According to LifeNews.com, "In 2001, the Gates Foundation gave $2.8 million to Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion business. They continued funding the abortion business annually and upped the donation to $3.5 million in 2005."
Melinda Gates regularly attends Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Bellevue, Washington and is a graduate of Catholic schools.
Read the full story here.
Monday, December 26, 2005
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Another "Personally Opposed" Catholic Politician
Here we go again. Another Catholic politician "personally opposed" to abortion.
Barbara Listing of Right to Life of Michigan made this comment that Washignton state pro-lifers would do well to consider -- On Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who favors abortion rights: "The governor was able to confuse people last time, because she was a Catholic who indicated in a variety of ways that she was personally opposed to abortion."
Can you say Mike McGavick?
Barbara Listing of Right to Life of Michigan made this comment that Washignton state pro-lifers would do well to consider -- On Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who favors abortion rights: "The governor was able to confuse people last time, because she was a Catholic who indicated in a variety of ways that she was personally opposed to abortion."
Can you say Mike McGavick?
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Washngton State Democrats Slam Pro-Life Christians as "Hypocrites"
The image to the right appeared as a car magnet for sale on the web site of the Washington State Democratic Party last week. According to Paul Berent of the WA State Dems it also appears to be specifically directed at pro-life Christians.
Berent said he wasn't sure what the fish symbol is supposed to mean but said he thinks it is aimed at "people who claim to be pro-life but are for the death penalty."
Monday, December 12, 2005
The Evidence Keeps Piling Up
Norwegian Study: Psychological distress from induced abortion and miscarriage.
I looked through the study and sometimes it's that little details that can be quite interesting.
In discussing the participation rates of miscarried and aborted women in the study, this paragraph stood out--
Second, what were the staff saying to the potential participants when asking them to participate?
Third, can we find out what was said in that 2-hour meeting with the staff that caused a jump in the "inclusion rate of women who had experienced a miscarriage" from 36.5% to 75%?
I looked through the study and sometimes it's that little details that can be quite interesting.
In discussing the participation rates of miscarried and aborted women in the study, this paragraph stood out--
When nurse G. asked the women [to participate in the study], 52% agreed to participate in the study. For several years, this nurse had cared for women during the first hours after an induced abortion. She was genuinely interested in the project and had a positive attitude towards taking part in it. When other staff members asked the women, only 30% agreed to participate. The project leader (who was also the interviewer) was not well known to the staff, and some of the staff were skeptical about the study being carried out in their department. At the beginning of December 1998, when all but three of the women who had had an induced abortion were included, only half the women who had had a miscarriage were included. The project leader then had the oportunity to address the staff at a meeting that lasted for two hours. After this meeting, several staff members said that they were much more positive about the project than previously, and that they felt more comfortable about asking women to participate in the study. Before this meeting, the inclusion rate of women who had experienced a miscarriage was 36.5%; after the meeting it increased to 75%.First, why were the staff "skeptical about the study being carried out in their department?" What's that all about?
Second, what were the staff saying to the potential participants when asking them to participate?
Third, can we find out what was said in that 2-hour meeting with the staff that caused a jump in the "inclusion rate of women who had experienced a miscarriage" from 36.5% to 75%?
A Humble Request for Financial Help for 15 Week Old and Her Mom
Please consider making a donation to this worthy cause.
Mail your check to: New Philadelphia Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 344
Quincy, FL 32351
I'll be mailing my check tomorrow.
God bless you.
Mail your check to: New Philadelphia Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 344
Quincy, FL 32351
I'll be mailing my check tomorrow.
God bless you.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Theater of the Absurd
Every abortion clinic is a theater of the absurd.
The Theater of the Absurd “…was anti-theatre. It was surreal, illogical, conflictless and plotless. The dialogue seemed total gobbledygook.” And, “[a]bsurd drama subverts logic. It relishes the unexpected and the logically impossible.”
The action centers on a doctor who is practicing “anti-medicine”; performing aimless surgery on patients who are not ill and need no healing.
The doctor boldly proclaims that he “destroys life.” Yet, he refuses to “destroy a life” unless the patient is complicit in and directive of the surgery by asserting the logically impossible – her unborn baby is not a baby. "It's not a baby to me until the mother tells me it's a baby” but later learn he won’t perform third-trimester abortions because it’s too much like infanticide.
This is a surreal world where who is being killed and who is being born are unclear. He believes that the thousands of women who have relied on him have been “born again.” The 70 year old doctor recently “…injured his head in a fall. He underwent three surgeries and spent months in rehabilitation. His wife urged him to retire.” He continues his surreal work. It seems he’s going to help these women become “born again” even if it kills him.
In this unexpected scenario of death and birth there is confusion over which character fills the roll of victim. Who is actually doing the killing? Is the doctor a rational hired assassin or a psychopath? Is the patient a victim or calculating murderess?
The Theater of the Absurd “…was anti-theatre. It was surreal, illogical, conflictless and plotless. The dialogue seemed total gobbledygook.” And, “[a]bsurd drama subverts logic. It relishes the unexpected and the logically impossible.”
The action centers on a doctor who is practicing “anti-medicine”; performing aimless surgery on patients who are not ill and need no healing.
The doctor boldly proclaims that he “destroys life.” Yet, he refuses to “destroy a life” unless the patient is complicit in and directive of the surgery by asserting the logically impossible – her unborn baby is not a baby. "It's not a baby to me until the mother tells me it's a baby” but later learn he won’t perform third-trimester abortions because it’s too much like infanticide.
This is a surreal world where who is being killed and who is being born are unclear. He believes that the thousands of women who have relied on him have been “born again.” The 70 year old doctor recently “…injured his head in a fall. He underwent three surgeries and spent months in rehabilitation. His wife urged him to retire.” He continues his surreal work. It seems he’s going to help these women become “born again” even if it kills him.
In this unexpected scenario of death and birth there is confusion over which character fills the roll of victim. Who is actually doing the killing? Is the doctor a rational hired assassin or a psychopath? Is the patient a victim or calculating murderess?
…[T]he Theatre of the Absurd… seems to have been a reaction to the disappearance of the religious dimension from contemporary life. The Absurd Theatre can be seen as an attempt to restore the importance of myth and ritual to our age, by making man aware of the ultimate realities of his condition, by instilling in him again the lost sense of cosmic wonder and primeval anguish. The Absurd Theatre hopes to achieve this by shocking man out of an existence that has become trite, mechanical and complacent.If only.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Olympia Clinic Ceases to Perform Abortions
I received this email from a friend of mine who attends St. Michael Church in Olympia, Washington:
The commentary on the article doesn't get beyond the usual "abortion is necessary for women's health" sophistry. The bad news is that the taxpayers of Washington state, in addition to paying for abortions, may now get the privilege of insuring abortion clinics thanks to Rep. Brendan Williams, D-Olympia.
Some months back, the abortion clinic in Olympia, WA was severely damaged by a roof fire, that was classified as arson by the Fire Marshal. The "Christian" doctor owner, modernized and supposedly expanded the life taking capabilities of this clinic. I heard this morning, the clinic will not reopen [for abortions] because, according to the owner, the cost of liability insurance coverage is excessive and unreasonably high.
So, once again, the "culture of death" proves it is only interested in paying homage to the god of money and greed.
Thank you Jesus! BTW: the...abortion clinic is only two or three blocks from the St. Joseph Perpetual Eucharist Adoration chapel at St. Michael Church in Olympia.
(Fr. Corapi is right!)
Here's the article in The Olympian.The commentary on the article doesn't get beyond the usual "abortion is necessary for women's health" sophistry. The bad news is that the taxpayers of Washington state, in addition to paying for abortions, may now get the privilege of insuring abortion clinics thanks to Rep. Brendan Williams, D-Olympia.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Abortion Suicide Link
Springfield, IL (LifeNews.com) -- A new study of women in Finland finds that those who have had abortions have higher rates of suicide than women who carry their pregnancies to term. The epidemiological study, published in the European Journal of Public Health, was conducted by Finland’s National Research and Development Center for Welfare and Health.
The comprehensive three-year study of the entire population of women in Finland found that, compared to women who have not been pregnant in the prior year, deaths from suicide, accidents and homicide are 248% higher in the year following an abortion. The study also found that majority of the extra deaths among women who had abortions were due to suicide. The suicide rate among women who had abortions was six times higher than that of women who had given birth in the prior year and double that of women who had miscarriages
The comprehensive three-year study of the entire population of women in Finland found that, compared to women who have not been pregnant in the prior year, deaths from suicide, accidents and homicide are 248% higher in the year following an abortion. The study also found that majority of the extra deaths among women who had abortions were due to suicide. The suicide rate among women who had abortions was six times higher than that of women who had given birth in the prior year and double that of women who had miscarriages
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Washington State Support for Late Term Abortionist
Some people sip the Kool-aide. Others saddle-on up to the bar, ask for a double-shot and throw it into their bodies with a gusto.
Here are two lists of all the financial donors to George Tiller "The Killer" and his Kansas Political Action Committee (PoKanDo PAC) . Geroge Tiller is the abortionist who performs late term abortions and is responsible for the recent death of a Down syndrome woman after performing an abortion on her. (Sorry I just can't bring myself to have a link to his web site on this blog.) Below are all the Washington state donors:
Raymond Biderback (He's on the School Board of the Sprauge School District)
Sprauge, Wa
$60
27-10-04
Mr. Eugene Coan
Kirkland, Wa
$300
1-11-04
Ann Hoffman
Seattle, Wa
$60
22-10-04
Victoria Welch
Twisp, Wa
$50
6-10-04
M. Alison Maus
Kirkland, Wa
$150
George Heidorn
$150
30/9/04
Ellen Ferguson
Seattle, Wa
$250
9/27/04
Susan Eldenschink
Tacoma, Wa
$60
16/9/04
Here are two lists of all the financial donors to George Tiller "The Killer" and his Kansas Political Action Committee (PoKanDo PAC) . Geroge Tiller is the abortionist who performs late term abortions and is responsible for the recent death of a Down syndrome woman after performing an abortion on her. (Sorry I just can't bring myself to have a link to his web site on this blog.) Below are all the Washington state donors:
Raymond Biderback (He's on the School Board of the Sprauge School District)
Sprauge, Wa
$60
27-10-04
Mr. Eugene Coan
Kirkland, Wa
$300
1-11-04
Ann Hoffman
Seattle, Wa
$60
22-10-04
Victoria Welch
Twisp, Wa
$50
6-10-04
M. Alison Maus
Kirkland, Wa
$150
George Heidorn
$150
30/9/04
Ellen Ferguson
Seattle, Wa
$250
9/27/04
Susan Eldenschink
Tacoma, Wa
$60
16/9/04
Saturday, November 26, 2005
15 Yr Old Western Washington Girl Pressured Into Abortion
I recently received this message from Fr. Ed White of the Western Washington Pro-life Network:
Thanks for all who offered prayers for the 15 yr old girl whose parents were pressuring her into an abortion. Many of you offered suggestions as well, which I forwarded to those closest to the situation. Sad to say she had the abortion. Apparently she told a friend of hers that “maybe this was best because it is better than to be born into this family.” Thanks to those who cared for her before the abortion and continue to reach out to her.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Pro-Life Commentary from Jim Anderson
Commentary for February 23, 2006
Today’s LifeNews.com and LifeNews Radio carry a story on pro-abortion media bias.
I am not only old enough to remember when Alabama Governor George Wallace was seen on evening news essentially repenting for his position against desegregation (I was a father then, in 1982), but I am old enough to remember in my childhood his clean-cut face, tight upper lip, and stern clenched fist opposing federal involvement in his state to effect that desegregation. Maybe he was like King David who repented of his ways—God alone knows the whole story.
While Governor Wallace at least tried to publicly turn around, will pro-abortionists have the inner workings to even try to do the same when the injustice of 44 million abortions is fully uncovered, fully recognized? There is even a more poignant question. What will the enabling media do to make amends? People like segregationists, people like any sinner or set of sinners can repent. But can we ever expect such from a news media whose only job has become the selling of commercials?
Or will the advertisers who blatantly supported a pro-abortion culture both by their advertising and by their own corporate policies incur some liability? Can a soul-less entity like a corporation—public or private—repent?
No. But someone must make amends to those who suffer from a culture of death, from the deceit that has been sold to countless women. And the task falls to us.
Thank you for being the ones to carry just a bit of the message of reconciliation. Even more must be done and we must prepare ourselves for a future when the offended ones look for their own inner turn-around as well as their own healing—someone to help heal the wound of abortion.
44 million abortions will need a lot of healing.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for February 27, 2006
Once you have considered the intrinsic nature of evil in abortion—the powerful killing performed by those who are strong, against those weakest ones who are nothing but vulnerable—then you see that life is not fair. To add to the injustice, it seems at first glance that those who do evil act directly, with impunity, while we are continually called to act with prudence. This apparent unfairness is part of why some wrongly and audaciously turn to violence—to make things “fair” or “even”.
But many of us both misread our opponents’ actions and we misunderstand our greatest weapon. Our opponents do not act with impunity. They have well-drawn plans and have acted with a greater degree of prudence than we have—all to evil outcome, however. We should do what they do. I see strong disagreements among different factions of pro-aborts. But you will never see them express their disagreements in public. In fact, they make sure to invite and promote the work of their opponents, so long as it presents a united front and creates a united effect.
Man! I hear of many pro-life groups who fight like cats and dogs! If such words prick your conscience—Repent!!! And now.
On the other hand, we are at least ‘tempted’ to think that our seminars or our education or our activism—or even our newscasts—make a huge difference. My wife reminds me that unless God is in my work, I am merely another Don Quixote, charging at windmills, hoping to slay some dragon.
Our real strength, our real weapon is in our knees. Action is great. Action directed by God is even more of what we are after. But prayer is our strength and it should be our priority.
Pray. Then work. As St. Benedict wrote, “Ora et labora.” “Pray and work.”
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for February 24, 2006
Because I have some contact with those from other countries, I have often thought about what these and other citizens of foreign lands think of my country. It’s not that I feel some overpowering need for affirmation, though I often regret seeming to them to be a little more sensitive. But the reason my views even get me in hot water in the first place is that often other countries citizens’ only view this country by what our media offers them. Yes, the same media that shield abortion advocates from scrutiny, rather than run stories on their deceit. And it is my simple view of the unborn and the marginalized elderly and disabled that gets me in trouble.
That brings me to my point. The world is being sold the idea that the greatest thing happening in regards to the U.S. is the war in Iraq. That is patently false. You and I both know the story. If you count body bags both coming from Iraq and the coffins staying in Iraq, the numbers do not deserve to be considered even a fraction of the deaths offered to the unborn.
Some could counter that war is very violent. They might offer that I should think of the assault on enemy strongholds within Iraq—so violent. I would retort that the assault on a woman’s body to get it to let go of the life inside is a greater violence—and the life inside is not worthy of being considered a combatant. Yes, I wonder if those who watch the TV have much hope of clearly understanding what the U.S. is doing today, even those watching from within our country.
May God bless us all…
Commentary for February 22, 2006
Let’s get just a couple things straight. Words mean something. While sometimes it might seem that people like me are straining at gnats when we make this case, the implications of words are what make arguments. I, for one, want to win the argument over where our culture goes.
