The eight candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination were on stage in South Carolina last night, a “conversation” broadcast across the nation by MSNBC.

There were many interesting discussions of a wide range of issues, but the issue of greatest concern to us is the challenge of abortion. Each candidate affirmed his (or her) heartfelt fealty to the “sacred” Roe v. Wade decision. Barak Obama and Chris Dodd had opportunity to bemoan the “awful” ruling by the Supreme Court in the most recent Partial Birth Abortion decision. Dodd argued that the Court turned its back on women and their health by declaring it is unlawful to kill a baby while it is being born.

Several of the candidates were asked whether they would use an abortion “litmus test” in appointing judges. All said without apology or hesitation that candidates for the court would have to pass muster on Roe v. Wade.

And then three of the candidates were asked which of the current justices were their preferred “role model”, the person who best represented their notion of an ideal justice. All three, including John Edwards, named Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A shiver should have passed through the nation.

Justice Ginsburg is among the most radical ideologues to ever sit on the high court. Ginsburg’s primary preparation for service on the high court was her tenure as a leading attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union. She is guided not by the Constitution, but by her political interpretation of what the Constitution should say, and would say – IF the Founding Fathers had simply had her wisdom and insight into social and political challenges.

Here is a sample of Justice Ginsburg’s values, as exemplified by her rabid dissent in the Partial Birth Abortion decision:

“[Abortion rights are …] central to a woman’s autonomy to determine her
life’s course, and thus to enjoy equal citizenship stature.”

“[The majority’s thinking] reflects ancient notions about women’s place in
the family and under the Constitution – ideas that have long since been
discredited.”

Oddly enough, later in the debate, John Edwards was asked who came to mind as a key moral guidepost in his life. He stared for quite some time before mentioning several. Among them was his father. Edwards said his father had taught him the value of every single human life, regardless of age, race, creed, sexual orientation, etc. But, of course, Edwards is oblivious to his own betrayal of that principle by promoting the likes of Justice Ginsburg and her agenda of death for America.

Abortion advocates are delighted by the Dutch government’s decision to allow their “ship of death” to return to the high seas. This “abortion ship” travels to the shores of countries which protect preborn children. Women can travel out to the ship in order to kill their babies in international waters.

The vessel has been moored in Dutch waters since 2004, when the then-conservative government took steps to protect the world from this heinous exportation of death. But the Dutch recently elected a liberal government. And if there is one thing liberals across the globe agree on, it is that no opportunity for slaying preborn children should be missed. The abortion plague will therefore resume in places like Crete, which has withstood immense pressure from the socialists running Europe to legalize abortion. Other peoples plagued by this death-on-a-barge campaign include Latin America, Ireland and Poland.

The American Life League has been working for years to encourage America’s teens to take an active part in the battle for innocent life, which often involves teens at risk.

National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day was yesterday, the 5th annual.

Rock for Life organizer Erik Whittington is quoted as saying, “Now more than ever, the young of this country need to hear a strong pro-Life message.”

Nampa students were among those participating. 125 Jr. and Sr. high kids belonging to St. Paul’s Catholic Church wore t-shirts to various schools around the Treasure Valley. They carried the Gospel to Nampa High, Skyview, Columbia, Melba, Bishop Kelly and Capital high schools.

According to Pete Espil, Youth Minister at St. Paul’s, all the staff at St. Paul’s wore t-shirts as well. He encourages the youth group to take part in this national event each year.

Labels: American Life League, St. Paul's

Labels: health, PBA, Supreme Court

We reported last week on the painful story of little Emilio Gonzales, consigned by a Texas hospital in Austin to certain death. An “ethics” committee had voted to designate Emilio as “hopeless” and notified the family that they had ten days to find another hospital; otherwise, they would engage in a legalized killing of the 18 month old boy.

In the modern medical culture, this sort of thing is the epitome of reason. Those we have designated as experts should be empowered by society to decide who lives and dies. But for the rest of us – it is a spectacle of evil.

Apparently the case has shocked many Texans into realizing exactly how far into barbarism we have descended under the cover of “sophisticated” reasoning. Hearings are being held on a bill to repeal the current law on “futile care”, by requiring hospitals to find another caretaker for the patient in cases where they have concluded that treatment is not likely to result in recovery.

Sen. Bob Deuell, a physician, is the lead sponsor of SB 439. While pro-Life groups support the measure – many in the medical testimony have expressed public opposition. They accuse the pro-Life movement of using Emilio as a fundraising gimmick.

That is exactly the kind of arrogance which we all must battle.

We’ll let you know how far the measure gets this session.

