Monthly Archives: January 2018

via Live Action News January 25, 2018 at 12:17PM

This week was the 45th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which opened the door for the deaths of 60 million preborn babies. The abortion lobby wasted no time celebrating, and gleefully announcing that 7 in 10 Americans support the Roe v. Wade decision. It didn’t take long for #7in10forRoe to begin trending. But the problem is that these tweets leave out the details about Americans’ support for abortion — things like the fact that most want it limited to the first trimester, and most want it banned after 20 weeks.

Today is the 45th anniversary of #RoevWade! Share why you stand with the 70% of Americans who support abortion access with #7in10forRoe. pic.twitter.com/CFlpx9Mi55

— NARAL (@NARAL) January 22, 2018

For 45 years, Roe v. Wade has kept abortion legal in the U.S.—but it hasn’t kept politicians from making it unaffordable and inaccessible. These stories show what happens when abortion is pushed out of reach. #7in10forRoe https://t.co/TiDcfBvdp5

— ACLU (@ACLU) January 22, 2018

Dear cisgender men: please fight for the right to safe, legal, affordable abortion care as if you were the ones who could experience an unplanned pregnancy. Thanks. #RoevWade #7in10ForRoe #Roe45 pic.twitter.com/Q5JM6IEYZE

— Danielle Campoamor (@DCampoamor) January 22, 2018

A woman’s right to control her own body allows her to control her future. We must never take that right for granted. We must always fight for it. #7in10forRoe

— Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) January 23, 2018

Sarah Weddington was 27 when she argued Roe v. Wade — the youngest person ever to win in the Supreme Court. Today is the 45th anniversary of the landmark case that legalized abortion in the U.S. Young people have the power to change the world. #7in10forRoe #Roe45 pic.twitter.com/F9loNrYJYo

— Planned Parenthood (@PPFA) January 22, 2018

These people are technically correct: most Americans do support legalized abortion — but there’s more to the story. Where the industry — largely led by Planned Parenthood — diverges from what Americans are willing to accept is in its limits and restrictions. The industry isn’t satisfied with mere legality. “Safe, legal, and rare” has long since been abandoned; now, the call is for taxpayer-funded abortion, on demand, up until the moment of birth.

But Americans strongly disagree with this idea.

In the video below, former abortionist Dr. Anthony Levatino explains a typical first trimester abortion procedure, the suction aspiration method. It is very violent, ripping the developing child from the womb — a child who has a beating heart and brain waves, and who can even make facial expressions:

Every year, Marist polls American attitudes toward abortion, and its most recently released polling results show that a small majority — 51 percent to 44 percent — identify as “pro-choice,” which is somewhat typical over the past 10 years.

But what isn’t usually publicized is how much people support restrictions on this so-called “medical procedure.” Here’s what supporters of Roe v. Wade are not telling you:

• Of those polled, 76 percent responded that abortion should be limited to the first trimester, and permitted only in very rare circumstances (rape, incest, or to save the mother’s life).
• A majority of Americans also see abortion as morally wrong, with six in 10 saying that it is also morally wrong to have an abortion because the preborn baby is diagnosed with a defect or disability like Down syndrome.
• Of those polled, 52 percent believe that abortion does women more harm than good.
• 63 percent of Americans want abortion banned after 20 weeks.
• Almost 8 in 10 Americans want laws protecting both women and their preborn children.

These poll numbers show how out of touch the industry is with the American people. And the permissiveness of America’s abortion laws is extreme compared to those of the rest of the world. But while these poll numbers are a good place to start, it’s not enough.

47 percent of respondents said that they believe that life begins at conception. And these people are correct: the science of fetal development proves that preborn children are living human beings, even though they are small in the first trimester. These preborn babies deserve to be protected also, and we can’t stop fighting until every preborn life is protected, no matter how young they may be.

The post Poll: 76 percent of Americans would limit abortion to first trimester appeared first on Live Action News.

via LifeNews.com January 25, 2018 at 11:06AM

A new poll by the Pew Research Center indicates a strong divide among Christian denominations on the issue of abortion.