The stakes are high. I was recently reminded of a warning Ronald Reagan gave that we are at risk of falling into “a thousand years of darkness” if good people do not take the day. The words I try to use are like the little, elemental skills of a game that make a football go through the goalpost, or that make a ball go just over the fence at a baseball game.
Lately, I have heard many educated and even distinguished pro-life advocates ‘get sloppy’ with their descriptions of what our jurists actually do. I may understand why our opponents wish to derail clear speech, but not those on our side. I wish for us to understand some of what jurists do and to support why we should speak well and accurately of how they do what they do.
I would like us to ‘get straight’ that Supreme Court justices do not “vote” on any issue, nor do they, despite appearances, merely cast ballots on cases put before them. And Justices Alito and Roberts—or for that matter Ginsburg, Stevens, Souter, Kennedy, Scalia, Breyer and Thomas—are in no way to be connected with political agendas.
Why is this important? It is important because justice can not work that way. Justices must “render” and “support” opinions, not vote for the idea they like the best (as if the court were somehow like a school class voting on the gender of a rabbit). Justices must be involved in sound legal thought. And Justice Alito is not a political hack for even my ideas on even life—even if he is considered a swing ‘opinion’. He and each justice must form rulings on how laws must be applied—‘when’ there is contention between a law or its use, and the constitution.
Because I believe in natural law, I believe laws must be seen by all to be just. The courts must make such application of law that makes justice readily apparent to all. It is part of peace and civility and justice and ordered societies. My pro-life views must either be upheld by justice or they may have no place at all in the prevailing culture. But we must go through that vulnerable process where truth seems subject to a society’s form of justice for truth to be made readily perceptible in a society.
The American experience is considered by many to be an experiment which must yet prove itself. By a view of recent decades, I concur. The way we measure our words and hone our debates and inform our neighbors may well be the deciding factor in how the American epoch of history is recorded.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
©2006 James R. Anderson
Commentary for February 21, 2006
Of all the things that death tries to extract from us, I think truth is the most surprising. I visited my mother yesterday with three of my five children. Mary Theresa Anderson has lived 80 years and we do not know what time is left as she keeps bouncing back and getting strong again after ever deeper episodes of congestive heart failure, kidney failure, diabetic crashes and falls. Some say it’ll be any time.
My mother has too long been a showman. Friends—and she has thousands of them—know to expect a little entertainment, a little show, and eventually a someone—like the rest of us—just trying to be real. But yesterday, instead of a ‘show’ before another of our human attempts at sincerity, I saw my mom—as real as I have ever seen her. And I told her that I admired this new conversion of heart.
Truth. Honest and sincere. Hopeful and still kinda’ funny. My mom, just being who God made her to be. I was surprised. And glad that I had one more visit. And one more example of what dying can do for a human soul.
“I am crucified with Christ.” St. Paul
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for February 20, 2006
My mother is back on my ‘front burner’. Nothing eminent, but she is refusing some of her kidney dialysis. This is, of course to those who follow such ethics, something within her practice of prudence—refusing extraordinary care. What is more troubling and speaks to other problems in the heart of all of us, is the use of food in ‘perhaps’ a poor fashion. Eating her favorite broccoli is a no-no with dialysis, even a favorite drink is a no-no for diabetics. But I think answers to such things look less like chastisement, and more like a simple visit from her son, daughter-in-law and grandkids. Maybe there is an answer lying in kindness…
…and your prayers for us all.
May God bless us all…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for February 3, 2006
I mentioned over the last two evenings that my mother was dying imminently And I believe she was—until so many of us prayed! Don’t get us wrong, I think my mom is ready to go. But at age 80, she has bounced back from crisis. The kidneys started working again, though her heart had to have been hurt.
I aroused so much support, it was very touching—while just a little embarrassing now that she has recovered so well. I responded to one email earlier today after I came back from Portland and a limerick came to me. Perhaps I should share it with you to relieve my discomfiture.
My mother is made of rubber
I wonder if she’s real
She keeps knocking down death’s door
All to ignore its divine and heavenly appeal
So the bottom line is that when I asked a hospice nurse if two years more of life might be remotely possible for my mom, she said emphatically ‘no’. When I suggested two more months, she said that is more in the range.
So thank you for your prayers. I will be preparing for some time away from my microphone, but God only knows what might happen should you all start praying again!
Some say God is good. And I couldn’t agree more. But, really, isn’t God interesting? I had the best time with my mom today and I am learning too much to be able to share.
Thank you and may God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for February 2, 2006
How often do we do all we can to avoid or ignore suffering? Yesterday I shared that my mother is approaching death—at age 80 after decades of diabetes and years of dialysis, the machines and shots are doing less good. The kidneys are failing and she is ever thirsty and congestive heart failure stalks my mother’s tired body. The topic of suffering and our avoidance of suffering comes to the forefront of my mind as I consider what we family members, siblings are doing with the suffering we will see as my mother approaches death. And that doesn’t even scratch the surface of what suffering each of us will feel at and after her death, one final separation.
Do we fight an awareness of suffering so much that we deny that we are hurting? Do we fight it enough to ignore the suffering of others like my mom? Do we fight it enough to keep joy from others who suffer? The parallel is that here is where American attitudes about abortion lay. We often do great amount of work to remain in ignorance about the trauma suffered by means of abortion.
One of my daughters did a paper on abortion—you might guess where her sentiments lie. But the amazing thing is that three pro-choice people took up the same subject and after facing the reality of what it does to women, to families, to children, each of them at least backed way off their full approval of abortion—and everyone in the class was moved with them. Ignorance must be fought and even if we do not get full ‘conversions’ on the subject, seeds are planted and I am convinced that full knowledge of abortion will create full rejection of the popular understanding of ‘choice’.
‘Choice’ the way we like it is not forever something that is in front of us.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for February 1, 2006
A request for prayer and understanding over perhaps the next few weeks…
I will try not to do too much with this over the next few days or weeks, but these comments which accompany my newscast to stations and often appear with the http://abortionstate.blogspot.com/ web log, may take on a personal pro-life note. My mother, it seems, is preparing to die. Maybe I should say she is simply making final preparations as I hope we all recognize that we prepare daily. She tells me she is ready and I think I sense a deeper conversion in her than before.
Nevertheless, I have a lot to learn and maybe some to share about how a family goes through this. I am no stranger to the process. I have buried one sister, my dad and two daughters—one of whom I held and baptized, and another too small to do anything but prepare for burial. I ask prayers for courage and simplicity as sentiment or fear often tries to displace separation and human loss. My four sisters and I are often each at different ‘places’ in our faith, so I pledge to be kind, gentle and sincerely loving. I hope I can be a light to any dark places.
Please pray.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 31st, 2006
Why is prayer so important? Is it because God wants to tie up so much of our day? Is it so our day goes better?
I’m really asking here—because sometimes I am not convinced that prayer is such a good idea if we don’t want to ‘rock the boat’. But then, I’ve always been a ‘rock the boat’ sort of guy. Just this week, I find myself getting deeper into prayer. While I am closer to my family and find myself, as it seems, operating with more grace, I also am given more insight into the work I must do. Even pro-life work.
Prayer, I think, is like that. Not only do I get the ‘warm, fuzzy feelings’ of being closer to Christ (I speak as if that should be so predictable), but I am closer to the work of Christ. I am closer to the heartache of my family members and their real needs, closer to my own shortcomings (you know, the ones that we ask God to work on), closer to how he feels about the experiment called the human race.
So I could say prayer is important. I could say getting close to Jesus is important. Or I could just say that I recommend both to you in the solitary exercise of talking and being with God.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 30th, 2006
Every once in a while there is a time like that represented in the month we are about to close. These are not common times. If we ever have a chance to start actually recording history again, these days may be regarded as a turning point. We’ve seen glimpses lately of a glorious future in conversion stories and stories of healing and polling data and research—not to mention something as subjective as a different look in people’s eyes—which I think shows a new openness to, or even a new hoping for, good news.
Jesus said that you can not pour new wine into old wineskins and he also said that you may not take over a strong man’s house without first tying up the strong man. I see in these two parables a simple lesson. If you ever want to convert an entire culture, you simply must command the ‘strong man’ who controls the culture. I think sin is that strong man. Sin blinds people, so—in a sort of chicken-or-the-egg conundrum—you have to get people to stop sinning long enough to get large numbers to convert from being sinners. We have signs that we may be doing that as abortion rates fall and attitudes in our schools change.
You have to give new wine a fresh context so it may be inserted into the culture without both breaking the culture and wasting the new wine. We are beginning to do that, too. To win, we must create a new context. And we are just beginning—mind you—to give a significant portion of our youth a different paradigm by which to live, a new wine skin.
Our most vociferous, our most strident opponents are staying that way by blinding themselves to the reality of a culture change. Reasonable people are beginning to realize that we have gone wrong and we must go back. These people see that such change has less to do with some superman or religious leader, bishop or prophet—and a whole lot more to do with the job we make of raising our children.
The hope to all this is not as simple as letting it happen. The hope lies in that we, in our ordinary ways, will take advantage of this sea change and evangelize. I, for one, hope we will make ourselves ready to take the simplest of opportunities to reach out with love to anyone passing our way.
Should we do that, we really could see—maybe just a beginning, in our lifetimes—“the glory of the Lord” covering “the earth as the waters cover the sea.”
May God bless us all…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 25th, 2006
This mess about Samuel Alito is at least 95 percent about the ‘next’ nominee that George W. Bush may nominate for the Supreme Court as well as appellate and circuit court appointments. When you and I call even our most ardent pro-abortion, anti-Alito Senators and tell them what we think, we make a huge difference. And that is regardless of what they do now. Pressure is pressure no matter who tries to tell you otherwise.
I will again call my two Senators—and you likely don’t have two who are as unyielding on the issue of abortion as the two ladies from Washington State, Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell.
Do it!
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 24th, 2006
“We wrestle not against flesh and blood.” St. Paul to the Ephesians
I am surprised how much working in the life movement teaches me about people. Jesus gives me the presumption of innocence because I am baptized by water into his death. When I offer that assumption to others, when I look for the most innocent motives in others, I often begin to find them. That is not to say that the work of some of our adversaries is not set on fire by hell itself (I recognize the fire of hell by my own experience as a sinner, playing with it), but I am amazed at the interviews and the responses I get from pro-aborts when I simply and kindly ask.
But then there is the heart ache at listening to the complete disregard of innocent and nascent human life in the womb. Quite often it seems as if the ignorance is only for the sake of another night of illicit sex. Or maybe it is to cover up the hurt—often the agonizing, gut-wrenching hurt—of the past.
Today’s gospel reading for Catholic mass has Jesus saying that you cannot enter someone’s house (dare I equate that with the core of someone’s life?), unless you first bind the strong man of the house. Maybe somehow, by miracle, we could go further in reaching souls for Christ if we could address the issue of what holds them captive. My experience of being among some of our cultural adversaries is that it is often like confronting the ‘strong man’, or at least getting in his way. This kind of work is beginning to renew in me a deeper understanding of the words that follow the verse above—the words which read, “(But we wrestle) with principalities and powers and spiritual forces of wickedness in high places.”
I am in need of prayer after this kind of work, so I again ask for your help in this. Let’s all engage the culture—the conflict is engaged only on our knees and face-to-face.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 23th, 2006
Everything comes through the family. Everything, and everyone, from souls as malformed as Hitler’s to those as well formed as Karol Wojtila—including the answers to our current predicament—every answer to evil is sitting in our families. What we tell our children and how we join with them in raising grandchildren steers the universe.
When I am pessimistic, I am looking at the battlefield and the lives lost and the pain caused by unanswered evil. But when I am optimistic, it is because I have been spending time looking at what we have, to which our opponents have no answer. And it is not a matter of raw numbers or from strength generated by armies or economic power, but our answer to evil lies in the potency of the faith and life and seed of God planted in the hearts of our children.
Do you want to help win the culture? Do that which helps raise extraordinarily well-loved and well-taught—and well-protected—families.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 20th, 2006
I would like to introduce to you the work of Mauricio Torres and his companions from Totus Tuus, a lay apostolate (which means that while some might call them a ‘ministry’, they simply say they are ‘sent’). Mauricio says that while their work of evangelization is really wonderful, that his work and that of his companions among the poor and the very young is most interesting.
He is preparing to build a hospice to help abandoned and dying children face death with the grace of God and the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Believe it or not, he says that this happens in the United States. His first hospice, though, already has land in Columbia where poor parents, faced with the pressing need of keeping their healthy children fed, feel compelled to abandon their dying child.
His website is open and, though still undergoing refinement and completion, I thought you might like a sneak peek at a work in progress. Mauricio has letters of recommendation of several Catholic bishops and you can investigate his cause. He is available for interviews and he can be contacted at mauriciototustuus@hotmail.com or (786)712-2009.
May God bless us all…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 19th, 2006
We have lived in a culture that places a high premium on instant gratification. Don’t expect that much of our work will receive that kind of gratification. We face a disorder so strong that it may well take more than one generation to fix. The work for the family to be restored to soundness will be a long and enduring work. Every remedy for our culture must come from parents becoming again the first teachers of the next generation. And with families in disarray, the great families we see today will be the models for their children’s adult generation.
That is great hope! Don’t mistake my words as pessimism. The change that comes at the hands of sound families is a renewal that will be difficult for our cultural adversaries to counter. So Pope John Paul the Great was much more than correct when he said, “The future of the world comes through the family.” Make yours a strong one. Go back and bind up the loose ends. Repair what is broken. It may be your life’s greatest work.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 18th, 2006
We lost more than a court case yesterday. While the conclusion was not a great surprise, I think we crossed a threshold yesterday in the Supreme Court Gonzales v. Oregon ruling.
We took a big slide in our ability to show we can govern ourselves. The American experiment has surprised many observers, but perhaps not so many any more. Our former Attorney General, John Ashcroft, made his point based on a moral understanding of government securing rights (the right to life and happiness being protected from the illicit use of drugs—even by a doctor), and the majority on our Supreme Court had no place to put such thought.
Plato said that the cruelest form of tyranny was a democracy. I heard the illustration of a boat with 8 passengers, one woman and seven men. The men take a vote to do with the woman (specifically her body) as they would wish. That is the democracy feared by Plato.
But here is why the moral experiment of the United States of America has withstood these problems (and no, it is not merely because we are a ‘republic’): We have had a moral basis to law which preserves and secures the rights of all and proved our ability to self-govern.
Someone please give me a different way to understand this. But as I see it, the majority of this Court had no ears to hear the moral basis presented by John Ashcroft. He said that there was no “legitimate medical purpose” and the Court was unable to respond because the court had no ability to hear. It listened for merely a utilitarian reason to act and could not hear anything else. Like an old rock star in a hearing aid store, the cochleae no longer pick up a signal. Blind justice gives no regard to those who possess great power; with deaf justice, the weak or those whose interests are only preserved by a rule of law, have no protection.
Yet in our genius system (yes, it is a republic, and a bit more), at least the old court has Congress to help spell things out. And hope also comes in new justices who may surprise us all with wisdom beyond this current milieu.
May God bless us all…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 17th, 2006
In today’s news at www.LifeNews.com, Starr Parker tells yet another part of the sad tragedy of the greatest injustice of our time—aborted children numbering in the tens of millions, with a large and disproportionate number of these taken and robbed from the African American community. But talk of justice is cheap. The life movement seeks to right the greatest injustice—the theft of the right to life itself.
