Officer Tatum calls it

the way it is.



The choice is made in the bedroom, not the clinic.

Archbishop Charles Chaput's response to Brian Sims's unseemly behavior

As a followup to my post from yesterday, we have a different response from Archbishop Chaput. Different firstly in that he refers to Brian Sims as having behavior "unbecoming of an elected official" and a "disregard for human decency" rather than as a "jackass", but more importantly also referring to people protesting this behavior as "people of good will" rather than a "subculture" with a martyr complex. (Nota bene: I really have no problem with the term "jackass" to describe Sims either.)

The archbishop invited prayerful participation in a rally May 10 at 11am outside of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Planned Parenthood, the same clinic at which state Rep. Brian Sims filmed himself aggressively questioning a woman praying the rosary across the street from a Planned Parenthood May 2.

In a series of livestreamed videos, Sims’ solicited viewers for the woman’s name and address and for the names and addresses of three teenagers praying at Planned Parenthood, saying in one video: “Let’s go protest out in front of her house and tell her what’s right for her body.”

“Who would have thought that an old white lady would be outside of a Planned Parenthood telling people what’s right for their bodies? Shame on you,” Sims said in the video.

Chaput said that there is “much bitter irony” in Sims’ claim to be a champion for the rights of all women while he “trampled on the rights of others and disgracefully shamed them in public.”

“Representative Sims spoke often of shame and there was plenty of that to be found in his actions, which demonstrated a complete disregard for civility and basic human decency,” Chaput said.

It's always good to see an official representative of my Church take a real leadership role against a blatant, obvious, public display of evil at work. Good for Archbishop Chaput.

The Mark Shea Chronicles: Volume 4

It has been a while since I posted, so I thought "hey, why not see what good ol' Mark Shea is up to?" I could post on his latest apology in which he eventually does at the end via a Latin sentence fragment ("So: mea maxima culpa."). But I have to confess my own culpa that I stopped reading after his call to crush right wing Christians "without mercy".

But really, this post on Facebook from yesterday is too good not to point out:

"As predicted, this one jackass is succeeding only in sparking a Panic du Jour from a subculture that loves lone jackasses like him because it gives them the chance to feel as though the Reign of Antichrist has dawned and they are martyrs. Sims needs to shut up or apply to Donald Trump as the Chair of Dems to Re-elect Trump in 2020."

First off, Shea calls the Pro-life movement represented by people like Abby Johnson, Lila Rose and Matt Walsh a "subculture". And one that is happy when a "lone jackass" (e.g., Dem. Rep. Brian Sims, whom Shea admits is awful) does something asinine so they have "the chance to feel as though...they are martyrs."

But when you look at the remarks these people made, they are saying nothing of the sort. There is no language of martyrdom, apocalypse or anti-Christs. On the contrary, the tweets are pretty mundane: "let’s organize a pro-life rally", "we will peacefully protest violence and bullying" and "my ticket is booked; see you there" are some of the responses from the pro-life leaders.

This Facebook post is an example of Mark Shea's standard strawdogging of the Pro-life movement against which he seems to be a Martin Luther nailing up his grievances again and again. This time he may be a bit off, though, when he refers to Sims as a "lone jackass". Just today we have another story about a feminist at UNC flipping out and attacking an abortion protester, punching him and shouting "This is not OK!"



That Daily Wire article provides a link to another article about an woman having her leg broken last month. That link, in turn, contains the video of Jordan Hunt, male, kicking a woman protesting abortion in Canada.



Oh, and here is another which I blogged last year by a university employee. This stuff happens all the time, and the attacks seem to be increasing. Certainly we have more reports of them than ever before. I've mentioned five here with very little effort.

Honestly, if school shootings happened as many times as threatening behavior and violence toward pro-life protesters, I would be much more sympathetic to the wild-eyed gun-control fanatics rushing to the mikes in their aftermath.

The fact is that you can't really call someone a lone wolf (or a "lone jackass") if they are part of a larger movement. These people are pretty united in their disdain for pro-lifers and their beliefs about the right of a woman to terminate her pregnancy. It is fairly obvious that they feel justified in what they are doing and they do it in broad daylight with the cameras rolling. Considering the unity of their opinion on abortion and those who protest it can you really say these people are all acting alone?