Traditionally, Christians teach that every human life is sacred and valuable from the moment of conception to natural death. Yet, it appears that some denominations, especially mainline Protestant denominations, may not be teaching this.

According to Breitbart, a strong majority of Episcopalians, United Church of Christ and Presbyterian Church U.S.A. adherents said abortions should be legal in all or most cases. The poll found that 58 percent of United Methodists and 56 percent of Anglicans also support legalized abortion in all or most cases.

In contrast, Catholic, American Baptist and Lutheran Church Missouri Synod believers narrowly said abortions should be illegal in all or most cases. The Christians who most strongly opposed the legalized killing of unborn babies identified as Jehovah’s Witness, Church of God, Assemblies of God, Mormon and Southern Baptist, according to the poll.

Examining other religions as well, the poll found that 55 percent of Muslims support legalized abortion in all or most cases, 68 percent of Hindus, 82 percent of Buddhists and 83 percent of Jewish adherents. At the top of the list in support of legalized abortion on demand were agnostics and atheists (both at 87 percent) and Unitarian Universalists at 90 percent.

The poll also included a “nothing in particular” category for people who do not identify with a particular religion. In that category, 67 percent of people said abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

Overall, the poll found that 57 percent of Americans support legal abortion in all or most cases.

However, other polls have found different results. A Marist poll in January found that 76 percent of Americans want significant restrictions on abortion, with a strong majority supporting a ban on abortions after 20 weeks when unborn babies are capable of feeling pain.

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More than three quarters of Americans would limit abortion to the first three months of pregnancy, at most, according to the Marist poll. This includes a majority of Republicans, Independents, Democrats and even those who identify as “pro-choice” on abortion.

A 2017 Gallup poll found similar results, with just 29 percent of Americans saying abortion should be legal under any circumstance. In contrast, 54 percent of Americans said abortion should be illegal in all circumstances or legal in only a few.

What many Americans may not realize is that the United States is one of only seven countries in the world that permits elective abortions past 20 weeks — a fact confirmed by the Washington Post fact checker.

via LifeNews.com January 25, 2018 at 10:54AM

The U.S. Senate will soon vote on a pro-life Senate bill to ban late-term abortions — a bill that would save as many as 18,000 unborn babies form abortions each and every year.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) informed members of the Senate lat Thursday that the Senate will vote on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act next week. During his remarks, McConnell lamented how the United States is one of just a handful of nations worldwide that allow babies to be killed in late-term abortions.

“Last week, Americans from all across the country—including many from Kentucky—came here to Washington to speak up for unborn children whom our legal system has denied the right to life. Now, Congress has an opportunity to take a step forward,” said.

“The United States is currently one of just seven countries – including China and North Korea – that permits elective abortion after 20 weeks. It is time we begin to remedy this obvious and tragic moral wrong. This long-overdue legislation would do just that,” the Senate Republican leader added. “I am pleased to have filed cloture on this bill to protect unborn children who are capable of feeling pain. I am proud to co-sponsor it, along with many of my colleagues. And I look forward to voting for it early next week.”

The House has already approved the legislation but Democrats are expected to filibuster the bill in the Senate, requiring it to get 60 votes to move forward.

In the House, the vote for the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act broke down on mostly partisan lines with Republicans supporting the ban on late-term abortions and Democrats opposing it. The House approved the bill on a 237-189 vote.

The Senate would need 60 votes to pass the bill because pro-abortion Democrats would filibuster. Should the Senate approve the bill, President Donald Trump would sign the pro-life bill  into law.

“Overwhelming majorities of Americans—some 60-64% according to pollsters—support legal protection for pain-capable unborn children,” said pro-life Congressman Chris Smith. “Today we know that unborn babies not only die but suffer excruciating pain during dismemberment abortion—a cruelty that rips arms and legs off a helpless child.”

