American Life League Associates Newsletter
August 1, 2005
Vol. 2, No. 30

From Associates:

• Pro-Life Coalition

  Kathy Coll and members of Pro-Life Coalition hosted our Northeast Crusaders and joined them in a peaceful protest outside of Pennsylvania Congressman Curt Weldon’s office on July 21. Read more online.

• A Voice for the Unborn

  The pro-life message of the California Crusaders soared sky high July 23 when Bob Gilbert, pilot and director of A Voice for the Unborn flew over the San Francisco Bay area with a banner that read: "Stop abortion now. ALL.org." Read more online.

• Idaho Chooses Life Alliance

  David Ripley, executive director of Idaho Chooses Life Alliance, is seeking Idaho residents interested in stopping the expansion of Planned Parenthood within the state. As noted in the most recent issue of The Ryan Report, Planned Parenthood has received more than $10,000 from a liberal women’s group calling themselves “Idaho Women’s Charitable Foundation” in order to launch a new program called “Planned Parenthood Without Walls.” The program allows Planned Parenthood to open satellite offices around the state using office space from local doctors with cheaper overhead costs. If you have colleagues in Idaho, ask them to contact David Ripley and beware of such programs in your own state!

• Brazos Valley Coalition for Life

  Congratulations to Marilisa Carney and supporters of the Brazos Valley Coalition for Life on recent news that their efforts in opposing Planned Parenthood are paying off! Apparently, Planned Parenthood is hurting so much for support in Bryan that it cannot even run a successful fundraising event in the area. Both the spring and the fall fundraising events have been canceled and Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas has told callers that they are planning only one event in 2006.

From ALL Headquarters:

• Rock for Life

  Rock for Life youth are attending five more music festivals over the next three weeks as well as hosting their own stage during the Purple Door festival at Ski Roundtop in Pennsylvania. Pictures from the Summer Tour so far are on the Rock for Life web site.

• Crusade for Life 2005

  The Great Lakes Crusaders were the subject of an article in the Toledo Blade that pointed out that the “walkers’ quest to spread their message to America – literally one step at a time – has not exactly been a walk in the park this summer… and it’s not just because of the sweltering heat.”

  Matt Abbott posted an op-ed at Renew America, “Young aults’ pro-life campaign a success,” which featured Crusade for Life media director Emily Bissonette’s update from each region.

  The following are excerpts from a letter by Christen Manak, administrative assistant with the Crusade to Defend Our Catholic Church, concerning time she spent with the Northeast Crusaders over the weekend of July 21:

  Last Friday and Saturday, I joined the Northeast Crusaders as they spread the Gospel of Life to the greater Baltimore area. I was so impressed by the unity, love, courage and sacrificial spirit which each of the Crusaders exhibited. I felt so humbled in their presence and after the two days I wanted to remain with them for the rest of the Walk. Their leader, Patrick Yungwirth, is an exceptional young man. Leading with authority and gentleness, I heard nothing but wonderful things from each of the walkers about him. There is a peace and joy among these people that I have never seen before. They have given up their summer for the glory of God, but it is clear to see that they have been rewarded a hundred fold.

  Friday afternoon we processed through Loyola University for their commencement activities. We were expecting to be met with opposition, however as we walked and chanted the Divine Mercy Chaplet, many people expressed similar views and uttered, "May God bless you." After visiting Loyola, we went to Steve Peroutka's radio show. He hosted us on live radio for Veritas Hour from 7:00-7:20 p.m.

  Friday night our host family had several people from the local parish joined us for dinner. The parish priest, Fr. Collin Poston, was very interested and excited about what these Crusaders for Life are doing and asked them to speak after the Saturday morning Mass. Patrick gave a wonderful presentation. It was amazing how many turned out and how many asked for our prayers.

  At evening prayer on Friday night, Patrick prayed that all the women who would be going to the clinic on Saturday would either sleep through their alarm — or their car would breakdown — or something would happen to keep them from aborting their small babies. Not one person went into the clinic for an abortion that day!