If Brian Sims is a lone wolf/lone jackass when he calls for doxing girls who protest at abortion clinics on Twitter, who is he calling out to? Other lone wolves and lone jackasses who coincidentally share his hatred of pro-lifers? Mark Shea can lament these occurrences because they show pro-life activists in a good light and as victims of violence and show that pro-abortion activists are not all the eminently sensible people that he and his comrades in the mainstream press would like to believe they are. But with the evidence piling up, he is really hard-pressed to demonstrate there is no pattern and that these people have no connection to a larger movement.

What does it mean to be Pro-Life?

What does it mean to be Pro-Life? Let's see what Catholic Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York thinks. From his letter:

As soon as Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement, pro-abortion groups began lobbying the U.S. Senate to reject any nominee who does not promise to endorse Roe v. Wade. While the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops does not support or oppose the confirmation of any presidential nominee, we can and should raise grave concerns about a confirmation process which is being grossly distorted by efforts to subject judicial nominees to a litmus test of support for Roe v. Wade. And we must pray.

Each Friday, from August 3 – September 28, 2018, I urge all people of good will to join me in prayer that this change in the U.S. Supreme Court will move our nation closer to the day when every human being is protected in law and welcomed in life. The USCCB Call to Prayer network will share prayers and educational resources and an invitation to fast on Fridays for this intention.

May Our Lady of Guadalupe intercede for the healing of our nation and our people from decades of abortion on demand.

That clears it up for me, especially the last paragraph. Thanks for your words of teaching, Cardinal Dolan.

Latest Video from Center for Medical Progress

Heroes. They are undaunted.



Gotta run.

Cardinal Burke for Human Life International

I just received the following in an email from Human Life International, a really great Catholic pro-life group.

Cardinal Burke is a staunch defender of the Church's pro-life and pro-family teachings, and has been great friend to HLI---especially HLI's Rome office. HLI thanks Cardinal Burke for his years of service in the Vatican, and wishes him many blessings in his new assignment!  

This letter from Cardinal Burke was written shortly before his reassignment:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

As Christians today, we find ourselves in a completely secularized society marked by violence and death and by a relativism which has generated profound confusion and outright error regarding the most fundamental truths of the moral law.  

The sanctity of human life, the understanding of marriage as the lifelong and faithful union between one man and one woman, and the role of the family as the first cell of society and the Church have suffered very much in the present culture of death.

Human Life International exists to promote and to defend the sanctity of human life, the understanding of marriage and the rule of the family according to the divine natural and revealed moral law, and, in this manner, to help to transform our society from a culture of death to a culture of life. Human Life International works throughout the world, in over 80 countries, to proclaim the beauty of the Gospel of Life to all peoples and to all nations.

I encourage you to give strong support for the most important work of Human Life International. Please support the mission of Human Life International, above all, with your prayers. The mission of Human Life International depends on the gifts of donors, and I ask you please to be generous also in your financial support of Human Life International. May God reward you!

Invoking God's blessing upon you and your home, while confiding your intentions to the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Saint Michael the Archangel and Saint Joseph, I remain  

Yours devotedly in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and in the Immaculate Heart of Mary,   Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke

Hold Pro-Abortion Politicians Accountable

Here's an email I got yesterday from the National Pro-Life Alliance. If you can throw some funds their way, please do.

Pauli --

"Many hands make light work . . ."

. . . That's pretty much the whole idea behind grassroots mobilization.

NPLA doesn't have the powerful interests spending hundreds of millions. (And we don't need them.)

We have supporters like you, and at big fundraising deadlines, we're absolutely relying on you to come through and make a donation.

Can we count on you, Pauli?

According to our records associated with this exact email address, here's what we have marked down for you:

-- 2014 Election Mobilization Program: Not yet
-- Suggested Action: Donate $5 or more today.

Every day when I come to work, I see why grassroots organizing matters. It's about building relationships, and empowering everyday Americans to stand up and be heard.

It's truly inspiring.

But when we're facing a huge budget deadline like Thursday's, it's also incredibly nerve-wracking.

Our grassroots programs depend on support from folks like you -- anyone who is ready to take action across the country.

We set a goal of reaching $43,000 before Thursday at midnight (24 hours). That breaks down to about 16 donations from . We can do that, right?

Every donation here goes a long way. (And it's my job to make sure of that!)