During the House debate, Smith talked about the gruesome nature of late-term abortions.

A former abortionist, Dr. Anthony Levatino, testified before Congress that he had performed 1,200 abortions—over 100 late-term abortions up to 24 weeks.

Dr. Levatino described what the abortionist actually does to the helpless child. “Imagine if you can that you are a pro-choice obstetrician/gynecologist like I was.”  Using a Sopher 13” clamp with rows of ridges or teeth, “grasp anything you can” inside the womb.  “Once you’ve grasped something inside, squeeze on the clamp to set the jaws and pull hard—really hard. You feel something let go and out pops a fully formed leg about six inches long.  Reach in again and grasp anything you can…and out pops an arm.” He noted that “a second trimester D&E abortion is a blind procedure.”  He said, “Reach in again and again with that clamp and tear out the spine, intestines, heart and lungs.”

SIGN THE PETITION! Congress Must Ban Late-Term Abortions

Sixteen states have enacted similar laws that ban abortions after 20 weeks.  These include Ohio, Texas, Nebraska, Idaho, Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas.

The House passed the measure in 2015 as well and that marked the second time the House has voted for the legislation — having approved it in May 2013. The bill was then blocked by pro-abortion Democrats who controlled the U.S. Senate.

During the hearing on the last bill, former abortion practitioner Anthony Levatino told members of the committee the gruesome details of his former abortion practice and how he became pro-life following the tragic automobile accident of his child.

Another bombshell dropped during the hearing came from Dr. Maureen Condic, who is Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine. She testified that the unborn child is capable of reacting to pain as early as 8-10 weeks. This is when most abortions in America take place.

Americans strongly support legislation that would ban late-term abortions and protect babies who are capable of feeling intense pain during an abortion.

Currently, 16 states have pain-capable unborn child protection laws in effect, Kentucky being the most recent. Other states are considering similar bills.

Together, these laws potentially are saving thousands of babies from painful, late-term abortions. There were at least 5,770 late-term abortions at or after 21 weeks of pregnancy in 2013 in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control. Another approximate 8,150 abortions took place between 18 weeks and 20 weeks, the CDC reports.

Though abortion advocates deny the science of fetal pain at 20 weeks, researchers have fully established fetal pain at 20 weeks or earlier. Dr. Steven Zielinski, an internal medicine physician from Oregon, is one of the leading researchers into it. He first published reports in the 1980s to validate research showing evidence for unborn pain.

At 20 weeks, the unborn child has all the parts in place – the pain receptors, spinal cord, nerve tracts, and thalamus – needed for transmitting and feeling pain. The unborn child responds to touch as early as week 6; and by week 18, pain receptors have appeared throughout the child’s body.

Dr. Colleen A. Malloy, a professor of neonatology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, told a U.S. Senate committee last year that “anesthesiologists, and surgeons use pain medication” for unborn babies at the 20 week stage when performing surgery, “because it’s supported by the literature completely.”

“I could never imagine subjecting my tiny patients to a horrific procedure such as those that involve limb detachment or cardiac injection,” Malloy added.

via LifeNews.com January 24, 2018 at 03:41PM

Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards plans to resign from her position after overseeing more than 3 million unborn babies’ abortion deaths, liberal news outlets reported Wednesday.

The abortion chain has not confirmed Richards’ resignation yet; however, two separate, anonymous sources told BuzzFeed about her plans to resign.

“Cecile plans to discuss 2018 and the next steps for Planned Parenthood’s future at the upcoming board meeting,” a spokesperson for the abortion chain said Wednesday.

The CEO since 2006, Richards drew in huge salary by leading the “non-profit.” During her tenure, Planned Parenthood saw huge drops in patient numbers and actual health services and scandal after scandal involving aborted baby body parts trafficking and sexual abuse cover-ups.

At the same time, the abortion chain reaped in record profits, including billions in taxpayer funding, and maintained a corner on the American abortion market. It ramped up its political advocacy and attacked numerous efforts to protect unborn and born babies from abortion.

