--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Life Communications - Volume 5, No. 8 June, 1995 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This newsletter is intended to provide articles and news information to those interested in Pro-Life issues. All submissions should be sent to the editor, Steve . --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) Across the Pond: The Philippines Under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the Philippine Dept. of Health, more than 3.4 million women were recently vaccinated against tetanus. Beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) has been discovered in samples of the vaccine, which has the potential of permanently sterilizing the women as well. Professor Hermela Pagayanan of the University of the Philippines discovered anti-beta hCG in the blood serum of 30 women who received the tetanus toxoid vaccine. "The vials [of vaccine] we tested proved positive for beta-hcg while the women had anti-bodies against beta-hCG," reports Sister Mary Pilar Verzosa, RGS, of Pro-Life Philippines. "This means their blood had built up antibodies against pregnancy. The women we tested had miscarriages, stillbirth or premature births." At the last court hearing, the Chief of the Philippine BFAD (their Food and Drug Administration) admitted that the 3 brands of toxoids did not undergo any internal testing or registration in his office before they were distributed to the public health centers. He said that WHO confirmation was enough... "We will ask other poor countries to investigate their immunizations. In India, 12 children died of polio shots. We cannot keep quiet. Our women who lost their babies are grieving," commented Sister Mary Pilar. Will these women be sterile for life? Or only temporarily? Professor Pagayanan writes that "no research has been done on whether these sterilizing effects are temporary or permanent ... Whether there is an antidote to the sterilizing effect is not yet known." (Contact: For information and to offer assistance, write or call Sister Mary Pilar Verzosa, RGS, Pro-Life Philippines, Caritas Building, 2002 Jesus Street, Pandacan, Manila, Philippines; phone or fax 011-632-50-63-32) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) American Shorts *Washington, DC* HOUSE MOVES TO BAN MILITARY ABORTIONS According to _Reuters_, on June 15th the U.S. House of Representatives voted 230-196 to again ban abortions in U.S. Military Hospitals. A ban against abortions in military hospitals was imposed in October 1988 near the end of President Ronald Reagan's time in office. President Clinton lifted it shortly after he became president in 1993. Since that time, most military doctors have refused to perform abortions. Rep. Patricia Schroeder, a pro-abortion Colorado Democrat, reported that 10 abortions have been performed in military hospitals since Clinton lifted the ban in January 1993. *Washington, DC* HOUSE BANS FUNDING FOR PRO-ABORTION GROUPS OVERSEAS In May, the House of Representatives voted 240-181 to restore a ban that had been imposed under previous Republican administrations against federal funds for non-government groups that directly or indirectly perform abortions in foreign countries. This would mean that U.S. funds cannot directly be given to groups like the International Planned Parenthood Federation. *Gary, Indiana* STATE HOUSE OVERRIDES PRO-ABORTION VETO On April 27, the Indiana House of Representatives overrode a veto on a bill requiring an 18 hour waiting period for abortions. The House overrode all three vetoes that Governor Evan Bayh has cast this session. *Newport News, Virginia* ALLEN VETOES ABORTION PROTEST RESTRICTIONS Acting one day before a legislative deadline, Governor George Allen, as promised, vetoed a bill designed to discourage protesters from blocking access to abortion clinics. *Washington DC* COATS DEFENDS MED STUDENTS AGAINST FORCED ABORTION TRAINING Senator Dan Coats (R-IN), plans to introduce a floor amendment to the Medical Education Consolidation Authorization Bill (S.555). His amendment would reverse a recent ruling by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) that requires abortion training in all accredited OB-GYN medical residency programs. [ See v5n2, v5n3, v5n4 for details. Senator Coats could certainly use support from your senator when the measure is debated on the floor. Ask your senator to vote FOR the Coats' amendment to S.555, and prevent OB residents from being forced to perform abortions, regardless of their personal convictions. Ed.] *Boston, Massachusetts* PRO-LIFE GAYS OUSTED BY RAINBOW POLICE The Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians was forced to withdraw from the 10 June Gay Pride March in Boston, MA. Their pro-life perspective was condemned as "Gay Heresy". When the police arrived, one eye-witness reported that "they told us we'd better leave right away, because they couldn't ensure our safety if we stayed." The incident was not reported by the mainstream media. [For a full description of the incident, please see the media releases mentioned below: "TrampledColors.plagal" Ed.] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) Washington Post Columnist Attacks Abortion On the Sunday, 25 June airing of the ABC news broadcast "This Week with David Brinkley," noted _Washington Post_ columnist George Will gave a very strong statement acknowledging the record of the United States Government in support of abortion, and that people are offended by this record. The Broadcast focused on the recent death of Warren Burger, 16th Chief Justice for the United States Supreme Court. The Burger court is known for the infamous 1973 _Roe v. Wade_ decision, which overturned every U.S. state law on abortion. The Burger court made abortion-on-demand through all nine months of pregnancy the _defacto_ law of the nation. Will was quick to make the point that the difficulties today, seen in the failed Henry Foster nominations, are a by-product of the judicial activism of promoted and upheld by the Burger court. "It is arguable that since 1954... the Supreme Court has been the most important shaping institution in American society." Will quickly added "I think it it's debilitating to democracy, and it embiters lots of debates when it - these [social issues]are settled by judicial fiat..." The heated discussions, however quickly turned to the failed Foster nomination for Surgeon General, and how the debate over his nomination was an extension of the impact of the judicial fiats of the Burger court. The abortion issues were challenged by the other journalists present: Sam Donaldson, Cokie Roberts and David Brinkley. Will persisted, stating that the Clinton nominee to the U.S. Surgeon General's office was "unnecessary" and that "there are millions of Americans who abhor abortion, who are deeply offended by it." Donaldson slipped the issue by adding that "and maybe even more who think it's an accepted part of our lives" later adding, "At least the President stood up for something. He nominated someone who stood for something..." Yes, Henry Foster stands for something, that aborting unborn babies is a legitimate solution the problem of unwanted pregnancy. And Will's point about ending social debates by judical fiat being debilitating to democracy is not to be taken lightly. For those who might want to contact George Will, his address at the _Washington Post_ is: > Mr. George Will, c/o the _Washington Post_ > 1150 15th Street NW > Washington DC 20071 > Phone: 800-627-1150 FAX: 202-334-5669 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) ProLife Profile: SARAH SMITH, ABORTION SURVIVOR "My mom was pregnant with me and my twin brother 23 years ago, but then she decided to have an abortion. Before the abortion, we were both in our mother's womb-alive and wanting to live. IT'S FRIGHTENING TO THINK THAT I WAS ALMOST ABORTED WHEN MY MOM HAD HER D & C, BUT SOMEHOW, MIRACULOUSLY I SURVIVED! My twin brother wasn't so lucky- Andrew was aborted and we lost him forever. "My mother deeply regrets that abortion. I know the pain is unbearable for her at times when she looks at me and knows she aborted my twin brother. Mom says that "The protective hand of Almighty God saved my life... That God's hand covered and hid me in her womb, and protected me from the scalpel of death." Sarah Smith is Pro-Life America's Spokesperson and would like to help you save babies! She is available to share her testimony, just contact J.T. Finn at (310) 373-0743. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) Stop Fetal Tissue Research Petition Clears 30,000 The Stop F.T.R. (Fetal Tissue Research) recently joined forces with another stop fetal tissue research petition drive in Wisconsin. To date, these two efforts have collected nearly 30,000 signatures. In addition, California Congressman Robert Dornan has agreed to handle the petitions when the time comes to present them to Congress. To join this effort, call Stop F.T.R. at 815-344-7649, write to Box 512, McHenry IL 60051 or send them e-mail at or visit their newly-expanded WEB page at URL . --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) New On-Line Resources THE AMERICAN LIFE LEAGUE's "LIFEGUARD