Before our critical fundraising deadline on Thursday night, please chip in $5 or more:

http://www.nationalprolifealliance.com/accountable-2014.aspx

Thanks,

-- Jenni

 

"Because we believe in human dignity . . . "

Last week, Keith suggested that the comment "We ought to defend the ME Christians from persecution not because they are Christians, but because we are Christians" was worthy of a post in lieu of commenting on the latest hi-jinks of TAC and Dreher.  In that spirit, a great man spoke on this topic ten years ago yesterday at the UN, saying it much better than I can say it myself: 

... Both the American Declaration of Independence and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaim the equal value and dignity of every human life. That dignity is honored by the rule of law, limits on the power of the state, respect for women, protection of private property, free speech, equal justice and religious tolerance. That dignity is dishonored by oppression, corruption, tyranny, bigotry, terrorism and all violence against the innocent. And both of our founding documents affirm that this bright line between justice and injustice, between right and wrong, is the same in every age and every culture and every nation…

…These rights are advancing across the world. And across the world, the enemies of human rights are responding with violence. Terrorists and their allies believe the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the American Bill of Rights and every charter of liberty ever written are lies to be burned and destroyed and forgotten ...

… All civilized nations are in this struggle together, and all must fight the murderers. ... 

... And the commitments we make must have meaning. When we say serious consequences, for the sake of peace there must be serious consequences. And so a coalition of nations enforced the just demands of the world. Defending our ideals is vital, but it is not enough. Our broader mission as U.N. members is to apply these ideals to the great issues of our time. . .

… Because we believe in human dignity, America and many nations have established a global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. …

… Because we believe in human dignity, we should take seriously the protection life from exploitation under any pretext. …

… Because we believe in human dignity, America and many nations have changed the way we fight poverty, curb corruption and provide aid. …

… Because we believe in human dignity, the world must have more effective means to stabilize regions in turmoil and to halt religious violence and ethnic cleansing…

… Because we believe in human dignity, peaceful nations must stand for the advance of democracy. No other system of government has done more to protect minorities, to secure the rights of labor, to raise the status of women or to channel human energy to the pursuits of peace. We've witnessed the rise of democratic governments in predominantly Hindu and Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish and Christian cultures. …

… When it comes to the desire for liberty and justice, there is no clash of civilizations. People everywhere are capable of freedom and worthy of freedom. … The desire for freedom resides in every human heart. And that desire cannot be contained forever by prison walls or martial laws or secret police; over time and across the Earth, freedom will find a way. Freedom is finding a way in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we must continue show our commitment to democracies in those nations. The liberty that many have won at a cost must be secured. …

President Bush gave this speech only ten years ago. But in comparison with the recent statements of his successor, this affirmation of belief in human dignity sadly seems like ancient history. 

Thoughts on the latest fad

The ALS ice bucket challenge makes me long for the days when I'd get chain emails stating that, oh, something like "your favorite grandparent will fall down 3 flights of stairs if you don't forward this to 7 people immediately RIGHT NOW!!" It was so easy to delete the email and lie about it. And not just because all my grandparents had passed on by that point.

I was talking to some young doctors I know—a married couple—and I stated this (after 2 beers, mind): "I think ALS sucks, I know someone who died from it, but I'm not going to dump ice on my head." They laughed. The wife pointed out that she was working in a trauma unit and she was thinking, "Gee, ALS affects so few people. Why don't we do something for these folks?"

I noted that if you say anything like this publicly then you're Hitler. They both agreed.

I did see a piece of useful advice on a friend's Facebook page: "Remember guys, don't donate to ALSA unless you support embryonic stem cell research. Donate to something like Mayo Clinic or MSCTC." He posted this along with a great video of himself pouring a whole teaspoon of cold water onto his head. It looked grueling. Well, hey, he's a Catholic, not a Baptist! So if I do it I'm going to use a whole tablespoon just to show how serious I am about wiping out a horrific disease.

Young mom "comes out" as Pro-Life

Great story. She was afraid her Pro-Life views might offend her liberal parents. After all, they wanted her to get an abortion when she got pregnant at 17 years of age. Excerpt:

Sorry to break the news, folks. I’m pro-life for many, many reasons. Yes, I do believe that the Bible is clear about this issue. But for me, I just have a hard time ignoring the scientific facts. I have a hard time believing that the testimonies of people who have worked in the abortion industry are “fake.” I know that those pictures of aborted children aren’t Photoshopped. I know countless women who regret their abortions. My mother-in-law hung out with Norma McCorvey, aka Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade. Norma, who helped make abortion legal, is now pro-life!

I mean, come on, guys. I have yet to meet someone who has made the switch from pro-life to pro-choice and has medical evidence to back up his or her claim.

