So I caught up with the debates...

And Obama mentioned that Planned Parenthood is a vital healthcare service to women because of different services they offer, one of which, he said, is mammograms.  Uh huh...

Live Action has done it again.

The Latest...

Video.  First of all, Abort73 has a new video out.  Check it out below:

 

Coalition.  40 Days for Life is in the middle of their campaign, today is day 21.  Read about the journey of this vigil on their blog and read today's newletter here.  Please continue to be in prayer for the amazing ministry of 40 Days for Life!

Debates.  Have you been following the debates?  I watched the first presidential debate, and just watched the vice presidential one today.  Honestly, unlike some pro-lifers, I do not think that abortion is the main issue in this election.  Rather, I believe that it is the economic crisis and how and what we're going to cut in our budget.  However, being arguably the most controversial social issue of this year, abortion is an important issue to consider when voting.  In the first presidential debate, the issue of abortion was not really covered, though Obamacare was, but I was pleasantly surprised to see it did come up in the vice presidential debate.  The rest of the debate held no other social issue (like gay marriage or even education), but both the Vice President and the Congressman gingerly laid out their views of the issue.  Both being Catholic, they had the widely recognized views of their Church to reckon with (only Paul Ryan actually outwardly held those views, haha).  Interestingly, Paul Ryan said at first that the Romney-Ryan ticket discouraged all abortion except in cases of rape or incest or if the mother's life is at stake (but seriously, it's better than nothing), after which Joe Biden pointed out that in the past, Ryan had voted against abortion even in cases of rape or incest.  Ryan responded that he held those views personally, but the policy of the Romney-Ryan ticket was to only allow abortion in cases of rape or incest.  Similarly, Joe Biden said that he believed that abortion wasn't okay, but that was only his view, and his Church's view.  He laid down as God-given law that we're just not supposed to force our views on anyone as "my friend" here thinks is permissible.  So both candidates believe one thing and are admittedly saying another.  Biden's two views, personal and political, aren't even compatible with each other.  At least Ryan's political life is on almost the same page as his personal life.  Anyways, I got really mad when Biden started his tolerance bit, because really, if I could talk to him, I would argue that he's forcing his views on the entire country.  We're all donating to Planned Parenthood whether we want to or not.  At least Paul Ryan isn't proposing we shower tax money on Crisis Pregnancy Centers!

If you want to watch the part of the debate that covers abortion, start the video at 72:47.



Well, that's all for now!  Let me know in the comments of anything else big that is happening right now.  I think there are a gazillion different emails in my inbox of big shootings at abortion clinics or the latest abortion doctor going to jail, but honestly, I don't feel like wading through that right now.  It's more encouraging to focus on electing a non-pro-choice President, you know?

Small Bump

I just recently discoverd Ed Sheeran.  Like, whoah!  He's british and has an awesome accent (which unlike Adele, you really hear when he sings) and his radio hit "A-Team" is sweeping America right now.  "A-Team" is a really good song and deeper than most of the songs you hear on the radio.  It's basically about a girl who lives on the streets and the things she does.  It has a sad ending, but it rips people out of the normal "Let's go to bed" or you know, Taylor Swift, and makes you realize, "Oh yeah, there are people in the world who need help."  The cool thing about that is it's not from a Christian band like Casting Crowns or something.  It's a hit all over in secular radio.  Which is certainly different.

The video below is not "A-Team" however, it is another song by Ed Sheeran called "Small Bump".  Now, I have no idea if he is a Christian (by the things he says, I don't think he is, but you absolutely never know), but apparently he is pro-life.  Which is even more unheard of for a country in Europe than America!  I watched him in a recorded live performance and when he played this song, he said it was one of his favorite on the album.

Okay, now I'm done informing you about popular music and telling you of all the research I've done on Ed Sheeran.  Just watch this video!

The Parable of the Madman

 

THE MADMAN

Have you not heard of that madman who lit a lantern in the bright morning hours, ran to the market place, and cried incessantly: "I seek God! I seek God!"---As many of those who did not believe in God were standing around just then, he provoked much laughter. "Has he got lost?" asked one. "Did he lose his way like a child?" asked another. "Or is he hiding? Is he afraid of us? Has he gone on a voyage? emigrated?"---Thus they yelled and laughed.

The madman jumped into their midst and pierced them with his eyes. "Whither is God?" he cried; "I will tell you. We have killed him---you and I. All of us are his murderers. But how did we do this? How could we drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the entire horizon? What were we doing when we unchained this earth from its sun? Whither is it moving now? Whither are we moving? Away from all suns? Are we not plunging continually? Backward, sideward, forward, in all directions? Is there still any up or down? Are we not straying, as through an infinite nothing? Do we not feel the breath of empty space? Has it not become colder? Is not night continually closing in on us? Do we not need to light lanterns in the morning? Do we hear nothing as yet of the noise of the gravediggers who are burying God? Do we smell nothing as yet of the divine decomposition? Gods, too, decompose. God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.

 

"How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it? There has never been a greater deed; and whoever is born after us---for the sake of this deed he will belong to a higher history than all history hitherto."

Here the madman fell silent and looked again at his listeners; and they, too, were silent and stared at him in astonishment. At last he threw his lantern on the ground, and it broke into pieces and went out. "I have come too early," he said then; "my time is not yet. This tremendous event is still on its way, still wandering; it has not yet reached the ears of men. Lightning and thunder require time; the light of the stars requires time; deeds, though done, still require time to be seen and heard. This deed is still more distant from them than most distant stars---and yet they have done it themselves.

 

It has been related further that on the same day the madman forced his way into several churches and there struck up his requiem aeternam deo. Led out and called to account, he is said always to have replied nothing but: "What after all are these churches now if they are not the tombs and sepulchers of God?"

 

            ~Friedrich Nietzsche

 

This parable was written in the late 1800's.  Before we had seen any of the mass murders of the twentieth century.  And yet, the twentieth century was going to be Utopia.  It was going to be perfect.  What came out of that perfection?  Two World Wars, Eugenics/Nazism, the Cold War, Communism in at least two major nations, the Atomic Bomb, and abortion.

 

We look back and find that we have ended most of what happened in the last century.  Most everyone in the world of today is completely anti-violent, afraid of going back to the horror of the previous century.  (We do worry about terrorism, but that hasn't originated from Western Civilisation)  But, the one thing that has carried into this century is abortion.  Apparently, we haven't fully realized that abortion has killed, is killing, and will continue killing people.  We haven't realized that if it keeps going, it could be the largest, longest, and most widespread holocaust that the world has ever seen.

 

Read this part again:

 

"We have killed him---you and I. All of us are his murderers. But how did we do this? How could we drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the entire horizon? ... Whither are we moving? Away from all suns? Are we not plunging continually? Backward, sideward, forward, in all directions? Is there still any up or down? Are we not straying, as through an infinite nothing? ... Do we hear nothing as yet of the noise of the gravediggers who are burying God? ... God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him."

Keep in mind that Nietzsche did not actually believe in God.  He was completely for all the big ideas that were beginning to grow in his time.  But he recognized something very, very important.  For the whole of humanity as we knew it, most people on the earth believed in at least one God.  Believed that truth came from God.  And now, he said, humans killed God.

