LifeNet

Planned Parenthood took notice of Yonkers "Respect Life Week" proclamation

Someone from Planned Parenthood maintains a blog entitled Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic on myspace.com and left a miffed little comment in her January 22nd posting.

According to the info on the blog, it is is maintained by a female, single, who was 75 years old when the blog started in October, 2006 (it says she's a capricorn).

Further confirmation that while the pro-abortion forces are aging, prolifers are getting younger and younger! Tom Faranda's Folly: Activist youths in Washington for March for Life and A Youthful Throng Marches Against Abortion - washingtonpost.com

(FULL DISCLOSURE: The average age of the people who maintain this weblog is about 52!)

Here's the PP blog - scroll down to January 22nd. If you leave a comment (nobody else does - it must not get read much) be polite.

MySpace.com Blogs - Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic MySpace Blog - Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic

Only supplier of abortion pill to the U.S. implicated in tainted drug scandal.

A Chinese pharmaceutical firm. Is this a surprise?

Tainted Drugs Tied to Maker of Abortion Pill - New York Times

BEIJING — A huge state-owned Chinese pharmaceutical company that exports to dozens of countries, including the United States, is at the center of a nationwide drug scandal after nearly 200 Chinese cancer patients were paralyzed or otherwise harmed last summer by contaminated leukemia drugs.

Chinese drug regulators have accused the manufacturer of the tainted drugs of a cover-up and have closed the factory that produced them. In December, China’s Food and Drug Administration said that the Shanghai police had begun a criminal investigation and that two officials, including the head of the plant, had been detained.

The drug maker, Shanghai Hualian, is the sole supplier to the United States of the abortion pill, mifepristone, known as RU-486. It is made at a factory different from the one that produced the tainted cancer drugs, about an hour’s drive away.

The United States Food and Drug Administration declined to answer questions about Shanghai Hualian, because of security concerns stemming from the sometimes violent opposition to abortion. But in a statement, the agency said the RU-486 plant had passed an F.D.A. inspection in May. “F.D.A. is not aware of any evidence to suggest the issue that occurred at the leukemia drug facility is linked in any way with the facility that manufactures the mifepristone,” the statement said.

>>>>>>>

One major pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, declined to buy drug ingredients from Shanghai Pharmaceutical Group because of quality-related issues, said Christopher Loder, a Pfizer spokesman. In 2006, Pfizer agreed to evaluate Shanghai Pharmaceutical Group’s “capabilities” as an ingredient supplier, but so far the company “has not met the standards required by Pfizer,” Mr. Loder said in a statement.

Because of opposition from the anti-abortion movement, the F.D.A. has never publicly identified the maker of the abortion pill for the American market. The pill was first manufactured in France, and since its approval by the F.D.A. in 2000 it has been distributed in the United States by Danco Laboratories. Danco, which does not list a street address on its Web site, did not return two telephone calls seeking comment.

Problems with the cancer drugs first surfaced last summer after leukemia patients received injections of one cancer drug, methotrexate. ...

Off the Washington Post/Newsweek weblog: "A Jesuit's Perspective on Abortion"

The author is a Jesuit preparing for ordination, and a physician. Crucial point about people dissenting from Catholic/Christian teachings, without being able to explain the teaching!

On Faith: Guest Voices: A Jesuit's Perspective on Abortion

... A further note on killing the other person: As a practicing physician licensed to care for pregnant women, I believe that abortions kill a living human being in the earliest stages of development. The moral question at hand is not if we are killing; it is whether the victims have any claims as persons or not. While the U.S. legal balance is at present skewed towards the denial of rights for the unborn, Catholics and many Evangelical Christians argue that both the mother and the unborn have rights. On a spiritual level, a woman seeking an abortion should recognize that exercising her “choice” will kill a vulnerable and defenseless human being. There is no doubt about this. There is also no doubt that an action can be legal and at the same time be wrong.

Final point, we kill the Church when, in ignorance, we hold it up to ridicule. Last Spring, I asked several medical students in a seminar whether they rejected Catholic teachings regarding reproduction and artificial contraception. Several raised their hands. I prompted them to articulate the position and to give their critique of it. Conversation languished for some while. None in that group of graduating physicians had an answer, yet these well-educated role models were willing to publicly disagree with an argument they could not explain. At a recent Christmas party, a gentlemen identifying himself as a Catholic biologist was railing for research that would result in the death of frozen human embryos. He justified the exploitation, “because they are just sitting there.” I advised him that the Church’s reverence for the protected status of a human person is not based on level of activity but on an intrinsic dignity. He agreed to consider that.

In conversations about abortion we can turn away from the purpose of our being when we entertain malicious thoughts. We kill when we speak unholy words, or physically attack the other person. We kill our children when we abort, terminate, or “get rid of” them. We can kill the Church if we dissent in ignorance from the teachings of its experts and legitimate authorities. Following a reflection such as this upon our failings, it is good to look at the way in which we turn towards God. In this case it shall be to consider how we appropriately love ourselves, the other person and the Church. ...

Governor Spitzer is God

Or thinks he is.

Having put $600 million dollars in the New York State budget for stem cell research (embryological stem cell research) he then appointed a very diverse ethics committee to make proposals for how to use the taxpayer funds. The committee made a unanimous recommendation to defer decisions on creating new embryo stem cell lines for six months, while allowing funding for embryo stem cell lines that are already in existence.

The governor (and his funding committee) rejected his own created committee's unanimous recommendation.

Spitzer is God all right. Moloch.