Maybe you have seen the bumper stickers that read, “If you want peace, work for justice.” While the intent here is commonly good, I disagree. Peace is greater than our imaginations of no war—and it is greater than justice. Justice is derived from peace, not the other way around. Nevertheless, peace must be defined well.
Ultimately we must reconcile our injustices by means of peace. And peace is a victory. It occurs when nothing less than the only, truly good one wins—and this is God. His terms of peace are the surrender of our entire soul: our mind often expressed in our intellect, our will expressed in our ability to obey, and our bodies expressed in offering to God all that comes from these. Justice is derived from peace.
Pursue peace—peace with God. Let’s find a culture of life.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 13th, 2006
Some people, in trying to do the work of Christ, seem to have a distorted view of how Christ taught us to live. I might stake out my ‘territory’ and act like my ‘ministry career’ is the one most important element of what is being done. It is a ‘me first’ mentality.
Christ taught us differently. When he said ‘me first’, it was when he touched and healed the ostracized and untouchable leper. When he said ‘me first’, it was washing his disciples’ feet. When Jesus said ‘me first’, he laid down, stretched out his hands, crossed his feet and let himself—the sinless one—be the pierced and broken offering for sin for the rest of us.
“Have this mind among you that is also yours in Christ Jesus: Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” …Saint Paul to the Philippians, Chapter 2
May God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 12th, 2006
Do you know what you would say to our opponents, those so-called “pro-abortion” people? Do you realize they are people just like us, only with unanswered questions? Make sure you take the time to pray and consider what you might say to someone who is waiting for an answer to why there is this evil in the world that seems to necessitate that we take a life. Why disordered sexuality? Why abuse? Why don’t easier answers present themselves to problems like crisis pregnancies? Why doesn’t someone tell me that life can be lived with the simplicity of God’s love?
Be ready, because ultimately—just like any old-fashioned ‘battle’, this ‘culture war’ will come down to hand-to-hand, or rather face-to-face confrontation. God will only use you and me.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 11th, 2006
I do appreciate that the meaning of “doctor” is literally, “teacher”. So I look for doctors to teach, and I relish finding one who really does his or her job. I think the Juris ‘Doctor’ degree Princeton School of Law granted Samuel Alito was not wasted. And I could not be prouder to be an American as I watch our ingenious system work to correct the injustice of poorly crafted laws.
Just at the moment in history when we most need to be taught, abortion’s supporters have demanded that we have these great and public hearings televised to the nation and that their advocates on this committee grill the nominee. They hope this will rally support for their cause. Instead, it is giving a greatly misinformed public access to… A teacher. A real teacher, Judge Samuel A. Alito.
Beware what knowledge and understanding can do in a people if your industry has created its success from public ignorance of injustice.
May God bless us all…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 9th, 2006
What is choice? Isn’t it found in human willfulness? No one wants to have their own will countered, not even by God. If it were not for faith, for hope and for love, I doubt anyone would ever have come to what is known as “the obedience of faith”. I think it should be obvious that there should be more pro-“choice” people among those with no faith.
Or what if faith has not brought forth any obedience? With no practice at obeying even when love is abundant, how should someone come to give up their ‘right to choose’?
Here’s something from the first chapter of Saint John’s Gospel:
“He was in the world, and the world even came into being through him. But the world did not know him… His own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name—these are they who were born not by natural generation nor by the will behind human conception, but of God.”
So perhaps I am pro-choice: God’s, not mine.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 6th, 2006
Is the Church the answer to a culture of death? Yes—but... The Church is God’s answer to evil itself, though if we do not act accordingly, are we the Church? If we are not the Church, are we Christian, do we even have faith? Saint James faced this dilemma and said “faith without works is dead”.
Each person has something to do, that God has prepared for them alone to do. However, such work is not drawn from an impassioned, frantic, or sympathetic search for merely something to do. It is drawn from intimacy with Christ. Get close to Christ, make him your beloved friend. And in that intimacy ask your friend, your Lord, what he would have you do.
Be part of God’s answer to evil in the world, help turn a culture of death on its heels. Get close to Jesus and let him write his plan for you on your heart.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 4th, 2006
We must be the answer to evil that St. Augustine sought and preached. We must be who God will use in our day. There exists no other answer in all time, no other people here and now. Why do you think you have experienced what your life contains to this moment, other than for God’s purposes? Our culture often thinks that all we have is to be consumed by us, but life is too short to predict even what we may enjoy.
Live for God’s glory. When you go to church, consider what God would ask of you. When you go to receive Christ, open yourself to his will for you. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and my burden light. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. I am meek and lowly of heart and you shall find rest for your soul.”
Back to Augustine, “Our souls are restless until they rest in You.”
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 3rd, 2006
Are we asking God for a miracle, or just for something just extraordinary enough to change all ‘those’ people—those sinners around us? The miraculous work of God will threaten us more than those we deem to have more sin or more abortions or more of whatever behavior gets them into trouble.
The miracle is more threatening to us, because God often chooses to use me and you to be part of the miraculous and that can get a little uncomfortable. God uses anyone he wants to use, but he often uses those prepared for service. For me, it has meant more conversion. For me it has meant more work, making myself more available to holiness. And I can imagine that if you are asking God for the miraculous, He is working on you, too.
Ask God for a miracle, ask God for a culture of life. Just be prepared for the ride of your life!
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 2nd, 2006
So we begin a new year. Do you think that anyone really has any idea of what the new year might bring?
In today’s LifeNews Radio newscast, Joseph D’Agostino offers good reason for the use of RU-486 to come to a rapid end. And he offers us good reason for optimism. RU-486 is popular because it makes abortion so convenient. Hearings begin in February and a house subcommittee will investigate just how the FDA has allowed people to rely on convenient but dangerous abortions with the abortion protocol.
Who knows what that might mean for the new year. Combined with a reformed Supreme Court, will history books write that 2006 was the year that abortion ‘rights’ declined? And might they actually say that it was not rights that were lost, but rather life rights that were restored and a slaughter of children and a maiming of women that was exposed for what it was?
Who knows? And yet for us such speculation does not matter. What matters is whether we will participate or not.
God bless you. . .
Jim Anderson
Commentary for December 30th, 2005
Love is a reason for itself. The same is said of God, of course. So maybe St. John was being even more of a logician-philosopher than might at first be evident when He wrote, “God is love.” And a child, formed from conception in the image of God, is by itself reason enough to be protected. Love works that way. Love is pro-life. Make your stand for life. Make your stand for love and for God.
Thank you for all you do for life. Look for me again in the new year—“at dawn on the third day”. I am here to serve your great works.
God bless you. . .
Jim Anderson
Commentary for December 29th, 2005
There are many reasons I am pro-life, even some seemingly a non-religious reasons. One such reason is that I love children. And I have enough of them to prove it: I have three children at home and two grown children who have given me five grandchildren. But in reality, love is a religious reason for being pro-life and for ‘doing’ love. The apostle John wrote, “God is love.”
We should encourage those who love children in practical ways to remember that this virtue is a close ally to faith. Moms and dads, particularly young ones, are often unwitting giants of faith—All because of love.
God bless you. . .
Jim Anderson
Commentary for December 28th, 2005
I offered my faith in Jesus to a lady today. I wasn’t surprised when it fell to the floor. But it still hurt.
What does that have to do with anything pro-life? Well, for one thing, without an offer of faith or a tremendous amount of well-reasoned natural law, I do not think it is possible to be pro-life today. Pro-life is sadly not something to be taken for granted. Without faith or extraordinary reason, a view of human life may be nothing more than either a lucky string of conveniences or a tragic string of loss. This was driven home for me in our conversation. She could not see any purpose in faith or Jesus or a Church.
I was gentle with her and loved her with Father Benedict Groeschel as my model of gentleness—and humor. She opened up some and shared with me. I am struck how miraculous it is to have faith. We who draw close to Him who is infinite love must be struck with humility. Instead, she says has only met those who shunned her or sought to coerce faith from her. As if that could ever work. Such is the work of another master, a thief and liar. No, the gift of faith is a miracle created within the chambers of broken hearts by none other than the Holy Spirit.
Little does she know that I have a couple friends who might pray for some water on a little seed hopefully well planted in her heart. Maybe the most pro-life thing you might do today is pray for this lady. I’ll let you call her Frieda. Please.
God bless you. . .
Jim Anderson
Commentary for December 27th, 2005
The Hebrew prophets had one unifying message—“Know the Lord!” Perhaps that is why I love reading the Word of God--why I really love reading the scriptures to others. I particularly love proclaiming the word, either in evangelization as I have done on a few occasions in public, or in a congregation. There is a sense in which Christ is made present in such proclamation and I love knowing his presence. Perhaps that makes the most sense when we understand that our baptism into Christ makes us prophet, priest and king with and by Christ.
And this is why human life is so unique. We alone of all God’s creation have the capacity to know God, both by our birth and by our baptism. And that is not in just some vague and abstract way. We can come to know God’s presence just as surely as I can come to know the presence of my wife or any of my sisters or children. Get that! We are given such an incredible gift! We can be sure that if we participate in the preservation of merely one life, we have participated in a miracle.
And the miracle is in you. We can know God more and more. It works both ways: We participate in a culture of life by offering to others the opportunity to know God, just as we participate in that culture of life by coming to know God more fully ourselves.
Know the Lord!
God bless you…
Commentary for December 26th.
Commentary for December 23th.
Jim Anderson of Life News Radio and Sacred Heart Radio AM 1050 in Seattle writes and records commentaries on politics, pro-life issues, and the culture war. Below is Jim's commentary for November 17th, 2005. We are grateful to have him and Sacred Heart Radio in our area.
Today’s LifeNews.com and LifeNews Radio carry a story on pro-abortion media bias.
I am not only old enough to remember when Alabama Governor George Wallace was seen on evening news essentially repenting for his position against desegregation (I was a father then, in 1982), but I am old enough to remember in my childhood his clean-cut face, tight upper lip, and stern clenched fist opposing federal involvement in his state to effect that desegregation. Maybe he was like King David who repented of his ways—God alone knows the whole story.
While Governor Wallace at least tried to publicly turn around, will pro-abortionists have the inner workings to even try to do the same when the injustice of 44 million abortions is fully uncovered, fully recognized? There is even a more poignant question. What will the enabling media do to make amends? People like segregationists, people like any sinner or set of sinners can repent. But can we ever expect such from a news media whose only job has become the selling of commercials?
Or will the advertisers who blatantly supported a pro-abortion culture both by their advertising and by their own corporate policies incur some liability? Can a soul-less entity like a corporation—public or private—repent?
No. But someone must make amends to those who suffer from a culture of death, from the deceit that has been sold to countless women. And the task falls to us.
Thank you for being the ones to carry just a bit of the message of reconciliation. Even more must be done and we must prepare ourselves for a future when the offended ones look for their own inner turn-around as well as their own healing—someone to help heal the wound of abortion.
44 million abortions will need a lot of healing.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for February 27, 2006
Once you have considered the intrinsic nature of evil in abortion—the powerful killing performed by those who are strong, against those weakest ones who are nothing but vulnerable—then you see that life is not fair. To add to the injustice, it seems at first glance that those who do evil act directly, with impunity, while we are continually called to act with prudence. This apparent unfairness is part of why some wrongly and audaciously turn to violence—to make things “fair” or “even”.
But many of us both misread our opponents’ actions and we misunderstand our greatest weapon. Our opponents do not act with impunity. They have well-drawn plans and have acted with a greater degree of prudence than we have—all to evil outcome, however. We should do what they do. I see strong disagreements among different factions of pro-aborts. But you will never see them express their disagreements in public. In fact, they make sure to invite and promote the work of their opponents, so long as it presents a united front and creates a united effect.
Man! I hear of many pro-life groups who fight like cats and dogs! If such words prick your conscience—Repent!!! And now.
On the other hand, we are at least ‘tempted’ to think that our seminars or our education or our activism—or even our newscasts—make a huge difference. My wife reminds me that unless God is in my work, I am merely another Don Quixote, charging at windmills, hoping to slay some dragon.
Our real strength, our real weapon is in our knees. Action is great. Action directed by God is even more of what we are after. But prayer is our strength and it should be our priority.
Pray. Then work. As St. Benedict wrote, “Ora et labora.” “Pray and work.”
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for February 24, 2006
Because I have some contact with those from other countries, I have often thought about what these and other citizens of foreign lands think of my country. It’s not that I feel some overpowering need for affirmation, though I often regret seeming to them to be a little more sensitive. But the reason my views even get me in hot water in the first place is that often other countries citizens’ only view this country by what our media offers them. Yes, the same media that shield abortion advocates from scrutiny, rather than run stories on their deceit. And it is my simple view of the unborn and the marginalized elderly and disabled that gets me in trouble.
That brings me to my point. The world is being sold the idea that the greatest thing happening in regards to the U.S. is the war in Iraq. That is patently false. You and I both know the story. If you count body bags both coming from Iraq and the coffins staying in Iraq, the numbers do not deserve to be considered even a fraction of the deaths offered to the unborn.
Some could counter that war is very violent. They might offer that I should think of the assault on enemy strongholds within Iraq—so violent. I would retort that the assault on a woman’s body to get it to let go of the life inside is a greater violence—and the life inside is not worthy of being considered a combatant. Yes, I wonder if those who watch the TV have much hope of clearly understanding what the U.S. is doing today, even those watching from within our country.
May God bless us all…
Commentary for February 22, 2006
Let’s get just a couple things straight. Words mean something. While sometimes it might seem that people like me are straining at gnats when we make this case, the implications of words are what make arguments. I, for one, want to win the argument over where our culture goes.
The stakes are high. I was recently reminded of a warning Ronald Reagan gave that we are at risk of falling into “a thousand years of darkness” if good people do not take the day. The words I try to use are like the little, elemental skills of a game that make a football go through the goalpost, or that make a ball go just over the fence at a baseball game.
Lately, I have heard many educated and even distinguished pro-life advocates ‘get sloppy’ with their descriptions of what our jurists actually do. I may understand why our opponents wish to derail clear speech, but not those on our side. I wish for us to understand some of what jurists do and to support why we should speak well and accurately of how they do what they do.
I would like us to ‘get straight’ that Supreme Court justices do not “vote” on any issue, nor do they, despite appearances, merely cast ballots on cases put before them. And Justices Alito and Roberts—or for that matter Ginsburg, Stevens, Souter, Kennedy, Scalia, Breyer and Thomas—are in no way to be connected with political agendas.
Why is this important? It is important because justice can not work that way. Justices must “render” and “support” opinions, not vote for the idea they like the best (as if the court were somehow like a school class voting on the gender of a rabbit). Justices must be involved in sound legal thought. And Justice Alito is not a political hack for even my ideas on even life—even if he is considered a swing ‘opinion’. He and each justice must form rulings on how laws must be applied—‘when’ there is contention between a law or its use, and the constitution.
Because I believe in natural law, I believe laws must be seen by all to be just. The courts must make such application of law that makes justice readily apparent to all. It is part of peace and civility and justice and ordered societies. My pro-life views must either be upheld by justice or they may have no place at all in the prevailing culture. But we must go through that vulnerable process where truth seems subject to a society’s form of justice for truth to be made readily perceptible in a society.