Labels: Emilio, medical profession, Texas

Planned Parenthood in Portland convinced a majority of the Portland Development Commission to approve their plans to build a new regional headquarters in the heart of Portland’s black community. To make matters even more lamentable – their multimillion dollar operation will be located on Martin Luther King Boulevard.

But of course – Planned Parenthood denies that there is any sinister purpose or agenda behind its selection of a site. They aren’t really looking to pursue Margaret Sanger’s oft-stated solution for prejudice and poverty; it is entirely a coincidence that black abortion rates will climb.

If possible, the thinking of white commissioners is even more appalling: They received Planned Parenthood’s proposal as a matter of “sound economic development strategy” for the neighborhood. They welcomed the promise of 140 “high end” jobs, despite the fact that the building and operation will be financed in the blood of the innocent, all on city-owned property.

Opponents presented 1000 signatures from members of the surrounding community, urging the urban development to reject this sordid economic development strategy; but like many liberals, they assumed the common posture of knowing what’s best for their “wards”.

Commissioners also ignored the pleas of pro-Life activists. Carolyn Wendell of Voice of Catholics Advocating Life rebuked Planned Parenthood and the commissioners: “They are rich white people who say that they love the blacks, who give them the name of a street and then kill their children.”

In a page taken from other radical handbooks, Planned Parenthood is organizing and training cells of “activists” to patrol the aisles of America’s retail stores to ensure conformance with their political and social agenda.

The most immediate agenda is to ensure that every pharmacy in America provides “Emergency Contraception” – commonly known as the “Morning After Pill” or MAP.

Planned Parenthood’s cells are known as “Pill Patrols”, and are composed largely of college age girls who are trained to conduct spot raids on pharmacists and demand a supply of MAP. Those pharmacists who object or otherwise fail are reported to the mother organization for future retribution.

“We believe a woman should not have to leave a pharmacy without a prescription filled….” Said Daniel Kessler, with Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.

According to the Campus Press, the Pill Patrol has grown dramatically in the past two years, and now boasts as many as 3000 cadre nationwide.

The use of these shock troops was an essential part of the strategy used against Wal-Mart in forcing the marketing giant to stock the drugs, which can cause abortion by forcing a woman’s womb to reject a fertilized egg before it can implant in the uterine wall.

These folks have announced their next victim will be Target Stores. Given the left-wing agenda of Target’s parent company – it is difficult to imagine they will fail to get their way.

Labels: MAP, Pill Patrol, Wal-Mart

The ethics of abortion continue to spread across the entire medical profession. Indeed, there are those who see the Roe decision of the Supreme Court not so much as an edict legalizing abortion – but as an endorsement of another profession’s power and prerogatives to treat patients as they will.

Once upon a time in America, such deference and confidence may have been understandable; but the medical profession no longer feels bound by the ethics of the Hippocratic Oath. The collective ego of the profession could not stand the restraints and humility it necessarily implied.
As a consequence, lives are lost when doctors conclude they alone have the wisdom to tell the future; they alone are wise enough to determine which lives are worth living, which are worth saving.

In a drama playing out in Austin, Texas, a little toddler is fighting for his life against the wishes of the medical authorities of Children’s Hospital. Using the power granted them by the Texas Legislature, they have declared further treatment of little Emilio Gonzales to be “futile” – even though a clear diagnosis of his medical condition has yet to be determined. They have notified the boy’s mother that she has ten days to find another hospital willing to care for him, or they will pull him off food, water and a ventilator.

Doctors think the boy may have “Leigh’s Disease”, a life threatening condition. However, some of its victims live years. Emilio’s mother, Catarina, has told the press that she is well aware of the fact that there is not yet a cure for the condition: “But I want him to die when God calls him, not when someone pulls the plug.”

Emilio’s mother took the hospital to court. A judge yesterday issued a temporary “stay of execution” for the toddler.

Let us join her in praying for his life and the repentance of an arrogant and increasingly corrupt medical profession.

Labels: Emilio, medical profession

The Family Research Council reports that the U.S. Senate will begin debating Senate Bill 5 as early as tomorrow. This legislation, sponsored by Tom Harkin and Harry Reid, would declare open season on harvesting cells from human babies, using your tax dollars to pay those doing the killing.

The harvesting of cells from human embryos is currently legal in the United States, a by-product of our Death Culture. This fight involves how many of us will be compromised by the practice. Reid’s legislation would tear down the barriers erected by President Bush in the summer of 2001.

You can help defend preborn children by encouraging Senators Crapo and Craig to oppose Senate Bill 5. You can reach them through the capitol switchboard: 202.224.3121. These gentlemen have fought for the innocent many times during their careers, but it is important for them to know we are paying attention and appreciate their efforts.

