Recently in Life Issues Category

Frank Weathers, with mucho documentation and linkage, lays it out:

They were wronged is an understatement. We were wronged, and they were treated like animals. The stark realization hit me as I pondered another thought: unwritten histories lie waiting to be discovered in archives all around the country, and all throughout the world. Things known to God and to man, but forgotten by the “march of progress,” and by generations uninterested in learning the secrets of the democracy of the dead.

... As it turns out, North Carolina had the third highest number of enforced sterilizations in the country. And this sad chapter started in 1907 in the state of Indiana. The state with the most documented cases? California, which started their program in 1909 and kept it cranking up until 1963. In the Golden State, the conservative estimate is that at least 20,108 people were sterilized though, “because of the sensitive nature of sterilization records, many are difficult to access or have been altered.”

...Am I alone in thinking that this historical information is relevant in light of the HHS Mandate and the push for “preventative services” that include sterilizations, birth-control pills, and abortions to all, regardless of whether some, such as the Catholic Church, and her allied hospitals and colleges, and Catholics in their own right, object to these practices?....How is this new level of coercion by the Federal government any less ham-handed than what is being described.... above?

A commenter, whose immigrant mother was pressured (at best) into being sterilized, writes, "As tears stream down my face, I know that I will have justice someday! They took my family away…"

Danielle Bean nails it:

Palin is both widely popular and widely despised for the same reasons. Those of us who recognize, respect, and celebrate the unique God-given strengths of women -- as nurturers, as relationship-builders, and as fierce protectors of children and other vulnerable human beings -- find an inspiring role model in Sarah Palin. She is a strong woman who finds joy in motherhood and a traditional family life,

[more...]

science catches up to Roe vs. Wade

HT:Mark Shea

From the Bishop of the Diocese of Arlington to his flock:

I invite you to take part in a day of prayer and fasting on Monday, March 15 for protecting the life, dignity, health and conscience rights of every human person in any legislation that Congress considers. I also invite Catholics to pray and fast for this intention beyond March 15.

In moments of concern and crisis, Catholic tradition through the centuries has unfailingly urged the faithful to turn to the spiritual aids of prayer and fasting in order to draw closer to our Lord and His will. Through these deliberate actions, we communicate a desire to avoid sin and unify ourselves with that which is right and good. I firmly believe that, working together while open to God’s wisdom, the citizens of our nation can respect the dignity of each human person both in law and in practice

The complete letter online

Great rant from Bride of Rove:

Have you ever wondered why abortion was eventually approved as the law of the land? It did not begin with Roe vs Wade. It did not begin with women’s rights advocates. It began in a far darker corner of the US legal system building precedent upon precedent. In Buck v Bell the following quote is on record:

“It is better for all the world if . . . society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind. The principle that sustains compulsory vaccination is broad enough to cover cutting the Fallopian tubes.”
~Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

The story is rather horrifying and you can google it yourself, but what I feel is the important thing people should understand if they did not get this in school is that, as the world wondered at the Origin of the Species and all that it meant for mankind and the planet, there were men and women who decided that natural selection was failing the human race and that, as brilliant, sentient beings, we could do better and that we were actually obligated to play god in the face of plague, poverty and hunger. Killing off the non-contributing members of society for the good of the workers was a kindness in the long run. This was common thinking. The class wars were not pleasant. Abortion was the sound of the educated classes winning round one.

She goes on to quote a letter written in 1992 by Ron Weddington, co-counsel in Roe v. Wade, to President Clinton:

“But you can start immediately to eliminate the barely educated, unhealthy and poor segment of our country. No, I’m, not advocating some, sort of mass extinction of these unfortunate people. Crime, drugs and disease are already doing that. The problem is that their numbers are not only replaced but increased by the birth of millions of babies to people who can’t afford to have babies. . There, I’ve said it. It’s what we all know is true, but we only whisper it, because as liberals who believe in individual rights, we view any program which might treat the disadvantaged differently as discriminatory, mean-spirited and…well…so Republican… . Condoms alone won’t do it. Depo-Provera, Norplant and the new birth control injection being developed in India are not a complete answer… . No, government is also going to have to provide vasectomies, tubal ligations and abortions…RU 486 and conventional abortions. Even if we make birth control as ubiquitous as sneakers and junk food, there will still be unplanned pregnancies. There have been about 30 million abortions in this country since Roe v. Wade. Think of all the poverty, crime and misery …and then add 30 million unwanted babies to the scenario… . We don’t need more cannon fodder. We don’t need more parishioners, We don’t need more cheap labor. We don’t need more poor babies”

RTWT. Eliminating poverty by eliminating the poor.

Good article on how the pro-life movement is bigger and broader than the media and political focus group stereotypes:

The group most important to contradicting mainstream presumption, in my view, are pro-life Democrats. The progressive liberalism dominating the Democratic Party, which includes a rigid litmus test for being “pro-choice,” is a formidable challenge for the pro-life movement, not to mention, an extreme political calculation on the part of Democrats. The conventional political assumption that people who have pro-life views on abortion are “conservative” is nonsense. If the Democratic Party wants to be successful, it will have to accommodate those with diverse views on this issue.

