Abortion Hurts!

Who can doubt that abortion causes unimaginable pain to its helpless victims?

The discovery of the bodies of 35 unborn babies, aborted after 20 weeks gestation, in Elkton, Maryland, points out the need for more regulation of the procedure.

According to news reports, at least one of the babies found in a freezer at an Elkton abortion facility was 36 weeks gestation. That’s nearly full term! Can anyone doubt that little one suffered horrible agony as he was being killed?

Abortion proponents cast doubt the possibility that the unborn are capable of feeling pain, but a wealth of scientific research shows the opposite — that children as young as 20 weeks have the capacity to feel pain.

Supporters of abortion also like to emphasize that most abortions occur much earlier in pregnancy, as if the age of the ‘fetus’ (code word for ‘unborn child’) makes a difference in morality of killing him or her. But the truth is that many abortions are performed after 20 weeks (approximately halfway through the mother’s pregnancy).

Not long ago, MDRTL received a call from a distraught woman from another state. Her teenage son’s girlfriend was in route to Maryland to have an abortion at 28 weeks. “My son was born early at 32 weeks,” she told me. “I love this girl, but she doesn’t know what she is doing to me by having this abortion. I told her I’m willing to raise the baby, but she’s determined to have an abortion. She’s killing my grandchild, who’s only a few weeks younger than my son was when he was born.”

We were not able to learn where this young woman would have her abortion, but the caller described the process in detail — a saline solution would be ‘pumped in’ to her uterus, she would ‘spend a night in a hotel’ (I wonder if the hotel management knows how their facility is being used), and the next day she would go back to the abortion facility to deliver a dead baby.

“Doesn’t my son have any legal right to protect his own child?” the woman asked me. Sadly, I had to tell her no.

One can only wonder what effect the abortion procedure will have on the teenage mother. What was she thinking and feeling as she lay alone in a hotel room, feeling her baby’s death struggle within her?

I’d like to say this is a rare occurrence, but it's not. Maryland appears to be a mecca for abortions late in pregnancy.

It was only a week or two later that we received another phone call, also from out of state. This caller told us that his daughter had come to Maryland to abort his 21-week-old unborn grandchild. He wanted to obtain custody of the body to give the baby a proper burial. Again, there was nothing we could do to help him.

Now we learn that an abortion facility in Elkton apparently was used specifically for late-term abortions — after 20 weeks gestation — by a New Jersey abortionist who was prevented by law from performing abortions after 14 weeks. For some reason, this man was initiating the abortion procedures in New Jersey and then requiring the women — who had received medication and had their cervixes partially dilated — to drive their own vehicles in caravan to Maryland, where he completed the abortions.

Then it turns out that the abortionist was not even licensed to practice medicine in Maryland — and he had already lost his medical license in several other states for practices that placed women’s health at risk.

The 35 babies found frozen at his facility represented only five weeks’ work — but he had been carrying out his grisly trade for at least six months.

His horrific practice only came to light after an abortionist at the facility perforated a young woman’s uterus and ruptured her bowel. Rather than call an ambulance, the two abortionists loaded the half-conscious woman into a private vehicle to take her to a local hospital.

This is the reality of abortion. This is the kind of ‘care’ and ‘compassion’ women receive at the hand of abortionists. Make no mistake — it’s an ugly trade, engaged in primarily for profit. And Maryland — with its minimal regulation — is a haven for abortion profiteers.

The only requirement to perform abortions in Maryland is a medical license — the doctor does not even need to be trained as a gynecologist. Abortions can take place at any time during pregnancy — even at 36 or 38 weeks. Parents have no right to know that their minor daughter is having an abortion, as long as the abortionist decides that notification is not in the girl’s best interest. Abortionist are even protected from civil redress, as long as they act ‘in good faith’ and in keeping with medical standards (which are set by the abortionists themselves).

Maryland recently lost at least one abortion provider, but that news was quickly followed by an announcement by LeRoy Carhart — the notorious Nebraska abortionist who defended partial-birth abortion in the case that ultimately went to the Supreme Court — that he would open a facility in Maryland this December. Carhart specializes in late-term abortions.

Maryland law should protect vulnerable young women from exploitation by unsafe abortion practitioners. Maryland needs to enact legislation to protect unborn children who are capable of feeling pain.

It’s time for Maryland to end its role as abortion mecca of the east coast and grant legal protection to its youngest and most vulnerable citizens.

What's the other hand doing?

Pro-lifers everywhere are scurrying to sign petitions and mail postcards to their legislators, urging them not to sign the radical Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA).

Opposing FOCA is certainly laudable, but I've been concerned that it is drawing too much of our focus away from other aspects of the life issue.

