Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Planned Parenthood closing abortion referring offices in southwest Michigan

Planned Parenthood, America's leading abortion provider, recently announced it would be closing down some facilities in southwest Michigan despite receiving state Title X funding through 2015.

While abortions were not provided at these facilities, every Planned Parenthood facility refers women for abortion.
As of Jan. 1, Planned Parenthood will not have an office in St. Joseph County.

The agency has already closed its Hillsdale and Sturgis offices and is moving out of Three Rivers and Coldwater as well.....

The move is related to funding.

Planned Parenthood was awarded the state Title X funding through 2015, said Steve Todd, health officer for the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency.

But apparently, it isn't enough to keep the doors open.

FULL STORY


MORE INFORMATION ON PLANNED PARENTHOOD'S ABORTION AGENDA

Happy New Years from Right to Life of Michigan


Dear Friends,

Right to Life of Michigan has had a great year. As I look back, many items standout
as victories for which to be thankful. I am not just thankful for the successes which you made possible, but I am deeply thankful for the awesome opportunity to work together helping mothers and their babies.

In 2011, I am thankful for:

  • Signing of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban into law
  • Closing of two abortion clinics in Michigan
  • Airing of prolife state-wide television commercials providing access to assistance for women and families
  • Passionate youth participating in the local and state oratory contests and the Prolife Youth Award contest
  • Reaching and engaging thousands of people online via FaceBook, RLM Blog, Twitter, YouTube.com and LinkedIn
  • Partnering with teenbreaks.com to reach at risk teens with prolife information
  • Adding to our extensive web site with a page dedicated to men and abortion
  • Developing fact sheets to promote the sanctity of human life

The list could go on, but I wanted to give you a glimpse of just a few of the successes we have had in Michigan. With your help, we are planning more victories for life in 2012!

I do not want to end this Happy New Year greeting without letting you know there is still time to have your tax-deductible donation doubled.

A tax-deductible matching gift opportunity is currently available through the Right to Life of Michigan Educational Fund. Online donations up to $50,000 will be matched until December 31, 2011. Please consider including Right to Life of Michigan Educational Fund as part of your year-end giving. Your financial gift will be doubled!

Please donate today.

With my appreciation,

Barbara Listing, President
Right to Life of Michigan

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Video uses fetal development to share Christmas message

The prolife group Youth Defence is wishing their fellow Irish a "Happy Christmas" with an ad showing fetal development.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Planned Parenthood leader Lori Lamerand lies about abortion plans

Lori Lamerand, CEO of Planned Parenthood Mid and South Michigan, is not someone to be trusted. She claims prolife protesters are twisting the truth when they claim Planned Parenthood is planning on performing abortions at a yet unopened building in Oakland County. Lamerand says Planned Parenthood doesn't know if a planned facility in Oakland County will perform abortions or not.
Planned Parenthood officials are contending the group protesting a new facility location in Oakland County is twisting the truth.

"We don't know if we are even going to perform abortions there," said Lori Lamerand, CEO of Planned Parenthood Mid and South Michigan.

The problem with this statement is Lori Lamerand told pro-abortion Detroit News columnist Laura Berman in June of 2011 that Planned Parenthood was planning on performing abortions at this facility despite protests from the neighboring hotel owners. The article which notes Planned Parenthood's plans to perform abortions at the Oakland County facility is even posted on Planned Parenthood's web site.
Carey, who took the hotel's case for free, says the owners hoped they could persuade Planned Parenthood to operate a nonsurgical facility. He has reached out for financial support from those against abortion to wage the court fight.

But Lamerand is holding firm to a plan to create what the organization delicately calls "a full-service clinic" that would provide reproductive and contraceptive services, including abortion.

FULL STORY

Monday, December 19, 2011

Regulating mercury doesn't make Senator Stabenow and Senator Levin prolife

World Magazine has published an editorial by E. Calvin Beisner which discusses advertisements by an organization called the Evangelical Environmental Network. The ads (which have aired in a number of states including Michigan) encourage U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators to vote in favor of a bill regulating mercury emissions. The ads claim this is a prolife issue while completely ignoring the issue of abortion and Senator Carl Levin's and Senator Debbie Stabenow's 100% pro-abortion voting records.
Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin (both D-Mich.) had 100 percent pro-abortion voting records in the 110th Congress (2007-08), but if the Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN) has its way, pro-life voters will think they’re pro-life.

Why? Because the EEN considers support for the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed new limits on mercury emissions from power plants reason enough. That’s despite the fact that even the EPA admits that its new regulations would yield no measurable benefits to health.

The EEN is running radio and television ads and placing billboards in nine states claiming 12 politicians are “pro-life or sensitive to pro-life concerns.” This is despite the fact that six of the nine with voting records in the 110th Congress, and at least two of the three without, support abortion “rights.”

FULL STORY

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Christian bookstore removes Bibles from shelf which were going to help fund the Komen Foundation

Due to the Komen Foundation's relationship with Planned Parenthood, America's leading abortion provider, LifeWay Christian Bookstores has removed a Bible from their shelves whose sales would have provided funding to the Komen Foundation. Komen Foundation affiliates frequently provide hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding to Planned Parenthood.
The Bible, which was published by B&H Publishing Group, was sold with the stipulation that $1 from the sale of each Bible would go to the Komen Foundation. The foundation says on its website it gives money to Planned Parenthood, stating that funds from the foundation go to "Planned Parenthood-sponsored breast cancer health programs."

When Lifeway realized they were donating to a foundation that also donated to Planned Parenthood, they released a statement stating they "made a mistake."

"When our leadership discovered the overwhelming concern that some of Komen's affiliates were giving funds to Planned Parenthood, we began the arduous process of withdrawing this Bible from the market," stated a release by Thom S. Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay. "Though we have assurances that Komen's funds are used only for breast cancer screening and awareness, it is not in keeping with LifeWay's core values to have even an indirect relationship with Planned Parenthood."
FULL STORY

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE LINK BETWEEN THE KOMEN FOUNDATION AND PLANNED PARENTHOOD

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Learning begins in the womb

CNN's web site has a column by author Annie Murphy Paul discussing what scientific studies are showing us about what unborn children learn while they're in the womb.
What it all adds up to is this: much of what a pregnant woman encounters in her daily life -- the air she breathes, the food and drink she consumes, the chemicals she's exposed to, even the emotions she feels -- are shared in some fashion with her fetus. They make up a mix of influences as individual and idiosyncratic as the woman herself. The fetus treats these maternal contributions as information, as what I like to call biological postcards from the world outside.....

The recognition that learning actually begins before birth leads us to a striking new conception of the fetus, the pregnant woman and the relationship between them.

The fetus, we now know, is not an inert blob, but an active and dynamic creature, responding and adapting as it readies itself for life in the particular world it will soon enter. The pregnant woman is neither a passive incubator nor a source of always-imminent harm to her fetus, but a powerful and often positive influence on her child even before it's born. And pregnancy is not a nine-month wait for the big event of birth, but a crucial period unto itself -- "a staging period for well-being and disease in later life," as one scientist puts it.

FULL STORY

Monday, December 12, 2011

It’s time for proponents of killing human embryos to tell the truth

In 2008, voters in Michigan passed Proposal 2, a constitutional amendment which allows researchers in Michigan the ability to kill human embryos for research.

The organization which put the proposal forward was called “Cure Michigan” and an organization which was set up prior to proposal’s introduction to begin advocating for the killing of human embryos is named “Michigan Citizens for Stem Cell Research and Cures.”

The main thrust of these organizations and their campaign was the promise of cures: cures to Parkinson’s; cures to spinal cord injuries; and cures to diabetes. You name a prominent disease and they promised the passage Proposal 2 would help lead researchers to finding that disease’s cure. They paraded countless individuals (including some teen and child patients) suffering from various ailments in front of the cameras and claimed voting against Proposal 2 would be voting against cures to their diseases. Pro-Proposal 2 ads stated “Vote Yes on Prop 2 as if lives and families depended on it.”

While prolife advocates pointed out the numerous flaws with the proposal’s language and noted the numerous scientific (immune system rejection and the formation of tumors) and ethical (the killing of human beings) problems with embryonic stem cell research and the unlikelihood of them ever leading to cures, the majority of voters couldn’t say no to the “best hope” for cures to little Ellie Clark’s diabetes and Lauren Jackson’s paralysis.

Three years later, it is clear the promises of Proposal 2’s unending cures aren’t going to materialize.

