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Columns by Susan Cirba (Categorized by year) Pro-Life Pennsylvania, a blog by Sue Cirba |
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2009
Health Care Bill Sparks Debate on Life Issues
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Health Care Bill Sparks National Debate on Life Issues By Susan Cirba Pro-Life Reporter Fall 2009 The House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee approved health care legislation HR 3200 on July 31 with 31 Democrats voting yes and 5 “blue dog” Democrats and 23 Republicans voting no. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was effective in quashing a revolt by “blue dog” Democrats in the committee who initially were opposed to the legislation once news of the bill’s $1.6 trillion price tag surfaced. Once conservative Democrats were reassured by their leaders, 53 liberal Democrats “signed a letter declaring their independence from the leadership and their absolute commitment to a “robust” government takeover” according to a press release by Republican Energy and Commerce Committee members. The Obama administration wanted to force a vote on health care bill HR 3200 before the August recess of Congress. Public outcry over Congressmen not having time to read the bill foiled that plan. Since then many Senators and Congressmen have held town hall meetings while others have fielded questions in telephone conference calls. Concerns about HB 3200 include whether abortion will be covered in the health care bill and taxpayers will be forced to pay for it, whether people satisfied with their health care get to keep their private insurance, and health care rationing. Constituents worry about how much control the 53 new government agencies created by the bill will exercise over the insurance and the health care industries. Others wonder if mandatory end-of-life counseling will be used to promote assisted suicide, or if the $1.6 trillion price of the program will harm future generations. The elderly wonder how cutting $500 billion from Medicare to fund the government health care plan will affect them. Some people say the bill is 1,000 pages; others say it is not not in its final form. Some say the bill includes abortion and rationing while others say they are not in the health care bill. Why are there conflicting arguments? Part of the reason for this is the open-ended way HR 3200 is written. A call to Rita Marker, pro-life attorney and President of the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide helped clear things up. She explained that HR 3200 sets up the structure for the health care program and charges committees with the duty to work out the details later. For example, Section 123 establishes a Health Benefits Advisory Committee that will hammer out the benefits offered by the government health plan after Congress has voted on HR 3200. The Health Benefits Advisory Committee sets standards for treatment including the type of treatments the government allows and will recommend them to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, for her approval. If HR 3200 is passed, elected representatives will not make decisions about specific treatments allowed in the public option; unelected bureaucrats will make those decisions. Similarly, concerning private health plans, Congress will not set standards for “qualified health plans” because HR3200 creates a new government agency, the Health Choices Administration run by the Health Choices Commissioner whose duties include, quoting from the bill, “The establishment of qualified health benefits plan standards under this title, including the enforcement of such standards in coordination with State insurance regulators and Secretaries of Labor and the Treasury,” also “the establishment and operation of a Health Insurance exchange.” These are just two of the 53 new government agencies that will be established if HR 3200 is passed. Rita Marker called HR 3200 “a massive social engineering program” adding, “It is not the good intentions of the supporters of this bill that matter. It is the content of this bill and how it will be legally interpreted that matter.? Apparently, unless something is specifically prohibited by Congress when the bill is passed, the committee or agency charged with those decisions may include it. Is abortion included in the health care bill HR 3200? Republicans in the Energy and Commerce Committee offered an amendment to specifically exclude abortion from the health care bill. It was defeated. While the word “abortion” does not specifically appear in the bill, Health Benefits Advisory Committee members can recommend abortion be included in the government plan. It is President Obama who will appoint two-thirds of the Health Benefits Advisory Committee. We know Obama has named numerous proabortion cabinet members including Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. It is likely that Obama will appoint pro-abortion committee members who will report to HHS Secretary Sebelius. Sebelius is certain to approve abortion as a health care plan benefit as she openly supports abortion on demand. As far as the states are concerned, if the government plan includes abortion as a benefit, states and cities that do not include abortion in their employee health benefits plans may lose state funding according to this Democrat counsel. House Republicans in the Energy and Commerce Committee offered 26 amendments to HR 3200 to correct serious problems with the bill from abortion to cutting $500 billion from Medicare to common- sense regulations that would prevent government bureaucrats from overruling doctors in their decisions about how to treat patients. Government-Run Health Plan May Provide Abortion In committee, Democrats first voted to make abortions available under the government’s “public-option” health plan. Later they decided to disallow abortion in the government option and changed their mind again at the last minute and voted to allow abortion in the health plan. Of course by now you’ve heard congressmen who support government- run health care say the HR 3200 would not affect the “Hyde Amendment” that prohibits taxpayer funding of abortion. But when Rep. Bart Stupak, a Democrat from Michigan, and Rep. Joe Pitts, R-PA, offered joint proposals designed to apply the Hyde Amendment ban on public funding of abortion to the government- run health care plan, Democrats defeated it by a vote of 31to 27. Their amendments to prohibit abortion from being included as a basic benefit in any government or private plan, was approved then reconsidered an hour later and defeated, with a change of vote by Tennessee Democrat Bart Gordon. The conscience clause, which prevents doctors and nurses from being forced to perform or assist in abortions against their will won on a voice vote. While the House is away, parts of the committee-passed bill will be rewritten. A vote will be scheduled after Labor Day. Republicans expect that all further changes to the bill will be forbidden. Sixty amendments were not taken up in committee and may be offered in September. So as a general rule, if you want to know if something is included in the health care bill, be aware that unless it is expressly prohibited, it may be approved by a committee at a future date. |
U.K. Model for Health Reform? Don’t Bet Your Life on It!
