Pro-Life Action Alert Archive

From: Austin Ruse <austinruse@cafhri.com>
To: Friday Fax List <Friday_Fax@cafhri.com>
Subject: Friday Fax: UN Procedures Unfair to Traditional Countries

Dear Colleague:

At most UN conferences, linguistic and procedural unfairness assist radical westerners against tradition countries of the developing world. This is very apparent at the Commission on the Status of Women that closed last week in New York.

We also report on the Monday opening of the Cairo+5 final prepcom, perhaps the most important UN meeting of the year for pro-life and pro-family forces.

Spread the word.

Yours sincerely,

Austin Ruse

Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 4038
New York, New York 10017
Phone: (212) 754-5948     Fax: (212) 754-9291
E-mail: cafhri@cafhri.com    Website: www.cafhri.org

FRIDAY FAX

March 19, 1999
Volume 2, Number 21

UN DOUBLE STANDARD FAVORS WESTERN
NATIONS AGAINST DEVELOPING WORLD

* UN diplomats from the developing world (G-77) increasingly complain of a double standard that favors the rich nations. They cite two general areas of unfairness. The first is linguistic, as many UN documents are written and debated in English, frequently without translation. The G-77's second complaint is procedural; they maintain that rules binding them are often not applied to the U.S., Canada and the European Union. The recently concluded Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) session provided a case in point.

* Such UN commissions generally negotiate a set of "agreed upon conclusions." These are frequently provided to diplomats only at the last minute, ensuring the documents are not translated from English. Moreover, portions of these documents are negotiated separately in small groups away from the general session. Consequently, poorer understaffed Missions either cannot cover these negotiations at all, or are forced to negotiate controversial topics in a foreign language.

* Another hurdle for the G-77 is that the most controversial topics are generally saved for the final days of the conference. This ensures long sessions into the night, always without UN translators. In the case of the CSW, the most controversial section on "women and health" asked governments to endorse the new Optional Protocol of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, which recommends governments liberalize their abortion laws. Many pro-family G-77 nations adamantly oppose this.

* At the same time, there was a general agreement at the CSW that the conclusions of the small, last minute negotiating sessions would not be revisited by the general session. When the G-77 tried to change only one word in the "women and health" section, the German chairman of the general session, supported vociferously by the powerful EU, tersely instructed the G-77 nations that they must abide by the agreement. Within a few minutes, however, the EU and the German chair insisted that a whole section, written mostly by the G-77, be re-negotiated. This procedural double standard forced the CSW debate to extend its final Friday session until after 5:30 a.m. the following morning.

* In their own meetings, radical feminist NGO lobbyists have openly laughed at the difficulties confronting G-77 diplomats. In fact, radical social activists at the UN count on this confusion to intrude their extreme agendas into documents. And, veteran UN observers report, the radicals think it is funny that diplomats from sovereign states agree to documents that they do not understand.

FINAL PREPCOM OF CAIRO+5 ON POPULATION
AND DEVELOPMENT CONVENES MONDAY IN NEW YORK

* UN Member States convene the final preparatory committee meeting of the Cairo+5 review process on next Wednesday morning. This prepcom will produce a document to be presented to a Special Session of the UN General Assembly from June 30 - July 2. Pro-family lobbyists expect an intense fight on questions of "reproductive rights," which is code for, among other things, abortion on demand.

Copyright – Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute.
Unlimited use hereby allowed. Credit requested.

Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 09:12:56 +0000
From: Pro-Life Action Network <plan@enterprise.net>
Subject: 'Baby picture' trial tomorrow

Prayers are requested for Michael O'Doherty of London whose second trial begins tomorrow (21 August) in Epping Magistrates Court (London). He is charged with breaking bail and violating the Public Order Act by holding a picture of a six-week-old preborn child (ectopic pregnancy) while praying in front of the Marie Stopes abortion centre, Buckhurst Hill, in April.

On the 9th of July the same court acquitted Michael of violating the Public Order Act for his first arrest in March. At that time he was charged for holding a picture 'likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress'. Tomorrow's trial is in regard to his second arrest for the same charge, in addition to the charge of breaking bail.

Michael is a 64-year-old father of six, grandfather of six, who prays faithfully in front of the abortuaries. He feels a special calling to offer compassion and help to the mothers entering for abortions.