After studying human embryonic stem cells for more than a decade and spending in the neighborhood of $150 million on it, a biotechnology company called Geron recently ended the first FDA approved clinical trial on humans using cells created from embryonic stem cells. This is a huge blow to the field of embryonic stem cell research. The experiments were supposedly halted because Geron could no longer afford to continue the embryonic stem cell research program and instead would focus on cancer research.

When they closed the clinical trial, Geron’s chief executive noted there were “no signs” that any of the patients they treated were being helped by the treatment. So much for that “best hope.”

As the research progresses and alternatives to killing human embryos arise, former prominent advocates of embryonic stem cell research are turning away from the field due to the scientific implausibility and monetary impossibility of the cells ever being used in large scale ways to cure diseases.

Ian Wilmut, who used cloning to create Dolly the sheep, recently addressed a stem cell conference in California and urged fellow scientists to shift their focus away from embryonic stem cells and towards newer and safer forms of research.

While leading scientists shift away from killing human embryos, some researchers in Michigan are still killing human embryos and using tax dollars to experiment on cells taken from these tiny human beings. The promises of right-around-the-corner cures just aren’t heard as often now.

To learn more about ethical forms of stem cell research which don’t require the destruction of human embryos, please visit www.stemcellresearchcures.com.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Former staffers accuse Planned Parenthood of misusing federal funds

In a letter to the heads of a congressional committee, seven former staff members of Planned Parenthood claim America's leading abortion provider didn't maintain proper separation between federal funds and funds used to provide abortions, failed to notify parents when teen girls had abortions, and failed to provide accurate information about abortion and fetal development to women considering abortion among other charges.
"We are of one mind that the extent of these problems with the organization is not fully understood by the American people, who are underwriting the growth of Planned Parenthood and its potent outreach to the young and the poor," said the seven in the letter circulated to Congress by the Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion group.

Planned Parenthood had no immediate comment.

The committee is probing allegations that Planned Parenthood is misusing taxpayer funds, which the seven pegged at $1 million a day in state and federal support. In opening his investigation, Florida Republican Rep. Cliff Stearns recently demanded documents related to audits, abortion-funding, and policies on reporting sexual abuse from Planned Parenthood.

FULL STORY

Christmas Greetings from Barbara Listing & Right to Life of Michigan

During this Christmas season, I want to thank you for supporting the life-saving work of Right to Life of Michigan.
While Michigan continues to make national headlines because of the tough economic climate in our state, your donations have allowed us to lead the nation in another way.

Here are a few highlights which often don't make the news:

  • Abortions performed in 2009 (most recent annual statistic available) dropped 13.9 percent over 2008. Second largest decrease in Michigan history! Despite the economy!
  • Abortions performed in Michigan hit a high mark in 1987. Since that time, the overall abortion number has decreased 54.4 percent.
  • Minor abortions in Michigan have decreased 63 percent since the 1990s.
  • Michigan has put together the finest track-record in the nation in terms of reducing abortions performed.
As we prepare to move full speed ahead into the New Year, I wanted you to know that a tax-deductible matching gift opportunity is currently available through the Right to Life of Michigan Educational Fund. Online donations up to $50,000 will be matched until December 31, 2011.

Thank you for being a part of Michigan's success. Our state is a better place because of your dedication.

Please consider a donation today! Your gift will be doubled which increases the life-saving work of Right to Life of Michigan!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Thank you for helping Michigan teens

Parents of teenagers know that having a conversation about life doesn't always go as planned. As much as we want to be there for our kids, nieces or nephews to help with answers to questions, we may not have the opportunity.

We at Right to Life of Michigan care about teens. The life issue has an impact on every age group, but teens especially need educational material addressing relationship issues, pregnancy and the realities of abortion. Our goal is to reach teens before a crisis to inspire self-respect and instill a dignity for all human life.

We are able to reach thousands of teens each month by participating with a Google Ad Word Campaign. Teens who search for life information are directed to www.teenbreaks.com.

In the area of abortion, our results have been successful because of your help. Fewer teens are having abortions. The Michigan Department of Community Health reports:

  • In 1985, teens in Michigan had 12,666 abortions
  • In 2009, teens in Michigan had 4,105 abortions

For many, the teen years are drama filled. Sometimes it is during a flood of emotion that a teenager reaches out for information. Other times, a student is working on a school report and is in need of prolife facts. No matter the prompt, we are here to help.

We have found reaching teens online works. By partnering with www.teenbreaks.com, Right to Life of Michigan is able to reach teens with a positive prolife message. We are hearing testimonies from Michigan teens that teenbreaks.com has indeed made a positive impact for life.

Sex selection abortion in the United States

Steven Mosher writes about sex-selection abortion in the United States and new legislation introduced to outlaw it's practice.
Columbia University economists Douglas Almond and Lena Edlund also found clear evidence of sex-selective abortions in what they called "son-biased sex ratios," that is, a higher ratio of boys to girls than would occur in nature. Looking at the sex ratio at birth among U.S.-born children of Chinese, Korean, and Asian-Indian parents, they found that first-borns showed normal sex ratios at birth. But if the first child was a girl, the sex ratio jumped to 117, and if the first two children were girls, then the sex ratio jumped to 151. That is to say, for every 151 boys, there were only 100 hundred surviving girls. The rest had been eliminated.

This is not just misogyny; it is misogyny that kills......

We have been told by the self-described "pro-choice" movement that women who go in for abortions do so because they (not their husbands, in-laws, or kinship group) have decided not to continue their pregnancies. If this turns out not to be true, and others bend you to their prejudices where gender and race are concerned, then the pro-choice argument evaporates.

FULL STORY

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Is it time for proponents of killing human embryos for research to apologize?

Michael Cook, the editor of MercatorNet, calls on the proponents of killing human embryos for stem cell research to apologize for misleading the public about all the cures embryonic stem cells were supposed to provide.

Killing human embryos for research was legalized in Michigan after embryonic stem cell advocates put forth a constitutional ballot amendment and continually promised cures to numerous diseases including diabetes and Parkinson's.
When push came to shove, the consensus was that ethics had to take a back seat to science. At the time, the scientific case for allowing "therapeutic cloning" and research on human embryos was overwhelming. There were politicians and voters who had qualms about the commodification of human life involved in killing embryos, but the experts assured them that the medical potential was dazzling. The loss of a few human embryos was a small price to pay.

In effect, there was an implicit pact between the public and stem cell scientists: we'll swallow our misgivings and provide the funding; you provide the cures.

But what happens when the pact falls apart? Because this seems to be what is happening. Embryonic stem cell research is looking increasingly like a dead end. Last week, after many false starts and a year after launching a human trial for spinal cord injuries, the California-based biotechnology firm Geron pulled the plug on all of its embryonic stem cell research to focus on cancer drugs. It had to: it was going broke.

FULL STORY

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Joy of Giving

During this holiday season take a moment and do something wonderful. Give a donation to protect human life.

A tax-deductible matching gift opportunity is currently available through the Right to Life of Michigan Educational Fund. Online donations up to $50,000 will be matched until December 31, 2011.

If you give now, you will have the joy of knowing:

  • You are helping to save lives
  • You are promoting the dignity of human life
  • Your donation will be doubled

In recent months, the prolife movement in Michigan has witnessed:

  • Two abortion clinics permanently closed
  • A Partial Birth Abortion Ban signed into law
  • State-wide television ads promoting life and connecting mothers to pregnancy help

Special effort is needed to give a donation, but the success of the prolife movement cannot be realized without you.


Together we are the voice for life at its weakest moment: when a person is preparing to be born. You may never meet the children you help save, however the value of your donation truly cannot be measured.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Study finds that up to 20% of embryonic stem cell lines develop genetic abnormalities

A new study published in the journal Nature found that up to 1/5 of embryonic stem cell lines developed abnormalities after a year. This genetic abnormalities make the cells prone to becoming cancerous. This is more evidence pointing to the difficulty in scientists ever being able to safely transfer cells created from embryonic stem cells into human patients on a large scale.

FULL STORY

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

A matching gift will double your year end donation

Shining a light for life is what Right to Life of Michigan does best. We educate on life issues because we know that abortion is darkness. Abortion hurts women. With every abortion, one heart is stopped and one heart is broken.

Your generous donations help us save lives by providing access to resources for mothers and families in need.

A tax-deductible matching gift opportunity is currently available through the Right to Life of Michigan Educational Fund. On line donations up to $50,000 will be matched until December 31, 2011. Please consider including Right to Life of Michigan Educational Fund as part of your year-end giving. Your financial gift will be doubled!

