Planned Parenthood promotes Mother's Day? Thursday May 8, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Marie Hahnenberg
Researcher
On May 3, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, sent out an e-mail blast asking for donations "in honor of someone you love for Mother's Day."
That's right. Planned Parenthood, the organization that has slaughtered 4,358,499 babies, is trying to raise money in conjunction with the national holiday on which we celebrate our very own mothers.
PP kills 5,572 innocent human beings every week. This means that every week Planned Parenthood kills twice as many innocent human beings as died in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
This same organization is asking for donations to celebrate Mother's Day?
PP attempts to take motherhood away from mothers by trying to convince women that their preborn babies are a "problem" or "inconvenience" so that it can then kill those babies. PP calls this "reproductive rights." The accurate term is murder. God is the creator of life. God gives us the gift of life and PP takes it away.
All this and PP still attempts to promote Mother's Day? Of course! You wouldn't expect anything less from a baby-killing, pornography-pushing, rapist-protecting, $1-billion-in-assets business.
Throwing the Babies out - AGAIN! Wednesday May 7, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Nicole Flusche
Assistant to the Vice President
Just a mere heartbeat away from Mother’s Day, Citizens for a Pro-Life Society has uncovered another horrendous Michigan scandal involving abortion clinics and Dumpsters. This time it is Women's Advisory Center of Livonia which has been caught throwing the babies out with the patient files, urine cups with names on them, unused syringes and blood-stained medical equipment!
In an added twist, the Dumpster in question is shared with McDonalds and the Olive Garden. CPLS has released the video of their findings on YouTube. Please be warned that this video is extremely graphic and is not suitable for children!
As with the Hodari case, Women’s Advisory Center is most likely facing a simple slap on the hand. In Michigan, the improper disposal of medical records is a misdemeanor, but the improper disposal of a human child maxes out at $2,500 per violation. However, there may be no fines for a "first time" offender! ( LINK )
Idiots. I don't care what kind of medical practice you run, you don't dispose of waste or medical files improperly. I'm not saying this is a reason to shut the place down, but they seriously should clean up their act. Throwing medical waste in a regular dumpster is such a hazard to everyone! I really think they should get a fine, because if there were patient documents in the trash that weren't properly shredded then that could easily lead to identity theft and whatnot. Improper disposal of SYRINGES? That's extremely ridiculous and anyone with any little bit of common sense knows you don't just chuck syringes into a dumpster! The other stuff was just completely bio-hazardous and they are putting everyone around them at risk. What if some homeless guy went digging threw there looking for lunch and instead was poke by a bunch of discarded medical equipment? Completely irresponsible. I seriously hope they've learned their lesson and won't do this again. Kat | 05/08/2008 8:18 am
Kat,
Thank you for your response. Unfortunately many of these "doctors" do not learn their lesson because fines are rarely ever levied against them and they are almost never shut down! It is only by spreading the truth, sometimes even through one person at a time, that we are starting to change hearts and minds about abortion. All we can do is keep praying for the staff at these so called "clinics".
Nicole Flusche | 05/08/2008 10:35 am
How awful! They should be n jail!
Chantell Chantell | 05/08/2008 3:22 pm
Chantell,
Thank you for your response. Yes, there should be more stringent punishments for such horrible violations. Hopefully more people will stand up after reading this and start voicing their concern over the lax punishments being handed out to abortion providers who are clearly putting all of society in danger by throwing away human remains in public dumpsters.
THIS is how a culture of life will actually be built Wednesday May 7, 2008 at 11:59 am
Jen Catelli
Web Projects Manager
Often we find that organizations dedicated to pro-life principles are charities that are actually educating the public and holding protests. Clearly this is an important facet of the pro-life way of life; things will not change simply because we wish they would.
That said, pro-lifers are often forced to give money to companies that support the culture of death. For instance, the very computer you are using to read this blog is more than likely from a company that donates to pro-abortion organizations. The fact is that it is generally impossible to live a normal life without spending money that may eventually reach an abortion-supporting group. That is why Life Decisions International annually publishes their boycott list – so we know which companies to avoid.
Great! So now we have the list of "no-nos," but which companies should we support? Sadly, news about pro-life corporations only trickles in. For instance, as mentioned in Judie's Blog, AVM Biotechnology LLS is close to providing ethically-produced vaccines for our children so that we don't have to support fetal research while trying to keep our children healthy. And now we hear the story of the Sienna Group, which contributes a part of its profits to pro-life charities, meaning you don't have to pay any more for telecommunications services while promoting the culture of life.
In the world we live in today, we vote each day for what is important to us with every dollar we spend. In order to truly stop the culture of death, we have to make sure that our money is no longer supporting it directly or indirectly. This is made just a bit easier with the telecommunications services provided by the Sienna Group. ( LINK )
My Pro-life Barista Monday April 28, 2008 at 9:21 am
Nicole Flusche
Assistant to the Vice President
I normally don’t stop for coffee in the morning on my way in to ALL. That is my husband’s job – he is the bean addict. Today, however, I was really glad I stopped because I learned that the barista who makes my husband’s coffee has been noticing our pro-life bumper stickers for awhile and was waiting for the right time to speak up about life. Here’s how it went:
Nicole: May I have a grande iced caramel mocha please?
Barista: Sure thing. Hey, is your husband the vanilla soy latte?
Nicole: Yes, why?
Barista: No reason. It is just that he always comes in. I recognized your bumper stickers, but I have never seen you. Is he okay?