The American experience is considered by many to be an experiment which must yet prove itself. By a view of recent decades, I concur. The way we measure our words and hone our debates and inform our neighbors may well be the deciding factor in how the American epoch of history is recorded.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
©2006 James R. Anderson
Commentary for February 21, 2006
Of all the things that death tries to extract from us, I think truth is the most surprising. I visited my mother yesterday with three of my five children. Mary Theresa Anderson has lived 80 years and we do not know what time is left as she keeps bouncing back and getting strong again after ever deeper episodes of congestive heart failure, kidney failure, diabetic crashes and falls. Some say it’ll be any time.
My mother has too long been a showman. Friends—and she has thousands of them—know to expect a little entertainment, a little show, and eventually a someone—like the rest of us—just trying to be real. But yesterday, instead of a ‘show’ before another of our human attempts at sincerity, I saw my mom—as real as I have ever seen her. And I told her that I admired this new conversion of heart.
Truth. Honest and sincere. Hopeful and still kinda’ funny. My mom, just being who God made her to be. I was surprised. And glad that I had one more visit. And one more example of what dying can do for a human soul.
“I am crucified with Christ.” St. Paul
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for February 20, 2006
My mother is back on my ‘front burner’. Nothing eminent, but she is refusing some of her kidney dialysis. This is, of course to those who follow such ethics, something within her practice of prudence—refusing extraordinary care. What is more troubling and speaks to other problems in the heart of all of us, is the use of food in ‘perhaps’ a poor fashion. Eating her favorite broccoli is a no-no with dialysis, even a favorite drink is a no-no for diabetics. But I think answers to such things look less like chastisement, and more like a simple visit from her son, daughter-in-law and grandkids. Maybe there is an answer lying in kindness…
…and your prayers for us all.
May God bless us all…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for February 3, 2006
I mentioned over the last two evenings that my mother was dying imminently And I believe she was—until so many of us prayed! Don’t get us wrong, I think my mom is ready to go. But at age 80, she has bounced back from crisis. The kidneys started working again, though her heart had to have been hurt.
I aroused so much support, it was very touching—while just a little embarrassing now that she has recovered so well. I responded to one email earlier today after I came back from Portland and a limerick came to me. Perhaps I should share it with you to relieve my discomfiture.
My mother is made of rubber
I wonder if she’s real
She keeps knocking down death’s door
All to ignore its divine and heavenly appeal
So the bottom line is that when I asked a hospice nurse if two years more of life might be remotely possible for my mom, she said emphatically ‘no’. When I suggested two more months, she said that is more in the range.
So thank you for your prayers. I will be preparing for some time away from my microphone, but God only knows what might happen should you all start praying again!
Some say God is good. And I couldn’t agree more. But, really, isn’t God interesting? I had the best time with my mom today and I am learning too much to be able to share.
Thank you and may God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for February 2, 2006
How often do we do all we can to avoid or ignore suffering? Yesterday I shared that my mother is approaching death—at age 80 after decades of diabetes and years of dialysis, the machines and shots are doing less good. The kidneys are failing and she is ever thirsty and congestive heart failure stalks my mother’s tired body. The topic of suffering and our avoidance of suffering comes to the forefront of my mind as I consider what we family members, siblings are doing with the suffering we will see as my mother approaches death. And that doesn’t even scratch the surface of what suffering each of us will feel at and after her death, one final separation.
Do we fight an awareness of suffering so much that we deny that we are hurting? Do we fight it enough to ignore the suffering of others like my mom? Do we fight it enough to keep joy from others who suffer? The parallel is that here is where American attitudes about abortion lay. We often do great amount of work to remain in ignorance about the trauma suffered by means of abortion.
One of my daughters did a paper on abortion—you might guess where her sentiments lie. But the amazing thing is that three pro-choice people took up the same subject and after facing the reality of what it does to women, to families, to children, each of them at least backed way off their full approval of abortion—and everyone in the class was moved with them. Ignorance must be fought and even if we do not get full ‘conversions’ on the subject, seeds are planted and I am convinced that full knowledge of abortion will create full rejection of the popular understanding of ‘choice’.
‘Choice’ the way we like it is not forever something that is in front of us.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for February 1, 2006
A request for prayer and understanding over perhaps the next few weeks…
I will try not to do too much with this over the next few days or weeks, but these comments which accompany my newscast to stations and often appear with the http://abortionstate.blogspot.com/ web log, may take on a personal pro-life note. My mother, it seems, is preparing to die. Maybe I should say she is simply making final preparations as I hope we all recognize that we prepare daily. She tells me she is ready and I think I sense a deeper conversion in her than before.
Nevertheless, I have a lot to learn and maybe some to share about how a family goes through this. I am no stranger to the process. I have buried one sister, my dad and two daughters—one of whom I held and baptized, and another too small to do anything but prepare for burial. I ask prayers for courage and simplicity as sentiment or fear often tries to displace separation and human loss. My four sisters and I are often each at different ‘places’ in our faith, so I pledge to be kind, gentle and sincerely loving. I hope I can be a light to any dark places.
Please pray.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 31st, 2006
Why is prayer so important? Is it because God wants to tie up so much of our day? Is it so our day goes better?
I’m really asking here—because sometimes I am not convinced that prayer is such a good idea if we don’t want to ‘rock the boat’. But then, I’ve always been a ‘rock the boat’ sort of guy. Just this week, I find myself getting deeper into prayer. While I am closer to my family and find myself, as it seems, operating with more grace, I also am given more insight into the work I must do. Even pro-life work.
Prayer, I think, is like that. Not only do I get the ‘warm, fuzzy feelings’ of being closer to Christ (I speak as if that should be so predictable), but I am closer to the work of Christ. I am closer to the heartache of my family members and their real needs, closer to my own shortcomings (you know, the ones that we ask God to work on), closer to how he feels about the experiment called the human race.
So I could say prayer is important. I could say getting close to Jesus is important. Or I could just say that I recommend both to you in the solitary exercise of talking and being with God.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 30th, 2006
Every once in a while there is a time like that represented in the month we are about to close. These are not common times. If we ever have a chance to start actually recording history again, these days may be regarded as a turning point. We’ve seen glimpses lately of a glorious future in conversion stories and stories of healing and polling data and research—not to mention something as subjective as a different look in people’s eyes—which I think shows a new openness to, or even a new hoping for, good news.
Jesus said that you can not pour new wine into old wineskins and he also said that you may not take over a strong man’s house without first tying up the strong man. I see in these two parables a simple lesson. If you ever want to convert an entire culture, you simply must command the ‘strong man’ who controls the culture. I think sin is that strong man. Sin blinds people, so—in a sort of chicken-or-the-egg conundrum—you have to get people to stop sinning long enough to get large numbers to convert from being sinners. We have signs that we may be doing that as abortion rates fall and attitudes in our schools change.
You have to give new wine a fresh context so it may be inserted into the culture without both breaking the culture and wasting the new wine. We are beginning to do that, too. To win, we must create a new context. And we are just beginning—mind you—to give a significant portion of our youth a different paradigm by which to live, a new wine skin.
Our most vociferous, our most strident opponents are staying that way by blinding themselves to the reality of a culture change. Reasonable people are beginning to realize that we have gone wrong and we must go back. These people see that such change has less to do with some superman or religious leader, bishop or prophet—and a whole lot more to do with the job we make of raising our children.
The hope to all this is not as simple as letting it happen. The hope lies in that we, in our ordinary ways, will take advantage of this sea change and evangelize. I, for one, hope we will make ourselves ready to take the simplest of opportunities to reach out with love to anyone passing our way.
Should we do that, we really could see—maybe just a beginning, in our lifetimes—“the glory of the Lord” covering “the earth as the waters cover the sea.”
May God bless us all…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 25th, 2006
This mess about Samuel Alito is at least 95 percent about the ‘next’ nominee that George W. Bush may nominate for the Supreme Court as well as appellate and circuit court appointments. When you and I call even our most ardent pro-abortion, anti-Alito Senators and tell them what we think, we make a huge difference. And that is regardless of what they do now. Pressure is pressure no matter who tries to tell you otherwise.
I will again call my two Senators—and you likely don’t have two who are as unyielding on the issue of abortion as the two ladies from Washington State, Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell.
Do it!
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 24th, 2006
“We wrestle not against flesh and blood.” St. Paul to the Ephesians
I am surprised how much working in the life movement teaches me about people. Jesus gives me the presumption of innocence because I am baptized by water into his death. When I offer that assumption to others, when I look for the most innocent motives in others, I often begin to find them. That is not to say that the work of some of our adversaries is not set on fire by hell itself (I recognize the fire of hell by my own experience as a sinner, playing with it), but I am amazed at the interviews and the responses I get from pro-aborts when I simply and kindly ask.
But then there is the heart ache at listening to the complete disregard of innocent and nascent human life in the womb. Quite often it seems as if the ignorance is only for the sake of another night of illicit sex. Or maybe it is to cover up the hurt—often the agonizing, gut-wrenching hurt—of the past.
Today’s gospel reading for Catholic mass has Jesus saying that you cannot enter someone’s house (dare I equate that with the core of someone’s life?), unless you first bind the strong man of the house. Maybe somehow, by miracle, we could go further in reaching souls for Christ if we could address the issue of what holds them captive. My experience of being among some of our cultural adversaries is that it is often like confronting the ‘strong man’, or at least getting in his way. This kind of work is beginning to renew in me a deeper understanding of the words that follow the verse above—the words which read, “(But we wrestle) with principalities and powers and spiritual forces of wickedness in high places.”
I am in need of prayer after this kind of work, so I again ask for your help in this. Let’s all engage the culture—the conflict is engaged only on our knees and face-to-face.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 23th, 2006
Everything comes through the family. Everything, and everyone, from souls as malformed as Hitler’s to those as well formed as Karol Wojtila—including the answers to our current predicament—every answer to evil is sitting in our families. What we tell our children and how we join with them in raising grandchildren steers the universe.
When I am pessimistic, I am looking at the battlefield and the lives lost and the pain caused by unanswered evil. But when I am optimistic, it is because I have been spending time looking at what we have, to which our opponents have no answer. And it is not a matter of raw numbers or from strength generated by armies or economic power, but our answer to evil lies in the potency of the faith and life and seed of God planted in the hearts of our children.
Do you want to help win the culture? Do that which helps raise extraordinarily well-loved and well-taught—and well-protected—families.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 20th, 2006
I would like to introduce to you the work of Mauricio Torres and his companions from Totus Tuus, a lay apostolate (which means that while some might call them a ‘ministry’, they simply say they are ‘sent’). Mauricio says that while their work of evangelization is really wonderful, that his work and that of his companions among the poor and the very young is most interesting.
He is preparing to build a hospice to help abandoned and dying children face death with the grace of God and the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Believe it or not, he says that this happens in the United States. His first hospice, though, already has land in Columbia where poor parents, faced with the pressing need of keeping their healthy children fed, feel compelled to abandon their dying child.
His website is open and, though still undergoing refinement and completion, I thought you might like a sneak peek at a work in progress. Mauricio has letters of recommendation of several Catholic bishops and you can investigate his cause. He is available for interviews and he can be contacted at mauriciototustuus@hotmail.com or (786)712-2009.
May God bless us all…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 19th, 2006
We have lived in a culture that places a high premium on instant gratification. Don’t expect that much of our work will receive that kind of gratification. We face a disorder so strong that it may well take more than one generation to fix. The work for the family to be restored to soundness will be a long and enduring work. Every remedy for our culture must come from parents becoming again the first teachers of the next generation. And with families in disarray, the great families we see today will be the models for their children’s adult generation.
That is great hope! Don’t mistake my words as pessimism. The change that comes at the hands of sound families is a renewal that will be difficult for our cultural adversaries to counter. So Pope John Paul the Great was much more than correct when he said, “The future of the world comes through the family.” Make yours a strong one. Go back and bind up the loose ends. Repair what is broken. It may be your life’s greatest work.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 18th, 2006
We lost more than a court case yesterday. While the conclusion was not a great surprise, I think we crossed a threshold yesterday in the Supreme Court Gonzales v. Oregon ruling.
We took a big slide in our ability to show we can govern ourselves. The American experiment has surprised many observers, but perhaps not so many any more. Our former Attorney General, John Ashcroft, made his point based on a moral understanding of government securing rights (the right to life and happiness being protected from the illicit use of drugs—even by a doctor), and the majority on our Supreme Court had no place to put such thought.
Plato said that the cruelest form of tyranny was a democracy. I heard the illustration of a boat with 8 passengers, one woman and seven men. The men take a vote to do with the woman (specifically her body) as they would wish. That is the democracy feared by Plato.
But here is why the moral experiment of the United States of America has withstood these problems (and no, it is not merely because we are a ‘republic’): We have had a moral basis to law which preserves and secures the rights of all and proved our ability to self-govern.
Someone please give me a different way to understand this. But as I see it, the majority of this Court had no ears to hear the moral basis presented by John Ashcroft. He said that there was no “legitimate medical purpose” and the Court was unable to respond because the court had no ability to hear. It listened for merely a utilitarian reason to act and could not hear anything else. Like an old rock star in a hearing aid store, the cochleae no longer pick up a signal. Blind justice gives no regard to those who possess great power; with deaf justice, the weak or those whose interests are only preserved by a rule of law, have no protection.
Yet in our genius system (yes, it is a republic, and a bit more), at least the old court has Congress to help spell things out. And hope also comes in new justices who may surprise us all with wisdom beyond this current milieu.
May God bless us all…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 17th, 2006
In today’s news at www.LifeNews.com, Starr Parker tells yet another part of the sad tragedy of the greatest injustice of our time—aborted children numbering in the tens of millions, with a large and disproportionate number of these taken and robbed from the African American community. But talk of justice is cheap. The life movement seeks to right the greatest injustice—the theft of the right to life itself.
Maybe you have seen the bumper stickers that read, “If you want peace, work for justice.” While the intent here is commonly good, I disagree. Peace is greater than our imaginations of no war—and it is greater than justice. Justice is derived from peace, not the other way around. Nevertheless, peace must be defined well.
Ultimately we must reconcile our injustices by means of peace. And peace is a victory. It occurs when nothing less than the only, truly good one wins—and this is God. His terms of peace are the surrender of our entire soul: our mind often expressed in our intellect, our will expressed in our ability to obey, and our bodies expressed in offering to God all that comes from these. Justice is derived from peace.
Pursue peace—peace with God. Let’s find a culture of life.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 13th, 2006
Some people, in trying to do the work of Christ, seem to have a distorted view of how Christ taught us to live. I might stake out my ‘territory’ and act like my ‘ministry career’ is the one most important element of what is being done. It is a ‘me first’ mentality.
Christ taught us differently. When he said ‘me first’, it was when he touched and healed the ostracized and untouchable leper. When he said ‘me first’, it was washing his disciples’ feet. When Jesus said ‘me first’, he laid down, stretched out his hands, crossed his feet and let himself—the sinless one—be the pierced and broken offering for sin for the rest of us.