Please consider a tax deductible donation today and shine your light for life! Let's eradicate the darkness of abortion together!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Two Michigan abortion clinics closed permanently

Michigan's prolife Attorney General Bill Schuette announced earlier today that two abortion clinics in Michigan will be closed permanently. The Lansing Health Care Clinic and Saginaw Women's Choice Clinic were temporarily closed by the order of an Eaton County judge earlier this month after Schuette accused them of operating illegally because neither was incorporated by a medical professional.
A pair of abortion clinics in Saginaw and Delta Township near Lansing which were targeted earlier this month for allegedly improper operations by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette have closed their doors permanently, Schuette announced this afternoon.

The Lansing Health Care Clinic and Saginaw Women's Choice Clinic were dissolved by clinic owners Richard and Margaret Remund under the terms of an agreement filed with the Eaton County Circuit Court, Schuette said.

Schuette said the Remunds also are barred from ever organizing another abortion clinic.

The two clinics were accused of operating outside of state law because neither was incorporated by a licensed medical professional. Schuette also filed a complaint with state licensing authorities over what he said was improper disposal of patient medical records.

FULL STORY

Media's double standard on human embryonic stem cell research

In the Weekly Standard, Wesley Smith writes about the shutdown of Geron's human embryonic stem cell experiments and the media's response to this news compared to the media's response to previous news promoting Geron's embryonic stem cell program.
You would think Geron's failure would be very big news. Instead, it turns out that the mainstream media pay attention only when embryonic stem cell research seems to be succeeding—so far, almost exclusively in animal studies. When, as here, it crashes and burns, it is scarcely news at all.....

Similarly, the San Francisco Chronicle, which had given front-page exposure to a local company when Geron's trial got underway, reported the failure of that trial in a small report on the back page of the business section. The New York Times, always quick to applaud embryonic stem cell research, placed a small story at the bottom of page two of the business section.....

No one should be surprised by the double standard. The media have always been in the tank for embryonic stem cell research, often breathlessly reporting hype and spin from company PR spokesmen as if it were hard news. This approach sprang largely from the media's antipathy for the pro-life movement, the most prominent opponent of research requiring the destruction of human embryos.

FULL STORY

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Visualizing the development of the unborn from conception to birth

Alexander Tsiaras, the author of From Conception to Birth: A Life Unfolds, present a video he helped develop which shows a visualization of the unborn child's development from conception to birth. The video showing the development starts at around 2:00 and ends at about the 6:00 in the video below.

Animal research shows placental cells help mothers' hearts

An interesting new study in mice showed that cells from the placenta of unborn mice go to help the injured heart of their mothers.
In the study, researchers induced heart attacks in pregnant mice and then checked a week or two later to see if the fetal cells had transferred to the mother. To make the fetal cells easy to spot, they were genetically tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP).

"Much to our surprise, they homed selectively and specifically to just the injured zone of the maternal hearts, not the non-injured zones, and not to non-injured organs within the same mouse," said Hina Chaudhry, M.D., senior author of the study and a cardiologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

Two weeks after the animal's induced heart attack, fetal cells comprised 2 percent of the maternal heart.

Furthermore, the fetus-derived cells differentiated into heart muscle cells and cells that form blood vessels or the inner lining of blood vessels and other organs.
The authors are helpful this research could eventual lead to use of placental cells in the treatment of heart ailments.

FULL STORY

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Detroit News columnist Laura Berman thinks letting women decide how the remains of their miscarried children are treated "steals dignity from women"

Laura Berman, a pro-abortion columnist for the Detroit News provides a very weak argument against prolife legislation which recently passed the Michigan Senate by an overwhelming 33-5 vote. The bill would require the remains of unborn children who are aborted or miscarried to be disposed of in a dignified manner. The bills were introduced last year after the remains of aborted children were found in an abortion clinic's dumpster.

Berman argues the bills "impose a new opportunity for grief" on women who miscarry because women who miscarry at 10 weeks or later would have to sign a form indicating whether they want the remains of their unborn children to be buried, cremated or interred.

Amazingly, Berman thinks women should have the completely unrestricted ability to have abortions but women shouldn't be able to choose how they want the remains of their unborn children treated. Wouldn't most women who miscarry be more traumatized not knowing how the remains of their unborn children were treated? Isn't it empowering to allow women to decide how their children's bodies are treated? Apparently, the decision to have an abortion is the only decision Berman views as empowering.

Berman's opposition to this bill is incredibly radical. Only 5 Michigan senators voted against this legislation. A number of Michigan senators (Sen. Glenn Anderson, Sen. Morris Hood, Sen. Vince Gregory and Virgil Smith) who typically oppose any kind of prolife legislation voted in favor of this legislation. In her column, Berman never mentions the results of the Senate vote.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS LEGISLATION

Leading embryonic stem cell company abandons field

Geron, one of the leading companies hoping to use human embryonic stem cell to treat human patients announced yesterday that it was abandoning its research using embryonic stem cells. Geron was the first company to have a federally approved clinical trial using embryonic stem cells to treat human patients. That clinical trial is being stopped and none of the patients have showed any signs of improvement.
Geron Corp., a pioneer in stem cell research that has been testing a spinal cord injury treatment, said late Monday that it's halting development of its stem cell programs to conserve funds. It is seeking partners to take on the programs' assets and is laying off much of its staff......

In a statement, the company said the decision to narrow its focus "was made after a strategic review of the costs, ... timelines and clinical, manufacturing and regulatory complexities associated with the company's research and clinical-stage assets."

FULL STORY

Monday, November 14, 2011

How one newspaper columnist became prolife

Paul Greenberg, a syndicated columnist, shared the acceptance speech he gave when he received the Human Life Foundation's annual Great Defender of Life award. He discusses how he switched from being in favor of legal abortion to being prolife.
With a little verbal manipulation, any crime can be rationalized, even promoted. Verbicide precedes homicide. First dehumanize the other, then anything is permitted.

Vocabulary remains the Little Round Top, the decisive position, of every polemical engagement. The trick is to speak of fetuses, not unborn children. So long as the victims are a faceless abstraction, anything can be done to them.

Just don't look too closely at those sonograms. The way I studied the first pictures of my first grandson. Astounding. We are indeed strangely and wonderfully made.

By now the toll has reached some 50 million of those wondrous creations aborted in America since 1973. That's not some abstract theory or philosophical argument. It is a fact, and facts are stubborn things. Some even carry their own imperatives, moral imperatives that can be ignored only so long. So I changed my mind, and changed sides.

FULL COLUMN

Friday, November 11, 2011

Michigan Attorney General lawsuit closes two abortion clinics

Michigan's prolife Attorney General Bill Schuette recently filed a lawsuit in Eaton County Circuit Court to permanently close two abortion clinics in Michigan. The lawsuit is focused on Health Care Clinic near Lansing and Women's Choice Clinic in Saginaw.

The clinics have been operating for years as for-profit medical facilities without a licensed medical professional in charge. The owner of the clinics is not a medical professional and state law requires for‑profit corporations which provide medical care services to be run by licensed medical professionals. The Attorney General’s office is also moving to prevent the current abortion clinic owner from ever owning another for-profit medical facility.

Schuette said, "To ensure accountability and patient safety, Michigan law requires medical facilities to be incorporated with a licensed medical professional at the helm. Strict enforcement of the law ensures medical clinics cannot put profit ahead of responsible patient care."

In response to the lawsuit, Eaton County Circuit Court Judge Calvin Osterhaven signed a temporary restraining order (TRO). The clinics must remain closed until the date of the first hearing in the case. The hearing was scheduled for November 21, 2011.

Schuette has also asked the State Bureau of Health Systems to look into evidence which suggests 50 percent or more of the procedures performed at the clinics are abortions. If more than 50 percent of their procedures are abortions, the clinics must be licensed under the Public Health Code as freestanding surgical outpatient facilities. Freestanding surgical facilities require a license which contains more stringent state regulations designed to protect patients.

These abortion clinics were previously in the news in 2010 when the remains of 17 aborted children were found in a trash dumpster outside the Lansing-area abortion clinic along with the full names of female patients on clinic paperwork.

In response to this discovery, state legislators have written legislation to ensure the humane disposition of the remains of aborted children. This legislation passed the State House on October 20.