Nicole: He is fine, just has a lot of meetings today.
Barista: Hey, isn’t tomorrow National Pro-life T-shirt Day?
Nicole: Yes it is! (extremely shocked and a little nervous)
Barista: I am so excited! I cannot wait. (turns to whole Starbucks) Hey everyone, it is National Pro-life T-shirt Day tomorrow! Make sure you wear a pro-life shirt!
Nicole: You are so awesome!
We don’t stop for coffee that often, but in those few times our barista has been building up the nerve to speak the truth about life. She finally got the chance today and all it took was a sticker and a cup of coffee! What can you do with a sticker, shirt or button? Find out by ordering one at the pro-life store! ( LINK )
Well, I am also a Barista. One day a customer was telling me how great the Race for the Cure is and I told her that I don't walk in it beacuse Susan G. Koman donates money to PP. The lady got all crazy hostile towards me. I honestly forgot how hateful anti-life people can be! Sara | 04/30/2008 2:26 pm
Sara,
Way to go! I am proud of you for standing up for life and witnessing to your customers. Here are some facts to give your patrons if this ever comes up again:
Susan G. Komen has long been a supporter of Planned Parenthood. For the 2005-2006 calendar year, Komen affiliates gave $711,485 to various Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country. ALL's STOPP department diligently tracks these numbers in the April 9, 2008 Wednesday STOPP Report (http://www.all.org/stopp/wsr080409.htm).
STOPP encourages "you to not participate in any Susan G. Komen activities, until this organization repents and stops giving money to Planned Parenthood, an organization that kills babies, exploits women, corrupts youth and increases the likelihood of breast cancer by promoting contraception and abortion."
You can also visit http://www.abortionbreastcancer.com/medicalgroups/index.htm to see which medical groups have recognized the link between abortion and breast cancer. Also, The Polycarp Research Institute has released an overview that shows "as of 2003, 29 out of 39 studies show that women who had an induced abortion have an increased risk of developing breast cancer" (http://www.polycarp.org/overviewabortionbreastcancer.htm).
Again, thank you for witnessing to your customers! Life is precious! Nicole Flusche | 05/01/2008 6:24 am
In todays world, after three world wars (including Iraq), it seems that you people have yet to learn the meaning of human rights and democracy. As if its not hard enough to survive in this world without people like you and your organisation putting more pressure on women and making them feel guilty for the decisions they make. Sufferage was long and hard!!! Remember our mothers and grandmothers fought for us to stand up and be heard and above all to SUPPORT each other. For abortion or against abortion, women have the right to make decisions for themselves and those who take that right away dont understand or respect women and their right to free will and free choice. Remember the old saying our mothers taught us (IF YOU CANT SAY SOMETHING NICE, DONT SAY ANYTHING AT ALL) niamh | 05/02/2008 5:12 pm
Niamh,
I see your frustration. I firmly believe in suffrage for all people, especially women. As a woman, one who has been raped and through other trials, I have seen my fair share of the denigration of women. I know firsthand how hard my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother fought to help me know what it means to be a woman. However, being a woman does not mean rejecting femininity. A woman cannot be a woman if she hides from her essence, her natural gifts.
I do not believe that anything I have said is "not nice." Rather, I have tried to explain that what makes a woman so beautiful - her function, her ability to have children or her ability to say "no" to sex should she desire to not have children - is exceptional! Abortion is not what empowers women. No! In fact, it takes power from women because it takes the beauty of their natural gifts away from them.
Study after study shows that abortion is deadly not just to preborn children, but also to women! Women who undergo abortion suffer from post abortion syndrome, higher risk of breast cancer, higher risk of ectopic pregnancy, and much more. (http://www.abortionbreastcancer.com/ABC_Research/index.htm; http://www.all.org/article.php?id=10117)
The point is we are not putting pressure on women to feel guilty. We are trying to educate women, men and children about the truth. Nicole Flusche | 05/05/2008 8:21 am
How are you being "pro-life" by being anti- cancer research? L | 05/06/2008 10:23 pm
Dear L,
We are in no way trying to be "anti-cancer research" as you put it. Rather, we want to support stopping abortion and the use of oral contraceptives, which are two major causes of breast cancer. It has been proven that a woman who uses oral contraception has a higher risk of have breast cancer than a woman who does not.
The Polycarp Research Institute makes clear, "As of 2003, 18 out of 21 retrospective studies show that women who take oral contraceptives prior to their first-term birth incur an increased risk in developing breast cancer" (http://www.polycarp.org/overviewbreastcanceroralcontraceptives.htm). You can also visit http://www.abortionbreastcancer.com/medicalgroups/index.htm to see which medical groups have recognized the link between abortion and breast cancer.
Susan G. Komen has long been a supporter of Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood is the leading provider of oral contraceptives and abortions in the US. Ergo, Komen is supporting one of the leading causes of breast cancer by funding Planned Parenthood. For the 2005-2006 calendar year, Komen affiliates gave $711,485 to various Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country. ALL's STOPP department diligently tracked these numbers in the April 9, 2008 Wednesday STOPP Report (http://www.all.org/stopp/wsr080409.htm).
STOPP encourages "you to not participate in any Susan G. Komen activities, until this organization repents and stops giving money to Planned Parenthood, an organization that kills babies, exploits women, corrupts youth and increases the likelihood of breast cancer by promoting contraception and abortion." Until Komen stops funding the very cancer they are trying to cure, we will continue to encourage people to spread the truth about their absurd funding practices.