Enhancing ethics in the New York state stem-cell debate | lohud.com | The Journal News

The ethics committee is extremely diverse in its views about these substantive issues. Nonetheless, we unanimously recommended to the funding committee that while this first RFA could permit research on existing human embryonic stem cell lines under current national or international guidelines, funding should not cover the creation of new embryonic stem cell lines or undertake the controversial activities listed above until the ethics committee had the opportunity to deliberate and make solid recommendations. The ethics committee made clear that this brief moratorium did not represent its considered substantive judgment, and that it would make definitive recommendations within six months. What mattered to the ethics committee was that ethics mattered.

On Dec. 13, the funding committee rejected the ethics committee's call for a temporary moratorium, arguing that it would "send the wrong message to scientists." On Jan. 7, Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced that the first round of funding had been awarded.

We believe it is the ESSCB funding committee's decision that sends the wrong message - that the discussion of research ethics should not encumber the work of scientists. That is a dangerous position. It can invite a backlash of public opposition even to impeccable science. The New York legislation places authority in the hands of the funding committee (which consists largely of scientists and advocates), to which the ethics committee is purely advisory. That advice can have real force, however, if it has the backing of public sentiment. All meetings of the ESSCB and its committees are public, webcast, and archived. The people of New York state deserve a serious ethical review of how their $600 million will be spent in a valuable but controversial field of research. We call on the public to assist us in our efforts to assure a serious ethical review of this research by following and joining this deliberation.

Or thinks he is.

Having put $600 million dollars in the New York State budget for stem cell research (embryological stem cell research) he then appointed a very diverse ethics committee to make proposals for how to use the taxpayer funds. The committee made a unanimous recommendation to defer decisions on creating new embryo stem cell lines for six months, while allowing funding for embryo stem cell lines that are already in existence.

The governor (and his funding committee) rejected his own created committee's unanimous recommendation.

Spitzer is God all right. Moloch.

Enhancing ethics in the New York state stem-cell debate | lohud.com | The Journal News

The ethics committee is extremely diverse in its views about these substantive issues. Nonetheless, we unanimously recommended to the funding committee that while this first RFA could permit research on existing human embryonic stem cell lines under current national or international guidelines, funding should not cover the creation of new embryonic stem cell lines or undertake the controversial activities listed above until the ethics committee had the opportunity to deliberate and make solid recommendations. The ethics committee made clear that this brief moratorium did not represent its considered substantive judgment, and that it would make definitive recommendations within six months. What mattered to the ethics committee was that ethics mattered.

On Dec. 13, the funding committee rejected the ethics committee's call for a temporary moratorium, arguing that it would "send the wrong message to scientists." On Jan. 7, Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced that the first round of funding had been awarded.

We believe it is the ESSCB funding committee's decision that sends the wrong message - that the discussion of research ethics should not encumber the work of scientists. That is a dangerous position. It can invite a backlash of public opposition even to impeccable science. The New York legislation places authority in the hands of the funding committee (which consists largely of scientists and advocates), to which the ethics committee is purely advisory. That advice can have real force, however, if it has the backing of public sentiment. All meetings of the ESSCB and its committees are public, webcast, and archived. The people of New York state deserve a serious ethical review of how their $600 million will be spent in a valuable but controversial field of research. We call on the public to assist us in our efforts to assure a serious ethical review of this research by following and joining this deliberation.

Text of President Bush's remarks to March for Life assembly

Text of President Bush's Remarks on Abortion to March for Life Participants

Here's an excerpt:

I see people with a deep conviction that even the most vulnerable member of the human family is a child of God. You're here because you know that all life deserves to be protected. And as you begin your march, I'm proud to be standing with you. (Applause.)

Thirty-five years ago today the United States Supreme Court declared and decided that under the law an unborn child is not considered a person. But we know many things about the unborn. Biology confirms that from the start each unborn child is a separate individual with his or her own genetic code. Babies can now survive outside the mother's womb at younger and younger ages. And the fingers and toes and beating hearts that we can see on an unborn child's ultrasound come with something that we cannot see: a soul. (Applause.)

Today we're heartened -- we're heartened by the news that the number of abortions is declining. But the most recent data reports that more than one in five pregnancies end in an abortion. America is better than this, so we will continue to work for a culture of life where a woman with an unplanned pregnancy knows there are caring people who will support her; where a pregnant teen can carry her child and complete her education; where the dignity of both the mother and child is honored and cherished.

We aspire to build a society where each one of us is welcomed in life and protected in law. We haven't arrived, but we are making progress. Here in Washington we passed good laws that promote adoption and extend legal protection to children who are born despite abortion attempts. We came together to ban the cruel practice of partial birth abortion. (Applause.) And in the past year we have prevented that landmark law from being rolled back.

We've seen the dramatic breakthroughs in stem cell research that it is possible to advance medical science while respecting the sanctity of life. (Applause.) Building a culture of life requires more than law; it requires changing hearts. And as we reach out to others and find common ground, we can see the glimmerings of a new America on a far shore. This America is rooted in our belief that in a civilized society, the strong protect the weak. This America is nurtured by people like you, who speak up for the weak and the innocent. This America is the destiny of a people whose founding document speaks of the right to life that is a gift of our Creator, not a grant of the state. (Applause.)

Hudson Valley at '08 March for Life

Huge turnout and from our perspective, unprecedented enthusiasm and passion. We received pretty solid press coverage from The Journal News and Washington Post. Virtually no coverage in The NY Times. http://hvcljournal.typepad.com/lifenet/2008/01/journal-news-co.html

Here's a vivid reminder of why we are in the streets!

