Life Matters

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Life Matters 5-9-13

Today we start with a piece on the subject of adoption. It is the loving option for a child, as opposed to abortion which is not. As you will see this young mother endured horrible things because of her decision to keep her child. Sadly much of it from her own family. But she did what was right, and sometimes that decision has wonderful results later in life. This story demonstrates that life and adoption is the loving choice, and sometimes that comes back around. The piece is long, but a good read. And yes, you’ll probably want to grab some tissues. From Redbook

“A Daughter Lost and Found”

“When Julie Mannix refused to get an abortion, her parents had her locked up in a mental hospital. This is the story of the child she fought to save—and how they made their way back to each other.”

“I am sitting on a dirty orange chair, guarded by a male orderly, waiting to be admitted to a state hospital for the mentally disturbed and criminally insane. I’m a 19-year-old blue-eyed blonde—a debutante from the Main Line of  Philadelphia. I am also three months pregnant.”

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But sadly, these next two are not good news. Further proof that Gosnell is not the exception, but the norm at many clinics. An extensive investigative piece from Florida, via NationalReview with a Content Warning!!! for the subject matter.

“Abortion’s Underside —Kermit Gosnell is not the only seedy backroom abortionist operating in the age of Roe v. Wade.”

“The Gosnell case prompts the question of how common similar practices are. A National Review investigation revealed the troubling history of three Florida abortion clinics, located in Miami, Hialeah, and Miramar, that have had several run-ins with the law. After a 2004 tip proved accurate, two owners and two staff members were successfully prosecuted for unlicensed medical practice; and, although there was no conviction, it appears that Sycloria Williams’s baby was born alive and murdered at the Hialeah clinic in 2006. Furthermore, some of the clinics’ doctors have records best described as routine medical violence against women. Yet despite their fraught past, the three clinics remain fully operational today. And they are a critical but often-neglected part of the picture of abortion in America.”

As I said, it’s pretty in-depth, and long.

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This next one asks a very good question. We know from the Grand Jury testimony in the Gosnell case that some Planned Parenthood affiliates refered customers to Gosnell. Was the President of one of those affiliates, who is now running for Governor, sending referrals to him as well? As a PA. voter, you can bet I’d like to know. From TheWeeklyStandard

“Allyson Schwartz, the Democratic suburban Philadelphia congresswoman running for governor, was the director of the Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center, an affiliate of Planned Parenthood, from 1975 to 1988. Her time there coincided with the formative years of abortionist Kermit Gosnell’s infamous career.”

“With the case getting national attention, and with the congresswoman’s political profile rapidly rising, some in Philadelphia’s pro-life community have begun to wonder about Schwartz’s own relationship with Gosnell’s longtime Philly practice. Did the Blackwell Center refer late-term patients to Gosnell while Schwartz was its director? Both Schwartz’s congressional office and her gubernatorial campaign have so far failed to answer requests for on-the-record answers to these questions.”

“A Planned Parenthood official denies that Blackwell ever referred mothers seeking abortions to take the 10-minute drive across town to Gosnell’s clinic, though she did not explain how she knew this.

“We have never referred to Gosnell,” said the official in an email to THE WEEKLY STANDARD. Could she confirm that going all the way back to 1972, the year Gosnell first opened his clinic? The official did not immediately respond.”

Could our Governor’s race come down to a contest between the man who helped shut Gosnell down, and a woman who possibly referred women to him? Answers are necessary, but I imagine those will be hard to get. After all, even the most extreme abortion supporters don’t want to be tied to this mess.

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Life Matters 5-2-13

Here’s an update on the Gosnell trial. From LifeNews

“The jury in the Kermit Gosnell murder trial deliberated for a second day today and ended the day with no verdict. However, member of the jury actively informed themselves of laws that are applicable to the case and asked for information and assistance from the judge.”

“Under Pennsylvania law, all 12 of the jurors must reach a unanimous verdict on any of the murder counts Gosnell faces for him to be convicted on any of them. Each of the elements of a charged crime must be proven to each juror beyond reasonable doubt for that juror to vote to convict on that count and one reluctant juror could lead to a mistrial on any of the first-degree murder charges.

Since prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty in the case, the jury will only be deciding whether Gosnell is guilty related to the charges. If convicted, a second jury will be impaneled to determine sentencing under the penalty phase of the trial. During this phase, the judge has already instructed jurors to only consider guilt or innocence.

Given the number of charges Gosnell faces, and the fact that Gosnell has a co-defendant the jury is considering for conviction as well, the jury make take a longer period of time to arrive at a verdict on each of the 250-plus charges.”