On Twitter, Susan B. Anthony List noted the news by mourning the number of unborn babies who have died under Richards’ leadership.

After overseeing the abortion deaths of more than 3.8 MILLION babies, @CecileRichards to step down from her role as CEO of the nation’s largest abortion business, Planned Parenthood. #AbortionLegacy#ProLife #DefundPP #PPSellsBabyParts pic.twitter.com/LxKktcWyFq

— Susan B Anthony List (@SBAList) January 24, 2018

via LifeNews.com January 22, 2018 at 01:08PM

As Roe v. Wade and its allowance for unlimited abortions throughout pregnancy celebrates another horrible anniversary today, most people don’t know the woman behind the infamous Supreme Court case had pledged her life to overturning it before passing away.

Norma McCorvey never wanted an abortion — she was seeking a divorce from her husband — but young, pro-abortion feminist attorney Sarah Weddington used McCorvey’s case as a means of attempting to overturn Texas’ law making most abortions illegal. Weddington took the case all the way to the Supreme Court, which invalidated every pro-life state law in the nation protecting unborn children and the rest is history.

But most Americans don’t know that McCorvey, who was “pro-choice” on abortion at the time, is now a pro-life advocate. She is now dedicated to reversing the Supreme Court case that bears her fictitious name, Jane Roe.

In a video before her death, McCorvey explained her effort to obtain a legal abortion in the 1970s when facing an unplanned pregnancy. However, she never had an abortion and realized that her court case was the biggest mistake of her life and currently fights to stop abortion.

“Back in 1973, I was a very confused twenty-one year old with one child and facing an unplanned pregnancy,” she says in the ad. “At the time I fought to obtain a legal abortion, but truth be told, I have three daughters and never had an abortion.”

“I think it’s safe to say that the entire abortion industry is based on a lie…. I am dedicated to spending the rest of my life undoing the law that bears my name,” McCorvey says.

She concluded the 60 second ad with the words: “You read about me in history books, but now I am dedicated to spreading the truth about preserving the dignity of all human life from natural conception to natural death.”

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During a previous presidential election, McCorvey released a television commercial urging voters to not vote for President Barack Obama.

“I’m Norma McCorvey, the former Jane Roe of the Roe vs. Wade decision that brought ‘legal’ child killing to America. I was persuaded by feminist attorneys to lie; to say that I was raped, and needed an abortion. It was all a lie,” she said in the ad. “Since then, over 50 million babies have been murdered. I will take this burden to my grave. Please, don’t follow in my mistakes. DO NOT vote for Obama. Obama murders babies.”

McCorvey issued a pro-life commercial in the 2008 election calling on pro-life voters to vote pro-life.

“Most every American alive today has heard of Roe vs. Wade and knows what that means. But few people know that I was Jane Roe in the case 35 years ago that legalized abortion on demand,” McCorvey says in the clip.

“Today as a born again Christian and faithful Catholic, I am working to reverse Roe and I am urgently asking for your help right now,” McCorvey adds.

via LifeNews.com January 22, 2018 at 11:20AM

Today, the majority of Americans who are pro-life are mourning 45 years of legalized abortion under Roe v Wade. President Donald Trump today acknowledged those victims of abortion and issued a proclamation designed a spark people to action to put an end to it.

President Trump today declared January 22nd as National Sanctity of Human Life Day.

The President issued a stirring call to action and eloquently described how abortion has adversely affected our country in the world. He encouraged pro-life Americans to never back down in ending abortion and restoring a respect for the sanctity of human life.

Below is the full text of President Trump’s Proclamation:

President Donald J. Trump Proclaims January 22, 2018, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day

Today, we focus our attention on the love and protection each person, born and unborn, deserves regardless of disability, gender, appearance, or ethnicity. Much of the greatest suffering in our Nation’s history — and, indeed, our planet’s history — has been the result of disgracefully misguided attempts to dehumanize whole classes of people based on these immutable characteristics. We cannot let this shameful history repeat itself in new forms, and we must be particularly vigilant to safeguard the most vulnerable lives among us. This is why we observe National Sanctity of Human Life Day: to affirm the truth that all life is sacred, that every person has inherent dignity and worth, and that no class of people should ever be discarded as “non-human.”