RTWT. Certain forked-tongued Catholics in public life have claimed that voting pro-life is imposing one's "personal beliefs" on others -- implying that those "personal beliefs" are particular religious beliefs and practices, that protecting unborn life is the equivalent of mandating meatless Fridays and the Apostle's Creed. The broad array of non-Catholic and non-religious groups shows just how silly that excuse is.

With lyrics by Bob the Trousered Ape:

It started with a post at Drawin Catholic:

I'm darkly amused by the picture of a pro-abortion counter-protestor to the March For Life carrying a sign which says, "Won't Get Laid Without Roe v. Wade". Why, precisely, does the bearer think that anyone else should be worried by this?

In the comments, then, one Kyle R. Cupp opined, "Such rhythm, such rhyme! Her sign could start the chorus of a hit pop song."

Like waving catnip in front of a cat...

I’m a girl with great ambition,
Dreaming of a high position:
Who would date a quarterback, a movie star, a politician;
But they don’t get a chance
Of a glance
Into my pants
Unless they meet my one condition,Which is:
They don’t get laid,
No they don’t get laid,
They don’t get laid without Roe v. Wade!

Cate Flanagan in TIME Magazine:

There is no other single force causing as much measurable hardship and human misery in this country as the collapse of marriage. It hurts children, it reduces mothers' financial security, and it has landed with particular devastation on those who can bear it least: the nation's underclass.

Two lovely links within that article:

Married 50 Years: TIME Photogallery

Snapshots from a Very Special Wedding

Let Mr. Kellemeyer show you how it's done:

For instance, I began to realize that the assertion, “I can have sex without wanting a child” was logically absurd. It’s like saying, “I can eat ice cream all day without wanting to get fat.” Sure, you can. But what does your "want" have to do with it? The biological reality was going to hit you either way.

I thought it was a good analogy, but I quickly discovered a flaw. Having sex was different from eating cupcakes all day. Every time I ate a cupcake, I added calories to my body. Every time. But it is not the case that every act of sex creates a child. The analogy wasn’t perfect.

I gnawed on that for awhile.

And I began to see… something

Something I didn’t expect.

Ultimately, it was this point - the point that sex does not always create children – that converted me back to the Faith.

This is what I saw.

Precisely because sex does not always create children, yet it always holds the promise of creating children, that sex stands for something greater than itself. Because sex is designed to produce children, yet does not always produce them, the act is transformed from a simple biological action into… there was no other word for it… poetry.

Because sex contains not a hard reality, but only a future promise, it becomes a promise, the promise of the man to the woman "I will be with you always, even if this does produce that for which it is designed."

And by this act, the man gives himself not just to the woman, he gives himself primarily to the not-yet-conceived child.

It was the poetic biology of the thing that snared me.

In the end, Ladies, real men are so much more appealing than punks who think women are good for one thing only.

This gem must have been written by 17-year old men for 17-year-old men, or at least the perpetual 17-year old men. The author, Isabella Snow, claims to be a woman, but for the life of me, I cannot imagine a woman selling out other women like this. Let's dissect this, shall we? C'mon, it'll be fun!

Dealing With An Uwanted Pregnancy

An unplanned and unwanted pregnancy can dramatically affect an otherwise loving long-term relationship. Some men rejoice, but others simply aren’t ready to be fathers. If they discussed the possibility and specifics at the start of the relationship, he may hope she’s going to stick to the original plan and terminate the pregnancy. And she might -- but for some women, getting pregnant can start clocks ticking and make them suddenly want to be mothers, despite previous agreements.

Guess what? They are mothers.

Prenatal prep: If possible, have this conversation at home while sitting together on the sofa.

Who writes this stuff? Got it? Sofa! Like the waiting room at the doc's office-bad. Dining room table-bad. Might bring to mind family dinners. Oh, don't do that thing where you get all your bros together and all gang up on her with you. She might catch on that this isn't about her. Taking her to Dave and Busters or Hooters-not good. She doesn't even like that place, Try Red Lobster and let her order what ever she wants. Even dessert. Chicks dig that kind of thing. That is if you can't do the whole "sofa thing".

When you’re ready to share your opinion, you’ll want to use a calm, steady tone. You’ll also want to take care with your word choice; pregnant women tend to feel like they’re carrying someone, as opposed to something, even if she is just a month or so pregnant.

Because they are.

Toss words like “it” around too many times, and she’s going to start feeling like she needs to defend “it” from you.

::snort:: Do this, Mr. Tool, and you're done. Take a long walk on a short pier. Fact is, if this is your intent, no matter how many crab legs at Red Lobster you buy, if you are asking her to kill her child so you can carry on doing who knows what...There are very few things that give women strength like love for their children. That pull you had on her, gone.

If you want her to really listen to you, paraphrase her own word usage.

Manipulate! The ends justify the means. Manipulate to get your way and what you want!!!

