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Abortion Tag

A Texas court has dropped the remaining charges against the pro-life activists who caught Planned Parenthood officials on tape selling baby parts. David Daleiden, 27, said:
"The dismissal of the bogus, politically motivated charges against [Center for Medical Progress] project lead David Daleiden and investigator Sandra Merritt is a resounding vindication of the First Amendment rights of all citizen journalists, and also a clear warning to any of Planned Parenthood's political cronies who would attack whistleblowers to protect Planned Parenthood from scrutiny," Daleiden said in a statement.

Some of the best comedy is irreverent. I get that. That said, I'm hard pressed to find the humor in killing a child to avoid responsibility, particularly as one wiggles around in my womb. NARAL's (National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League) latest ad attempted to humorize the perceived difficulty created by abortion regulations. The result? A video bemoaning the tedious bureaucratic process required to kill an unborn life. Because it's so.hard. to sit through a five minute spiel informing women of abortion risks and an explanation of their baby's developmental process.

The pro-abortion movement loves to highlight stories of women who chose to end the life of their unborn child. They trot those out these women as those empowered into a new, bright future by their life-ending decision. Never discussed is the lasting emotional trauma that follows abortion. A video posted by LifeNews tells the story of a mother who turns around for just a moment, only to find her son "missing."

In a 5-3 decision, the Supreme Court has struck down two challenged provisions of Texas' abortion law, HB 2, the law that launched former Texas State Senator Wendy Davis to fame (or infamy, depending on your political leanings) for her pink-sneakered filibuster. Previous court decisions had upheld HB 2's ban on late term abortions. At issue here were two other provisions: 1) that abortion doctors have admitting privileges at a local hospital and 2) that abortion clinics have facilities comparable to outpatient surgical centers.

Francis William was born four months early weighing just over a pound and a half. Doctors gave him a 15% chance of survival. "We had a choice -- do everything or do nothing," said his Mom. "We wanted to give him a chance." Francis William's Dad wanted to know if his son had a real chance of survival. "I didn't want false hope, like please be honest with me, how is he really doing? I pulled one of the doctors aside and he says, let me just tell you, the numbers are all against Francis." The NICU nurses left a handful of markers for the family to create something colorful on the white board used for status updates in Francis William's room. His Aunt used her creativity to construct a "Finding Nemo" drawing. That innocuous little drawing lead the family to a greater story of hope.

At our first appointment, just over six weeks into the pregnancy, we were able to see our tiny little girl's heart pump fluttering away. There are many, many reasons I've always been pro-life, but this is definitely one of them. Most of the information out there is animated and shows a little cartoon baby in its earliest stages of in utero development, but this video posted by a Catholic Priest, shows a little one at seven weeks and four days.

Over the years I've chatted with many a woman who was ardently pro-abortion until 1) they became pregnant or 2) they learned what actually happens during an abortion procedure. Pro-life group, Live Action, is utilizing the latter scenario -- showing pro-choicers how babies are ripped to pieces during an abortion. Dr. Anthony Levatino, a former abortionist, explains what happens during the most common type of second trimester abortion (13-24 weeks of pregnancy), dilation and evacuation (D&E). Live Action stopped men and women on the street to show them Dr. Levatino's account (he has a great story of his own), and not one of them left as resolutely pro-abortion as they were before seeing the video. Many changed their minds completely.

Surely the progressive ideological utopia across the pond is more lenient when it comes to the convenient disposal of unborn human life, right? RIGHT?! Not quite. Though they constantly bemoan laws that make abortion-on-demand more difficult, the progressive abortion paradise is actually in the United States, where laws are significantly less stringent than those of most Western European countries. Elisha Kraus reports for Prager University:

Last year, Sen. Sassee introduced companion legislation to the House version of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. Speaking before the House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives Wednesday, Sen. Sasse gave an impassioned speech on the sanctity of life and the necessity of protecting the lives of the unborn.

Speaking at a Hillary Clinton rally in New York, Planned Parenthood President Cecil Richards compared women who vote for Senator Cruz to "chicken voting for Colonel Sanders." Colonel Sanders being Kentucky Fried Chicken's mascot or spokesman, or whatever.