Reverence for every human life, one of the values for which our Founding Fathers fought, defines the character of our Nation. Today, it moves us to promote the health of pregnant mothers and their unborn children. It animates our concern for single moms; the elderly, the infirm, and the disabled; and orphan and foster children. It compels us to address the opioid epidemic and to bring aid to those who struggle with mental illness. It gives us the courage to stand up for the weak and the powerless. And it dispels the notion that our worth depends on the extent to which we are planned for or wanted.

Science continues to support and build the case for life. Medical technologies allow us to see images of the unborn children moving their newly formed fingers and toes, yawning, and even smiling. Those images present us with irrefutable evidence that babies are growing within their mothers’ wombs — precious, unique lives, each deserving a future filled with promise and hope. We can also now operate on babies in utero to stave off life-threatening diseases. These important medical advances give us an even greater appreciation for the humanity of the unborn.

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Today, citizens throughout our great country are working for the cause of life and fighting for the unborn, driven by love and supported by both science and philosophy. These compassionate Americans are volunteers who assist women through difficult pregnancies, facilitate adoptions, and offer hope to those considering or recovering from abortions. They are medical providers who, often at the risk of their livelihood, conscientiously refuse to participate in abortions. And they are legislators who support health and safety standards, informed consent, parental notification, and bans on late-term abortions, when babies can feel pain. These undeterred warriors, many of whom travel to Washington, D.C., every year for the March for Life, are changing hearts and saving lives through their passionate defense of and loving care for all human lives. Thankfully, the number of abortions, which has been in steady decline since 1980, is now at a historic low. Though the fight to protect life is not yet over, we commit to advocating each day for all who cannot speak for themselves.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 22, 2018, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call on all Americans to reflect on the value of our lives; to respond to others in keeping with their inherent dignity; to act compassionately to those with disabilities, infirmities, or frailties; to look beyond external factors that might separate us; and to embrace the common humanity that unites us.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-second.

DONALD J. TRUMP

One pro-life leader told LifeNews he’s delighted by the proclamation. Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot told LifeNews:

“All innocent human life deserves to be protected, and so does the freedom of those who selflessly empower women—at no charge—to choose life for their children. As the president wrote in his proclamation declaring Jan. 22 to be National Sanctity of Human Life Day, ‘citizens throughout our great country are working for the cause of life and fighting for the unborn, driven by love and supported by both science and philosophy. These compassionate Americans are volunteers who assist women through difficult pregnancies, facilitate adoptions, and offer hope to those considering or recovering from abortions.’ It is the freedom of these very Americans that we are seeking to protect at the U.S. Supreme Court in National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra. In that case, the government is forcing pro-life advocates to provide free advertising for the abortion industry. Americans shouldn’t be forced to communicate a message at odds with their core beliefs. Instead, they should be allowed to celebrate life on this day and every day.”

via Live Action News January 11, 2018 at 09:09AM

A new study published in the Winter 2017 issue of The Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons confirms that many women suffer from long-term negative psychological effects of abortion. This includes regret, shame, guilt, depression, anxiety, loss of quality of life, and self-destructive behaviors. The study included 987 post-abortive women who had contacted a pregnancy resource center inquiring about post-abortion services. They represent each state except for Hawaii, and range in age from 20 to 72.

The results of the study showed that 67.5 percent of respondents sought help from a psychiatrist, psychologist or counselor after their abortions, compared to 13 percent who had sought help prior to their abortions. In addition, 51 percent reported prescription drug use after their abortion while only 6.6 percent used prescription drugs prior to their abortion.