Thank you for your prayers.

Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 21:31:33 -0400
From: "John E. Finn" < JOHN_E_FINN@compuserve.com>
Subject: Sarah Smith's Surgery - Urgent Prayers Needed

Dear Friends and Relatives,

Please add Sarah Smith to your prayer list. Sarah is a super pro-life warrior/speaker who is going in for another major hip surgery on Wednesday, August 12, 1998.

As you probably know, Sarah survived her mother's abortion in 1970 -- an abortion which killed Sarah's twin. Sarah has had major problems with her legs an hips ever since the day she was born and this will be her 54th surgery.

In spite of all her physical setbacks, Sarah has continued to be one of the most sought after speakers in the pro-life movement. She and her mother Betty have travelled around the U.S. and the world ( including Mexico, El Salvador, New Zealand and Rome) to speak out against abortion. Sarah has been seen by millions telling her story on TV via EWTN, The 700 Club and a major TV network in Italy.

But today Sarah needs your help -- she needs your prayers as she is about to go in for one of the most critical surgeries she's ever had. Sarah said this surgery is a "last ditch effort to correct the osteotomy" she had two years ago on her left hip. According to Sarah, the surgery in 1996 did not take well and now she requires a complete hip replacement of her left hip. And on top of that, Sarah needs a complete hip replacement on the right hip as well and they plan to do that surgery in about 3 months if her recovery goes as planned with this first surgery on Wednesday.

In addition to adding Sarah to your prayer list, you may send get-well cards & flowers to her at:

Sarah Smith
c/o Mission Hospital & Rehab Center
27700 Mediccal Center Road
Mission Viejo, CA 92692

Mission Hospital Phone # is 714-364-1400 if you live in the area and would like to call to see if Sarah is receiving visitors.

Sarah is scheduled to stay in the main Hospital starting August 12th for 5 days -- and then in the Hospital's Rehab Center for an additional 10 days.

May God bless Sarah with a smooth, successful surgery and a speedy recovery.

Please spread the word and ask your friends and relatives to add Sarah to their prayer list.

Thank you, and God bless you!

Sincerely in Christ,

J.T. Finn
Director
Pro-Life America
310-373-0743
http://www.prolife.com

P.S. Because of painful problems with her hip in June, Sarah was unable to travel to Ireland to speak at a pro-life event. Below is the letter Sarah sent over to Dublin. It was read at the conference on June 22, 1998 in her absence:

My heart and prayers are with you!

I am very sorry that I cannot be with you today. I had hoped and planned on being in Dublin to speak in defense of the unborn, but unfortunately, I have an urgent medical crisis which requires immediate attention.

You may have heard that I was almost aborted in 1970. This is true. Today I am 28 years old and I'm lucky to be alive. I survived my mother's abortion almost 29 years ago. This was the same abortion that killed my twin brother.

Over the years, I have had many surgeries to repair my hips from injuries that are believed to have occurred in the womb when I was almost aborted. The surgeries began on my deformed legs just weeks after I was born, and to this day, I have had over 52 surgeries, including a complete hip replacement two years ago.

Right now, I need another complete hip replacement surgery on my other hip and because of the terrible condition that my hip is in -- and the pain it has caused these last few weeks -- my doctor told me I could not make the long trip from Los Angeles to Ireland.

Oh how I wish I could be there with you today! I was tempted to tell my doctor to load me up with pain-killers so I could make the trip to be with you and personally tell you about my story and the pain of abortion.

It is very difficult knowing your parents tried to abort you. Part of the pain for me is that I know my twin brother did not survive. I live everyday knowing that his life was taken right next to me in the womb. He was butchered by an abortionist's scalpel in the name of "choice" because my mother did not want any more children.

Knowing this, I'm appalled to hear people talk about abortion as if it were just a "choice" about removing "tissue." We're not talking about "choice" or "tissue." We're talking about lives! We're talking about innocent babies! I don't understand how it is that some people have forgotten that they themselves lived and grew for 9 months in their mother's womb.

Why do people try to hide abortion behind euphemisms like "choice" and "my right to decide" when the choice they are advocating destroys -- kills -- innocent children?

