LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Saturday, February 27, 2010
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Current Headlines
• Obama to Push Pro-Abortion Health Care Bill: If You Don't Like it Vote Us Out
• Abortion Practitioner in Frozen Babies Case Has More Violations, Problems
• Abortion Practitioner on 40 Days for Life: Praying to End Abortion Doesn't Work
• Pro-Abortion Group Endorses Obama Nominee Timothy Black for Federal Judge
• Congressman Says Abortion Worse Than Slavery for Black Americans
• United Nations Feminist Conference Expected to Have 6K Promoting Abortion
• Washington Post Lauds Abortion Practitioner "Meeting Need" in South Dakota
• Missouri House Panel OKs Bill for Waiting Period, Stopping Forced Abortions
• Massachusetts State House Holds Hearing on Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide
• Colorado Lawsuit Challenges $18 Million in Illegal Planned Parenthood Contracts
• Center for Reproductive Rights Pushes Abortion on African Nations
• Idaho State Senate Approves Bill to Protect Pro-Life Medical Conscience Rights
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Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- After a health care summit that saw him hear how Americans don't want to pay for abortions annd had Nancy Pelosi misleading attendees about abortion funding, President Barack Obama plans to push the pro-abortion health care bill. And he has a message for Americans who don't like it: vote us out. With Republicans and majorities of Americans in most polls saying they don't like the bill, Obama and top Democrats in Congress appear bent on using the controversial reconciliation process.
That would have Democrats attempting to railroad the bill through the House and Senate by misusing a rarely-used procedural tactic preventing a filibuster by opponents of the bill.
They intend to push for a vote by the end of March, when Congress takes its Easter recess.
"If we're unable to resolve differences over health care, we will need to move ahead on decisions," he said, alluding to using reconciliation.
For those who don't like that, Obama added: "that's what elections are for." Full story at LifeNews.com
Abortion Practitioner in Frozen Dead Babies Case Has More Violations, Problems
Philadelphia, PA (LifeNews.com) -- The abortion practitioner who received national attention recently when local officials found dozens of apparently late-term unborn children who were killed in abortions as long as 30 years ago isn't involved in an isolated case. Pro-life groups say abortion practitioner Kermit Gosnell has a long history of problems.
As LifeNews.com reported, the "Little Shop of Horrors" case saw local authorities investigating the Women's Medical Society abortion business after they learned Gosnell killed a woman in a botched abortion.
Massive amounts of drugs found in the victim's system led authorities to suspect Gosnell was illegally prescribing pain-killers.
What they found were dozens of unborn children killed in abortions who were frozen for decades.
Now, Operation Rescue spokeswoman Cheryl Sullenger has uncovered more about Gosnell's past and "deplorable and unsanitary" conditions at his abortion center in eastern Pennsylvania.
"Every time I go to the Internet, I find another horror story about this guy," she told LifeNews.com today. "The story keeps getting worse, as we have found so many times doing our own investigations of abortionists across the nation." Full story at LifeNews.com
Abortion Practitioner on 40 Days for Life: Praying to End Abortion Doesn't Work
Fayetteville, AR (LifeNews.com) -- An Arkansas-based abortion practitioner's take on the international 40 Days for Life campaign is sure to draw guffaws from pro-life advocates. William Harrison says people engaging in the campaign to raise awareness of the problem of abortion centers is ineffective.
Harrison gave a local television an interesting insight into his mindset when asked about the pro-life people participating in the 40 Days for Life campaign in the northwest Arkansas college town.
"I think it's silly," he told the reporter. "Standing across the street and praying to end abortion -- that doesn't work."
The comment is somewhat surprising given Harrison's previous remarks that "abortion cancels souls."
He "thanked" vigil participants for pointing out his location, because he doesn't advertise and claims that people praying outside will help newcomers find his abortion business to schedule abortions. Harrison also advised local 40 Days for Life coordinators to look more serious and to bring a priest with them.
"You know, if they're going to be praying and fasting, they ought to take this job seriously," he said in a mocking tone.
Juliet Cassell, one of the local coordinators, responded and said local pro-life advocates are serious -- and they're praying for Harrison. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Abortion Group Endorses Obama Nominee Timothy Black for Federal Judge
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The pro-abortion group NARAL has endorsed a nominee President Barack Obama put forward for a federal judgeship in Ohio. Obama has selected Timothy Black, a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Ohio since 2004, for the District Court Bench for the Southern District of Ohio. Black previously sat as a Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge for 10 years and practiced as a civil litigator for 10 years before that.