The discovery of the aborted children also prompted the Attorney General’s office to launch an investigation which uncovered evidence the abortion clinics were improperly incorporated and may have broken additional state rules.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, "I laud Attorney General Schuette for following the law and pressing charges against these two abortion businesses. Those involved in the occupation of abortion are not above the law. Our attorney general has uncovered violations which should result in Health Care Clinic and Women's Choice Clinic being shut down."

Right to Life of Michigan will continue to follow this lawsuit and will provide information when the Court enters a judgment in the case. For more information about this case and the prolife laws to regulate these law-breaking abortion clinics, visit Right to Life of Michigan at www.rtl.org.

New technique shows problem with PVS diagnosis

A new technique to measure brain activity in patients diagnosed as being in a persistent "vegetative" state continues to show evidence that many PVS patients could actually be misdiagnosed and aware. Many court cases and controversies have arisen over withdrawing medical care, food or water from PVS patients like Terri Schiavo to end their lives.
“You spend a week with one of these patients and at no point does it seem at all they know what you are saying when you are talking to them. Then you do this experiment and find it’s the exact opposite — they do know what’s going on,” said Damian Cruse, a postdoctoral neuroscientist at the University of Western Ontario in Canada who helped conduct the research. “That’s quite a profound feeling.”

The results and similar findings could also provide crucial insights into human consciousness — one of the most perplexing scientific puzzles — and lead to ways to better provide diagnoses and possibly rehabilitate brain-injury patients, the researchers said.

FULL STORY

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Eaton County Circuit Court Judge closes two abortion businesses

Michigan's prolife Attorney General Bill Schuette filed a lawsuit in Eaton County Circuit Court to permanently close two abortion clinics in Michigan. The lawsuit is focused on Health Care Clinic in Delta Township and Women's Choice Clinic in Saginaw.

In response to the lawsuit, Eaton County Circuit Court Judge Calvin Oosterhaven signed a temporary restraining order (TRO). The clinics must remain closed until the date of the first hearing in the case. A hearing is scheduled for November 21, 2011.

LEARN MORE

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday 2012 Bulletin Inserts

Front of  2012 Bulletin Insert
Right to Life of Michigan's 2012 Sanctity of Human Life Sunday bulletin inserts are now available!  They're only $7/100. 

Our SOHLS web page provides a means of ordering these bulletin inserts along with a variety of other resources for SOHLS, including presentations, faith resources, SOHLS activities, resources for leaders, information on bus trips to the March for Life and luminary candle kits.

SOHLS 2012 WEB PAGE

Michigan media covers AG complaint against abortion clinics

The Detroit Free Press, the Lansing State Journal and the Saginaw News both have articles about Attorney General Bill Schuette's complaint against two Michigan abortion clinics which are illegally incorporated.  From the Free Press story:
In the complaint filed Monday, Schuette said the clinics were in violation of state law because they were not incorporated by a medical professional. He asked the court to order the operations to shut down and to prohibit Richard Remund, the president of Womens Choice, from organizing another company to operate an abortion clinic....

Schuette also said he asked state licensing officials to investigate what he said was evidence the clinics were improperly licensed because more than 50% of their business activity was abortion and they were not licensed as freestanding surgical outpatient facilities. The clinics also appeared to have improperly disposed of medical records, Schuette said.

DETROIT FREE PRESS STORY

SAGINAW NEWS STORY

LANSING STATE JOURNAL STORY

Monday, November 7, 2011

Michigan Attorney General files lawsuit to close two abortion businesses

Attorney General Bill Schuette

Michigan's prolife Attorney General Bill Schuette filed a lawsuit in Eaton County Circuit Court to permanently close two abortion clinics in Michigan. The lawsuit is focused on Health Care Clinic in Delta Township and the Women's Choice Clinic in Saginaw.

Schuette said, "To ensure accountability and patient safety, Michigan law requires medical facilities to be incorporated with a licensed medical professional at the helm. Strict enforcement of the law ensures medical clinics cannot put profit ahead of responsible patient care."

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, "I laud Attorney General Schuette for following the law and pressing charges against these two abortion businesses. Those involved in the occupation of abortion are not above the law. Our attorney general has uncovered violations which should result in Health Care Clinic and Women's Choice Clinic being shut down."

Right to Life of Michigan will continue to follow this lawsuit and will provide information when the Court enters a judgment in the case.

Press release issued by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette


View a copy of the Attorney General's Complaint

Thursday, November 3, 2011

The gains of the prolife movement

The cover story of the current issue of the Weekly Standard is an article by Fred Barnes entitled "Hidden Persuaders" which discusses the gains of the prolife movement in recent years.
Pro-life groups, unlike advocates of easy access to abortion, have proved adept in accommodating to this new world. They’ve begun piling up successes. In 2011 alone, 24 states have enacted 52 new restrictions on abortion. Five now require an ultrasound before an abortion, two insisting that the screen be viewable by the mother. Four bar abortions after the baby is able to feel pain (at approximately 20 weeks). Eight have opted out of Obamacare. Five ban abortions by webcam (in which a doctor, not in person but videoconferencing with the mother, prescribes pills to induce abortion). Six trimmed or eliminated funds for Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider. Texas led with a $64 million cut.....

Three pro-life trends have spiked in 2011. The first is the rise in opposition to abortion among young people. The under-30 cohort was the most pro-choice in the 1970s, second most in the 1980s and 1990s. Now they’re “markedly less pro-choice” than any other age group, scholars Clyde Wilcox and Patrick Carr have written. “Clearly, something is distinctive about the abortion attitudes of the Millennial Generation of Americans.”

FULL STORY

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Prolife student contests and scholarships

Several contests and scholarships are available for prolife students (other than our annual Oratory Contest and Youth Award of course). Information for these contests and deadlines can be found on our website. The next deadline is December 2, for an essay, poetry and poster contest sponsored by the March for Life Education and Defense Fund.

PROLIFE STUDENT CONTESTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Little Rascals ad now online

The different interests and passions of our diverse society are made possible by LIFE. This 30-second spot celebrates the simple fact that LIFE = OPPORTUNITY.

Little Rascals is currently airing statewide in Michigan.

VIEW AD ONLINE

Friday, October 28, 2011

Abortion clinic workers plead guilty to murder

Two abortion clinic workers pled guilty yesterday to third-degree murder charges for the roles they played in the deaths of an infant who survived an abortion and a woman who died during an abortion. The two women were employed by Pennsylvania abortionist Kermit Gosnell.
Adrienne Moton, 34, of Upper Darby, admitted to killing a baby delivered alive. Sherry West, 52, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty in the death of a 41-year-old immigrant who was given a lethal overdose of painkillers and anesthesia......

Moton, who knew Gosnell through his niece, assisted with abortions and followed Gosnell's practice of using scissors to cut the spinal cords of late-term fetuses, the report said.

Like many newborns, Baby D was delivered by a woman who spent hours in labor over a toilet, one of Moton's coworkers, Kareema Cross, told the grand jury.

"The baby was moving and looked like it was swimming," said Cross, who was not charged. "Moton reached into the toilet, got the baby out, and cut its neck."

FULL STORY

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Euthanasia in Europe

In an article for the National Review, Wesley Smith discusses the spread of euthanasia in Europe where the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland have drifted further and further away from respecting vulnerable lives and have embraced killing as the solution to suffering.
This is cause for great worry, for, once a society embraces doctor prescribed death as an acceptable answer to human suffering or as some kind of fundamental liberty right, there are no brakes. We need only look to European countries that have gone down the Euthanasia Highway to see how society is impacted deleteriously by accepting killing as a suitable answer to the problem of human suffering.....

If the Dutch parliament passes a law consistent with the KNMG's ethical opinion, it will mean every physician in the Netherlands would be forced to be complicit in euthanasia — even if they are pro-life or believe in the Hippocratic Oath's prohibition against physician-assisted suicide — by finding a doctor willing to kill their euthanasia-qualified patients.....

Matters are even worse in Belgium, which legalized euthanasia in 2002. Where the Dutch slid slowly down the slippery slope over decades, Belgium has leaped off the moral cliff head-first. Consider that Belgian doctors have coupled euthanasia with organ harvesting.

FULL STORY

Prolife ads airing statewide

Two prolife ads produced by the Right to Life of Michigan Educational Fund are currently airing statewide. Accusations, a 30-second ad currently airing statewide, reinforces that no matter what obstacles are in your path, life is the best option.

VIEW "ACCUSATIONS" ONLINE

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

New video shares abortion pill facts

A new YouTube video produced by the Human Development Resource Council shares some facts about the abortion pill.

