LifeNet

Assisted Suicide Bill passed in California State Assembly

This from the STOPP email newsletter - 

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/may/08052901.html
Life Site News
An assisted-suicide bill that allows doctors and nurses to suggest death by unconscious dehydration has barely passed the California State Assembly. AB 2747 would authorize total sedation without nutrition and hydration for depressed and confused patients, whether or not their natural death was imminent. The bill would also allow family members to order the death of a mentally disabled person when a nurse opines they have less than a year to live, similar to Terry Schindler Schiavo's death at the hands of her husband. AB 2747 passed the Democrat-controlled Assembly Wednesday afternoon on a 41-32 vote, a one-vote margin of victory in the 80-member lower house. The vote was virtually party line, Democrats for, Republicans against. AB 2747 is authored by the same Democrats who unsuccessfully carried physician-assisted suicide bills for the last three years. "This deceptive bill will cause death and shorten life, despite its claims," said Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families, a leading California-based pro-life, pro-family organization. "Drying up and shriveling to death through dehydration is a fate worse than lethal injection. By transforming palliative sedation into a vehicle for assisted suicide, AB 2747 would transform doctors and nurses from healers and comforters into killers like Dr. Jack Kevorkian."

Human Life International (HLI) reports big victory for life in Brazil

This is very good news. We take it from Fr. Thomas Euteneuer's email - he is President of HLI. Their website is www.hli.org

With great joy we received the news at Vida Humana Internacional, HLI's Hispanic Division in Miami, that a piece of legislation (bill 1135/91) which would have legalized abortion on demand throughout Brazil, did not make it out of the Safety and Family Commission. This pro-life triumph was possible thanks to the very excellent pro-life movement that exists in Brazil and in particular to the efforts of Dr. Humberto Vieira, HLI's national representative in that country. Dr. Vieira, who is founder and president of Providafamilia, has been involved with HLI for over 18 years. He has managed to create a magnificent pro-life network throughout Brazil that is well-organized and united. The vote that stopped abortion legalization was a unanimous 33 to 0. The four pro-abortion legislators on the Commission left the session at the time of the vote, but two of them were substituted by other legislators who in turn voted for life! According to pro-life leaders, many parliamentarians were crying, embracing each other and rejoicing over this triumph. Now the bill will be voted on in the Commission of Constitution and Justice, where victory is expected. However, we ask for prayers for the ultimate defeat of this bill. The strategy devised by Dr.Vieira and his great team was two-fold: One group lobbied the legislators and another one worked with the electoral grassroots of the parliamentarians. It was an historic vote for Brazil and the pro-aborts were surprised and in disarray! Dr. Maria das Dores Guimarães Dolly, a pro-life attorney from Sao Paolo, traveled to Brasilia every week to lobby the legislators. Needless to say, the support of the Brazilian Bishops Conference and of many of the individual bishops themselves was crucial. Brazil's bishops have recently embarked on a pro-life educational campaign that will reach out to all parishes throughout the entire country. Representatives Jose Aristodemo Pinotti and Cida Diogo initially said they would vote in favor of the abortion law but withdrew before the vote was taken. Pinotti is a medical doctor, and in the 70's he was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Rockefellers' Population Council, an organization that is behind population control efforts throughout the world.[1] In the letter he wrote to a Brazilian pro-life leader, dated May 14, 2008, Pinotti claimed to be "against abortion" and only in favor of its "regulation." Yet according to his curriculum vitae on the website of the Brazilian Chapter of the Jewish Medical Association, he is (or has been) a member of the board of directors of the International Projects Assistance Services (IPAS). IPAS is an American company based in Chapel Hill, NC that manufactures abortion equipment and promotes its legalization. [2] Pinotti is also a past president of the terrible abortion promoting organization called the "International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics" (FIGO, 1988-1991); Pinotti presided over its XII World Congress in 1988. It would seem that there are some foreign anti-life organizations behind the efforts to legalize abortion in Brazil as is the case in other Hispanic countries. The main example of this type of international pressure is Nicaragua, where abortion was outlawed in 2006 and yet those pressures still continue. Nevertheless, in spite of whatever anti-life organizations and foundations may be behind the effort to legalize abortion in Brazil, the pro-life movement of that country is now a huge force to contend with.

Prayer Rally Against RHAPP - May 15

With the blowing of the silver trumpets, the second anti RHAPP Prayer Rally began in Yonkers! According to Wikopedia these trumpets traditionally accompanied the shofar or ram's horn. Historically they were used when Israel called assembly, signaled a sacrificial offering, or sought to panic the enemy in battle. They were an appropriate addition to the day's prayer rally as all assembled, offered prayers and fasted in sacrifice, and made voices heard to those in political power to put an end to RHAPP. 

