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ProLife Newsletter of Northern New York Serving Liferight of the Greater Watertown Area and Seaway Valley Right to Life Mailings On An Irregular Basis | ||
| ALL LIFE IS PRECIOUS OR NONE IS | Fall, 2008 | |
What Did the Supreme Court Say In The Roe V. Wade Abortion Decision? It claimed that the right of privacy (which was not mentioned in the text of the Constitution) is broad enough to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate a pregnancy. The Justices ruled that a state may not re-strict abortion at all in the first three months of pregnancy (1st trimester). It may establish guidelines only to protect the mother's life or health during the next three months of pregnancy (second trimester). After "viability" (which the court placed at 24 to 28 weeks gestation), when the unborn child could survive if delivered, the state may prohibit abortion unless it is deemed necessary to preserve the mother's "life" or "health".In a companion case, Doe v Bolton, which the Court said must be read together with Roe, "health" was defined in the abortion context to include "all factors - physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman's age, relevant to the well-being of the patient." By this definition abortion is allowed, up to and including the 9th month if the abortionist says it is needed to serve a woman's "emotional well-being". Thus all meaningful limits on abortion throughout the nine months of pregnancy were discarded. In rendering the decision the Court said it, "need not resolve" the difficult question of when human life begins." Instead of considering the scientific evidence available since 1859 (when the American Medical Association's panel advised legislators to protect the unborn based on scientific knowledge that human life begins at conception,) they opted to refer to the developing baby as "potential life." A recent survey, reported in the newsletter of Priests for Life, indicated that 66% of U.S. citizens support Roe v Wade. However, when surveys are worded differently and specific instances are cited, results are extremely different. When asked when abortion should be allowed those who support it in some cases would only include cases where a woman's life in endangered, in cases of rape and incest and in fewer numbers, if a child might be born with some birth defect. So when asked if one supports Roe v Wade and 66% say yes, it is obvious that many people simply don't know the reality of what Roe v Wade permitted. It is not unusual to come upon people who still believe that abortion is permitted only during the lst trimester. Results of legal abortion include the following: Child abuse has not been reduced as proponents had claimed it would be. Many women have been maimed or killed by legal abortion Many more women bear emotional scars and increasingly are making their stories public to warn other women. Far from emancipating women, Roe has helped create the expectation that women will resort to abortion - to "fit" into college and the workforce, and to free men from unwanted parental responsibility. It has blocked progress toward a society that welcomes women with their children. It has pitted men against women (men have no voice)and teens against their parents by permitting abortion on minors without parental consent. It is leading to the devaluing of life in other areas via assisted suicide College Pro Life Activity Many colleges have organized pro life groups on their campuses. If you know of pro-life students in this category who may wish to be involved, put them in touch with Students for Life. You can contact them at 4141 N. Henderson Road, Suite 4, Arlington, VA 22203 or call them at 1-703-351-6280 You may also contact Brandi Swindell, Generation Life at 4950 N. Bradley St., Boise, ID 83714 0 call 1-208-377-1477 Ext. 132 or at www.stantonhealthcare.org.Oregon Assisted Suicide Advocates Donate $200,000 to Washington Campaign Since 1997 - 341 patients have reportedly died from assisted suicide in Oregon. Now their suicide advocate group has donated money to help legalize suicide in the state of Washington. Residents who have been told they have six months to live could ask a doctor for a prescription lethal drug to kill themselves. According to Rita Marker, Executive Director of International Task Force on Ethanasia and Assisted Suicide, there have been 89 attempts to legalize assisted suicide in 22 states thus farEthical Stem Cell Research Method Conquers Cancer Concern Scientists from Japan and Wisconsin announced they had come up with a method of converting adult stem cells into an embryoniclike state. The scientists have furthered their own work by showing that they can produce the iPS cells without the cancer gene that was a focus of concern. After Dr. Yamanaka first announced that his team had created the "induced Pluripotent Stem cells: (iPS cells) directly from skin cells without having to destroy human embryos, some scientists discounted the value of iPS cells, claiming that they're a cancer risk. They also claimed it could take years to prove that these cells are as useful as embryonic stem cells or cloning.However, Dr. Yamanaka continued to silence critics by producing the cells without the cancer gene. Now, scientists at MIT added to the growing list of iPS accomplishments by proving that these cells can be used to successfully treat sickle cell anemia in mice. Researchers had tried the same experiment with cloning and failed. Rudolf Jaenisch, a member of the Whitehead Institute team, said, "This demonstrates that iPS cells have the same potential for therapy as embryonic stem cells, without the ethical and practical issues raised in creating embryonic stem cells" (Life News.com)
