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© 2011 Lake County Right to Life P.O. Box 586 100 N. Atkinson Rd Suite 112 C Grayslake IL 60030 847.223.7022 |
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Reclaim America for Life Speak Out Illinois 2012 |
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This year's Speak Out Illinois promises to be the best ever! The line up is unbelievable, and is one conference you won't want to miss. This year's conference is being held on January 28th from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM at the Doubletree Oak Brook Hotel, 1909 Spring Road in Oak Brook. Abby Johnson is the featured keynote speaker for this year's educational conference. Abby is the author of the book "Unplanned', her own personal story of conversion from being a Planned Parenthood director to a pro-life advocate. |
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The conference features break out sessions with the following topics:
1.) "Children Are a Treasure" Dr. Allan Carlson, The Howard Center.
2.) "Lessons from the Pro-Life Generation" John Paul Deddens, Students for Life of Illinois.
3.) "Communicating Your Message Effectively", Tom Ciesielka, TC Public Relations.
4.) "How to Influence Public Policy for Life", David Smith IFI: Ralph Rivera, ICL and Bob Gilligan, ICC.
There will be a concurrent Teen program, featuring popular speaker and podcast host, John Brahm. If you are interested in attending, please call our office and we'll make arrangements. |
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Supreme Court begins review of ObamaCare —Will Kagan Recuse Herself?
This week, the U.S. Supreme Court will begin reviewing the new national health care law, commonly known as ObamaCare. A decision is expected in the spring.
As you know, Lake County Right to Life strongly and totally opposes the ironically named Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—here are some reasons why:
It certainly doesn’t protect unborn babies, because the law expands government involvement in abortion.
It certainly will not protect the elderly or physically vulnerable, because the law includes health care rationing.
When the bill was being considered in Congress, a key amendment preventing government funding of abortion or abortion coverage in insurance plans was dead on arrival in the pro-abortion Senate.
Former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee notes that “the time for petition campaigns is past,” because you can’t lobby the Supreme Court. He adds that those who disagree with ObamaCare must work to shift control of the White House and Senate in the 2012 election so the bill can be repealed. Certainly a position Lake County Right to Life strongly supports.
As the Supreme Court begins reviewing this law, one important issue concerns Obama appointed Justice Elena Kagan. The Supreme Court is closely divided, often ruling 5-4. Before being nominated to the Court, Justice Kagan was Obama’s solicitor general, which means she was the person appointed to represent the federal government before the Supreme Court. “As such, throughout the ObamaCare debate, she headed the office that was responsible for formulating the administration’s legal defense of ObamaCare,” notes Jeffrey H. Anderson, senior fellow in health care studies at the Pacific Research Institute and former director of the Benjamin Rush Society.
The law states than federal judges are required to recuse themselves if they have been involved with a case before it reaches the bench or if it is questionable that they would be impartial. When asked during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings about whether she’d ever been asked her opinion or offered views on legal issues related to ObamaCare, she answered no.
However, emails between Kagan and Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe, released by the Department of Justice last week, belie this. Some, in fact, make her sound like a cheerleader for ObamaCare.
Kagan has given no indication that she will recuse herself. Carrie Severino, chief counsel of the Judicial Crisis Network and expert on judicial nominations, says that “Kagan took early and aggressive action to involve her office in ObamaCare and was part of the deliberative process in the ObamaCare defense strategy.” Severino accuses Kagan of “playing coach and umpire in the same game.” In a bizarre contrast, some supporters of ObamaCare have been calling for Clarence Thomas to recuse himself because his wife works for the Heritage Foundation.
Lake County Right to Life urges its members to pray for individual Justices of the Supreme Court and also to pray that justice will be done.