"[T]he gigantic, flaming, multi-car pileup that is modern-day feminism"

Insightful article by pro-life feminist Heather Wilhelm. Wilhelm is smart and attractive so when she claims to be a feminist we'll have to take her word for it. Here's an excerpt:

The problem, I suppose, is that most “real” feminists I know of—Caitlin Moran and Slate writers like Marcotte likely among them—would probably consider me a weapons-grade woman betrayer with a full-time residence on Planet Patriarchy. I am, after all, pro-life. I have been known to vote for Republicans. If you want to be a stay-at-home mom, I think that’s fine. If you want to be the CEO of Yahoo and say you’ll only take three weeks of maternity leave—interestingly, Mayer is getting pilloried for this decision as well—that’s fine too. I believe that casual sex is destructive, not empowering. I often don impractical footwear crafted by male oppressors.

I also generally shy away from celebrations of meaningless vulgarity, which, sadly, seems to be the leading theme in both Moran’s book and in the gigantic, flaming, multi-car pileup that is modern-day feminism. In “How to Be a Woman,” it’s OK to be a “slag” or a “slut,” as long as we’re “simply being honest about who we really are.” In interviews, Moran expresses approval for the recent rash of mortifying “Slut Walks,” in which young women strut down the street in ill-fitting, body-baring “clothing” in order to prove that they are empowered, not sexual objects. Which totally makes sense, if you’re crazy.

I see in Wilhelm's analysis the birth pangs of the new feminism that Pope John Paul II saw the need for. I've blogged on this topic before and it is really near and dear to my heart. The "old feminism" has become crazy and senseless—decrying strip clubs yet favoring "slut walks"—and amid it's insane ravings, desperation may be easily sensed. Here's now new feminist Heather Wilhelm ends her article on the impending doom of the old feminism.

No wonder certain feminists are getting so wound up. They have reason to be worried. Something new is out there—conservatism, decorum, chastity, and respect are downright radical these days—but it’s not poor Gaga.

It also shouldn’t be all that surprising that more and more high-profile women are shrugging off the traditional “feminist” label. It’s gotten kind of embarrassing. “How to Be a Woman,” celebrated as it may be, shows off that fact in spades.

Dolan's in

Story.



Gotta run.

Rabbis: "Respect for all human life is obligatory."

Liked this article about Jewish Rabbis joining with Cardinal Burke to defend life and oppose abortion. Excerpt:

“As Rabbis we welcome with great enthusiasm and strongly endorse the inspiring and clear Pro-life, Pro-family message delivered by American Cardinal-designate, Raymond L. Burke, Prefect of the Catholic Church’s highest court,” they said in a statement LifeNews.com received.

“In these crucial times in which we live, where many clerics tread with fear, Cardinal-designate Burke is to be commended and emulated as a voice of leadership. This moral teaching of the Catholic Church set forth in Burke’s interview with Thomas McKenna, is clearly found in the Torah and serves to give solid guidance to voters whether they are Christian, Jew or any man of faith,” the rabbinical leaders said.

And... it's always helpful to provide examples of how to vote:

Rabbi Yehuda Levin, spokesman for the Rabbinical Alliance of America, added his own comments to the statement the group released and commented on the specifics of races in New York, where he lives.

Levin said it would be “forbidden, for example, to vote for either New York State Senator Schumer or candidate for governor Andrew Cuomo — both of whom support late term abortion and homosexual marriage — unless they renounce those positions immediately.”

Peter Hitchens: "I used to believe this piffle."

I don't know what Peter Hitchens's pay grade is, but he must make more than Barack Obama.



Around 2:53, the atheist scientist dude starts licking his lips. You can hear it. He knows he's in trouble.

"Hockeysticks and bananas." LOL.

Harder and harder to make the case

I have always frowned at the radio whenever Rush Limbaugh confidently announces "There are no Pro-life Democrats." I've known some Pro-life Democrats--very sincere people. Obviously he means that there are no Pro-life Democrats in Congress, a claim at which I suppose I balk mainly due to my congenital optimism. Because it is getting harder and harder to support my opinion and ever more clear to see that once again, Rush is right. Witness the latest evidence detailed in the American Catholic blog. Excerpt:

Representative Joe Pitts (R. Pa) has introduced a new bill that bans abortion funding from ObamaCare. It largely replicates the language of the old Stupak Amendment. The bill has 57 co-sponsors and growing. Thus far these real pro-life Democrats have signed on as co-sponsors: Reps. Travis Childers of Mississippi, Lincoln Davis of Tennessee, Tim Holden of Pennsylvania, Dan Lipinski of Illinois, Jim Marshall of Georgia, Mike McIntyre of North Carolina and Gene Taylor of Mississippi. I salute each of them. Each of them voted against the final pro-abort version of ObamaCare. Bart Stupak and his “pro-life” Democrats who hid behind the fig leaf of the meaningless executive order in order to vote for ObamaCare, are of course not supporting this legislation. I think this is significant. ObamaCare passed. From the perspective of a truly pro-life Democrat who supported ObamaCare, why not amend the law now to ban abortion funding? Failure to support this legislation should finish the idea that such a Democrat in Congress is in any sense pro-life. This legislation should of course be a major voting issue for all pro-lifers in November.