Local media outlets cover passage of prolife legislation in Michigan Senate

Different local media outlets including the Niles Daily Star, WTVB and WLNS covered the passage of legislation to revise how abortion clinics dispose of aborted children. The legislation was first introduced after the remains of a number of aborted children were found in an abortion clinic dumpster.

From the Niles Daily Star:
“Life is a gift that should be protected and cherished,” said Proos, R-St. Joseph. “That is why I was shocked and disgusted when I heard about a situation in Michigan where a medical clinic was disposing of baby remains by throwing them into the trash. This practice is unsafe, unsanitary and immoral.”

Senate Bill 25 would establish requirements for the proper disposal of fetal remains. Under a companion measure, SB 54, physicians would be required to inform parents that state law mandates them to decide how the remains would be handled.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Michigan Senate passes bills to ensure humane disposition of fetal remains

Senate Bill 25 and Senate Bill 54 were approved by the Michigan Senate today by votes of 33-5, closing loopholes in Michigan law which currently allow the bodies of aborted babies to be legally thrown into common trash dumpsters if certain disposal procedures are first followed. The two bills change the law to require that the remains of unborn children be either buried or cremated.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS LEGISLATION

Bryan Kemper looks back on Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity

Bryan Kemper, the co-founder of Rock for Life and founder and president of Stand True Ministries, discusses The Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity, which took place on October 18. This is a day where thousands of students don't speak for the day to stand in silent solidarity with unborn children who do not have a voice.
Yesterday I saw a glimpse into the heart of the “pro-life generation” and I am so excited to be a part of this movement right now. I saw a courage that I would have never had at that age — a courage that will change this world. I saw a resolve that blew my mind, a resolve that can accomplish anything — even bringing an end to abortion. I saw character that would make me proud as a parent to see in my children — a character that is surly making their heavenly Father proud.

FULL STORY

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

New book provides prolife arguments, answers to pro-abortion arguments

Christopher Kaczor, a professor at Loyola Marymount University has written a new book on abortion entitled, "The Ethics of Abortion: Women’s Rights, Human Life, and the Question of Justice." National Review recently interviewed him about his book.

LOPEZ: Are there myths about abortion you’d like to use this book to shoot down?

KACZOR: There are many myths surrounding abortion. One, just mentioned, is that all opposition to abortion is based on religious faith. A second myth is that there is a debate about “when life begins.” In fact, informed parties, both those opposed to and those in favor of abortion, acknowledge that the human fetus is a living organism, growing, developing, and maintaining homeostasis. These are characteristics of living creatures. Only living things can die, and clearly the human fetus can die, so it is alive. A third myth is that the debate is about whether the “fetus is a human being.” Informed participants in this discussion, regardless of their views about abortion, understand that the living organism within the woman is a member of the species homo sapiens. With a human mother and a human father, with human DNA and a human path of development, the progeny is a human being. The real question in the debate is: Should all human beings be respected and protected, or just some? I favor the inclusive view in part because every single time in human history that we’ve chosen the exclusive view, we’ve made a horrible mistake.

FULL INTERVIEW

NRLC's President Carol Tobias on Planned Parenthood/Komen connection

Carol Tobias, President of National Right to Life Committee, recently penned an article for Legatus regarding the connection between the Komen Foundation and Planned Parenthood.

Almost everyone in America knows a woman who has had breast cancer. Some of those beloved friends and family members may have died from it. So when an organization like Susan G. Komen for the Cure conducts fundraising projects for research, it’s difficult to say no. We’re encouraged to help by buying a certain brand of yogurt or a certain soft drink. Pink ribbons pop up on products everywhere. We can buy items we would normally buy and feel good about helping find a cure.

So if Komen’s mission is to find a cure for breast cancer, why are they giving huge sums of money to Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider? According to its Form 990, Komen affiliates gave more than $550,000 to affiliates of Planned Parenthood in 2010. A year earlier, they donated over $731,000. Komen says the grants are used to fund breast exams and mammograms. However, numerous reports confirm that Planned Parenthood doesn’t do mammograms. What Planned Parenthood does do is abortion.

FULL STORY

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The slippery slope gets even slipperier: Dutch doctors now want income level and loneliness to be factors in deciding whether euthanasia can be considered

The Dutch Physicians Association is hoping to further liberalize their euthanasia law to allow Dutch doctors to euthanize patients who are poor and lonely, since they believe being poor and lonely can mean a person has unbearable and lasting suffering.

Until now, factors such as income or a patient's social life played almost no role when physicians were considering a euthanasia request. However, the new guidelines will certainly change that. After almost a year of discussions, the KNMG has published a paper which says a combination of social factors and diseases and ailments that are not terminal may also qualify as unbearable and lasting suffering under the Euthanasia Act.

Some doctors want to go even further and allow patients who aren't terminally ill to be euthanized.

The physicians association says further investigation into non-medical factors is needed and Dr Nieuwenhuijzen Kruseman adds that euthanasia should be allowed even when a patient is not suffering from a terminal disease.

FULL STORY


MORE INFORMATION ON EUTHANASIA

European Court rules stem cell researchers can't patent research involving the destruction of human embryos

In a setback for European researchers hoping to make a fortune off of killing human embryos, the European Union's highest court ruled that stem cell research involving human embryos can not be patented.
Under an EU law from 1998, research methods that involve human embryos for industrial or commercial purposes can't be patented. A German court handling the dispute at the center of today's case sought the EU tribunal's view on how to interpret the phrase "for scientific research involving human embryos" and to clarify the term "human embryo."

"A process which involves removal of a stem cell from a human embryo at the blastocyst stage, entailing the destruction of that embryo, cannot be patented," said the EU court. The blastocyst stage is about five days after fertilization.

FULL STORY

Friday, October 14, 2011

U.S. House passes Protect Life Act

Yesterday, by a 251-172 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives passed The Protect Life Act (H.R. 358). This bill would nullify the multiple abortion-expanding provisions of the 2010 federal health care law, commonly known as "ObamaCare."

(Insurance) (p)roviders that offer abortion coverage would have to set up identical plans without abortion coverage to participate in the health insurance exchanges to be set up under the new law.

The legislation, which passed 251-172, is unlikely to be considered by the Democratic-led Senate and faces a veto threat from President Barack Obama. But it gives House Republicans a chance to reaffirm their credentials on social conservative issues.

Supporters of the bill, including author Rep. Joe Pitts, R-Pa., say they are trying to close loopholes in the health care act that could lead to violations of the longstanding prohibition of the federal funding of abortion.

FULL STORY

Thursday, October 13, 2011

President Obama threatens to veto Protect Life Act

National Right to Life reports the Obama administration issued a statement opposing The Protect Life Act (H.R. 358). The House of Representatives will vote on The Protect Life Act today.
The objective of the Protect Life Act is to correct the “multiple provisions that authorize subsidies for abortion, as well as provisions that could be employed for abortion-expanding administrative mandates,” as NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson said in testimony before a congressional subcommittee in February. But since President Obama has never conceded that such provisions exist, not surprisingly the letter today again denies what is self-evidently true.

Thus, there is this assurance:

“Longstanding Federal policy prohibits Federal funds from being used for abortions, except in cases of rape or incest, or when the life of the woman would be endangered” and “ObamaCare preserved this prohibition and included policies to ensure that Federal funding is segregated from any private dollars used to fund abortions for which Federal funding is prohibited.“

Why fight so vigorously a law to limit abortion-expanding provisions in ObamaCare if supposedly they don’t even exist?

FULL STORY

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Three mothers choose life after ultrasounds in Grand Rapids

A wonderful story from LifeNews and 40 Days for Life:
A visibly upset young woman and her mother had just walked out of the abortion center where the 40 Days for Life vigil is going on – and walked right up to one of the prayer volunteers.

She had been advised to have an abortion because she had difficulties in her life.

After a short discussion, the two women seemed interested in the offer of a free ultrasound at a local pregnancy care center. But there were two challenges.

First of all, it was 8:30 in the morning – and the pregnancy center wouldn’t open til 9:00.....

The second challenge seemed a bit more formidable. While an ultrasound MACHINE was available, there might not be an ultrasound TECHNICIAN available......

About the same time, yet another couple arrived for an appointment. They had significant financial challenges – and they, too, had been encouraged to abort. “And yes,” said the volunteer, “couple number three also wanted a free ultrasound.”

Meanwhile, back at the pregnancy center, a car had entered the parking lot. None of the volunteers recognized the car. A woman got out. They didn’t recognize her, either.