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U.K. Model for Health Reform? Don’t Bet Your Life on It! By Susan Cirba Pro-Life Reporter Fall 2009 The United Kingdom has had universal ‘free’ health care since 1949. The UK health care system was examined as to how well it provides care for diseases of the circulatory system and cancer, in the report Delay, Denial and Dilution: The Impact of NHS Rationing on Heart Disease and Cancer. It was written by David G. Green and Laura Casper, IAE Health and Welfare Unit in London in 2000. You may have heard the claim that the UK spends less on health as a proportion of GDP than many other countries. But what kind of care do the patients receive? Green and Casper examined treatment for cancer and diseases of the circulatory system under the UK’s system of universal health care, but due to limitations of space I will concentrate only on cancer care. Does the National Health Sevice ration cancer treatment in the UK and what sort of a success rate do they have? Breast cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer and colorectal cancer survival rates were examined in relation to other European countries over a five year period. The Eurocare II study examined UK cancer care based on over 3.4 million cancer records in 17 countries from 1985 to 1989. The one-year survival rates for lung cancer in England and Scotland were …the lowest out of the 17 countries studied. Five-year survival rated placed the UK in 13th place this time. At the time of the study, the rate of death from breast cancer in the UK was among the worst in Europe, 12th out of 15, and for cervical cancer, 13th out of 15. For men and women in England and Scotland suffering from cancer of the colon and rectum, the five-year survival rate was below the European average. The five-year survival rate after treatment for the Netherlands was 59 percent for men with colorectal cancer compared with 41 percent in England and Scotland. “In France, men with lung cancer had a 40-percent chance of being alive one year after treatment, compared with 23 percent in England. The Health Care bill, HR 3200, is said to have been patterned after the UK’s system of universal health care. We have to ask the politicians who crafted this bill why they would want to impose on the American people, a system that has produced such poor results? The authors remarked, “The most authorative estimate has been made by Professor Karol Sikora who calculated there could be as many as 25,000 unnecessary deaths in the UK every year because of under-provision (of care). From 1997 to 1999, Sikora was Chief of the World Health Organization Cancer Programme. Sikora has been Clinical Director for Cancer Services at Hammersmith for 12 years and established a major cancer research laboratory there funded by the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. More recently, Professor Sikora commented, in an online video on health care reform in the U.S.: “They’re looking at all health care systems, However… the extreme version single payer government payer, to me that’s an awful idea…single payer… its inefficient, its bureaucratic, it doesn’t give patients choice.” That comment should carry considerable weight coming from a doctor who works within the UK’s universal government-run health care system. Some Americans seem to think “universal “free” health care” means they will get whatever care they want and won’t have to pay for it. Yet a London Daily Standard online story recently told of a young woman denied treatment for a rare blood cancer because she lived in the wrong district. The Health Editor of the London Standard wrote: “Philippa Bigham, 28, has two years to live unless she gets a pioneering cancer drug which finds and destroys diseased cells.” Miss Bigham, an only child, said: “The PCT managers are effectively telling me my life is not worth £3,000. Having to fight cancer is tough enough. Having to fight your own NHS trust for treatment which other people have already had is appalling.” Miss Bigham’s parents already exhausted their savings on their daughter’s care.” It seems that “universal care” is a misleading term indeed, if patients do not get the care they need. While studies in the 1980s and 1990s exposed deficiencies in cancer care in the UK, inadequacies remain says Professor Karol Sikora, adding “no major resources had been allocated to setting up specialist teams, as recommended by the Calman-Hine report on the UK’s cancer services.” In 2000, when the study, “Delay, Denial and Dilution” was published, the UK had fewer oncologists per patient than comparable European countries. and their workload was staggering. Some oncologists in the UK were seeing more than 1,000 new patients a year (the average was 550 a year) while oncologists in France and Germany cared for 250 patients. A shortage of specialists result in delays in treatment. In the case of cancer, delays can prove fatal. While Professor Sikora comments in this article reflect his written or recorded comments over a wide expanse of time, in 2009, he believes the way to move forward is choice and competition. Sikora laments the fact that “Doctors have lost control over how patients are managed,” saying “Years ago, it was up to me who I brought in for treatment the next day.” Now bureaucracy has gotten in the way. In a video interview, Sikora reports that “New drugs that have been available for cancer patients in other European countries for two years are not available in the UK because of National Institute for Clinical Excellence regulations.” Sikora comments “The National Health Service in the UK has a monopoly and getting rid of that monopoly is the way forward.” The result of England’s 60-year experiment with socialized medicine appears to be a trend toward private sector reforms. Meanwhile, the Obama administration, rather than learn from Britain’s mistakes appears determined to repeat them. |
2008
3rd Debate: McCain Pro-Life, Obama Committed to Abortion
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Third Debate Reveals McCain to be Strongly Pro-Life, Obama Committed to Abortion By Sue Cirba Pro-Life Reporter Fall 2008 “I will find the best people… who have a history of strict adherence to the Constitution. And not legislating from the bench.” John McCain responded to Bob Shieffer when he brought up Roe v.Wade and the type of judges McCain would nominate. Strict constructionists, also called originalists, adhere to the original intent of the Constitution. They respect the right to life, liberty and property. Senator McCain said Roe v. Wade was a bad decision. McCain said he was a federalist believing decisions should rest with the states. McCain has followed the tradition of voting for judges based on their qualifications and noted an incident when Democrats were blocking the confirmation of judges. McCain got together with 7 Republicans and 7 Democrats to help solve the conflict in the Senate. McCain said of Obama, “You were offered a chance to join. You chose not to because you were afraid of the appointment of, quote, "conservative judges." Obama stated, “this is going to be, one of the most consequential decisions of the next president. It is very likely that one of us will be making at least one and probably more than one appointments (to the Supreme Court) and Roe versus Wade probably hangs in the balance.” “I am somebody who believes that Roe versus Wade was rightly decided” and I think that the Constitution has a right to privacy”. Liberal Supreme Court Justices “found” the “right to privacy” in the Constitution though it is not specifically enumerated. Abortion is said to have grown out of the “right to privacy”. Obama raised a case unrelated to abortion and appeared to apply the conclusion of that case to abortion as he stated, “I think that it's important for judges to understand that if a woman is out there trying to raise a family, trying to support her family, and is being treated unfairly, then the court has to stand up, if nobody else will. And that's the kind of judge that I want.” If Obama concludes that standing up for women equals standing up for abortion, this is not a conclusion supported by pro-life people especially women who have suffered through post-abortion trauma. Senator McCain raised the issue of Obama’s votes against providing medical attention to babies born alive after abortion, “Senator Obama, as a member of the Illinois State Senate, voted in the Judiciary Committee against a law that would provide immediate medical attention to a child born of a failed abortion. He voted against that, then, on the floor of the State Senate, as he did 130 times as a state senator, he voted present.” John McCain continued: “There was another bill before the Senate Judiciary Committee in… Illinois not that long ago, where he (Obama) voted against a ban on partial-birth abortion… And then, on the floor of the Illinois State Senate, he voted present.” McCain continued, “I don't know how you vote "present" on some of that. I don't know how you align yourself with the extreme aspect of the pro- abortion movement in America. And that's his (Obama’s) record.” Obama responded a bill before, “the Illinois Senate said you have to provide lifesaving treatment and that would have helped to undermine Roe v. Wade. The fact is that there was already a law on the books in Illinois that required providing lifesaving treatment, which is why not only myself but pro-choice Republicans and Democrats voted against it.” EDITOR’S NOTE: If a bill, requiring lifesaving treatment be provided to infants born alive after abortion, was in effect in Illinois, why wasn’t it enforced? Infants born alive after abortion were routinely left to die without treatment at Christ Hospital in Illinois. The issue was brought before a committee of the Illinois State Senate Chaired by Senator Obama. Jill Stanek, the nurse who exposed the infanticide deaths at Christ Hospital testified before Senator Obama so he knew of the problem. Why didn’t Obama take action to make sure those premature babies received treatment? To hear nurse Stanek’s testimony visit: www.BornAliveTruth.org Obama continued, “With respect to partial-birth abortion, I am completely supportive of a ban on late-term abortions, partial-birth or otherwise, as long as there's an exception for the mother's health.” Note: Pro-life legislators have learned over the years that exceptions for the “health” of the mother render the legislation meaningless as abortion supporters interpret it as encompassing “mental health” reasons. |
