12/23/94
PRACTITIONERS: CALIFORNIA--Alicia Hanna, owner of an abortion clinic in Santa Ana, has been convicted of second-degree murder, and three counts of illegal abortion on clinic patients. One patient, Angela Sanchez, arrived for an abortion "under the influence of street drugs." Hanna gave her a Valium tablet, whereupon Sanchez went into convulsions and died, despite Hanna's attempts to resuscitate her. Hanna did not, however, call for emergency assistance. She is not a physician and admitted to performing abortions by methergine injection without confirming the age of the baby prior to the abortion. Hanna's trial began on October 27 and she pleaded not guilty on all charges.(Reading: "Abortion Provider on Trial for Murder," Operation Rescue of California press release, 12/7/94; "Murder Suspect Vows No More Lies," Orange County [CA] Register, 11/30/94, p. 6; "Abortion Murder," Associated Press, 12/13/94) PRACTITIONERS: CANADA--Dr. Garson Romalis, while he was at breakfast in his Vancouver home on November 8, was shot in the leg by a sniper. He is recovering, but the pro-life movement is under scrutiny. A police spokesman indicated that the police are not assuming right now that the shot was fired by a pro-lifer, but the media have already "moulded the public's perception," according to the British Columbia Report. (Reading: "Smeared by a Single Bullet," British Columbia Report, 11/21/94, pp. 36-41) PRACTITIONERS: FLORIDA/NEW JERSEY/NEW YORK--Dr. Stephen Chase Brigham, who has been doing abortions in Pensacola at the clinic where Dr. David Gunn was murdered, came before an administrative court in New Jersey on malpractice charges involving previous abortions that he performed on two women from New Jersey (at clinics in New York) and one from Pennsylvania (at Brigham's New Jersey clinic). He is charged with negligence and incompetence, and has already lost his license in New York. "Dr. Brigham, who has had no formal training in obstetrics and gynecology, has denied all charges. He has argued that in the course of the hundreds of abortions he performed safely, some mishaps might occur," reported the New York Times.(Reading: "Abortion-Clinic Physician Charged With Malpractice," New York Times, 11/23/94, p. B6) CALIFORNIA: White women living in the San Francisco Bay area have the highest rate of breast cancer in the world. Dr. Robert Hiatt, director of prevention science at the Northern California Cancer Center in Union City, comments: "It might be diet. It might be medication. It might be reproductive practice. But we don't know for sure" (emphasis added). (Reading: Associated Press, 12/7/94) BIRTH CONTROL PILL: A study has found that a woman of childbearing age who uses an oral contraceptive increases her chance of venous thrombosis (blockages in veins) by a factor of four. If she has a deficiency of natural anti-coagulants, then using oral contraceptives increases her risk by a factor of eight! "At first or repeat prescription of oral contraceptives, it might pay to take a thorough personal and family history of thrombosis and to investigate if positive," stated Jan P. Vandenbroucke, et al., in The Lancet. (Reading: Jan P. Vandenbroucke, et al., "Increased Risk of Venous Thrombosis in Oral-Contraceptive Users Who Are Carriers of Factor V Leiden Mutation," The Lancet, Vol. 344, 11/26/94, pp. 1453-1457) BIRTH CONTROL PILL AS "MORNING AFTER" TREATMENT: The "morning after" use of the birth control pill to cause an early abortion (communiqu‚, 10/28/94, p. 1) is getting the attention of pro-abortion groups. The Center for Reproductive Law and Policy, representing the American Public Health Association, the American Medical Women's Association and Planned Parenthood of New York, "petitioned the Food and Drug Administration . . . to require relabeling of six brands of oral contraceptives to tell women how to use them as 'morning after' pills," according to the Associated Press. Though pro-abortion groups claim that using this technique after "unprotected intercourse" can prevent pregnancy, they do not acknowledge that if fertilization has taken place prior to ingestion of the double-dose, the young embryo will be aborted chemically. (Reading: "Labeling of 6 Oral Contraceptives as 'Morning After' Pills Sought," Washington Post, 11/30/94, p. A3; "Contraceptives Labeled Falsely, Coalition Claims," [Waterbury, CT] Republican-American, 11/30/94; "Groups Seek Unapproved 'Pill' Use for Early Abortion," American Life League press release, 12/1/94; "Contraceptives Can Kill Babies" by Bogomir Kuhar, Pharm.D., available from A.L.L. for $2.00 per copy [bulk prices available upon request]) (Contact: #1--Write letters asking the FDA to honestly respond to this most recent pro-abortion effort by admitting that the Pill has always functioned in three different ways in a woman's body, one of which is early abortion. Further, the FDA should admit how the Pill has been used in "double dosing" for at least the past 20 years. Write to Commissioner David A. Kessler, M.D., Food and Drug Administration, HF-1, Room 14-71, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.) RU-486: The November 1994 issue of Working Woman published an article pointing out the length of time required to have an RU-486 abortion and describing the associated medical problems. The article also promotes the chemical as necessary for the nation's women. A new publication from Life Issues Institute, The RU 486 Report, will keep Americans up to date on developments with RU-486. The newsletter is edited by Richard Glasow, Ph.D. (Reading: "RU-486: What You Don't Know," Working Woman, 11/94, pp. 73-75; The RU 486 Report, Life Issues Institute, 1721 W. Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45239, $25 per year for 12 four-page issues) BYE-BYE: U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders was fired by President Clinton on Friday, December 9. Gary Bauer of the Family Research Institute was quick to characterize the move as "rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic." (Reading: "Rearranging Deck Chairs on the Titanic Not Enough, Says Bauer: Pro-Family Americans Looking for Real Policy Change," Family Research Council press release, 12/9/94) AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS: The November 1 issue of American Family Physician dedicates two pages to advance directives, and makes the following statement regarding "do not resuscitate" orders: "Patients who are not likely to benefit from CPR include people who have cancer that has spread, people whose kidneys don't work well, people who need a lot of help with daily activities, or people who have severe infections such as pneumonia that require hospitalization." Doesn't this sound like a German physician's comments from 60 years ago? (Reading: "Advance Directives and Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders: What You Need to Know," American Family Physician, 11/1/94, pp. 1303-1304) CANADA: The "Canadian Medical Association wants immunity for doctors who help a person die," according to Family News in Focus Canada. "It told the Senate committee studying euthanasia that's the only way to find out how many of these deaths actually occur."(Reading: "Immunity From Prosecution / Korski," Family News in Focus Canada, 11/30/94, two-page transcript) MICHIGAN: Dr. Kevorkian continues to kill. One day after the Michigan law banning physician-assisted suicide expired, Kevorkian helped a 72-year-old woman to die. The Michigan Senate, on December 7, voted to outlaw physician-assisted suicide once again, though Kevorkian says "the legislation will not stop him from helping ill people to commit suicide if they 'medically qualify,'" according to the New York Times.(Reading: "Kevorkian Attends First Suicide in Over a Year," America Online, 11/27/94, "New Suicide-Assistance Ban Gains in Michigan," New York Times, 12/8/94, p. A26) OREGON: The recently enacted physician-assisted-suicide law, approved by Oregon voters, will not go into effect, due to a temporary restraining order issued December 7 by U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan. The opponents of the law--doctors, patients and pro-lifers--have sued to prevent the law from taking effect. The legal battle is being led by attorney Jim Bopp of Indiana.(Reading: "Ore. Measure Was to Take Effect Today," USA Today, 12/8/94, p. 3A)(Contact: For details and to offer support to this effort, contact James Bopp, National Center for the Medically Dependent & Disabled, Inc., P.O. Box 441069, Indianapolis, IN 46204; phone 317-632-6245) WASHINGTON: Americans United for Life argued in a friend-of-the-court brief submitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit that physician-assisted suicide is not a right guaranteed by the Constitution. "Assisted suicide is a lethal band-aid that extinguishes compassionate care for the terminally ill," said Paige Cunningham, president of AUL. (Reading: "U.S. Court of Appeals Hears Washington Assisted-Suicide Case Today," AUL press release, 12/7/94) WASHINGTON, D.C.: Monsignor W. Louis Quinn, pastor of St. Matthew's Cathedral, told the Washington Post that he has ministered to "several thousand people" facing the last stages of illness, and "never had anyone who has asked to be helped to die." (Reading: "The Dilemma of Assisted Suicide," Washington Post, 12/3/94, p. B6) HANDGUN ABORTION: A Florida woman who shot herself in the stomach in an attempt to kill her 25-week-old preborn baby is being defended in court by the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy. She has been charged with murder, but the charges are being challenged. One of her defense attorneys stated, "This is an attempt to punish a woman for her conduct during her pregnancy."(Reading: "Judge Asked to Drop Murder Case," St. Petersburg Times, 11/24/94, p. 3B) VACCINES: The currently used rubella vaccine was cultured in tissue that came from the lung of an aborted baby girl, reports Ohio Parents for Vaccine Safety. "Aborted babies were obtained during the 1964 rubella epidemic, when many women were advised to abort babies if the mothers contracted rubella during pregnancy," stated Kristine Severyn, director of the organization. (Reading: "Aborted Babies Used as Source for Rubella Vaccine," Ohio Parents for Vaccine Safety press release, 12/9/94)(Contact: Kristine Severyn, R.Ph., Ph.D., Director, Ohio Parents for Vaccine Safety, 251 West Ridgeway Dr., Dayton, OH 45459; phone 513-435-4750) PHILIPPINES: We salute Pro-Life Philippines, Couples for Christ and Council of the Laity of the Philippines for the full-page ad they ran during President Clinton's recent visit to their country. The ad was a message to President Clinton, stating, "We Filipinos Reject a Culture of Death." (Reading: Ad copy submitted by Pro-Life Philippines to A.L.L.) RELIGION SECTION: The Dallas Morning News has a new weekly section devoted to religion. Colleen Parro of the Republican National Coalition for Life suggests