LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Friday, May 7, 2010
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Current Headlines
• Liberal Judge Sidney Thomas Makes Obama's Short List for Supreme Court
• State Wants to Close Philadelphia Center Where Woman Died in Botched Abortion
• Republican Leader John Boehner Chokes Up Receiving AUL Pro-Life Award
• University of Wisconsin to Find Another Location for Late-Term Abortion Center
• Post Office: Stamp for Pro-Life Heroine Mother Teresa Coming September
• UNFPA Pushes Reproductive Rights in United Nations Treaties to Promote Abortion
• Pro-Life Group Runs Radio Ads Supporting Sue Lowden for Nevada Senate Seat
• Abortion Advocates: Boycott Cancun Because 11-Year-Old Didn't Get Abortion
• Kenya Moves Closer to Voting on Draft Constitution Allowing Unlimited Abortions
• G8 Battle Breaks Out Over Canada and International Abortion Funding
• Florida Man Who Killed Pregnant Woman Who Refused Abortion Has Hearing
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Liberal Judge Sidney Thomas Makes Obama's Short List for Supreme Court
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Ninth Circuit Appeals Court Judge Sidney Thomas is one of four people said to be on the short list of names President Barack Obama is considering to replace retiring pro-abortion Justice John Paul Stevens. The list includes two key abortion advocates but Thomas would likely uphold Roe v. Wade.
Obama met with Thomas last Thursday in what was his first one-on-one interview with his list of potential nominees and Vice President Joe Biden interviewed Thomas at the White House in a separate meeting .
Although Solicitor General Elena Kagan, whom Obama interviewed Friday, and pro-abortion Seventh Circuit Judge Diane Wood, who interviewed this week, are clearly pro-abortion activists, Thomas may be just as bad.
Thomas is a member of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the largest of the nation's appellate courts and the one considered the most liberal.
Even then, Thomas, according to National Review writer and legal expert Ed Whelan, is on the liberal end of that liberal court.
"Thomas is on the far Left of the very liberal Ninth Circuit or, as I put it before, that while he may be physically in Montana, he s jurisprudentially in Reinhardt-istan," Whelan says -- referring to ultra liberal judge Stephen Reinhardt.
Whelan says Thomas' rulings have been so far to the left that one legal scholar called one case, Summerlin v. Stewart, quite possibly the worst opinion ever to issue from the Ninth Circuit, and that is saying quite a lot. Full story at LifeNews.com
State Wants to Close Philadelphia Center Where Woman Died in Botched Abortion
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- State officials in Pennsylvania want to close the abortion center run by abortion practitioner Kermit Gosnell, who is under investigation following the death of a woman in a botched abortion. They say Gosnell has not responded to the charges even though his abortion center is temporarily closed and his license revoked.
Authorities have been probing the Women's Medical Society after an abortion patient died last November.
Massive amounts of drugs found in the victim's system led authorities to suspect Gosnell was illegally prescribing pain-killers. He lost his medical license in both Pennsylvania and neighboring Delaware.
In March, the Pennsylvania Department of Health found the abortion center had violated more than a dozen health and safety laws ranging from a lack of equipment and drugs for emergency resuscitation to not having a way to get patients to a hospital or a backup physician.
The Philadelphia Inquirer indicates Gosnell also delayed the report to the state concerning the woman who died in the failed abortion. He had until April 12 to respond to the charges but has failed to do so, and missed an extension taking him to April 30.
Last month, the newspaper says his attorney, Philadelphia lawyer William J. Brennan, said "we're in the process of reviewing the counts, and we'll address them in the appropriate time frame."
But yesterday, Brennan told the Inquirer he only is representing Gosnell regarding criminal matters and not anything related to the charges the health department brought up. Full story at LifeNews.com
Republican Leader John Boehner Chokes Up Receiving AUL Pro-Life Award
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Republican Leader John Boehner choked up last night as he received an award at a reception sponsored by Americans United for Life. Boehner received the 2010 Henry J. Hyde Defender of Life Award for standing up against government-funding of abortions in the new health care program Obama signed.
Boehner became emotional during his acceptance speech as he talked about his family and Hyde, the pro-life luminary whose name still adorns the annual amendment to stop taxpayer funded abortions outside the health care bill.
"Look, Henry Hyde was a hero of mine," he told the Washington Post.
"I've always believed that life begins at conception. I've always thought abortion was wrong, and speaking out against it was never difficult. It was a moral position I felt very strongly about," he said.
Boehner was repeatedly moved to tears in a video clip of his statement afterwards recorded by conservative writer Robert Stacy McCain.
This will be great on your video, Boehner said, drawing laughter.
He lost his composure telling the crowd he has 11 brothers and sisters, saying, I know it wasn't convenient for my mother to have 12 of us.