Planned Parenthood
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Abortion Central to Planned Parenthood Mission By Sue Cirba Pro-Life Reporter Winter 2008 One would hope that every pro-life person who reads this newsletter knows that Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortion chain. It operates 860 “health centers” many of these perform surgical abortions, all refer for abortions. Abortion kills a human being and both the abortionists and the nurses who work there know it. It is the nurse after all who must reassemble the tiny arms, legs, head and torso of the dead babies that were cut apart by the abortionist’s curette or ripped apart by the suction machine so no infection results. Planned Parenthood is responsible for killing billions of children by abortion as it has also been the leading promoter of legalized abortion worldwide. To minimize this atrocity because Planned Parenthood may test for sexually transmitted diseases or perform breast cancer screenings is to deny the value of unborn human life. Since numerous studies link elective abortion to the development of breast cancer, it would appear that Planned Parenthood’s promotion of abortion may actually be causing the rise in breast cancer particularly among young women. Dr. Angela Lanfranchi, a surgeon who specializes in breast surgery, became interested in studying the link between abortion and breast cancer when she noticed the growing number of her young patients who had breast cancer. (For her latest booklet call our center 343-5099 or visit www.bcpinstitute.org.) In 2007, 60 pro-life organizations petitioned Congress to suspend Planned Parenthood’s federal funding. This is good news. They did so in light of 107 charges filed against Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri. The complaint alleges 29 misdemeanor counts of performing "unlawful late term abortions," 29 misdemeanor counts of "unlawful failure to determine viability for late term abortion," 23 felony counts of "making false information," and 27 misdemeanor counts of "unlawful failure to maintain records and more. These charges grew out of a citizen petition effort to convene a grand jury in Johnson County, Kansas to investigate Planned Parenthood. Kansas pro-lifers had reason to believe Planned Parenthood was “Performing, allowing to be performed, or colluding to perform illegal late term abortions, Failing to report suspected child abuse” and cited additional violations of Kansas Law.” This effort resulted in 107 charges against PP of Kansas and Mid-Missouri. “It is time to get to the bottom of what is really going on inside Planned Parenthood. We believe this investigation could have national implications, especially if indictments are returned,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. So far it has resulted in the petitioning of Congress to suspend Planned Parenthood funding. There are some 40 states with laws against late-term abortion. For our part, we need to keep abreast of and educate others about the damage abortion does to women and make them aware that Planned Parenthood is up to its eyeballs in abortion blood. (In 1989 study of Planned Parenthood the General Accounting Office revealed that women who go to Planned Parenthood are 7 times more likely to abort than those who go to other family planning clinics. A 1994 Planned Parenthood service report found PP delivered prenatal care to one child for every 18 abortions or abortion referrals.) In particular, we need to educate our Senators and Congressmen who do not seem to understand that abortion is central to Planned Parenthood’s mission. |
40 Days for Life
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40 Days for Life Campaign Gives Women Chance to Reconsider-Assists in Post Abortion Healing Culture and easy access to abortion affect abortion rates. By Sue Cirba Pro-Life Reporter Winter 2008 Ending abortion is a continuous battle between two ideologies one which defends all human life born and unborn and the other which posits a theory that individual "choice" supersedes even the life of a new human individual. Making individual choice supreme can never be morally acceptable in a country founded on a Constitution that recognized a God-given right to life Abortion is a product - it is sold as a “solution” to a myriad of problems women face - no support from boyfriend or husband, no support from parents, not enough money, etc. by organizations like Planned Parenthood. The value Planned Parenthood places on new human life is monetary – about $400. Abortion is supposed to "free" women of the responsibility of caring for a new life: her child. This so-called freedom comes with a price, often the health, conscience or relationships of the women who abort. Numerous post-abortion ministries give testimony to the fact that Planned Parenthood's solution to an unplanned pregnancy: abortion, harms women. Many 40 Days volunteers encountered men and women harmed by abortion. One man who worked 4 years at an abortion clinic said, “I’ll do whatever I can to help your group”. A woman abortion clinic employee said, “I’m is psychiatric care, I can’t even talk about this.” One woman hurting after her abortion some twenty years ago was directed to a healing ministry after a phone call to a 40 days for Life hotline number. - Considering the fact that there were 1,312,990 abortions in 2000 and roughly the same number each year, and abortion has been legal for 35 years, that's a large number of women suffering silently. Men and women suffering the after effects of abortion can call Rachael’s Vineyard Denise Rowinski Manak.822-7118 #307 Following a nationwide campaign makes one more aware of cultural differences which may increase or decrease the abortion rate. Abortion was legalized in the 1960's and 1970's primarily in more liberal states. Personal choice is the main reason for abortion with “ hard cases” like rape and incest accounting for only 1 % of abortions. The religious background of the community, the availability of abortion centers in the area, state restrictions on abortion, the area's economy and the type of sex education programs in schools also exercise an influence. An interesting article, "Abortion Data from Reports of the Alan Guttmacher Institute" at www.religioustolerence.org/abo_fact3.htm lists Pregnancy Outcomes by State for 2001. Generally, states with the highest abortion percentages New York-33%, New Jersey-31%, Maryland 30%, California-26% and Florida 28% also had many abortion centers: NY - 88, NJ - 30, MD - 21, CA - 128, FL - 72. The District of Columbia had the highest percent of abortions 50% but 7 clinics. Abortion centers in nearby Maryland could also exert an influence in DC The states with the lowest percentages of abortions in 2001 were Utah 7%, South Dakota 9%, Idaho 10%, Kentucky 11%, Nebraska 12% and West Virginia 12 %. While these also have a more rural culture, the fact that they also have fewer abortion facilities, UT - 3, SD - 1, Idaho - 2, KY- 3, NE- 2, WV- 2 suggest that less access to abortion clinics means fewer abortions. (Data on the number of abortion centers comes from Life Dynamics.) It is safe to assume that a strategy to end abortion which aims at closing abortion clinics will also reduce the number of abortions. Some communities that participated in the fall 2007 Forty Days for Life Campaign experienced the closing of their local abortion facility for several days or weeks during the campaign. Surely we will see the effect of these actions in future abortion statistics particularly since national 40 Days for Life plans a sustained presence at abortion facilities in Lent and the Fall.. Most cities that participated in this campaign of prayer and fasting to end abortion expressed an interest in participating in future campaigns. . At the very least, the 40 Days for Life Campaign gave abortion-minded women one more chance to re-think their abortion decision. |
2007
Botched Abortion