Last week, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor delivered an extraordinary speech at Southern Methodist University. She voiced her “concern” about the rising criticism of federal judges by those not in the elite club.

She went on to say that she has “grown weary” of partisan attacks on judges, believing that the public criticisms are undermining citizens’ confidence and faith in the judicial system.

One is safe in assuming that it has never crossed Ms. O’Connor’s mind to reflect on the judiciary’s role in the growing conflict. That is pretty disturbing given the crucial role she has played in using the power of the judiciary to undermine basic morality and the American family. Her pivotal role in defending Roe v. Wade is probably the clearest and most readily accessible example. But there are hundreds more available.

Members of the federal judiciary once understood that a system of constitutional democracy required judges to operate with extreme restraint when interfering with the decisions and values of Congress and the state legislatures as they strive to serve constituents. Even Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, a classic liberal who served on the Supreme Court in the first part of this century, recognized the dangers to America when judges read particular political or economic theory into the constitution; he believed the Constitution required complete deference to the legislatures – except in blatant cases where representative bodies violated explicit rights articulated in the Constitution.

Those days are long gone. Now it seems most members of the federal judiciary feel empowered to serve as a third house of Congress, with veto entitlements because of their superior wisdom.

Not only is O’Connor’s denial disturbing – but we should take some umbrage from her tone. Apparently she is more than annoyed with the great unwashed for failing to appreciate all that she and her colleagues have done to us.

The California Catholic Daily reports that LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a professed Catholic, was just “honored” at big Planned Parenthood banquet in Los Angeles for his role in helping defeat a Parental Notification measure on last year’s ballot.

Mr. Villaraigosa recorded radio spots for Hispanic voters, urging them to reject the proposal – endorsed by the Catholic clergy of the state. Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles made specific appeals to Hispanic Catholics, urging them to support the measure.

But polling data indicates that it was His Honor the Mayor who carried the day. Hispanic support melted, which proved decisive in defeating the measure.

Tragically, Cardinal Mahony is partly responsible for the mayor’s credibility among Hispanic voters. The Cardinal led an “interfaith service” honoring Villaraigosa on the eve of his inauguration, going so far as to lead a procession from the Cathedral to the steps of City Hall – all in honor of Villaraigosa’s inauguration as mayor of Los Angeles.

Villaraigosa's award was given at a big LA fundraiser for Planned Parenthood Federation of America. It was hosted by some Hollywood types, including Lauren Graham, Neil Patrick Harris and Stanley Tucci.

Villaraigosa must be quite the politician. After all – not many folks are simultaneously honored by the Catholic Church and Planned Parenthood. But perhaps it is the Cardinal of Los Angeles who is the master politician.

Labels: Catholic Church, Villaraigosa

A report by movie pundits indicates that the movie, “Amazing Grace” is continuing to have a strong showing in American and English theaters. According to a movie spokesman, the film has garnered about $16 million from ticket sales in America, as of last week.

I’ve had the honor to see the film, which follows the struggle of William Wilberforce to abolish slavery during the 19th century. Dozens of times he presented bills before parliament to ban the evil. And dozens of times he was outmaneuvered by those powerful interests which had developed around the capturing and selling of human beings for profit. The film makes clear, without being too preachy, that Wilberforce was driven by his Christian faith to press those around him to confront the evil.

In fact, early in the film Wilberforce is shown struggling with the question of whether his profound and fresh faith would take him out of politics; whether it would not be preferable to spend his time in prayer, praise and contemplation of the Gospel. A good friend, John Newton, challenges him to use his faith as his sword and shield in the battle for God’s creatures. (Newton, a former slave trader, was haunted throughout his life by the images of those people he helped trade and even kill; his enduring legacy to the Faith is the great anthem, Amazing Grace.)

It was difficult to watch the film without seeing over-powering analogies with our current battle against abortion.

There is a scene, for example, when Wilberforce has a group of well-to-do Londoners aboard a ship for a nice evening of music, dinner and fundraising to help finance his campaign. After the group has well supped, the boat pauses in front of a slave ship moored at the dock. Wilberforce shows his guests the chains and blood stains seeped into the wood; the stench from the cargo hold is overpowering, even at a distance.

It reminded me of any number of our fundraising events, where the social pleasantries are rudely interrupted to talk with our friends about the gruesome business of children being mawed to death by an insatiable Abortion Industry.

I don’t want to spoil any more of the film for those who haven’t had a chance to see it. But I certainly want to encourage our readers to take the time to soak-up a powerful story of God’s mighty grace and how He used a relatively small band of warriors to intervene in human affairs for the purpose of establishing justice.

- David Ripley

Labels: Amazing grace