Despite his record as a lawyer and judge, Black is a strong abortion advocate whose position earned him an endorsement from the prominent abortion advocacy organization.
"Today, we need your support of Timothy Black for a federal judgeship. Federal judges have the power to rule on cases related to the constitutional right to privacy, including the right to choose [abortion]," NARAL president Nancy Keenan told her members in an email this week that LifeNews.com obtained.
"Judge Black has bipartisan support from both his home-state senators. He has demonstrated his respect for the right to privacy and a woman's right to choose in various cases relating to Planned Parenthood of Cincinnati," Keenan said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Congressman Says Abortion More Devastating Than Slavery for Black Americans 
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A Republican member of Congress has released a new video showing him talking about the status of abortion in the United States. Rep. Trent Franks, an Arizona republican, is generating controversy by saying that abortion has been more devastating for the black community than slavery.
Franks, who has sponsored legislation responding to the high rate of abortions in the African-American community, released his comments to liberal blogger Mike Stark.
"In this country, we had slavery for God knows how long," Frank says. Nowadays, he says Americans look back and ask about society for allowing it: "What was the matter with them? You know, I can't believe, you know, four million slaves. It is a crushing mark on America's soul."
"And yet today, half of all black children are aborted. Half of all black children are aborted," Franks continues.
"Far more of the African American community is being devastated by the policies of today than were being devastated by policies of slavery. And I think, What does it take to get us to wake up?" he adds. Full story at LifeNews.com
United Nations Feminist Conference Expected to Have 6,0000 Promoting Abortion
New York, NY (LifeNews.com/CFAM) -- Next week, thousands of participants are expected to descend upon the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York for the annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).
In anticipation of the meeting, radical feminist groups have been preparing statements and refining messages to push on government delegations at the meeting.
This year s CSW is particularly significant because it marks the fifteenth anniversary of the Beijing Conference on Women.
At the original 1995 conference, advocates attempted to establish a right to abortion on demand but failed when governments specifically outlined that no new rights particularly, no new right to abortion were established at Beijing. Since then, however, abortion proponents have not given up their attempts to push abortion rights at CSW and during periodic reviews of the Beijing conference.
While governments gather in a conference room to discuss how they have helped the world's women progress, non-government organizations (NGOs) will be holding their own events to push their ideas. According to an official from the Division on the Advancement of Women (DAW), over 6,000 NGO representatives have registered to attend this year s CSW. Full story at LifeNews.com
Washington Post Lauds Abortion Practitioner "Meeting Need" in South Dakota
by Sarah Knoploh 
The Washington Post's Peter Slevin lauded abortion doctor Carol Ball on Feb. 26, for bravely traveling to perform elective abortions in South Dakota when no doctors in state will.
In his glowing tribute Minnesota Abortion Provider Helps Meet Need in South Dakota, Slevin not only turned Ball into a hero, but sympathized with her difficult situation. This is a difficult time for Ball and her colleagues, Slevin wrote before citing last year s murder of abortion provider George Tiller.
Slevin and Ball downplayed the controversial nature of her profession. Ball told the Post her decision to start performing abortions was easy. It was legal. It was right Why would anybody argue with that? Talking about pro-lifers upset with what she does in South Dakota Ball said: I think to myself, What century do we live in?
Even though we live in the 21st century, no doctor in South Dakota will performs elective abortions so four doctors take turns staffing the Planned Parenthood clinic in Sioux Falls.
Slevin quoted the clinic director, sympathizing further with the pro-abortion side of South Dakota s controversy. Full story at LifeNews.com
Missouri House Panel OKs Bill for Waiting Period, Stopping Forced Abortions
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A Missouri state House committee voted 7-5 on a party line vote yesterday for a bill that would stop forced abortions and put a 24-hour abortion waiting period in place. The measure is designed to provide women more information than they otherwise receive from abortion centers.
The Special Standing Committee on Children and Families signed off on House Bill 1327, sponsored by Republican Cynthia Davis of O'Fallon, and urged the full state House to support it.
The measure requires abortion businesses, orally and in writing, to provide women information 24 hours before an abortion on the development of the unborn child, and long-term medical and mental health problems women can expect from the abortion.
The measure also allows women to find out about abortion alternatives and to see an ultrasound of the unborn child, according to a Missouri Statehouse Examiner report.
HB 1327 also makes it unlawful for a woman's family, friends, workplace or school to coerce her into having an abortion and to require abortion centers to place posters in their waiting rooms informing women they have the right to not have an abortion.