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Woman Sues New Jersey Clinic Over Botched Abortion By Susan Cirba Pro-Life Reporter Fall 2007 Rasheedah Dinkins, a twenty-year-old mother of two from Newark, New Jersey entered a New Jersey abortion clinic for a routine abortion in January, 2007. Dinkins was sent home where she collapsed. Family members called an ambulence but due to massive hemorrhaging, she suffered a stroke, and was in a coma for a month following a January 27th abortion. To save her life she needed to have a hysterectomy. In addition, she had a collapsed lung and temporarily lost her ability to speak. Beth Israel Hospital, the hospital that treated Ms. Dinkins, notified the state that the clinic performed a botched abortion on the 20-year-old woman, which required a hysterectomy and nearly resulted in her death. The Hospital complaint prompted a February 2 inspection where investingators concluded the facility failed to notify the department “of an event occurring within the facility that jeopardized the health and safety of a patient.” The department refused to release details of the “event.” Upon awakening from her coma, Ms. Dinkins decided to pursue a Lawsuit against Metropolitan Medical, the Englewood abortion clinic where her botched abortion was performed. The story received considerable attention in the Northern New Jersey Media Markets, which prompted a second woman to come forward with the story about her botched abortion. She also sued the clinic. Marie Tasy, executive Director of New Jersey Right To Life helped exert pressure on state officials by keeping the story in the public eye and asking other women who had been harmed by the clinic to come forward. Thus far, three women made the stories of their botched abortions known. Perhaps it was the publicity that prompted a second inpection of Metropolitan Medical on February 22 and 23, but that two-day inspection is the one that shut the abortion clinic down on February 24, 2007. The record of Hackensack reported that state health officials investigating the clinic found “forceps encrusted in ‘brownish blood-like residues,’‘rusty crochet hooks used to remove IUDs’ and a quarter inch of dark red ‘dirt and debris’ under an exam table.” Numerous violations concerning sterile instruments were noted, including storing surgical instruments in the same drawer as light bulbs. The abortion facility failed a folow-up inspection in early March and remained closed for several weeks before all the health violations could be corrected. Dinkins regained consciousness on Feb. 23 and was transferred to Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange. “She is able to stand up and walk a little bit,” her attorney, Adam Slater said. |
Health Violations
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Health Violations Force Abortion Clinic Closing By Susan Cirba Pro-Life Reporter Fall 2007 The Atlantic City Press Enterprise reported on June 26th the city’s sole abotion clinic was shut down by the New Jersey Department of Health. Violations included problems with infection control. A full survey of the Alternatives Clinic on Pacific Avenue on Friday, June 22 prompted state inspectors to close the abortion facility on June 25th. Abortionist Steve Brigham, who years ago attempted to open an abortion clinic in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, recently purchased the Atlantic City abortion facility. It should be noted that Brigham lost his license to practice medicine in two states. A complaint over the change of clinic ownership led to the state inspection according to Tom Slater a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services. Retired physician Dr. Alan Kline owned the abortion facility in addition to another one in Princeton. State inspectors sent a letter to Dr. Kline detailing the abortion clinic's violations which include “the absence of hot water for more than a year, a scrub sink, a mechanical ventilator and the anti-hyperthermia drug Dantrium.” This clinic closing brought to public attention the fact that New Jersey Health Inspectors had not inspected the Atlantic City abortion clinic in six years. In fact, New Jersey Health Inspectors have not followed New Jersey state law requiring the inspection of abortion clinics once every other year. The Director of New Jersey Right to Life, Marie Tasy criticized the state for being “derelict in its duty to protect public health” and intimated grounds for a class action lawsuit exist. The Alternatives abortion clinic was inspected in 2001 and violations were also found then. The use of outdated anesthesia machines, sanitary issues concerning chipped paint, and rusty equipment were among the violations in the 2001 inspection. |
40 Days for Life
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What can you do in forty days time to help bring an end to abortion? By Susan Cirba Pro-Life Reporter Fall 2007 Forty days might seem like a long time, but if you think back on how quickly the summer passed, forty days is not that long. Summer began on June 21 and by the time most of you read this, summer will be over. Autumn begins on September 23rd. Summer 2007 was 94 days long and seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. For our family it was a very eventful and happy time as we helped plan for our daughter Dianne’s bridal shower and wedding. We also helped another daughter move to a new apartment and managed to take a quick trip to the shore. Those 94 days went quickly. In comparison, forty days is not a long time. And asking you to make a commitment for forty days from September 26 to November 4, as I have done, is not too much to ask in order to help bring about an end to abortion in America. Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life has said, “Abortion will end when local communities say it will end – no sooner, and no later. We have the power to stop abortion, even while it remains legal.” The truth of that statement may not be obvious to everyone, but it is without a doubt true. Numerous incidents attest to this fact. The most recent is the news from Aurora, Illinois. Pro-Lifers in Aurora conducted an emergency 40 Days for Life Campaign when they learned Planned Parenthood was building “Gemini Health Center” in reality, a 22,000 square foot abortion center in their city. Today's e-mail from David Bereit, National Director of 40 Days for Life, brought good news. David is heading to Aurora to join the celebration. The scheduled opening of the Planned Parenthood in Aurora has been delayed pending a court hearing. Pro-life activist, Eric Scheidler remarked “Planned Parenthood will not be opening tomorrow. For me and the citizens of Aurora and the Fox Valley Families Against Planned Parenthood, that's a great victory. We've been praying for 40 days that this would not open, and our prayers have been answered.” Visit: www.familiesagainstplannedparenthood.org The battle in Aurora is far from over, with Planned Parenthood taking the battle back to court on Thursday. This is a clear victory demonstrating the power of 40 days of prayer, fasting, and peaceful action. The women who were scheduled for abortions on opening day of Planned Parenthood’s Gemini Center, have one more day to reconsider their decisions and their babies get one more day of life. The people of Aurora are saying no to abortion. Not every victory will be potentially as big or as well publicized as Aurora. If we save one life we will have made an impact. And we can and should expect God to accomplish more with our efforts. A 40 Days for Life campaign in Houston, Texas directed 120 pregnant women away from one abortion facility to a nearby pregnancy care center. In Dallas Texas 17 unborn children were spared from death by abortion. Now, here's the big question: How can God use YOU to make a life-saving impact in Scranton? You may be thinking, we don't have an abortion facility in Scranton, how can this help? Pennsylvania abortion statistics show there were 282 women who reside in Lackawanna County who traveled to other Pennsylvania cities for abortions in 2003. (Most likely dozens of others traveled out of state.) While 282 might not seem like a large number, it is very close to the population of Old Forge High School's Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior Classes combined or about 300 students. For the sake of our nation's future, please sign up to pray for an end to abortion by mailing in the pledge card on page 7. And be faithful to your pledge. I know it is not easy to stand on a public sidewalk and pray, but I am not asking anything I haven't done myself. After seeing The Passion of the Christ, some years ago, I felt compelled to pray in front of Planned Parenthood the next day. It was Good Friday. It wasn’t easy to do because I was by myself and my biggest obstacle was fear. But the bloody scene from the movie where Jesus was scourged at the pillar reminded me of the bloody pictures of unborn children I have seen too many times. I know turning away and pretending those children weren’t real people is not going to end abortion. I also know that nothing I have to do on any given Friday is more important than saving the lives of those babies. I also know that just because the Planned Parenthood at 316 Penn Ave. does not do surgical abortion on site, they refer for abortion and distribute abortifacient drugs. If we don’t make ending abortion a priority the killing will continue unabated. Ephesians 6:10 says, “Be strong in the Lord and in His Mighty Power.” Mindful of this, please join our 40 Days for Life Campaign so that more of God's children will have a chance to be born. |
Repeat Abortions