  Very early on in the Crusade, the walkers decided as a group that if their host family/parish did not provide them with meals, they would go beg for food and if no one gave them any, they would fast for that night. Patrick told me they have never had to fast, and God has always given them exactly what they needed when they needed it — such is the power of dependence and trust in God.

  I returned from this trip with the Crusaders with a renewed vigor. This is such an important part of American Life League and is so successful in reaching many people. Men and women of all ages and backgrounds stopped to watch this group of heroic young Catholic college students give their summer to march for the Truth.

News:

• Egg harvesting, embryonic stem cell research threatens women's health
  by Dr. Pia de Solenni

  The U.S. Congress is poised to pour unlimited funds into embryonic stem cell research that not only destroys innocent human life, but it has shown no substantial promise as a curative and threatens the health of women worldwide. So much for “progress and advancement.”

  After more than 20 years, embryonic stem cell research has not yielded a single cure. During this same time, adult stem cells have been used to treat people with heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries and at least 50 other documented conditions.

  The focus on therapeutic cloning has been aimed at our heartstrings, prophesying cures for our loved ones, friends and even movie stars. But scientists, politicians and academics have all turned a blind eye to the women who will be affected. After all, embryonic stem cell research depends upon millions of embryos. Whether created through in vitro fertilization or somatic cell nuclear transfer (cloning), each embryo requires a woman’s egg in order to be created. Theoretically, embryonic stem cell research would allow each patient to receive specialized treatment to avoid rejection complications similar to those caused by organ transplants.

  Let’s take the example of just one disease. In the U.S., there are 17 million diabetes patients. In a report on therapeutic cloning in mice published in the 2003 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, scientist Peter Membaerts found that, based on cloning experiment done in mice, if the same model could be developed for human cloning, each cure for each patient would require 10–100 human eggs. To treat the 17 million American diabetes patients, we would need 170 million-1.7 billion human eggs.

• Aussie finds stem cells in uterus

  An Australian scientist's discovery that adult stem cells can be found in the uterus and used to grow extra bone, muscle, fat and cartilage has been hailed a major medical and scientific break-through.

  The discovery by Monash Institute of Medical Research (MIMR) senior scientist Caroline Gargett could provide better understanding of uterine diseases, and ground-breaking treatments for pelvic floor problems, which affect many women.

• Trial to test stem cells for heart attacks

  A clinical trial to test the safety of treating heart attack damage with stem cells is about to get under way, following a study that showed the therapy helped in pigs. Two patients have been enrolled so far at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and a total of 48 are expected to take part across the country, said Dr. Joshua M. Hare, who is leading the study. The process uses adult stem cells taken from the bone marrow. These cells, called mesenchymal cells, have been shown to give rise to a variety of cell types. While they don't have the potential to develop into as many cell types as embryonic stem cells, using them avoids the controversy over taking cells from a human embryo.

• Cardinal Arinze reiterates - for the Nth time - No Communion for pro-abort politicians

  According to Francis Cardinal Arinze, the Vatican's chief over the administration of the sacraments, the denial of Holy Communion to pro-abortion politicians is a no-brainer. Speaking at a dinner in Pittsburgh last weekend, Arinze responded with his usual wit to the question, "Should Catholic legislators who support legal abortion 'be refused' Communion?"

  The Cardinal elicited laughter when he rejoined, "I ask you, do you really need a cardinal from the Vatican to find the answer?"

  He quipped, "Are there no children from First Communion to whom you can pose the question and receive the answer? You do not need a cardinal to answer that. Because it is a straightforward matter."

  The Cardinal, moreover, is speaking not from his personal opinion but from the Church's Code of Canon Law which states, "Those who… obstinately persist in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion."

Closing Thought:

Our nationwide policy of abortion-on-demand through all nine months of pregnancy was neither voted for by our people nor enacted by our legislators — not a single state had such unrestricted abortion before the Supreme Court decreed it to be national policy in 1973.

— Ronald Reagan, 1983