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According to this report Gosnell has been placed into solitary confinement for his own protection. It seems some prisoners frown on his methods. From LifeNews 

“He is currently in solitary confinement pending the verdict and his expected sentencing. That’s because, according to one local reporter in Philadelphia, fellow prisoners don’t take his crimes of killing babies in infanticides too kindly.”

“Should Gosnell be convicted and face a prison term, he would likely remain in solitary or in a sensitive needs population for the duration of his time in prison term.”

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This next one is heartbreaking. It sounds like this woman regrets her decision to abort, and her selection of Gosnell to do it.

CONTENT WARNING!!!  because some of her child’s remains were among the trophies he kept in his office, and it’s hard to read.  From LifeSiteNews

“When 20-year-old Desiree Hawkins was contacted by a Drug Enforcement agent this year, she was completely unprepared for what she had to tell her: that the abortionist she had visited in 2009 for a traumatic abortion had kept the severed feet of her unborn baby in a jar in his clinic.”

“Hawkins was slated to testify in rebuttal against Gosnell during his recently concluded trial. But because Gosnell never took the stand, Hawkins never had the chance to tell the jury her story. But that doesn’t mean she is remaining silent.

In a video released this week by the creators of the documentary 3801 Lancaster, Desiree and her mother are sharing the details of Desiree’s nightmare experience at Gosnell’s clinic, and their repentance for their part they each played in the death of Desiree’s unborn child.”

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While the FDA may have approved over the counter sales of the morning after pill to girls as young as 15, the American College of Pediatricians continues to oppose the move. From LifeSiteNews

“The American College of Pediatricians continues to oppose the over-the-counter distribution of “emergency contraceptive” medication to children as recently mandated by the court and approved by the FDA.

The potency of these medications demands physician oversight, and equally important their over-the-counter availability circumvents parental involvement and may facilitate adolescent abuse. Health professionals need to encourage good parent-child communication, teach minors the benefits of delaying sexual activity until marriage, and teach them how to avoid situations resulting in coerced sex and premature/promiscuous consensual sex.

Increased access to “emergency contraception” (EC) does not result in lower pregnancy rates among adolescents and young adults, while it is associated with an increased incidence of sexually transmitted infections. Despite self-reports denying it, “ready access” to EC appears to increase adolescent sexual activity. Increased sexual activity is a known risk factor for depression, suicide, poor school performance, more lifetime sexual partners, and an increased divorce rate.”

The full statement from the ACP is here.

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Life Matters 4-25-13

Here’s a few stories you may find of interest.

The first is very encouraging. And once again, it’s adult stem cells which are showing promise. From USNews

“Scientists have discovered an antibody that can turn stem cells from a patient’s bone marrow directly into brain cells, a potential breakthrough in the treatment of neurological diseases and injuries.”

“Richard Lerner, of the Scripps Research Institute in California, says that when a specific antibody is injected into stem cells from bone marrow—which normally turn into white blood cells—the cells can be triggered to turn into brain cells.

“There’s been a lot of research activity where people would like to repair brain and spinal cord injuries,” Lerner says. “With this method, you can go to a person’s own stem cells and turn them into brain cells that can repair nerve injuries.”

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The judge in the Kermit Gosnell case has admitted he made an error, and has re-instated 1 of the dropped murder charges. From LifeNews

“Common pleas court Judge Jeffrey Minehart admitted he “erred” when dropping the murder charge for Baby C, who was killed in an abortion-infanticide when he was a victim of an attempted abortion but was born alive and tossed in a shoe box, with Gosnell staffers confirming they saw him breathing for 20 minutes.

Gosnell faces eight total murder counts — one for killing a woman in a botched abortion and seven for killing babies in abortion-infanticides that involved live-birth abortions and snipping their necks after birth. The judge received heavy criticism yesterday for dropping three of the murder charges.

Gosnell refused to testify, and the defense rested. From LifeNews

“Today, Gosnell’s co-defendant, Eileen O’Neill, an unlicensed doctor who worked at Gosnell’s Women’s Medical Society abortion clinic, decided not to testify for herself in her own defense against the charges she’s incurred.

As a result, the Gosnell defense has concluded without the embattled abortion doctor ever taking the stand and with Gosnell attorney Jack McMahon offering very little in his defense.

McMahon tersely announced, “Defense rests,” as the  jury was seated after lunch.”

Fox News will air a one hour special on the case at 9 p.m. on Sunday, May 5th.

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The NY state GOP has vowed to block any of Gov. Cuomo’s abortion expansion attempts. From LifeSiteNews

““Expansion of late-term abortion is extreme, in my opinion. It’s not progressive, it’s extreme,” Senator Dean Skelos told the Associated Press.