BBS" -- Working to Preserve and Save Lives. A.L.L.'s Lifeguard BBS is a free on-line resource of pro-life information reachable via Telnet: , or dial-up 703-659-7111 (8-1-N). A.L.L.'s Lifeguard BBS features daily and weekly updates of national and international news, Action Memo's, Mail and Conferences, and a Resource Library covering such topics as A.L.L. Publications, the Pro-Life Encyclopedia [Great stuff - we're working on this end to make it available on the Web... Ed.], "What I can do", Abortion, Adoption, Chastity, Citations, Contraception, Eugenics, Euthanasia, Exceptions, Personhood, Norplant & RU-:486, planned parenthood, Rhetoric, Fetal, Medical Issues, Sidewalk, Youth, USA, Rhetoric, Population, CPC' s, Survivors, Legislative, Communique, Pray/Fast, LifeFax, General. American Life League, P.O. Box 1350, Stafford, VA 22555, Voice 703-659-4171, FAX 703-659-2586 For additional information please contact Tracey Casale, the Lifeguard BBS sysop at . - Bob Sheehan, Boston, MA -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- *New Additions to our archives*: "March, 1995 Focus on the Family Newsletter" Dr. James Dobson writes candidly about abortion, including a very moving essay describing a second-trimester abortion by Dr. Richard Selzer. He exposes the National Republican Party's movement away from a strong pro-life position. [ Ask for "FlickOfNeedle.fof" ] "Pro-Life Gays meet the Rainbow Police" This media release from PLAGAL describes the ouster of the Pro-Life Alliance of Gays And Lesbians being ousted from the 10 June, 1995 Gay Pride march in Boston, MA. Their crime? A flag with the profile of a preborn infant. [Ask for "TrampledColors.plagal"] "Missouri Media Email and Web Directory" A useful list of email and web sites for media outlets in the state of Missouri. [ Ask for "MoMediaWeb.Jun95" ] "Anti-Abortion but Politically Smart" A guideline for approaches to the political realities that face America today. Law Professor Hadley Arkes makes a solid case for effective measures to protect those few infants that survive abortions. [ Ask for "PoliticallySmart.wsj" ] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) Reader Questions Do you have any references to the position that Newt Gingrich has taken on abortion? I am specifically looking for a statement that I believe he made, supporting the idea of a Constitutional Amendment which would ban all or most abortions. Thank You for your assistance, John De Lasaux --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) Reader Responses C. Everett Koop and the Foster Nomination? [v5n7] For those with the impression that Dr. Koop's prolife credentials are impeccable, I strongly suggest reading Dr. Bernard Nathanson's article in _First Things_, April 1992, pp. 57-60. - Michael Gorman --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) Reader Comments A CRITICAL ADDITION TO THE PRO-LIFE VOCABULARY by Richard Patrick Samples One of the most significant problems that the Pro-Life Movement faces is the fact that there is no term to denote the killing of an unborn child as distinct from the premature ending of a pregnancy. In the past, terms such as "feticide" and "premature infanticide" have been proposed, but these terms have all been somehow faulty and have not been generally accepted. As a result, most persons use the term "abortion" to refer to both the act of prematurely ending a pregnancy and the act of killing an unborn child. This practice causes many problems for the the Pro-Life Movement. Most important of these is the way in which the term "abortion" acts as a euphemism for the act of killing an unborn child. The term "abortion" does not carry with it the inherent sense that something or someone is being killed. For example, space shuttle launches and mountain climbing expeditions are aborted, neither of which implies the killing of anything. Therefore, the term "abortion", acting as a euphemism, helps to hide the ugly, brutal reality of the act to which it refers. If one wonders why it is so hard to convince some persons that "abortion" is murder, then one must look to the terms that one uses for a partial explanation. If this problem is to be alleviated, a new and separate term for the killing of an unborn child must be found. Probably the most important reason that no general term for the killing of an unborn child exists is that no general term for the unborn child exists. While the terms "embryo" and "fetus" exist for the unborn child during certain times of pregnancy, no term exists for the unborn child during the entire time of pregnancy. Furthermore, while terms