We need to speak up more often and louder for these babies -- to let everyone know that all babies have a right to life -- whether born or pre-born in the womb. Nobody has a right to kill innocent babies that are growing in the womb . . . but today there's a war against God, life and the unborn. This war is raging around the world and tens of millions of babies are being killed in the womb each year by abortion.

And not only are babies being killed, but women are being wounded! I know. I've seen first-hand the pain and destruction abortion inflicted on my mother. I've also seen hundreds of other women weep, mourn and agonize over their abortions. Abortion devastates women. Dr. David Reardon's recent survey of 260 women [Ed. Note: see "Aborted Women: Silent No More" by Dr. David C. Reardon] who've had abortions showed that 94% of them had regrets about their abortion and 28% of these women had attempted suicide.

America has been called "the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave." Not anymore. America has changed since the "sexual revolution" and the abortion holocaust. Since 1973, abortion has legally killed over 35 million of America's babies and it has deeply wounded their mothers for life.

A bumper sticker that many American pro-lifers put on their cars sums it up well. It reads:

Abortion. One Dead, One Wounded!

Please stop and think about the victims of abortion -- the babies, their mothers, the fathers, our whole society. The pain and suffering is almost unbearable to think about.

Help is urgently needed. Now is the time to get involved. Won't you please join me and speak out against abortion? Won't you please join me and speak up for the unborn?

You can make a difference. You can warn Ireland about abortion. If you join me in the battle for life, you will definitely save lives and souls.

Remember -- God calls us to be Light to the world -- to expose the evil deeds of darkness.

I pray that you will hear and answer God's call . . . that you will be filled with courage and follow your heart as I invite you to join me and work and pray to defend the least of Christ's little brothers and sisters.

My prayers are with you.

May God bless you, your families and all of Ireland!

Sincerely in Our Lord's Service,

Sarah Smith

Date: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 23:57:18 -0400

From: Gregory Quinlan < quinlan@gemair.com >

Organization: PRO-FAMILY NETWORK

Subject: NATIONAL ALERT: Child Custody Protection Act, 
U.S.House Vote Week of July 13

PLEASE FORWARD

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach for any people." - Proverbs 14:34

Child Custody Protection Act Passes Congressional Committee
US House Vote Expected Week of July 13

WASHINGTON -- Pro-life legislation to make it a crime to evade parental involvement laws by taking a pregnant teen to another state for an abortion cleared a House committee on June 23, 1998. The US House Judiciary Committee voted 17-10, along party lines, in favor of the bill, which has strong backing from leaders of the House and Senate.

A vote by the full House is expected after Congress returns from its Fourth of July recess, on or about July 15. Sponsored by pro-life Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, (R-Fla.), those violating parental involvement laws and taking minors for abortions across state lines would be subject to a $100,000 fine and a year in jail. Pro-life Rep. Charles Canady,(R-Fla.), successfully fought back more than 20 pro-abortion amendments offered during two committee meetings on the bill.

The bill would make it a federal crime for anyone other than a girl's parent or guardian to evade laws in her home state that require parental consent or notification for an abortion by escorting the girl to a state that doesn't impose those requirements. More than 20 states require parental notification or consent for abortions for minors.

A similar version is pending in the US Senate and has been sponsored by pro-life Senator Spence Abraham (R-MI). Canady said the proposal was about protecting laws on the books. "This is not about locking anybody up,'' Canady said. "I want to see people comply with the law."

National Right To Life Applauded Committee Action

"This legislation will help parents protect their young daughters at a time when they may be subject to especially harmful manipulation by much older males," said NRLC policy analyst Susan Muskett. Parental involvement laws have proved helpful in allowing parents to be involved in assisting their daughters in choosing life. In one Minnesota study the law helped to significantly reduce the number of abortions.

The full House is expected to take up the Child Custody Protection Act the week of July 13.

White House Chief of Staff Erskine B. Bowles issued a letter saying that "the Administration strongly opposes the bill" in its current form. The letter demands, among other changes, that the bill be amended to give "close family members" such as "grandmothers, aunts, and . . . siblings" the same rights as parents. Apparently President Clinton believes that a mother-in-law or aunt should be able to take a child to a different state for a secret abortion, while the parent is kept in the dark.