In his State of the State address in January, Cuomo threw his support behind a sweeping abortion expansion bill that would lift restrictions on third-trimester abortions, allowed non-doctors to perform the procedure, and enshrine a fundamental right to “terminate a pregnancy” in New York state law.  The New York Catholic Conference warned that if the bill were to pass, the state’s Catholic hospitals could be forced to shut down.

The governor has since backpedaled.  His staffers now insist he only wants to preserve the status quo on abortion in New York.  But details of Cuomo’s abortion proposal have not been forthcoming, even as the governor has tried to broker a deal.

Given NY’s horrible abortion numbers, anything that tries to increase it is worth fighting against.

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Life Matters 4-18-13

The more details that come out in the Gosnell case, the worse it gets. It seems he’s been harming women for a lot longer than was previously known.

From LifeNews with a CONTENT WARNING!!!

“More revelations are coming to light about the gruesome abortion business Kermit Gosnell ran where he killed a woman in an abortion and killed babies in grisly abortion-infanticides and kept their bodies as trophies.

But new information is also coming to light about the abortion practice Gosnell ran for decades — including in the 1970s when he injured several women in a odd experiment on women using a new abortion method. Whether Gosnell obtained the consent of women to engage in this experiment is unknown but multiple women were injured as a result.”

“It was called the Mother’s Day Massacre. A young Philadelphia doctor “offered to perform abortions on 15 poor women who were bused to his clinic from Chicago on Mother’s Day 1972, in their second trimester of pregnancy.” The women didn’t know that the doctor “planned to use an experimental device called a ‘super coil’ developed by a California man named Harvey Karman.””

“Nine of the 15 Chicago women suffered serious complications. One of them needed a hysterectomy. The following year, the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade. It would be 37 more years before the Philadelphia doctor who carried out the Mother’s Day Massacre would go out of business. His name is Kermit Gosnell.”

Not surprisingly, Planned Parenthood seems to have been involved as well. And again, CONTENT WARNING!!!

“In 1972, International Planned Parenthood Federation was one of two groups partnering with the country of Bangladesh to bring Dr. Harvey Karman (pictured right) and a small team of “abortion experts,” which included two IPPF doctors, to the newly formed country to commit abortions and train native doctors and paramedics how to commit them.

Abortion was Karman’s “consuming passion,” according to Salon, which acknowledged Karman wasn’t really any sort of doctor whatsoever but had simply “added a Ph.D. to his name, though his degree came from a dubious Swiss diploma mill.”

Karman was, in fact, a convicted felon, having served 2-1/2 years in prison – until pardoned by then Gov. Jerry Brown – for killing a mother in 1955 while attempting to illegally abort her in a hotel room with a nutcracker.”

This is the same “new method” Gosnell used.

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President Obama has finely acknowledged the Gosnell trial. But as expected, it sounds like another “present” vote on the subject by Obama. I guess it’s still above his pay grade.

From Politico

“In the interview, he noted that he was “familiar” with the trial of Gosnell,  which has sparked outrage from some on both sides of the political spectrum, as  many on the right — and some on the left — have charged that the mainstream  media has not sufficiently covered the case, which involves gruesome allegations  including of murder. Obama said he couldn’t comment, however.

“Well, I’m familiar with it. I can’t comment on it because it’s an active trial,” he said.”

Talk about a cop-out. Funny, he wasn’t worried about things like that in the Trayvon Martin case, or the “Beer Summit” fiasco. It’s just cowardly.

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And a college professor at the University of Buffalo has been arrested for profanely ranting at pro-lifers for exposing the truth about abortion.

From FoxNews with a CONTENT WARNING!!! because the “educator” has a foul mouth.

“A University of Buffalo professor was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after she launched into a profanity-laced tirade directed towards a group of pro-life students.”

““I can swear in public because that is profane,” she said referring to the display. “That image is swearing to me. That is profane to me.””

“Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students For Life of America, said pro-life students are typically singled out for attacks on campus.

“As we’ve seen again and again, a pro-abortion supporter couldn’t handle the ugly truth of abortion and lashed out,” Hawkins told Fox News. “She had to resort to yelling and using profane language with police officers.”

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And in another show of the intolerance pro-lifers must endure on college campuses, we have this story.

From LifeNews

“Abortion advocates apparently vandalized a pro-life cross display at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania.

When pro-life groups set up such memorials to remember the number of babies who have been victimized by abortions, they frequently become targets of vandalism by students who are apparently in favor of abortion but too closed-minded to be tolerant of the pro-life message.