The building houses the local offices of Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the Democrat Senator who introduced former disgraced Governor Eliot Spitzer's bill - the Reproduction and Privacy Protection Act - in the Senate.

Tony Felicissimo (below) of Advocates of Life thanked everyone for attending this rally, organized after Senator Stewart-Cousins had met with opponents of this legislation and reaffirmed her view of RHAPP.

Leslie Diaz, wife of Democrat Senator Ruben Diaz, spoke forcefully against RHAPP. She and the Senator have been fighting this legislation since its presentation in early 2007. RHAPP represents an affront to numerous constituent groups including women (especially minors), people of color, faith, or conscience. It undermines parental rights and the medical profession. It seeks to make New York "Abortion USA". 

When will the public and the media report this story each day as they do countless others? How many people have written their legislators? If you do not know about RHAPP, it is time. Go to www.abortionbill.org or www.nyscatholic.org  for more information. View a DVD about this bill at either location.

The Rev. Michael Morrow of St. Eugene's has been a staunch ally in the fight for dignity for the unborn. He speaks here about the objections to RHAPP by people of religious faith and conscience. RHAPP's attempt to coerce participation in abortion defies the emblem "choice," as well as infringes on our rights under the  Constitution. This bill attempts to make abortion a "right" like free speech and at the same time protect it from criminal code violations. Fr. Michael is sending a letter to the Journal News about RHAPP and anyone who wishes to be a co-signer can contact him: [email protected]

As is always the case when we speak for the unborn child and the protection of women, the audience is multi-faith, multi-cultural; united in the view of abortion as an affront to our civil rights as human beings and as citizens of the United States. Abortion will be fought in this century with the same sense of equality as slavery was fought against in the 19th century. The Rev. Dr. King said "...the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." We are willing to wait and to fight until justice is done.

The Bronx Hispanic Coalition was represented by this pastor who spoke of the targeting of people of color by the abortion industry. Abortion messages seek to confuse and harm women when they are most vulnerable.

Theresa Bonopartis of Lumina, a post-abortion counseling service, is well known in pro-life circles. Her own story of an abortion and how it led to her dedicating her life to this cause is inspirational. She offers post-abortive women a message of hope and healing; she offers the truth about abortion to all who are willing to listen.

The protesters line up along Tuckahoe Road with signs in peaceful witness against RHAPP. All were encouraged by the supportive honking of horns and "thumbs-up" signs. The message is getting out and the heat is being felt. Several articles have appeared about Senator Stewart-Cousins' offices being under attack, with intimations that tried to link to our peaceful protests. These were immediately refuted and the Senator's staff put on the defensive for this flagrant attempt to smear opponents of RHAPP.

Signs on display at this rally signal a long, hard battle; one from which we will not retreat. A message to all women...do not follow blindly along in support of RHAPP - it is a human, civil rights, and legislative abomination!

Kieran Lalor secures Republican nomination to run for seat against pro-abortion Congressman John Hall

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lalor Wins Republican Nomination

Contact Chris Covucci at 845-309-2654 or [email protected]

Mahopac, NY/May 23, 2008 - Kieran Lalor secured the nomination of the Republican Committees representing the five counties in the 19th Congressional District last night. Lalor won the nominating convention with a double-digit lead.

"We're ready to move forward as a united party and restore leadership to Washington," said Lalor. "The goal now is to beat John Hall and I'm looking forward to working with all of my fellow Republicans to win in Novermber."

"Americans are facing pressure from the energy crisis, the rising cost of healthcare, and a slowing economy. I'm convinced that we offer solutions to those challenges. This campaign is focused on issues, ideas, and solutions."

The County Republican Committees from Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Westchester, and Rockland gathered at the Villa Barone in Mahopac to hold their nominating convention.

"Voters want to send a fresh voice to Washington. We're tired of the same old politics. Washington has regulated our way into an energy crisis. Individuals are left without control over their healthcare. Congress is poised to raise our taxes as we deal with the rising cost of living," added Lalor.

"I'm hearing politicians in Washington explain that we need to change our lifestyles in response to the energy crisis. Inside of offering solutions, they suggest rationing. Congress tells us to carpool, to ride bikes, and, laughably, to avoid carrying too many heavy packages in our car trunks. These are piecemeal answers. We have the oil, but we refuse to drill for it. We add layers of regulation to the refining process, increasing cost. And every level of government taxes the lifeblood of our economy. We're going to Washington to change that."

