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During the passage of the recent healthcare reform legislation in the United States, a great deal of controversy was generated by the use of taxpayer funds to pay for abortion and in a last-minute compromise,  President Obama decided to sign an executive order banning federal funding of abortion right before he signed the healthcare reform legislation.

Pro-Life organizations were united in their opposition to the proposed legislation as well as the executive order, because they felt that it actually concealed an expansion of abortion and made American taxpayers responsible for paying for more and more abortions.

Evidence of the wisdom and foresight of prolifers is becoming more clear and has most recently presented itself in the revelation that the Obama Administration just approved the FIRST direct taxpayer funding of abortion through new high-risk insurance pools in Pennsylvania.

For more information, check out: Obama Administration OKs First Tax-Funded Abortions Under Health Care Law and No Abortion Coverage in High Risk Pools, HHS Says

intern jerry. h/t Daniel O’Neil and Alicia Torres

The Declaration asserts, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

I adore the United States of America for many reasons, but this statement is one that especially touches me.  True, we’re always hearing it, but that’s because it is such an apt summary of what our nation stands for. That each individual human being is of equal worth, and that every single person has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In many ways, America upholds the convictions on which she was established. Americans have the right to an education, no matter the situation. We have the right to fair trials. We have the right to choose our own careers. We have the right to say, write, and believe what we wish.

However, we don’t have the right to life. In America, for the first nine months of a person’s life, it is perfectly legal for him or her to be killed.

Also in the Declaration of Independence, we read, “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it.”

We have become destructive to these ends, America. What are you going to do about it?

-Rose Schmillen, SFLI Intern

But today, something strange and scary happened as I stared out the bus window at the rows of houses. I thought about who was inside them. I realized that, while I had been dreaming of something bigger and better, something comfortable, the perfect piece to add to the never-ending puzzle of my “perfect dream life”, people were living their real lives. Inside those houses are real people, crying, making dinner, making love, arguing, sighing, and trying to survive in a world that hasn’t quite lived up to their own dreams.

Why do I spend my time dreaming when reality is right in front of me? Why do I dream up far-fetched situations of helping the world and making a difference, when the people that I can make a difference for are inside those houses that I am writing off as “too old”, “too small,” or “too blue?” That little white house with the yellow shutters? Inside is a woman who is fighting a brutal internal battle:

“Do I have this child, or do I abort it?”
“Do I tell my boyfriend?”
“It will ruin my life…it will ruin my dream.”

Why are we so preoccupied with dreams? Reality is right in front of us. If we just embraced it, we would see the people, not the shutters. We would see a baby as an opportunity for the biggest kind of love there is, not the shattering of a dream. Not a consequence of a mistake.

What are we working for if it’s not this?
The dream?

This is it.

And we’re killing it.
One baby at a time.

-Lindsay Pyrcik, SFLI Intern

For those of you who are graduating, we hope that you will carry your enthusiasm for the pro-life movement into whatever you do.  Be confident in what you know to be true and remember that thousands are standing beside you in the battle for what is right.

To those who will be returning to campus next year, we encourage you to take advantage of the final weeks of school to solidify your pro-life groups for next year, to continue to witness to Life, and most importantly, to excel in your vocation as a student.  We would also like to urge you to use the summer months to continue building up the pro-life presence on your campus.  Keep in contact with your fellow pro-life students and mentors and brainstorm ways to improve your effectiveness in changing the Culture for Life.

If you are currently involved with your pro-life group’s leadership or will be taking on a role next year, please email us information about your group and officers so we can support your work on campus.  Email John-Paul@ProLifeIllinois.com now.

The promise of embryonic stem cell research is currently in serious question because there have been, to date, no successful treatments or cures using cells taken from human embryos. The media often fails to make the proper distinction between embryonic stem cell research, which has no record of success and violates ethical standards, and adult stem cell research, which has provided many treatments. Using adult stem cells and stem cells found in umbilical cord blood–which do not destroy human life–holds more promise for progress in both research and treatments.