Our trip took about 6 hours. Here's a group of teens from Wisconsin - a 20 plus hour trip.

Veteran pro-life attorney John Broderick with his son. John was his usual gregarious self when we chatted with him.

Here's a reminder that Norma McCorvey is now pro-life and a Catholic Christian.

Silent No More. Can you see the Franciscan priest in the first picture? He gave his moving testimony in front of the Supreme Court. Dr. Alveda King, niece of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. marched and spoke of her post-abortion experience.

The Rabbis...

St. Teresa of Avila from Sleepy Hollow and St. Ann's from Ossining.

There was a LARGE contingent from Belmont Abbey College, a Benedictine school.

For several years the March has been attracting contingents from other countries.

Two unexpected marchers and a reminder of what is at stake in the next election.

The March heads up the hill on Constitution Avenue toward the Supreme Court.

Here's the view back down Constitution Avenue from the rise.

Lorraine Simmons (center of frame with blue pro-life button) is President of the Holy Name of Mary Parish Council in Croton-on-Hudson.

A view from the Russell Senate Office Building onto Constitution Avenue.

Cardinal Gibbons from North Carolina had two buses of students. The second photo shows a passionate group from Chicago.

On the trip back home we always ask students to give us their impressions of the day. Four young women spoke...

Rosemary Tirone and George Muto were Bus Captains on the "adult" bus. Here's Rose.

Never been a better March. Our day closed with a beautiful rainbow filling the skies and a full moon shining to guide us home safely. We thank all for their presence, financial support and prayers.

Fr. Euteneuer, President of HLI, on the March for Life

The March for Life and the Religion of Abortion 

It goes without saying that the annual March for Life is one of the most exciting and unifying events in the international movement to defend life. 100,000+ pro-lifers converged on our nation's capital this week, more than half of whom were under the age of 25, and declared that the slaughter of the innocents is never going to be accepted as a permanent institution in our nation. Abortion-promoters would be hard-pressed to show the world that they could sustain such a massive public movement in their favor for 35 straight years. I can only say, "Bravo!" to all the people - especially the kids - who made great sacrifices to join us in Washington this week.

It also goes without saying that the little tin gods in the media did their level best to ignore and obfuscate this colossal event. ...

>>>>>>

Not to be outdone by the godless media, the Planned Parenthood in Schenectady, NY also staged its own drama of the absurd. They dedicated a new 18,000 square foot killing center that day and had three members of the abortion "clergy" come out and "bless" it! What I have always said about abortion as a demonic religion was on graphic display in NY as we were marching for life in DC. Two "ministers" came to do the blessing from a "reformed" church - their view of "reform" is obviously different than ours. The (male) reverend used the occasion to proudly announce a new doctrine to the three dozen devotees of sacred abortion: the right to privacy is endowed by God, he said. Now, we cannot even find the "right to privacy" in the US Constitution and yet this fellow makes a new religious right out of whole cloth. Don't ask the demonic religion for a good grounding in history or logic. The other abortion clergyman was a rabbi who blew the shofar as a way to show support for reproductive rights. Our friend Rabbi Yehuda Levin who blows the shofar most years at the March for Life will have a field day with that one.

The most absurd aspect of the blessing ceremony, however, was when the Rev. Larry Phillips of Schenectady's Emmanuel-Friedens Church led the congregation outside to lay hands on the brick and mortar and to declare that the killing center was "sacred ground." Ugh. The hierarchy (Planned Parenthood), the acolytes (clinic workers), the congregation (supporters) and the ministers were all at the abortion temple that day worshipping the god of abortion. And the demons were so pleased.

St. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6 that our battle is not against flesh and blood. It is against the principalities and powers of this world of darkness. The darkness is spreading, but the Light of Christ shines forth in all those wonderful kids and their parents that showed the world that life will win in the end.

"The light shines on in darkness, a darkness that did not overcome it." (Jn 1:5)

Journal News and Washington Post coverage of the March for Life

The local Gannett newspaper sent a reporter to the March for Life - she travelled by bus with a Rockland County contingent.

Her article was pretty solid -

D.C. anti-abortion rally on Roe-Wade 35th | lohud.com | The Journal News

Hundreds of Rockland and Westchester residents participated in yesterday's 35th annual March for Life, which is held to mourn and oppose the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision - the landmark 1973 case that gave women the legal right to have abortions.

The counties' activists, who boarded buses as early as 5:30 a.m. to attend the rally, appeared to be swallowed among the massive throngs that gathered on the Ellipse just south of the White House. There, a flood of brightly colored signs esteeming life and denouncing abortion peppered the overcast skies.

>>>>>>

President Bush, whose telephoned remarks were broadcast over loudspeakers, gave his support to the protesters.

"You believe, as I do, that every human life has value, that the strong have a duty to protect the weak," he said, "and that the self-evident truths of the Declaration of Independence apply to everyone, not just to those considered healthy or wanted or convenient.

"These principles call us to defend the sick and the dying, persons with disabilities and birth defects, all who are weak and vulnerable, especially unborn children."

After Bush, legislators from throughout the nation spoke, encouraging attendees to elect a president this year who is against abortion.

>>>>>>

Rosemary Eshghi, 54, of Chappaqua said anti-abortion views are a priority when she considers a presidential candidate.

"I've always voted pro-life," she said. "I don't vote for the person who's most likely to win. I vote for the person who I believe in my heart should have that position and who is also pro-life."