So who took his place?  Us.  Man.  Stupid, ambitious, perfection-seeking, murdering Humanity.

Now, truth comes from us.  In the late modern era truth was whatever the most powerful person made it.  Now, in the postmodern era, truth is whatever works for me, which is different from whatever works for you.

Some of you may not have learned much about postmodernism as a worldview. The basic premise of it is that everyone is trapped where they are. Think of it like this: a person is inside a cloud of their own experiences and they can't see through it or around it; their experiences form their beliefs about the world, because the only part of the world they can see is their own. So, truth is based on interpretation. That's as deep as it goes. You've probably heard that there is supposedly no universal truth. That's exactly what postmodernists believe. Truth isn't something concrete that carries over to everyone. Truth is more like a piece of clay that everyone forms to fit their life how they want it to. You can probably see what this has done to morality.

See what this has to do with abortion?  The postmodern era began somewhere in the 1960's-1970's.  And what did we see?  The legalization of abortion (1973) in any form, at any point in the pregnancy.  This was at the time when most people had started to believe that truth (and therefore morality) was whatever an individual person decided for himself or herself.  And that philosophy, as we can easily see, is now going stronger than ever.

So, even though science has all but blown the pro-choice premise out of the block, abortion is still the strongest and most popular killing method in the world right now.  Why?  Because truth is relative.  Morality is relative.  Try arguing with a pro-choicer, give them all the different schpeels, and you'll probably come to the same conclusion I have. 

Honestly, I think it comes down to the fact that in their morality clay, abortion is completely fine for them and whoever else it "works for", don't tell them otherwise.  In our concrete, Biblical truth, abortion is completely not fine, don't tell us otherwise.

It's a battle of wills, and at this point, it doesn't look like anyone is going to give up.

Hello everyone, it's been a while...

I just read my own blog. 

In doing so, I realized that I've barely given you anything to read in the past six months (possibly all of my blogging time). 

I also realized how much I've learned about the world since I wrote about it last.  Lots of things have happened in my life to make my perspective mature.  Hopefully, I'll be writing more.  Making my points more insightful.  And working more on my thinking and communicating skills.

Honestly, I wish I could spend my whole life being creative and thinking an analyzing the world (don't we all?).  But, I'm working two part-time jobs, starting college, and trying to be creative all at the same time.  It's the life of an overcommitted seventeen-year-old I guess.

I have a gazillion things that I would love to write about.  I want to do posts about the newest generation, the election, how Margaret Sanger's worldview has affected our culture today.  I want to announce all the amazing pro-life events coming up in my town, in Washington D.C., and in the world at large.  I want to discuss miscelanious things like abortion survivors, shootings, birth control, and a 26-year-old man who stole and destroyed a graphic abortion sign because he didn't agree with it.

So, this school year (everyone enjoying the year so far?) I want to be able to give readers something to actually read.  If any of you have topics you want to hear some outside thoughts on, email or comment and I or Jacob or Amanda (or all three, because even we disagree about some things) will do a post about it!

We really do enjoy comments (especially ones that start debates!), so if you disagree or agree or have something to add or just want to say hi, please comment or email us!

I'm hoping that soon, in pockets of time I find, I'll be able to start working on the endless list of things to blog about.

Until then!

Aubry

Abort73 Auction on Ebay

I hope everyone will consider bidding on Abort73 stuff.  Some of the packages are worth $300+ but start at $0.99.  There is even an awesome Abort73 skateboard that I would bid on if I could actually skateboard without falling off (lol).  Please consider bidding!

Good luck!

AbolishAbortion.com: Props to Margaret Sanger

Props to Margaret Sanger

By: Chris Buerke, Students for Life of America's 2012 Missionary for Life

In an article written in 1920 by everyone’s favorite person, Margaret Sanger, it was stated: “While there are cases where even the law recognizes an abortion as justifiable if recommended by a physician, I assert that the hundreds of thousands of abortions performed in America each year are a disgrace to civilization.”

Later, in 1938, the beloved founder of Planned Parenthood wrote in her autobiography: “To each group we explained what contraception was; that abortion was the wrong way—no matter how early it was performed it was taking life; that contraception was the better way, the safer way—it took a little time, a little trouble, but was well worth while in the long run, because life had not yet begun.”

To both of these quotes, all I have to say is…what the heck, Sanger?!

We’re not supposed to agree. Look, this is the way that it goes: the pro-life side has the pope, Chuck Norris, and Mel Gibson; the pro-abortion side has you and this guy. You support the killing of unborn children; we find it rather distasteful. You make money from conducting abortions; we…don’t. Needless to say, we have some pretty apparent differences between the two of us.

But after reading your words, I am just confused—conflicted, even. Maybe I am reading too much into it, or perhaps I so badly want to believe that you had some morality about you, but it honestly sounds like…you hate abortion.

In the first quote, you state that in some cases, the law recognizes an abortion as “justifiable.” A good action never needs to be justified. No one would say, "That woman was justified in feeding her hungry child," because taking care of children is an inherently good action. It is only evil actions that need to be justified. For example, shooting a man dead is an inherently evil action. However, shooting an attacker in self-defense is justified. It is still not "good," but it is permissible considering the circumstances. Your use of the word “justifiable” shows that abortions are not good in and of themselves.

You then say that “the hundreds of thousands of abortions performed in America each year are a disgrace to civilization.” No argument there. Way to be.

In the second quote, I’ll admit, you had me scared at first. I don’t personally agree with the idea of contraception, but you go on to argue that abortion is always the “wrong way” because “no matter how early it [is] performed it [is] taking life.” You fight that in the debate between contraception and abortion, the obvious answer is "contraception" because it prevents life, rather than taking a life that has already begun.

So, let me make sure that I have this straight…

1. Abortion is an action that is only allowable in certain, justifiable circumstances (for example, the life of the mother or the life of the child).
2. The number of abortions that take place in society, as you put it in response to Pope Pius XI in 1931, for the “limitation of offspring” is “dangerous and vicious.”
3. Abortion is wrong at any stage following fertilization because it takes the life of a child that has already begun to form.

I never thought I would say it, but…props to you, Margaret Sanger. And by props, I don’t mean these props. I mean, thank you for pointing out and understanding the obvious—that abortion, in its essence, is wrong. If someone with such a jaded agenda for the world could see this, then perhaps there is hope for our country.

I received this email from Abolish Abortion.  Kind of an interesting new perspective on Margaret Sanger.  I still don't agree with her view of birth control, it's more tricky than most of us think, but for her to be against abortion means that Planned Parenthood has it all wrong.  Just something to chew on...

To Feminists: Concerning Forced Abortion in China

What if you woke up one morning in the hospital in severe pain and no one would tell you what happened. That alone would be terrifying for me.

What if you were nine months pregnant, ready to deliver your second any day now, then suddenly eleven strangers come into your house to carry you away. They take you to a hospital, insert a syringe into your stomach, and after you pull it out insert another.