Nicole Flusche | 05/07/2008 5:48 am
You all are nuts. Judging from the pictures of some of the folks posting items here, you're not going to be able to get laid anyway, so please leave the rest of the sexually normal populace alone... Ed | 05/07/2008 10:47 am
Ed,
You would be interested to know that ALL is a family company. Many of us are happily married and have children. My husband and I are both employed by ALL, and we both have a happy and healthy home life.
People who are discerning their vocation of marriage, religious life, and so forth are not driven by a purely physical nature. Rather, they are trying to reach a higher goal in their lives. In fact, I know several people both at work and outside of work who are in healthy, non-sexual relationships. They are happy to go on dates privately and socialize with friends, but they have made a vow of abstinence.
I truly respect each and every person I meet who has made a personal vow to abstain sexually. It takes great physical and emotional strength to stand up to the pressures of society. There is absolutely nothing abnormal about abstention.
Purity, control and reining in one's passions is all part of becoming a mature adult. Please keep this in mind when you post attacks on our personnel and our site.
Students forced to turn pro-life shirts inside out Friday April 25, 2008 at 7:35 am
Erik Whittington
Students at Anthony Wayne High School were forced to turn their "Abortion is Homicide" T-shirts inside out or face punishment. What was the punishment the school administrators were planning to dish out if the students didn't comply?
Two-day suspension
Prohibition from attending senior prom
No participation in senior skip days
No participation in senior picnics
No participation in graduation ceremony
Do you agree with the decision to make Anthony Wayne High School students hide the pro-life messages on their T-shirts? Respond to the poll on this topic at WTOL.com. My answer obviously was NO!
The way this high school handled this situation is completely over the top. I am so thankful that these students went to the press. I highly doubt any other students at this high school will have any problems when wearing pro-life T-shirts now. Way to go guys!
If you ever get harassed for wearing a pro-life T-shirt at a public school click here for tips on how to handle the situation. ( LINK )
How awful! I'd like to know the school districts excuse for this?
Chantell Chantell | 04/25/2008 12:42 pm
Hello, I am Jamie Pellek of Anthony Wayne High School, and I woudl like to point out that the administration is still not responding to any of the media attention. We need everyone possible to vote, write letters of support, or emails in support to the Anthony Wayne Local High School Administration. The battle is still raging, as we have contacted the Thomas More Law Center...while 13ABC and WTOL11 NEWS have been airing our story all day for the past day and a half. Please do what you can to support us, we still have not won our struggle, and are not allowed to wear our shirts in school. Thanks! -Jamie Pellek Jamie Pellek | 04/25/2008 12:44 pm
Did any of the students take the punishment? It would have been heroic if they did. Anonymous | 04/26/2008 6:34 am
Good. The students should be expelled in my opinion. There's no way to prove that abortion is murder, and I find it truly pathetic that those student have no greater social aspirations than to offend others. I've sent sent a letter to the ACLU, hopefully they'll defend the schools right to censor stupidity.
Oh and by the way, I betting that it's not just a coincidence that the ALL sells those very shirts. Sam K. | 04/27/2008 11:43 am
Law school stands by the teachings of the Church Thursday April 24, 2008 at 10:57 am
Marie Hahnenberg
Researcher
Thomas M. Mengler, Dean of the University of St. Thomas School of Law has declared that any volunteer hours at Planned Parenthood will not be counted towards students' public service hours. Students need a total of 50 hours of public service in order to graduate.
"Volunteer service at Planned Parenthood, whatever the nature of that service, advances the mission of Planned Parenthood, an organization whose mission is fundamentally at odds with a core value of the Catholic Church," Mengler said.
Praise God, another Catholic Institution is staying true to the Catholic teachings of the Church! Planned Parenthood is an organization that kills children, covers up rape and is in our country trying to sexualize our young people all for a profit. Planned Parenthood recently reported to having a total gross income of $1.02 BILLION in the 2006-2007 fiscal year.
The more we bring to light what this organization is really about, the more we're going to see people like Thomas Mengler standing up for truth.
Thank you Dean Mengler. We commend your decision! ( LINK )
ABORTION MAN - CRASS 'COMEDY!' Wednesday April 23, 2008 at 8:02 am
Nicole Flusche
Assistant to the Vice President
Comedians and celebrities do not always say things in the best of taste. In some cases they step way over the line and insult entire religions with inflammatory slander. Bill Maher recently defamed Pope Benedict XVI and the Catholic Church just days before His Holiness arrived for his U.S. visit. Now Catholics across the nation are canceling their HBO subscriptions and calling for Maher’s immediate dismissal.
In a similar story, Damon Wayans, comedian and creator of WayoutTV.com, released a YouTube short depicting one man’s solution to pregnancy. Upon receiving a call that his girlfriend is pregnant, he feigns interest while at the same time muttering profanities under his breath. He calls on a "superhero," Abortion Man to get rid of the baby. Abortion Man hunts down the woman and beats her up, stomping on her stomach to causes the baby to "pop" out and die. At this point Abortion Man returns to the boyfriend, who profusely thanks his "superhero."
This video is atrocious! Not just because of its abhorrent depiction of abortion, but also because of its depiction of violence towards women and the womb. This video clearly objectifies the mother as something that can be tossed aside rather than someone with a purpose and a role in God’s plan for the family.