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Repeat Abortions Common By Susan Cirba Pro-Life Reporter Fall 2007 According to a Reuters news story (11-21-06) about half of U.S. women who had abortions in 2002 had at least one previous abortion. The study reported by the Alan Guttmacher Institute, found most women with repeat abortions tended to be over 30 years of age and most were using contraception. Both government and private surveys were used in this study. One government survey from 2001-2002 reported that 48 percent of women having abortions said they had undergone a previous abortion. Rachael Jones a researcher who helped lead the study concluded, “This suggests we need to do a better job helping all women prevent unwanted pregnancies.” I would disagree. If we have women in their thirties who are still becoming pregnant while using contraceptives, perhaps the whole concept of “planned pregnancies” is a fiction. If contraceptives still fail when used by adults, how unwise to promote them for teenagers rather than abstinence. In the past century Planned Parenthood has convinced men and women they must be “in control” of their fertility rather than their sexual appetites. This notion turns children into commodities that are desirable when wanted but undesirable when unwanted or ill-timed. Planned Parenthood then proposes abortion as its “solution” to this “problem” and makes a lot of money in the process. Planned people are not more valuable than unplanned ones. When you walk down the street you cannot tell which people were planned or unplanned when they were conceived. I was unplanned. My four daughters and one granddaughter were all unplanned. That does not make us less valuable, less productive or less loved than others. My mother, my daughter and I simply accepted our pregnancies as they came and gave birth to the children God sent us and loved each one. There is something unsettling about those who believe a child should live or die based on how conveniently their conception is timed. It is better to have an attitude of openness toward new life and far better to help women in need than to suggest they kill their children. If you are pregnant and need assistance call Real Alternatives for compassionate counseling and care at 1-888-LIFEAID (1-888-543-3243). |
2006
Planned Parenthood
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Sex Education Planned Parenthood Style equals More Teen Pregnancy, More Abortion By Susan Cirba In her March 15 column on Townhall.com, Suzanne Fields attributed the decline in teen pregnancy to “fear of sexually transmitted diseases, especially AIDS, welfare reform”... “the persuit of child support from young fathers, the campaign for birth control, and not least, the campaign for abstinence.” All but one contributed to the decline. The campaign for birth control could not have caused a decline in teen pregnancy, since it caused the teen pregnancy crisis in the first place. Ms. Fields reports the rate of teen pregnancy among girls age 15-19 in 2000 was 83.6 per thousand, down from a peak in1990 at 116.9 per thousand girls. Planned Parenthood and other advocates for contracptive use among teens claim contraception decreases teen pregnancy and abortion. Even early studies found the premise was false. A Weed-Olsen study reported in the Wall Street Journal October 14, 1986 noted in 1971, $11 million dollars in tax funds was spent on family planning clinics. At the time these clinics had 300,000 teen clients and the pregnancy rate for teens age 15 to 19 was 95 per 1,000 and the abortion rate was 190,000. Ten years later in 1981, the government spent $442 million dollars in tax funds for family planning clinics. If contraceptive use prevents teen pregnancy, then more money spent on family planning clinics should make the teen pregnancy rate go down. But, in 1981 with a 3900% increase in tax dollars for Planned Parenthood, and 1,500,000 teen clients (a 400% increase), pregnancy and abortion rates increased. In 1981 the teen pregnancy rate per 1,000 rose 19% to 113, per thousand, but the abortion rate skyrocketed to 430,000 which is a 126% increase. The teen pregnancy rate remained high in the 1980’s until it peaked at 116.9 per 1,000 girls in 1990. The reason for this increase can be attributed to the goals of Planned Parenthood style sex education which presents sexual activity with the use of contraceptives as a “responsible” choice and only minimally mention abstinence. In Jan.1982, a study of 179 school districts in 161 large cities was reported in Family Planning Perspectives.TheJan/Feb.1984 Sonen- stein/Pittman study found that 80% of these districts offered sex education, often called family life education, health education or human growth and development. Only 25% of these programs had as a goal the reduction of teen sexual activity,72% discussed contraceptives and 77% discussed familiy planning sources. Teens were taught about contraception and where to get it. Teens, led to believe contraceptives will keep them from becoming pregnant, think they are safe and thus increase their sexual activity. A family planning Perspectives study by Zelnik/Koening /Kim in Jan/Feb. 1984 found that of the young women who first use prescription methods of contraception, 16% of family planning clinic patients will become pregnant in the first year. (One of 8 teens who use prescription contraceptives will get pregnant.) In the second year, 24% of family planning clinic patients who use prescription contraceptives (1 of 4 teens) will become pregnant. Since an increase in contraceptive use leads to an increase in teen sexual activity, it is no suprise that Planned Parenthood is also the nation’s largest abortion chain. Former abortion clinic owner and counselor, Carol Everett operated abortion clinics in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas. She admitted that after her school lectures about contraceptives, “The phone rang off the wall the next day.” “Our doctors prescribed low dose birth control pills with a high pregnancy rate knowing that they needed to be taken accurately at the same time every day or pregnancy would occur.” Everett wrote. “I knew their sexual activity would increase from none or once a week to five or seven times a week.” “Then I could reach my goal - three to five abortions for each teenager between the ages of 13 and 18.” she stated. What Planned Parenthood has wrought is one of the largest deceptions in American history. They provide the “sex education”, the birth control and make huge profits from abortion. And much of it is paid for by your tax dollars. A Columbia study of virginity pledges released March, 2004, showed that most teens who took virginity pledges delayed sexual activity by an average of 18 months. Researchers studied only virginity pledges and did not take into account the effect of abstinence education courses which include character and relationship building and information on sexually transmitted diseases, which are even more likely to have a positive effect. Another study published in the Journal of Adolescent and Family Health cited abstinence as the number one factor in the recent drop in teen pregnancy. As abstinence education becomes more widespread, we should see even more benefits, but the biggest boon to the health and well being, of America’s teens would occur if Planned Parenthood were to lose its government funding. |
2005
No Documents
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2004
Kerry
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John Kerry Visits Scranton, Pa. Pro-Lifers Out In Force By Susan Cirba July 30, 2004
Additional photos of the Pro-Life protest held in Scranton, Pa.
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2003
Partial Birth Abortion
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Number of Partial Birth Abortions Tripled in the Four-Year Period By Susan Cirba Pro-Life Reporter Spring 2003 In 1998, the Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI) released a survey of abortion statistics for the year 1996. It was the first time AGI asked a question about D&X abortion (partial-birth abortion) and estimated "about 650" such abortions were performed in the United States in 1996. Stanley Henshaw of AGI was quoted in the New York Times, Dec. 11, 1998 as saying, "The numbers aren't exact, but I'm pretty sure it's in the 500 to 1,000 range." A January 14, 2003 press release by National Right to Life reports the new survey released by the Alan Guttmacher Institute estimates that 2,200 "D&X" (partial-birth) abortions were performed during 2000. This more than triples the 1996 figure. AGI continues to minimize the figure as "rare" saying it amounts to only a fraction of one percent of all reported abortions. Douglas Johnson, Legislative Director for National Right to Life stated, "Either the number of partial-birth abortions is increasing rapidly, or the news media was mistaken in accepting the 1996 figure or both. If a virus were killing 2,200 pre-mature infants, we'd call it an epidemic." Words matter. Mr. Johnson correctly referred to the victims of partial-birth abortion as pre-mature infants. The children killed by partial-birth abortion are the same age as pre-mature infants who, if wanted by their parents, would be rushed to a neonatal intensive care unit in an attempt to save them. Once again we see evidence of Planned Parenthood's pro-abortion propaganda that "wantedness" is the measure of a child's worth. Planned Parenthood's slogan, "Every child a wanted child" has the unspoken corollary, "Every unwanted child a dead child." Of course these pre-mature infants are wanted by someone, as millions of couples are waiting to adopt. Tragically, in the case of partial-birth abortion these children are wanted by the abortionist to be used as spare parts for transplants or experimentation. If you think this too ghoulish to believe, consider the following story. UNBORN BABY BEHEADED, ORGANS REMOVED The culture section of the Jan. 27, 2003 Washington Times reported the following incident that took place 13 years ago in Houston, Texas. Darda and Chad Traywick came home one day to find themselves surrounded by swarms of police. A local photo-finishing store called police to report Traywick had taken pictures of a new-born baby which was beheaded and mutilated. The police came out to arrest the baby killers who were assumed to be involved in a Satanic cult. Upon entering the house, instead of finding occult paraphernalia they found pro-life and religious posters. Traywick who was new to the pro-life movement went to a local abortion clinic, The Women's Pavilion one Saturday afternoon to find it deserted and unlocked. He went inside to find a room with 15 plastic buckets with lids on. He took one of the buckets and made a fast retreat. Opening the lid, "what he puled out appeared to be a full-grown baby whose head and right arm had been ripped from his body and his brain removed." "In his agony, the baby had bitten through his own tongue, no doubt while his head, grasped by forceps, was being literally ripped off his body. The little boy had an incision where other organs had apparently been removed-eveidence that someone had sought more profit from the baby's death than the $1,800 the abortion had cost. That was 13 years ago." Quotes from David Kupelian, "Ending the 30 year war over abortion." Posted on Jan. 21 at worldnetdaily.com. As the previous article reported, late-term abortions are up. This story gives us an indication of the reason for that increase. |
