* ENDING ABORTION: HOW THE PRO-LIFE SIDE
WILL WIN THE WAR - A quiet revolution is under way. Although it's not visible from the
U.S. Capitol, from the Supreme Court Building or from the White House, it is very visible
down "on the street" – at the level of real life where women and girls make
the desperate decision to solve their "problem pregnancy" by aborting.
"But abortion is still legal," one might say. Yes, but
before the law will change, hearts must change – and a dramatic change-of-heart is
taking place big-time, right here, right now. America is turning against abortion:
Although "top-down" efforts to end abortion continue
valiantly – including attempts by several states to mount a direct constitutional
challenge to Roe, congressional efforts to restrict abortion, notify parents, inform
expectant mothers and the like – the greatest panic to the abortion movement is
coming from what's happening at the clinic level.
For example: When pregnant women get out of their cars and walk
nervously toward the abortion clinic for their appointment with death, they often
encounter a "sidewalk counselor" – a regular person, armed only with love,
and with information the abortion clinic absolutely does not want their customer to know.
Frequently, after a short conversation, the sidewalk counselor leads the mother away from
the abortion clinic and around the corner to a "pregnancy care center." These
PCCs are sprouting up all over America, just as fast as abortion clinics are disappearing.
And within many of those pregnancy care centers are the new "4D" ultrasound
machines. When the abortion client lies down and experiences, for the first time, the
reality of her unborn baby – and not a grainy, difficult-to-see old-fashioned
sonogram, but a modern, crystal-clear image of her own baby – she does not go through
with the planned abortion in the vast majority of cases.
That's just one of many revolutionary assaults on the "right to
abortion" – considered by many constitutional scholars to be uncannily similar
to early America's "right to slavery." Meanwhile, there are many other battle
fronts, such as abstinence programs in the nation's schools, reporting stunning success.
And legions of bright, young, specially trained lawyers are preparing to defend women and
to sue abortionists and their clinics, including Planned Parenthood.
All this in a climate in which repeated national polls reveal only
one in four Americans agrees with unfettered abortion-on-demand as permitted by Roe v.
Wade. A few years ago, America had about 2,000 abortion clinics; today there are fewer
than 800. Physicians are forsaking the practice in droves.
Bottom line: Americans, especially the younger generation, are
increasingly repulsed by abortion.
(WistleBlower, 1 Feb 2007) (to
index)
* SOUTH DAKOTA LAWMAKERS PROMOTE REVISED
ABORTION BAN - Less than three months after South Dakota voters rejected a ban on
abortions that contained an exception only to save the life of the mother, state lawmakers
on Wednesday introduced a revised measure with more exceptions but stiffer penalties for
violators.
"We have heard what the voters of South Dakota said" in
the defeat of a measure outlawing abortion during the election on Nov. 7, 2006, said GOP
Rep. Gordon Howie from Rapid City. "They want to support a ban with exceptions for
rape, incest and the health and life of the mother."
One of the 25 sponsors of H.B. 1293, Howie noted that polls have
shown most South Dakotans oppose abortion, and the bill's rape and incest provisions are
strict to ensure that women don't simply claim they have been victims in order to have
abortions.
The "Women's Health and Human Life Protection Act" would
allow rape victims to have abortions if they report the crime to police within 50 days.
Doctors would be required to confirm the report with authorities.
In cases of incest, a doctor would need to obtain the woman's
consent to report the crime - along with the identity of the alleged perpetrator - before
an abortion could be performed. The physician would also have to inform the mother that
counseling is available and give her the address of the nearest Social Services office.
The measure would also stipulate that abortions could be done only
until the 17th week of pregnancy, and blood samples from aborted babies would be sent to
the police for DNA testing.
Also, a doctor could perform an abortion if the pregnancy would
"cause a very significant impairment of the functioning of a major bodily organ or
system," but before that could take place, the mother would have to get a second
opinion from another doctor.
The bill would require the doctor to send a written statement to the
department of health explaining why the operation was performed and providing all the
circumstances surrounding the abortion.
Finally, the legislation would impose tougher penalties than
contained in last year's measure. Under this bill, doctors who perform abortions would be
charged with a felony and face up to 10 years in prison.
Another sponsor of the new measure is Democratic Rep. Mary Glenski
of Sioux Falls, who stated that if passed, the law "will definitely reduce the number
of abortions in South Dakota" from its annual average of more than 800.
As Cybercast News Service previously reported, the Women's Health
and Human Life Protection Act last February passed the 70-member state House of
Representatives by a vote of 50-18 and the 35-member state Senate by a vote of 23-12. It
was signed into law by Republican Gov. Mike Rounds in March and was slated to take effect
the following July.
However, in May, a group called the South Dakota Campaign for Health
Families submitted a petition containing 16,700 certified signatures to place the issue on
the Nov. 7 ballot, where it was defeated by a margin of 56 to 44 percent.
After introducing the new measure in the state House on Wednesday,
Howie defended the legislation's stricter provisions, saying they give the bill a better
chance of being accepted by voters - if a petition campaign again forces the issue onto
the ballot.
"Frankly, Planned Parenthood would drive a semi truck through
an exception that wasn't clearly defined," he added.
Howie made the reference to the state's only abortion provider,
because the organization not only took part in the campaign against last year's law, it
also threatened to go to court to block the measure even if voters had approved it.
(CNSNews, 1 Feb 2007) (to index)
* HOMOSEXUAL GROUPS: WE HAVE RIGHTS TO YOUR
CHILDREN! - A collection of homosexual organizations has filed a friend-of-the-court
brief in a Massachusetts lawsuit, claiming they have every right to teach their doctrine
to grade-school students.