ACTION REQUESTED:

Contact your members of the House and Senate and urge strong support for the Child Custody Protection Act. Ask your Congressman to vote for the bill as written and oppose any anti-life amendments. If your Congressman has co-sponsored the bill, thank him. If he/she has not signed on, please encourage him/her to sign the bill.

The US Capitol Switchboard number is: (202) 224-3121. You can reach any Congressman or Senator through the Switchboard. OHIO U.S. HOUSE DELEGATION

                          Washington D.C.         District Office

John Boehner (R-8)         202-225-6205           513-870-0300
Sherrod Brown (D-13)       202-225-3401           216-934-5100
Steve Chabot (R-1)         202-225-2216           513-684-2723
Paul Gillmor (R-5)         202-225-6404           800-541-6446
Tony Hall (D-3)            202-225-6465           937-225-2843
David Hobson (R-7)         202-225-4324           937-325-0474
Marcy Kaptur (D-9)         202-225-4146           419-259-7500
John Kasich (R-12)         202-225-5355           614-523-2555
Dennis Kucinich (D-10)     202-225-5871            not available
Steven LaTourette (R-19)   202-225-5731           216-352-3939
Robert Ney (R-18)          202-225-6265           740-676-1960
Michael Oxley (R-4)        202-225-2676           419-522-5757
Rob Portman (R-2)          202-225-3164           513-791-0381
Deborah Pryce (R-15)       202-225-2015           614-469-5614
Ralph Regula (R-16)        202-225-3876           330-489-4414
Thomas Sawyer (D-14)       202-225-5231           330-375-5710
Louis Stokes (D-11)        202-225-7032           216-522-4900
Ted Strickland (D-6)       202-225-5705           740-353-5171
James Traficant (D-17)     202-225-5261           330-743-1914 

"A paid Christian lobbyist in every state capitol of the United States." Gregory Quinlan President & CEO, PRO-FAMILY NETWORK, P.O.Box 751643, Dayton, Ohio 45475-1643. Ph/Fax: 937-372-3556

PRO-FAMILY NETWORK is a not for profit Christian political organization operating under IRS;501(c)4. Donations are gratefully accepted but are not tax deductible.

Subscribe to our FREE e-mail list. Send an e-mail message with your name, e-mail address and the state which you reside. You will recieve national news and alerts including those pertinent to your state.

Michigan Test Case For Euthanasia

They need our prayers.

Yours,
Doctor Nancy K O'Connor,
Red Lake, MN
http://www.iaetf.org/iua13.htm

New pro-life organization in Maryland

God bless.

Vaccines Linked to Abortion

Date: Sat, 06 Jun 1998 22:39:35 -0500
From: Dianne Miller <dlaw70@earthlink.net>
Subject: FYI:  Vaccines linked to abortion

By ALAN BAVLEY - Medical Writer

WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE -- Todd Parish didn't mind when his 1-year-old son, Timothy, was vaccinated against chickenpox two months ago.

But that was before the Air Force sergeant learned that cells derived from aborted fetuses were used to make the vaccine. And that similar cells were used to make the hepatitis A and rubella shots Parish got several years ago....

See the full article at http://www.kcstar.com/item/pages/local.pat,local/30da2579.605,.html (All content © 1998 The Kansas City Star)

Remember "Meatless Fridays"?

Do you remember "Meatless Fridays"? If you're Catholic and you wish to register your support for a great idea to end abortion and euthanasia, take the "Meatless Fridays" survey.

NOW vs. Scheidler Trial Begins

The NOW vs. Joe Scheidler trial has begun. "Papa" Joe needs all of your prayers and support. Read about the lawsuit here. The trial is expected to last 3 weeks. Joe's organization, the Prolife Action League of Chicago, encourages prolifers from across the country to attend the trial.

Date: Fri, 20 Feb 1998 17:57:11 -0500 
From: Gregory Quinlan <gquinlan@rcinet.com> 
Organization: PRO-FAMILY NETWORK
Subject: [Fwd: Update on Roundtable tax lawsuit]

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." Proverbs 14:34

PRO-FAMILY NETWORK supports the efforts of the Ohio Round Table to stop the Ballot Tax Hike initiative for Schools. It is unconstitutional how the legislature under the non leadership of House Speaker JoAnn Davidson & Senate President Richard Finan ceded their constitutional authority to the judiciary. We are spending more money on less students to produce less educated adults for the work place. You don't need a Ph.D to know that equals FAILURE. To ask the voters to reward unaccountability, mismanagement and greed is unthinkable!