Then you wake up, no longer pregnant, but in server pain. No one would tell you what happened. Later you find your uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries were removed to prevent you from having more children.

This is a very real situation for thousands of women. Many, including Zhang Wen Fang, were left in a wheelchair because of complications from the surgery. She lost not only her legs and her uterus, but also her child, her health, her livelihood, and eventually the stress caused her to lose her marriage. She never found out what happened to her child.

Continue Reading:  The Unborn and the Uninformed: To Feminists: Concerning Forced Abortion in China

A letter from my senator...

This is what we get for voting in pro-choice senators.

Dear Ms. Stewart,

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act.  I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

Senator David Vitter (R-LA) introduced the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2012 (S. 3290) on June 13, 2012.  The bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee where it is currently awaiting further review. If enacted, this proposed legislation would prohibit abortions performed because of the race or genderof the fetus. The bill would also allow for civil actions against medical providers who perform abortionsbecause of the race or gender of the fetus.

Like most Americans, I believe that we must work to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies through educationand family planning. But I also believe that our Constitution protects a woman's right to privacy, andthat this constitutional right encompasses the decision of whether to terminate a pregnancy.

In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court held that women have a constitutional right to an abortion. That decision- Roe v. Wade - was carefully crafted to be both balanced and responsible while holding the rightsof women in America paramount in reproductive decisions. Roe v. Wade held that women have aconstitutional right to an abortion, but after viability, statescan ban abortions as long as they allow exceptions for cases in which a woman's life or health is endangered.Since then, the Court has consistently ruled in favor of this right.

Ivbelieve that it is necessary to support family planning measures to prevent unintended pregnancies andthe health, economic and emotional struggles that can accompany them. Studies show that the use of family planning reduces the probability of a woman having an abortion by 85 percent. Unfortunately, the United States still has three million unintended pregnancies each year, half of which end in abortion.

Please be assured I will keep your views in mind as Congress considers this and similar legislation in the future.


Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. Please do not hesitate to contactme in the future if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,

Maria Cantwell
United States Senator

Planned Parenthood helps reduce abortions?  Uh huh... 

Even Cecile Richards doesn't believe that. 

But every pro-choice politician is against abortion, all for family planning (aka Planned Parenthood), and thankful for my interest in my country.

Our President is Pro-Sex-Selective Abortion

Watch this video.  Rep. Trent Franks says something very interesting at 1:27:

"It is my hope that by protecting unborn children from being aborted based on their sex, that one day very soon we will also recognize the humanity injustice of aborting unborn children based on their race and color as well and simply because we recognize them as fellow human beings."

Why is our president against PRENDA?  It seems so obvious that he would be for it (especially since he has only girls).  Well, for one, Planned Parenthood is against it and we all know the romance going on between the two.  For another, if we can discriminate against an unborn child, that means the child is worth something more than an appendix.  It leads us to recognize the humanness of an unborn child therefore making abortion wrong. 

And if the president says that abortion is wrong, he loses the support of Planned Parenthood.

Isn't that nice.

Part Two of Live Action's Protect Our Girls Videos

After the last video was released, it came out the Planned Parenthood was very displeased with the employee in the video:

The anti-abortion group Live Action released Tuesday its latest undercover video aimed at discrediting Planned Parenthood. The edited video shows a Planned Parenthood staff member apparently counseling a woman about gender-selective abortion.

"I see that you're saying that you want to terminate if it's a girl, so are you just wanting to continue the pregnancy in the meantime?" says a counselor, identified only as Rebecca, in a Planned Parenthood clinic in Austin, Texas.

The woman, purported to be in the first trimester of her pregnancy, according to Live Action, says she does not know the gender of her fetus but wants to abort if it turns out to be female.

"The abortion covers you up until 23 weeks," says Rebecca, "and usually at five months is usually (sic) when they detect, you know, whether or not it's a boy or a girl."

The staffer recommends to the woman that she "just continue and try again" if her fetus turns out to be female.

"Good luck, and I hope that you do get your boy," Rebecca says.

In a statement, Planned Parenthood's vice president of education, Leslie Kantor, said the staffer was in an entry-level job and is no longer working for the organization. She "did not follow our protocol for providing information and guidance when presented with a highly unusual patient scenario," the statement says.

The incident occurred six weeks ago and swift action was taken, Kantor adds. "Within three days of this patient interaction, the staff member's employment was ended and all staff members at this affiliate were immediately scheduled for retraining in managing unusual patient encounters."

The statement continues, "Gender bias is contrary to everything our organization works for daily in communities across the country. Planned Parenthood opposes racism and sexism in all forms, and we work to advance equity and human rights in the delivery of health care. Planned Parenthood condemns sex selection motivated by gender bias, and urges leaders to challenge the underlying conditions that lead to these beliefs and practices, including addressing the social, legal, economic, and political conditions that promote gender bias and lead some to value one gender over the other."

To read the rest of the article on CNN, click here.

To quote my supervisor at my Crisis Pregnancy Center, "It's amazing how many "entry-level" employees they have going against their values."

While they may not actually agree with sex-selective abortion, the problem I think comes when they train their employees to not judge their clients.  If the customer is always right, then even ones who are wrong are right.  At least, that's my take on it.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on these videos!  Comment below or shoot us an email!

Breaking News: PP Approves of Sex-Selective Abortions

Yesterday, Live Action came out with their latest undercover video about a woman who allegedly went into Planned Parenthood seeking an abortion if her baby was not a boy.  Check it out:




That's not all.  Congress is voting TODAY to ban sex-selective abortions from the U.S. once and for all.  Here's the beginning of an article from Life News published today:

One day after a new video exposing how Planned Parenthood encourages women to have sex-selection abortions, the House of Representatives will vote on legislation that would ban such abortions in the United States.


The House will consider the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act, a bill to ban sex-selection abortions, that was introduced by pro-life Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) and was approved by the House Judiciary Committee on February 16. Because H.R. 3541 will be considered on the Suspension Calendar, a two-thirds majority will be necessary for passage.


Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser condemned Planned Parenthood for its role in encouraging sex-selection abortions and said the new Live Acton video is evidence they need to be banned. The video shows abortion clinic workers employed by Planned Parenthood willing to perform abortions based on gender.


“Could there be any greater discrimination against women than targeting girls for death before birth?” Dannenfelser asked.


She told LifeNews, “Regardless of one’s position on abortion—left, right, pro-life, pro-choice—we can agree that women’s constitutional right to equal protection should, at a minimum, protect us from prenatal death. We call on Congress to immediately end the injustice of sex-selective abortion. The position should be pre-political and is common ground from which only a radical minority dissents.”


Dannenfelser said even prominent Democrats have supported such a ban, noting that in 1990, longtime abortion-rights advocate and then gubernatorial candidate Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said she opposed the practice and would consider outlawing it.


In an interview with the New York Times, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lamented the occurrence of sex-selective abortion in India and China saying “…unfortunately, with technology, parents are able to use sonograms to determine the sex of a baby, and to abort girl children simply because they’d rather have a boy. And those are deeply set attitudes.”  (To read the rest of the article, click here.)