Maybe since Stupak's language has been used in the bill he can sue them for plagiarism. Then he can support the bill in order to partially redeem himself.

Dirty "Secret"

Interesting poll on attitudes toward abortion. Here's a telling part:

Additionally, the data showed that since October nearly every demographic sub-group had moved toward the pro-life position except for non-practicing Catholics and men under 45 years of age.

The feminists should be honest and admit that men are the real beneficiaries behind abortion. Abortion means empowerment for men who want to be able to screw without consequences. Reminds me of that great quote from Dolores O'Riordan of the Cranberries: "It's not good for women to go through the procedure [abortion] and have something living sucked out of their bodies. It belittles women.... every time a woman has an abortion, it just crushes her self-esteem smaller and smaller and smaller."

Men over 45 are probably more likely to have daughters of childbearing age. That experience might change an attitude or two.

What do all these people have in common?

Umbilical Cord Blood Bill Introduced

(Columbus, OH) State Representative Todd Book recently introduced a bill to promote umbilical cord blood donation (H.B. 102), which requires the Ohio Department of Health to provide information via its web site containing information on umbilical cord blood banking and donation. The Department of Health would encourage health care professionals to provide the materials to pregnant women as well.

Umbilical cord blood is an excellent and ethical source of stem cells that can be obtained with no risk to the mother or child. Stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood have been used to successfully treat over 70 diseases including sickle cell anemia, leukemia, and lymphoma.

Unfortunately, most umbilical cord blood is currently being discarded after birth. This is especially tragic because cord blood is often matched by racial and ethnic background and many patients who are most in need of a transplant cannot find a suitable match.

"Ohio Right to Life strongly supports H.B. 102," said Mike Gonidakis, President of Ohio Right to Life. "Better public awareness about cord blood donation should increase the number of donations and increase the likelihood of patients obtaining the matches they need."

H.B. 102 enjoys strong bipartisan support as outlined by the bills following Co-Sponsors: Dan Dodd; Brian Williams; Marian Harris; Kenny Yuko; John Adams; Jeff Wagner; Randy Gardner; Sandra Harwood; Matt Huffman; Robert Mecklenborg; Peggy Lehner; Mark Okey; Tim DeGeeter; Scott Oelslager; Tim Derickson; Kris Jordan; Lynn Wachtmann; Ron Amstutz; John Domenick; and Jennifer Garrison.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Mike Gonidakis
DATE: 12-09-2008
PHONE: (614) 547-0099 x - 301

Resolution Opposing Freedom of Choice Act Introduced in Ohio Senate

From Ohio Right to Life. The new Ohio Life site is worth checking out, for sure.

(Columbus, OH) Pro-Life State Senators Tim Grendell and Steve Buehrer introduced a resolution in the Ohio Senate opposing the federal "Freedom of Choice Act" (FOCA) on March 3, 2009.

The resolution (S.R.C. 6), which urges the President and Congress to oppose FOCA, states that:

"The Freedom of Choice Act is a radical attempt to enshrine abortion-on-demand into American law, to sweep aside existing laws that the majority of Americans support, such as requirements involving fully informed consent, parental involvement, and that licensed physicians perform abortions, and seeks to prevent states from enacting similar protective laws in the future."

"Ohio Right to Life strongly supports the resolution opposing the so-called "Freedom of Choice Act," said Mike Gonidakis, President of Ohio Right to Life. "FOCA would wipe out common-sense Ohio laws that require informed consent and parental consent before a minor's abortion, and would force taxpayers to pay for abortion on demand. FOCA is the most extreme pro-abortion legislation ever proposed," Gonidakis said.

In addition, S.C.R. 6 was co-sponsored by Pro-Life Senators Kevin Coughlin, Bob Gibbs, Tim Schaffer, Bill Seitz, Mark Wagoner, Kirk Schuring, and Keith Faber.