LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
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Current Headlines
• Obama Won't Demand Public Option, Battle Could Delay Health Care Bill
• Senate Bill Would Permanently Overturn Mexico City Policy on Abortion
• Time Magazine Accuses Bishops of Promoting Pro-Abortion Health Care
• Millions March in Spain Against Govt Effort to Expand Abortions
• New Jersey Pro-Life Group Backs Chris Christie Over Corzine on Abortion
• Notre Dame Prez Gets Second Term Despite Honoring Pro-Abortion Obama
• European Parliament Urged to Vote for Amdts Against Forced Abortions
• Awarding Good Intentions? Giving Obama the Nobel Prize is Wrong
• Penn Student Free to Wear Pro-Life Abortion Shirt While Case Continues
• Northern Ireland Guidelines Could Allow Abortions, Put Unborn in Danger
• British Doctor Found Guilty of Poisoning Former Lover to Cause Abortion
• Michigan Pro-Life Advocates Get Lawmakers to File Personhood Amdt
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Obama Won't Demand Public Option, Battle Could Delay Pro-Abortion Health Care Bill
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The White House is saying that President Barack Obama is not demanding the public option in the final version of the pro-abortion, government-run health care bill. The lack of a demand is not yet helping a battle between House and Senate Democrats that could ultimately delay the abortion-funding legislation. In an interview Sunday with NBC's "Meet the Press," senior adviser Valerie Jarrett said Obama believes the government option is the "best possible choice," but she said he is not insisting on it. Also, the president's top adviser, David Axelrod, downplayed the importance of a government-run insurance option and he noted how strong opposition to it in the Senate means "we have to work through these issues." "The president has very consistently and clearly articulated his support for a public option," Axelrod said on ABC's "This Week," but he added, "that doesn't mean that we -- we halt the process." "There are people in the Senate -- Republicans and Democrats -- who have objections to that. We have to work through these issues, and we're going to do that," he said. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who is deeply involved with congressional Democrats in trying to merge the two Senate and three House bills into a single piece of legislation in both chambers, also seemed to dismiss the government option. Full story at LifeNews.com
Senate Bill Would Permanently Overturn Mexico City Policy on Foreign Abortions
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The Senate version of a federal spending bill controlling the State Department would make President Barack Obama's decision to overturn the Mexico City Policy permanent. Obama overturned the policy during his first week in office and opened the door to funding groups that perform and promote abortions overseas. Typically, the Mexico City Policy is an executive order that changes over time depending on whether a pro-life or pro-abortion advocate is in the White House. While President George W. Bush prohibited the abortion funding, Obama immediately restored it. Now, pro-abortion Sen. Frank Lautenberg, a New Jersey Democrat, has amended the Senate State, Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, S. 1434, with language making the overturning of the Mexico City Policy permanent. Under his language, the only way to reverse it and restore the ban on funding the foreign work of pro-abortion groups and abortion businesses would be to pass a bill to do so or a bill with an amendment reversing the language. That would make it much more difficult to restore the Mexico City Policy. Full story at LifeNews.com
ACTION: Contact your two U.S. senators and urge strong opposition to the Lautenberg amendment against the Mexico City Policy. Urge lawmakers to remove the amendment from the State, Foreign Operations Appropriations bill and to vote against the bill if it is not removed. Go to http://www.Senate.gov for contact information for your senators.