that this may become a trend across the country and that we should make certain that the pro-life point of view is adequately represented. "Be vigilant," she said. "Submit articles. Offer your comments in letters to the editor. Protest when pro-abortion 'religious' leaders are quoted and pro-lifers are not." (Reading: Fax message to A.L.L. from Colleen Parro) GERMANY: In an attempt to stem the declining birth rate, the German state of Brandenburg is willing to pay couples $650 for having a baby. Births fell from 38,000 in 1989 to 12,000 in 1993. (Reading: "$650 a Baby: Germany to Pay to Stem Decline in Births," New York Times, 11/25/94, p. A3) ENDOMETRIOSIS: Women who have endometriosis may be unsuccessful in having children through assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), according to a report in Fertility and Sterility. Why do so many infertile women have endometriosis? The repro-tech researchers do not comment, but we will: According to Ellen Grant, M.D., "Although most contraceptive pills shrivel the womb lining, the blood vessels distort and dilate which may encourage spread of endometrial tissue backwards through the veins. When the pill is given up, the misplaced tissue thickens and bleeds more profusely causing more monthly pain which eventually leads to the diagnosis"--endometriosis. Maybe if chemical warfare were no longer waged against women, young and old, infertility would disappear and the multi-million-dollar repro-tech industry would disappear too. Is that why they aren't looking for solutions to the real problems? (Reading: David S. Guzick, M.D., et al., "Endometriosis Impairs the Efficacy of Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer: Results of a Case-Control Study," Fertility and Sterility, Vol. 62, #6, 12/94, pp. 1186-1191; Ellen Grant, M.D., "Sexual Chemistry," Cedar, 1994, p. 48. This volume [329 pp.] is available from A.L.L. for $10.00 per copy) SUCCESS RATES: Researchers studying the actual pregnancies and subsequent live births associated with assisted reproductive technology (ART) reported in Fertility and Sterility: "In 1992, there were more programs offering more treatment cycles of ART. Average success rates exhibited only a small increase compared with previously reported summaries." The researchers reported on 44,320 ART procedures, which resulted in 8,830 pregnancies (a 20% success rate) and 7,018 births. They acknowledged an overall "pregnancy loss" (miscarriage) rate exceeding 20%, but made no mention of the countless human embryos who were conceived but never placed in a mother's womb. (Reading: "Assisted Reproductive Technology in the United States and Canada: 1992 Results Generated From the American Fertility Society/Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Registry," Fertility and Sterility, Vol. 62, #6, 12/94, pp. 1121-1128) BABY = FAILURE: The Cortlandt Forum analyzes the case of a 32-year-old woman who had a tubal ligation and soon afterward became pregnant. She later sued the sterilizing physician for "negligent performance" of the tubal ligation. The author of the article, David Starr, M.D., J.D., writes: "Until recently, the birth of a child was legally presumed to be a joyful event and a positive benefit to the parents. . . . In many areas, juries are reluctant to see the birth of a child as 'damages' for the plaintiff." The physician was found "not negligent" by the jury in this case.(Reading: David Starr, M.D., J.D., "The Birthday Suit," Cortlandt Forum, 9/94, pp. 16-18) MEDICAL INSTITUTE FOR SEXUAL HEALTH: They have announced their first conferences for 1995: January 28 in Charleston, SC; February 18 in Corpus Christi, TX; and April 8 in Garden City, KS. For details write to them at P.O. Box 4919, Austin, TX, 78765; phone 512-472-9461. GENOCIDE? Brenda Cooper of Planned Parenthood stated, "I run into people who suggest that birth control is genocide. But real genocide is having babies when you can't take care of them and don't want them and let them run wild. No one ever suggests that if you're middle class with ambition and aspirations, that it is wrong to control your fertility. But give a poor woman the same options and suddenly it's genocide. Why not encourage people with the least resources not to have children? Constant childbearing gives you no freedom to dream, to plan."(Reading: Sally Quinn, "Childhood's End," Washington Post, 11/20/94) "Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light." (Matthew 11:28-30, emphasis added) "O my God, my whole life has been a course of mercies and blessings [shown] to one who has been most unworthy of them. I require no faith, for I have had long experience, as to Thy providence towards me. Year after year Thou hast carried me on-removed dangers from my path-recovered me, recruited me, refreshed me, borne with me, directed me, sustained me. O forsake me not when my strength faileth me. And Thou never wilt forsake me. I may securely repose upon Thee. Sinner as I am, nevertheless, while I am true to thee, Thou wilt still and to the end, be superabundantly true to me. I may rest upon Thy arm; I may go to sleep in Thy bosom. Only give me, and increase in me, that true loyalty to Thee, which is the bond of the covenant between Thee and me, and the pledge in my own heart and conscience that Thou, the Supreme God, wilt not forsake me, the most miserable of Thy children." (John Henry Newman, Meditations and Devotions)
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