Funding embryonic stem cell research is terrible public policy and poor appropriation of funds at a time when our nation’s economy is suffering greatly. Why pump money into research that is so speculative? This funding is of great concern, for not only does it facilitate the destruction of human life, but it could lead to coercion among the students we know and work with on a daily basis. When research done at universities across Illinois is not held to the highest ethical standards, the education and training of young women and men is compromised. Expanding federal funding for embryonic stem cell research enables unethical education of university students, misappropriation of severely limited public funds and the death of human beings for the sake of unavaling scientific research.

Remember that due to the large number of people interested in attending, they took the registration form off of the website, and began informing folks to email them at volunteer@ppil.org?

The word had gotten out well in advance that the forum was in effect being closed off from the community, as so many were turned down from being able to register for the event.

FAPP article here.

The truth is that it was never really open to the community in the first place.

On February 4th, I signed up online, just before Planned Parenthood took off the registration form and put up the email address.  Soon after I had registered, I received my confirmation email, that my spot was officially reserved at the event:

click to enlarge

This is all soon after Eric Scheidler had sent out the emails to get members of the community signed up through the email addess.  As the day went on, many began emailing Planned Parenthood in order to register, most of whom did not receive a response, but some of which receiving this response:

Hello!

Thank you so much for your email and interest in attending our Community Forum on Reproductive Justice this week.  Unfortunately, we’ve had an overwhelming response to this event and because of space limitations, we do not have any further spots available.

We are, however, delighted to hear that you are interested in getting involved and will have additional information and opportunities for action available in the future.  If you’re ready to Stand Up For Choice, we hope you will consider joining the Planned Parenthood Action Team and take part in community outreach, education, and mobilization for reproductive justice.

To learn more, visit our website and complete a quick online form to tell us a little bit more about your interests and availability.  You can access the form here: http://plannedparenthoodvolunteer.hire.com/viewjob.html?optlink-view=view-1182&ERFormID=newjoblist&ERFormCode=any

Once we have your completed information, we’ll get in touch with you to tell you more about our efforts and activities and get you signed up for great events in your area.

Again, thanks so much for your interest!

volunteer@ppil.org

Planned Parenthood of Illinois

Although it was anticipated that everyone who signed up by email would be turned away, I knew I would surely get in, as I signed up through the original web page.  Otherwise my confirmation email wouldn’t have bestowed upon me such a legitimate ‘Order ID,’ right??

But I was mistaken.  I showed up to the event, stood outside the door of the room (which wasn’t massive, but it definitely was not the limited space that Planned Parenthood had claimed it was).  Waiting with me were a group of about 10-15 people, some of whom seemed like they were waiting to see if they could get in after perhaps some room becomes available inside.

Eventually, two women came out of the room – one with a clipboard, and I approached them with my confirmation email and my driver’s license.  They looked for my name on their list, and said that I wasn’t on there.

They told me that they had space limitations and that only those who registered originally were able to get in.  I explained that I did register on the website on the morning of the fourth.  I showed them my confirmation email and so they searched the list again for my name.  I happened to be able to see the list from the angle that they were holding it and was shocked to see no more than 20-25 names listed on this clipboard.

ABSURD!!  They weren’t only turning away the community!  The community was never invited in the first place!

As a member of the community, and an Aurora resident, I can do nothing less than demand that Planned Parenthood provide me with an explanation as to why I and many others were not allowed in, and yet from this point forward the official record books will show that Planned Parenthood hosted a “community forum” on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at the Eola Community Center in Aurora.

Why even have it at the Eola Community Center, when the mega-ultra-hyper-Planned Parenthood was less than a mile away?  Why not just have it there, if only a select few Planned Parenthood junkies would be allowed access anyways?

I want to know what benefits they receive for the events like this one, which is framed on the surface to be one completely open to community dialog, and yet never open up to the community at all.

Is this how Planned Parenthood justifies the exorbitant amount of tax dollars they receive every year, from both federal and state governments??