Judith Anderson, co-director of the Hudson Valley Coalition for Life, said yesterday's turnout was the best she had ever seen.

"I've never seen so many young people, and the energy was phenomenal," she said.

Anderson said significant support from teenagers was a telling sign of Roe v. Wade's impact.

"This coming generation has seen the pain of Roe v. Wade," she said. "They've seen the devastation and they've seen it isn't helping women at all. They understand that Roe is a lie and it needs to be overturned."

The Washington Post also did solid reporting of the March, including an excellent picture -

A Youthful Throng Marches Against Abortion - washingtonpost.com

Tens of thousands of abortion opponents took to the cold, gray streets of Washington yesterday, buoyed by a recent report that the number of abortions in the United States had hit the lowest level in years and vowing to continue the fight.

Many of the participants in the March for Life were young people, many from religious clubs and church-run schools from as far away as Ohio, Texas and Tennessee. The march has been held each year since 1974 to protest the Supreme Court's Jan. 22, 1973, decision that most laws against abortion violate a constitutional right to privacy.

In many ways, the march resembled a gigantic pep rally, with smiling teenagers in matching scarves or sweat shirts holding school banners high as they moved along Constitution Avenue NW toward the Supreme Court. But the individual signs they clutched told of their commitment to a cause: "Give Life, Don't Take It" and "Your Mother Was Pro-Life."

"It's illegal to kill someone walking down the street, so it should be illegal to kill someone in the womb," said Topher Boehm, 17, a member of the Pro-Life Club at the Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas. "This is the social justice issue of our era, and I want to do something about it."

Kelsey Wilson, 16, and Michelle Caulder, 17, along with their group from a Catholic church in Indianapolis, waved "Defend Life" signs as they maneuvered through the crush of people. This was their third Washington march, and they plan to keep coming, they said, until abortions are outlawed.

"I think abortion is wrong. People have reasons why they think it's right," Caulder said. "But it's wrong all the time."

Amazingly - or perhaps not so amazingly - the NY Times did not have any of their own coverage of the event. They simply posted an AP story on their website - Thousands Protest Roe V. Wade Decision - New York Times

Respect Life Week Declared in Yonkers, 4th largest city in NY State, by Mayor Phil Amicone

With over 100 supporters attending, Mayor Amicone did not mince any words in his support for the right to life of the unborn. His words emphasized the necessity of supporting women in crisis situations while working to change our culture, seeking common ground along the way.

The conference was held on the steps of City Hall, with everyone braving the miserably cold weather. Robert Astorino, former Legislator of the Westchester County Board who ran for County Executive against Andy Spano was present, standing to the Mayor's left below.

The press conference was covered by Channel 12.

Facilitator and master of ceremonies was Dr. Elizabeth Rex, founder and President of The Children First Foundation, an organization that promotes safe havens and promotes adoption through fund-raising and the purchase of  "Choose Life" license plates.

Pediatrician Lisa Marrero, M.D., representing the Pregnancy Care Center, spoke wonderfully on the need to support women in crisis pregnancies. She is an early recipient of the Mott-Stanton-Anthony Award at the annual Women's Equality Day Reformed ceremony in White Plains.

Colleen Barry of Silent No More also spoke, representing women who've had abortions and who are now speaking out in defense of life in the womb while offering support and healing to other women who have suffered abortion's aftermath.

Pastor William Norman, Sr., of the Yonkers Solid Rock Christian Church spoke to the requirement of Christians to promote the right to life message.

John Margand (no picture, unfortunately) represented Healthy Respect, and explained the role of abstinence education and chastity in cultivating a proper understanding of human sexuality and good decision making for young people for a lifetime of health and happiness.

Mayor Amicone then read the Yonkers proclamation declaring January 20th the beginning of Respect Life Week in Yonkers, and presented the Proclamation to Elizabeth Rex, representing the many pro-life groups attending, including Tony Felicissimo and Advocates of Life.

 

Great job by Yonkers Pro-lifers! And kudos to Mayor Phil Amicone. Here's a last picture of about 3/4 of the attendees who also heard the Mayor read President Bush's National Sanctity of Life Day comments LifeNet: President Bush - Sanctity of human life day. The Mayor remarked that our day of commemoration was set before the President's!

   

March for Life Vigil and the Rev. Dr. King

Tomorrow, January 22, thousands will gather in Washington, D.C. for the March for Life on the saddest of anniversaries, the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.

In the 35 years since, we have lost over 47 million unborn children to the abortionist's scalpel or to chemical or ingestible abortifacients. The reality of pain for mothers and fathers is no less horrific.

The Rally at Noon at the Washington Mall will hear numerous speakers in defense of human life. Nellie Gray, the March for Life's founder, has presided over this event annually. President Bush traditionally speaks via remote to the gathered crowd. After the hour-long rally, the March down Constitution Avenue ends at the Supreme Court where participants gather and speak or pray for awhile. Some then visit Legislative offices to demand their representatives end the grave social injustice that is legalized abortion in America.

Were he alive, the Reverend (a title too easily dropped these days) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would be with us, we have no doubt. His niece, Dr. Alveda King, is with us in this cause. She is a prominent pro-life spokesperson for the post-abortive group, Silent No More, after being twice post-abortive herself. Silent No More will be speaking near the steps at the Supreme Court later in the day.