She walked over and introduced herself. “I’m an ultrasound tech and I have nothing to do today,” she said. “Do you know of anyone that could use my skills?”

“Seriously!” said the volunteer. “Just like that!”

Three young women saw ultrasound images of their babies that day. And despite all the reasons each had been encouraged to abort – they each chose life for their children.

FULL STORY

Michigan governor signs partial birth abortion ban

Today, October 11, 2011, Governor Rick Snyder signed the Partial Birth Abortion Ban into law. The law is a long awaited, celebrated achievement by dedicated prolife people in Michigan.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing made the following statement:

"Partial Birth Abortion shall be no more in the great state of Michigan.

"More than 15 years ago the reality of this horrific abortion procedure first came into the public light. Since that time, prolife citizens have partnered with elected officials to ban partial birth abortions in Michigan. We are celebrating this achievement, not for ourselves, but for our state as a whole. The final step to this journey, Gov. Snyder's signature, restores a sense of sanity and restores more respect for human life. We express our profound gratitude to the legislature and the governor for their role in making this a reality."

FULL STORY

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

U.S. House of Representatives to Vote on Protect Life Act

The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to take up the Protect Life Act (H.R. 358) on or around Thursday, October 13, 2011. This bill would correct the numerous abortion-expanding provisions of the federal health care law ("ObamaCare") enacted in early 2010. The bill, sponsored by Congressman Joe Pitts (R-PA), is similar to the "Stupak-Pitts Amendment" which initially passed the House in 2009, but which was kept out of the final health care law due to opposition from pro-abortion Democratic senators and President Obama.

Let your congressman or congresswoman know that you support the Protect Life Act.

More information about the need for this legislation can be found in the testimony of National Right to Life Committee's Douglas Johnson before the Subcommittee on Health Committee on Energy and Commerce.

DOUGLAS JOHNSON'S TESTIMONY (PDF)

Monday, October 10, 2011

Abortion and disabilities flier

Check out our newest flier, it gives facts and discusses the high rate of abortions performed on unborn children diagnosed with disabilities.

You can find this new flier and most of our other educational fliers and fact sheets available for free download and copying at our Factsheets and Handouts page.

Abortion and disabilities flier (PDF)

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Human cloning in the news again

On Wednesday, the Washington Post and a few other papers reported on research out of New York in which researchers attempted to create cloned human embryos and then kill them for their stem cells. After failing to create a cloned embryo who could survive long enough to be killed for her stem cells using regular cloning techniques, scientists at the New York Stem Cell Foundation decided to forego the step of removing the egg's nucleus. This means they created human embryos with 69 chromosomes instead of 46. Since the cells have an abnormal number of chromosomes, they could never be used to treat patients.

The scientists paid $8,000 each to 16 women in order to obtain 270 eggs.
Some researchers, however, questioned the usefulness of the research.

"These are grotesquely abnormal cells, so they have no clinical applications. Even scientifically they are of questionable value," said Maureen L. Condic, an associate professor of neurobiology and anatomy at the University of Utah.

A political cross section of scientists, women's health advocates and bioethicists also expressed concern about paying women for the millions of eggs that would be demanded if the work ever led to treatments for common diseases. Egg donation requires risky hormone injections.

"I do have some very serious concerns about such wholesale solicitation of young women for their eggs at such very attractive prices," said Judy Norsigian, executive director of Our Bodies Ourselves, a women's health guide.

FULL STORY

Wesley Smith has some thoughts on this research and story.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HUMAN CLONING

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Clinton County Baby Contest Results in Lansing State Journal

On October 2, the Lansing State Journal published the results of Clinton County Right to Life's 2011 Mint Festival Baby Contest, including pictures of the winning babies.

FULL STORY

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

University of Michigan Students for Life group brings display of abortion images to campus

This week, students at the University of Michigan are going to get a chance to see what abortion does to unborn children. The University of Michigan Students for Life is hosting a display by the Genocide Awareness Project which displays images of aborted children alongside victims of the Holocaust and the genocide in Darfur.
LSA junior Carmen Allen, president of Students for Life, said the organization asked the Genocide Awareness Project to come to campus because many students here aren't concerned about abortions.

"I think that the University of Michigan is the subject of a lot of apathy on campus that we have labeled tolerance," Allen said. "I think that abortion is an issue that has really fallen under that apathy. The only thing that can really shake up this campus is to see what's going on through the graphic image."

........

The campus group also had a booth on the Diag yesterday dispensing information for women who may be considering abortion and set up a "Free Speech" board on which students could write their opinions about various issues.

FULL STORY

VIDEOS OF INTERVIEWS WITH STUDENTS

Monday, October 3, 2011

Illinois abortion clinic shut down for health violations

An abortion clinic in Illinois has been shut down indefinitely for health violations. The Northern Illinois Women's Center in Rockford had its license suspended by the Illinois Department of Health after failing a follow-up inspection. The clinic was inspected in June of 2011 and received a plan of correction but when inspectors returned in September, they still found numerous health violations.
The facility did not ensure the presence of a registered nurse in the operating room during all invasive and operative procedures.

The facility did not ensure the presence of a registered nurse to direct and supervise the nursing personnel and the nursing care of patients.

The facility did not ensure that either of the two physicians on staff have and maintain surgical practice privileges with an Illinois-licensed hospital.

The facility did not have a written agreement with a laboratory that possesses a valid clinical laboratory improvement amendment certificate to perform any lab work that is not performed at the facility. The notice also assesses a fine of $15,000 against the facility.
FULL STORY

Friday, September 30, 2011

New web site discusses risks of abortion pill

Monty Patterson, the father of Holly Patterson, has created a new web site entitled Abortion Pill Risks to warn women about the risks of the abortion pill. Holly Patterson was an 18-year-old who died after receiving abortion drugs at a Planned Parenthood in California in September of 2003.

The web site includes information about the RU-486 abortion pill, its numerous risks, and Holly's story.

ABORTION PILL RISKS

Thursday, September 29, 2011

State partial-birth abortion ban headed to Governor Snyder

On Wednesday, state lawmakers approved the final version of Michigan's ban on partial-birth abortion. The legislation passed 75-34 in the House and 29-9 in the Senate. The legislation now goes to Governor Rick Snyder for his signature.
Michigan lawmakers have unsuccessfully tried multiple times for more than a decade to enact a state-level ban, most recently because of court rulings and vetoes from then-Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm. Snyder succeeded Granholm in January and is likely to sign the bill, depending on a final review and if it's consistent with a federal law that already bans the late-term procedure......

The outlawed procedure typically is used to end pregnancies in the second and third trimesters and involves partially removing the fetus intact from a woman's uterus and then crushing or cutting its skull to complete the abortion. The procedure is formally known as dilation and extraction and is also referred to as late-term abortion, D&X or Intact D&X.
FULL STORY

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Congressional Committee Moves to Investigate Planned Parenthood

On September 15, 2011, Representative Cliff Stearns (R-FL) sent a letter to Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards explaining his House Committee on Oversight and Investigations would be "examining the institutional practices and policies of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and its affiliates, and its handing of federal funding."

Planned Parenthood is America's leading abortion provider.
The letter asks Richards to comply with current federal regulations and legal obligations by providing Congress with a wide range of documents within two weeks of the date of the letter.

“Please provide all internal audit reports conducted by PPFA and its affiliates from 1998 to 2010. If not clearly indicated in the audit reports, please detail how much PPFA and each affiliate expended and received in Title XIX Medicaid funding, Title X family planning, and any other federal funding,” the letter says.

FULL STORY

STEARNS' LETTER (PDF)

Study finds mother's chemotherapy safe for unborn children

A study which was recently presented at the European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress found children whose mothers were treated with chemotherapy during pregnancy were not affected by the chemotherapy. This led researchers to conclude pregnant cancer patients don't need to have abortions or delay chemotherapy beyond the first trimester.
"The data suggest the children suffer more from prematurity than from prenatal chemotherapy," said Dr. Frederic Amant, a gynecological oncologist at the University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium, who led the research and presented his findings at the European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress (EMCC) in Stockholm.

While results presented at meetings are usually considered preliminary, he said the data show there is no need for pregnant cancer patients to have abortions or delay chemotherapy treatment beyond the first trimester, but stressed that doctors should avoid inducing early birth if at all possible.

FULL STORY

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

People in favor of legal abortion do a "180"

In a new documentary film entitled "180," Ray Comfort interviews people on the street about Adolf Hitler, the Holocaust and abortion. During his interviews with people, Comfort is able to change their positions on abortion by asking them a variety of thought-provoking questions. The film contains graphic images and some disturbing language.