This is not the time to sugarcoat your true feelings. If you don’t want to be a father, you have every right to come out and say so.

Even though that was not what you were saying when you took the actions that made it possible to create this pregnancy.

Fatherhood will last for the rest of your life; if you’re not going to be able to cope with that, you need to make it clear so she can factor it into her decision-making process.

Let her know you totally plan on abandoning her and your child. Set the record straight. Be a man-er, well, you know a Bro (let's not go too far and use the 'm' word).

When giving your opinion, use phrases like “I need” instead of “I want.” This will be easier for her to process on an emotional level, and will also sound less demanding.

Again, manipulate her into to doing what you want, not what she wants!

A new baby means significant life changes: Food, diapers, medical care -- these things cost money you may not have. Who’s going to care for the baby while you’re working? Will you have to move to a new home? Will you have to sell your Harley and get a station wagon?

...

(This is a horrible article)

Take care that you don’t come across as whiny.

Because you're whining.

If you feel the need to make strong declarations, use words like “can’t” instead of “won’t.”

Even though "can't" means it's impossible and the truth is you simply "won't". Manipulate. Lie. Do what you gotta do, Bro.

If you’ve followed all of these steps and your woman decides to have the baby anyway, this does not mean you’re required to get married or move in together. You’ll probably want to provide for your child regardless, but if you’ve been clear about your intentions from the start, you are not obligated to contribute beyond what your conscience and the law expects of you. This was her decision, not yours, and the bulk of the responsibility is now hers.

After all your hard work, you still don't have to do the right thing just what the law forces you to do, which isn't much, so buck up little camper. Life ain't over. And you know what? You can use tales about how you take care of your kid to lure in the next woman. It works
.
I actually cannot believe there are articles such as these this day. Feminists, regardless of pro-life or pro-choice should be all over this. This article is not Dealing With an Unplanned Pregnancy. it's How to Get Your Girl to Do What You Want When You Can't Be Bothered. Disgusting.

HT:Jill Stanek

Or realistically, what can we do?

Via Jill Stanek:

From the LA Times, June 25:

President Obama suggested at a town hall event Wednesday night that one way to shave medical costs is to stop expensive and ultimately futile procedures performed on people who are about to die and don't stand to gain from the extra care.

Read that again. Obama was subtly promoting euthanasia...

In a nationally televised event at the White House, Obama said families need better information so they don't unthinkingly approve "additional tests or additional drugs that the evidence shows is not necessarily going to improve care."

He added: "Maybe you're better off not having the surgery, but taking the painkiller."

Please go read the Raving Theist's reaction about the president's statement at Dawn Patrol:

I have been part of the pro-life movement for five years now, and yes, I have "profound differences" with the pro-choice ideology and the devastation wrought by the abortion industry. But never have I remotely considered murder as an acceptable tactic.

The people I have worked with in helping abortion-minded women are the most compassionate and gentle I have even met. None of them have even engaged in or endorsed violence. The President's patronizing admonition that "Americans" -- i.e. pro-life Americans -- should not let their passions turn to homicide is deeply insulting. Far more people have been shot to death over parking disputes and fender benders than abortion differences, but the President does not mount the national stage to caution drivers to hold their guns in check every times such an incident occurs.

Dedicated pro-lifers all understand the hypocrisy in taking a life in the name of protecting life.

It's all about the photo op; the President got what he wanted. And as for "dialogue", what has Notre Dame as an institution done to clearly speak up for life, particularly in the actions-that-speak-louder-than-words line?

William McGurn:

In a letter to Notre Dame's Class of 2009, the university's president, the Rev. John Jenkins, stated that the honors for Mr. Obama do not indicate any "ambiguity" about Notre Dame's commitment to Catholic teaching on the sanctity of human life. The reality is that it was this ambiguity that the White House was counting on; this ambiguity that was furthered by the adoring reaction to Mr. Obama's visit; and this ambiguity that disheartens those working for an America that respects the dignity of life inside the womb....

With its billions in endowment and its prestigious name, Notre Dame ought to be in the lead here. But when asked for examples illuminating the university's unambiguous support for unborn life, [University spokesman] Mr. Brown could provide only four: help for pregnant students who want to carry their babies to term, student volunteer work for pregnant women at local shelters, prayer mentions at campus Masses, and lectures such as a seminar on life issues.

These are all well and good, but they also highlight the poverty of Notre Dame's institutional witness. At Notre Dame today, there is no pro-life organization -- in size, in funding, in prestige -- that compares with the many centers, institutes and so forth dedicated to other important issues ranging from peace and justice to protecting the environment. Perhaps this explains why a number of pro-life professors tell me they must not be quoted by name, lest they face career retaliation.

The one institute that does put the culture of life at the heart of its work, moreover -- the Center for Ethics and Culture -- doesn't even merit a link under the "Faith and Service" section on the university's Web site. The point is this: When Notre Dame doesn't dress for the game, the field is left to those like Randall Terry who create a spectacle and declare their contempt for civil and respectful witness.