“Have this mind among you that is also yours in Christ Jesus: Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” …Saint Paul to the Philippians, Chapter 2
May God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 12th, 2006
Do you know what you would say to our opponents, those so-called “pro-abortion” people? Do you realize they are people just like us, only with unanswered questions? Make sure you take the time to pray and consider what you might say to someone who is waiting for an answer to why there is this evil in the world that seems to necessitate that we take a life. Why disordered sexuality? Why abuse? Why don’t easier answers present themselves to problems like crisis pregnancies? Why doesn’t someone tell me that life can be lived with the simplicity of God’s love?
Be ready, because ultimately—just like any old-fashioned ‘battle’, this ‘culture war’ will come down to hand-to-hand, or rather face-to-face confrontation. God will only use you and me.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 11th, 2006
I do appreciate that the meaning of “doctor” is literally, “teacher”. So I look for doctors to teach, and I relish finding one who really does his or her job. I think the Juris ‘Doctor’ degree Princeton School of Law granted Samuel Alito was not wasted. And I could not be prouder to be an American as I watch our ingenious system work to correct the injustice of poorly crafted laws.
Just at the moment in history when we most need to be taught, abortion’s supporters have demanded that we have these great and public hearings televised to the nation and that their advocates on this committee grill the nominee. They hope this will rally support for their cause. Instead, it is giving a greatly misinformed public access to… A teacher. A real teacher, Judge Samuel A. Alito.
Beware what knowledge and understanding can do in a people if your industry has created its success from public ignorance of injustice.
May God bless us all…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 9th, 2006
What is choice? Isn’t it found in human willfulness? No one wants to have their own will countered, not even by God. If it were not for faith, for hope and for love, I doubt anyone would ever have come to what is known as “the obedience of faith”. I think it should be obvious that there should be more pro-“choice” people among those with no faith.
Or what if faith has not brought forth any obedience? With no practice at obeying even when love is abundant, how should someone come to give up their ‘right to choose’?
Here’s something from the first chapter of Saint John’s Gospel:
“He was in the world, and the world even came into being through him. But the world did not know him… His own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name—these are they who were born not by natural generation nor by the will behind human conception, but of God.”
So perhaps I am pro-choice: God’s, not mine.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 6th, 2006
Is the Church the answer to a culture of death? Yes—but... The Church is God’s answer to evil itself, though if we do not act accordingly, are we the Church? If we are not the Church, are we Christian, do we even have faith? Saint James faced this dilemma and said “faith without works is dead”.
Each person has something to do, that God has prepared for them alone to do. However, such work is not drawn from an impassioned, frantic, or sympathetic search for merely something to do. It is drawn from intimacy with Christ. Get close to Christ, make him your beloved friend. And in that intimacy ask your friend, your Lord, what he would have you do.
Be part of God’s answer to evil in the world, help turn a culture of death on its heels. Get close to Jesus and let him write his plan for you on your heart.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 4th, 2006
We must be the answer to evil that St. Augustine sought and preached. We must be who God will use in our day. There exists no other answer in all time, no other people here and now. Why do you think you have experienced what your life contains to this moment, other than for God’s purposes? Our culture often thinks that all we have is to be consumed by us, but life is too short to predict even what we may enjoy.
Live for God’s glory. When you go to church, consider what God would ask of you. When you go to receive Christ, open yourself to his will for you. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and my burden light. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. I am meek and lowly of heart and you shall find rest for your soul.”
Back to Augustine, “Our souls are restless until they rest in You.”
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 3rd, 2006
Are we asking God for a miracle, or just for something just extraordinary enough to change all ‘those’ people—those sinners around us? The miraculous work of God will threaten us more than those we deem to have more sin or more abortions or more of whatever behavior gets them into trouble.
The miracle is more threatening to us, because God often chooses to use me and you to be part of the miraculous and that can get a little uncomfortable. God uses anyone he wants to use, but he often uses those prepared for service. For me, it has meant more conversion. For me it has meant more work, making myself more available to holiness. And I can imagine that if you are asking God for the miraculous, He is working on you, too.
Ask God for a miracle, ask God for a culture of life. Just be prepared for the ride of your life!
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for January 2nd, 2006
So we begin a new year. Do you think that anyone really has any idea of what the new year might bring?
In today’s LifeNews Radio newscast, Joseph D’Agostino offers good reason for the use of RU-486 to come to a rapid end. And he offers us good reason for optimism. RU-486 is popular because it makes abortion so convenient. Hearings begin in February and a house subcommittee will investigate just how the FDA has allowed people to rely on convenient but dangerous abortions with the abortion protocol.
Who knows what that might mean for the new year. Combined with a reformed Supreme Court, will history books write that 2006 was the year that abortion ‘rights’ declined? And might they actually say that it was not rights that were lost, but rather life rights that were restored and a slaughter of children and a maiming of women that was exposed for what it was?
Who knows? And yet for us such speculation does not matter. What matters is whether we will participate or not.
God bless you. . .
Jim Anderson
Commentary for December 30th, 2005
Love is a reason for itself. The same is said of God, of course. So maybe St. John was being even more of a logician-philosopher than might at first be evident when He wrote, “God is love.” And a child, formed from conception in the image of God, is by itself reason enough to be protected. Love works that way. Love is pro-life. Make your stand for life. Make your stand for love and for God.
Thank you for all you do for life. Look for me again in the new year—“at dawn on the third day”. I am here to serve your great works.
God bless you. . .
Jim Anderson
Commentary for December 29th, 2005
There are many reasons I am pro-life, even some seemingly a non-religious reasons. One such reason is that I love children. And I have enough of them to prove it: I have three children at home and two grown children who have given me five grandchildren. But in reality, love is a religious reason for being pro-life and for ‘doing’ love. The apostle John wrote, “God is love.”
We should encourage those who love children in practical ways to remember that this virtue is a close ally to faith. Moms and dads, particularly young ones, are often unwitting giants of faith—All because of love.
God bless you. . .
Jim Anderson
Commentary for December 28th, 2005
I offered my faith in Jesus to a lady today. I wasn’t surprised when it fell to the floor. But it still hurt.
What does that have to do with anything pro-life? Well, for one thing, without an offer of faith or a tremendous amount of well-reasoned natural law, I do not think it is possible to be pro-life today. Pro-life is sadly not something to be taken for granted. Without faith or extraordinary reason, a view of human life may be nothing more than either a lucky string of conveniences or a tragic string of loss. This was driven home for me in our conversation. She could not see any purpose in faith or Jesus or a Church.
I was gentle with her and loved her with Father Benedict Groeschel as my model of gentleness—and humor. She opened up some and shared with me. I am struck how miraculous it is to have faith. We who draw close to Him who is infinite love must be struck with humility. Instead, she says has only met those who shunned her or sought to coerce faith from her. As if that could ever work. Such is the work of another master, a thief and liar. No, the gift of faith is a miracle created within the chambers of broken hearts by none other than the Holy Spirit.
Little does she know that I have a couple friends who might pray for some water on a little seed hopefully well planted in her heart. Maybe the most pro-life thing you might do today is pray for this lady. I’ll let you call her Frieda. Please.
God bless you. . .
Jim Anderson
Commentary for December 27th, 2005
The Hebrew prophets had one unifying message—“Know the Lord!” Perhaps that is why I love reading the Word of God--why I really love reading the scriptures to others. I particularly love proclaiming the word, either in evangelization as I have done on a few occasions in public, or in a congregation. There is a sense in which Christ is made present in such proclamation and I love knowing his presence. Perhaps that makes the most sense when we understand that our baptism into Christ makes us prophet, priest and king with and by Christ.
And this is why human life is so unique. We alone of all God’s creation have the capacity to know God, both by our birth and by our baptism. And that is not in just some vague and abstract way. We can come to know God’s presence just as surely as I can come to know the presence of my wife or any of my sisters or children. Get that! We are given such an incredible gift! We can be sure that if we participate in the preservation of merely one life, we have participated in a miracle.
And the miracle is in you. We can know God more and more. It works both ways: We participate in a culture of life by offering to others the opportunity to know God, just as we participate in that culture of life by coming to know God more fully ourselves.
Know the Lord!
God bless you…
Commentary for December 26th.
Welcome to the morning after. . ..
Hmmm? There is no ‘morning after’ Christmas on December 26th! Christmas goes on for the Christian. Christ comes to us, makes himself intimately available for us always. We indicate that by having the twelve days of Christmas—beginning on Christmas day. In many denominations, the liturgy, the ordered service of prayer that reminds us of where we are, who we are and who God is, not only declares that Christ is come, but in this time leads our hearts to be yet further converted by his coming.
His coming speaks to us of the value of all life.
Merry Christmas!
God bless you. . .
Jim Anderson
Commentary for December 23th.
I hope for you that Jesus’ coming into the world is replicated in your life. My hope is that just as God surprised everyone by becoming such an unlikely king, that both God and you would surprise all of us by revealing Christ in your life. May the special and unique person that you are bring a tremendous effect to a culture of life in this world.Commentary for December 22th.
May you know peace this Christmas.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
So what can someone like me say to someone like you for Christmas? You who read this likely share my love for the gift of life. If I offered you three reasons why Jesus’ incarnation is a reason to support the cause of life, you might list three reasons of your own quite easily.
So what can I offer you? Peace. Though, when people say ‘peace’ at Christmas, it is often a sentimental wish for no war. But peace is far more than the absence of bad noises or even death. And whether CNN likes it or not, the wars they have covered are nothing compared to the war on innocent life.
Peace is when the one, truly ‘good one’ wins. Because peace is essentially goodness spread really thick, and God alone is truly good… May you have peace. Rich and abiding, intimately close to your heart—Jesus loving you and yours. His Spirit setting your hearts afire with love, and you and yours loving God as fully as they ever have loved. This is peace.
May the peace of Christ be with
you.
God bless you. . .
Jim Anderson
Commentary for December 21
I have met African Americans who were dying of sickle cell anemia. We should shout from the highest rooftop that this disease is on its way out, thanks to pro-life Congressman Chris Smith. The incurable is now curable, now that doctors will have the tools needed to access the therapy that has for too long been out of reach. Listen for good news in today’s LifeNews Radio.
God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Commentary for November 25th.
Sin really bites. Just when you think you can have a little of it and everything else is ‘just fine’, you find that your ‘one sin’ has blinded you to another, often more pernicious error or practice. I speak not only from experience, but from observation of our opponents, those who play with embryos or ‘voluntary termination of pregnancies’. They really want to package each ‘problem’ as a world to its own. But “sin crouches at the door” not to be ‘packaged’, but to take mastery of those who could play with it.
So I comment on this in today’s LifeNews Radio after telling how a Korean scientist tries to make good after violating scientific ethics.
A culture of death brings with it not merely a set of acts that are void or empty of goodness, or as Christians say “sinful”. No, that is not all. A culture of death and its accompanying actions brings with them a blindness, a blindness of heart and of even intellect. Embryonic stem cell research is not evil merely because it fails to work or because it is an economic scam or because some researchers fail to follow ethical esearch principles. It is evil because it takes a human life to operate the system. Its progress is born on the backs of other empty acts like invitro fertilization and so-called leftover embryos.
Commentary for November 24
On Thanksgiving Day, we must answer a question that parallels the question, “How can a God of love allow…?” How ‘do’ we give thanks in the midst of such tragedy? Even God is profaned by the discarding and disregarding of His love.
Of course, we do give thanks for life. We give thanks that, while we wish for more, there are so many really wonderful human beings fighting for the right to life. I cry sometimes tears of gratitude when I think of you. You, that one person who does not ‘get’ to do this or that ‘fabulous’ task, but you act nonetheless—and you pray. Some of you, I know, pray for people like me. And I am deeply grateful.
We give thanks for where we are today. I, for one, have always wanted—even just as a witness—to be on the front lines—even as a dirty, worn foot soldier—of a tremendous struggle to bring glory to God. I get my wish and I’m thankful.
We give thanks that ‘where’ we are today is a good place. The debate is being joined: if our opponents don’t respect us, they are learning to fear us. But even greater than the debate being joined is that as one, the life movement wishes good for our adversaries. We really want them to be converted to regard their life and all life as sacred.
I think it is safe to say that there has never been such a conflict where one side actually loved the other as much as we love abortion advocates and embryonic stem cell advocates and euthanasia advocates. That is something for which to be thankful. When Jesus said “Love your enemies”, he meant it. And to be doing something this much in conflict with the ‘other side’ and to have love…
…Maybe God is pleased. And that is something for which to be thankful.
May God bless you and may your heart be full of gratitude. . ..
Jim Anderson
Jim Anderson of Life News Radio and Sacred Heart Radio AM 1050 in Seattle writes and records commentaries on politics, pro-life issues, and the culture war. Below is Jim's commentary for November 17th, 2005. We are grateful to have him and Sacred Heart Radio in our area.
I do not like what is happening in D.C. Pro-abort senators like Ted Kennedy and Chuck Schumer refuse to recognize the role of the president in nominating nor his role in approving appointments. When Mr. Bush again became President Bush these people lost in their bid to choose nominees to the high court. Each time someone pulls our democratic republic down through another rat hole, we all lose. It is yet another cycle down in the culture, specifically the culture as reflected in the formation of public policy. Pro-abort lawmakers think it’s okay to do this not because it is democracy forming public policy, but because they presume an elite right-ness in everything they think and their way must win or hell must pay. And on the way we all pay with another cycle down the destruction of culture. And hell could care less.God bless you…
Jim Anderson
Jim's commentaries will be a permanent part of the Abortion in Washington blog. If you'd like the audio of this commentary please send me an email and I can email it to you. You can also hear Jim each weekday on Sacred Heart Radio Seattle on AM 1050 at 10:55 am.
God bless you Jim and all you do to build a culture of life.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Retreat Testimonials
Here are three Project Rachel Testimonies that were sent to me. This last sentence really touched me -- "When a woman is able to honor the dignity of her child’s life she recaptures the dignity of her own." Please pray that the retreat attendees at this weekend's Project Rachel retreat will find the same peace and healing that these women have found. God bless.
February 2005
When “Renée” first called Project Rachel, she had been unable to sleep for two years since her abortion due to recurrent nightmares. Renée’s low energy and depression were evident throughout several conversations prior to the retreat. Indeed, two days before the retreat was to begin, Renée called to cancel saying, “I just need to get some sleep and feel better before I can come.” Fortunately, through much prayer and the encouragement of a past retreatant, Renée did indeed join us for our healing weekend.
God is so good! After naming and writing a letter to her child on Saturday evening, Renée slept soundly for the first time in two years! Her nightmares are gone, but instead, she experienced a beautiful, vivid dream of holding and playing with her child in a place only to be described as heavenly. Renée now joyfully reports, “I feel like a different person.” Indeed, she is! Our Lord has promised, “See, I make all things new!”
April 2005
Several retreatants at our April retreat expressed that healing occurs, not just for the individual, but for family relationships. One woman delayed childbearing for several years because she was so angry with her husband for his role in the abortion decision. She felt, “He didn’t want our child before, why should I give him one now?” Upon returning home, she was able to fully express her feelings to him. They were able to weep together and heal the wound of anger in their marriage. They are now looking forward to children in the coming year.
May 2005
Prior to our May retreat, I met one-on-one with “Tess.” Tess relayed a horrific story of a coerced late term abortion. Her family was poor and her income was deemed critical for support. Unmarried and at the tender age of 17, she beheld her much wanted baby delivered dead and was never the same since.