Paid for and authorized by Kieran Michael Lalor 2008
All content © Kieran Michael Lalor 2008.
PO 2215
Peekskill, NY 10566
www.kml2008.com

 

Cardinal Arinze on "pro-choice" politicians and communion

The Cardinal from Nigeria - a convert - is Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship.

The November 2007 video shows Cardinal Arinze eliciting much laughter and applause when he made the analogy, "To the person who says, 'Personally I'm against abortion, but if people what to do it, I'll leave them free', you could say, 'You are a member of the senate or the congress, personally I'm not in favour of shooting the whole lot of you, but if somebody else wants to shoot all of you in the Senate, or all of you in Congress, it's just pro-choice for that person, but personally, I'm not in favour.'

"That is what he is saying. He's saying he's personally not in favour of killing these millions of children in the womb, but if others want to do it, that's pro-choice. That's what he is saying."

Arinze said that he is regularly asked if a person who votes for abortion can receive Holy Communion. He replies, "Do you really need a cardinal from the Vatican to answer that?  Get the children for first Communion and say to them, 'Somebody votes for the killing of unborn babies, and says, I voted for that, I will vote for that every time.' And these babies are killed not one or two, but in millions, and that person says, 'I'm a practicing Catholic', should that person receive Communion next Sunday? The children will answer that at the drop of a hat. You don't need a cardinal to answer that."

A look at the K of C Prayer & Lobby rally in Albany on May on 13

The Knights of Columbus held their annual Prayer Rally at the Albany State Capitol on Tuesday, May 13 under the sunniest of skies. This year the gathering was held later in the year than usual, and so the Knights had the advantage of not fighting the crowds from other groups lobbying in Albany that day. This gave our two-busload group from the Westchester area more time to discuss RHAPP with our representatives during our scheduled appointments. The downside? The lower numbers and "energy" are not as palpable or impressive.

A group of five, led by Rich Fuerst, the President of the Westchester-Putnam Right to Life PAC, walked past the architecturally stunning reflecting pool...   

...and into the massive chambers where they were scheduled to meet with Senator Vincent L. Leibell in the a.m. Told that the Senator was in a budget meeting, they met, again, with Robert T. Farley, Esq., Chief Counsel. Regina Riely quickly challenged the Senator, and Farley immediately was on the offensive. Rich Fuerst turned the convervation to the RHAPP legislation and our concerns about this egregious bill. Farley agreed that it is a terrible piece of legislation. Judy Anderson thanked the Senator for his work on projects he posts on his website, and asked why we never read anything about this issue. Farley said he wasn't sure what was on the website, but he would look into it. Tom Faranda asked questions about process at this juncture and the numbers we will be dealing with in the Senate. Farley was optomistic about retaining a Republican majority, if still very narrow.  He also said that in his thirty years of working in Albany he'd never seen any politician more dedicated to being pro-abortion then Eliot Spitzer!  He felt that Patterson, while pro-abortion, is not prepared to aggressively pursue a pro-abortion agenda with the same single-mindedness as Spitzer. Farley said the numbers currently against RHAPP in the State Senate were currently about 33 to 29.

When we had arrived at Leibell's office there were very prominently placed stacks of constituent cards on the RHAPP bill on the receptionist's desk. Everyone should keep these cards, notes and emails coming! Keep the pressure on - there is nothing in this bill worth salvaging, nothing! Governor Spitzer's problems, while tragic, reflect his personal loss of moral compass. For this reason alone, this bill - his bill - should be trashed. RHAPP is a danger to all women, especially minors, and an insult to the medical community and people of faith and conscience. Parents and their rights are also completely being trampled. Ask yourselves, how can some promote "choice" and then undermine parental rights at every juncture? The "right to choose" has been and continues to be a lie. RHAPP is the incontrovertible evidence.

Joseph S. Saladino, Nassau County Assemblyman in Albany, addressed the crowd at the prayer rally with rousing words. He challenged the Catholic community to vote and become aware of the issues. The attacks against life, morality and decency cannot stand unchallenged. Without our efforts, the direction of New York State under new Governor Patterson will remain unchecked, and Spitzer's bill will prevail. 

At the rally site, the crowd recited the rosary...

...Bob Fallon, head of the New Haven, Connecticut Knights Council is seen speaking. He is an eloquent speaker on behalf of the rights of the unborn. He made popular reference to the statue of the horse and rider in the center of the plaza before him (seen above). He said it is no mistake that the "business end of the horse" is facing the State House!  