Please be in prayer for the outcome of the vote.  Thanks guys!

New Poll: 50% of Americans Call Themselves "Pro-Life"

Great news: According to a new Gallup poll, 50% of Americans identify themselves as "pro-life," the second highest such percentage since Gallup began tracking this in 1995. Even though this is great news, the even better news comes on the other side: Only 41% of Americans identify themselves as "pro-choice," the lowest percentage Gallup has ever recorded. This is an amazing and encouraging number for those of us fighting this fight.

Some of the latest news...

Chen Guangcheng.  If you haven't heard of him, Chen is a Chinese anti-abortion advocate.  An advocate with his cause is not very much appreciated in China, a country well-known for it's one-child policy.  I probably won't have time to write a whole post on him myself, but please look at this awesome article about Chen on Abort73:

What's a pro-abortion president to do when global sentiment compels him to aid an anti-abortion activist? Such is the plight of President Obama in regard to Chen Guangcheng. Abortion, of course, is only the back-story to this growing, diplomatic crisis, but it's at the heart of Chen Guangcheng's activism. There would be no crisis if he'd simply minded his own business. Instead, the now globally-recognized, "barefoot lawyer" formally challenged the town of Linyi's forced abortion policy. His courage and conviction netted him six years of imprisonment and abuse–until he escaped from his captors last week and fled to the US Embassy in Beijing. His getaway has been called "a real Chinese version of The Shawshank Redemption"–though it remains to be seen whether Chen will enjoy a Hollywood ending. Yesterday, the US Embassy released him back to Chinese authorities, assuring the world that a favorable agreement had been reached. Subsequent reports make their assertion less certain...  To read the rest of this article, click here.

The confusion comes when our own president, a very pro-choice, pro-abortion, pro-Planned Parenthood president grants Chen Guangcheng safe travel to America because of Chen's stance on abortion.  I'm guessing we probably never will understand how that even makes sense, but the irony is huge. 

Chen Guangcheng has been given visas for him and his family.

Mammograms.  Sounds like Planned Parenthood is finally getting going on those mammograms they've been promising us for a while.  However, the case still stands that it's only because the Komen Foundation is giving them to Planned Parenthood, and that only in Phoenix, Arizona.  It's still unclear though as to who actually will be conducting the mammograms, Planned Parenthood or Komen?  To read more, click here.

Canabilism and Abortion?  I recently linked to an article about the "stamina booster" pills made from aborted fetus bodies.  Does this happen in other places than just in China?  If you can handle reading more details, click here to read a post by my good friend Becca French about both the pills and another example happening in our own country.

Neal Rylatt.  Just a couple days ago, Neal Rylatt, a young pro-life leader, passed away from leukemia.  He was heavily involved in the pro-life movement in highschool, and when college came his way, he got involved in Students for Life.  Please be in prayer for his family.  To read more, click here.

SBA list.  Check out the latest video from the Susan B. Anthony list entitled "Womanhood".





Interesting, huh?


Hope you enjoyed this news post.  You might be seeing more of these in the future!

China Sells "Health Pills" Made from Aborted Babies

China and South Korea are now using the bodies of aborted babies (aborted inside or outside the womb) to make a "health pill" to sell to people who need extra energy.  The process includes drying up the bodies and making them into powder that is put into a pill.  On further scientific investigation, researchers were able to find hair and finger nail pieces and even determine the gender of the baby from the DNA.

I can barely believe I was actually able to type that.

On a slightly related note, China has 13 million abortions every year.  And we thought 1 million a year was a big number.  Well, it is a big number, so 13,000,000 is an even bigger one.

To read an article about this disturbing news, click here.

Teen Mother Choices International

Check this organization out!  Here's the article from Live Action News about it and here's their website.

Today is Stand With Teen Moms day, a week before Mother's day, because they became mothers just a little bit before most.  Please check this thing out and ask God if He wants you to help in this specific cause!

Arizona Defunds Planned Parenthood!

The Governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer, signed a bill to defund Planned Parenthood into law on Friday night! 

This is a great pro-life victory.  Please pray for all the other states that will follow and all the other states who have already signed a similar bill.  Planned Parenthood will no doubt be fighting this bill as we have seen them fight numerous other times.  They'll come down strong and strategical.  So please continue to pray for these pro-life legislators who will bear the brunt of Planned Parenthood's carefully laid out plan.

Thanks!  Spread the news!

Aubry

Pro-choice Laws, pro-life laws, and more laws...

Do any of you have these billboards in
your town?  Whenever I see one, I
don't know what to think...

I accidentally got on the Planned Parenthood email list a month or two ago, so now, we secretly read the emails against their "anti-choice" archenemies (mwahahaha...)  So, because I was so smart to accidentally get on their email list, we sporadically get hate-mail against those crazy insane anti-choice-ers from Cecile Richards, the CEO of PP, and she recently sent this letter written by a woman living in Nebraska:

Dear Governors and Legislators,

My state was the first of a handful of states to enact a so-called "20 week abortion ban." I am from Grand Island, Nebraska, where I live with my husband Robb and our beautiful son.

Because lawmakers in my home state of Nebraska passed a sweeping abortion ban similar to legislation poised to pass in Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire, and beyond, my family's personal loss a year and a half ago became a nightmare. You cannot imagine what we went through.

I implore you to read my story.

In August 2010, I was overjoyed to discover I was pregnant. My husband and I still wanted nothing more than to give my son a brother or sister. For weeks, my pregnancy was proceeding normally. But then 22 weeks into my pregnancy, it went terribly wrong.

On Saturday, November 27, my water broke and there was not enough amniotic fluid for my daughter to survive. This was heartbreaking. If there was anything we could have done to save her, we would have.

What happened next should have remained a very private decision between me and my family and my doctors. As the result of a law similar to a bill considered by your state's legislature, a decision that should have remained mine and my husband's at a very difficult time was decided for us -- and it was decided by politicians we'd never met.

My husband and I agonized over the decision about what was best for our family. After much careful thought, prayer, research and medical advice, my husband and I made the difficult decision that we wanted to induce labor and deliver my daughter as soon as possible.

We wanted to honor our daughter. We wanted to hold her and say goodbye. We wanted to preserve my health.

We should have been able to handle this with dignity with our doctor. The very best medical care should have been available to me. But as I said, Nebraska law interfered.

Even though I wasn't looking for an abortion, my doctor and his legal counsel felt their hands were tied. "If I could help you, I would," he said, looking me in my tear-filled eyes. "But I would go to jail."

The law, as you know, is black and white. Unfortunately, life just isn't. Though an infection was growing inside me, under the law I wasn't sick enough to warrant the induction my husband and I wanted.

Some have suggested my husband and I should have traveled to another state, but we didn't want to leave my doctor's care. And we didn't want to drive home with my daughter in a box.

So we waited. For days.

While we waited, we tried to pray, but we didn't know what to pray for. So we spent our days and nights telling our daughter how much we loved her, how sorry we were, and how we wished we could do something different.

Then on Wednesday, December 8, my daughter was born. My husband and I held Elizabeth as she gasped for air, and mere minutes later she was gone.