Gregory Quinlan
President & CEO PRO-FAMILY NETWORK
P.O. Box 751643. Dayton, Ohio 45475-1643.
Ph/Fax: 937-372-3556

Received: from angel for gquinlan
From: OHROUNDTAB@aol.com
Fri Feb 20 16:03:16 1998
Subject: Update on Roundtable tax lawsuit

Date: February 20, 1998
From: Dave Zanotti
To: Board of Trustees, Council and Friends
Re: First 48 hours of battle on tax suit

We must report to all of you that your prayers are being answered in a phenomenal fashion. The first 48 hours of our project to stop HB 697 (the sales tax hike) from reaching the ballot have been extraordinary.

First of all let us restate in a sentence why we are suing to keep this measure off the ballot. HB 697 is an illegal attempt by the Governor and the General Assembly to go around the Constitution and trick the voters into casting a non-binding vote that will not help schools or the children of Ohio.

Our suit has been filed in Franklin County Court. Our case is strong. The news coverage on the filing has been terrific. 25 major media representatives attended our Columbus news conference on Thursday. They asked questions for almost one hour. The press coverage has been great. Please check the following websites for today’s coverage: www.dispatch.com/news/newsfea98/feb98/zano0220.html (Columbus Dispatch); www.enquirer.com/editions/1998/02/20/loc_schooltax20.html (Cincinnati Enquirer); and www.cleveland.com/news/pdnews/state/osuit20.htm (Cleveland Plain Dealer).

Our opponents are reeling. The Attorney General’s office has called us three times today requesting change of venue to Perry County and consolidation of the suit with the DeRolph case. We have refused all such attempts to distort our case. We are fighting this issue to protect voter rights and uphold the election law provisions in the Ohio Constitution. We will not permit them to jam our concerns into the DeRolph school funding mess they have created.

The Governor himself has been called upon to try to defend HB 697 in the media. His statements are weak and confusing. It appears neither he nor the AG have any answers that will satisfy the claims of our suit.

Please keep praying. We will keep you posted on new developments as they unfold.

Thanks.

From: Lifecall@aol.com
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 1998 11:41:16 EST
Subject: Prolife Student Video Contest
X-Mailer: AOL 3.0 for Windows 95 sub 18

Subject: Prolife Video Contest Announced--April 15th Deadline

Several Sources Foundation announces the First Annual "Cybersoap" Video Contest.

Purpose: To Educate Viewers about Prolife Issues. Each Video Catagory will have a $300 prize awarded and the winners' videos will be aired on the Internet.

Candidates must be currently enrolled in High School, College or a Graduate School program.

• Catagory One: Video based on a Woman Choice to Give Life to her preborn baby
• Catagory Two: Video based on a Woman who regrets her prior choice of aborting her preborn child.
• Catagory Three: Video with a General Prolife Message
• Catagory Four: Video with a Chastity Message

Each catagory will be reviewed and evaluated on the following criteria:

1. It must be based on a true story.
2. The story should be introduced either by the person whose true story is being told or someone who acts her part or the facts that lead to the true story should appear in text on the screen to introduce the true story.
3. It should be in no less than 3 and no more than 10 segments and each segment should last approximately 5 minutes.
4. The story should contain at least one reference to Holy Scripture or have a religious theme or turning point.
5. The applicants agree that Several Sources can air the videos on the Several Sources www.lifecall.org and www.chastitycall.org Websites and reproduce the videos as necessary to promote our prolife work.
6. A written copy of the written script must be submitted, as well as two copies of the video must be submitted in VHS half inch, digital, hi-8 or 8 mm versions of the production.

Suggestion: For ideas view our sample Cybersoap by visiting the Several Sources website www.lifecall.org and watch "A Cheerleader's Choice"

PRIZES:

• Catagory One:    $300
• Catagory Two:    $300
• Catagory Three: $300
• Catagory Four:   $300

Deadline: April 15, 1998

Any Further questions contact: Kathy DiFiore, Founder -- Several Souces Foundation, P.O. Box 157, Ramsey, NJ 07446, (201)825-7277 or Email: lifecall@aol.com

6:30 p.m. - Prayer vigil for Joan Andrews Bell, outside Allegheny County Jail, 950 2nd Ave., Pittsburgh, PA. This may be a weekly event - more news to follow. For more info, please call (412) 429-1108.

