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New Report on Pregnancy Resource Centers

Ed

Check out this new report on pregnancy resource centers called A Passion to Serve (click here to see report). The report was spearheaded by the Family Research Council in cooperation with the National Institute of Family & Life Advocates, CareNet, Life International, and Heartbeat International.

It provides a beautiful picture of the many hours that volunteers in the PRCs give to serve women and their children around the country. You can download a PDF version of the report. Better yet, purchase copies of the report to spread the word about the important work that these groups in our communities perform every day.

Why is this so important? Due to the success of campaigns like Live Action, Planned Parenthood clinics (the largest abortion provider in the US) have been denied city and state funding in various parts of the country. Click here to read a recent article about Tennessee denying funding to Planned Parenthood.

Now the pro-abortion groups are trying to use similar strategy to discredit PRCs. Click here to see a sample flier advertising one such contest. Click here to see the Feminist Majority Foundation’s plan to “expose” pregnancy resource centers as “fakes”.

Maybe it’s just me, but…if the issue were truly about “choice” why are the “pro-choice” (abortion) groups up in arms about informing women of all the choices available to them during an unplanned pregnancy?  Let’s help women find real choices by funding caring pregnancy resource centers that help women throughout their pregnancy and, very often, after birth, rather than push them to a single option solution to their crisis – abortion clinics where the only outcome is a dead baby and a wounded woman.

Values Voter Summit 2009

Ed

I am at the first day of the 2009 Values Voter Summit sponsored by FRC Action and co-sponsored by the Family Research Council, the American Family Association, Focus on the Family Action, and American Values.

I’ll be posting some notable comments and snippets of information shortly.  Meanwhile, if you’re in the Washington DC area, it’s not too late to participate in second day this great conference.  Click here for more information about the conference.

Additional Comments on the Health Care Debate

Ed

The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Life and Health Ministries just posted a new web page that addresses some concerns regarding the so-called health care reform that Congress will continue to consider when they reconvene next week.

Click here to go to the LCMS web page and see why we should be concerned with three specific areas of the legislation: abortion, end-of-life, and conscience protection.

Additionally, I was made aware of a blog by Jackie Durkee called Faithful in Prayer for America. Since early July, Jackie has been reading H.R. 3200 (yes, all 1017 pages of it!) and has been summarizing each section. If you really want to know what’s in the legislation, make sure you visit her blog.

Finally, if you want your own copy of H.R. 3200, it’s available from the General Printing Office by clicking here.

It’s not too late to let your elected officials know that you are concerned about where this bill may lead us. Click here for the National Right to Life Committee’s easy-to-use form for writing your congressional members.

Abortion and Health Care Reform

Ed 2 Comments

The Silent No More Awareness Campaign has a short video (2:50) on YouTube speaking about abortion and so-called health care reform.  Take a look at the video by clicking here and then pass it on ‘right-clicking’ on the link and copying it.

I’ve been spending part of the last two weeks actually reading the legislation contained in H.R. 3200 — America’s Affordable Health Choices Act 2009 and wanted to share some of what I’ve discovered with you, dear reader.

Although the word “abortion” does not appear anywhere in H.R. 3200, it is important to recognize the words that may imply abortion services are to be provided. For example, in Section 1714 – State Eligibility Options for Family Planning Services, the legislation delineates the eligibility requirements for women who are pregnant and women who are not pregnant to receive taxpayer-funded “family planning services.” The proposed legislation states the following:

… provide for making medical assistance available to an individual … such medical assistance shall be limited to family planning services and supplies described in 1905(a)(4)(C) [of Title XIX of the Social Security Act] and, at the State’s option, medical diagnosis and treatment services that are provided in conjunction with a family planning service in a family planning setting.

While, this might seem like an acceptable measure, but in reality, actual services received will depend on what limitations are placed on family planning services and supplies by Section 1905(a)(4)(C) of Title XIX of the Social Security Act. It would appear that the only limitation is that these services are provided

… to individuals of child-bearing age (including minors who can be considered to be sexually active) who are eligible under the State plan and who desire such services and supplies. (See the Social Security website by clicking here for the full text.)