When we met, Tess’ life was in a shambles. She had lost her job and apartment; her car was in disrepair; she was suffering from a number of medical ailments. As we talked, I knew Tess would benefit from being able to mourn and memorialize her baby. Aborting her baby had created a great, gaping wound in her heart which had crippled her spirit for life and left her feeling diminished and worthless as a woman. Still, I must admit that I felt overwhelmed to address the many issues which would continue to face her after the retreat.
God is great beyond our expectations! Tess arrived at our six week follow-up reunion looking positively radiant! She had a huge grin on her face and told us that most of the aches and pains that she had been experiencing were a thing of the past. She is enrolled in school to get her GED and plans on entering a program to learn to become a pharmacy assistant. Her life has turned around, by God’s grace, because when a woman is able to honor the dignity of her child’s life she recaptures the dignity of her own.
February 2005
When “Renée” first called Project Rachel, she had been unable to sleep for two years since her abortion due to recurrent nightmares. Renée’s low energy and depression were evident throughout several conversations prior to the retreat. Indeed, two days before the retreat was to begin, Renée called to cancel saying, “I just need to get some sleep and feel better before I can come.” Fortunately, through much prayer and the encouragement of a past retreatant, Renée did indeed join us for our healing weekend.
God is so good! After naming and writing a letter to her child on Saturday evening, Renée slept soundly for the first time in two years! Her nightmares are gone, but instead, she experienced a beautiful, vivid dream of holding and playing with her child in a place only to be described as heavenly. Renée now joyfully reports, “I feel like a different person.” Indeed, she is! Our Lord has promised, “See, I make all things new!”
April 2005
Several retreatants at our April retreat expressed that healing occurs, not just for the individual, but for family relationships. One woman delayed childbearing for several years because she was so angry with her husband for his role in the abortion decision. She felt, “He didn’t want our child before, why should I give him one now?” Upon returning home, she was able to fully express her feelings to him. They were able to weep together and heal the wound of anger in their marriage. They are now looking forward to children in the coming year.
May 2005
Prior to our May retreat, I met one-on-one with “Tess.” Tess relayed a horrific story of a coerced late term abortion. Her family was poor and her income was deemed critical for support. Unmarried and at the tender age of 17, she beheld her much wanted baby delivered dead and was never the same since.
When we met, Tess’ life was in a shambles. She had lost her job and apartment; her car was in disrepair; she was suffering from a number of medical ailments. As we talked, I knew Tess would benefit from being able to mourn and memorialize her baby. Aborting her baby had created a great, gaping wound in her heart which had crippled her spirit for life and left her feeling diminished and worthless as a woman. Still, I must admit that I felt overwhelmed to address the many issues which would continue to face her after the retreat.
God is great beyond our expectations! Tess arrived at our six week follow-up reunion looking positively radiant! She had a huge grin on her face and told us that most of the aches and pains that she had been experiencing were a thing of the past. She is enrolled in school to get her GED and plans on entering a program to learn to become a pharmacy assistant. Her life has turned around, by God’s grace, because when a woman is able to honor the dignity of her child’s life she recaptures the dignity of her own.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Commentary on "The Last Abortion Clinic"
Some blog commentary on the PBS Documentary "The Last Abortion Clinic" from Amy Welborn's site and After Abortion. There's also this discussion area on the PBS web site.
The very first post on the PBS site is from someone using the moniker "Nikole Anon" an "Abortion Specialist" at an abortion clinic in Seattle.
I doubt there is anyone named "Nikole Anon". My guess is that this is really Marcy Bloom from Aradia Women's Health Center. The measured arguments and moral relativism all sprinkled with a good dose of compassion toward women and mothers are trademarks of her editorials and commentary. At any rate, "Nikole" informs us right off that she is an "Abortion Specialist" so as to establish her credentials as an expert in this area. I'd like to think that someone with the title "Abortion Specialist" would actually know something about abortion.
As an "Abortion Specialist", has she read the data on women doing worse financially and emotionally after an abortion? She seems unaware of the single purpose of the abortion procedure -- to kill the unborn child. To promise any more than that is a deception that seems particularly cruel considering the circumstances under which a woman approaches an abortion clinic and the irreversibility of the procedure. Even if a woman "isn't in a stable place financially or emotionally and wants the opportunity to provide a good home for her child or she wants to be a better parent to the child/children she already has" why is abortion the best solution? This "Abortion Specialist" doesn't give us any insight in to why she believes it is.
Worst of all is her belief that being a "good mother" and abortion are compatible. I'm sure she does meet many "caring, compassionate women" in her line of work but she doesn't understand that a woman who is caring and compassionate is probably the worst candidate for an abortion. A caring and compassionate person is bound to be unhappy or have some inner turmoil when confronted with the reality that they did something uncaring and uncompassionate. The way abortion clinic workers and others usually resolve this cognitive dissonance is to begin calling abortion compassionate and caring.
Still it’s what she didn’t say that’s the most fascinating thing of all. Why this brick wall of denial among clinic workers and pro-abortion activists who don't seem to see the coercion, hesitation, fear, and tears of the women coming in for abortions? I'm not an "abortion specialist" but even I know she's painted a picture based on something other than reality. "Nikole's" experience and claims to "Abortion Specialist" status all appear to be pre-abortion but what about post-abortion? Do any of her ex-clients call her? Is she allowed to talk to them if they do call? Does that brick wall go up every time she hears from a client who regrets her abortion? Does she ever hear the words, "You told me everything would be ok but it isn't"?
Clearly "Nikole" doesn't seem to realize that she sells abortion; nothing more, nothing less. She is simply flattering herself with the word "specialist". She sells women and the public the false logic that since good women will abort their children that therefore abortion is also good. It reminds me of something that was said to a post abortive woman who walked into her first church related experience after many years. The man leading the introduction to this particular denomination opened with the words, "Sometimes abortion is the most loving thing we can do."
The very first post on the PBS site is from someone using the moniker "Nikole Anon" an "Abortion Specialist" at an abortion clinic in Seattle.
My job title is "Abortion Specialist" and I support women in making this very difficult decision everyday. One thing that has proven true over and over again is the decision to terminate a pregnancy almost always comes from a place of the woman wanting to be a good mother. Either she knows she isn't in a stable place financially or emotionally and wants the opportunity to provide a good home for her child or she wants to be a better parent to the child/children she already has.
So many of the women in our society have very low self esteem that comes from inherent sexism, abuse, neglect and lack of opportunity; this prevents them from advocating for themselves - eg:saying no to unwanted sex, seeking out appropriate medical care and birth control. Pair that with the fact that no perfect method of birth control has been invented and that many are unreliable even if used as directed and it shouldn't be a mystery to anyone why women continue to get pregnant when they don't intend to. ...
I continually see patients who are caring, compassionate women who have found themselves in a position they never intended to be in but at least trust themselves enough to know that for what ever reason, they cannot take on what is the most important role a woman can attempt.
Nikole Anon
Seattle, WA
I doubt there is anyone named "Nikole Anon". My guess is that this is really Marcy Bloom from Aradia Women's Health Center. The measured arguments and moral relativism all sprinkled with a good dose of compassion toward women and mothers are trademarks of her editorials and commentary. At any rate, "Nikole" informs us right off that she is an "Abortion Specialist" so as to establish her credentials as an expert in this area. I'd like to think that someone with the title "Abortion Specialist" would actually know something about abortion.
As an "Abortion Specialist", has she read the data on women doing worse financially and emotionally after an abortion? She seems unaware of the single purpose of the abortion procedure -- to kill the unborn child. To promise any more than that is a deception that seems particularly cruel considering the circumstances under which a woman approaches an abortion clinic and the irreversibility of the procedure. Even if a woman "isn't in a stable place financially or emotionally and wants the opportunity to provide a good home for her child or she wants to be a better parent to the child/children she already has" why is abortion the best solution? This "Abortion Specialist" doesn't give us any insight in to why she believes it is.
Worst of all is her belief that being a "good mother" and abortion are compatible. I'm sure she does meet many "caring, compassionate women" in her line of work but she doesn't understand that a woman who is caring and compassionate is probably the worst candidate for an abortion. A caring and compassionate person is bound to be unhappy or have some inner turmoil when confronted with the reality that they did something uncaring and uncompassionate. The way abortion clinic workers and others usually resolve this cognitive dissonance is to begin calling abortion compassionate and caring.
Still it’s what she didn’t say that’s the most fascinating thing of all. Why this brick wall of denial among clinic workers and pro-abortion activists who don't seem to see the coercion, hesitation, fear, and tears of the women coming in for abortions? I'm not an "abortion specialist" but even I know she's painted a picture based on something other than reality. "Nikole's" experience and claims to "Abortion Specialist" status all appear to be pre-abortion but what about post-abortion? Do any of her ex-clients call her? Is she allowed to talk to them if they do call? Does that brick wall go up every time she hears from a client who regrets her abortion? Does she ever hear the words, "You told me everything would be ok but it isn't"?
Clearly "Nikole" doesn't seem to realize that she sells abortion; nothing more, nothing less. She is simply flattering herself with the word "specialist". She sells women and the public the false logic that since good women will abort their children that therefore abortion is also good. It reminds me of something that was said to a post abortive woman who walked into her first church related experience after many years. The man leading the introduction to this particular denomination opened with the words, "Sometimes abortion is the most loving thing we can do."
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Patty Murry vs. Tom Coburn
It's probably not hard to out smart State Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) but you gotta love this:
That Patty Murray would back down from an investigation into the approval of mifepristone tells you all you need to know about its safety. However, Senator Coburn is really on to something. We do need to have an investigation into how the FDA approved mifepristone under a set of FDA rules known as subpart H, which usually is reserved for approving drugs for life-threatening illnesses.
How did a drug that kills get approved under the pretext of saving lives? It's probably news to Patty Murray that pregnancy is not a life-threatening illness but the FDA should have known better. That's not medicine, that's ideology.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) on Oct. 26 proposed an amendment to the Labor-HHS appropriations bill (HR 3010) that would have mandated an investigation into alleged mismanagement at FDA -- including the agency's handling of a proposal to make the emergency contraceptive Plan B available without a prescription -- but later withdrew the amendment because Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) would have introduced an amendment calling for an investigation into the agency's approval of mifepristone, FDA Week reports (FDA Week, 11/4).
That Patty Murray would back down from an investigation into the approval of mifepristone tells you all you need to know about its safety. However, Senator Coburn is really on to something. We do need to have an investigation into how the FDA approved mifepristone under a set of FDA rules known as subpart H, which usually is reserved for approving drugs for life-threatening illnesses.
How did a drug that kills get approved under the pretext of saving lives? It's probably news to Patty Murray that pregnancy is not a life-threatening illness but the FDA should have known better. That's not medicine, that's ideology.
The Last Abortion Clinic
Watch tonight November 8th on KCTS Seattle (Channel 9) at 10:00 pm pst. It will air again on Saturday, November 12, 3:00 am. In Spokane it will air on KSPS Channel 7 Tuesday, November 8, 9:00 pm and again Wednesday, November 9, 2:00 am.
The following description is from the PBS web site (You can also check other local listings):
(60 minutes) Today, the headlines are filled with speculation about changes in the U.S. Supreme Court and what those changes might mean for abortion -- an issue that has divided the country for over 30 years. Heated rhetoric from both sides continues to be heard in courtrooms and on the campaign trail. But while attention is often focused on the arguments, there is another story playing out in local communities. Pro-life advocates have waged a successful campaign to reduce abortions in many places throughout the country. By using state laws to regulate and limit abortion and by creating their own clinics to offer alternatives to women, they have changed the facts on the ground. On Nov. 8, FRONTLINE investigates the steady decline in the number of physicians and clinics performing abortions and focuses on local political battles in states like Mississippi, where only a single clinic performs the controversial procedure.
This is expected to be a "rallying-cry" to those in favor of legal abortion that they are close to losing "the right to choose", but I'll reserve judgment until I've viewed the program.
I hope that the program will highlight some of the differences between the situation "on the ground" in Mississippi and Washington. It's my understanding that Mississippi doesn't have the strong abortion infrastructure needed to maintain an abortion industry in a state: media; state Democrat and Republican parties who refuse to run anti-abortion candidates or outright support abortion; little if any organized religious/church opposition to abortion; a public that voted to legalize abortion prior to Roe v. Wade; state government policies that promote and encourage abortion (e.g. health department and school districts serving as referral services, state funding for abortion, etc.)
The following description is from the PBS web site (You can also check other local listings):
(60 minutes) Today, the headlines are filled with speculation about changes in the U.S. Supreme Court and what those changes might mean for abortion -- an issue that has divided the country for over 30 years. Heated rhetoric from both sides continues to be heard in courtrooms and on the campaign trail. But while attention is often focused on the arguments, there is another story playing out in local communities. Pro-life advocates have waged a successful campaign to reduce abortions in many places throughout the country. By using state laws to regulate and limit abortion and by creating their own clinics to offer alternatives to women, they have changed the facts on the ground. On Nov. 8, FRONTLINE investigates the steady decline in the number of physicians and clinics performing abortions and focuses on local political battles in states like Mississippi, where only a single clinic performs the controversial procedure.
This is expected to be a "rallying-cry" to those in favor of legal abortion that they are close to losing "the right to choose", but I'll reserve judgment until I've viewed the program.
I hope that the program will highlight some of the differences between the situation "on the ground" in Mississippi and Washington. It's my understanding that Mississippi doesn't have the strong abortion infrastructure needed to maintain an abortion industry in a state: media; state Democrat and Republican parties who refuse to run anti-abortion candidates or outright support abortion; little if any organized religious/church opposition to abortion; a public that voted to legalize abortion prior to Roe v. Wade; state government policies that promote and encourage abortion (e.g. health department and school districts serving as referral services, state funding for abortion, etc.)
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Year End Charitable Contributions
I know many people are considering where to make last minute charitable contributions for the 2005 tax year. Please consider making a tax deductible contribution in any amount to Western Washington's post-abortion ministry Project Rachel. With so many abortions in this state we know the need for healing is great. Please mail your gift to Project Rachel, PO Box 398, Kent, WA 98035. Thank you!
Project Rachel Western Washington -- a program of Catholic Community Services
Project Rachel is the name of the Catholic Church's healing ministry to those who have been involved in abortion. Its name comes from Scripture:
Project Rachel serves individuals of any faith. You need not be Catholic to participate. For information, referral or retreats access the websites listed above or call Valerie at 1-800-822-Hope. In Eastern Washington contact Jean at the Spokane Diocese: (509) 358-4267
Project Rachel Western Washington -- a program of Catholic Community Services
Project Rachel is the name of the Catholic Church's healing ministry to those who have been involved in abortion. Its name comes from Scripture:
In Ramah is heard the sound of moaning,Project Rachel operates as a network of professional counselors and priests, all trained to provide one-on-one spiritual and psychological care for those who are suffering because of an abortion. Although most dioceses use the name Project Rachel, some programs are named differently. In addition to individualized counseling, some programs include support groups and retreats. Founded in 1984 by Victoria Thorn in Milwaukee WI, today Project Rachel programs can be found in 140 Catholic dioceses throughout the United States, as well as dioceses in other countries. Project Rachel was established in the Archdiocese of Seattle (Western Washington) in 1993. A single phone call to a Project Rachel program puts you in touch with those who can help. Access its website at http://www.marquette.edu/rachel. In addition, Rachel's Vineyard is a retreat program which helps those suffering after abortion in a weekend group setting. Developed by Theresa Karminski-Burke in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, Rachel's Vineyard Retreats are now available world-wide. Project Rachel of Western Washington offers the Rachel’s Vineyard Healing Retreat Weekend. For information or retreat schedules contact http://www.rachelsvineyard.org/.
of bitter weeping!