There are no words for how awful the 10 days were from the moment my water broke to the day my daughter died. There are no words for the heartbreak that cut deeper every time she moved inside of me for those 10 days.

There are no words for the anger I felt when I learned after Elizabeth was born that my infection could have been analyzed, had my doctor been able to get to it sooner. With more information about what caused the problem, we might be able to have a subsequent healthy pregnancy and birth. But 10 days later, the infection was just too severe.

Women and doctors are faced with difficult and complicated pregnancies every day. But the political groups and politicians behind House Bills 2036, 954, and 1660 paint with a broad brush. Even when they concede to health exceptions in the law, women facing a range of pregnancy complications are prevented from necessary medical care. It happened to me. When asked about my circumstances, the author of Nebraska's law said it worked as intended.

This is not about politics, it's about leaving the practice of medicine up to doctors and most importantly, it's about trusting women to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. It's what Arizona and Georgia women deserve.

That my pregnancy ended, that choice was made by God. How to handle the end of my pregnancy, that should have been private.

Please right the wrong that Nebraska did to me and stop Arizona House Bill 2036, Georgia House Bill 954, and New Hampshire House Bill 1660. I want my daughter's life -- and the tragic circumstances surrounding her death -- to stand for something.

Thank you,
Danielle Deaver

When I read this, my heart hurt for this woman and her family.  She went through something that is painful, one of the hardest things a person can go through, the death of their child. It was confusing, I agreed with Cecile Richards on something.  This woman and her family were put in a very unfair and heartbreaking position apparently because of a pro-life law.  Is this story true?  Was it exaggerated a little bit?  It's very possible -- I know pro-life people exaggerate, so pro-choice people must too.

I've read the Bill Summary of Arizona House Bill 2036.  I read nothing that reflected this woman's situation.  What it really did was make the abortion more time consuming, more expensive, and included way more hoops to jump through.  Most everything protected the woman.  Things like parental consent for minors, the written and oral consent of the woman, the presence of the doctor after the abortion, and an in depth educational website updated annually required more consent, less ease, but more safety.  The written consent of the woman protected her from an abusive boyfriend or husband making her have an abortion.  The presence of the doctor (a doctor trained in healthcare, not just abortion) provided safety after the fact if anything were to go wrong.  The website (it was required that the woman be made aware of the website at least 24 hours before the procedure) provided education.  Perhaps the biggest flaw a pro-choice person could find with this bill is a required ultrasound 24 hours rather than 1 hour before the procedure.  In the current laws regarding an abortion procedure, we've seen countless holes in the system.  This bill attempts to fill those holes.

But the question remains, will more laws help us out?  Abortion is a very delicate subject, a very personal and embarrassing decision for most women who choose to have one.  More laws will perhaps expose them more, make them angry at the people trying so hard to help them.  The bill is most definitely not flawless.  As with almost every other law, people will most likely find ways to manipulate it to get what they want.  But the main goal of this bill is to protect women.  And, if executed correctly, this bill will protect women.

What do you guys think?  Will more pro-life laws help us?  Will they hurt the girls?  Will they only give more power to people who really shouldn't have that kind of power over us?  What's the balance here?

Let us know what you think in a comment below or an email at wecantignore@gmail.com!

Pepsi Stops Using Aborted Fetal Cell Lines to Test Flavors | LifeNews.com

I can't remember if I ever talked about boycotting Pepsi because it contracted with and bought flavors from a company that tested flavors on aborted fetuses, but now that news is no more.  I'm free to not freak people out when I tell them why I don't drink Pepsi! 

Check it out!   Pepsi Stops Using Aborted Fetal Cell Lines to Test Flavors | LifeNews.com

Abortion Clock

Just wanted to share a great, but sobering, find with you all.  This is an abortion clock based on the latest, most recent abortion numbers.  It is not completely and totally accurate, like they don't get reports from abortion clinics every time an abortion is performed or something like that, but it is based on annual abortion numbers from trusted sites.  They even use the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice statistics organization. 

If you're interested, take a look!

Why I Chose Open Adoption

Adoption isn't easy. It is one of the most complex emotional arrangements in which an individual can be involved. Yet, of all the other options-- aborting the child or raising the child as a single parent-- adoption is the most child-centered. It is a healthy, realistic, and sensible choice for all the parties involved.

-Jean Garton, “The Adoption Option.”

The most important characteristic of any parent is selflessness, and this fact doesn’t change when it comes to adoption. When I found out that I was pregnant at 15, I knew I had to do what was best for my child. My pregnancy was a result of rape, and there were many factors telling me that it would not be in my child's best interest for me to choose to parent her. She deserved to have a stable, two-parent home, and I could not provide that for her. I had no job and no husband. I did have a supportive family, but I knew that it was not their job to raise my child. Because of so many factors that told me it was not right for me to parent my baby girl, I considered abortion. I thought, “A baby doesn't really fit into my plans right now, and I know I'm not ready to be a parent.” Even though I was not ready to parent, I still loved my baby with my whole heart. I knew I had to do whatever was best for her, so it did not take me very long to figure out that abortion was not the right choice.

After going through dozens of portfolios, I finally
selected a family, and we met in March of 2011.

Once I ruled out abortion, I felt like adoption would be my next best option. I knew that I was not ready to be a parent and that my baby deserved more than what I would be able to give her. But, I was still skeptical about adoption because of the myths I had heard regarding closed adoption. I essentially knew nothing about open adoption, but when I did some research, I came across Nancy Johnson from Spokane Consultants in Family Living, who specializes in open adoption. We scheduled a meeting, and she explained everything to me and made me feel well supported. If I chose to pursue an open adoption, I would be able to select the adoptive family, meet them, and even visit their home. I would develop a relationship with the adoptive family before giving birth to make sure that they were the ones that I wanted to parent my child. I was in control. Concerning contact as the child grows up, the adoptive parents and I would work together to develop a level of openness that was comfortable for all of us, as well as best for the child. I understood that if there were any issues between the adoptive parents and myself, then it probably was not the right match. Legally, my rights would not be terminated until after the birth and after I was completely sure and comfortable with my decision. I had some previously conceived notions about adoption, but once I understood all of the parameters of open adoption, I knew that it would greatly benefit me and my child.

Between abortion, single parenting and adoption, adoption is by far the most loving and child-centered option. The birth mother, adoptive parents, the child, and anyone else involved all benefit from open adoption. Everyone involved benefits from having openness in adoption, and my child’s adoptive mom hit the nail on the head when she told me,“Your baby is going to benefit all of her life in knowing and feeling loved by all of us who are blessed to have her in our lives. Jay, Benji and I already feel blessed to have YOU in our lives” (Merrill). Contrary to what some myths about adoptions portray, open adoption brings much more happiness and love than shame and sadness to all involved.

Baby Elliana with her loving big brother, who
is also adopted. They are both extra loved!