Damon Wayans sees WayoutTV.com as a "creative haven for up and coming writers, directors, producers, actors and musical talent." He says that he wants to "seek out and nurture the vision of these young artists." How is this nurturing anything? It is not! All this video does is depict hatred towards women and preborn life! ( LINK )
All you say may be correct, i.e., it is atrocious, etc. But it sounds like this video protrays the abortion mentality accurately, if as a caricature. Is it funny? No, neither is abortion. Is it sickening? Yes, so is abortion. Does it show that our society is in a sad state, that both abortion is legal, and that someone thinks it is funny? Yes! David Volk | 04/23/2008 11:29 am
I read your piece on 'abortion man'. It is certainly an atrociously tasteless video, but I wonder... doesn't it very accurately portray exactly what an abotionist does? And the attitude of those who hire him? Would young people who would otherwise never stop and think, perhaps watch it and maybe see the horror of abortion? Sometimes the devils worst enemy is himself. mike paul | 04/23/2008 2:20 pm
That's flat-out offensive. Abortion Man sounds like a B-grade superVILLAIN from a little known comic company. He assaults the girlfriend and kills the baby? That's horrible! Isaac K. | 04/23/2008 3:00 pm
David,
Thank you for your response. I think we both agree that Mr. Wayans' video is far from funny, especially because of its dark portrayal of abortion. I acknowledge that our society is in a sad state, but what is truly offensive is that WayoutTV.com has made light of abortion and created a video where women and preborn children are demeaned, not just in a caricature video, but in a truly horrific manner.
A caricature is a representation of a person that is exaggerated for comic effect. There is absolutely nothing funny about abortion or killing a child or violence against women and their unborn babies. The video clearly depicts a "superhero" figure punching and kicking a mother in order to kill her preborn child. This is done all for the father so that he does not have to face his parental responsibilities.
There is a popular saying: "Irresponsible men love abortion." That is the only thing that comes to mind when I watch this filth!
Furthermore, Mr. Wayans uses the word "nurture" in his purpose statement, for lack of a better term, about WayoutTV.com. Nurture implies development, typically in a community or family setting. Abortion however destroys the family, and ultimately the community, because it kills the next generation - the child within the womb. Abortion also tears at the very fabric of family by subverting the beauty of reproduction to a mere act of flesh. This is treating one another as "a piece of meat" rather than mutually respecting each other's place in the family. (See Ephesians 5:21-24).
Furthermore, Ephesians 5:25 goes on to implore husbands to "love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her." This is huge! Christ died the most humbling death for His bride, the Church. He took on the sins of the world so that we could be saved! I can only imagine what the world would be like with even half of that overflowing love.
Clearly the man in the video did not love the woman or his preborn child if he felt the "need" to call on Abortion Man.
Thank you for your insight. You make a very valid point that this is precisely what an abortionist would be like, and in some cases this is the attitude of the people who hire them. There are many cases of men who force women to have abortions both in an abortion mill and outside an abortion mill by beating them or force-feeding the mothers pills in their food and so forth.
What is truly scary about this video is that it appears that Mr. Wayans put this short online not as a commentary against abortion, but rather as a comedic joke. I'll admit that it is unclear at first glance that this is what is going on, but if you do a little digging on the internet Jill Stanek and other big name bloggers confirm that the video was indeed created as a negative attention buzz in order to boost ratings.
Even worse, many of the over 1,500 comments on the YouTube video are of people laughing at this indignant farce. On the other hand, many pro-lifers are now watching this video and are outraged. They are taking up the call and leaving their own tidbits of truth about abortion on YouTube. Nicole Flusche | 04/23/2008 6:11 pm
Isaac,
Thank you for your thoughts. You are absolutely right. I like your term super villain; very appropriate. This video is atrocious and offensive in every sense! Nicole Flusche | 04/23/2008 6:12 pm
I can't believe that you would even mention the Bill Maher clip. That clip has nothing to do with abortion and everything to do with sex abuse and the coverup. That is not what this site is about.
My comments will never get posted to your site so it doesn't matter any way. I might start the website www.keepbillmaher.com as a protest to your sister site. Dan Miller | 04/23/2008 7:26 pm
Dan,
We are grateful for your comments. As people who respect freedom of speech, we are happy to post them.
Some people have had a difficult time understanding why American Life League is leading the fight against Bill Maher. Like you, they say that his defamation of Pope Benedict and the Catholic Church has nothing to do with our mission - "to serve God by helping to build a society that respects and protects individual innocent human beings from creation to natural death." However, it is precisely our mission that demands we take action against Maher and public figures like him.
Since 1979, Judie Brown, co-founder of ALL, has diligently fought to restore a culture of life. Mrs. Brown and ALL have struggled against the many evils of society that John Paul II characterized as the culture of death. Many times these evils are clearly defined in terms of abortion, contraception or end-of-life discussions, but we are seeing an alarming rise in more subtle attacks on life.
When Bill Maher attacked Pope Benedict, he attacked a profoundly religious leader who has done much to pilot the fight for life. His Holiness has called abortion "today's gravest injustice." He is an amazing man who speaks truthfully about all life from the moment of creation to natural death. It is for this reason that we look towards the Church's teaching for guidance. They are consistent in all their teachings about life.
Bill Maher on the other hand is very anti-life. He has a long history of statements against children and family. When he defames the Church, he denigrates her teachings by extension. We have documented too many times Maher's comments against life. We know his hatred for religion, especially the Catholic Church. When you take these two ideals together, you find a very toxic mix: a man who, when backed by the power of television, has access to warp the minds of viewers and "pit the truth of God's authorship of life against man's desire to play and be god."