Campus Reform has more information on what happened:

Photos of the incident show dozens of crosses flung about the area with a few turned upside down and a pro-choice banner stuck into the ground around the destroyed display.”

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Life Matters 4-11-13

The Arkansas Senate has voted to defund Planned Parenthood in that state. Other abortion providers face the same restrictions.

From TheChristianPost

“Members of the Arkansas Senate voted Tuesday to defund Planned  Parenthood and other abortion providers that receive federal and state grants to  fund sex education programs.

Senate Bill 818 was introduced by Rep. Gary  Stubblefield (R-Branch), who aims to end the subsidization of Planned Parenthood  and other abortion providers that receive federal and state tax dollars to fund  their sex education programs, because it violates the state’s constitution.

Amendment 68 of the Arkansas constitution states that: “No public funds will  be used to pay for any abortion, except to save the mother’s life.””

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That’s probably a wise choice considering the allegations of fraud coming out about Planned Parenthood and other groups.

From LifeNews

“Alliance Defending Freedom made public its latest report to Congress Wednesday identifying waste, abuse, and potential fraud by Planned Parenthood, state family planning programs, and other organizations. The report updates the original Alliance Defending Freedom report submitted in October 2011 and urges Congress to continue its investigation into the misuse of taxpayer dollars.”

“The report details the 12 known audits or other reviews of Planned Parenthood affiliates’ financial data and practices as well as 45 audits of state family planning programs and one audit of a family planning organization. The audits found a total of more than $108 million in waste, abuse, and potential fraud.

The report also identifies 12 types of potential fraud being committed by Planned Parenthood affiliates nationwide. The potential fraud includes billing and being reimbursed by Title XIX agencies for medications and/or services provided in connection with an abortion, which is illegal under federal law.”

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A Planned Parenthood in Delaware is being accused operating with unsafe and unsanitary conditions.

From ABCPhiladelphia

“A series of emergency calls made from the Planned Parenthood of Delaware this year are raising concerns about what’s happening behind the closed doors.

Two former nurses who both quit are speaking exclusively with Action News about what they saw inside.”

“Another former employee, Joyce Vasikonis told Action News, “They were using instruments on patients that were not sterile.”

The former nurses claim that a rush to get patients in and out left operating tables soiled and unclean.”

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I told you last week about the Planned Parenthood lobbyist who defended infanticide. It turns out she has other clients who might, or should, see a conflict with employing this woman’s company. It seems she hides her Planned Parenthood lobbying work on her website. It’s not difficult to see why. Turns out she also served on the  board of Catholic Charities of NW Florida until January, and her partner worked for Jeb Bush. Talk about playing both sides against the middle.

From LifeSiteNews

“Alisa LaPolt Snow, the Planned Parenthood lobbyist, has an unusual client roster for someone who has publicly defended infanticide. Many of her clients are health care providers who care for suffering infants with lingering illnesses.

According to National Institute on Money in State Politics, her firm, Snow Strategies, has represented a host of clients who try to save babies’ lives.”

“The website records that LaPolt Snow’s services have been retained by the Alliance for Pediatric Therapies, Brightstart Pediatrics, Pediatria: Health Care for Kids, Caring Hearts, and Cradling Hands PPEC Care, among others.”

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The Kermit Gosnell murder trial continues. The details are really bad.  I cannot stress this enough, if you are easily upset by things like this then skip the link please.

CONTENT WARNING!!!!

And of course the media blackout of the trial continues as well, despite complaints from conservative leaders. 

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Life Matters 4-4-13

Here are a few stories that you may find interesting.

There’s actually a lot of encouraging news. More states are placing restrictions on abortion.

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This one limits funding for potential ObamaCare abortions.

From LifeNews

“After a terse debate in the Virginia House, members of the Assembly voted today to stop taxpayer funding of abortions in the Obamacare exchange.

The amendment received the approval of 55 members of the House and the state Senate followed suit passing the bill.

Last week, Governor Bob McDonnell put forward a pro-life amendment that pro-life groups, including the Family Foundation and Virginia Society for Human Life has been urging. This amendment prohibits health insurance plans that are part of federal health insurance exchanges required by Obamacare from covering abortion services except in cases of rape, incest and life of the mother. The amendment is to HB 1900 and SB 921, bills regarding state oversight of health exchanges. Without the governor’s amendment, pro-life citizens opposed to abortion will be mandated to fund this unethical destruction of human life.”

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Kansas has OK’d a bill that states life begins at conception, and defunds abortion. Also from LifeNews

“The Kansas Pro-Life Protections Act (HB 2253) passed the Senate by a vote of 29-11, after a nearly 3-hour debate Monday that focused on extraneous amendments offered by pro-abortion Democrat Senators.”