We must demand answers to these questions.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois, you have my email address.  I’m waiting.

The tie between the Holocaust and the current state of abortion in our society is one of the most controversial ways a pro-lifer can present the message of how devastating the magnitude of abortion truly is.

But how can it even be presented if we aren’t even given a chance?

Jojo Ruba, a pro-life speaker for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform, attempted to speak on this topic earlier this semester at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was invited by the school’s chaplain, and the pro-life group on campus.

But no more than several minutes into his talk, a group of pro-choice students entered the room and began chanting in opposition to his presentation and his presence on campus.

The commotion created such a ruckus that eventually campus security showed up and everyone was told to leave the room, and the presentation was to be moved off-campus.

Now just on the surface, this may seem like a typical pro-life moment of frustration, but after watching the video, I cannot help but be completely baffled by the ignorance within the message of the protestors. This wasn’t a typical “Keep abortion legal… my body, my choice” type of protest. These students were claiming that Mr. Ruba’s message was hate speech, and that they “will not be terrorized” in their school.

All you need to do is watch the video to see that not only was Mr. Ruba’s message completely calm and rational, but he also took his introductory remarks to invite opposing viewpoints to speak out after his presentation.

Lesley-Anne Steeleworthy, who is on the board at the women’s center on campus, is quoted as saying, “It’s shocking… It’s comparing women who want the right to choose to being as evil as Hitler.”

But if one were to honestly look at the CCBR website, one can clearly see that the Genocide Awareness Project, and subsequently Mr. Ruba’s presentation, really place no blame for the abortion tragedy on women or any group of people, but rather on all of us – on society as a whole – for allowing this tragedy to take place.

That is what was being presented, and that is what would have been discussed, if the presentation had continued as intended.

Unfortunately for St. Mary’s, it may be awhile before an honest attempt at this discussion can once again resume.

Sadly, the UW Hospital board voted 11-3 to allow the 2nd trimester abortions to take place.   Thank you to all who took a minute to send an email to the board members!  News story here.

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This is what a baby looks like at 22 weeks in the womb.  UW Madison’s new clinic will take the lives of babies at this age and younger.  Please take just ONE MINUTE and send an email that could save many lives:

Click here to send an email to board members who have to approve this abortion center: http://citizenspeak.org/node/1462

Read more about the clinic here.  Whatever you do, please take a moment to send this email and forward it to your friends! (Especially if they live in WI)

We can stop this, but only if everyone helps!

Click here to send an email to board members who have to approve this abortion center: http://citizenspeak.org/node/1462

Opinion such as this article by politicalaffairs.net try to portray the recent regulations as confusing “birth control with abortion.”  What needs to be acknowledged however is that many forms of birth control contain an abortifacient in them, in order to expel a newly conceived child from the womb, rather than merely preventing conception.

Thus, a medical professional’s right to conscience regarding all birth control forms should be respected just as much as the right to conscience regarding abortion in particular.

Something that Mr. Wendland fails to address in this article is the fact that these regulations effect men in the same way they do women.  These regulations protect a medical professional’s right to deny anyone birth control based on personal conscience.  Men also use contraception and birth control, not just women.  These regulations are not an attempt to attack anyone, or even to restrict abortion or birth control.

They merely protect one’s right to abstain from participating in something they feel is wrong.

For example, students at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign told us that their booth was placed right next to the Feminist Majority booth which brandished large bright pink signs saying “Keep Abortion Legal”.  Someone must have had a sense of humor, but there was a stark contrast between the pink signs and the little soft pink fetal development models.  The Feminist Majority told everyone to keep abortion legal, while these students showed just what that meant to these little children.

I’d love to write on your Organizational Fair experiences.  Just remember, don’t just sit behind your table, stand up, smile and engage students walking by.

You can reach me at guestgr@lewisu.edu

Good Luck Students for Life!

Greg

PS. If you’re not on the email list, send us an email at info@SFLillinois.org to receive the guide on how to use your organizational fair to have an successful first event which will translate to a successful year!