Time Magazine Blasted, Accuses Bishops of Promoting Pro-Abortion Health Care
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Time magazine is coming under fire for a new article from staff writer Amy Sullivan that makes the wild accusation that the nation's Catholic bishops allowed or supported language in one of the House health care bills that paves the way for government funding of abortions. As Sullivan tells the story, the U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops is guilty of an "inconsistent approach to the issue" of abortion which "created confusion that has hampered Democratic attempts to accommodate their concerns." The Time staff writer contends a letter from Cardinal Rigali on behalf of the bishops in July tells Congress to oppose "direct funding of abortion" in the health care bill. Members of a House committee then endorsed the Capps Amendment that allows for indirect funding of abortions -- whereby the public sends money to the government that, in turn, pays for abortions. In a followup letter in August, Cardinal Rigali rejected this approach, saying, "Funds paid into these plans are fungible, and federal taxpayer funds will subsidize the operating budget and provider networks that expand access to abortion." Sullivan claims the letters are an inconsistency -- that the bishops only opposed "direct funding" this summer and came back with opposition to indirect funding as well. She goes as far as saying the Catholic bishops either misrepresented their position or essentially supported indirect funding of abortions. Full story at LifeNews.com
Millions March in Spain Against Govt Effort to Expand Abortions, Exclude Parents
Madrid, Spain (LifeNews.com) -- As many as two million people participated in a massive march in the capital of Spain as they oppose an effort by the government there to expand the nation's abortion law and exclude parents. Spanish citizens took to Madrid's streets behind a huge banner that read, "Every Life Matters." People traveled to Madrid from across the country for the rally and march sponsored by 234 various pro-life groups from over 45 countries. Police estimates put the crowd at 250,000, but government officials said the number was as high as one million and organizers said two million participated in the march. The event had a festival-like atmosphere as throngs of people filled the streets from the Plaza del Sol to Independence Square. The cabinet of the Spain government, headed by President Rodriguez Zapatero, approved a draft bill that would expand abortions and legalize them up to the fourteenth week of pregnancy. The measure has upset pro-life advocates, but the government made it worse by saying parental involvement won't be allowed. That means teenagers between the ages of 16 and 18 who can get abortions will not have to either inform their parents about their abortion nor obtain their consent. Full story at LifeNews.com
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New Jersey Pro-Life Group Backs Chris Christie Over Governor Corzine on Abortion
Trenton, NJ (LifeNews.com) -- A statewide pro-life group in New Jersey today endorsed gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie over his rival, incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine. Citing the need to elect a pro-life governor, the New Jersey Right to Life PAC backed Christie and noted that Corzine and independent candidate Chris Daggett are both pro-abortion. "As Governor, Chris Christie will advocate for pro-life laws supported by a majority of New Jersey citizens," Marie Tasy, the head of the pro-life group, told LifeNews.com today. "Chris believes we must work to reduce abortions in New Jersey through laws such as parental notification, a 24-hour waiting period and a ban on partial-birth abortion," Tasy added. Tasy said New Jersey residents have no reason to support Corzine in next month's close election. "Jon Corzine's record as Governor and U. S. Senator demonstrates that he has been on the wrong side of every issue that matters most to NJ families," she said. "Chris Christie will support laws that will aid and strengthen our families, protect our citizens, and restore a culture of life and respect to our state. That is real change we can believe in and why we have endorsed Chris Christie for Governor," Tasy told LifeNews.com. Full story at LifeNews.com
South Bend, IN (LifeNews.com) -- The controversy at Notre Dame University where the Catholic school gave an honorary degree to pro-abortion President Barack Obama and allowed him to give the school's commencement address apparently didn't hurt ND president John Jenkins' standing. On Friday, Jenkins was appointed to a second term as Notre Dame's president. The decision drew immediate condemnation from pro-life Catholics who are outraged that the educational institution went against the pro-life teachings of the Catholic Church. "Notre Dame has suffered terribly in recent years because of a lack of leadership and commitment to its Catholic identity," said Patrick J. Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society. He told LifeNews.com, "The Board of Trustees has once again neglected their responsibility to uphold Notre Dame's Catholic mission by reelecting a president who has displayed public disrespect for the bishops and has permitted repeated scandals including the honors to President Obama." Father Jenkins was elected to a five-year term as president of Notre Dame on April 30, 2004, becoming the university's 17th president. Chairman Richard Notebaert announced last Friday that the University of Notre Dame Board of Trustees elected Fr. Jenkins to serve a second five-year term. Full story at LifeNews.comEuropean Parliament Members Urged to Vote for Amdts Against Forced Abortions