2002
Spring
March for Life
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Scranton Area Pro-Life Activists Attend March for Life By Susan Cirba Pro-Life Reporter Spring 2002 On January 22, 2002 area pro-life activists joined over 100,000 pro-life people from across our nation at the March for Life in Washington D.C.. Aproximately 25 bus loads of people from our region, including Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Stroudsburg, Carbondale, Montrose, and Wayne, Pike and Susquehanna counties went to mark the 29th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling which legalized abortion on demand. Since January 22, 1973, over 40 million unborn children have lost their lives due to th "choices" of their mothers and the unwillingness of politicians to defend life. Dave Andrusko, Editor of the National Right to Life News wrote, "As I looked out at the crowd several impressions dominated. The first was how popular President Bush is. When he talked to the rally via phone from West Virginia, the crowd first cheered loudly and listened in absolute silence (except for applause). Something else was impossible to miss: There were gigantic numbers of young people." (Todays's News and Views at www.nrlc.org) President Bush addressed March for Life participants by phone, "Everyone there believes, as I do, that every life is valuable; that our society has a responsibility to defend the vulnerable and weak, the imperfect and even the unwanted; and that our nation should set a great goal that unborn children should be welcomed in life and protected in law." "Abortion is an issue that deeply divides our country... But we will continue to speak out on behalf of the most vulnerable members of our society. We do so because we believe the promises of the Declaration of Independence are the common code of American life. They should apply to everyone, not just the healthy or the strong or the powerful. A generous society values all human life. A merciful society seeks to expand legal protection to every life, including early life. And a conpassionate society will defend a simple, moral proposition, life should never be used as a tool, or a means to an end." "These are bedrock principles and that is why my administration opposes partial-birth abortion and public funding for abortion; - why we support teen abstinence and crisis pregnancy programs; adoption and parental notification laws; and why we are against all forms of human cloning." President Bush added "We are a society with enough compassion and wealth and love to care for both mothers and their children." Some members of Congress who addressed the crowd were: Rep. Melissa Hart (R.) Indiana, Pa., a member of the Judiciary committee, said the committee is working on pro-life legislation, specifically, "anti-cloning legislation, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, and the Born Alive Infant Protection Act." Rep. Chris Smith (R.) New Jersey, a veteran pro-life leader stated,"Our luke-warmness in government has enabled a holocaust that has killed over 40 million babies", adding "By intercessory prayer and frequent fasting, we must pray... that there are no more delays-the time is now." Rep. Todd Taihart (R.) Kansas, encouraged all pro-life citizens to register to vote and encourage other pro-life people to do the same. Many of the clergy were present. Archbishop of Philadelphia, Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua introduced some twenty-five Roman Catholic Bishops, from Washington, Boston, MA, Baltimore, MD, St. Louis, MO, Brooklyn, NY, Pittsburgh, PA, Charlotte, NC, Knoxville, TN, LaCrosse, WI, Norwich, CT, Bridgeport, CT, Camden, NJ, Birmingham, AL and others. Archbishop Herman of the Orthodox Church of America addressed the gathering and Rabbi Yehuda Levine of New York said, "My pro-life solution is to have more children." Former Congressman Bob Dornan, now a radio talk show host with stations in 42 states, spoke of a trip he took. "I went to Israel with Rabbi Yehuda Levin. What a trip that was for life! He took me to meet the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem whose home was one big library. I asked, Rabbi, in all of these books, what does it say about life? The Rabbi replied, "All of these books praise the sanctity of life." We at Pennsylvanians for Human Life would like to thank those who attended the March for Life, especially those who participate year after year in good weather and bad. Our thanks to all who organized bus trips locally, especially Anne Domin and Joseph Cianci of our Scranton Chapter. |
Army of One
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An Army of One By Susan Cirba Pro-Life Reporter Spring 2002 When the United States Army changed its slogan to An Army of One, it seemed at first, an odd slogan. After some thought, An Army of One made more sense, as it refers to personal responsibility and courage. A battle, even a war can be won or lost due to the actions or failure of one person. Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain's courage and leadership at Gettysburg is an example of how one soldier made a difference. The Rebels attacked pinning the Union forces. Chamberlain's troops were badly outnumbered and severely battered, yet he ordered tham to open fire. Short on ammunition, he ordered his regiment to fix bayonets and charge the Confederate forces, sending them into disarray. Chamberlain's decisive action saved the Union line from being destroyed by the Confederate Army at a critical point in the war. "The Army lives and dies on every soldier's ability to think and to take decisive action - to lead themselves and others." from a U.S. Army recruiting pamphlet. We are in a war. Babies are being killed at an alarming rate, more than 35,000 a year in Pennsylvania alone, according to statistics for the year 2000. (For comparison, the death toll from the World Trade Center is about 2,800). We are at a critical juncture in the history of our nation. Every pro-life person must do more to promote the right to life. President Bush is deeply committed to our cause, but he cannot act alone. The pace is quickening. Pro-life legislation will come to the fore more frequently than in the past administration. We must be ready to write letters and make phone calls when asked. We must take responsibility for spreading the pro-life message. We must lead ourselves and others. If we don't educate family and friends about pro-life issues, no one else will. We cannot presume our loved ones understand the issues as we do. The consequences of not educating our children about abortion may be too horrifying to contemplate. Children should be introduced to the pro-life issues in a positive and age-appropriate way. Our Essay and Art Contest about Adoption is a positive way to educate students about pro-life. Encourage your seventh through twelfth grade students to enter. It may result in their greater involvement in the movement, they may talk to other students about abortion - may even save a life. This month, do three things to promote respect-for-life. Put your name on our legislative alert list (call 343-5099), encourage a student to enter our essay contest, and order a pro-life bumper sticker for your car. If you read the article about our prayer breakfast, you learned about a distraught mother whose doctors imagined the worst possible outcome for her unborn child and encouraged her to abort the child. She saw a bumper sticker on someone's car, at a critical moment in her decision-making, which read "It's a child not a choice." She was convinced to do the right thing and chose to give life to her child. If the 10,000 people who read this newsletter put a pro-life bumper sticker on their cars, maybe some woman who is now considering abortion, will see that bumper sticker and reconsider. Maybe another BJ will have a chance at life. This month, lead your self and others to action. |
Adoption