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Disturbing Illinois abortion facility to remain closed till 2012, potentially saving 100s of lives |
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A ruling handed down this week means that one of the most notorious abortion clinics in the country, the Northern Illinois Women’s Center (NIWC) in Rockford, Illinois, will remain closed until January 4, 2012, when a formal public hearing will be held. The ruling on the suspension of the clinic’s license was made by an Administrative Law Judge at the behest of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). |
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In addition to its health violations, the abortion facility is known for routinely displaying anti-Christian symbols, such as a nun in a coffin and a crucified rubber chicken, as well as taunting signs in its windows. |
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Lake County Right to Life Candidate Forum
Please join us for Lake County Right to Life’s Candidate Forum focusing on the Life Issues.
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Saturday, January 7, 2012 9:00AM till Noon
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Warren Township Senior Center 17801 W. Washington Stree,t Gurnee, IL (Entrance off of Almond Road)
The Forum will be conducted in a professional manner, allowing each candidate a prescribed period of time to present their views on the Life issues. Time permitting, the moderator will allow questions from the audience.
All candidates -- from Democratic, Republican and Independent parties – have been invited. The Forum includes those running for the U.S. House, State Senate and House, Judicial and countywide offices. This event will provide the opportunity to have firsthand knowledge of the candidate’s views on the life issues for the upcoming primary election. There is no charge to attend. |
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Abortion Nondiscrimination Act Nearing Vote
An important piece of pro-life legislation, the Abortion Nondiscrimination Act (ANDA), has a chance of passing the House of Representatives within the next week.
The bill, which may be part of the House Labor and Health and Human Services spending package for Fiscal Year 2012, would protect the conscience rights of health care workers and religious groups who don't want to be forced into performing or referring women for abortions.
"ANDA is particularly important in light of the recent cases we've seen of blatant discrimination against faith-based people and groups that don't want to participate in practices that violate their consciences. The case of the New Jersey nurses is a perfect example," said Ashley Horne, CitizenLink's federal issues analyst. "The longer we go without permanent protection for health care professionals who oppose the practice of abortion, the more in danger we become of being a country that disrespects the moral values of its citizens and forces them to check their beliefs at the door."
In November, 125 members of Congress wrote to support including ANDA in the final appropriations bill.
Urge your congressmen to include ANDA in the final appropriations bill for FY 2012.
For contact information for your member of congress, please visit: http://www.house.gov/ and enter your zip code in the "Find your Representative" tool in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
Contact: Karla Dial Source: CitizenLink |
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Government Decision on Plan B
The following is the FDA's response to Teva Pharmaceuticals' request that the Plan B morning-after pill be made available for over-the-counter sale. Currently, women 17 and older can purchase the drug with proof of age. It was expected that the FDA would approve Teva's request.
Lake County Right to Life, along with many other pro-life groups, opposed this move and urged the agency to reject it. This pill has numerous negatives besides causing abortions:
- Without a prescription, Plan B allows potential harm from unsupervised, high doses of hormones, while interfering with parents' ability to monitor their children.
- Plan B increases the risks of cervical cancer and blood clots.
- Plan B has an adverse effect on the immune system, which has been linked to an increased vulnerability to HIV infection.
- Without a prescription, Plan B sets up children for victimization by sexual predators.
Considering the aggressively pro-abortion stance of the Obama administration and recent anti-life decisions by HHS Secretary Katherine Sebelius, it came as a surprise today when Secretary Sebelius overrode the FDA and decided to keep the current regulation in place. Sebelius expressed her concern that very young girls couldn't properly understand how to use the drug without guidance from an adult. In a statement posted on the HHS website, she stated that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries had not presented enough evidence to show that younger girls would properly understand the label and use the pill appropriately without talking to a doctor first.
Secretary Sebelius also pointed out that the average U.S. girl reaches childbearing age at 12.4 years, but that 10 percent of girls are capable of becoming pregnant at 11.1 years. "It is common knowledge that there are significant cognitive and behavioral differences between older adolescent girls and the youngest girls of reproductive age," Sebelius said. "If the application were approved, the product would be available, without prescription, for all girls of reproductive age." You can read the entire statement here: Statement
Pro-abortion advocates called the decision "beyond stunning" and "an outrage." Kirsten Moore of the Reproductive Health Technologies Project said, "We are outraged that this administration has let politics trump science." To pro-lifers, this statement is surreal, as we have witnessed politics trumping science and ethics to advance the pro-abortion agenda for years.