Rachel mourns her children,
she refuses to be consoled
because her children are no more. Thus says the LORD:
Cease your cries of mourning,
wipe the tears from your eyes.
The sorrow you have shown shall have its reward...
There is hope for your future. Jeremiah 31:15-1
Project Rachel serves individuals of any faith. You need not be Catholic to participate. For information, referral or retreats access the websites listed above or call Valerie at 1-800-822-Hope. In Eastern Washington contact Jean at the Spokane Diocese: (509) 358-4267
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Take up Knitting
The Girls, Inc. and American Girl doll company story has been all over the pro-life web sites and blogs.
I didn't see any direct references to Planned Parenthood on the site but their fingerprints are all over it. If you are familiar with Planned Parenthood's modus operandi you are familiar with the lingo and buzz words that let you know, "We support abortion" -- references to "rights", empowerment, helping girls to explore "community activism, careers, healthy risk-taking" and "stopping violence". Then there's the lack of support for abstinence education funding. Just check out their Legislative Action Center.
The trademarked mission/motto for Girls, Inc. is, "To inspire all girls to be strong, smart and bold." The words kindness, love, and beauty never appear. I suppose they need to toughen girls up for the world Planned Parenthood, Girls, Inc., and the media and consumer markets have prepared for them. The name Girls, Inc. -- emphasis on the Inc. -- says it all.
In the words of “Donny” DonDero, National Executive Director from 1963 to 1974, here's how the organization has changed since it's founding in 1864.
I did those things as a girl and teenager in the 70s and 80s. I loved to knit and embroider and bake. I still do. Those hobbies are much more healthy, productive, worthwhile, and educational than all of the Girls, Inc. "progressive" community activism, career exploration, and sex ed programs combined. But it's not really about the girls anyway. It's about corporations selling products, CEOs and high-profile "do-gooders" winning awards, and certain groups pushing their ideology.
Margaret Gates, National Executive Director from 1983 to 1993, was probably a little too honest in her statement discussing program development at Girls, Inc.
[Comments in brackets and italics mine.]
People are being encouraged to call the American Girl company, a subsidiary of Mattel Toys, Inc., in Middleton, Wisconsin to voice their complaint about Girl, Inc.'s support for abortion. A better idea, if you live in Washington state, call one of the licensees of this...uhm...garbage... and voice your displeasure.
Seattle
(Licensee) YWCA of Seattle, King County & Snohomish County
1118 Fifth Avenue Seattle, WA 98101
Mailing Address 708 Martin Luther King Way
Seattle, WA 98122
Bus: (206) 568-7850
Fax: (206) 568-7851
Email: vrucker@ywcaworks.org
Tacoma
(Licensee) YWCA of Pierce County
405 Broadway Tacoma, WA 98402-3995
Bus: (253) 272-4181
Fax: (253) 597-6683
Email: Jallen@ywcapiercecounty.org
Aberdeen
(Licensee)Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department
2109 Sumner Avenue
Aberdeen, WA 98520-3600
Bus: (360) 532-8631
Fax: (360) 533-6272
Email: kluzzi@co.grays-harbor.wa.us
I didn't see any direct references to Planned Parenthood on the site but their fingerprints are all over it. If you are familiar with Planned Parenthood's modus operandi you are familiar with the lingo and buzz words that let you know, "We support abortion" -- references to "rights", empowerment, helping girls to explore "community activism, careers, healthy risk-taking" and "stopping violence". Then there's the lack of support for abstinence education funding. Just check out their Legislative Action Center.
The trademarked mission/motto for Girls, Inc. is, "To inspire all girls to be strong, smart and bold." The words kindness, love, and beauty never appear. I suppose they need to toughen girls up for the world Planned Parenthood, Girls, Inc., and the media and consumer markets have prepared for them. The name Girls, Inc. -- emphasis on the Inc. -- says it all.
In the words of “Donny” DonDero, National Executive Director from 1963 to 1974, here's how the organization has changed since it's founding in 1864.
Indeed.I look back very happily on my time leading Girls Incorporated, and I think the organization today is marvelous. It used to be mostly home-oriented — cooking, sewing and washing. Fortunately — because I think it was important to move with the times — it has become more of a socially progressive organization. The emphasis really has changed.
I did those things as a girl and teenager in the 70s and 80s. I loved to knit and embroider and bake. I still do. Those hobbies are much more healthy, productive, worthwhile, and educational than all of the Girls, Inc. "progressive" community activism, career exploration, and sex ed programs combined. But it's not really about the girls anyway. It's about corporations selling products, CEOs and high-profile "do-gooders" winning awards, and certain groups pushing their ideology.
Margaret Gates, National Executive Director from 1983 to 1993, was probably a little too honest in her statement discussing program development at Girls, Inc.
If only we could go back and interview these girls, who are now women, and see where they are in their lives and how they feel about the Girls, Inc. experiment they were unwittingly part of.The time was right. There were all these folks out there – child development experts, educators, women’s colleges – who were talking about girls’ needs, but they couldn’t do anything without access to girls. [All these experts needed girls they could actually test all their whacked-out theories on.] When the foundations saw us, they knew they were looking at a good thing. [Access to inner-city and poor girls from broken homes with parents who didn't have a clue what we were trying to do. White middle-class kids with parents who were also clueless and spent their time trying to be hip, smoking pot and swapping spouses worked just as well.] We had the infrastructure for getting programs out to a quarter of a million girls around the country. Not only that, we wanted to do programming that a lot of other organizations wouldn’t touch. Like sex education... [Oh, great.]
We decided to build a more comprehensive approach to sex education. The program we ultimately called Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy exposed the myths [abortion is a bad idea] and imparted the truth [abortion is a good idea], showing girls that they had the power to control their sexuality and their reproductive future [by just popping a few pills or foreign instruments in your body]. In a rigorous evaluation, this program was deemed successful in its dual goals of postponing the age of first sexual activity and reducing the incidence of adolescent pregnancy.
[Comments in brackets and italics mine.]
People are being encouraged to call the American Girl company, a subsidiary of Mattel Toys, Inc., in Middleton, Wisconsin to voice their complaint about Girl, Inc.'s support for abortion. A better idea, if you live in Washington state, call one of the licensees of this...uhm...garbage... and voice your displeasure.
Seattle
(Licensee) YWCA of Seattle, King County & Snohomish County
1118 Fifth Avenue Seattle, WA 98101
Mailing Address 708 Martin Luther King Way
Seattle, WA 98122
Bus: (206) 568-7850
Fax: (206) 568-7851
Email: vrucker@ywcaworks.org
Tacoma
(Licensee) YWCA of Pierce County
405 Broadway Tacoma, WA 98402-3995
Bus: (253) 272-4181
Fax: (253) 597-6683
Email: Jallen@ywcapiercecounty.org
Aberdeen
(Licensee)Grays Harbor County Public Health & Social Services Department
2109 Sumner Avenue
Aberdeen, WA 98520-3600
Bus: (360) 532-8631
Fax: (360) 533-6272
Email: kluzzi@co.grays-harbor.wa.us
The Hand of God
In case you missed it, here are some of the fruits of this October's Seattle Silent No More Awareness Campaign in Westlake Park.
A young woman with tears in her eyes came up to Kim Johnson looking for help. Kim was able to give her the contact info for Silent No More Awareness.
"Longtime observers" of events in Westlake Park said -- "This was the most worthwhile event we've ever had at Westlake Center. Keep doing what you are doing."
An elderly homeless man who appeared to be part American Indian told us about his relative who'd had an abortion. We were able to give him a SNMA card with the number of the toll-free help line as well as the local number for Project Rachel.
One man mentioned that one of the speakers reminded him of a women he knew that might have had an abortion and thought he might look her up to see how she was doing.
Two high school students took photographs for a photo essay.
Several men and women had a look of shock on their face when they wandered into the square. They turned around and left when they saw the signs "I Regret my Abortion." I really wonder what these people were thinking. Had they been involved in an abortion? Maybe they were "ok" with abortion but didn't think anyone actually got one. Whatever the reason behind their reaction they really, really, really did not want to deal with it.
A young woman with tears in her eyes came up to Kim Johnson looking for help. Kim was able to give her the contact info for Silent No More Awareness.
"Longtime observers" of events in Westlake Park said -- "This was the most worthwhile event we've ever had at Westlake Center. Keep doing what you are doing."
An elderly homeless man who appeared to be part American Indian told us about his relative who'd had an abortion. We were able to give him a SNMA card with the number of the toll-free help line as well as the local number for Project Rachel.
One man mentioned that one of the speakers reminded him of a women he knew that might have had an abortion and thought he might look her up to see how she was doing.
Two high school students took photographs for a photo essay.
Several men and women had a look of shock on their face when they wandered into the square. They turned around and left when they saw the signs "I Regret my Abortion." I really wonder what these people were thinking. Had they been involved in an abortion? Maybe they were "ok" with abortion but didn't think anyone actually got one. Whatever the reason behind their reaction they really, really, really did not want to deal with it.
Seattle's Madame Restell
Madame Restell was the famed New York City abortionist who plied her trade in the mid- to late 1800s. In the end she took her own life at her palatial home located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Fifty-second Street with an estate estimated to be worth over $1,000,000 at the time.
The beautiful mansion was built upon property her husband bought the property when prices were low.
The beautiful mansion was built upon property her husband bought the property when prices were low.
With the rise in real estate Lohman (Restell's husband) sold the upper portion of the property, but kept the 125 feet front where the Restell residence and the Osborne flats were subsequently erected. When he built the Restell house he had to raise the sum of $27,000 and executed a mortgage for that amount to the Mutual Life Insurance Company. Mrs. Restell, while on bad terms with her husband, succeeded in buying up the mortgage without his knowledge.
Fast-forward to 2005 and Seattle, Washington.
You'll have to take my word for it but this notice (now removed) appeared on the City of Seattle's Women's Commission web site in July of 2005.
Aradia Women's Health Center is seeking 2-3 new board members in 2005 to support our mission providing compassionate, personalized women's reproductive care rooted in a unique advocacy-based healthcare model. In particular, we're seeking new board members to help Aradia Women's Health Center move forward on its newly developed Strategic Plan in order to ensure the success of the organization for the next 30+ years...We're looking for persons with a deep commitment to women's healthcare and reproductive rights, including safe and legal abortion services. Skills all board members must possess are: prior volunteer and/or board service for a nonprofit organization... We also are seeking persons with the following qualifications to strengthen the leadership of our team: Fundraising, Financial management/accounting, Real estate, Facilities planning, Legal, Culturally competency (sic) as it relates to the audiences we serve, Strategic planning and evaluation. Board members are asked to make a two-year commitment of approximately three hours per week to the organization. (italics mine)Marcy Bloom of Aradia Women's clinic told John Carlson in a March of 2005 interview on his show there was "no money" in abortion. So why do they need board members with a specialty in "Real Estate"?
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Washington State Pro-Life?
I don't know how long this poll has been on the KIRO-TV web site. The question is, "On the abortion debate, are you pro-choice or pro-life?"
It's just about tied. (48% pro-choice/50% pro-life/2% unsure)
(UPDATE: This poll and the article have been removed from the KRIO web site as of Oct 11.)
Same with this one which asks, "Do you favor the overturning of the abortion law? Without even defining what the "abortion law" is, this one is pretty close.
Assuming these are Seattle readers, or even Washington readers, the results are interesting since we are constantly told by the Seattle-PI, NARAL and various wanna-be politicians how "pro-choice" Washington is and there's nothing we can do about it. Nope. Nothing. Just give up.
Or, maybe it's just that more pro-life people look to the internet for news about abortion they can't get in the MSM.
These polls are not scientific but I wonder how anyone can insist on believing that abortion is supported by the majority of the people in this state.
Washington State Republicans are you listening?
It's just about tied. (48% pro-choice/50% pro-life/2% unsure)
(UPDATE: This poll and the article have been removed from the KRIO web site as of Oct 11.)
Same with this one which asks, "Do you favor the overturning of the abortion law? Without even defining what the "abortion law" is, this one is pretty close.
Assuming these are Seattle readers, or even Washington readers, the results are interesting since we are constantly told by the Seattle-PI, NARAL and various wanna-be politicians how "pro-choice" Washington is and there's nothing we can do about it. Nope. Nothing. Just give up.
Or, maybe it's just that more pro-life people look to the internet for news about abortion they can't get in the MSM.
These polls are not scientific but I wonder how anyone can insist on believing that abortion is supported by the majority of the people in this state.
Washington State Republicans are you listening?
Donations to WA-NARAL by State Politicians
I just did a quick look through the public disclosure filings with the Public Disclosure Commission and are some of more interesting donors to WA-NARAL so far this year:
Karen Fraser (D) -- State Senator gave $100 to WA-NARAL
Holly Plackett -- Former Redmond city council member
Jan Drago (D) -- Seattle City Council
Karen Keiser (D) State Senator -- $100 to WA-NARAL
Joe McDermott (D) State Representative -- $100 to WA-NARAL
Tom Rodney (R) State Representative -- $100 to WA-NARAL
Jean Berkey (D) State Senator -- $100 to WA-NARAL
Harriet Spanel (D) -- State Senator -- $100 to WA-NARAL
Phil Rockefeller (D) -- State Senator -- $100 to WA-NARAL
Mary Helen Roberts (D) -- State Representative -- $100 to WA-NARAL
Former Governor Gary Locke and his wife Mona contributed a total of $250 to WA-NARAL (Not running for office and he still supports abortion.)
Of course this list doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of which politicians are actively supporting the state's abortion industry. Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels received direct donations from a least one Seattle abortionist, Deb Oyer, and her husband Tom Weeks (yes, that Tom Weeks) and was also a "celebrity" judge at WA-NARAL's "Chocolates for Choice" fundraiser earlier this year. Long-time pro-abortion politician Ron Simms counts an endorsement from WA-NARAL in this November's election among his top three.
And we haven't even gotten to the Republicans.
Karen Fraser (D) -- State Senator gave $100 to WA-NARAL
Holly Plackett -- Former Redmond city council member
Jan Drago (D) -- Seattle City Council
Karen Keiser (D) State Senator -- $100 to WA-NARAL
Joe McDermott (D) State Representative -- $100 to WA-NARAL
Tom Rodney (R) State Representative -- $100 to WA-NARAL
Jean Berkey (D) State Senator -- $100 to WA-NARAL
Harriet Spanel (D) -- State Senator -- $100 to WA-NARAL
Phil Rockefeller (D) -- State Senator -- $100 to WA-NARAL
Mary Helen Roberts (D) -- State Representative -- $100 to WA-NARAL
Former Governor Gary Locke and his wife Mona contributed a total of $250 to WA-NARAL (Not running for office and he still supports abortion.)