Strasbourg, France (LifeNews.com) -- Members of the European Parliament are getting encouragement from pro-life advocates to support amendments to the budget to revoke funding from groups that promote coercive abortions or involuntary sterilizations as part of their family planning programs in other nations. If the MEPs approve the language later this week, this will be the second time they would have supported such amendments. CARE for Europe, supported by the British pro-life group SPUC, is leading the charge for the amendments. "As in previous years CARE For Europe, along with other non-governmental organizations (NGOs), is campaigning for specific wording to be included in the European Commission's annual budget for overseas development," she group said in an alert SPUC sent LifeNews.com. The amendment would "prevent any funds going to organizations or countries which are complicit in promoting family planning programs which include an element of compulsion (e.g. coercive abortion and involuntary sterilization)." This amendment was actually passed in 2007 and included in the 2008 budget, but abortion advocates are opposing it this time around. Full story at LifeNews.com
Awarding Good Intentions? Giving Pro-Abortion Obama the Nobel Prize is Wrong
by Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer
I am not the only one who sees a strange anomaly in the Oslo committee awarding Mr. Obama the Nobel Peace Prize last week. Considering that his actual nomination had to have taken place before February 1st when he was not even two weeks in office, he could not have possibly done anything to merit this award and he certainly hasn't done anything since! In fact, the winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize is the shameless leader of the war against unborn children around the world; his alliance with Planned Parenthood testifies vocally to his pro-death agenda, not to mention his wiping out of the Mexico City Policy to fund the death peddlers around the world. His administration's debates about whether to send 40,000 more troops into Afghanistan seem mildly aggressive in comparison to the war against babies. It is just astounding to think that neither Mahatma Gandhi nor Pope John Paul II received this Prize in their lifetimes, a fact that speaks volumes about the Scandinavians' sense of what constitutes true peace-making. Keep in mind that American policies can have huge consequences around the world. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pennsylvania Student Free to Wear Pro-Life Abortion Shirt While Case Continues
Scranton, PA (LifeNews.com) -- A middle school student is free to wear his pro-life T-shirt proclaiming that "Abortion is Not Healthcare" after school officials stopped him from wearing it during the showing of a speech by President Barack Obama. Officials at Crossroads Middle School in Lewisberry ordered the student to remove the shirt on the day of Obama's address. School officials deemed the shirt "inappropriate," saying it might insult somebody -- even though the school routinely allows students to wear other shirts with other potentially offensive messages. Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a lawsuit in federal court several days ago against the West Shore School District for prohibiting the student from wearing the shirt. Now, the court issued an order on Monday, which the school district agreed to, that prohibits school officials from enforcing problematic policies challenged by Alliance Defense Fund attorneys. "Pro-life students shouldn't be censored for their views," ADF Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman told LifeNews.com today. Full story at LifeNews.com
Northern Ireland Guidelines Could Allow Some Abortions, Put Unborn in Danger
by John Smeaton
Statistically an unborn baby in Northern Ireland is safer than anywhere else in the UK. The success of the pro-life movement in preventing the extension of the Abortion Act has meant that the law in Northern Ireland still safeguards the lives of unborn children as well as protecting women from the terrible damage which abortion can cause. However, recently issued guidance from the Northern Ireland health department now threatens to make abortion in the Province more easily available. This guidance gives so much prominence to possible defenses to a criminal charge that they appear to represent the law on abortion. In turn, abortion is presented as a "service" to which patients must have access rather than a tightly controlled exception to a criminal prohibition. Health department guidance is very important since it is the basis on which clinical decisions are made. SPUC believes the current guidance undermines the law, creates a serious threat to unborn children, to the safety of women and to the rights of medical professionals. The lives of unborn children in Northern Ireland are at stake— we must act before it's too late. Full story at LifeNews.com
British Doctor Found Guilty of Poisoning Former Lover to Cause Abortion
London, England (LifeNews.com) -- A British doctor has been found guilty of attempting to poison a former lover in a bid to cause her to have an abortion. Metropolitan Police say 43-year-old Edward Erin, a hospital consultant, attempted to poison Bella Prowse and force her to have an abortion without her knowledge. Erin attempted to poison Prowse on three separate occasions in early February 2008, officials say. They indicate he used the drugs methotrexate and diclofenac in the abortion bid and tried to administer them once at her home by putting the drugs in a tea he made for her. Today, Erin, 44, of Kensington and a married father of two, was convicted on the charges and awaits sentencing. A jury found him guilty of two charges of attempting to poison Prowse in two of the three instances but did not convict him of attempting to cause an abortion without her consent. Full story at LifeNews.com
Michigan Pro-Life Advocates Get Lawmakers to File Personhood-Abortion Amdt
Lansing, MI (LifeNews.com) -- Michigan is the latest state where pro-life advocates are working on a personhood amendment to the state constitution that would regard unborn children from conception as persons under the law. The measure has the potential of banning abortions and other practices like human cloning that kill unborn children. Rep. Jim Slezack, a pro-life Democrat, is the leading sponsor of the amendment in the Michigan legislature along with several other legislators. The Michigan Personhood Amendment states, "Every human person has a right to life, which is the paramount and most fundamental right guaranteed under the constitution and laws of this state." Full story at LifeNews.com
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