--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Life Communications - Volume 5, No. 1 January, 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) Gunman Kills Two in Three Clinic Shootings On December 30th, Two people were killed and five wounded in shootings at two abortion clinics in Brookline, a suburb of Boston. Planned Parenthood receptionist Shannon Lowney, was killed and three co-workers wounded in the shootings at that clinic. A second shooting 10 minutes later at the Preterm Health Services clinic on the same street left receptionist Lee Ann Nichols dead and two others wounded. The next day, a Norfolk VA, clinic was shot at, but no one was injured. John C. Salvi III, 22, of Hampton, N.H., faces MA state murder charges. On 3 January in Virginia, Salvi was ordered held without bail. He was arrested after allegedly firing 23 bullets into a Norfolk abortion clinic a day after the MA shootings. U.S. prosecutors were considering filing death penalty charges against the man charged in state court in the killing of two abortion clinic workers in Massachusetts, a state without capital punishment. Dr. Pablo Rodriguez, medical director of Planned Parenthood in Rhode Island responded to the slayings thus: "The escalation of the rhetoric and the vilifying of the health care workers by ... leaders of these movements has served to inflame the passions of the fringe elements." Kim Gandy, a vice president of the National Organization for Women (NOW) followed up these statements, accusing the pro-life movement of 'domestic terrorism,' reportedly stating: "Each time this happens, we're told it's a single shooter... But there are really extensive connections between all these characters. It's a national conspiracy. It's a conspiracy to commit domestic terrorism." The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), Operation Rescue and other anti-abortion groups condemned the killings, as they have denounced previous shootings at clinics. "NRLC opposes any use of violence as a means of stopping the violence that has killed more than 31 million unborn children since 1973," the committee said. The Rev. Flip Benham, director of Operation Rescue National based in Dallas, condemned the attacks. "An eye for an eye, it doesn't work that way," he said. "Vigilantism invariably brings with it lawlessness. One never has the right to take upon himself the roles of judge, jury and executioner." NOW's Gandy retorted that [the pro-life leaders'] condemnations of Friday's killings "make me nauseous." On New Year's day, local pro-life leaders held a prayer meeting (erroneously reported as a 'rally') to pray for the victim's families. [For a detailed report, see "AtmosphereOfViolence" below.] Cardinal Bernard Law, head of the Roman Catholic archdiocese in Boston, responded by having a letter read in Catholic churches throughout the diocese the day after the killings Sunday, January 1st: "These wanton slayings must not be allowed to escalate hostility. An issue as divisive as abortion demands prayer, it demands civil discourse, and it demands mutual respect." Law called on protesters to stop prayer vigils outside clinics, (Brookline's three clinics have been the site of hundreds of arrests of pro-life demonstrators over the past decade, many of them Catholics) and he canceled his plans to hold an anti-abortion Mass on New Year's Eve. Two days later, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops said it will consider a call by the head of the Boston Catholic Church for halting protests outside clinics that perform abortions. Salvi was not known to be a part of any pro-life group, and was reported to have recently disrupted a Catholic Mass, yelling invectives against the church. So far, Law enforcement officials have been unable to connect Salvi with any organized pro-life group. [ To read the responses of several pro-life groups from around the U.S., please read "RealityVsRhetoric.mcfl", "ClinicViolence.acl" and "ClinicViolence.plagal" below. Ed. ] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) Around the Globe *Lithuania* Research Says: Breast Cancer Major Concern The rate of breast cancer among women in their 20's and 30's in Lithuania is a major concern to researcher Valery Ostapenko of the Lithuanian Ontological Centre. She "attributes this early onset of the disease to the reproductive system going haywire," according to an October report in the British medical journal, _The Lancet_. Ostapenko is concerned of the risk because "by the time a young woman reaches her mid-20s, she may well have had five or six abortions." [See "Breast Cancer in Lithuania," _The Lancet, Vol. 344, 10/1/94, p.947.] *Ireland* Sinn Fein Pushed for Abortion in Ireland Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA, pushed for a pro-abortion vote in the 1992 Irish referendum on abortion. Specifically, they campaigned for a _Yes_ vote on information and travel, and for a _No_ vote on the so-called substantive issue, on the grounds that one cannot distinguish between a woman's life and her health. [ The same argument used to legalize abortion on demand in the US ]. Sinn Fein reported their position on abortion this way: "We do not believe that it is necessary or responsible to argue for a blanket ban on abortion as this would jeopardize the lives of Irish women." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) American Shorts *Los Angeles, CA* In December, a California jury convicted abortionist Alicia Ruiz Hanna of second-degree murder in the death of Angela Nieto Sanchez. In January, 1993, Sanchez, then approximately one month pregnant, paid Hanna $280 cash up front for an abortion. Hanna took her to a treatment room, gave her Valium and injected her with a still-unknown drug, trying to induce a miscarriage. Instead, Sanchez suffered a seizure and died. Hanna tried to revive the woman but testified that she didn't summon help because she feared arrest. Prosecutors argued that Hanna prevented coworkers from calling the police. Two of Sanchez's children had accompanied her to the abortion clinic. Hanna told the children their mother had gone home without them. Later that evening, Sanchez's 12-year old daughter Maria returned with relatives. She spotted Hanna trying to stuff her mother's body into a car trunk, the child told authorities. A former coworker testified that Hanna planned to dump the body in Tijuana, Mexico. 33-year old Hanna was also found guilty of performing abortions without a license on Sanchez and two women who survived. Hanna faces 20 years to life at sentencing Jan. 27. *Washington, DC* Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) has been appointed the next head of the House Judiciary Committee. A vocal pro-life lawmaker, Hyde mentioned that his panel has considered plans to revisit the "gag rule" that once barred doctors in federally-financed family planning centers from discussing abortion with patients. He said his panel will wait until after the first 100 days of the session before considering the measure. *Springfield, IL* A recent study by the Eliot Institute for Social Sciences Research found that 28% of women who regretted having an abortion had attempted suicide. About 65% acknowledged denying negative feelings for about 5 years, 20% reported nervous breakdowns. The subjects had abortions an average 10.6 years before the survey. *Rockville, MD* Controversial Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders was fired by President Clinton after stating that school children should be taught masturbation in sex education classes. *Montpelier, VT* Vermont's Supreme Court has reinstated a lawsuit against Catholic print-shop owners Malcolm and Susan Baker, who in 1990 refused to print membership cards for the pro-abortion Vermont Catholics For Free Choice (VCFFC). A lower court had dismissed the case, saying the shop's owners had a First Amendment right to refuse to print material to which they objected. But the Vermont Supreme Court stated in a very technical 3-2 ruling that the Bakers did not do enough to demonstrate the depth of their religious convictions, or show how printing the cards would have violated those beliefs. The executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), sided with the pro-abortion VCFFC plaintiff. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) What Works: Counter the 'Quality of Life' Argument Kay James, Secretary of Health and Human Resources in the Virginia state government, loves to turn the tables on those who don't think it's possible to be middle class, conservative, educated and still truly black. Once, during an abortion debate, a woman in the audience angrily told James she was so middle class she didn't have a clue about real African-American life. "If you understood what these women go through," the woman said, "you would realize that abortion is their only choice." James then asked the woman to consider a poor black mother on welfare. She already has four children and an alcoholic husband who has all but abandoned the family. Now she discovers another child is on the way."How would you counsel that woman?" asked James. "Have an abortion," the woman responded. "That child would have a very poor quality of life." "I have a vested interest in your answer," James said. "The woman I described was my mother. I was the fifth of six children born into poverty. And in case you're interested, the quality of my life is just fine!" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) Announcements *Thank God for Babies Festival - January 21, 1995* Tender Hearts Ministry of Orange, CA is sponsoring this event to give away $7,000 worth of baby clothes to expectant mothers; festival events include a 50-inch Baby Crawl Dash and a Diaper Change Race. For details contact Tender Hearts Ministry, 2004 N. Tustin Ave., Orange, CA, 92665 or call 714-921-4777. *South Carolina's annual PROLIFE RALLY - January 21, 1995* on the State House Grounds in Columbia. This year's theme: "Break the Silence." The march begins at 11:00 am and rally at NOON... This year's speaker is Dr. Beverly McMillan, former abortionist. Stop by our table and say 'Hello!' For further info, please e-mail <74152.103@compuserve.com> or call our office (803)472-5788. May God Bless You! Henry Lord, Director-American Family Association, SC. *22nd Annual Boston INTERFAITH ASSEMBLY FOR LIFE - January 22, 1995* 1:00 to 3:00 P.M. John Hancock Hall Stuart and Berkely Streets, Boston Near Orange Line (Back Bay) and Green Line (both Copley and Arlington) Speech by Mary Ann Glendon, Prof. Harvard Law Prayers by: Cardinal Law Bishop Reilly of Worcester Bishop Riley of Boston Rabbi Habfinger Pastor Steven Chin Sponsored by: Mass. Citizens For Life call 617-242-4199 for more info. *Tucson Rally and March for Life - January 22, 1995* The Catholic Diocese of Tucson, AZ is sponsoring a Mass at the Cathedral for the respect of all human life, followed by a short rally and march. Initially, the bishop of Tucson was not planning on attending the march, but after a death-threat was phoned to the diocesan office, he has thrown in his support. For information, please contact the diocesan office. *Roses for Life - 23 January, 1995* Students will deliver one dozen live red roses on Mon. Jan 23, 1995 to each member of Congress and Supreme Court. With the roses will be an individual letter educating about the humanity of a preborn child and the evils of abortion, plus a list of the senders. A large bouquet of red roses will also be delivered to the President and Vice President. A suggested contribution for each rose message is $3.00. > Send to: MARCH FOR LIFE Rose Committee, Box 90300, Washington, DC 20090 You can also send an additional tax deductible contribution to assist with the March. The roses work to carry the prolife message... and fund the operating expenses of the March, such as printing, postage, advertising, radio-TV spots, etc.. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) New On-Line Resources Recent additions to our archives: "Abortion and the New Sexual Freedom" This well-documented editorial analyses the disastrous effects of current mores and sexual practices on the health of women in the United States. [ Ask for "NewFreedom.sij" ] "Abortion Arguments: Appeal to Pity" Takes a look at the rational underlying many of the pro-choice arguments. First of a series, this article was later revised, expanded and incorporated into the book _Politically Correct Death: Answering The Arguments For Abortion Rights_ (Baker Book House, 1993). [ Ask for "AppealToPity.crj" ] "The Atmosphere of Violence" A look into the pro-life response in Boston to the 1995 abortion-clinic murders in that city. Also reports and reflects on the exaggerated media coverage on the pro-life response. [ Ask for "AtmosphereOfViolence" ] "Pro-Life Reality Versus Pro-Abort Rhetoric" Massachusetts Citizens For Life response to the 1995 abortion-clinic murders in Boston. [ Ask for "RealityVsRhetoric.mcfl" ] "ACL Opposes Clinic Violence in Massachusetts" American Collegians for Life statement, condemning the December 1994 slayings of two abortion clinic workers. [ Ask for "ClinicViolence.acl" ] "Clinic Violence Condemned by PLAGAL" The immediate response of PLAGAL to the December 30th, 1994 Abortion-clinic murders in the Brookline suburb of Boston. [ Ask for "ClinicViolence.plagal" ] "Experimental Use of Tissue Grafts to Treat Parkinson's Disease" The first of a three-part series - summarizes the highlights of the experiments that have been conducted on the use of fetal tissue to treat Parkinson's disease. [ Ask for "SciForLife.Jun91" ] "Fetal Tissue Transplantation: Ethical issues" The second of a three-part series - examines the ethical issues surrounding the use of fetal tissue transplants. [ Ask for "SciForLife.Oct91" ] "Alternative approaches to treating Parkinson's disease" The third of a three-part series - takes a look at alternative approaches to fetal tissue transplantation for treating Parkinson's disease. [ Ask for "SciForLife.Mar92" ] "Human Personhood" A rational defense for why personhood begins at conception. Authored by Peter Kreeft of Boston College. [ Ask for "HumanPersonhood.92jf.all" ] To request any of the above items, please send a list of items by title to the editor, eg.: "Please send v4n17, SciForLife.Jan94, ClintonCare.frc" To obtain the current list of available resources, please ask for "v5Topics". These and other on-Line resources are also available via the World Wide Web at URL "http://www.pitt.edu/ ~stfst/pln/AboutPLN.html", or via anonymous from or in the directory "/afs/pitt.edu/public/users/ s/t/stfst/pln". --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) ProLife Job Postings Illinois National Right to Life Committee affiliate needs a fund raiser/Director of Development. Please send resume to: > Bonnie Quirke, President, > Illinois Federation for Right to Life > Box 586, Grayslake, IL 60030 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Midwest-based right to life group seeking Communication Coordinator. Applicant needs to have strong journalistic, writing, research, and speaking skills. Must also possess good interpersonal relation skills, have ability to develop rapport with media, and be well-organized. Send resume, samples of writing, and salary requirements to: > NRL News > 419 Seventh Street, H.W., Suite 500 > Washington, DC 20004 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote of the Month: "Judges have done everything possible to make sure that peaceful political methods would be totally unavailing... And this judicial activism... created the dilemma Paul Hill shot his way out of." - Columnist Paul Sobran, as quoted by Chuck Colson in his Tuesday, January 3, 1995 edition of _Breakpoint_. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Credits: | | 1 - From various AP, Reuters and _Boston Globe_ articles dated 30 Dec. to| | 5 January, as well as other sources. | | 2 - Lithuanian news carried in 11 Nov. 1994 edition of _Communique_, from| | Judy Brown and the American Life League, Stafford, VA 22555 USA. Many| | thanks to reader Andy Sicree. Irish news courtesy of reader Bruce | | Hall. For more information, please contact the editor. | | 3 - California Murder: Condensed from a 18 Dec _Houston Chronicle_ and AP| | articles. Many thanks to readers Steve Ertelt and Eric Ewanco. DC | | news from the 2 Jan., 1995 _Chicago Tribune_, via the prolife InfoNet| | For subscription info, send email to . | | MD and IL news from IFA Jan. 1995_CHURCH PRAY!_ newsletter and other | | sources. To receive a sample, write: Intercessors For America, P.O. | | Box 4477, Leesburg, VA 22075, or email . VT news | | from a 3 Jan. 1995 AP report, many thanks to reader Eric Ewanco. | | 5 - Tender Hearts info from the 11 Nov. 1994 edition of ALL _Communique_.| | Boston announcements care of Bruce Hall and MCFL. | | 7 - Listed in the NRLC News (Dec 13) Many thanks to reader Bruce Hall | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ 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/resurces/text/ProLife.News: pln-0501.txt .