I wonder if President Obama is not using the classic trick known to magicians everywhere - divert their attention with one hand, so no one notices what the other hand is doing.

I'm not the only one who feels this way. A number of pro-life blogs have already written about the “FOCA trap.” Everyone knows that FOCA is extreme. It was attempted during the Clinton administration and was successfully killed, thanks in part to the lobbying and grassroots efforts of the National Right to Life Committee and its affiliates and chapters.

I just can't see Congress — even the very liberal Congress now in session — simply passing this bill and sending it to the President to sign. They know it's wildly unpopular. And although the president promised (at a Planned Parenthood fund-raising event more than a year ago) that he would make it his first priority, he is not stupid.

Personally, I don't think FOCA has much chance of being passed or signed into law. It is so radical that even many pro-abortion legislators won't want to be associated with it.

So, why are we worrying so much about it? And what is the president and the pro-abortion lobby
doing while we are running around collecting petition signatures that Congress can care less about?

Just this: picking apart the incremental progress the pro-life movement has
made over the past three decades — quietly and without fanfare.

Already he has restored funding for abortions overseas. What's next?

How about the reversal of the Hyde Amendment, which limits federal funding of abortion. And providing federal funds for embryonic stem cell research — unnecessary and unproven medical experiments involve killing very young babies for their cells? And giving even more dollars to Planned Parenthood — in the name of ‘economic stimulus.’

These issues are harder to fight than FOCA. They are more difficult to explain and they lack a short, catchy nickname. But the danger is very real.

I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if, one day — after quietly carrying out most of his radical abortion agenda — the president will come out against FOCA, saying it’s too extreme. Suddenly, he’ll be a hero and a moderate — and meanwhile, we will have lost everything we’ve worked so hard for and millions more babies will be killed.

We need to stay focused on our game plan — to fight to protect human life at every stage in Congress and the state legislatures. We need to educate the next generation — that is where real change is happening! And we need to keep a close eye on what the president and Congress are doing and be ready to fight the incremental battles that don’t make the headlines.

Let’s keep an eye on what the other hand is doing.

A Radical Idea — Pray for the President

This post was written by Bob Brown, director of the MDRTL chapter in Harford County.

I'm sure that most of us were dismayed when we learned that Mr. Obama had won the election, simply for the unborn lives present and future that could be in even more jeopardy.

My family, by what can only be described as a supernatural act of God, have felt a deep and genuine love for Mr Obama and his dear family. We pray for him and his family once or twice a day—usually at dinner and at bedtime devotions—with a love and, dare I say, expectation, that things are not going to be as dismal as one might think. We pray for the following:

1. that Mr. Obama and his family would come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, if such is not currently the case;
2. that the Lord would not let Mr. Obama be surrounded by advisors who would speak evil against preborn children;
3. that Mr. Obama would understand that he is responsible to God first and then to the American public; and
   
4. that Mr. Obama would realize the special position he is in as a leader and a father to enact real change in how our nation and culture view family, parenting, and preborn children

Support MDRTL's educational programs painlessly!

What if Maryland Right to Life Foundation earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our cause? Well, now it can!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting your favorite cause.

This is a great way to support the educational programs of Maryland Right to Life. It costs you nothing and you can help save babies by doing something you would be doing anyway! It's a great supplement to (but not a substitute for) your regular giving to Maryland Right to Life Inc.

Just go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter Maryland Right to Life Foundation as the charity you want to support. And, be sure to spread the word!

Note: GoodSearch.com and GoodShop.com support only the Maryland Right to Life Foundation, the educational arm of MDRTL, Inc. That is why this form of giving should not take away from any support you might normally give to Maryland Right to Life, Inc. - which works to change the law to protect unborn babies and all vulnerable human lives.

Why We March

Why We March!
By Cookie Harris, MDRTL Coordinator of Outreach and Education

Every January 22 for the last thirty-five years, pro-life Americans from all over the country and pro-life representatives from all over the world have been going in massive numbers to the March for Life in Washington, D.C.

This March was first conceived in October 1973. Grassroots prolife leaders became concerned that January 22nd, 1974, might come and go without properly memorializing the 1st anniversary of the Supreme Court's infamous court decisions Roe vs Wade and its companion ruling Doe vs Bolton. Both decisions made elective abortion legal during the full nine months of pregnancy in America. About thirty dedicated leaders formed a committee and began making plans for the first March for Life.

The numbers who attend this awe-inspiring March have steadily been growing every year. Twenty thousand people were estimated to attend the first March in 1974, and over 200,000 people were estimated to attend the March in 2008!

Why do good folks flock to D.C. yearly in the middle of January’s bitter cold? Why do people young and old take off work or school to attend? Why do college students pack buses and cross the country to represent their schools? Why do men, women and religious leaders from many faiths traverse borders and oceans to be present?