Richard Barnes, Executive Director of the New York State Catholic Conference also addressed the crowd, as Kathleen Gallagher was not able to attend this portion of the rally.

Rich, Larry Keon, Tom, Regina and Judy head across the plaza...

...and down the long office corridor for the afternoon meeting with the Committee on Health.

Our group met with Barbara A. McRedmond, Esq., Council on Health Care Financing. She told us that Sen. Kemp Hannon is Chair of the Senate Health Committee. Richard N. Gottfried is Chair of the Committe on Health in the Assembly. She was attentive and took copious notes about the points we made in objecting to RHAPP. It seemed like she heard it all for the first time, athough we did not get the fast shuffle. We met for a least 30 minutes and covered it all. The question is how, if at all, this helps to change minds and hearts.

Fr. Stephen Moshe of the Apostles of Jesus from Tanzania and currently a pastoral visitor at St. Augustine in Ossining, prayed with us on the bus. John Mark, also from St. Augustine, and his fellow Knights deserve kudos for a well-run event. Thanks, too, to J&R Bus Company and their head for his help and transportation support on these trips.See you next year and remember the day's theme all year long:

"TURN THE WORLD AROUND WITH PRAYER"

Archbishop Chaput on "Roman Catholics for Obama"

The Archbishop is a Capuchin Franciscan.

Here is a link to his full article, and below it is the entry off ZENIT.ORG

http://www.archden.org/images/ArchbishopCorner/NewspaperColumns/ab_chaput_webcolumn.pdf

Denver Prelate Addresses Obama's Catholic Fans

Says Voters Need to Be Ready to Meet Abortion Victims in Next Life

DENVER, Colorado, MAY 20, 2008 (

Zenit.org

).- The archbishop of Denver is wishing the group "Roman Catholics for Obama" good luck in their endeavors to change their presidential candidate's position on abortion. He says they'll need it.

Archbishop Charles Chaput dedicated Monday's column in the Denver Catholic Register to "Thoughts on 'Roman Catholics for Obama.'"

He began his reflection noting his own change in attitude regarding pro-abortion politicians.

"Forty years ago this month Bobby Kennedy was still alive and running for the Democratic Party's 1968 presidential nomination," Archbishop Chaput recalled. "I was a seminarian in Washington, D.C. I was also an active volunteer on Kennedy's campaign. […] After RFK [was assassinated], the meaning of the 1968 election seemed to evaporate. I lost interest in politics.

"I didn't get involved again until the rise of Jimmy Carter. Carter fascinated me because he seemed like an untypical politician. He was plain-spoken, honest, a serious Christian and a Washington outsider. So I supported him during his 1976 campaign when I was a young priest working in Pennsylvania. […] Carter had one serious strike against him. […] I knew Carter was wrong in his views about Roe v. Wade and soft toward permissive abortion.

"But even as a priest, I justified working for him because he wasn't aggressively 'pro-choice.' True, he held a bad position on a vital issue, but I believed he was right on so many more of the 'Catholic' issues than his opponent seemed to be. The moral calculus looked easy. I thought we could remedy the abortion problem after Carter was safely returned to office."

Stymied efforts

Archbishop Chaput recounted how his outlook on the abortion issue in politics began to change.

"Carter lost his bid for re-election, but even with an avowedly pro-life Ronald Reagan as president, the belligerence, dishonesty and inflexibility of the 'pro-choice' lobby has stymied almost every effort to protect unborn human life since," he noted. "In the years after the Carter loss I began to notice that very few of the people, including Catholics, who claimed to be 'personally opposed' to abortion really did anything about it. Nor did they intend to.

"For most, their personal opposition was little more than pious hand wringing and a convenient excuse -- exactly as it is today. In fact, I can't name any 'pro-choice' Catholic politician who has been active, in a sustained public way, in trying to discourage abortion and to protect unborn human life -- not one.

"Some talk about it, and some may mean well, but there's very little action. In the United States in 2008, abortion is an acceptable form of homicide. And it will remain that way until Catholics force their political parties and elected officials to act differently."

An issue for today

Archbishop Chaput explained that he was speaking of his experience because the group "Roman Catholics for Obama '08" used his own words in an explanation of their current position regarding the potential Democratic nominee for president, Barack Obama.

The group quoted the archbishop as saying: "So can a Catholic in good conscience vote for a pro-choice candidate? The answer is: I can't, and I won't. But I do know some serious Catholics -- people whom I admire -- who may. I think their reasoning is mistaken, but at least they sincerely struggle with the abortion issue, and it causes them real pain.