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Changing Attitudes About Adoption By Susan Cirba Pro-Life Reporter Spring 2002 Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's restaurants, passed away January 8, 2002. Dave Thomas was a successful businessman, husband, father and advocate for adoption. Dave Thomas loved life. That was apparent to anyone who watched a Wendy's television commercial. "Dave was much more than Wendy's founder and senior spokesperson. He was a mentor to many hundreds of people he personally helped. He was loved throughout the Wendy's family as a perfect example of how really good guys can finish first." Internet tribute to Dave Thomas. Dave Thomas was asked in 1990 by President George Bush to be the spokesman on an adoption initiative "Adoption Works... for Everyone." Thomas agreed but wanted to do more, and set up his own adoption foundation, whose mission is to ensure that every child has a permanent and loving family. (For more information, see www.davethomasfoundationforadoption.org) Because of his and the foundation's work, thousands of foster children now have "forever families." Since 1994, every November, National Adoption month, over 6,000 Wendy's restaurants display posters, trayliners and public service announcements promoting adoption. These account for 40% of all calls taken at the National Adoption Center's toll free 1-800-TO-ADOPT hotline. Dave Thomas has also testified before Congress in support of adoption tax credits and adoption legislation. One man, Dave Thomas, who made a difference in the lives of so many people, was adopted. What if abortion had been legal when Dave Thomas was born in 1932? What if Dave Thomas had been aborted? Today there are only 16 infant adoptions for every 1,000 abortions. Surely the economic circumstances in our country today are not as dire as they were in 1932 during the Great Depression. Today only 2 to 3 percent of the more than one million teenagers who will become pregnant this year will place their child for adoption. More than 40% of teenagers will choose abortion. Women considering abortion need to see their unborn children as gifts, not problems. If a woman was given a diamond ring, would she throw it away? If she was given a Lexus would she refuse it? Yet the greatest gift she will receive is that new human life. That baby is also the greatest gift she can give the world. Dave Thomas's life was clearly a gift to the world. We will never know the contributions which could have been made by the millions of children who have been aborted over the past 29 years. We can only imagine what they could have contributed, when we look at the lives of those who were given up for adoption. Over the past few months I have taken several calls from pregnant girls and women. When they call, they are looking for an abortion. When I ask if they have considered giving their child up for adoption, the usual remark is "Oh no, I could never do that!" They have concluded that to abort a child is OK, but to give it life and a loving family... is horrible. The only way to change such attitudes is to do so before a pregnancy exists. Through our essay and art contest, we hope students will learn more about adoption as a positive alternative to abortion. Parents, teachers, pastors, youth ministers and other who work with young people are encouraged to use our contest as an opportunity to educate students about adoption. We have several videos on adoption and pamphlets that can be sent at your request. Please contact our Pro-Life Information Center by calling 343-5099. |
Summer
Eternal Vigilance
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Elections, Freedom and Eternal Vigilance By Susan Cirba Pro-Life Reporter Summer 2002 "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson understood that the struggle for freedom is a part of the human condition and it would continue long after his death. Abolitionist, Wendell Philips used a similar quote "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." Throughout the centuries our nation's leaders of conscience have understood that the struggle for freedom never ends, it only changes. The abortion battle did not begin in 1973 with the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision. Its roots reach back into the sixties, when abortion legislation was passed in several states, back to Margaret Sanger and the founding of Planned Parenthood, back to the nineteenth century. Few people are aware of the legal changes which came between 1860 and 1880 to criminalize abortion, known then as "the child-killing trade." Doctors, pharmacists, journalists and religious leaders did whatever they could to halt the slaughter of children in the clinics of the land. Between 1872 and 1880, Anthony Comstock, of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice oversaw the arrest and conviction of fifty-five abortionists operating up and down the east coast. The successes realized between 1860 and 1880 came after decades of effort. One of the earliest pioneers of the nineteenth century's pro-life movement was Elizabeth Ann Seton, who in addition to her work with the poor, and the sick, also worked to expose the horrors of illicit abortion. The pro-life movement has been around for a long time. In 1973, pro-life activist probably hoped to end abortion in a few years time. Some thirty years later we fight not only abortion, but a host of other social evils from euthanasia to human cloning. In all cases we work to promote respect for innocent human life. "Freedom is not something to be secured in any one moment of time. We must struggle to preserve it every day. And freedom is never more than one generation from extinction." President Ronald Reagan Jan. 15, 1983. We must struggle to preserve freedom every day. The citizens groups opposing McCain-Feingold legislation are defending our right to freedom of speech. In Oregon, Hawaii, California, Florida, pro-life groups are defending the rights of the disabled, the sick and the elderly in opposing "Death with Dignity" initiatives. Our Founding Fathers, abolitionists, and pro-life leaders of the nineteenth century all understood that enemies of life and freedom often reside within our own borders. What we do or fail to do today will shape our future. Today our focus must be Primary Election. We must elect a pro-life Governor. If we do not, Pennsylvania will have to contend with greater numbers of lives lost to abortion, threats to current pro-life legislation and the threat of euthanasia legislation in the future. Vote on Tuesday May 21. Write yourself a reminder. Mark it on your calendar. Ask your pro-life friends and relatives to go to the polls. Call them on election day and remind them to vote. In the pro-life struggle we fight not only for the lives of the unborn, we fight for ourselves. We can shape our commonwealth's future, our nation's future, our own future by electing every dedicated pro-life candidate we can to office. |
Prayer Warriors
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Prayer Warriors Needed By Susan Cirba Pro-Life Reporter Summer 2002 Are you praying for the success of the pro-life movement? Do you pray daily that an unborn child will be saved from abortion? Do you pray for President Bush, other political leaders, the election of pro-life politicians and the conversion of abortionists? If not, then perhaps we are not doing everything we can to end abortion. All people are motivated by their belief systems. While Pa. for Human Life is not a religious organization, the spiritual component to our work is undeniable. Many of the pro-life people I meet are motivated by their religious beliefs. Believers in God have fixed standards of behavior, a system of values and a reason to care about others. Persons who do not believe in God, may have arbitrary standards, a relative system of values, and no clear purpose or direction in life. All of us have embarked upon a spiritual journey. Each starts at a particular point, determined in part by the experiences of our childhood, the love given or denied, and the spirtual journeys of our parents. Families are shaped by various religious, cultural and ethnic beliefs, influenced by poverty or wealth, and level of education. Some are affected by abuse, neglect, problems with physical or mental health, alcoholism, drug dependency, physical and emotional suffering. Each person is at a different stage in his or her spiritual journey. All need to experience love, acceptance and forgiveness. Hate the sin, love the sinner. Judge not, lest you be judged. For Christians the standard is clear, there is no place for condemnation. I meet women on college campuses, and engage them in conversation. Some have had abortions, or have accompanied a friend to an abortion clinic. I want to ask "How could you do such a thing?" Then I think of my own sins. Sometimes it is clear from the conversation, they thought they were doing the right thing at the time. I try to leave them with a thought, pamphlet or some bit of information to turn their thoughts in a different direction. Love, acceptance, forgiveness, prayer... these will change hearts. When I meet these young women, I first wonder, "Do their parents know what they have done?" Second, "What have their parents taught them about... abortion and its complications, the development of a child in the womb, making a moral decision, and taking responsibility for one's actions?" And third, I wonder, "If their parents are pro-life, why haven't they taken time to educate their children about abortion?" Fifteen years ago, I didn't see much point to prayer. Life was good, my children were young and brought me so much joy-problems were little problems. The older I grow, the more I encounter problems I cannot fix, situations I cannot change, suffering I cannot alleviate, and death. The sickness and death of loved ones has hit hard these past ten years. I realize that I am not in control, God is in control. This realization leads one to greater dependence on God and prayer. To those who are convinced of the need for prayer and the power of prayer: Please pray... For President Bush and all our political leaders, that they respect life. For the election of pro-life politicians. For women who seek abortions, that they grow to love the life that is growing within them... before it is too late. For an unborn child, that he or she may be saved from abortion. For parents, clergy and those who are responsible for the education of others, that they teach respect for all human life. For leaders of the pro-life movement, lest they become discouraged. For the conversion of abortionists and others who promote aborion or otherwise foster the culture of death... especially abortionist Steve Brigham. We are making a difference. Recently, we received by mail, aphoto of a baby. Written on the back of the photo: "You helped save me." Our thanks to the child's mother, both for giving life to that baby and encouragement to us. |