such as "unborn child" are accurate, they are no substitute for a proper term. The author proposes the term "prenate" for the unborn child during the entire time of pregnancy. This term is derived from the common term "prenatal", which means "before birth". Therefore, "prenate" means "the child before birth". The new term "prenate" parallels the term "neonate", and its derivation was based upon that of the latter term. If the unborn child is the "prenate", then the killing of the unborn child is "prenaticide". This term -- "prenaticide" -- is the term for which the Pro-Life Movement has been searching. Instead of awkward phrases, this term is a single word. Also, it conveys without doubt that someone or something is being killed. In these and many other ways, "prenaticide" is much superior to the other terms which have been proposed previously. As a usage note, one must remember that while induced abortions are performed, prenaticides are committed. For example, the Pro-Lifer should say that approximately 1.5 million prenaticides are committed each year in the United States instead of saying that 1.5 million prenaticides are "performed". Using this new term properly is very important to its being generally accepted. Hopefully, the terms "prenate" and "prenaticide" will be adopted by the medical profession. For this to occur, a strong effort will have to be made by Pro-Life physicians and other Pro-Life health care professionals to win the acceptance of the new terms. Since these terms are very commonsensical and reasonable, there should be very little resistance to the adoption of these terms by medicine. The Pro-Life Movement has been hindered for a long time by the lack of a proper term for the killing of an unborn child. The new term "prenaticide" which was proposed here should fulfill the aforementioned need. The reader is urged to begin using this term and to work for its general acceptance in society, which will hopefully make the act which it denotes generally unacceptable in society. - R.P.Samples GLOSSARY The definitions that follow are those of the author alone and are not from any dictionary. Note that these definitions are subject to change if better ones are found. preborn -- n. prenate [ LATIN _prae_- "before" + ENGLISH _born_] prenate (PREE-NAYT) -- n. 1. a human being in the stages of life between > conception and birth, including the embryo and fetus. 2. the human child > during pregnancy. [ LATIN _prae_- "before" + LATIN _natus_ "born", past > participle of _nasci_ "be born"] prenaticide (PREE-NAYT-ih-SIDE) -- n. 1. the killing of a prenate. 2. the > institutionalized killing of a prenate because of any one or more of the > following: physical diseases and disorders, mental disorders (in the > mother), euthenasia, unwantedness, uneconomicalness, and eugenics. 3. > the cultural institution centered around the killing of prenates. > [ ENGLISH _prenate_ + ENGLISH -_icide_] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote of the Month: "If we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?" -- Mother Teresa of Calcutta, 13 June, 1995. +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Credits: | | 1 - From the 19 May, 1995 issue of American Life Leagues _Communique_, | | reading: Prof. Hermela Pagayanan, M.S., "Discovery of Anti-Beta hCG | | in the Sera of Women Injected With Tetanus Toxoid Vaccine," 4/25/95 | | FAX from Bogomir Kuhar, Pharm.D., Pharmacists for Life; 4/22/95 FAX | | from J. D. Poyatos III, Manila, to Fr. Delfin Felipe, Montreal, | | Canada; 4/16/95 letter to Judie Brown from Sister Mary Pilar Verzosa| | RGS, Pro-Life Philippines. | | 2 - DC News from a 20 June 1995 Reuters report. Many thanks to reader | | Richard Chonak. Indiana news from the May/June _RNC For Life Report_| | quoting the 4/27/95_Post Tribune_ of Gary, Indiana. Virginia news | | from May/June _RNC For Life Report_, quoting the 5/6/95 _Daily | | Press_ of Newport News, VA. | | 3 - Many thanks to reader James Toth, who provided transcripts and other| | information on the broadcast. | | 4 - Care of the Catholic Information Network: 619-449-6030 14,400 bps. | | Many thanks to reader Tim DeRyan. | |QOM- Many thanks to Steve Ertelt and the College Right to Life Connection| | . Quoted from a 6/13/95 _Reuters_ article.| +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Anyone desiring information on specific prolife groups, literature, or help with problems is encouraged to contact the editor. For those on the web, there is a preliminary WWW page at ---------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/ProLife.News: pln-0508.txt .