The Rev. Dr. King's life and witness was informed by his faith. You heard and saw it in his every word and every action. This fact, too many would rather ignore. It does not fit easily with current secular notions of the power and place of moral witness in the public square. The Rev. Dr. King's courageous voice was an exception. Why?

The Rev. Dr. King spoke of the dignity of human life, no matter the color of one's skin. He marched non-violently for the full civil rights of disenfranchised Americans. That is what the March for Life does, too. Without a doubt, all march for the millions of Americans who have been targeted for death because of their "inconvenience" to another, and because of their vulnerability in the womb. Slavery was understood as an attack on human dignity. Abortion is slavery revisited, where human beings are again seen as property to be discarded, not persons to be welcomed. Today rights are denied not just because of the color of one's skin but because of one's inability to speak or defend oneself at the beginning stages of human development, or near its end.

Dr. King spoke passionately about the potential of every child. Would he not speak for pre-born children, especially in the African-American community who are targeted for abortion statistically higher than others? He would. Would he not march with us and rouse us to action on their behalf with his resonant religious cadence? He would. Perhaps those who now deny life in the womb, would not deny the Rev. Dr. King's plea for equal justice under the law. Perhaps he would help overturn Roe v. Wade or promote a Human Life Amendment to the Constitution.

Perhaps. After all, the King legacy is a legacy of hope.

President Bush - Sanctity of human life day

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release January 18, 2008

NATIONAL SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE DAY, 2008

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, we recognize that each life has inherent dignity and matchless value, and we reaffirm our steadfast determination to defend the weakest and most vulnerable members of our society. America was founded on the belief that all men are created equal and have an inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and our country remains committed to upholding that founding principle. Since taking office, I have signed legislation to help protect life at all stages, and my Administration will continue to encourage adoption, fund abstinence education and crisis pregnancy programs, and support faith-based groups. Today, as our society searches for new ways to ease human suffering, we must pursue the possibilities of science in a manner that respects the sacred gift of life and upholds our moral values. Our Nation has made progress in its efforts to protect human life, and we will strive to change hearts and minds with compassion and decency. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day and throughout the year, we help strengthen the culture of life in America and work for the day when every child is welcomed in life and protected in law.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Sunday, January 20, 2008, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon all Americans to recognize this day with appropriate ceremonies and to underscore our commitment to respecting and protecting the life and dignity of every human being.

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

GEORGE W. BUSH

# # #

Human cloning now a reality

Pretty awful. Go here.

Mature Human Embryos Created From Adult Skin Cells - washingtonpost.com

Creation of the embryos -- grown from cells taken from the company's chief executive and one of its investors -- also offered sobering evidence that few, if any, technical barriers may remain to the creation of cloned babies. That reality could prompt renewed controversy on Capitol Hill, where the debate over human cloning has died down of late.

Five of the new embryos grew in laboratory dishes to the stage that fertility doctors consider ready for transfer to a woman's womb: a degree of development that clones of adult humans have never achieved before.

>>>>>>

The closely held company hopes to make embryos that are clones, or genetic twins, of patients, then harvest stem cells from those embryos and grow them into replacement tissues. When transplanted into patients, the tissues would not be rejected because the immune system would see them as "self."

"All our efforts are being directed toward personalized medicine and diseases," said Wood, adding that the scientists did not try to extract stem cells from the first embryos they made because they were focused on proving they could make the clones.

Other stem cell scientists expressed optimism but said they want to see the work repeated and more details presented.

"I'd really like to believe it, but I'm not sold yet," said Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) in Worcester, Mass. He said the report did not show the results of molecular tests that scientists typically do to prove that the cloning process was complete. He and George Daley, a stem cell scientist at Children's Hospital Boston, said the embryos look only marginally healthy in photos.

The work is the latest evidence, however, that the field is recovering from the scientific and public relations debacle of 2005, when similar claims by South Korean scientists proved to have been fabricated.

Nevertheless, opponents of research on human embryos lashed out at the approach.

"This study seems to confirm that human cloning . . . is technically possible," said Richard Doerflinger of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "It does not show that a viable or normal embryonic stem cell line can be derived this way, or that any such cell has 'therapeutic' value. It does not answer the ethical or social questions about the mass-production of developing human lives in order to destroy them. . . . It only tells us that these questions are more urgent than ever."

****

In the new work, the team took skin cells -- some from Wood's arm and some from an anonymous Stemagen investor -- and fused them to eggs from women who were donating their eggs to help infertile women. About one-quarter of the resulting clones, or five in all, developed into five-day-old blastocysts.

Wood said the key was that his lab is directly adjacent to a fertility clinic with which the company has an arrangement, so his team obtained the eggs within an hour or so of when they were retrieved from the women's ovaries.

And although researchers are typically given the poorest quality "leftover" eggs from fertility patients, donors in this experiment -- and the women for whom those eggs were intended -- agreed to give away several of the best eggs because, in each case, they had far more than were needed.

"They are the heroes in this," Wood said. "Think about it. You're spending $25,000 [trying to get pregnant], and you're giving some of those eggs away."

****

Asked what it was like to look at embryos that were replicas of himself, Wood said: "I have to admit, it's a very strange feeling. It is very difficult to look at an embryo and realize it is what you were a few decades ago. It is you, in a way."

Here's how it was done.

As January 22nd March for Life approaches

Amy Welborn on her new weblog has a number of links to sites covering the March, as well as the west coast Walk for Life, and other related events.

As January 22 approaches « Charlotte was Both

Also, here is about the best article around on the new abortion statistics, showing a continuing drop in the abortion rate.