Fall
Real Alternatives
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Project WIN Women In Need - Real Alternatives By Susan Cirba Pro-Life Reporter Fall 2002 Consider the following cases: A young unmarried couple, learn of the woman’s pregnancy. Both fear they are not ready for parenthood. A young woman, pregnant, homeless, and abandoned by her child’s father, faces an uncertain future with no one to turn to for help. A fifteen year old girl discovers she is pregnant, is considering abortion and wants to talk to someone. What do these three women have in common? All saw a Project WIN (Women in Need) television ad and called 1-888-LIFE-AID. Each was put in contact with alternatives to abortion counseling centers nearest to them. The first couple received help to place their child for adoption. The adoption agency also provided counseling for them after their baby was born and placed for adoption. The homeless woman received shelter at a maternity home and help once her son was born. The fifteen-year-old chose life for her daughter once she was presented with alternatives to abortion. In 1995, 1,266 women received help from Pennsylvania’s alternative to abortion services. By 1999, the number had grown to 11,397. Since the program’s inception seven years ago, 57,000 women have been helped by Real Alternatives. Real Alternatives began as Project WIN (Women In Need), but the mission has been the same, to offer compassionate, practical, life affirming alternatives to abortion for women. Real Alternatives seeks to improve a woman’s physical and mental well being before and after pregnancy, care for the baby and encourage adoption for those unable to parent. The Patriot-News of Harrisburg on June 23,1997 reported “Pennsylvania is the only state to finance private pregnancy facilities and mandate they do not counsel about termination.” (abortion) How did a pro-life program receive government funding? Seven years ago, the pro-life movement and the Pa. Catholic Conference convinced the Pennsylvania state legislature to fund alternatives to abortion. Governor Casey set aside money in the state budget to fund alternatives to abortion. These funds must be approved every year. Without a pro-life governor, funding for Real Alternatives is in jeopardy. Real Alternatives has become a model program as other states have attempted to pass similar legislation. North Dakota’s attempt failed, but Louisiana’s governor is expected to sign alternatives to abortion legislation soon. How does Real Alternatives operate? Real Alternatives does the advertising across the state for member counseling centers and adoption agencies using television, and newspapers encouraging women to call 1-888-LIFE-AID. Therefore, member pregnancy centers can concentrate their efforts on helping women instead of fundraising and advertising. Calls go in to Real Alternatives and women are patched through to a pregnancy center closest to their zip code. All over the state a woman is only one hour or less away from a pregnancy center. Real Alternatives subcontracts to 110 counseling centers which include maternity homes, adoption agencies, pregnancy counseling centers, and Catholic social service agencies. Counseling must be pro-life, so women are only referred to pro-life doctors. There is no counseling or referring for abortion. Centers must maintain client confidentiality, provide pregnancy self-testing but cannot promote religious teaching. Women are eligible for services throughout pregnancy until baby’s first birthday. All services are free of charge. Think about it, 57,000 women were given REAL help, not a sales pitch for abortion. If these same women had gone to Planned Parenthood, the out come for their babies would have been quite different. Statistics for one Pennsylvania Planned Parenthood abortion mill reveal 29 abortions to one referral to a Pregnancy Counseling Center. Nationwide statistics are similar, in 1993, Planned Parenthood Federation of America provided prenatal care to 9,943 mothers and aborted 134,277 children and referred an additional 80,743 women for abortions nationwide. For each woman who received prenatal care, 22 babies were aborted. Real Alternatives saves lives. Statistics show that prior to passage of the Abortion Control Act, their were 22.1 abortions out of 100 pregnancies. In 1991, the year the Abortion Control Act took effect, there were 20.2 abortions per 100 pregnancies. In 1997 a television advertising campaign for Real Alternatives brought the abortion rate down to 18.9 abortions per 100 pregnancies. If you offer women alternatives to abortion, they choose them. Eighty-three percent of women who have had abortions say they would not have had an abortion if just one person offered them help. Real Alternatives offers that help. This is a program we can not afford to lose. The election of a pro-abortion governor would place funding for Real Alternatives in jeopardy. |
Pro-Life Judges
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Senate Democrats Stalling Confirmation of Pro-Life Judges By Susan Cirba Pro-Life Reporter Fall 2002 The Senate has a responsibility to advise and vote on judicial nominees yet eleven nominees have waited more than a year for a Senate vote. Senate Democrats have not allowed many of President Bush’s judicial nominees a hearing and a vote. Last year, the process from nomination to investigations, hearings, committee action and Senate action took between two and six months for the majority of confirmed nominees listed on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee web site. Of the twenty-one nominees confirmed in 2001, nine took three months and six took only two months to process. “Since the Democrats took control of the Senate a year ago, they have confirmed just nine of President Bush’s thirty-one nominees to the circuit court of appeals, a bare 29 percent” according to John Nowacki of the Free Congress Foundation. On average, when Democrats control the Senate, they confirm 65 Democrat nominees per year and 47 Republicans per year. Only nine confirmations? Sounds fishy to me. Senate Democratic leaders Patrick Leahy and Tom Daschle have been deliberately stalling the hearings, one of the reasons-abortion politics. A look at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America web site lists “questionable nominations” to the Federal Judicial Circuit Courts. For example, Tenth Federal Judicial Circuit Court nominees Michael McConnell and Timothy Tymkovich both hold pro-life opinions. McConnell opposes using Medicaid funds for abortion and Tymkovich signed a 1996 “Statement of Pro-Life Principles and Concern” urging the passage of an amendment banning all abortions. Senate Democrats want to delay the confirmation of pro-life judges past the general election in the hope that a stronger pro-abortion majority will be elected to the Senate. At the end of the term of our 41st President, George H. W. Bush, Democrats refused to confirm 55 pending judicial nominees. If a pro-abortion majority is elected, pro-life judicial candidates will never be confirmed. Is President Bush nominating pro-life judges? Yes! Will they get past the Democrat-led Senate? Maybe. Your action is needed. Pray for the election of pro-life Senators to Congress in the November General election. Contact President Bush asking him to declare “recess appointments” when Congress adjourns over any break. This was a precedent set by President Clinton several years ago. In this way, at least temporary judicial appointments will be in place. |
Contents
2009
Health Care Bill Sparks National Debate on Life Issues
U.K. Model for Health Reform? Don’t Bet Your Life on It!
2008
Third Debate Reveals McCain to be Strongly Pro-Life, Obama Committed to Abortion
Abortion Central to Planned Parenthood Mission
40 Days for Life Campaign Gives Women Chance to Reconsider-Assists in Post Abortion Healing
2007
Woman Sues New Jersey Clinic Over Botched Abortion
Health Violations Force Abortion Clinic Closing
What can you do in forty days time to help bring an end to abortion?
Repeat Abortions Common
2006
Sex Education Planned Parenthood Style equals More Teen Pregnancy, More Abortion
2005
2004
John Kerry Visits Scranton, Pa.
2003
Number of Partial Birth Abortions Tripled in the Four-Year Period
2002
Scranton Area Pro-Life Activists Attend March for Life
An Army of One
Changing Attitudes About Adoption
Elections, Freedom and Eternal Vigilance
Prayer Warriors Needed
Project WIN Women In Need - Real Alternatives
Senate Democrats Stalling Confirmation of Pro-Life Judges
Home