In his own words, here is what Bill Maher thinks of children:
1. "I'm the guy who thinks religion is bad and drugs are good. I think children aren't innocent" (Victory Begins At Home).
2. "I think 'Penny Lane' is worth 10 dead kids" (Bill Maher: I???m Swiss, 2005).
3. "I think 'Dark Side of the Moon' is worth 100 dead kids" (Bill Maher: I'm Swiss, 2005).
4. "I don't dislike children [sic], I just don't particularly want to be around with them a lot. Problem is, neither do their parents."
5. "Kids. They're not easy. But there has to be some penalty for sex."
Regarding the "sex abuse and the coverup" alleged by Maher, his malicious statements are without foundation. Facts are readily available in an article by Life Site News: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/oct/06100208.html. Contrary to Maher's statements, Pope Benedict has made great strides to rectify the scandals within the Church.
Pope Benedict has recently made public amends and reached out to those hurt by the scandalous actions of the few bad priests. He has vowed to make every amends. While en route to his U.S. visit, His Holiness conceded that he the scandal was "very badly handled" and that he was "deeply ashamed." At the mass in Washington D.C. he told the crowd, "No words of mine could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse. It is important that those who have suffered be given loving pastoral attention. Nor can I adequately describe the damage that has occurred within the community of the Church."
His Holiness also met privately with a group of victims and prayed with them. Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston presented the pontiff with a book of 1,000 names, all of whom are male and female sexual abuse survivors within the Boston Archdiocese. Each person had individual time with Pope Benedict and was able to pray with him. (http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/2008/04/18/the-pope-confronts-the-priest-sex-scandal.html)
These are clearly the actions of a leader who is working hard to rectify a horrible error. Without care for all the good works that Pope Benedict has done, without looking towards all the hope and love he is working to restore in the Church and in the hearts of people around the world, Maher is simply throwing slander. Nicole Flusche | 04/24/2008 10:52 am
what about cardinal law, he covered things up for YEARS, and instead of resigning he gets a job at the vatican tom | 04/24/2008 11:42 am
Wow, this is horrible. I am so disgusted with Daman Wayans and WayoutTV.com. I am going to spread the word about how despicable WayoutTV.com is. Marie | 04/24/2008 11:49 am
Tom,
Thank you for your question. Cardinal Bernard Law resigned on his own. Pope John Paul II accepted his resignation on December 13, 2002, and Cardinal Law made a public apology that stated, "To all those who have suffered from my shortcomings and mistakes I both apologize and from them beg forgiveness." Beyond this we cannot know what transpired between His Eminence and Pope John Paul II, but we can hope that the public apology was reflective of a deeper, heart-felt confession.
As for Cardinal Law's appointment as archpriest of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, this is an appointment made by the pope to one of his cardinals. In this particular case it was Cardinal Law. Again, we are not privy to the private confessions of men, nor should we be. Christ said to his disciples, "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven" (Matthew 18:18). When Peter asks, "'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.'" (Matthew 18:21-22).
Catholics know by heart the three things everyone should have: faith, hope and love (charity). Forgiveness goes a long way to defining each of these. God even gave His only Son so that the entire world might be forgiven their sins. Nicole Flusche | 04/24/2008 12:28 pm
Marie,
Thank you for your support. We appreciate your efforts to spread the truth about this video and WayoutTV.com. Their lack of respect for life, preborn children and women is truly disgusting! Nicole Flusche | 04/24/2008 12:29 pm
Sure that\'s crass, but not as crass as selling \"abortion is mean\" T-shirts for three year olds. (And I\'m just betting that this submission will never air on the site). Sam K. | 04/27/2008 11:51 am
Sam,
We are grateful for your comments. As people who respect the freedom of speech, we are happy to post them.
Please understand that while we do sell shirts in sizes made to fit toddlers, we do not in fact sell directly to toddlers. This distinction is imperative. ALL does not produce obscene, demeaning or overtly graphic material. We do not force our products into people's hands. Rather, we supply the demand of our customers in a truthful and tasteful manner.
Our shirts, as are all of our educational materials and merchandise, are made for the sole purpose of spreading the truth about abortion. We firmly believe that life begins at the moment of creation. Abortion is the ending of a human life. (For more information on fetal development, see: http://www.all.org/article.php?id=10120; for more information on abortion, see: http://www.all.org/article.php?id=10122)
To be "mean" is to be hateful, to commit an act characterized by malice, and to show an ignoble lack of morality. When we use the phrase "abortion is mean," we are defining abortion, which is the act of mercilessly killing a child; a debase act with malice, hatred and immorality. Taking all of those thoughts and boiling them down to three simple words, "abortion is mean," is a thought provoking statement. People stop and reflect; they begin to wonder about life in the womb and the destruction of abortion.