“The Pro-Life Protections Act actually enacts no new restrictions on abortion, rather it:

  • recognizes that life begins at fertilization for purposes of public policy decisions;
  • prevents state discrimination against pro-life entities;
  • restricts tax-payer funding for abortion;
  • defunds abortion training at the state university medical school;
  • keeps abortion businesses out of public school sex-ed;
  • codifies informed consent topics already used by the state health department;
  • strengthens medical and community support for Down Syndrome & other conditions.

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What a difference going from a pro-abortion Gov. to a pro-life Gov. can make. Without Rendell and his Health Dept. enabling them by lack of oversight, things have greatly improved. Hurting the wallet of abortions mills is an added bonus.

From LifeSiteNews

” Pennsylvania’s abortionists have spent millions trying to comply with the state’s updated abortion center safety regulations, passed in the wake of the House of Horrors abortion-murder scandal, reports National Public Radio.

Five abortion clinics have closed outright since passage of the new laws, which require abortion facilities to meet the same standards as any other outpatient surgical center and undergo unannounced random inspections.”

“Additionally, abortionists have been forced to make major safety upgrades to their facilities to bring them up to the standards of real surgical centers by enlarging their operating rooms, installing hospital-grade elevators, widening hallways, and upgrading driveways to accommodate ambulances and stretchers in case of life-threatening complications requiring transport to a hospital.  Other upgrades include hands-free sinks, washable ceilings and floors, and modern sterilization equipment.”

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The mother of a child born alive after an attempted abortion is now suing the clinic. From LifeSiteNews

“A woman who underwent a failed abortion after being told by doctors that continuing her pregnancy would endanger her life is suing the abortion clinic, which she described as a “slaughterhouse,” following the birth of the baby girl she had intended to have killed.

Ariel Knights, a dental technician from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, launched the malpractice lawsuit against Akron Women’s Medical Group and two doctors, alleging they failed to perform the abortion they told her was successful, which led to the birth of her daughter.

She claims her decision to abort her daughter was based on the advice of doctors who told her she has uterus didelphys, a genetic condition that results in a double uterus with individual cervices, which put her pregnancy and her life at risk.”

Looks like the Doctors were wrong.

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Sadly though, it’s not all good news. This one is just the latest technique PP has come up with to ensure their continued business success, as well as continuing their assault on minority women and children. Just like it’s always been designed to do.

From LifeNews

“Planned Parenthood has developed and/or replicated multiple programs that rely on coercion, in the form of cash payments and other incentives, to lure teens to participate in its anything-goes sex indoctrination programs and research. The programs blatantly target minority students and are being funded with taxpayer dollars.

Planned Parenthood’s latest foray into coercion is surfacing in Florida, where African American teens as young as 14 are paid cash incentives to attend its SIHLE “empowerment” programs. SIHLE is an acronym for Sistas Informing, Healing, Living, and Empowering. In addition to cash, there is music, partying, chatting, and the opportunity to belong to a “family.” To be a part of the family, though, teens must live in targeted zip codes referenced on the website—zip codes 32808, 32811, 32818, 32835 and 32839.”

“Data on those zip codes paint an overall picture of low-income African American neighborhoods where students have demonstrated low academic performance. It would seem that the millions of dollars could certainly be used to help these students in a very real and needed way by providing educational initiatives that would raise test scores, rather than spending it senselessly on programs to indoctrinate teens into Planned Parenthood’s sick world of disordered sex, contraception, and abortion.”

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Life Matters 3-28-13

The murder trial of Kermit Gosnell continues in Philadelphia. With multiple charges against Gosnell and others, you’d think this would be news. As far as the major networks go, you’d be mistaken.

From LifeNews

“ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, NPR and PBS Ignore Gosnell’s Abortion Horrors”

“The liberal media know an abortion outrage when they hear it. Sadly, they only seem to hear them from the mouths of Republican candidates, and it only takes a statement to outrage the press. Can’t they find a single abortion outrage inside an abortion clinic? Such is their radicalism that nothing, absolutely nothing regarding this gruesome procedure raises their eyebrows, never mind their ire.

One emerging story proves the degree to which our “objective” media’s views on abortion are dogmatic and extreme. Abortionist Kermit Gosnell is on trial in Philadelphia, and not just for killing babies outside the womb, but also for killing a mother through reckless use of anesthesia. Network TV coverage of the trial? Zero on ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, NPR and PBS. CNN’s entire coverage seems to be one sentence from Jake Tapper on March 21.”