Primarily, an adoption plan always needs to be centered on benefiting the child. “The adoption process is geared to benefit the child first and foremost” (Pedley 33). In regards to adoption, openness brings many obvious benefits to the adopted child. While I was developing a relationship with my daughter’s adoptive parents, I remember them telling me from the very beginning that they “believe[d] there [could] never be too many people in a child's life who love him or her” (Merrill). When she told me this, it reinforced in my heart that I was giving more to my child than I was taking away. When a child is placed in an open adoption, most of the time they are able to meet their biological mother or parents if the father is involved. If they do not have physical contact, they often get letters, have access to their birth and medical records, and their adoptive parents openly talk about their biological parents. Open adoption essentially creates a much larger family and circle of love and support for the child. It is often that simple. A birth mom says when talking about the son she placed in an open adoption: “He has a bigger family; he’s got love coming from everywhere” (Winerip 3). Of course her son is going to be extra happy if he is extra loved! Adoptive children are much better off when their adoptive parents are comfortable when it comes to openness with the child’s biological parents. “Clearly, open adoption contact… is by far the best approach for a lifetime of happiness, growth and satisfaction for the child, parents and birthparents involved in the adoption” (Pedley 43).

Elliana and I at our 7 month visit.
It lights up my life every time I see her.

The adopted child is not the only one who benefits from openness in an adoption arrangement. As a birth mom, I can confidently tell you that the adoption process is exceedingly easier when I know that the child I gave birth to is happy and healthy. I cannot even imagine how I would be able to continue living my life without knowing how my daughter is doing. A young teenager named Lori Wickelhaus who was featured on an episode of MTV’s 16 and Pregnant and decided to place her son in an open adoption. She is also comforted by seeing her son, and she said in an interview that, “I love seeing him, seeing how much he’s grown and how he’s doing. Every time I have to leave, I know I’ll see him again. That keeps my spirits up” (Triggs 1). Many people would find this surprising, but I know it to be true. I am probably the happiest when I have the chance to spend time with my daughter. My spirits are lifted every time I receive new pictures of her and a letter from her adoptive parents updating me on how she is doing. Just like any other parent, my daughter is my pride and joy. The adoption process has been difficult, but I know that I made an amazing decision every time I see my daughter’s smile. There was some pain that came with choosing adoption; I have my fair share of hard days when I really miss her, but I take great comfort in knowing that she is healthy and thriving. But I cannot even imagine the intense heartbreak that I would be going through right now if I had chosen to have an abortion. Rather than having to wonder what my child could have been, I have the joy of knowing who she is and who she is becoming. There are no regrets. Honestly, I probably would not have even considered placing my child in an adoption if I would never get to see her again. Today, many birth mothers feel the same way. For birth mothers, “it is their understanding that they will always know their children are in loving families, and may even remain part of their lives, that provides many with the impetus and strength to proceed with their adoption plans”(Pertman 34). Openness is vital to the healing and well-being of birth mothers in adoption.

I made it possible for this family to have a daughter.
I created a happiness in them that they might have
never experienced if I had chosen abortion.

Surprisingly enough, adoptive parents benefit from openness in adoption as well. Every parent should want their children to be as happy as they can be. Therefore, if openness regarding adoption makes their child happy, why would the parents oppose? Adoptive parents can easily recognize that being open with their child’s birthparents greatly benefits their child. An adoptive couple decided that having a good relationship with their child’s birth parents would be in the best interest of their child because they came to the conclusion that“there can never be too many people to love a child” (Webber 3). I think we can all agree with that statement. Adoptive parents receive more benefits with open adoption than just seeing their child happy. Many times, adoptive parents also benefit from their relationship with the birth mother. When I was still pregnant and developing my relationship with the adoptive parents, I remember my daughter’s adoptive mother telling me how much she is grateful for me for even more than giving them the amazing gift of a child. One thing that really stuck out to me and made me feel special was when she said, “It's really pretty remarkable that from now on you will forever be a part of our story and we will forever be a part of yours. It is not often that one is given the chance to choose people who will be a part of our forever story and we are so grateful that you chose us” (Merrill). She was expressing how grateful she is for me, and I will always be equally grateful for her.

Adoptive mothers are like the yin to the birth mothers yang.
They both equally need eachother to be complete.

Due to the rising awareness of all of the benefits to open adoption, there has been a huge increase in the numbers of open adoptions in the last few years. Talking positively about open adoption has had a lot to do with the increase. “There is a lot of positive talk about adoption today, and some action. One can easily get the sense that a revolution is in the works” (Bartholet 124). She describes the increase in open adoption as a revolution! That means that everyone is involved here. “It is a revolution that is reflected in our national and state politics, in our newspapers and on the worldwide web, even in the ads we see on television “(Pertman 6). This open adoption movement is truly having an effect on everyone. Some might think that adoption effects very few, but the facts will quickly prove you wrong. “The Donaldson survey showed that nearly six in every ten Americans have had a‘personal experience’ with adoption,” (Pertman 7). There is no hiding it anymore; adoption is all around us! The surge in open adoption is directly affecting people as well. “The shift towards greater openness [in adoption] is altering the way millions of people think and live every day” (Pertman 78). Millions of people are being affected by open adoptions and the numbers just keep growing. Studies have found that “about 80 percent of U.S. infant adoptions today are open, a complete turnaround from just one generation ago”(Howard 1). With the numbers on the rise, the adoption process will continue to get better and better.

Openness in adoption is steadily increasing, but with any revolution, not everyone is going to agree with it. One of the biggest arguments about open adoption is that ongoing contact with the birth parents will interfere with the child’s ability to bond with the adoptive parents. In reality, that just does not happen. “Birth parents visiting the child 1 to 6 times each year in the child’s first years of life will not interfere with the child’s attachment to the adoptive parents” (Bolme 54). The second major argument about open adoption is that ongoing contact with the birth mother will confuse the child. The truth of the matter is that “kids are only as confused as the adults around them” (Pedley 19). It all comes down to how well the adoptive parents present the subject of openness and adoption with their child. If parents make the topic of adoption feel awkward, of course the child will feel awkward about it. The more comfortable the parents are about it, the more comfortable their children will be about it as well. An adoptive couple explains it by saying, “The more you use the word ‘adoption,’ the more comfortable your kids will be about it. We try to use the birthparents’ names in conversation. They are real people”(Howard 2). I feel like, if an adoptive couple is not comfortable with openness, then they should not have agreed to an open adoption. The relationship between the birth and adoptive parents is like any other human relationship: it takes work. All relationships have tough spots, but the more work you put into a relationship, the more you are going to get out of it.

Regardless of all of the myths you may have heard about adoption, it is an amazing and rewarding experience. “Adoption is not a problem. Adoption is a solution… it is not a minefield. There’s a word for it. It’s called family” (Hershey 127). Adoption is a truly beautiful, life affirming process that brings countless benefits to all involved. Even though adoption is such a beautiful thing, many people remain misinformed.

Open adoption creates one big, happy family!

Because people are misinformed, “1.3 million couples are waiting to adopt a child. Yet each year, 1.3 million children are being killed by abortion, less than 50,000 new children are made available for adoption. This means that for every new adoptable child, 30 others are killed. For every couple that adopts, another 40 wait in line” (Alcorn 97). Adoption provides an extraordinary second option for any women out there who are considering abortion. If women were just more informed, encouraged, and supported, there would be millions more happy children, women, and families alive and thriving today.