In reality, there is no limit to what kinds of medical assistance, medical diagnosis, or treatment services can be provided at taxpayer expense. Also note that these services can be provided to minors “who can be considered to be sexually active [emphasis added]” and not just to those who actually are sexually active. Nor is there any mention of parental notification or consent before providing “treatment services” to minors.

What could the authors of H.R. 3200 possibly see as treatment services under this legislation? Abortion proponents have long asserted that reproductive rights include access to abortion services. One of the nation’s largest family planning provider, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), lists amongst it women’s health services both the abortion pill (RU-486) and in-clinic abortions.

I have written previously regarding Secretary of State Hillary Clinton receiving the Margaret Sanger Award from the PPFA. In her acceptance speech, she stated that increasing the level and quality of women’s health care worldwide depended on increasing access to family planning options. Secretary Clinton concluded by stating that PPFA has been a leader in ensuring that

… women’s health and women’s reproductive health is included in any deliberation concerning our – finally adopting – a healthcare system that takes care of all of our people. (See full text of the speech by clicking here.)

When the dots are connected, it is a reasonable and certain conclusion that H.R. 3200, if passed into law, will provide for taxpayer-funded abortions for women—and girls—without any limitations.

For more information, go to these websites: National Right to Life’s Stop the Abortion Agenda website; Family Research Council’s document called “Seven Reasons Abortion is in the Health Care Overhaul”; or Stop the Abortion Mandate’s facts webpage.

Reforming Health Care Reform

Ed

Apparently, public opinion still matters to the current presidential administration. Yesterday (August 16), Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that a government-run health plan is not an “essential element” of the so-called health care reform bill. This reversal comes in the face of boisterous objections to HR 3200 at town hall meetings nationwide as members of Congress have been confronted with questions and outrage. Click here to read a full article about the reversal on a government-run health plan.

But don’t let the this action lure you into complacency. Your voice still needs to be heard. In case you’re still not sure if government-run health care is a good idea or not, I want to bring your attention to the story of Betty Figg in England where nearly all health care is provided by the National Health Service. Long-term care under the NHS also includes social services and oversight of whether a person is in a nursing home (or care home in British parlance).

In 2008, after injuring herself in falls while in the hospital, Mrs. Figg was admitted into a nursing home due to dementia.  Betty’s daughter, Rosalind, noticed that her mother’s care was lacking (click here to see article about Betty’s abduction by the authorities). Rosalind and her partner made renovations to their home in order  to adequately care for her mother.

The application to bring Mrs. Figg home was denied in November 2008. In April 2009, Rosalind decided to remove her mother from the nursing home. She brought Mrs. Figg home to care for her. Shortly thereafter, in a scene reminiscent of a raid on a drug den, police arrived to forcibly remove Mrs. Figg from her daughter’s home, and return her to the nursing home.

More details about the event which led up to the police action can be found in a follow-up article by clicking here. Additional stories about how English nursing homes are caring for their patients can be found by clicking here.

The story of Betty Figg has a happy ending as she was allowed in June by social services to go home with her daughter Rosalind after Rosalind met the requirements set forth by social services. Mrs. Figg was welcomed home by family members and she is enjoying life in the comfort of her own home once again. Click here to read how this story ended.

Maybe it’s just me, but…now is not the time to breathe a sigh of relief…now is the time to continue to share the truth about the so-called health care reform with our friends and families. People need to hear the truth about real people like Betty and Rosalind. Do you want the state to decide whether or not you can take care of your own mother? Are you ready for rationing of health care services based on, for example, how many hip replacements have already been performed in a given year? Or based on some arbitrary mathematical formula that determines just how valuable your life supposedly is worth? (I’ll address this in a future blog.)

Click on these resources to get more information: AUL Action, Stop the Abortion Mandate, FRC Action, The Heritage Foundation here and here, and National Right to Life.

Get the facts…then get involved.