As for where people see our shirts and who they see them on, it is not because we put them there but because customers made a conscious effort to call our log-on to our store and purchase them. Nicole Flusche | 04/28/2008 8:48 am
I saw this video just the other day and I was horrified! I couldn't believe someone made that up, or that people think it's funny! It glorifies abortion, abusing women, AND lying to your significant other! How awful! Leah Sargent | 04/30/2008 8:19 am
Leah,
Thank you so much for your comments. You are correct that this video is horrifying in every way that you mentioned. This video promotes the idea that women and their preborn children are somehow "less" than men. What is truly important to learn from this travesty is that ALL life is sacred - from the moment of creation to natural death; and that all people are equal in the eyes of God - men, women and children. Nicole Flusche | 04/30/2008 9:54 am
Thank you for pointing out the objectification of the woman here and the degradation of her life-giving ability. And thank you for so clearly defending your position on it. I signed on to this blog from feministing because I was appalled by the lies in the "pill kills" campaign. I absolutely respect a woman's right to choose when to use her life-giving ability. I also respect the people of this blog who respect themselves and uphold a woman's right to be seen as a human being whether or not she is pregnant. lily | 05/06/2008 10:34 am
Dear Lily,
I truly appreciate you taking the time to read more about American Life League and our mission prior to submitting a response. It is not easy to come across a campaign and allow yourself to hear their story once they have been lit by opposing viewpoints.
In order to do you justice in responding, I have clearly taken my time. I have been to Feministing.com as well as RealityCheck.org to read the reviews of ALL's Pill Kill's site. Please understand that both of these organizations are more than just opposed to our mission. The main purpose of these sites is to discredit the entire history of life and science in favor of abortion and contraception on demand.
While you have not directly asked for me to explain how I have arrived at my convictions, after reading each and every response on Feministing.com and RealityCheck.org it seems only fair to give you an opportunity to hear at least one person's defense. Although I am a deeply religious person and do not try to hide my Catholic faith, I completely understand the need to approach abortion and contraception from a purely scientific point of view.
On top of science I also have my convictions that a woman's body and her beautiful gift to bear children are paramount. As a rape victim, I have suffered at the hands of a man who sought to denigrate my person and my body. It was through learning to respect myself and respecting my womanhood that I was finally able to emotionally heal. My husband and I have learned Natural Family Planning so that we can both listen to my body???s cycle and, as you so beautifully put it, my "life-giving ability." NFP has brought us an enormous intimacy because he has learned respect for females that he never knew before.
I learned over the years that Planned Parenthood (PP) does not have women's best interest in mind, especially when it comes to healthcare. Repeatedly they ignore scientific facts, even ones published directly by the pharmaceutical companies. PP argues that "Some people say that the pill works by keeping a fertilized egg from attaching to the lining of the uterus. But there is no proof that this actually happens" (http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/birth-control-pill-4228.htm). However, science clearly says otherwise. Obviously some sperm are getting through the thickened cervical mucus and some eggs are breaking through ovulation, or there would be no pregnant women on the pill.
By their own admission in the full prescribing package for Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, Ortho-McNeill says, "In an active controlled clinical trial 1,673 subjects completed 11,003 cycles of ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN(r) Lo use and a total of 20 pregnancies were reported in ORTHO TRI-CYCLEN(r) Lo users." This means that at least 1 woman in every 100 in the controlled trial group became pregnant! Ortho-McNeill even states in the package insert that the typical use failure rate is 5%.
PP, however, tries to mask this fact by leading with their fallacy that, "Less than 1 out of 100 women will get pregnant each year if they always take the pill each day as directed." If you read further on the PP pill page, you do find one tiny kernel that is closer to the truth: "About 8 out of 100 women will get pregnant each year if they don???t always take the pill each day as directed." (http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/birth-control-pill-4228.htm)
Now, it only stands to reason that if women can get pregnant by PP's definition - baby implants in the womb - then there are obviously sperm and eggs uniting somewhere along the way. This means that PP's notion that "pregnancy cannot happen if there is no egg to join with sperm" cannot be true. Obviously ovulation MUST happen because at least some women are becoming pregnant by PP's own definition, not the conception definition. Remember, those 20 women in the controlled study by Ortho-McNeill got pregnant; it says so in their own prescribing insert!
But what happens after ovulation and before implantation? What do the makers of oral contraceptives say the three functions of the pill are?
Printed in every Ortho-McNeill oral contraceptive package insert under Clinical Pharmacology is the following: "Combination oral contraceptives act by suppression of gonadotropins. Although the primary mechanism of this action is inhibition of ovulation, other alterations include changes in the cervical mucus (which increase the difficulty of sperm entry into the uterus) and the endometrium (which reduce the likelihood of implantation)."
The widely understood medical translation of this statement is that the primary mechanism of the pill is to inhibit ovulation. When that fails, the secondary mechanism is to increase the cervical mucus, which makes entry into the uterus more difficult for the sperm. The third mechanism, when both of these fail, is to change the endometrium, or lining of the uterus. This third mechanism is in place, changing the lining of the uterus for when an egg does break through and a sperm does manage to get past the thickened cervical mucus in order to stop most pregnancies.
The third mechanism is in reality a thinning of the endometrium. This is why women on the pill experience lighter periods than normal. With thinner endometriums, the embryo is unable to implant in the womb. "The minimal endometrial thickness required to maintain a pregnancy in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization has been reported, ranging from 5 mm to 9 mm to 13 mm, whereas the average endometrial thickness in women taking OCs is 1.1 mm" (http://archfami.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/9/2/126). The data still lends credence to the FDA's statement "???changes in the endometrium???reduce the likelihood of implantation," but as a matter of principal it relies on an immoral act: in vitro fertilization.
Remember though that some pregnancies are still able to survive despite this severe difference in thickness. It takes 5 to 7 days for a newly formed embryo (or person as I prefer) to travel down the fallopian tubes and into the uterus, all the while growing and multiplying from those original 23 maternal chromosomes and 23 paternal chromosomes.