CAVEAT: Remember the statistics and much of the commentary in the article come from the Alan Guttmacher Institute, a propaganda subsidiary of Planned Parenthood.

Abortions down 25% from peak - Los Angeles Times

In the early 1980s, nearly 1 in 3 pregnant women chose abortion. The most recent data show that proportion is closer to 1 in 5.

"That's a significant drop, and it's encouraging," said Randall K. O'Bannon, director of education and research for the antiabortion group National Right to Life.

>>>>>>

The research was conducted by the Guttmacher Institute, a New York-based nonprofit that focuses on reproductive issues. The institute supports abortion rights and has received funding in the past from Planned Parenthood. Abortion opponents, however, generally view its statistics as reliable.

The Guttmacher report came to no conclusions about why the abortion landscape had changed. But that didn't stop activists on both sides from speculating -- and using the data to press their political agendas.

Rising birth rate in U.S. is reported as bad news by Associated Press

Here's another example of major media bias -

Against the Trend, U.S. Births Way Up

The nearly 4.3 million births in 2006 were mostly due to a bigger population, especially a growing number of Hispanics. That group accounted for nearly one-quarter of all U.S. births. But non-Hispanic white women and other racial and ethnic groups were having more babies, too.

An Associated Press review of birth numbers dating to 1909 found the total number of U.S. births was the highest since 1961, near the end of the baby boom. An examination of global data also shows that the United States has a higher fertility rate than every country in continental Europe, as well as Australia, Canada and Japan. Fertility levels in those countries have been lower than the U.S. rate for several years, although some are on the rise, most notably in France.

Experts believe there is a mix of reasons: a decline in contraceptive use, a drop in access to abortion, poor education and poverty.

That's right! If only there was more contracepting and aborting of all those stupid, poor people, we'd all be a lot better off. What an exposition of the Culture of Death!

Yonkers Mayor Amicone declares week of January 20th Respect Life Week

It will be very helpful to get as many people as possible to the Mayor's press conference this Sunday.

A FIRST FOR YONKERS!!!   Yonkers
Mayor Philip Amicone will, by Mayoral Proclamation, declare the week of
January 20th as Respect Life Week in the city of Yonkers.  He will be
holding a press conference outside the steps of City Hall at 40 South
Broadway THIS Sunday, January 20 at 2 p.m.  The Mayor's staff has requested
that we try to get as many people as possible to the press conference. 
Please try to attend and help to get others to do the same.  The event
should last no longer than 20 - 30 minutes.  I would advise people to park
in the city municipal garage on Nepperhan Avenue, directly behind City Hall.

At the top of the garage you will see the area for the press
conference.  LET US SHOW MAYOR AMICONE, BY OUR ATTENDANCE, THAT WE FULLY
SUPPORT HIS ACTION AND SHOW THAT YONKERS IS A CITY THAT RESPECTS LIFE AND
FAMILY!  Please pass this information to all those who would be interested. 
Thank you.

     The following will be the themes of the press conference:  protection
of unborn children; assistance for women who find themselves with an
unplanned pregnancy; and healing for those who have been through the
abortion experience.

Obama and Clinton; their battle to be more pro-abortion then the other

This is written by Jill Stanek, the RN who became instantly pro-life after witnessing a partial birth abortion.

WorldNetDaily: Obama's 'present' danger

... Planned Parenthood affiliates are divided between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

The rift was readily demonstrated in New Hampshire last weekend where the fight really took off over which of the two was more ardently pro-abortion. We even saw battling PPers in the same article. From the Concord Monitor, yesterday:

A glossy flier sent out over the weekend said Obama voted "present" instead of "yes" or "no" on anti-abortion legislation in the Illinois state Senate. Yesterday's letter – signed by leaders from state affiliates of Planned Parenthood ... reiterated the criticism.

Obama launched an automated phone message from a Planned Parenthood official, defending his support for abortion rights Sunday.

The call was made by Wendy Frosh, chair of PP in Northern New England, who suddenly thereafter took a "leave of absence" from PPNNE and has issued an e-mail apologizing for "the confusion."

Love it.

Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life speaks in Stamford

Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life has been speaking locally in recent weeks. He spoke on Sunday afternoon, January 6, at St. John the Evangelist's Theology on Tap forum in Stamford, Connecticut. This feast of the Epiphany recalls the Lord's revelation of self to the world as a vulnerable infant in the womb and newborn babe. Fr. Frank reminded everyone that the crib and the cross are always companions.

Msgr. Malanski (spelling?) introduced Fr. Pavone, recalling how they worked together on the Terri Schiavo case in Florida for many years prior to and during her forced death through starvation and dehydration. Fr. Frank elaborated on Terri's struggle for life and the falsehoods involving her disabled presence referred to as a "comatose" state. The connection was drawn between the value of Terri's life vs. that life's value to another, in this case her estranged husband's guardianship and decision to withhold food and water to her death. Fr. Pavone spoke against Planned Parenthood's "philosophy of wantedness," promoting one of "welcoming" instead. Wantedness incorrectly defines human beings as possessing dignity only if there is a place for him or her in someone else's life, instead of intrinsic self worth as a member of the human family.

He spoke of the government's involvement in abortion as completely inappropriate. Government's involvement in legitiziming abortion involves modifying human rights. It is confounding given our Country's founding doctrines!

Fr. Pavone has worked with Mark Crutcher of Life Dynamics to promote life issues and broadly expose Planned Parenthood's agenda and tactics. He asks how PP deserves government funding when they are consistently breaking the law! He reminded us that for more information we can go to www.childpredator.com He also suggested using this information when speaking with school boards, bringing up the school district's financial liability if involved with seeking abortions without parental consent.