We are pleased with Secretary Sebelius' decision. However, in light of this administration's consistently anti-life direction, we are realistic, not cynical, to agree with Kirsten Moore in wondering if the reason behind this announcement had more to do with product labeling or President Obama's re-election |
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Small Beginnings
We at Lake County Right to Life are delighted by the recently released statistics from the Illinois Dept. of Public Health, showing that the number of abortions performed on Lake County residents revealed a 5% decrease for 2010. These numbers reflect Lake County Right to Life's impact in Lake County.
We could not have accomplished this work without you. You are the reason for Lake County Right to Life's success - because you are Lake County Right to Life. You are the heart and soul of this organization, which would not exist without you.
With your help, Lake County Right to Life has made a huge impact for Life in Lake County, through advocacy, witness and education (AWE). Here are a few of the activities that we are engaged in throughout the year, which we could not accomplish without you.
· First and foremost, through your generosity, Lake County Right to Life now has a fully functioning professional office and staff. · With your help, Lake County Right to Life is able to use social media to reach out and educate our members, through our website, Constant Contact emails, Blog, Twitter and Facebook. · Your support has also helped Lake County Right to Life present educational forums, which are held throughout the year. These educational forums help keep pro-lifers up to date on the ever changing face of the Life issue. These forums help influence the community. · With your help, we make available up-to-date news regarding all that is transpiring in Washington, DC and Springfield on the Life issues. · Our Candidate Forum and voter guide has helped you to vote for the candidates who support Life. This has resulted in the decreasing abortion statistics in Lake County. · Other activities include an annual Signature Ad commemorating the Roe v Wade decision. Your public witness for Life, is reflected in supporting our parades, Life Chains and 40 Days for Life.
We are delighted that the abortion statistics in Lake County and Illinois have decreased. However, we cannot rest. The fight is not over, so we look forward to continuing to defend life together in the public arena. |
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Merry Christmas
We at Lake County Right to Life want to wish all of you a Blessed and Holy Christmas Season.
The Christmas Story resounds with an affirmation of life, beginning with the Angel Gabriel's announcement of the Savior's birth to a simple little Jewish girl named Mary who lived in Nazareth. Her humble and obedient "yes" to God's invitation to become the Mother of God reflects our own "yes" to defend Life. As the story continues, Mary with child travels with haste to the hill country of Judea, where Elizabeth feels her unborn son, John the Baptist, leap for joy in her womb. Later, Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem, where the Son of God is born in a humble stable. Choirs of angel's announce his birth, by singing peace on earth to men of good will. |
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Although this story is about the "Good News' of our salvation, there is a parallel to be considered. For although we usually think of Christmas as a time of good cheer, we often forget that there is another part of the story that is equally important. For shortly after the Savior's birth, Joseph and Mary are forced to flee Herod who seeks the death of the Christ child. King Herod, in a savage frenzy to destroy the newborn Christ child, murders countless numbers of innocents.
Today, King Herod is alive and well and sitting in the White House, and he is still seeking the death of innocents. Herod seeking the death of the child is just as much a part of the Christmas story as the joyful birth of the babe in the manger. We are involved in this same parallel today.
Today, the media shows our President lighting the national Christmas tree and smiling beside his beaming wife and children, but we cannot forget that he has been the most pro-abortion president in history. We cannot forget that back in Springfield, President Obama was the only state senator to speak out against providing protection to babies surviving late-term abortions.
Our "King Herod" has not let up-his recent efforts have included a push for all of us to pay for chemical abortions. His administration excludes organizations working to protect victims of human trafficking if they refuse to refer clients for abortions.
So, as we reflect this year on these parallels of the Christmas Story, let us re-commit ourselves to the issue of life, not just as a mental assent or a part-time hobby, but as a divine call. This is a time when we are all being called to live the Christmas message in a much deeper way than we may have in the past.
Lake County Right to Life wishes you and your loved ones a Holy and Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year |