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Yesterday Gosnell’s attorney was involved in a shouting match with the presiding judge.

From LifeSiteNews

“The Kermit Gosnell murder trial opened Tuesday with a heated dispute over the prosecution’s toxicology expert witness that soon degenerated into a loud shouting match between defense attorney Jack McMahon and Judge Jeffery Minehart, who ordered McMahon to sit down.

According to a local news report, minutes after the argument between McMahon and Judge Minehart, McMahon exchanged angry words with prosecutor Joanne Pescatore in the hallway outside the courtroom that also escalated to the point of shouting.”

“Judge Minehart halted the trial and dismissed the jury until he could hear further arguments related to the admissibility of Rohrig’s testimony. After McMahon’s five-hour attempt to prevent Rohrig’s testimony from reaching the jury Minehart ruled that Rohrig should be allowed to testify.”

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And in other news the Obama admin continues it’s sordid relationship with Planned Parenthood.

From LifeNews

“While the White House says sequestration has eliminated funds for children touring the White House, President Obama has no problem spending $350 million federal tax dollars for sexual indoctrination programs starting in kindergarten for those same children.

This is not your grandmother’s sex education about how things work and what can go “wrong.” In fact, the exact opposite is the essence of the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP): Obamacare funnels $75 million annually into PREP, which must be used exclusively for Planned Parenthood-style “comprehensive” sex ed programs where no type of sex is wrong and the only sexual behavior PP considers “unsafe” is becoming pregnant.

More than one-fourth of the funds ‒ $20 million ‒ has been awarded to a coalition of six Planned Parenthood affiliates, operating under the name Northwest Coalition for Adolescent Health, to implement HHS’s TOP program across Montana, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and Alaska at over 50 sites. In Oregon schools, Planned Parenthood is paying children cash incentives to participate.”

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And one of Mrs. Obama’s aides has been named the new CEO of the Florida PP. From LifeNews

“A former aide to pro-abortion First lady Michelle Obama has become the CEO of the Florida affiliate of the Planned Parenthood abortion business.

Stephanie A. Marshall is also the former communications director at the U.S. Health and Human Services and will now become the new president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of Collier County. See succeeds Char Wendel, who is leaving at the end of March.”

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Life Matters 3-19-13

The 30 count criminal trial against abortionist Kermit Gosnell is under way in Philadelphia. The prosecution has begun presenting their case to the jury.

From LifeNews

“The lead prosecutor in the Kermit Gosnell murder trial made it clear today what the trial is and is not about. He said the case has less to do with abortion than it does the fact that Kermit Gosnell is a killer who took the lives of newly-born babies.

Gosnell is charged with more than 30 criminal counts including the killing of seven newborn infants and a female patient in a botched abortion.

Assistant District Attorney Joanne Pescatore appeared before a jury of 12 people — a mix of men and women and people who are black and white — sitting in the Common Pleas Court jury. She called Gosnell a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” who “used and abused desperate women.”

The Defense has a different version. They claim the prosecution is racist, and that standards and conditions in the clinic were good enough for the area. The implication is poor people should expect poor standards and treatment.

More here from NBCNews

“A lawyer defending a Philadelphia abortion provider on murder charges accused officials of “an elitist, racist prosecution” as the death-penalty trial opened Monday.

Lawyer Jack McMahon also accused city officials of “a prosecutorial lynching” of his client, Dr. Kermit Gosnell, who is black.”

“But McMahon said city officials are applying “Mayo Clinic” standards to Gosnell’s inner-city office in West Philadelphia.”

“”This is a targeted, elitist and racist prosecution of a doctor who’s done nothing but give (back) to the poor and the people of West Philadelphia,” the fiery McMahon insisted to the predominantly black jury, as Gosnell sat serenely taking notes. “It’s a prosecutorial lynching of Dr. Kermit Gosnell.””

Safe, legal, and rare? This clinic fails on all 3.

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New data that Chinese officials have released show the forced/abortion numbers in that country. The numbers are staggering even when compared to the 50+ million since 1973 in this country.

From LifeSiteNews

“New data from China’s health ministry has revealed that approximately 330 million abortions have been performed in the country since 1971, according to AFP.

According to Chinese government researchers, currently about 13 million abortions occur annually, or about 1,500 every hour on average.

As well, over the past 40 years Chinese officials have sterilized nearly 200 million men and women, and inserted 400 million intra-uterine devices.”

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In Colorado a Planned Parenthood clinic is accused of performing a forced abortion that severely injured a woman.