Just a sidenote: this post also has its own page titled "Why Adoption?"

References

Alcorn, Randy. Why Pro-life? Caring for the Unborn and Their Mothers. Sandy: EPM Publishing, 2004. 96-100. Print.

Bartholet, Elizabeth. “Nobody’s Children: Abuse, Neglect, Foster Drift, and the Adoption Alternative.” The Family: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. Auriana Ojeda. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2003. 123-130. Print.

Bolme, Sarah. The Adoption Option: A Solution for an Unplanned Pregnancy. Charlotte: Crest Publications, 2007. Print.

Garton, Jean. “The Adoption Option.” Issues in Adoption: Current Controversies. Ed. William Dudley. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2004. 16-21. Print.

Hershey, Majorie. “Adoptive Families.” The Family, Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. Auriana Ojeda. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2003. 127. Print.

Howard, Caroline. “Open Your Heart to Open Adoption.” Working Mother. 9 Nov 2005: pages. Web.

Merrill, Anne. “At my dad’s J.” Message to the author. 7 April 2011. Email.

Merrill, Anne. “Gratitude.” Message to the author. 15 March 2011. Email.

Pedley, Jennifer Joyce. Secrets to Your Successful Domestic Adoption: Insider Advice to Create Your Forever Family Faster. Deerfield Beach: Health Communications, Inc., 2010. Print.

Pertman, Adam. Adoption Nation: How the Adoption Revolution is Transforming America. New York: Basic Books, 2000. Print.

Triggs, Charlotte. “16 and Pregnant’s Lori Wickelhaus.” People. 14 June, 2010: pages. Web.

Webber, Diane. “The Hardest Thing I’ve Ever Done.” Scholastic Choices. Jan 2008: 10-13. Web.

Winerip, Michael. “With Open Adoption, a New Kind of Family.” New York Times 24 Feb, 2008 sec. NJ: pages. Web.

October Baby!!!

This incredible movie is coming out tomorrow!!!!  Just go see it.  That's all I have to say:)

P.S. We need as many people to see this as possible so that it stays in theaters for more than just a weekend.  Share this trailer on your blogs, facebook, twitter, take your friends, see it 6 times, you know, things like that:)  Thanks everyone!

If you live in WA...

Contact your legislators and thank them for not passing HB 2330!!!  The bill to require insurance companies to provide coverage of abortion services was defeated on Friday!

Voices of the Innocent//Look at this!

I met Emily over the rebelution forum and asked her to share a little about the ministry that God has placed on her heart.  Please read what she has to say, and please, please, please consider writing a letter!  Thanks everyone!

Who are you? 

Hello there, Everyone! My name is Emily G. and I am very excited to be sharing Voices of the Innocent with y’all today! :) I am a Christian teenager who’s utmost desire is to be used by God. He has blessed me with a wonderful life, a great family and some fabulous friends.  God has also blessed me with the love of learning. I enjoy my schooling very much (I am homeschooled and also attend my local community college as a dual-enrolled student), and I believe that God has called me to be a teacher. Because of this God-given love, I believe that I am called to be an elementary school teacher. I love working with children, so combine this with my love for education, being a teacher is my dream job. :)

What do you do?

God has given me a mission: stand up for life. For years, abortion had been an issue close to my heart. I wanted to do something, but I didn’t know what. Then one day, I read a letter in the newspaper by a young woman who was obviously pro-choice. What she said made me angry. Her pro-abortion argument infuriated me. It prompted me to send a letter of my own in to the same newspaper. I didn’t get published, but God did use this seemingly small event to give me an idea. My idea was to have people from all over send letters to their local newspapers on the same day. I shared my idea with my friend Olivia and we began spreading the word. I left our blog’s link on other blogs, I emailed friends. The pro-life letters were sent out on February 14, 2011 with the prayer that God would use them to touch others.  God led many wonderful people to be part of this mission, and it is my prayer that He does it again!

What's it all about?

The fight against abortion is important to me because I love babies. I love their tiny fingers and toes. Their pink lips. Their soft, smooth skin. Their trusting blue eyes. Their precious yawns. Everything about them is beautiful. It breaks my heart to know that it is considered “ok” for people to kill their babies.  It infuriates me to know there are people who will murder unborn children. That’s why I am part of Voices of the Innocent. I am pro-life because I am a firm believer that each and every baby is precious!

Where can I find information? 

For more information on Voices of the Innocent, you can check out the blog by visiting: www.voicesoftheinnocent.blogspot.com . You can also visit our Facebook page by going to http://www.facebook.com/media/set/set=a.1020646973113.3002.1733340135&type=3#!/pages/Voices-of-theInnocent/177964268906636
.

How can I be involved?

First of all-PRAY! Voices of the Innocent cannot and will not be successful unless God is part of this project! Pray that God will lead people to write letters, pray that God will lead people to understand the sanctity of life. Pray that God will open people up to truth. Pray that God will use these letters to touch peoples’ hearts and lives. Pray that God will receive all the honor and all the glory for this project. Also, please write a pro-life letter! This time, Voices of the Innocent is asking everyone to send their pro-life letters to THE USA TODAY on the same day. Please be one of the volunteers who write a letter. Please help us as we fight for the lives of innocent babies!

How does writing a letter get anything done?

When you write and send a pro-life letter, you are showing others you care. You are proving to other people that you care that they are murdering children. You are demonstrating that you are one of the many who wants change. Also, consider this: there may be people who read your letter who don’t understand the sanctity of life. Your letter may reach out to someone who doesn’t understand that abortion is murder. God may use your letter to change the heart of another.  Do you see why a simple letter can be so important?

Thank you so much, Aubry for allowing me to share this with y’all! I hope that each and everyone of you decide TODAY to write a pro-life letter on March 5, 2012. If you do decide to write (thank you!!!), or have any questions about V.O.T.I., please email me at voicesoftheinnocent@gmail.com . God bless!

Sooo sorry that I haven't updated the Monthly Feature Pro-life Activity in a while.  I've been a teensy bit busy.  I'll try to get that going again come April, but this ministry is basically that:)  So enjoy!  And write letters!

That thing way out there called politics?

Say whaaaa???  Yeah, I had almost forgotten about politics, until of course I realized it was 2012 and election year (and I still can't vote!) and there are all these republicans running for that job called Mr. President and I'm not impressed with them.  I've grown up believing that all republicans are good and all democrats are bad (except for my Great Uncle/Grandpa), buuut, I'm starting to think otherwise.  How many politicians can lie to everyone's faces before our country falls apart?  So, I'm thinking I might be not republican and not democrat, but what I think they call independent.  Because, I don't trust almost anyone anymore!