"And most important: They don't keep quiet about it; they don't give up; they keep lobbying their party and their representatives to change their pro-abortion views and protect the unborn. Catholics can vote for pro-choice candidates if they vote for them despite -- not because of -- their pro-choice views."

The rest of the story

But Archbishop Chaput clarified in Monday's column that the next sentence of the quoted piece adds a key element to his position.

It said: "But [Catholics who support 'pro-choice' candidates] also need a compelling proportionate reason to justify it. What is a 'proportionate' reason when it comes to the abortion issue? It's the kind of reason we will be able to explain, with a clean heart, to the victims of abortion when we meet them face to face in the next life -- which we most certainly will. If we're confident that these victims will accept our motives as something more than an alibi, then we can proceed."

The Denver archbishop noted how "Roman Catholics for Obama" say they have "arrived at the conclusion that Senator Obama is the candidate whose views are most compatible with the Catholic outlook […] despite our disagreements with him in specific areas."

"I'm familiar with this reasoning," Archbishop Chaput said. "It sounds a lot like me 30 years ago. And 30 years later we still have about a million abortions a year. Maybe Roman Catholics for Obama will do a better job at influencing their candidate. It could happen. And I sincerely hope it does, since Planned Parenthood of the Chicago area, as recently as February 2008, noted that Senator Barack Obama 'has a 100% pro-choice voting record both in the U.S. Senate and the Illinois Senate.'

"Changing the views of 'pro-choice' candidates takes a lot more than verbal gymnastics, good alibis and pious talk about 'personal opposition' to killing unborn children. I'm sure Roman Catholics for Obama know that, and I wish them good luck. They'll need it."

--- --- ---

More on Obama's Catholic supporters - excellent refutation of their position

This is from lifenews.com. (But first, here is our prior posting from a few days ago of the Catholic Leaugue's press release: LifeNet: Barack Obama's Catholic advisors )

The lifenews posting, written by Deal Hudson, has a comprehensive refutation of the smoke screens of pro-Obama Catholics. Here is the link followed by the complete text. Please spread this around by either email or hard copy.

Barack Obama's Catholic Backers Dodging His Favoring Abortion, Infanticide

When Obama's Catholic supporters attacked Catholic League president Bill Donohue for his criticism of their candidate, they did not mention Obama's support for infanticide.

The question will inevitably arise for the distinguished group of Catholics supporting Obama as to how they can defend his preference for infanticide in cases where a child survives a botched abortion. The fury Obama's Catholics vented toward Donohue will only force them to face that question sooner than they may have expected.

It's clear to me how it will be answered: It won't. Obama's Catholics are already attempting to reframe the abortion issue in their favor. They will do everything they can to divert attention from the fact that their candidate is actually the most extreme pro-abortion advocate ever to be nominated by a political party for president of the United States.

The letter to Donohue reveals the arguments Obama's Catholics will use to evade the question of infanticide:

Vocal anti-abortion Catholics are partisan and divisive.Their letter states that the abortion issue is "one that is too often hijacked by partisan operatives who seek only to divide voters." This is perhaps the strangest argument, coming as it does from Catholics who have publicly endorsed a Democratic candidate for president. They are attempting to win voters for Obama, to convince Catholics to vote for a Democrat. That's a partisan act, dividing voters into those who vote for Obama and those who don't.

So why would they accuse pro-life Catholics of dividing voters? The only logical reason is that they assume Catholic voters should think as they do. Obama's Catholics see their camp as the true home for Catholic voters, and any Catholic who votes Republican is like the prodigal son who has strayed into a foreign land.

Republicans have done nothing to lower the number of abortions. The letter goes on to ask, "But what have nearly three decades of Republican promises to end abortion accomplished?" Last January the Guttmacher Institute reported that between 2000 and 2005 the number of abortions dropped 9 percent to their lowest level since 1975.

The downward trend in U.S. abortions has provided fodder for the fundraising letters of NARAL and Emily's List. Meanwhile, Obama's Catholics pretend Republicans have had nothing to do with this trend.

Obama's overall strengths outweigh his support for abortion and infanticide. The letter lists issues from the U.S. bishops' conference document "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship." These issues include health care, unjust war, racism, discrimination, torture, hunger, and immigration. The letter from Obama's Catholics states, "Across these issues Sen. Obama offers much to the well-formed Catholic conscience." This line contains the essence of what has come to be known as cafeteria Catholicism.