There are many good reasons for this!

We march because we can! Of all our freedoms in America, The First Amendment spells out some of the most precious. It includes “…the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”. For centuries many Americans have fought for these rights, dedicating not only their time here on earth to this battle, but also dying for it. We honor these heroic ancestors by standing up for our beliefs in the public forum! As with all our actions, we have set a valuable example for the next generation – our children and grandchildren. As a result, more and more young people attend the March for Life each year, and now outnumber the adults! This is a tremendous sign of hope for our nation.

We march because we must! We must speak for those who cannot: the unborn, the incapacitated, the old and infirm - and we must challenge mistaken policies of our government. If abortion continues to be legal, we must make sure it does not do so unopposed. We proudly and peacefully march to give witness to the fact that a policy that allows the killing of thousands of innocent children a day cannot, will not, and must never be accepted passively by the people of any civilized country.

We march to give voice to pro-life Americans! Surveys show that most Americans oppose 99% of the abortions that actually occur. Our voice must represent the conscience of our nation. Yet most Americans will never be aware of the annual March for Life in Washington, before or after it occurs, After all, the mainstream media is very careful to black out the March yearly, and keep our ever-growing presence a non- media event.

We march because we need to encourage each other. The March for Life is like an annual pro-life family reunion. For pro-life activists who often only see the people in their own community, the March affords an opportunity to interact with other pro-lifers from around the nation and beyond. For our political leaders who support the right-to-life in Congress, we are a great encouragement. They must see that we are out there in large numbers so that they are encouraged to continue their courageous and often uphill work fighting abortion. The March is a well-needed “shot in the arm” for all of us.

We march to be faithful to God. One day we will come face to face with The Creator of all life and proudly proclaim; "I did speak out; I was not passive in the face of the greatest injustice of our day!"

If you would like to participate in the March for Life in Washington D.C. on January 22, 2009, The Catholic Review will be printing a list of buses leaving from parishes in the Archdiocese. The website for more information on the March is www.marchforlife.org. If you can not attend, you can watch it on the Catholic TV cable channel, EWTN -The Eternal Word Network, from 11 AM to 3PM. You can also be a participant by praying for the March and all involved in any way with it!

Cookie Harris is a member of the Archdiocese of Baltimore Respect Life Committee as well as a board member of Maryland Right to Life. The above article has been submitted for publication to the Catholic Review.

Check out the new web site

The new Maryland Right to Life web site is now live!

We made the decision to move the site to a different server that provides features that we did not have previously, including the ability to make donations online and the ability to update the web site ourselves.

We are still in the process of moving information from the old site to the new. This will take several weeks, but I didn't want to delay getting the new site up. We do have some new information on the site, including the registration materials for the 2009 Oratorical and Essay Contests.

The giving page may seem a little strange — the software is designed for businesses that are selling their wares online, so I was forced to create a "catalog" of giving options. It's typical for online stores to have photos of each item — I had fun putting in photos of some truly adorable children. (Yes, I am related to some of them — can you guess which ones?) You don't get to buy the baby, but I'm hoping their cherubic faces will inspire some generous donations.

Check out the new site at www.mdrtl.org.

What Is FOCA

"The Freedom of Choice Act. It sounds so innocuous. In reality, it's one of the most deadly pieces of legislation ever devised.

“The heart of the bill,” says National Right to Life Legislative Director Douglas Johnson, “is a ban that would nullify all of the major types of pro-life laws that the Supreme Court has said are permissible under Roe v. Wade, including the ban on partial-birth abortions and bans on government funding of abortion.”

Let's look at some of the wording of FOCA, as it was introduced last year in the Senate:

“A government may not (1) deny or interfere with a woman’s right to choose – (A) to bear a child; (B) to terminate a pregnancy prior to viability; or (C) to terminate a pregnancy after viability where termination is necessary to protect the life or health of the woman; or (2) discriminate against the exercise of the rights set forth in paragraph (1) in the regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information.

This act applies to every Federal, State, and local statute, ordinance, regulation, administrative order, decision, penalty, practice, or other action enacted, adopted, or implemented before or after the date of enactment of this act.” Text of H.R. 1964 and S. 1173, introduced on April 19, 2007.

Essentially, states would not be able to regulate or restrict abortion in any way. Any laws already on the books that limit abortion would immediately be null and void.

Just think — parental notice, informed consent, abortion reporting, regulation of abortion clinics, conscience protection laws for health care providers and institutions, the ban on partial-birth abortions, and restrictions on federal funding of abortion — would fall by the wayside. Every victory we have worked for would be undone.

And the exploitation of helpless babies and their vulnerable mothers would increase exponentially.