Please write letters to the jail warden of Allegheny County jail to remind him of the need for accountability in Joan's case (i.e., he is responsible for her safety while she is imprisoned in his jail):

                            Warden Calvin Lightfoot
                            Allegheny County Jail
                            950 2nd Ave.
                            Pittsburgh, PA  15219-3100

The response to Joan's plight has been tremendous--keep up the pressure! In addition to writing letters to Judge Novak, why not phone him as well? His number is (412) 350-4726.

Subject: Abortion Poll--Your vote counts!
X-Mailer: Inet_Mail_Out (IMOv11)
Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com)
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 98 19:44:16 +0000

USA Weekend is taking a vote from the first 100,000 callers through Jan. 18 on how we can reduce the horrendous number of abortions in this country.

To vote: (only one vote per household allowed)

Dial 1-800-643-5277

PRESS 1 - to vote to outlaw abortions (which will cause people to change their habits
PRESS 2 - to vote to provide contraception and sex ed starting in preteen years
PRESS 3 - to vote to Require insurance co's to provide 100% coverage for contraception
PRESS 4 - to vote to require counseling and cooling off period before an abortion

Memorial for the Pre-born

Twenty-five years after Roe v. Wade, 35 million American young people are missing! If you were born before 1973, you have a legally protected, Constitutional right to exist. If you were born after 1973, you have no such right. Think about it. Every person born after the U.S. Supreme Court de- criminalized the killing of pre-born children is here only by the permission of others. That makes every person 25 years old and younger a survivor of the American holocaust!

On Thursday evening, January 22, the 25th anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, thousands of Christians will gather near the nation's capital to remember all the victims of abortion--the children, as well as their moms and dads. The National Memorial for the Pre-born and their Mothers and Fathers is in its fourth year. The 1998 Memorial will focus on healing the wounds of abortion and the passing of the "Torch of Life" to a new generation of Americans.

A second service will be held Friday, January 23, in the Baltimore, Maryland area with the theme "The Day After: Reversing Roe and Re-Affirming God's Gift of Life."

You, your family, friends, and church groups are invited to attend this year's National Memorial Services. Admission is free and open to the public.

The National Clergy Council, a network of 5000 Catholic, Evangelical, Orthodox and Protestant church leaders, announces the 1998 National Memorial for the Pre-born and their Mothers and Fathers, in two locations: Capital area: Thursday, January 22, 1998, Christ Chapel, 13909 Smoketown Road, Woodbridge, Virginia, and Friday, January 23, 1998, Cummins Memorial Church, 2001 Frederick Road, Catonsville (Southwest Baltimore County), Maryland. Seating for both events begins at 7:00 PM. Special guests: Starr Parker, Kathy Tracolli, Reverends Paul and Rob Schenck. Information call: 800-551-2930.

Needed: Volunteers for ushering, greeting, security, stage crew. Call 1-800-551-2930, mailbox 3.

Hello, I have started a campaign at http://www.magicnet.net/~skilton/pbavetoes.html in protest of President Clinton vetoing the Partial-Birth Abortion ban. I am urging all pro-life people who have a web site to change their main page's background to red until Bill Clinton passes the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban. If changing your page's background is not feasible, then you can display a small graphic, found at the above URL, on your site in protest of Partial Birth Abortions instead. Clinton wants the partial-birth abortion ban to include exceptions not just for the life, but the health of the mother. What people may not realize about this is that, according to a Supreme Court decision Doe V. Bolton, that means abortion on demand. The "health" of the mother officially means "physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman's age -- relevant to the well-being of the patient". If you would like to join the campaign, change your main page's background to red, or just put the graphic found at http://www.magicnet.net/~skilton/pbavetoes.html on your page. If you join the campaign, please e-mail me at Uno@magicnet.net so I can link back to you. Thank you

From:   INTERNET:ArtBrew        
Date:   10/13/97  1:17 PM
RE:     Joan Andrews Bell

            JOAN ANDREWS BELL FACES JAIL IN
             PITTSBURGH FOR A l985 RESCUE

Joan Andrews Bell was ordered to appear before Judge Novak last week for
violating the terms of her parole  by participating in a l985 Pittsburgh
rescue. She is to return to that city on 30 October to be sentenced for
contempt of court after she told Nowak that she will not stop rescuing.
Joan will receive an 'open-ended' sentence--meaning she'll be  held in
jail until she recants. It could be years. Pennsylvania pro-lifers are 
organizing a huge rally in Pittsburgh in support of Joan on 29 October.