Anyways, so the other day at Life Services (update coming soon!) my supervisor, Janine, asked me to do some research on a bill that was being voted for over in Olympia, WA (so just a state bill for my the state of Washington).  The bill, if passed, is going to force all insurance companies in the state of Washington to cover abortion costs with no limit whatsoever except for the general policies, (i.e. the amount of money that is provided per year).  Janine was having trouble finding it, and it took me probably 15 or 20 minutes just to get the bill number.  In the past, when I have searched a bill that I didn't know the number of, I usually was able to find it quickly.  This time it was different.  No article that I found included the bill number, and only one included a link to the .gov site where it was posted.  Plus, even though a public hearing was scheduled on Friday, the 19th, there were no recent reports on the outcome, the only articles I found were written before Friday.  We even called a prolife, conservative representative's legislative office, and when the legislative assistant searched the bill for us, he found that the vote count was not posted.  He stated that that was very strange. 

The next week, I sent an email to the legislators who would be voting on the bill that day.  That night, I watched the hearing.  The chair (who was the most supportive of the bill) ignored one of the committee members who asked to postpone the vote so as to not risk losing federal dollars since he wasn't sure if the bill was quite legal.  She promptly said, "Well, sorry, I'll look at that, but will pass it anyway."  It was passed, went to the Senate, and was passed there.  Unfortunately, they picked the perfect time to bring up this bill since a gay marriage bill was just signed into law by the governor (THAT'S a whole different story itself, ugh).  So, that is overtaking the news, and I have heard nothing in the news about the insurance bill.  I just visited the site, and the last thing it has on the schedule is that it was relieved from the Rules Committee and placed on second reading.  I'll keep you all posted on what happens.  (And if you live in WA, please consider emailing your legislators about it!  For a sample email, email me at, well, you should know the email address by now, lol.)

If you would like to read the bill, click here.

**[As of 2/23/12, the bill is waiting to be passed by the Senate Ways and Means Committee, and if passed, will go to the Senate floor for a vote.  I'll keep you posted!]

Thanks so much you guys!

Aubry

Why Abortion is Wrong: The Pro-choice Arguments

   Why Abortion is Wrong is a series that attempts to view the issue of abortion from a number of different views and angles. In this series, we answer the age old question: Why is abortion wrong? You can see the whole series here.


   Within any argument, there are two sides. If there was only one, there would be no argument. For any good argument, you must understand your opponent's position. If you don't know what you are arguing against, how can you refute it? So far in this series we have examined the arguments against abortion. Now, it is time to examine and refute the arguments commonly put forth for abortion. Let's begin.

Historical Context

I was doing some research for a post I wrote entitled "The Raging Debate," and I came across an astonishing yet familiar stat: Roughly 50 million abortions occurred between Roe v. Wade and 2008 in America alone. Most of us have seen this stat before, but I find that it is really hard to wrap my mind around such a huge figure without some context. So here are a few historical figures to put the abortion numbers into perspective:

• According to this paper, under the fifth point, the Roman Empire, at its height, had between 60 and 100 million people. That means that abortion deaths in America total between 83 and 50 percent of the Ancient Roman Empire.
• The deaths in the American Revolution are hard to pin down, but this site (scroll down to "Cost of War/Casualties) roughly 53,000 people died in the war. That means American abortion has taken nearly 1,000 times as many lives as the war that gave birth to America.
• According to this site, the American Civil War resulted in the death of roughly 700,000 Americans. That means abortion has killed roughly 71 times as many Americans as that war
• According to this site, World War One was responsible for roughly 8.5 million military deaths. That works out to be 17 percent of the abortion toll.
• Remember the 180 video and the comparison to the Holocaust there? The Holocaust, according to this site, accounted for roughly 6 million Jewish deaths. Abortion has accounted for more than eight times that amount in America alone.
• According to this site, a total of 1,343,812 American soldiers have died in battle throughout history.  That's roughly three percent of the American abortion toll.
• This list (though it is from Wikipedia, so take it with a grain of salt) provides some excellent context. Using a figure of 50 million abortions, found here, abortion in the US could be placed as high as first or as low as fifth, depending on which figure you accept for each event.

The list could go on and on, but the bottom line is that abortion has killed more people than almost any other event in history. The Holocaust is decried as an atrocity, and justly so, but how can we ignore the atrocity right in front of our faces when it has eclipsed the death toll of Hitler's genocide? Abortion kills more than one million babies in the United States each year. We can't ignore it anymore.

In Christ,

Jacob

Seeing the liberal side of things...

I know, I know, we keep bringing up the topic of Komen and how they defunded Planned Parenthood and then buckled and how the whole situation is really just like girls in junior high.  BUT, something happened that I'm super duper excited about (like I was literally screaming for like an hour and a half about it).  I searched for a liberal magazine and found The Nation.  The Nation had like a gazillion articles about the Komen controversy, and even they were negative.  Well, I found this one.  It talked a lot about feminism and "anti-choice" and how women and the pro-choice movement are being suffocated to death.  Well, haha, if you've been reading this blog for a while, you might be able to guess that I like debating, especially about these specific topics.  So yeah, I took them on.

Here's what I said:

Women are more well-off than they have ever been (they have never had it better). I don't say that as a white republican man. I am a teen girl who is being manipulated by the feminists (as are all the rest of teen girls) who whine and complain about losing $680,000 when that is only 1/20 of 1% of the donations.


If you are so keen on pro-choice victory, come live in Washington State, where a 13-year-old girl is not allowed to get a tooth pulled or her ears pierced without a guardian's permission, but is allowed to go through with a more life-threatening procedure, abortion, without having to tell anyone. The state that is ranked with the most pro-choice activism in the country. The state that will most likely be requiring all insurance companies (even religious ones) to cover abortion in every single plan. The state that is trying to require all Pregnancy Resource Centers to tell clients every single service they *don't* offer. The state where a gay marriage bill has passed both the House and the Senate without any proposed amendments and is just awaiting the governor's signature (and this means that when I get married, I'll have to "take this man to be my lawful wedded spouse" rather than husband--THAT is not romantic, at all).

How, I ask, are any of these laws pro-choice? (Other than the one about the 13-year-old girl, but then, how many 13-year-old girls do you know that are mature and capable of making decisions other than which boy likes them and what to wear the next day?) Choice does not include restrictions. Choice means choice. And educated choice, in regards to abortion, most definitely includes an ultrasound before making a decision to have a surgery performed by a traveling doctor.

I admit, honestly, I do, that many pro-lifers are quite anti-choice, and the only thing that matters to them is saving babies. I would agree with you in saying there are anti-choice people in this country, many, in fact. But you are only digging yourself into a hole when you try to pass legislation that is so obviously anti-choice.

I am a female, I am not feminist, and I am pro-life. Fancy that.

Sooo, I got several replies.  They were all across the board, one that didn't believe I was a teenager and screamed at me, and one that told me how great I was.  One thing I learned from this, it is GREAT experience to read about issues from the opposing side.  You either find a fault in your argument that you can change and gain a new understanding of your opponents, or, you are able to form arguments against their points.  Seriously, read up!  I encourage you to go back and read the article if you haven't already, and read the comments it got.  They are quite interesting, may I just say.
 
And if you're wondering why I was screaming, well, I am too.  But hey, it is an exciting experience to be yelled at by a pro-choicer.... okay, really, not even joking.  I know, I'm a nerd.