58.3 percent of the women said they had their abortions to make other people happy, and 78.3 percent said that their decision to abort was aided by pressure from others. 49.2 percent said they believed the preborn child was a human being at the time of the abortion and 33.2 percent felt an emotional connection to their preborn child. Pressure to abort is a risk factor for post-abortion syndrome.

The researchers noted that “Women generally did not speak of empowerment, the ability to control their reproductive destinies, liberation from abusive partners, the need for abortion in order to be competitive in the work place, etc. To the contrary, in response to the inquiry regarding any positives that emerged, many women (nearly 32%) expressed no personal benefits of the experience.”

When asked about the negative results of their abortions, women stated that they felt deep feelings of loss, a decrease in their quality of life, lower self-esteem, and a decrease in their ability to connect with others. Regret, shame, guilt, depression, anxiety, and self-destructive behavior were all common experiences for these women. 49 of the women went so far as to say that they lost the desire to live at some point following their abortions.

The information gathered in this study reinforces the findings of previous studies that have shown the reality of post-abortion trauma, which includes an increased risk of depression, thoughts of suicide, and suicide.

The post New study: Women suffer long-term psychological pain after abortion appeared first on Live Action News.

via LifeNews.com January 11, 2018 at 10:44AM

When former abortion workers speak out in public about what they did in their clinics, what they saw happening, and the disrespect consistently shown women, hearts and mind change, and abortion facilities close.

The abortion facility in Texas where I worked for eight years closed after enough workers like me left. They closed because I finally spoke out against the terrible things I saw, the deceit I participated in, and the unsanitary practices common to many abortion facilities.

Forty-nine abortion facilities closed in 2017, according to a new report of an annual survey of abortion facilities. This is on top of the news that the Department of Justice has launched an investigation into Planned Parenthood’s illegal sales of baby body parts. According to a Rasmussen poll, 46 percent of voters support this investigation of the nation’s largest abortion provider.

Two of Planned Parenthood’s business partners have also closed after they were found to have illegally profited from the sale of body parts of aborted babies. They were fined an astounding $7.8 million.

These changes to the abortion industry are coming from the inside out. It’s my theory that one of the big reasons clinics have shut down—and will continue to shut down—is that former abortion workers have spoken out about in public and worked to testify against their former employers.

It was because of two former abortion workers that Planned Parenthood in Delaware was temporarily shut down. The women went to authorities with evidence of dirty equipment and “bloody drainage” left on operating tables between women having abortions. It was disgusting.

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Earlier this year, I released several inspection reports from Whole Woman’s Health abortion clinic, which operates facilities in Texas, Maryland, Minnesota, and Illinois. Their name is on the U.S. Supreme Court case, Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, which exempts abortion facilities from conforming to commonsense medical guidelines like other outpatient facilities must adhere to.

Why did they bring their case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court? Because their abortion facilities would have closed otherwise, since they had been cited for things like failing to properly disinfect and sterilize instruments that were used from woman to woman and failure to provide a safe and sanitary environment. Products of conception were being examined and contaminated instruments were being washed in the same room, and rusty suction machines were likely to “cause infection.”

The testimony of former abortion workers can help persuade lawmakers to create fair laws that protect women from dirty abortion facilities. Their testimony can educate the public about what really happens behind the closed doors of Planned Parenthood. Their testimony can influence legislation and ultimately create a culture where abortion is unthinkable.

Since 2012, my ministry has helped more than 400 abortion workers leave their jobs. “Emotionally intense” is the mood my wonderful client managers experience daily, because they are helping workers who have seen terrible things and have reached a point where they cannot go back into their employers. We help these workers to find other jobs, to find healing, and if they desire, to tell their stories.

We believe this is how abortion facilities will ultimately close: because these workers’ stories will be heard, public opinion will change, and there will be no more workers left. Abortion will become unthinkable.

LifeNews.com Note: Abby Johnson worked at Planned Parenthood’s Bryan, Texas, clinic for eight years and was clinic director for more than two years. She is author of “Unplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader’s Eye-Opening Journey Across the Life Line.”