An exceptional article to read on the third mechanism of oral contraceptives is 'Postfertilization Effects of Oral Contraceptives and Their Relationship to Informed Consent' by Drs. Walter L. Larimore and Joseph B. Stanford, published in the Archives of Family Medicine, Volume 9, February 2000 (http://archfami.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/9/2/126). Larimore and Stanford approach the argument in terms of informed consent and make an excellent case for postfertilizaiton effects of oral contraceptives based on scientific results.
So what does medicine have to say about the beginning of life? Interestingly enough, the textbooks that are used in medical schools across the US as well as many prominent medical school professors all say the same thing: human life begins at conception, not implantation.
Here is a sampling of what some of the medical field is saying. For the full list, please see http://abort73.com/PDF/Abort73-I-A-1-medical.pdf.
From the Subcommittee on Separation of Powers to Senate Judiciary Committee S-158, Report, 97th Congress, 1st Session, 1981:
- Professor Micheline Matthews-Roth, Harvard University Medical School: "It is incorrect to say that biological data cannot be decisive...It is scientifically correct to say that an individual human life begins at conception."
- Dr. Alfred M. Bongioanni, Professor of Pediatrics and Obstetrics, University of Pennsylvania: "I have learned from my earliest medical education that human life begins at the time of conception."
- Dr. Jerome LeJeune, Professor of Genetics, University of Descartes: "After fertilization has taken place a new human being has come into being. [It] is no longer a matter of taste or opinion...it is plain experimental evidence. Each individual has a very neat beginning, at conception."
- Professor Hymie Gordon, Mayo Clinic: "By all the criteria of modern molecular biology, life is present from the moment of conception."
- Dr. Watson A. Bowes, University of Colorado Medical School: "The beginning of a single human life is from a biological point of view a simple and straightforward matter - the beginning is conception."
- From Drs. Moore and Persaud in 'The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology', 6th ed., 1998: "[The Zygote] results from the union of an oocyte and a sperm. A zygote is the beginning of a new human being. Human development begins at fertilization, the process during which a male gamete or sperm ... unites with a female gamete or oocyte ... to form a single cell called a zygote. This highly specialized, totipotent cell marks the beginning of each of us as a unique individual."
- From Drs. Larimore and Stanford in 'Postfertilization Effects of Oral Contraceptives and Their Relationship to Informed Consent', 2000: "The primary mechanism of oral contraceptives is to inhibit ovulation, but this mechanism is not always operative. When breakthrough ovulation occurs, then secondary mechanisms operate to prevent clinically recognized pregnancy. These secondary mechanisms may occur either before or after fertilization."
Again, thank you for taking the time to investigate us before leaving a response.
Babies aren't the only ones at risk Sunday April 13, 2008 at 10:30 am
Jen Catelli
Web Projects Manager
The pill may be responsible for a lot more than the deaths of preborn children in their earliest days. A study now shows that taking oral contraceptives for 10 years correlates with a 20-30 percent increase in plaque buildup in a woman's arteries. This increases another 20-30 percent with taking the pill for another 10 years. This buildup can be responsible for heart attacks and strokes.
While it should be noted that the study does only show a correlation, not a direct cause-and-effect relationship, it appears there is some factor that is putting the lives of women taking the pill at risk. Perhaps it shouldn't surprise us that drugs that toy with a woman's natural hormonal balance could put her life at risk.
What is really striking is that, as the article notes, the long-term health impact of a drug that 80 percent of women take is virtually unknown. It is tragic and horrifying that so many chemical abortions occur without so much as a thought. It seems cruel that the drug could have a more lasting impact on the health of the women who so blindly take it as well. ( LINK )
80%?! I had no idea the number was so large..... Emmie k. | 04/14/2008 2:55 pm
The 80% reflects the number of women who have ever taken the Pill. You can find the numbers in Advance Data of Health and Vital Statistics, published by the CDC. You may read it online here: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ad/ad350.pdf.
Note that in 2002, it is actually 82% of women who report ever having using the pill. It is a fairly shocking number, isn't it? Jen Catelli | 04/14/2008 8:14 pm
So much conflict and misery could be avoided if only there were an effective, non-abortive contraceptive. Abortion is unlikely to be made illegal; it needs to be made unnecessary. Petra Spahr | 04/15/2008 9:28 am
Petra;
While it would be ideal for abortion to be unnecessary, it may take a cultural change end that supposed "need." No method of contraception is fool-proof. Even if the method does not itself kill babies, any failure would result in a child who would be seen as unwanted. And we all know what our current culture proclaims as the "solution" for an unwanted child. Notice that the child is seen as a problem to be avoided or solved. It is in this way the use of contraceptives begets the "need" for abortion.
You can read more on the contraception-abortion link here: http://www.all.org/article.php?id=10125
I realize that a cultural change takes a lot of work and may even seem impossible. It is important recognize the enormity of what it means to be pro-life. There is no quick-fix to achieve our goals, and we are in this for the long haul. We must remember we are doing God's work--the same God who makes the impossible possible.
Jen Jen Catelli | 04/15/2008 2:07 pm
Yes, there are consequences for stepping out from under the protection of God's law.
The political mantra of "safe legal and rare" belies the reality that more than 50 million American abbies have been murdered since Roe v. Wade.