It's as if the Obama Catholics are hoping to serve large enough helpings of health care, immigration, and opposition to the Iraq War to fill the stomachs of Catholic voters so they won't notice that Senator Obama supports the "intrinsic evils" of infanticide and abortion.

Obama's policies on health care, poverty, and sex education will reduce abortion."Senator Obama has reached out to Americans on both sides of this issue and embraces practical proposals designed to reduce the number of abortions in this country." I wonder how many pro-lifers feel that Obama has reached out to them. Aside from that, why didn't the Obama Catholics make any note of Obama's 2007 speech to Planned Parenthood, promising that the first thing he would do as president would be to sign the Freedom of Choice Act?

How can Obama's Catholics expect us to take their arguments seriously when their candidate goes out of his way to make a promise like that? They say that Obama "recognizes abortion represents a profound moral challenge," but the only challenge he appears to recognize is doing away with any federal or state restrictions on a woman's "freedom of choice."

What's going on here is obvious: Obama's policy agenda was set without any concern for lowering the number of abortions. His priorities were made clear when he spoke to NARAL and Planned Parenthood.

Moral equivalence exists between Republicans and Democrats on Catholic social teaching. Of all the arguments posed by Obama's Catholics, this is the most insidious. They write,

Like many other Americans, we have watched as many candidates brought to office on a so-called pro-life platform insisted on policies that have left the lives of millions more of our brothers and sisters at risk from war, uncontrolled pollution, deeper poverty, and growing economic equality.

There are two claims embedded in this rhetoric: First, Republican pro-life candidates are not truly pro-life across the board. Somehow, a member of Congress who, for example, promised to sign pro-life legislation-- and did -- is not really pro-life if he supported the Iraq War. We will be hearing much more of this in the months ahead.

In an attempt to create the impression of moral equivalence between the parties, a second claim is made that a huge imbalance exists between the single concern of a pro-life Republican and the multitude of concerns of a pro-abortion Democrat. Obama's Catholics talk as if a Republican never had a thought about healthcare, immigration, poverty, taxation, and so on.

There will be a moment in the 2008 campaign when Senator Obama will be asked about infanticide in front of a national television audience, but there is no answer he can give that will satisfy Catholic voters with a well-formed conscience. Obama's Catholics will not be able to respond either, because there is no answer -- and they know it.

Rally against RHAPP; this Thursday, May 15th

This is at the same location as the prior rally on April 3rd LifeNet: Rally against RHAPP in Yonkers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAY 9, 2008

May 15 Rally to Oppose Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins RHAPP Bill

On

Thursday, May 15, 2008

from

4PM – 6PM

Advocates for Life and New Yorkers for Parental Rights will cosponsor a second Peaceful Rally to oppose New York State Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins’ (D-Yonkers) radical abortion bill, Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection – RHAPP.  The Rally will be held at Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins’ district office located at

35 East Grassy Sprain Road

– near

Tuckahoe Road

in

Yonkers

.

The decision to hold this second rally was made after a May 8th meeting with Senator Stewart Cousins and bill opponents, where she admitted that the bill has many flaws in it, but insisted: “This bill is going nowhere.”

“As long as RHAPP exists, we will continue to oppose it,” stated Leslie Diaz, spokesperson for New Yorkers for Parental Rights.

According to Alan Mehldau, Director of Westchester Putnam Respect Life Committee, “This bill provides no loving choice for women who may be facing an unplanned pregnancy.  The only “choice” allowed under this bill is the choice that financially benefits the abortion industry.”

“This bill is clearly targeting minority communities,” said Reverend Abelane Rivera.  “She didn’t respond to our concerns about the serious effects RHAPP would have on the minority community,”

“She also said that the RHAPP was drafted by Spitzer and she just signed her name to it,” remarked Reverend Valentin Rivera, President of the Westchester County Hispanic Clergy Organization,

“This bill goes far beyond Roe v. Wade by making abortion during all 9 months of pregnancy a fundamental right,” stated Richard Brand, a constituent who attended the meeting. “It is straight off of the abortion industry’s wish list.”

“We appreciate the Senator’s willingness to discuss the many harmful and reckless aspects of RHAPP,” concluded

Yonkers

resident Doreen Bell. “While we maintain our commitment to oppose this heinous legislation, we look forward to future productive dialogue with Senator Cousins.”

The May 15 Rally will be held Rain or Shine. 

The press is welcome.

For further information, please contact Teresa Matheson at 914/645-1390.