Dear Pro Life Friends The past year has brought signs of encouragement in a number of ways. Many people have commented very favorably on the radio spots we are running on WTNY. The new breakthrough in stem cell research, please God, could bring an end to embryonic stem cell research.(See inside article.) The students who participated in our oratorical contest did a wonderful job. Now, we are embarking on the use of a web site to promote further education on pro-life issues. What really made my day was a recent trip to the Salmon Run Mall. I was following a car with a bumper sticker which read, "Life is Precious" As luck would have it I was able to park alongside the car when it pulled into the parking lot. Out came a young mom, a former Watertown resident, the daughter of Sue Bence, who in conversation told me how active she is in Pennsylvania in the pro-life movement! Our efforts are bearing fruit.That being said, we have a long way to go. With a large portion of the media keeping people in the dark as to the devaluing of life in our nation, we must persevere. We simply can't do it without your generous support. We would like to continue TV ads, radio spots, and to have an ongoing updated website, the latter as a good vehicle for reaching youth. Your support through annual membership is vital and we prayerfully ask that you consider using the form on the front of the newsletter, to keep us going. We also ask that you pray that God will guide us to persue our efforts in a manner worthy of the dignity of all human life. Peace Bette Hartzell
| Truth Wins in Federal Court,- Minnesota Planned Parenthood loses. South Dakota took another step forward July 21 in becoming the first abortion-free state in the country as new language in it's "Women's Right to Know" law took full effect. These new amendments to that law were upheld as constitutional by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals on June 27, 2008. The law now requires, in part, that a woman seeking an abortion be told that "the abortion will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being.The decision opens the doors wide for all states to enact legislation that would require abortuary employees all across the country t o begin to tell the truth for the first time regarding the life they seek to kill. Planned Parenthood, had sued the state of S. Dakota in an attempt to overturn the law. Source -Pro-Life Action Ministries - August 2008 newsletter South Dakota Court Decision Monday, August 25th was the lst day that Planned Parenthood, which operates the only abortion business in S. Dakota, had to comply with a new state law letting a woman know the truth about abortion. Rather than tell the women that abortion kills children and has numerous risks, Planned Parenthood closed its doors.The state law which the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld last week, required abortionists to inform every woman that she is terminating the life of a human being. It requires giving her information about the mental health complications such as high risk of depression & suicide, physical problems like hemorrhage and infection and premature birth of subsequent pregnancies and infertility. A Planned Parenthood application to enjoin the statue following the court decision failed. Planned Parenthood had been flying in an abortionist because no one locally in S. Dakota will do abortions. The women considering abortion receives a chance to sign in writing that she has received the information and abortion practitioners who don't comply face losing their medical license, two years in prison and a possible medical malpractice lawsuit. Whether the closing is temporary or permanent remains to be seen. Please pray that truth wins out in this decision. Michigan: NAACP Rejects Pro-Life Resolution On July 10, 2007, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People once again rejected a resolution that would address the issues of abortion and infant mortality in the African American community. According to LEARN, an African American pro-life organization, 36% of abortions, or 1,452 per day, are performed on African Americans. Dr. Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King, Jur. and pastoral associate for Priests for Life, is quoted as saying, "There is no greater injustice facing black people than abortion; over 13 million African Americans are not here because they died by legal abortion."Good Resource Woodbine House Publishing Copany appears to be an excellent resource for those relating to individuals with disabilities in the capacity of parent, teacher or friend. Some of their books are educational in nature, some are encouraging to parents - others may be given as gifts to those with limitatios. Their best selling book last year was Gifts - Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives. Those interested may call free at 1-800- 843-7323 for a catalog.End of Life Issues at Stake in Canada In Canada, the choice of whether or not to withdraw a ventilator or feeding tube lies not with the patient or with the patient's family. Instead, the decision is made solely by the presiding physician who alone has the power of life and death in these controversial situations. This scenario is currently playing out in the life of Samuel Golubchuk, and Orthodox Jew on life support. His children are adamantly opposing the removal of his feeding tube and ventilator, stating that shortening his life in any way is in direct opposition to their religious beliefs as Jews. However, the director of the ICU has informed the family that their beliefs in the matter are irrelevant; he will do whatever he deems necessary in this situation. Supporting his position is Dr. Jeff Blackner, executive director of the office of ethics of the Canadian Medical Association. He said, "[W]e want to make sure that clinical decisions are left to physicians and not judges." Doctors' decisions are made only with the "best interest of the individual patient at heart," even though it would seem Samuel Golubchuk's desire would be to stay alive. (Jewish World Review 2/ 12/08)
Website On The Way Presently we expect that our website will be up and running at the end of September. It will maintain linkage to many other related pro-life websites. So look for us at www.Liferight.org. You may see photos of some pro-life people you recognize on the site.
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