During the Q&A session he answered questions on snoflake babies left from in vitro fertilization; RU-486 and the FDA's short circuting of approval on this; Planned Parenthood; abortion and New York (he used Fr. Benedict Groeschel's description of NY as Jerusalem and Babylon wrapped up in a hot dog roll!). He spoke about Terri Schiavo and living wills; and on the political side, he stated that our position on life issues must always be without exception, even when supporting candidates who are not 100% prolife.

Richard Fuerst spoke with Fr. Pavone afterwards about Gov. Spitzer's pending RHAPP legislation. He said Priests for Life will be contacting parishes with information for education and action.

Israeli Rabbis affirm abortion a "grave sin."

No truly spiritual religion approves of abortion.

Israel’s Chief Jewish Council Affirms Abortions “Grave Sin,” Delaying Messiah

Jerusalem, Israel (LifeNews.com) -- The chief rabbinic council in Israel released a new opinion about abortion over the weekend confirming that abortions constitute a “grave sin” and saying they are delaying the coming of the Messiah. Their determination provides hope to pro-life Jews in the United States and elsewhere who battle abortion.

"The vast majority of abortions are unnecessary and strictly forbidden according to halacha because they are carried out even when the pregnancies do not endanger the mother's health," the rabbis wrote.

They said those kinds of abortions for socioeconomic reasons or the mother not wanting the baby at the time are delaying the coming of the Messiah, who Jews believe was not represented by Jesus Christ.

Jews typically believe that the Messiah will not come until all of the children who could be born to Jewish mothers are born.

Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger -- two leading Jewish figures in the nation -- both supported the council’s decision.

The Rabbinic Council of Chief Rabbinate also said it would establish a new committee that would examine methods of reducing abortions in Israel.

According to a Ynet News report, the council made its decision after a presentation by Dr. Eli Schussheim, the head of the pro-life group Efrat. He presented the council rabbis with the latest information on abortions in Israel.

His showed them that 50,000 abortions happen there every year and about 20,000 of them are done within the confines of current law.

Ynet reported that the rabbis based their position on the Old Testament verse Genesis 9:6, which says those who shed blood will have their blood shed and saying God made mankind in His image.

Although sacred Jewish texts and traditions oppose abortion, most American Jewish groups have long supported the practice and pro-abortion lawmakers.

Abortion rate in Croatia down 90% since 1989

This is without changes in the law! Thanks to Richard Cowden-Guido for sending us this article.

Abortion in Croatia is Down 90% Since 1989 Thanks to Strong Catholic Bishops

ZAGREB, December 17, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Croatia has experienced a very dramatic drop in the abortion rate from 1989 when the nation's 51,289 abortions were nearly equal to the number of live births. The latest statistics, from 2005, indicate there were 4,563 abortions - a drop of nearly 90% since 1989. Significantly the law on abortion has not changed.

The main reason for the change of hearts and minds on abortion in the country has been the strength of the leadership of the Catholic hierarchy according to pro-life activists and others familiar with Croatia.

Dr. Antun Lisec the director of Human Life International in Croatia attests that his many successes in saving the lives of unborn children in the country comes thanks to the superb support and cooperation of Catholic bishops and priests in the nation which is over 80% Catholic.

Fr. Andrew Apostoli CFR, speaking in Yonkers January 12th

A reminder about the afternoon of reflection with Fr. Andrew Apostoli of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal on Saturday, January 12 from 1 until 4:30 p.m.  Approximately 15 people have signed up to attend.  There is still room for more to join us.  Please email us, or call Tony Felicissimo if you plan to attend.  It's not everyday that we get to hear an internationally known spiritual director address us about the stages a soul must go through to reach full union with God.  The reflection will be based on St. Teresa of Avila's (16th century) book, The Interior Castle.     If more than 30 sign up by Wednesday of next week then we'll have the reflection at a nearby church. This talk is open to anyone who wishes top deepen their spiritual life and not just those in the pro-life movement.  

Tony Felicissimo phone # - 914-815-3009

Top 2007 prolife stories

Partial Birth Abortion ruling and stem cell breakthrough...

The following list from lifenews.com has the many other positives in the Right to Life movement, mostly neglected by major media.

Abortion Ruling, Embryonic Research Alternative Top 2007 Pro-Life Stories

Sadly, many of these news articles were never widely reported in the mainstream media or were confined to local news sources.

1. Supreme Court's Ruling Upholding Partial-Birth Abortion Ban

Handing a victory to the pro-life movement, the Supreme Court upheld a federal ban on partial-birth abortions in April. The bill marked the first time an abortion method had been prohibited since Roe and the decision was the culmination of a decade-long battle that aided the pro-life community in shifting public opinion and educating millions about the travesty of abortion.

While the decision only prohibited several thousand abortions -- mostly in New Jersey, Louisiana and Kansas -- it showed the court has the support for reversing key abortion decisions as it overturned a previous ruling against a state ban.

The ban opened the door to more pro-life state laws, acknowledged how abortion hurts women, and seemed open to the argument that abortions aren't needed for health reasons.

It also served as the first opportunity for newly-minted justices John Roberts and Samuel Alito to demonstrate their pro-life tendencies. The two could join Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia and a fifth justice in eventually overturning Roe itself.