Parental rights, according to the brief filed this week, "have
never meant that a parent can demand prior notice and the right to opt a child out of mere
exposure to ideas in the public schools that a parent disapproves of."
That includes, according to the brief, religious or any other ideas.
The new brief was filed in a Massachusetts District Court lawsuit by
Lexington parent David Parker, whose civil rights case is pending, by the Human Rights
Campaign, the ACLU, Massachusetts Teachers Association, Gay & Lesbian Advocates &
Defenders and others.
Parker was arrested and jailed in Lexington in April 2005 over his
request – and the school's refusal – to notify him when adults discuss
homosexuality or transgenderism with his 6-year-old kindergartner. That despite a state
law requiring such notification.
The incident made news around the nation and even Gov. Mitt Romney
agreed with Parker.
However, in April 2006 the same school presented the book "King
and King," about homosexual romances and marriage, to second-graders and again
refused to provide notification.
Parker and other parents followed with the federal civil rights
lawsuit, alleging school officials and the town were refusing to follow state law.
The Massachusetts arguments were remarkably similar to a recent
European court's conclusion.
The European Human Rights Court just a few weeks ago concluded in a
case involving similar objections that parents do not have an "exclusive" right
to lead their children's education and any parental "wish" to have their
children grow up without adverse influences "could not take priority over compulsory
school attendance."
That court said a German family had no right to provide
homeschooling for their children.
In the case that originated in Germany, homeschooling parents Fritz
and Marianna Konrad argued for that right because they said Germany's compulsory school
attendance endangered their children's religious upbringing and promotes teaching
inconsistent with the family's Christian faith.
But the court concludes, "The parents' right to education did
not go as far as to deprive their children of that experience."
(WorldNetDaily, Oct 2006) (to index)
* KANSAS SCHOOLS DUMP 'INTELLIGENT DESIGN' -
Kansas has repealed public-school science guidelines questioning the theory of evolution
that brought the state international ridicule, but educators are not sure how long it will
be before the decision is overturned.
The State Board of Education approved new, evolution-friendly
science standards with a 6-4 vote Tuesday, replacing ones that questioned the theory and
had the support of “intelligent design” advocates.
The change occurred because a coalition of Democrats and moderate
Republicans won control of the board from conservative Republicans in last year's
election. While conservatives said after Tuesday's vote that they were not planning to
reopen the debate even if elections go their way in 2008, state law will require another
review of the standards by 2014.
Another shift in power is possible. The latest science standards are
the fifth for the state in eight years.
“I think we're good for two years,” said board member
Janet Waugh, a Kansas City Democrat who supported the new standards. “Who knows what
the election will hold in two years?”
The new standards reflect mainstream scientific views of evolution.
The board deleted language suggesting that key evolutionary concepts – such as a
common origin for all life on Earth and change in species creating new ones – were
controversial and being challenged by new research.
(TheGlobeAndMail.com, 15 Feb 2007) (to
index)
* COUNCIL ADMITS IT WAS WRONG TO STOP STREET
EVANGELIST HANDING OUT TRACTS - Carlisle Council has been forced to apologise for
getting the law wrong after it tried to stop a street evangelist handing out gospel
tracts. This is a victory for The Christian Institute's Legal Defence Fund. It shows the
need for this kind of work.
An official from Carlisle Council told Keith Bullock, an evangelist
with Open Air Mission (OAM), that he could not hand out Christian literature in the city
centre without their permission.
The Council claimed it was exercising legal powers that came into
force last year. The new powers are aimed at preventing litter caused by large numbers of
handbills handed out by nightclubs and other businesses. However, Carlisle Council seemed
unaware that these laws do not apply to religious literature.
Open Air Mission contacted The Christian Institute for help. After
checking out the law we helped their Director, Andy Banton, write to Carlisle Council
explaining their legal rights. He pointed out that religious literature was exempt and
asked for confirmation that Mr Bullock could continue his work.
The council responded immediately with an unconditional apology. OAM
have asked for the religious exemptions (found in section 1(4) of Schedule 3 to the Clean
Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005) to be brought to the attention of other council
officials so this unfortunate mistake is not repeated.
(The Christian Institute, Feb 2007) (to index)
* PORTUGAL TO LEGALISE ABORTION -
Portugal's Prime Minister Jose Socrates vowed to legalise abortion after voters backed the
move in a referendum even though turnout was not high enough to make it binding.
Nearly 60 percent of those who cast ballots in the predominantly
Roman Catholic country approved a government proposal to give all women the right to an
abortion up to the 10th week of pregnancy, according to official final results.
"The results of this referendum are clear, it proves that the
Portuguese people want to turn the page on the question of abortion," Socrates said.
But turnout in Portugal's second referendum on its abortion law in
less than a decade was 43.6 percent, below the 50 percent threshold needed to make the
ballot legally binding.
Socrates pledged his Socialist government will now use its
parliamentary majority to legalise abortion.
Abortion is currently allowed in Portugal only in cases of rape, a
malformed foetus or if the woman's well-being is in danger.
(Iafrica.com, 12 Feb 2007) (to
index)
* PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM - A
few days ago Russia announced that it had completed the sale of advanced anti-aircraft
systems to Iran, providing a protective umbrella for the genocidal regime’s nuclear
program.
On Friday The Jerusalem Post reported that Russian military officers
are manning listening posts along the Syrian border with Israel and feeding intelligence
on IDF movements to Lebanon’s Hizb’allah.
Israel watchers believe Russia and Iran will both be involved in a
coming military conflict with Israel.
(TheBereanCall.org, 26 Jan 2007) (to
index)
