LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
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Current Headlines
• Obama Admin to Appeal Embryonic Stem Cell Funding Decision This Week
• Pro-Abortion Obama, Democrats Got 88 Percent of Media Donations in 2008
• Study Finds Later Abortions Linked to Mental Health Risks, Women Pressured
• Human Tests for Embryonic Stem Cells Coming Despite Judge's Ruling
• Al Pacino Wins Emmy Award for Movie on Euthanasia Advocate Jack Kevorkian
• Planned Parenthood Blocks Release of Papers on Telemed Abortion Practitioner
• Pro-Life People, Public Should See Abortion Expose' Film "Blood Money"
• Catholic Alverno College Under Fire for Linking Students to Pro-Abortion Groups
• South Carolina Pro-Life Governor Candidate Nikki Haley Leads Vincent Sheheen
• Delaware Becomes 23rd State to Allow Choose Life License Plates on Vehicles
• Pennsylvania Court: Guardians Can't Pull the Plug on Mentally Disabled People
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Obama Admin to Appeal Embryonic Stem Cell Funding Decision This Week
Last Monday, District Judge Royce Lamberth blocked Obama s 2009 executive order that had expanded federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research.
The Obama administration sent $131 million to researchers across the country to conduct research on the unproven cells, which have never helped patients because of problems with using the cells in animals -- as they cause tumors and are rejected by the immune system.
However, Lamberth ruled the funding violated the Dickey-Wicker amendment, a law Congress has approved annually since 1996 which precluded federal funding of research that destroys human embryos. Embryonic stem cells can currently only be obtained by destroying unique human beings days after conception.
Judge Lamberth ruled that the administration s policy violated the law, which bans federal financing for any research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death."
He said the law is clear in that Congress wanted bans federal financing for any research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death."
The Justice Department said last Tuesday it will appeal Judge Lamberth's decision later this week. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Abortion Obama, Democrats Got 88 Percent of Media Donations in 2008
The Washington Examiner found employees of ABC, NBC and CBS gave more than $1 million to Democratic candidates in 2008.
Compiling data from the Center for Responsive Politics, the newspaper found 1,160 employees of the three television networks gave Democrats a total of $1,020,816 while just 193 employees gave $142,863 to Republicans.
When it comes to the 2008 presidential contest, employees of the three networks -- which are constantly taken to task for their biased and inaccurate abortion reporting -- found Obama received 710 contributions from the employees for $461,898.
On the other hand, John McCain, who had the backing of pro-life voters and groups, received only 39 contributions totaling $26,926 from the media employees, the newspaper indicated.
While 96 employees donated to the campaign arms of the Democratic Party, just 38 employees gave to Republican campaign arms, the Examiner reported. Full story at LifeNews.com
Study Finds Later Abortions Linked to Mental Health Risks, Women Pressured
The results came from an online survey of 374 women who answered a detailed questionnaire about the circumstances leading to their abortions, their previous mental health history, history of physical or sexual abuse and emotional state following abortion.
Although small, the study, published in the Journal of Pregnancy by Dr. Priscilla Coleman of Bowling Green State University, is the first to compare the experiences of women having early abortions compared to women having later abortions (in the second or third trimester).
The study found women after 13 weeks of pregnancy were more likely to report that their partner desired the pregnancy (22.4 percent of women who had later abortions vs. 10.3 percent of women who had early abortions) and that they were pressured by someone other than their partner to abort (47.8 percent vs. 30.5 percent).
The women having later abortions were more likely to report that their partner didn't know about the abortion (23.9 percent vs. 12.5 percent), that they had left their partner before the abortion (28.3 percent vs. 15.6 percent) and that physical health concerns were a factor in having the abortion (29.8 percent vs. 14.7 percent).
Ambivalence about the abortion, unwanted abortion and poor pre-abortion counseling were also commonly reported in the late-term abortion group, according to the Elliot Institute, an abortion research group that pointed LifeNews.com to the study.
Nearly 40 percent of women in the survey said they desired the pregnancy and only 30 percent said both they and their partner supported the abortion, while less than 14 percent said they received adequate pre-abortion counseling or information on alternatives or physical and emotional risks. Full story at LifeNews.com
Human Tests for Embryonic Stem Cells Reportedly Coming Despite Judge's Ruling
The Washington Post reports today that scientists are "poised" to begin trials with embryonic stem cells in patients with blindness and spinal cord injuries.
The newspaper says "the tests are worrying many proponents: Some argue that the experiments are premature, others question whether they are ethical, and many fear that the trials risk disaster for the field if anything goes awry."
The news report features John Gearhart, a stem cell scientists at the University of Pennsylvania, who admits problems with the embryonic cells causing tumors when injected in animals and facing rejection from the immune system have likely not been solved.
"We desperately need to know how these cells are going to perform in the human setting," Gearhart said. "But are we transplanting cells that are going to cause tumors? Will they will stay where you put them and do what you want them to do?"
Thomas B. Okarma, president and chief executive of Geron Corporation in California, told the Post "We're very optimistic," but did not say anything about whether the problems -- not need in the use of adult stem cells -- had been conquered.
"We jumped through a lot of hoops to convince a lot of audiences," Okarma said.
But Evan Y. Snyder, director of the stem cell program at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in San Diego, admitted to the newspaper, "There's a lot of angst around these trials." Full story at LifeNews.com
Al Pacino Wins Emmy Award for Movie on Euthanasia Advocate Jack Kevorkian
Pacino portrayed the assisted suicide crusader who was eventually jailed for killing a disabled man in a televised euthanasia.