From LifeNews

“Forty-year-old Ayanna Byer entered a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs with the intent of having an abortion, but changed her mind when she learned the staff couldn’t provide her with the intravenous anesthesia they had promised her for the pain. Despite her protests, the abortionist went ahead with killing the child inside her, while she lay there, wide awake, hearing everything, and in considerable pain. He then sent Byer home. Two days later, she was in an emergency room, where doctors tried to repair the damage of the botched procedure.

In the ER, Byer “was septic with a high fever and elevated white count,” reports the on-call doctor who assisted her. “She required an immediate high-risk surgery to remove the remaining tissue that had been left during the previous procedure done at Planned Parenthood. Because of the continued pain and heavy bleeding, I was concerned that the patient might have had an ectopic pregnancy. I called Planned Parenthood the following day to inquire about pathology results, only to learn that no pathology is done on abortion patients. The doctor performing the abortion ‘looks’ at the tissue and makes a diagnosis.”

“It is medically inappropriate for a physician to remove products of conception and not confirm the diagnosis with pathology,” the doctor says in his official statement. “I know of no physician or hospital that would allow the removal of a specimen of this nature and assume what the diagnosis was by just ‘looking’ at it. It is not acceptable to refer your patients to the Emergency Department and assume the on-call doctor will take care of any complications and assume all the risk associated with the complications.”

Alliance Defending Freedom Allied Attorney Doug Romero of Denver has filed suit against Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains on behalf of Byer. “A woman’s life is more important than Planned Parenthood’s bottom line,” he says. “What Planned Parenthood did to Ayanna is beyond the pale. They clearly put her through extraordinary cruelty and jeopardized her life. Their actions were intolerable.””

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And the Senate of North Dakota has passed a state law to ban abortions based on Down Syndrome, as well as banning all abortion when a fetal heartbeat has been detected, which is around 6 weeks. It awaits the Gov.’s signature. And let’s face it, numerous legal challenges.

From WashingtonCBSLocal

“The North Dakota Senate on Friday approved banning abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, sending what would be the most stringent abortion restrictions in the U.S. to the state’s Republican governor for his signature.

The measure would ban most abortions if a fetal heartbeat can be detected, something that can happen as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. The House already approved the measure. Gov. Jack Dalrymple generally opposes abortion but has not said whether he will sign the bill into law.

It’s one of several anti-abortion measures the state Legislature has weighed this session. The vote came with almost no debate in the Senate and after the same chamber approved another measure that would make North Dakota the first to ban abortions based on genetic defects such as Down syndrome.”

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Life Matters 3-12-13

The State of Maryland is finally cracking down on violations at abortion clinics run by illegal late-term abortionist Steven Chase Brigham. Authorities have also discovered a second death. PA., N.J., and some other states have already suspended his license.

From Operation Rescue, via LifeSiteNews

“The Maryland Department of Health and Hygiene has suspended the licenses of three surgical abortion clinics affiliated with the notorious illegal late-term abortionist Steven Chase Brigham after inspections revealed violations that made the continued operation of the clinics unsafe.

The inspections were prompted by a letter from seventeen Maryland House Delegates raising concerns about abortion clinic safety after Jennifer Morbelli, a New York kindergarten teacher, died from complications to a 33-week abortion she received from LeRoy Carhart in Germantown on February 7, 2013. None of the clinics licensed under Maryland’s new abortion clinic licensing rules was ever inspected to verify safety compliance prior to Morbelli’s death.”

““Ignoring a health condition that might contraindicate abortion, one of Brigham’s shoddy abortionists proceeded with surgery at a residential condo unit without the necessary certification or emergency equipment required to treat the patient in the event a complication arose. Because of this negligence, he was unable to provide emergency care that could have saved her life. It is beyond belief that the State of Maryland would allow these dangerous Brigham affiliates to continue to operate in the state,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue and Pro-Life Nation.”

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This one demonstrates why abortion supporters fight so hard against ultrasound laws. It’s because they work to reduce the number of abortions.

From LifeNews

“Texas has one of the strictest sonograms laws in the nation – and it’s working. The Houston Chronicle reports on a recent study from researchers at Ibis Reproductive Health, the University of Texas, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham:

Texas clinics have performed 10 percent to 15 percent fewer abortions since the state enacted strict requirements two years ago for women seeking the procedure.”

“Researchers actually credit the obstacles with the reduction in abortion and say it isn’t related to women changing their minds, but just to the difficulties they face in obtaining an abortion. However, a 24-hour waiting period and an ultrasound are hardly a massive requirement to obtain elective surgery, no matter what the abortion industry might argue. Rarely, if ever, does anyone have same-day surgery in this nation unless it’s emergency surgery, resulting from something like a ruptured appendix or the result of a critical car accident where the patient’s life is endangered.”