But I'm sure glad they're all here, he said, as he left the stage, unable to continue. Full story at LifeNews.com
University of Wisconsin to Find Another Location for Late-Term Abortion Center
Madison, WI (LifeNews.com) -- The University of Wisconsin may have abandoned plans to install a late-term abortion facility at the at the Madison Surgery Center, but that doesn't mean the college has abandoned plans for a late-term abortion center entirely.
Yesterday, pro-life groups celebrated the news that UW had apparently decided against having an abortion center at MSC, a joint venture between UW Hospital and Clinics, Meriter Hospital and the UW Medical Foundation.
But, later in the day, UW officials denied it has dropped its controversial plans for a late-term abortion facility, even though MSC may not house the ultimate location.
Barbara Lyons, Executive Director of Wisconsin Right to Life, tells LifeNews.com she is not surprised UW is continuing with its plans to create a late-term abortion center.
Despite the flurry of statements and denials regarding abandonment of the late-term abortion plan at the Madison Surgery Center, there are no surprises here, she said today. It is no surprise that UW is committed to finding another location for late-term abortions. To them, it is the politically correct thing to do.
It is also no surprise that the Madison Surgery Center has been abandoned as the location for late-term abortions to be performed, continued Lyons. The fact that the Madison Surgery Center has not performed a single late-term abortion, even though the plan was adopted in February of 2009, suggests that insurmountable obstacles prevented the plan from going forward at that facility." Full story at LifeNews.com
Post Office: Stamp for Pro-Life Heroine Mother Teresa Coming September
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Postal Service officials have confirmed it will print a new stamp honoring pro-life heroine Mother Teresa and that it will be released in September. The stamp has come under fire from atheist groups who say the government shouldn't be honoring a pro-life religious figure.
The USPS Mother Teresa stamp is one of 23 new issues the United States Postal Service recently unveiled for 2010.
After it came under criticism, the pro-life group CatholicVoteAction launched a campaign to generate support for it.
"Over 138,000 friends of CatholicVote joined together to defend the stamp to honor Mother Teresa. And the Postal Service took notice," Brian Burch, the group's president, said.
Roy Betts, a spokesman for the Postal Service, told CatholicVote yesterday, The stamp will be dedicated September 5 [at] the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. Feel free to post information about the stamp, the image and the dedication ceremony on your web site."
Burch was excited about the news but surprised at the location of the unveiling ceremony.
"Wow. Launching the stamp at a church. The anti-religion radicals are going to go wild," he said. Full story at LifeNews.com
UNFPA Pushes Reproductive Rights in United Nations Treaties to Promote Abortion
New York, NY (LifeNews.com/CFAM) -- This week, abortion advocates the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) and Amnesty International (AI) are teaming up with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to host the "first-ever" briefings on "reproductive rights" for the committees responsible for monitoring compliance with the Convention Against Torture (CAT) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
According to the CRR website, the briefing with the UN Committee against Torture (CAT) will focus on "reproductive rights violations" such "denial of reproductive healthcare services, including abortion and post-abortion care."
Critics point out that not only has the term "reproductive rights" never before been included in any binding UN treaty, but also that delegations have made explicit statements to define abortion out of the term whenever it has been included in lower level, non-binding conference outcome documents and resolutions.
UN observers have watched compliance committees, especially the body that monitors the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), overstep their mandates in over 100 different instances over the years to misinterpret treaty provisions and pressure countries to decriminalize or liberalize access to abortion.
The CRR briefing with the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), co-sponsored by UNFPA, will address maternal mortality "as a human right issue." CRR bills this meeting as part of its "ongoing advocacy" with this UN committee "as it develops its new general comment on sexual and reproductive health rights." Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Life Group Runs Radio Ads Supporting Sue Lowden for Nevada Senate Seat
Carson City, NV (LifeNews.com) -- A pro-life women's group today announced it is unveiling a major radio advertising purchase to benefit Nevada Senate hopeful Sue Lowden. The Susan B. Anthony List issued an endorsement for Lowden in March as she seeks the Republican nomination to take on pro-abortion Democratic leader Harry Reid.
He is the top Democrat in the Senate who pushed the pro-abortion health care bill.
SBA List, a pro-life women's group, launched a $50,000 radio ad campaign highlighting Lowden's pro-life record, and the ad is part of a $1 million effort to urge Nevada voters to support her.
"Sue Lowden is a committed pro-life leader, exactly the kind of leader for unborn children and women that we urgently need in the U.S. Senate," said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the organization.