Kevorkian went to prison after killing Thomas Youk on a CBS-televised program and he was released in 2007 after spending eight years behind bars.
During his acceptance speech, Pacino praised Kevorkian, a retired pathologist credited with killing more than 100 people in assisted suicides before the state of Michigan made the practice illegal.
Pacino called Kevorkian "brilliant and interesting and unique" and the euthanasia advocate received a round of applause from the audience after he stood up to accept Pacino's recognition.
"It's really an honor to have had the pleasure to try to portray someone as brilliant and interesting and unique as Dr. Jack Kevorkian and the fun I had just trying to get inside his head, which, of course, I could never," Pacino said.
Pacino was clearly ready to lobby the audience and viewers in favor of his film and the man who pro-life advocates have soundly condemned. Full story at LifeNews.com
Planned Parenthood Blocks Release of Papers on Telemed Abortion Practitioner
The pro-life group Operation Rescue is also concerned that the Iowa Board of Medicine tipped off Planned Parenthood officials to its request for the documents.
The latest developments come after the IBM announced it would create a committee that would possibly study telemed abortions.
Operation Rescue requested the medical license application for Planned Parenthood abortion practitioner Susan Haskell, an osteopath who is involved in the controversial telemed abortion process where women are denied an in-person visit with a doctor before getting the dangerous RU 486 abortion drug that has killed and injured women.
Instead, they speak with Haskell via a videoconference system and she presses a remote-controlled button that opens a box containing the abortion drug and the woman is given the drugs by an abortion center staffer, who may not be a licensed medical professional.
OR filed an open records request for public documents related to Haskell, but was contacted by the Boston-based Citizen's Information Center, a group that conducts research on the medical industry through public records. Full story at LifeNews.com
Pro-Life People, Public Should See Abortion Expose' Film "Blood Money"
by Matt Abbott
The film also features testimonies from post-abortive women, whose stories are gut-wrenching. For example, one woman recounts, in detail, the horrific experience of procuring a late-term abortion from the late George Tiller.
Another woman tearfully recounts having to tell her young daughter that she had an older sister. Told by her mother about the abortion, her daughter's face took on an expression of fear, her mother said.
If you're concerned about seeing graphic abortion photos (which I generally support, by the way), don't worry you won't. There is a brief scene showing a Face the Truth tour, but the graphic images are blurred by the camera. While I did find that slightly disappointing, I can understand why the filmmaker decided not to show the images. Full story at LifeNews.com
Catholic Alverno College Under Fire for Linking Students to Pro-Abortion Groups
TFP Student Action has alerted pro-life advocates to links on the Alverno College web site that channel students to abortion advocacy groups.
More than 15,000 students and parents have politely requested that the Catholic college founded by the School Sisters of St. Francis delete the links, but TFP told LifeNews.com today that the links remain up and running.
The college lists pro-abortion groups like the Center for Reproductive Health, National Organization for Women (NOW), EMILY's List, and many more.
"You can't be a true Catholic and at the same time favor abortion," said TFP Student Action director John Ritchie.
He added, "It betrays the very mission of a Catholic institution. So, we've decided to intensify our prayers and protest until all the pro-abortion links are gone." Full story at LifeNews.com
South Carolina Pro-Life Governor Candidate Nikki Haley Leads Vincent Sheheen
Haley now earns 52% of the vote in her bid to be the next governor while Sheheen picks up 36% of the vote in the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters.
Three percent (3%) prefer some other candidate, while 10% are not sure.
Late last month, Haley, who has remained consistently ahead in the race, held a 49% to 35% lead over Sheheen. Her support has ranged from 49% to 55% in previous surveys, while Sheheen has earned 34% to 40% of the vote.
Haley, a first-generation American of Indian descent, would become the state's first woman governor and also become the first member of a racial minority to be governor of South Carolina. But it is her pro-life views that have earned her praise from the likes of Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. Full story at LifeNews.com
Delaware Becomes 23rd State to Allow Choose Life License Plates on Vehicles
Today, Choose Life Delaware, the sponsoring organization, announced the availability of the plates, which have raised millions for adoption agencies and pregnancy centers across the country.
The plates officially hit roadways on August 24 and, already, 225 people have the plates on their vehicles because they were part of an initial group that signed up for them.
The license plate is an organizational tag, and Delaware residents can obtain one by becoming a member of Choose Life Delaware. The pro-life group is a non-profit, all volunteer organization with an annual membership fee of $20.
"These fees are distributed to agencies within Delaware that promote adoption instead of abortion," says Jim Cordie of the group. "There is an additional one-time DMV fee of $10 per vehicle if you wish to have Choose Life plates for your vehicles." Full story at LifeNews.com
Pennsylvania Court: Guardians Can't Pull the Plug on Mentally Disabled People
The Alliance Defense Fund and allied pro-life attorneys filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of 53-year-old David Hockenberry, who has had acute mental disabilities since birth, arguing that his legal guardians should not be allowed to deny him life-preserving treatment while he is not terminal or unconscious.
Hockenberry s guardians unsuccessfully attempted to deny him temporary life-preserving medical treatment for pneumonia.
Having a disability shouldn't be a death sentence when treatable medical complications arise, said Independence Law Center Chief Counsel Randall L. Wenger, one of the allied attorneys.
"The court made the right decision to protect Mr. Hockenberry s right to live. He is not dying or unconscious, and his life isn't worthless just because he has a disability that may lead others to view his life as less worthy to live," he added.
A person s value isn't based on his or her physical or mental abilities, said ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman. No one should be allowed to decide that a person s life is not worth saving just because he or she has a disability or medical condition. Full story at LifeNews.com
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