2. Embryonic Stem Cell Research Alternative Created With iPS Advances

Two teams of scientists may have radically altered the debate over embryonic stem cell research when they devised a new process that allows for the creation of embryonic stem cells without the destruction of human life.

The newly-produced embryonic stem cells are known as "iPS" cells and pro-life groups called the new method an ethical alternative. Richard Doerflinger, a spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and one of the top bioethics watchdogs in the nation, hailed it as "a very significant breakthrough in finding morally unproblematic alternatives to cloning."

The scientists even produced the cells without a cancer gene and found them to be much more useful than critics contended.

3. President Bush Vetoes Embryonic Stem Cell Research Funding Bills

President Bush continued expanding on his pro-life track record in office by vetoing a bill that would force Americans to pay for research that involves the destruction of human life.

"If this legislation became law, it would compel American taxpayers -- for the first time in our history -- to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos," the president said.

As noted bioethicist Wesley J. Smith pointed out, President Bush has not received enough credit for vetoing the funding bills and promoting ethical alternatives that are already helping patients.

4. Terri Schindler Schiavo Day Created, Assisted Suicide Bills Die

Despite the international attention surrounding the life and death of Terri Schiavo, issues like assisted suicide and euthanasia still don't receive as much attention from the pro-life community as they deserve.

The Schindler family is helping to combat that problem by establishing the "International Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Terri Schindler Schiavo." Terri Schiavo's day will be another reminder of how the culture of death that abortion started has extended to the elderly and disabled.

As the Schindler continue their yeoman's work for the disadvantaged, pro-life advocates were successful in stopping assisted suicide in California, Hawaii, and Vermont. They hoped to join Oregon, where assisted suicides are at an all time high.

Sadly, Jack Kevorkian was released form prison after serving just eight years of a 10 to 25 year prison sentence he received for killing a patient.

5. Abortion Centers, Abortion Practitioners Close Down or Lose Licenses

As the pro-life community looks forward to the day Roe is reversed and abortions can be stopped immediately, some abortion centers are closing down now.

While good news seldom outweighs the bad, abortion centers closed in Mississippi, Washington, Michigan, and health officials also closed centers in New Jersey and Alabama.

Meanwhile, abortion practitioners did the pro-life movement a favor by violating various laws and subjecting themselves to fines, prison or losing their medical licenses.

A Kentucky abortion practitioner may have engaged in Medicaid fraud, unlicensed abortions were apparently done in Florida, one in Mississippi may have killed his wife and raped a patient, one lost his license in Florida for doing an illegal late-term abortion and another did in Michigan, and one in Oregon pleaded guilty to child porn. One even told college students he had a "license to lie" to women and another sexually abused patients.

6. Planned Parenthood's Deceitful Tactics Exposed in Aurora, Denver

The nation's largest abortion business found itself exposed in Aurora, Illinois and Denver, Colorado for using fictitious names in attempting to get zoning approval and building permits for new abortion centers.

The tactics came about after pro-life advocates in Austin, Texas were successful in stalling the opening of a new abortion facility there when they boycotted builders involved in the project.

7. Pro-Life Grassroots Activism Still Strong Despite Media Claims

The mainstream media makes it appear that Americans no longer care about abortion, but the 40 Days of Life campaign saw thousands of Americans protest and pray at hundreds of abortion centers in dozens of states.

Pro-life students at 4,000 junior high, high school, and college campuses joined together to protest abortion in October and tens of thousands more wore pro-life t-shirts in April.

Thousands turned out for rallies in Aurora, in Canada, and the March for Life was as large as ever.

8. Research Continues to Show How Abortion Hurts Women

Some in the pro-life community think abortion will eventually be illegal as more women hurt by abortion come forward. Research in 2007 proved what it has shown in years prior -- that abortion poses significant medical, mental health and other problems for women.

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers found abortion raises risks of pre-term and low birthweight babies, another study found abortions linked with cerebral palsy, one showed abortion linked to drug and alcohol abuse, and another had it linked with child abuse.

Abortion continues to plague women with breast cancer as cases in the UK increased. Having a baby still lowers the risk and one study showing no ABC link was dismissed as faulty.

9. China Jails Leading Activist Against Forced Abortions

As China prepares to hold the 2008 Summer Olympics, pro-life advocates and human rights campaigners are distraught over the treatment of Chen Guangcheng. Chen is the leading advocate against forced abortions there and was preparing a lawsuit for the thousands of women in Linyi who had been victimized by forced abortions and sterilizations when he was jailed.

Chen was eventually convicted of bogus property destruction charges and sentenced to four years in prison after his attorneys and witnesses were prevented from attending his trial.

Some have called for boycotting the Olympics as a result.

10. Kansas Abortion Scandals and Investigations

Kansas continues as one of the top abortion battlegrounds in the United States. Dozens of charges have been filed against a Planned Parenthood there and late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller over illegal abortions. The state attorney general has been caught in an affair in which he may have pressured a subordinate to give him documents related to the abortion probes. And abortion advocates pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into elections to keep the pro-abortion establishment in place.

Honable mentions:

* The pro-life themed movie Bella did more than anything in recent years to unite the pro-life movement behind a single vehicle to change hearts and minds on abortion. The support for the movie led to tremendous success at the box office and it would have had more had the distribution company allowed it to see a full-scale national release.

* The number of cases of men using abortion to cover up instances of sexual abuse continued in 2007. The trend began in previous years and pro-life advocates continue asking local officials to investigate abortion centers that may not be reporting sexual abuse or statutory rape to authorities.