Archbishop of Kansas reiterates that pro-abortion governor must refrain from communion

Here is the public statement by the Archbishop, published in the diocesan newspaper. Note that he had previously spoken with her on several occasions regarding her support for abortion and in August, 2007 wrote to ask her to refrain from taking communion.

Governor's Veto Prompts Pastoral Action Life Will Be Victorious 5/9/08

On the day of my return (Monday, April 21) from the exhilarating experience of participating in Pope Benedict’s pastoral visit to the United States, I learned that Governor Kathleen Sebelius had vetoed the Comprehensive Abortion Reform Act (HS SB 389), which had been passed by significant majorities in both chambers of the Kansas Legislature. Last week, an attempt to override the governor’s veto failed in the Senate by two votes.
Governor Sebelius in her veto message claimed: “For years, the people of Kansas have asked their elected officials to move beyond legislative debates on issues like abortion.”  From her veto message, I received the impression the governor considered it a waste of the Legislature’s time to pass a statute that attempts to protect some women by making certain they have the opportunity to be well-informed: 1) about the development of their unborn child; and 2) about abortion alternatives available to them. Evidently, the governor does not approve of legislators devoting energy to protecting children and women by making it possible to enforce existing Kansas laws regulating late-term abortions.

**************

Since becoming archbishop, I have met with Governor Sebelius several times over many months to discuss with her the grave spiritual and moral consequences of her public actions by which she has cooperated in the procurement of abortions performed in Kansas. My concern has been, as a pastor, both for the spiritual well-being of the governor but also for those who have been misled (scandalized) by her very public support for legalized abortion.
It has been my hope that through this dialogue the governor would come to understand her obligation: 1) to take the difficult political step, but necessary moral step, of repudiating her past actions in support of legalized abortion; and 2) in the future would use her exceptional leadership abilities to develop public policies extending the maximum legal protection possible to the unborn children of Kansas.
Having made every effort to inform and to persuade Governor Sebelius and after consultation with Bishop Ron Gilmore (Dodge City), Bishop Paul Coakley (Salina) and Bishop Michael Jackels (Wichita), I wrote the governor last August requesting that she refrain from presenting herself for reception of the Eucharist until she had acknowledged the error of her past positions, made a worthy sacramental confession and taken the necessary steps for amendment of her life which would include a public repudiation of her previous efforts and actions in support of laws and policies sanctioning abortion.
Recently, it came to my attention that the governor had received holy Communion at one of our parishes. I have written to her again, asking her to respect my previous request and not require from me any additional pastoral actions.
The governor has spoken to me on more than one occasion about her obligation to uphold state and federal laws and court decisions. I have asked her to show a similar sense of obligation to honor divine law and the laws, teaching and legitimate authority within the church.
I have not made lightly this request of Governor Sebelius, but only after much prayer and reflection. The spiritually lethal message, communicated by our governor, as well as many other high profile Catholics in public life, has been in effect: “The church’s teaching on abortion is optional!”
I reissue my request of the faithful of the archdiocese to pray for Governor Sebelius. I hope that my request of the governor, not to present herself for holy Communion, will provoke her to reconsider the serious spiritual and moral consequences of her past and present actions. At the same time, I pray this pastoral action on my part will help alert other Catholics to the moral gravity of participating in and/or cooperating with the performance of abortions.

News on Laura Ingraham's adoption of a daughter from Guatamala

Laura Ingraham: Free Stuff

Hit the above link and take a Mother's Day minute to listen to radio personality Laura Ingraham's story, in her own words, of her recent adoption of a little girl from an orphanage in Guatamala.

Adoption is a loving and life-affirming decision. We congratulate Laura, and ask you all to pray for her and daughter, Maria.

Also read about the 40-year-old Downey Side adoption agency right here in America in the following LifeNet segment!

Mother's Day Reminder: Adoption Rules!

THERE ARE 126,000 OLDER AMERICAN CHILDREN WAITING TO BE ADOPTED!  Can You Help?

Downey Side, a non-profit Adoption Agency, has been providing this remarkable, compassionate service to children and our communities for 40 years. You've read about them at LifeNet before. They recently sponsored an adoption information forum in the Bronx. If you missed it, don't worry! You can still contact Anna McNamara at 718-822-2343 who will be happy to answer all of your questions.

Please visit their website at www.DOWNEYSIDE.org

Thank you for considering sharing your home and your life with an older boy or girl who needs a parent's love and who is waiting for you right now.

God bless you!

Abortion and Mother's Day

This is from lifenews.com

Abortion Makes Mother's Day a Solemn Occasion for Many Women

LifeNews.com Note: Maria Vitale is a LifeNews.com Opinion Columnist and the Education Director of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation. Vitale has written and reported for various broadcast and print media outlets, including National Public Radio, CBS Radio, and AP Radio.