Of course this list doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of which politicians are actively supporting the state's abortion industry. Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels received direct donations from a least one Seattle abortionist, Deb Oyer, and her husband Tom Weeks (yes, that Tom Weeks) and was also a "celebrity" judge at WA-NARAL's "Chocolates for Choice" fundraiser earlier this year. Long-time pro-abortion politician Ron Simms counts an endorsement from WA-NARAL in this November's election among his top three.
And we haven't even gotten to the Republicans.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Washington NARAL Protests “March of the Penguins”
SEATTLE—August 1, 2005. Coming on the heels of their recent protest in front of a Seattle area crisis pregnancy center, WA-NARAL came out to protest the family-friendly movie of the summer, “March of the Penguins”. They cited the movie as yet another example of the perpetuation of the “cult of motherhood” by the extreme right-wing and the Catholic Church.
Karen Cooper of WA-NARAL said “This movie makes clear to the world that penguins do not have full access to the reproductive health services all animals have a right to regardless of species.” There are currently no abortion clinics in Antarctica where the majority of the penguins live. “Access to birth control and abortion are critical to the rights of penguins if they are to achieve equal status with whales, sea lions, salmon and humans” she continued.
Planned Parenthood is exploring the opening of a clinic in Antarctica, the only continent where they do not have a clinic, in late 2006 but is having trouble finding doctors willing to spend 6 months out of the year in the freezing temperatures of Antarctica.
Even though the Catholic Church has no noticeable presence in Antarctica the movie clearly show the oppression of penguins, especially the females who must swim great distances to find food. “Clearly this movie is biased in favor of the mythological view of motherhood and parenting put forward by the Pope.” The producers failed to respond to questions about why they didn’t include more balance in the portrayals of penguin life in their film. “There wasn’t any footage of non-parenting penguins enjoying a life free from offspring -- swimming, playing on the ice, or taking a cruise through the Panama Canal,” she added.
An island covered in ice for most of the year, Antarctica is at risk for overpopulation and thus a lowering in the quality of life for all penguins if they continue to produce offspring. “The movie completely ignores this part of the debate” Cooper further explained. WA-NARAL is asking the producers of the film to remove the film from all area theatres. So far they have fail to comply but the Seattle City Council has already declared July Animal Reproductive Health Month and Dow Constantine, celebrity judge at last year’s “Chocolates for Choice” WA-NARAL fundraiser has pledged to fly any penguin to Seattle for an abortion at his district’s Planned Parenthood. “I fully support a penguin’s right to choose,” he said. He also supports an idea put forward by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickles to fly a one-year supply of Ortho-Evra to any penguin in the Antarctic but acknowledged that it remains to be seen if “the patch” will stay on in the icy waters of the Antarctic Ocean.
Dan Kennedy of Human Life of Washington only had this comment, “They’ve really flown the coop on this one.”
The Seattle PI is asking residents of Seattle to contribute to WA-NARAL’s Penguin Reproductive Health Fund. You can make a donation at any local branch of Bank of America.
Karen Cooper of WA-NARAL said “This movie makes clear to the world that penguins do not have full access to the reproductive health services all animals have a right to regardless of species.” There are currently no abortion clinics in Antarctica where the majority of the penguins live. “Access to birth control and abortion are critical to the rights of penguins if they are to achieve equal status with whales, sea lions, salmon and humans” she continued.
Planned Parenthood is exploring the opening of a clinic in Antarctica, the only continent where they do not have a clinic, in late 2006 but is having trouble finding doctors willing to spend 6 months out of the year in the freezing temperatures of Antarctica.
Even though the Catholic Church has no noticeable presence in Antarctica the movie clearly show the oppression of penguins, especially the females who must swim great distances to find food. “Clearly this movie is biased in favor of the mythological view of motherhood and parenting put forward by the Pope.” The producers failed to respond to questions about why they didn’t include more balance in the portrayals of penguin life in their film. “There wasn’t any footage of non-parenting penguins enjoying a life free from offspring -- swimming, playing on the ice, or taking a cruise through the Panama Canal,” she added.
An island covered in ice for most of the year, Antarctica is at risk for overpopulation and thus a lowering in the quality of life for all penguins if they continue to produce offspring. “The movie completely ignores this part of the debate” Cooper further explained. WA-NARAL is asking the producers of the film to remove the film from all area theatres. So far they have fail to comply but the Seattle City Council has already declared July Animal Reproductive Health Month and Dow Constantine, celebrity judge at last year’s “Chocolates for Choice” WA-NARAL fundraiser has pledged to fly any penguin to Seattle for an abortion at his district’s Planned Parenthood. “I fully support a penguin’s right to choose,” he said. He also supports an idea put forward by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickles to fly a one-year supply of Ortho-Evra to any penguin in the Antarctic but acknowledged that it remains to be seen if “the patch” will stay on in the icy waters of the Antarctic Ocean.
Dan Kennedy of Human Life of Washington only had this comment, “They’ve really flown the coop on this one.”
The Seattle PI is asking residents of Seattle to contribute to WA-NARAL’s Penguin Reproductive Health Fund. You can make a donation at any local branch of Bank of America.
Silent No More Awareness Seattle
Let's consider abortion from the perspective of those who have personally experienced it. The Silent No More Awareness Campaign is holding an event in Washington state on Saturday October 1st, 2005 at 12:30 pm at Westlake Park in Downtown Seattle to bring women and men together to share the truth about the emotional, spiritual and physical consequences they have lived with after their abortion. Many women and men suffer in silence from their abortion experience; it is time for them to know that help is available and they can be set free from their pain.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Washington State: Mecca for Bestiality
This is so upsetting but not really surprising in Washington.
One point several articles have made is that Washington has become a "Mecca" for bestiality because it is outlawed in other states. So what should we expect to occur when Roe v. Wade is overturned and abortion is outlawed in other states but remains legal in this state --Washington becomes a "Mecca" for abortion of course.
And what to make of the Seattle PI and their anemic and brief editorial supporting Pam Roach's efforts to pass a law banning bestiality? Banning bestiality is a "no-brainer" they say but offer no compelling arguments against it as Wesley Smith has done in his article. All they can really muster in way of a prohibition on bestiality is the following:
The PI regularly supports abortion and embryonic stem cell research; both areas of human life where the law says we can kill (abortion) and, in the absence of laws to the contrary, we have carte blanche over all aspects of human life (embryonic stem cell research). They don't seem to have a problem with that and want the government to pay for it. It's a strange and destructive ideology and the sad part of it all is that this is also the official position of our state government.
One point several articles have made is that Washington has become a "Mecca" for bestiality because it is outlawed in other states. So what should we expect to occur when Roe v. Wade is overturned and abortion is outlawed in other states but remains legal in this state --Washington becomes a "Mecca" for abortion of course.
And what to make of the Seattle PI and their anemic and brief editorial supporting Pam Roach's efforts to pass a law banning bestiality? Banning bestiality is a "no-brainer" they say but offer no compelling arguments against it as Wesley Smith has done in his article. All they can really muster in way of a prohibition on bestiality is the following:
The legal and regulated hunting of animals in no way grants us a carte blanche on all aspects of animal life.It's a watered down quasi-version of "just because we can do something doesn't mean we should". This is a good start for the PI but not quite the correct reasoning behind prohibitions on bestiality. In the minds of the editorial board, the "maybe some things aren't such a good idea" attidude only extends to animal life, not human life. It is also surprising that the pro-abortion Seattle PI has actually found something related to sex they want the government to regulate.
The PI regularly supports abortion and embryonic stem cell research; both areas of human life where the law says we can kill (abortion) and, in the absence of laws to the contrary, we have carte blanche over all aspects of human life (embryonic stem cell research). They don't seem to have a problem with that and want the government to pay for it. It's a strange and destructive ideology and the sad part of it all is that this is also the official position of our state government.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Summer Reading
I'm taking this book on my upcoming trip to Vermont: Margaret Sanger's Eugenic Legacy: The Control of Female Fertility, by Angela Franks (McFarland and Co., 2005).
I always get a kick out of people accusing the Catholic Church or "Christian white males" of "being afraid of women's fertility and sexuality." The Catholic Church never tried to get me on birth control pills but Planned Parenthood passes them out like Chicklets. They seem to be the ones who are fearful. Why so many people still consider Planned Parenthood a charitable and humanitarian organization I'll never understand.
Several book readings and signings by the author, Angela Franks, will be held in Washington at the following locations:
August 18, at 7 pm
Marcus Whitman Hotel
Walla Walla, Wa
August 23rd
Holy Cross Church, Tacoma
5510 N 44th St.
Tacoma, Wa
August 24th
St. Cecilia's Church, Stanwood
26900 78th Ave. NW
Stanwood
Call Myron Miller with quesitons at 800-473-6175 for events in Seattle, Tacoma, and Stanwood.
I always get a kick out of people accusing the Catholic Church or "Christian white males" of "being afraid of women's fertility and sexuality." The Catholic Church never tried to get me on birth control pills but Planned Parenthood passes them out like Chicklets. They seem to be the ones who are fearful. Why so many people still consider Planned Parenthood a charitable and humanitarian organization I'll never understand.
Several book readings and signings by the author, Angela Franks, will be held in Washington at the following locations:
August 18, at 7 pm
Marcus Whitman Hotel
Walla Walla, Wa
August 23rd
Holy Cross Church, Tacoma
5510 N 44th St.
Tacoma, Wa
August 24th
St. Cecilia's Church, Stanwood
26900 78th Ave. NW
Stanwood
Call Myron Miller with quesitons at 800-473-6175 for events in Seattle, Tacoma, and Stanwood.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
How Right They Are
Finally words like "lies" and "misrepresentations" are becoming part of the language used when discussing abortion providers and abortion trade groups like NARAL. For too long they've been able to make patently untrue statements without challenge. Their long-time favorite is the one they ususally tell a women coming in for an abortion -- an unborn child is just a "blob of tissue". Then there's the "Roe only legalized abortion in the first trimester" myth, and on an on...
The latest NARAL anti-Robets ad, however, makes a refreshingly truthful statment:
If abortion isn't violence I don't know what is and it seems to me that every single justice on the Supreme Court who has upheld "abortion rights" is guilty of holding an ideology that excuses violence against other Americans. We certainly can't affort any more justices like that.
The latest NARAL anti-Robets ad, however, makes a refreshingly truthful statment:
"America can't afford a justice whose ideology leads him to excuse violence against other Americans."
If abortion isn't violence I don't know what is and it seems to me that every single justice on the Supreme Court who has upheld "abortion rights" is guilty of holding an ideology that excuses violence against other Americans. We certainly can't affort any more justices like that.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
The Roe Effect Hits Seattle Public Schools
The abortion regime in this country will eventually fall because it has sown the seeds of its own destruction. The "Roe Effect" is the theory that "abortion depletes the next generation of liberals and eventually makes the population more conservative." Abortion also depletes the next generation of workers, taxpayers, and school children. Now comes this story about the increase in private school enrollment and decrease in public school enrollment. But that's not the whole story.
After all they've done to promote abortion and Planned Parenthood I'm having a hard time feeling sorry for the Seattle Public Schools or the teachers' union.
Private schools are likely to see similar dips in enrollment, said Seattle Public Schools analyst Rachel Cassidy. We just have fewer children in the city than we have in the past.
After all they've done to promote abortion and Planned Parenthood I'm having a hard time feeling sorry for the Seattle Public Schools or the teachers' union.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
The Petri Dish That is Seattle
The headline in The Stranger says it all -- "NARAL Screws up". Sounds like NARAL's July Screw Abstienence party was too much for even some of NARAL's board members.
Apparently they do have their standards. Michele Cotner, 60, a former board member from Vancouver, said "I wasn't comfortable with the messaging." She doesn't have a problem with abortion but they better not mess-up the marketing.
Cotner thinks "NARAL's focus needs to be on preventing unwanted pregnancy rather than on abortion." I don't know how Miss Cotner expects NARAL to stay in business if there aren't any "unwanted" children to abort. Doesn't she know the "preventing unwanted pregnancy" line is a red herring to draw attention away from the reality of what abortion does and convince the public that NARAL is "responsible." You'd think someone who was on NARAL's board would be a little more sophisticated in her understanding of NARAL's mission -- they help sell abortion not birth control.
Cotner also complains that Washington NARAL represents the whole state and the "Screw Abstinence" party theme doesn't play well outside of Seattle. She's got to know that most of the abortions performed in the state are done in King County and, I would suppose, that NARAL's biggest contributors live in that county. They are going to be somewhat beholden to Seattle's abortion businesses.
Cotner's comments and The Stranger article correctly highlight the pro-abortion attitude of the Seattle abortion community. There is in fact a division that is occurring within NARAL and among traditional abortion supporters. Seattle's abortionists and supporters believe abortion is good for women's health and a neutral choice equivalent to child birth. The Hillary Clinton wing sees abortion as a "sad and tragic choice" and would probably prefer to keep Seattle's abortion cheerleaders off the front page.
Seattle's most vocal abortion cheerleader has got to be Marcy Bloom of Aradia Women's Clinic. When asked on John Carlson's show earlier this year about whether there was any circumstance underwhich an abortion shouldn't be performed, Miss Bloom couldn't come up with a single one. Another statement in this 2001 interview shows the moral relativism of the pro-abortion side of the pro-choice movement, "It [abortion] is a loving choice, the choice of an abortion. It is also a loving choice to have a baby. They are both loving choices."
Seattle is a Petri dish. Too bad the bacteria being grown is so harmful to the women of Washington state.
Apparently they do have their standards. Michele Cotner, 60, a former board member from Vancouver, said "I wasn't comfortable with the messaging." She doesn't have a problem with abortion but they better not mess-up the marketing.
Cotner thinks "NARAL's focus needs to be on preventing unwanted pregnancy rather than on abortion." I don't know how Miss Cotner expects NARAL to stay in business if there aren't any "unwanted" children to abort. Doesn't she know the "preventing unwanted pregnancy" line is a red herring to draw attention away from the reality of what abortion does and convince the public that NARAL is "responsible." You'd think someone who was on NARAL's board would be a little more sophisticated in her understanding of NARAL's mission -- they help sell abortion not birth control.
Cotner also complains that Washington NARAL represents the whole state and the "Screw Abstinence" party theme doesn't play well outside of Seattle. She's got to know that most of the abortions performed in the state are done in King County and, I would suppose, that NARAL's biggest contributors live in that county. They are going to be somewhat beholden to Seattle's abortion businesses.
Cotner's comments and The Stranger article correctly highlight the pro-abortion attitude of the Seattle abortion community. There is in fact a division that is occurring within NARAL and among traditional abortion supporters. Seattle's abortionists and supporters believe abortion is good for women's health and a neutral choice equivalent to child birth. The Hillary Clinton wing sees abortion as a "sad and tragic choice" and would probably prefer to keep Seattle's abortion cheerleaders off the front page.
Seattle's most vocal abortion cheerleader has got to be Marcy Bloom of Aradia Women's Clinic. When asked on John Carlson's show earlier this year about whether there was any circumstance underwhich an abortion shouldn't be performed, Miss Bloom couldn't come up with a single one. Another statement in this 2001 interview shows the moral relativism of the pro-abortion side of the pro-choice movement, "It [abortion] is a loving choice, the choice of an abortion. It is also a loving choice to have a baby. They are both loving choices."
Seattle is a Petri dish. Too bad the bacteria being grown is so harmful to the women of Washington state.
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