You can watch the film on YouTube here.

Right to Life of Michigan Conference featured on WILX

On Saturday, September 24, hundreds of prolifers from across Michigan came together at Right to Life of Michigan's 38th Annual Conference. WILX, Lansing's NBC affiliate, was there to cover the event.
"The reason that I'm here is because back in 1972 I was an unfortunate person to have gone through an abortion," Right To Life participant, Karen Holdren, said.

That experience for Holdren was enough to get her involved in the Right To Life organization and on Saturday, over 200 people gathered at the Causeway Bay Hotel in Lansing for the 38th annual conference. All those in attendance were there to talk about one thing.

"Right To Life is about celebrating life," Right To Life spokesperson, Pamela Sherstad, said.

Different leaders involved in the cause gathered to talk about what's new in the fight for pro-life issues.

"Leaders from Right To Life local affiliates are meeting to just be encouraged and informed about what's happening in the pro-life movement statewide," Sherstad said.

FULL STORY

Record-Eagle covers Right to Life dinner featuring abortion survivor

The Traverse City Record-Eagle featured a story on Grand Traverse Right to Life's Focus on Life dinner which featured prolife speaker Gianna Jessen.
Well before Monday, Jessen almost didn’t make it past her own birthday. Her biological mother was 17 when she had a saline abortion in her third trimester. Jessen was born alive but was diagnosed with cerebral palsy because of complications from the procedure.

“I survived an abortion by the grace of God,” she told the crowd at the Grand Traverse Resort. “They did not know who they were trying to kill.”

FULL STORY

Friday, September 23, 2011

Prolife art at Art Prize

If you will be attending ArtPrize in Grand Rapids sometime in the following weeks, one artist has a sculpture that examines the meaning of life in it's first few days.
The sculpture First Spark is an artistic expression of the value a new life holds. This unique value is inferred in an existential explosion that shouts out to us:

"I Exist! I Have Value! I Want To Live!"
MORE INFORMATION

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Which group will never abandon President Barack Obama?

The following video from the Susan B. Anthony List discusses why abortion providers have stood by President Barack Obama when other groups haven't.

Right to Life of Michigan Hails Passage of Partial Birth Abortion Ban

The state's leading prolife organization hailed the passage of legislation in Lansing to put a ban on partial birth abortions into Michigan's law books. The Michigan Senate and House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved identical bills on the same day, with votes of 29-8 and 75-33 in the respective chambers. The two bodies will have to settle on which of the two versions is sent to Governor Rick Snyder for his signature.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing declared the votes a victory for the people of Michigan. "For more than 15 years Michigan citizens have used the democratic process to seek an end to this unspeakable abortion procedure. Despite prior versions of the law being struck down by courts or vetoed by a previous governor, the unwavering conviction of hundreds of thousands of citizens that partial birth abortion must be rejected led to this victory," Listing said.

Listing also had praise for the leadership provided by Michigan legislators and the bi-partisan nature of the vote. "We are grateful for the sponsors of this legislation, the committee chairs, and the leadership in both chambers who insured the passage of this bill. These super-majority votes of both Democrats and Republicans demonstrate that the issue of protecting human life transcends party lines."

The first Michigan law to ban partial birth abortion was enacted in 1996, signed by Governor John Engler, but eventually overturned by the federal courts. Two other versions were later enacted, one in 2004 via a statewide petition drive, after Governor Jennifer Granholm vetoed the same language that had been passed by the legislature in 2003. The bill passed by the Legislature today parallels a federal law signed by President George W. Bush and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007.

The new Michigan law is slated to take effect on January 1, 2012.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Partial-birth abortion ban passes Michigan Senate and House

Today, both the Michigan House and Senate overwhelmingly passed Michigan's Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. The legislation passed in the Senate by a vote of 29-8 and in the House by a vote of 75 to 33.

MORE ON MICHIGAN'S EFFORT TO BAN PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION

Michigan legislature moves to ban partial-birth abortion

The Detroit News is covering efforts in the Michigan legislature to pass a state ban on partial-birth abortion. The bi-partisan effort will likely take place today. Contact your legislators and let them know you support Michigan's Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.
"This is a policy that the people broadly support," Rivet said, adding at least a half dozen states have enacted bans since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. "Regardless of anyone's position on the abortion issue … this particular form of abortion is beyond what a civil society can tolerate."

If the legislation passes, performing a partial-birth abortion would become a felony punishable by up to two years in prison and a $50,000 fine.There would be an exception if the mother's life is in danger. The legislation would also allow the mother's spouse, or if the mother is a minor, her parents, to sue the doctorfor civil damages......

"The people's override petition in 2004 made it clear that the public finds partial-birth abortion to be unethical and unacceptable in this state," said Phyllis Browne, spokeswoman for House Speaker Jase Bolger, R-Marshall. "We are honoring the will of the people and protecting our shared values in fighting this injustice and protecting humanlife."

FULL STORY

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Anticipating Success Prolife People Gather for Annual Conference

Back to Life is the theme of the 38th Annual Right to Life of Michigan Conference. The Conference will be Saturday, September 24, at the Causeway Bay Hotel and Conference Center in Lansing, Michigan.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, "As prolife people gather from across Michigan, we have much to celebrate. A ban on the horrific partial birth abortion is on track to become law and I've seen a renewed prolife energy surge our state."

The Right to Life of Michigan Conference gives prolife leaders an opportunity to reconnect with others and re-energize for our life-saving work, Listing said.

General Session speakers include Phill Kline, the former Attorney General of the State of Kansas, and Ellen Salter, prolife mom and defender of life.

Kline was the first and only prosecutor ever to succeed in obtaining abortion records from Planned Parenthood which brought down the wrath of the abortion industry nationwide. As the reality of Planned Parenthood's extravagant abortion business comes to light, Kline is an in-demand speaker. He has spoken out to Fox News Channel, USA Today, the O'Reilly Factor and other media outlets. Kline is a real life story of David and Goliath-taking on the one billion dollar abortion industry.

Ellen Salter will speak on accepting the gift of life, no matter how it is wrapped. Ellen gave birth to Meghan, her fourth child, in October 2002-another healthy baby girl. But, less than two months into Meghan's life, she started developing serious problems. Her limbs grew limp with no explanation. Then one day Meghan stopped breathing. That day Meghan was flown for the first time to the University of Michigan's Mott's Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor with many more helicopter flights in the years to follow along with regular surgeries on her spine to help her breathing. Meghan's mysterious health problems continue to baffle doctors. Ellen's life experiences give her a unique opportunity to speak for those who do not have a voice like Meghan. Ellen shares the joy of caring for others bringing an inspirational prospective on the importance of our work.

During the Conference luncheon, Sen. Arlan Meekof, sponsor of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban, will give an update on the legislation. Votes are expected on the Partial Birth Abortion Ban in both the Michigan House and Senate this week.

In addition to the General Session speakers and Sen. Arlan Meekof, the RLM Conference also includes the Annual Meeting where board members are selected and a variety of interactive workshops.

MORE CONFERENCE INFORMATION

Radio interview on Partial-Birth Abortion

Below is a video of Right to Life of Michigan's Legislative Director Ed Rivet discussing partial-birth abortion and efforts in Michigan to ban this heinous procedure with Matt Clark of WAAM 1600.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Injured football star Peyton Manning had adult stem cell procedure

It is being reported that the Indianapolis Colts' star quarterback Peyton Manning received a stem cell transplant of cells from his own body in an attempt to treat an ailing neck injury.

David Prentice has more details at the FRC blog:
Manning has had three surgeries on his neck in the last 19 months, Little detail was available, but the information indicates that the procedure may have used adipose (fat) derived adult stem cells from Manning's own body; this autologous procedure (using your own adult stem cells) bypasses any problems of transplant rejection and is relatively safe. Manning's adult stem cells may have then been injected around the site of his problem vertebra in the neck, to assist healing and help with spinal disc fusion.

FULL STORY

Ban on human embryos patents becomes law

National Right to Life Committee reports that legislation which bans the patenting of human embryos was enacted into law as part of the "America Invents Act" (H.R. 1249).
Early in the year, when it became clear that Congress was likely to take up a sweeping revision of the patent laws, NRLC insisted on inclusion of language to codify (make permanent) a previously enacted temporary prohibition on any patents being issued on human embryos.....