In a post placed on her web site, Davis, who chairs the committee, said women should be given more information about abortion and its alternatives and problematic aftereffects. Full story at LifeNews.com
 Got $1? Help a pro-life activist take on a pro-choice Blue-Dog! Scott Folkens is a pro-life activist! Pregnancy Center Board Chairman, local coordinator for Life Chain and 40 Days for Life events and coordinator for Roe v. Wade Prayer vigil. Box 2102 San Bernardino, CA 92406. http://www.folkens4congress.com |
Massachusetts State House Holds Hearing on Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide
Boston, MA (LifeNews.com) -- A bill in the Massachusetts legislature would make the state the fourth to legalize the practice of assisted suicide, following Oregon, Washington and Montana. Several groups and 10 individuals testified against the legislation in a hearing that hasn't drawn much national attention yet.
Marie Sturgis, the legislative director for Massachusetts Citizens for Life, told LifeNews.com about her testimony at the legislative panel.
"I testified, on behalf of Mass. Citizens, against the Physician Assisted Suicide Bill at the hearing along with representatives from the Massachusetts Hospice Association, the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, and ten other citizens who had a personal interest in opposing the bill," she said.
Sturgis told LifeNews.com she is worried that organizations are working overtime to try to get calls into the legislature to support the bill and that the media is pumping up the bill.
"It is worrisome, however, that the 'push calls' are being made, and that 'the upcoming euthanasia hearings' were featured on numerous news broadcasts the day before the hearings," she said. Full story at LifeNews.com
Colorado Lawsuit Challenges $18 Million in Illegal Planned Parenthood Contracts
Denver, CO (LifeNews.com) -- A lawsuit filed by a pro-life legal group is challenging $18 million in what the Alliance Defense Fund calls illegal contracts the Planned Parenthood abortion business entered into with the state of Colorado. ADF attorneys have appealed the decision of a Colorado court to dismiss the suit.
The contracts were awarded last year to Planned Parenthood affiliate and a Boulder abortion provider, Warren Hearn.
The democratic process and the rule of law should not be sacrificed for the sake of benefiting Planned Parenthood s bottom line, lead counsel Barry Arrington told LifeNews.com today.
"The governor and other state officials are not at liberty to ignore the will of the people on this matter. Colorado voters amended the state constitution to prohibit tax dollar subsidies to abortion providers, so it s the right decision to take this to the court of appeals," Arrington added.
The lawsuit, filed in October 2008 on behalf of Colorado taxpayer Mark Hotaling contends that five contracts Gov. Bill Ritter and the director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Jim Martin, awarded to two abortion businesses unconstitutionally use taxpayer funds to subsidize abortion. Full story at LifeNews.com
Center for Reproductive Rights Pushes Abortion on African Nations in New Paper
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com/CFAM) -- The Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), a New York-based public interest law firm that seeks to expand abortion access globally, has issued a primer on "reproductive and sexual rights" jurisprudence in Africa, including abortion. Its launch comes at a time when largely western groups are increasing pressure on African nations to liberalize abortion laws.
The paper "Legal Grounds: Reproductive and Sexual Rights in African Commonwealth Courts, Volume II" surveys a number of "reproductive rights" issues in countries that inherited a common-law legal system, and includes a chapter on "Abortion and Fetal Interests."
It is intended as a tool for "women's rights advocates who seek to develop and strengthen litigation strategies at the national level."
While acknowledging that Africa as a region contains "some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world," CRR contends that there is "a growing trend towards liberalization of national laws," pointing to Africa's Maputo Protocol as evidence of a continental shift. Full story at LifeNews.com
Idaho State Senate Approves Bill to Protect Pro-Life Medical Conscience Rights
Boise, ID (LifeNews.com) -- The Idaho state Senate approved a bill today that would create statutory protections for health care professionals in specific areas of medical practice. Friday's 21-13 vote on SB 1353 came after the Senate State Affairs committee voted 6-3 to send the bill to the floor.
The legislation makes it so pro-life health care workers don't have to fear for their jobs if they decide they don't want to dispense drugs that could be used to cause abortions or kill patients at the end of their life.
According to an AP report, the debate was intense and emotional.
Sen. Chuck Winder, the Boise Republican sponsor, deflected charges from pro-abortion lawmakers that the bill is a "right-wing scheme" brought by a "bunch of religious fanatics," but rather an effort to legitimately protect medical workers.
We're not going to leave anybody in the lurch, he said. We're not going to take away the rights of a patient. Full story at LifeNews.com
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