I’m not surprised they’d like you to think these are restrictive, and that’s the only reason they’re down. But waiting 3.7 days longer, and an extra visit doesn’t seem overly burdensome.  Seems like they just want to ignore the obvious.

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And speaking of ignoring the obvious…… Stem cells. One type is working, and one isn’t.

From LifeNews

“The forthcoming book, “The Healing Cell,” will be a welcomed addition to the literature demonstrating how successfully adult stem cells are being used in regenerative medicine.”

“Unlike embryonic stem cells, which are lethally extracted from the unborn, adult stem cells come from a host of unobjectionable sources and possess many intrinsic advantages.

For instance, adult stem cells can be isolated from numerous tissues, including bone marrow, muscle, fat, and umbilical cord blood, just to name a few.  And because the adult stem cells often come from the patient’s own body or a close relative, there is no need for drugs to prevent the body from rejecting the transplanted tissues.”

“Bunderson wrote, “The success of adult stem cells has been so great that there is no reason to continue embryonic stem cell research, which necessarily involves the destruction of a human person, she argued, noting that there are 4,300 adult stem cell trials currently underway, but only 26 embryonic stem cell trials.””

Sadly, for ideological and financial reasons (campaign donations from abortion groups), this waste of time, resources, and life will continue for some time to come under our current leadership.

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Life Matters 3-6-13

The Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell, arrested for 8 counts of murder, has rejected a plea deal to spare him the death penalty. Jury selection has begun. He also faces numerous drug charges for improperly dispensing Oxycontin and other drugs.

From LifeSiteNews

“The case is now headed for trial, which is expected to last 6-8 weeks. Eight out of nine of Gosnell’s co-defendants, who have been charged with a variety of crimes, have pled guilty. Only Eileen O’Neal, a former medical student with a history of employment at shoddy abortion clinics, will be tried with Gosnell. She is charged with practicing medicine without a license and will not face murder charges.”

“Opening arguments are expected to begin on March 14.”

CONTENT WARNING!!! For graphic details.

More, from LifeNews

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The Arkansas legislature has overridden the Gov.’s veto and enacted some of the strictest abortion restrictions yet.

From PoliticoPro

“The Arkansas Senate voted Tuesday to override Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe’s  veto of a bill that could become the earliest abortion ban in the nation.

The bill now goes to the Republican-controlled House, which could vote as  early as Wednesday. If a majority votes to override the veto — as advocates on  both sides expect — the bill will become law.”

“The Human Heartbeat Protection Act would ban abortions at 12 weeks into  pregnancy if a heartbeat is detected, with exceptions for cases of rape or  incest, to save the life of the mother or for a lethal fetal condition. ”

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Members of the House have introduced legislation to stop the ObamaCare abortion mandate.

From LifeNews

“A new bill members of Congress have introduced may be the last chance for Congress to take action to mitigate the conscience problems associated with President Barack Obama’s HHS mandate.

Today, members of Congress, with the backing of major pro-life groups, are introducing a new major bill to stop the Obama administration’s assault on pro-life religious freedom via the HHS mandate.”

“The bill not only covers the mandate but also provides protection for medical professionals who refuse to be involved with the performance of abortions. The HCCRA also protects institutions and individuals from forced or coerced participation in abortion, they said.”

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And here’s a little more on the story Random/ModestyPress linked to yesterday about the surrogate mother refusing to abort a baby with birth defects.

From TheSFGate

“The relationship started to sour in February when ultrasounds spotted signs of abnormalities. Things got worse when Kelley had a high-level ultrasound at five months and the doctor concluded that the baby would likely have a cleft lip and palate, a brain cyst and heart defects.

Because the doctors determined that the baby would need multiple heart surgeries after birth and would have only a 25 percent chance of leading a normal life, the couple decided that an abortion was the next best step. The couple’s three children were all premature and two of them struggled with ongoing health issues. They feared the child Crystal was carrying faced an even more challenging fate.

Kelley felt differently. She wanted to give the baby a chance at life.”

Regardless of my thoughts on the whole surragacy issue, I can’t help but be happy for this little girl. She gets a chance at life. And as anyone with a disabled child can tell you, it’s a life worth living. Sadly today too many of these children never get that chance. What we call medical progress has proven to be a death sentence for Down Syndrome children and other disabled kids. I can tell you from personal experience with my friend Chris, that it is the world’s loss. Discarding them as damaged ignores their humanity, and the gifts they can, and do, bring to the world. Not to mention the love.