In March, Indiana governor Mike Pence signed into law, HEA 1337, abortion restrictions related to diagnoses of Down's syndrome and other disabilities, selective abortion based on race or gender, and on the disposal of fetal remains (they are to be interred or cremated under the new law). At the time, Governor Pence said the new measures were “comprehensive pro-life measure that affirms the value of all human life.” Because abortions are down nationally and by 20% in Indiana over the past five years and is below the national average, there was some question about what practical benefits the law might have. One reaction that the law has had is the formation of a trolling campaign called "Periods for Pence" in which women tweet, email, and phone the governor's office to report on their menstruation cycle and other assorted issues with their vaginas.

I would like to introduce you to California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is running for the U.S. Senate and hoping to take the seat occupied by Barbara "Don't Call Me Ma'am" Boxer. I would like to say that Harris, who is both the likely nominee and ultimate November victor, will be an improvement over the pugnacious pixie. But I can't.

With demand down and red states limiting the amount of taxpayer monies going to fund abortion, abortion clinics are closing across the country.  Friday, Florida became another state to cut abortion funding when Governor Rick Scott signed into law a bill that would cut state funding to clinics that perform abortion. The Orlando Sentinel reports:
Planned Parenthood and other health clinics that provide abortions in Florida will go without taxpayer funds and face increased regulations for the procedure, under a bill signed Friday by Gov. Rick Scott. . . . . The law, which takes effect July 1, requires doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, requires annual licensure inspections for clinics and bans the purchase, sell or transfer of fetal remains. The law upgrades the failure to properly dispose of fetal tissue from a second-degree misdemeanor to a first-degree misdemeanor.

On Thursday, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed a bill that would cut off state funding to abortion provider Planned Parenthood and increases the safety requirements for abortion clinics. The bill was cheered  by pro-life activists across the country and also brings added importance to a case pending before the United States Supreme Court. The bill, HB 1411, contains provisions similar to those in the Texas abortion law currently being challenged before the Supreme Court, requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and requiring abortion clinics to meet the same standards as ambulatory surgical centers. The Florida law also mandates annual inspections for abortion clinics, including a review of at least 50 percent of their records, in order to have their licenses renewed.

In a move being called "ghoulish" by one critic, Britain's National Health Service (NHS) has announced plans to ask pregnant women to carry to term babies that have severe birth defects so that, once delivered or still born, their babies' organs can be harvested for transplant. The Daily Mail reports:

Women whose babies develop fatal defects in the early stages of pregnancy will be given advice on going ahead with the birth so the NHS can harvest their organs, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Most expectant mothers opt for termination after being told the devastating news their child has no chance of survival once born.

But now, amid a chronic shortage of donated organs, mums will be 'supported' to have the baby at nine months so that the child's vital organs can be taken for transplant.

. . . .  The move was revealed at a medical conference where NHS transplant surgeons said they wanted to take more organs from babies nationally to address a dire shortage.

The Supreme Court of the United States has resumed hearing oral arguments since the death of conservative stalwart Justice Antonin Scalia. His seat remains empty, leaving the Court's already-tenuous balance even shakier as they address one of the most important abortion cases during recent years. Wednesday, the Court heard oral arguments in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, the case challenging HB 2, the Texas abortion law made famous when then-State Senator Wendy Davis filibustered it in 2013 in pink sneakers. Davis' filibuster was a short-lived victory, as the law was passed days later in a special session, and her sneakers ended up at a garage sale. (Full transcript of the oral arguments posted here.) Wendy Davis rising victory sign via Facebook Page

John Kasich was the latest of ten governors to ban or limit funding for abortion mills in their states, and the change in taxpayer funding for abortion "services" is resulting in record closures. Bloomberg reports:
Abortion access in the U.S. has been vanishing at the fastest annual pace on record, propelled by Republican state lawmakers’ push to legislate the industry out of existence. Since 2011, at least 162 abortion providers have shut or stopped offering the procedure, while just 21 opened. At no time since before 1973, when the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion, has a woman’s ability to terminate a pregnancy been more dependent on her zip code or financial resources to travel. The drop-off in providers—more than one every two weeks—occurred in 35 states, in both small towns and big cities that are home to more than 30 million women of reproductive age.
Interestingly, however, the closures aren't just taking place in conservative states; California, for example, has also seen a decrease in abortion clinics.