some abortions. "You should put your fortresses up to avoid the invasion," Wile told members of the Malta-based local pro-life group Gift Of Life, which has spearheaded the constitutional amendment effort. "Right now it looks like abortion will never be legalized in Malta. But a court decision could change everything," he said, referring to the Roe v. Wade decision that essentially allowed unlimited abortions in the United States. Around four years ago, Gift Of Life started campaigning for a constitutional amendment that would make the introduction of abortion in Malta more difficult. Wilde said he believed the amendment should state that every human was a person and should be protected from conception. Wilde said that more than 50 million unborn children have been killed in the United States since the infamous 1973 decision. "That is 4,000 deaths every day, 1.3 million per year and 50 million in the last 36 years," he said. Last September, Gift of Life renewed its effort to enshrine legal protection for unborn children in Malta's constitution. The group had suspended its campaign while Maltese residents were caught up in the March elections. "We believe that it is now time to reopen talks with the Government and the Leader of the Opposition on the way forward towards finally updating the Constitution of Malta, to clearly extend the right to life to the unborn child," the group said.