Mother's Day will be bittersweet in some segments of our nation this year.

For some women, there will be no flowers, no chocolates—just the painful memory of a child lost forever to abortion.

It may seem incongruous to talk about abortion in connection with Mother's Day. After all, this is a holiday meant to celebrate the amazing, life-affirming gift of motherhood. Yet, in our schizophrenic society, it's possible that some women will go in to facilities to have abortions on Saturday and be expected to join in the celebrations of Mother's Day on Sunday.

I've seen the anguished face of a woman reliving the moment of her abortion. It's a portrait of pain that is indescribable in its torment. At times like that, there will be no abortion facility personnel around to hold the woman's hand, to treat her post-traumatic stress disorder, to bring her healing and hope.

And abortion is certainly not a rare occurrence in our nation. An estimated 1.2 million abortions occur each year in the U.S. Since 1973, the year that Roe versus Wade was decided, an estimated 50 million unborn children have died as a result of legal abortion.

Abortion has become a major public health problem, in terms of its effects on the health of women. Study after study shows the devastating impact that abortion can have on the physical and psychological well-being of America's female citizens. For instance, one study shows that one in five women who have had abortions will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder—the illness most commonly linked with soldiers returning from the battlefront. Research has also shown that post-abortive women are likely to have worse health overall than other women.

As many as 60 percent of women who have had abortions think about suicide. Abortion has been linked with a two-fold increased risk of alcohol abuse, and women who abort are twice as likely to become heavy smokers. Yet, when was the last time you saw a local news segment focused on the harmful health effects of abortion? Have you ever?

Part of the problem is the disinformation campaign waged by the abortion industry. To hear abortion providers tell it, you would think that there are no side-effects from abortion at all. Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion operation, claims abortion is safe but available medical research contradicts such a contention.

The wall of silence surrounding abortion can cause a woman to suffer alone. Following an abortion, there is no wake, no funeral, no graveside service. Women are expected to tough it out in isolation, with no one around to join them in their mourning. The grieving process is heightened by the fact that this was a death which could have been prevented.

The pro-life movement is reaching out to women who regret their abortions. Retreat programs such as Rachel's Vineyard help post-abortive women to cope with their losses. Women can visit www.rachelsvineyard.org and be put in touch with someone who can share their pain. Women can reclaim their motherhood, naming the babies lost to abortion. They can find consolation in the forgiveness of an all-loving God.

This Mother's Day, please remember those mothers who never got to see their children's faces…those who were coerced into abortion…and those who chose abortion based on misunderstandings and misinformation. Their losses are deep, and their emotional scars can last a lifetime.

Barack Obama's Catholic advisors

Catholic in name only. A PR from the Catholic League:

Catholic League: For Religious and Civil Rights

CATHOLIC DISSIDENTS ADVISE OBAMA

May 2, 2008

When Sen. Barack Obama recently announced the formation of his Catholic National Advisory Council, he said he was “deeply honored to have the support and counsel of these committed Catholic leaders, scholars and advocates.” Commenting on this group is Catholic League president Bill Donohue:

“The best advice I can give Sen. Obama about his Catholic National Advisory Council is to dissolve it immediately. Of the 26 Catholic former or current public office holders he has listed as either National Co-Chairs (5), or as members of the National Leadership Committee (21), there is not one who agrees with the Catholic Church on all three major public policy issues: abortion, embryonic stem cell research and school vouchers.

“Indeed, on the issue of abortion, their record is disgraceful. Consider the scorecard as issued by the most radical pro-abortion organization in the nation—NARAL. Of the two National Co-Chairs who have a NARAL tally, one agrees with the extremist group 65 percent of the time and the other agrees 100 percent of the time. Of the 20 National Leadership Committee members with a NARAL score, 17 have earned a 100 percent rating. Of those who have less than a perfect score, not one is in favor of school vouchers. [Click here for the evidence.]

“Practicing Catholics have every right to be insulted by Obama’s advisory group. What is the purpose of having an advisory group about matters Catholic when most of its members reject the Catholic position? If Obama wanted input from gay leaders, would he choose those who don’t reflect the sentiments of the gay community? In short, to choose Catholic dissidents to advise him about Catholic concerns is mind-boggling.

“If these are the best ‘committed Catholic leaders, scholars and advocates’ Obama can find, then it is evident that he has a ‘Wright’ problem when it comes to picking Catholic advisors.”