The key language, as it appears in Section 33 of the enacted measure, reads as follows: "Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, no patent may issue on a claim directed to or encompassing a human organism."
.....
NRLC fought hard for the Weldon language, arguing that it was one necessary bulwark against the plans of some biotechnology organizations to create an industry based on the creation and manipulation of human embryos. NRLC and other backers of the Weldon language cited statements by some researchers that they wanted to patent and market human embryos with certain genetic profiles as "models" for studying certain diseases.

FULL STORY

Friday, September 16, 2011

The Three Deadliest Words in the World: It's a Girl!

A new documentary film entitled, "It's a Girl!: The Three Deadliest Words in the World" discusses sex-selection abortion and is scheduled for release in 2012.

The film synopsis describes the film by saying:
In India, China and many other parts of the world today, girls are killed, aborted and abandoned simply because they are girls. The United Nations estimates as many as 200 million girls(1) are missing in the world today because of this so-called “gendercide”.

Girls who survive infancy are often subject to neglect, and many grow up to face extreme violence and even death at the hands of their own husbands or other family members.

The war against girls is rooted in centuries-old tradition and sustained by deeply ingrained cultural dynamics which, in combination with government policies, accelerate the elimination of girls.

Shot on location in India and China, It’s a Girl! explores the issue. It asks why this is happening, and why so little is being done to save girls and women.

The film's web site also provides a trailer for the movie.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Replay of Right to Life of Michigan Teleseminar

If you were not able to hear the Right to Life of Michigan Teleseminar, you missed an important update and inspirational words from a special guest.

A replay of the Teleseminar is available. Follow the link below to listen in.

http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventID=22612494


Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing provides an update on the Michigan Partial Birth Abortion Ban. And, Ellen Salter, prolife mom and defender of life, shares a glimpse of her incredible journey to embrace the gift of life.

Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing and our Marketing, Sales and Events Director Maureen Coffey have extended the discounted cost of $55 to attend Conference. The discount is good until Monday, September 19. Take this opportunity to invite your friends and family members.

Right to Life of Michigan Conference Details & Registration

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Teleseminar scheduled for tomorrow, September 15

Right to Life of Michigan has planned a special Teleseminar for Thursday, September 15, at 10 a.m. Join us for an interview with Ellen Salter, prolife mom and defender of life. Ellen will share a glimpse of her incredible journey to embrace the gift of life. Ellen is also slated to speak at the Right to Life of Michigan Conference.

During the Teleseminar, Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing will provide an update on efforts to ban partial birth abortion in Michigan. Prolife excitement is bubbling-over in Lansing, tune in to learn more!

Plan your morning break around the Right to Life of Michigan Teleseminar. The Teleseminar will last about 20 minutes. Grab a cup of coffee (and maybe a doughnut) and join us!

A very special offer will be announced regarding the Right to Life of Michigan Conference. Seriously, you do not want to miss this!

We are looking forward to connecting with you on Thursday, September 15. Please share this information with your prolife friends. All are welcome to participate!

Title: Right to Life of Michigan Teleseminar
Time: Thursday, September 15, at 10 a.m.
Listening method: Phone + Web Simulcast
To attend, visit:
http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventID=22612494

Or call at 10 a.m. on September 15
Phone Number: (616) 712-3139
Pin Code: 662744#

Killing one twin for convenience - where the ideology of “choice” leads

"Selective reduction" is a euphemism to describe a procedure in which one or more unborn children are aborted in a multiple pregnancy. Potassium chloride is injected into the heart of the unborn child (or children) which causes the heart to stop and the child to die. In the past, it was typically performed when women became pregnant with 3 or more children and fertility doctors believed killing one or more of the unborn children would increase the likelihood of the other children surviving after birth.

As the ideology of choice grows stronger within some portions of our society, “selective reduction” has become increasingly trendy among women who become pregnant with twins after using in-vitro fertilization.

The New York Times' Magazine recently featured a story on women who, after becoming pregnant with twins through in‑vitro fertilization, decide to have one of their twins aborted. Since having twins isn’t dramatically dangerous to the twins or the mother, the reasons for these selective reduction abortions were purely for the convenience of the mother. One mother even describes her pregnancy as "consumerish" with multiple choices. Deciding to abort one twin was just another choice to be made.

According to the article, in 1997, only 15 percent of selective reduction abortions at one of the biggest fertility clinics in New York were abortions where multiple pregnancies were aborted down to single children. By 2010, that number had risen to 61 percent. What was once irregular is now common.

While some fertility doctors refuse to kill a twin for convenience, others see this practice as merely a case of ethics “evolv(ing) with technology.” Or rather a case of how making a career out of killing some children can quickly lead down the slippery slope to where all ethical boundaries get tossed out the window in favor of granting more choices.

One woman interviewed even admits if she had conceived twins naturally, she wouldn’t have aborted one of her twins. However, since the children were created in “such an artificial manner” that “making a decision about how many to carry seemed to be just another choice” and deciding if they wanted one or two children “became yet another thing (they) could control.”

So much thought was given to what they wanted and so little thought to the consequences of what they were considering. So focused were these women on what they desired, they blocked out the fact they were intentionally ending the life of one of their own children. Not only did they rob themselves of a child, they robbed their children of a sibling.

For more information about abortion and selective reduction, please visit Right to Life of Michigan at www.rtl.org.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Michigan man charged with death of pregnant woman, unborn child

From ConnectMidMichigan.com:
Kenneth Bluew has been charged with premeditated murder in the death of Jenny Webb. Prosecutor Mike Thomas says her body was found by Officer Tim Patterson at a police gun range in Buena Vista just before midnight on August 31, 2011. Prosecutor Thomas says the woman was strangled, and that resulted in the death of her unborn baby, Braxton James, as well.....

Officer Bluew has also been charged with Felony Firearm Possession, Intentional Conduct against a Pregnant Individual Resulting in Death and Miscarriage or Stillbirth to a Fetus or Embryo.......

The woman and child were laid to rest the following Saturday after the crime. Friends and family were shocked by the horrendous crime. Edward Davis, a family friend talked to NBC25 on the day of the memorial. Davis stated, "this person not only killed a woman, whoever that person may be but, they took two lives. They took the life of an infant."
Bluew is believed to be the father of the child.

FULL STORY

Strategic Prolife Message on Michigan's Partial-Birth Abortion Ban

Below is the first quarterly message developed for a new Right to Life of Michigan outreach which brings a clear point of interest and activity to develop awareness about a specific prolife issue. This message focuses on the Partial Birth Abortion Ban pending in the Michigan Legislature. Movement on the Partial Birth Abortion Ban could come near the end of September. Action is needed now.
Key Message: Now is the time for Michigan to place a partial birth abortion ban on its law books.
Partial birth abortion is a heinous act which kills a child who is more born than unborn; partial birth abortion breaches every boundary of human dignity and every boundary of justice.

Action Items:
  • Call your Michigan Senator in Lansing and let him or her know you support the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, S.B. 160 and S.B. 161. [Michigan Senators]
  • Call your Michigan House Representative in Lansing and let him or her know you support the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, H.B. 4109 and H.B. 4110. [Michigan House Representatives]
  • Educate others. Share this Right to Life of Michigan web page link highlighting the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act with others via e-mail, FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc... http://www.rtl.org/action_center/pba_2011/
  • Write Letters to the editor of your local newspaper or post/respond with information on local TV, radio, and newspaper web sites. Draft information below or use the information from http://www.rtl.org/action_center/pba_2011/
  • Comment on community blogs and other online forums to get the word out

Sample letters to the editor:


[Sample 1]

To the Editor:

I want to see a law in Michigan to ban partial birth abortions. Too many doctors have publically stated that partial birth abortions are never needed to save the life of a mother. Both women and children deserve better than this brutal abortion method. I stand with Right to Life of Michigan and our prolife lawmakers in support of a Michigan partial birth abortion ban.

Sincerely,



[Sample 2]

To the Editor:

Partial birth abortion is the most cruel and barbaric abortion procedure ever conceived. Every abortion ends the life of a unique individual. Now is the time to pass a Michigan law banning partial birth abortions. Now is the time to protect children who are in the process of being born and inches away from life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Sincerely,



[Sample 3]

To the Editor:

We need to protect vulnerable members of the human family, especially children who are in the process of being born. Members of the Michigan House and Senate have an opportunity to place a state ban on partial birth abortion. It's time for the people of Michigan to stand up for what is right - the protection of human life - and put a partial birth abortion ban on Michigan's law books.

Sincerely,