"Too often elected officials say one thing at home and vote another way in Washington," Dannenfelser told LifeNews.com. "The Susan B. Anthony List is committed to making sure that Nevada voters know that there is a clear contrast between Harry Reid, who calls himself 'pro-life,' and the true pro-life leader that Sue Lowden has proven to be in the Nevada state senate." Full story at LifeNews.com
Abortion Advocates: Boycott Cancun Because 11-Year-Old Didn't Get Abortion
Cancun, Mexico (LifeNews.com) -- Abortion advocates want a boycott of Cancun, Mexico because they say local officials did not do enough to ensure an 11-year-old girl was pressured into having an abortion. The girl was a victim of sexual abuse but she decided to have the baby saying she knew she couldn't take a human life.
Abortion is currently legal in Mexico City but not in other states.
The girl, raped by her stepfather, lives in state of Quintana Roo on the Yucatan peninsula and most Mexican states allow abortions for rape, incest and protecting the life of the mother.
However, news reports indicate the girl, was past the 90-day deadline the law requires. Abortion advocates say the girl was not notified of the ability to get an abortion and they called on international authorities to intervene on her behalf. Still, local news reports indicate the girl's mother would not have approved of the abortion anyway.
Now, they are calling on tourists to boycott Cancun because of the case of the girl, known only as Amalia.
Maria Eugenia Romero of the Network for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, is heading up an online campaign in English, Spanish and French asking tourists to stay away from Cancun because of the dustup. Full story at LifeNews.com
Kenya Moves Closer to Voting on Draft Constitution Allowing Unlimited Abortions
Nairobi, Kenya (LifeNews.com) -- The African nation of Kenya is one step closer to voting on a draft constitution this summer that would allow abortions for the first time. The constitution would undermine longstanding prohibitions on abortions but allowing them to protect the "health" of the mother -- which essentially makes all abortions legal.
Even though study after study shows abortions cause problems for women's physical and mental health, the constitution would allow them under that so-called exception.
Now, Attorney General Amos Wako published the proposed Constitution and all that remains between now and a vote is a review by the Interim Independent Electoral Commission.
Once the commission conducts its review, it will publish the referendum, likely next week, and the debate will begin in earnest in advance of a vote that The Standard says will be conducted by August 6.
President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga have pushed for the new Constitution even though it has generated strong opposition from Christian groups and others because of the pro-abortion provisions.
Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka has taken what he terms a middle ground and is pushing for Kenyans to learn about the constitution and the debate on both sides. Full story at LifeNews.com
G8 Battle Breaks Out Over Canada and International Abortion Funding
Ottawa, Canada (LifeNews.com/CFAM) -- The campaign to insert abortion funding into maternal health initiatives has dominated the media coverage leading up to the 36th annual G8 Summit, which will be held in Huntsville, Canada in late June.
The host government, Canada, has come under considerable criticism from the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), pro-abortion NGOs and the Canadian media for refusing to bring abortion into the debate.
The G8 Summit brings together the leaders of eight of the largest economies of the world. Traditionally, the host country has wide latitude to set the agenda. In January, the Canadian government, under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, announced its intention to make maternal and child health a development priority for this year s summit.
Almost immediately, pro-abortion groups attacked the plan for not specifically including family planning and abortion. The opposition has been led by Maureen McTeer, the wife of former Prime Minister Joe Clark and the Canadian representative for the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, who has been actively lobbying Canadian government officials using a briefing paper published by Action Canada for Population Development.
The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) stopped funding abortion services overseas last year by not renewing funding contracts with two of the largest international abortion providers, International Planned Parenthood Federation and Marie Stopes International. It is this non-renewal of funding for these abortion providers that some believe is at the heart of the protests over the Canadian policy for the G8 health initiative. Full story at LifeNews.com
Florida Man Who Killed Pregnant Woman Who Refused Abortion Has Hearing
Pensacola, FL (LifeNews.com) -- A Florida Navy man charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of a pregnant woman who refused his request for an abortion has been denied lower bail in a court hearing. Zachary Littleton, a 25-year-old petty officer third class is accused of killing Samira Watkins, 25, because she refused his request to get an abortion.
The case has a similar ring to it as it reminds officials of the killing death of Laci Peterson and her unborn child Conner.
Littleton has been indicted on a first-degree premeditated murder charge.
Circuit Judge Terry Terrell in January set Littleton s bond at $500,000, but, according to the Pensacola newspaper, denied reducing his bond.
According to the Pensacola News-Journal, Watkins was last seen alive by her family on October 25 when she left her grandmother's home. Officials say they believe Watkins went to see Littleton, who then took her life.
Littleton is married and has another child but was reportedly having an affair with Watkins, whom he got pregnant. Wanting to keep the pregnancy a secret, Littleton asked Watkins to get an abortion, but she refused. Full story at LifeNews.com
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