Abortions are never "necessary." Legislation prohibiting the procurement of abortion would be a welcome step. John Dierking | 04/16/2008 8:47 am
John:
You are right: Completely prohibiting abortion would be a wonderful first step and would go a long way toward re-establishing a respect for all human life, from the moment of creation to the moment of natural death.
~ Jen Jen Catelli | 04/16/2008 11:12 am
effective, non-abortive contraceptive-
NFP Sara | 04/16/2008 4:06 pm
Sara:
You are absolutely correct, NFP is a powerful tool that we have to aid in prayerfully planning a family. Thank you for pointing that out.
~ Jen Jen Catelli | 04/18/2008 9:13 am
Hold on here a second! The pill is a "chemical abortion"? I'm surprised someone with a public platform like yourself has so little knowledge about the topic they write about. The pill prevents ovulation.
No ovulation=no pregnancy=no abortion.
Get your facts straight. Nick | 04/21/2008 1:58 am
Maher is a hopeless loser-always has been,always will be!! He tries desparately to be funny but has always failed miserably!!!
He is, unfortunately, looking for press time because he is on his way out of an already pitiful career. Losers always resort to outrageous statements to try to get attention because, otherwise, no one pays any attention to them.
Good bye Bill-and good riddance to a true loser!!!
Richard Rogers | 04/21/2008 4:14 am
Nick;
The fact is that while the pill does prevent ovulation in many cases, that is not the only way in which it acts. One of its other effects is to thin the uterine walls, making it so that a zygote cannot implant. By this point, a child exists and who then dies. This is an abortion.
If the pill were 100% effective at preventing ovulation, you would never hear of individuals who get pregnant while taking the pill.
For more information, see http://www.all.org/article.php?id=10126 and http://www.all.org/article.php?id=10193. Also, visit the website for our The Pill Kills campaign at http://www.thepillkills.com.
- Jen Jen Catelli | 04/21/2008 5:59 am
Richard:
Thank you for your support of our efforts. If you would like to read more about what we're doing in relation to Bill Maher, please see Judie's blog (http://www.all.org/newsroom_judieblog.php).
- Jen Jen Catelli | 04/21/2008 6:02 am
Jen - Petra here; thank you for your response. My concern is that pursuing a cultural change where sex is only for the married and always open to conception distracts from the primary goal of eliminating abortion. Yes, if such a shift were to take place it would eliminate abortion, but it is a very round about way of achieving it. Quite frankly we should not compromise the goal of eliminating abortion in pursuit of controlling fornication and legitimate birth control. Petra Spahr | 04/29/2008 12:32 pm
Petra:
Of particular concern to us when considering "legitimate" birth control are the methods of birth control that are also responsible for aborting babies, such as the pill or Plan B, as life begins at the moment of fertilization, not implantation. This is why we do not pursue laws that outlaw abortion as such, but instead pursue personhood for the preborn, which would then protect these children under the laws we already have.
Archbishop Niederauer gives Catholic award to PP donor. Thursday April 10, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Patrick Daub
It is sad to see the Catholic Church bombarded by all of the negative media that we see in the news today, but it's heartbreaking to see our own leaders making mistakes similar to the mistake that Archbishop Niederauer is making. He is giving an award to someone who so strongly opposes the morals and values of the Catholic Church.
Archbishop Niederauer is presenting the “Loaves and Fishes” award to several honorees at an annual Catholic Charities event. One of these honorees is a strong financial supporter of Planned Parenthood, George Marcus. Marcus has openly gone against Catholic teachings on several occasions including supporting Planned Parenthood and embryonic stem cell research.
Everybody needs to keep these two men in their prayers. May God remind them how truly wonderful and sacred life is and may these two men remember: “To whom much has been given, much is expected.” ( LINK )
Planned Parenthood kills more babies and makes more money Thursday April 3, 2008 at 5:32 am
Marie Hahnenberg
Researcher
Planned Parenthood Federation of America just released its 2006-2007 Annual Report. This report shows the service numbers and all the money this organization raked in over a period of one year. The most recent report it published was for the fiscal year of 2006 to 2007. Of course this is based on what Planned Parenthood actually reports. The numbers it admits to will astonish you. This "health" organization admitted to have murdered 289,750 human beings. This is a 9.4 percent increase from the 2005-2006 numbers, meaning this organization is killing even more kids than last year!
According to American Life League's Wednesday STOPP Report, this increase marks the highest year-to-year increase in Planned Parenthood's abortion business since 1996 and the third highest in its history. Planned Parenthood now kills 5,572 innocent human beings every week. This means that, every week, Planned Parenthood kills twice as many innocent human beings as died in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
Not only that, but Planned Parenthood had a total accumulated income of $1.02 billion, and had a total profit of $114.8 million.This is ridiculous! Our own government gave this baby-killing organization over $330 million! This has got to stop. Sign the petition to cease government funding to Planned Parenthood at www.stopplannedparenthoodtaxfunding.com and to read more about Planned Parenthood's Annual Report, click on the following link. ( LINK )
Please join me on this April 15th (TAX DAY) in asking the IRS why we as tax payers participate in the over $330 mil. to this baby-killing organization. John Bettinger | 04/15/2008 4:52 am
Pro-Life Story: My Child I Never Knew Posted By Lewis E. Thomas on Feb, 26 2008
MY CHILD I NEVER KNEW
Would he have been tall and quick to give a hug?
Did this child hold the cure for cancer or another deadly bug?
Would he have become a Soldier ... Read