Persons who are knowledgeable of Joan's case and can furnish more
information are her sister, Susan Brindle (6l5) 270-l92l; Kathy O'Keefe 
(20l) 795-0637; and Doris Grady (4l2) 66l-0570.  Joan and her husband, 
Chris Bell, have one small daughter  and are in the process of adopting 
a young Mexican boy.  

For life, Art Brew

Ed. Note: Take a stand for life! Joan needs your support NOW--write letters to the Judge in protest over this travesty of justice:

        The Honorable Raymond Novak
        323 Courthouse
        436 Grant. St.
        Pittsburgh, PA  15219-2499

Please be respectful. Here is a letter I wrote to Judge Novak:

Your Honor,

I write this letter on behalf of Joan Andrews Bell, who is scheduled to appear before you on October 30th.

I plead for your mercy when sentencing Mrs. Bell.

I have been told that you are contemplating giving Joan an "open-ended" sentence for the contempt of court charge--knowing Mrs. Bell only through my readings, I cannot say for certain, but I am positive that such a judgment by yourself would amount to a virtual life sentence for this woman. Your requirement that she give up her non-violent pro-life "rescue" activities presents Mrs. Bell with an impossible dilemma. Joan is dedicated to saving the lives of unborn children, and she sees "rescue" as a viable means of achieving that goal.

Morally, she stands on firm ground--"rescuing" is a Christ-centered, love-inspired activity which advocates positive, non-violent activism on the part of each individual, with the ultimate goal of trying to give the woman who "chooses" to abort a chance to reconsider something which will affect her for the rest of her life. Like other "rescuers," Joan is willing to use all non-violent means to achieve this goal, including sacrificing herself by submitting to legal authorities such as yourself.

I realize that it is incumbent upon you as a public official to work for the common good, to protect those in your jurisdiction. Yet Mrs. Bell does not represent a threat to the public at large, nor is she a threat to those directly or indirectly involved in the activities which she protests against. As a non-violent protester, she is perfectly within her Constitutional rights to speak out against something she feels is so inherently unjust. Like all pro-lifers, she speaks for those who have no voice--unborn children. Although her protests may not be heard in this world, you can be sure they are heard loud and clear in the Next.

Your Honor, you have an opportunity to extend to Mrs. Bell a measure of your mercy--if not for her, do it because as a Christian, you wish to follow Christ's maxim "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall find mercy"; if not for Christ, do it for her family, who will surely suffer just as much as Joan; if not for the family, do it for the hundreds of thousands of voters in your jurisdiction who will surely remember your mercy come next election.

As you can see from the copies list, I intend to distribute this letter far and wide. I firmly believe Joan Andrews Bell, like her compatriots, has been called upon by God to help stop the slaughter of innocent children through the evil of abortion. I intend to assist her by writing as many letters as I can to call public attention to her case. Respectfully, Jack R. Voltz

ACTION ALERT: Partial-birth abortion ban up in House

 
 
Subject: ACTION ALERT: Partial-birth abortion ban up in House
 Date: Tue, 30 Sep 1997 11:03:14 -0500 (CDT)
 From: ertelt@prolife.org
 To: infonet-list@prolife.org

Partial-birth abortion ban up for U.S. House vote.

The House sponsor of the ban on partial-birth abortion, pro-life Rep. Charles Canady (R-FL) has announced that the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (HR 1122) will be taken up by the entire House during the week of October 6. The House must approve a slightly amended Senate version and voted last March to approve the ban 295-136. (The Senate made minor changes to the bill in order to receive the endorsement of the American Medical Association).

Once the House passes the ban, it will then be sent to the President - who has indicated he will veto the bill. It is vitally important for the House to once again demonstrate it has the support to override the Presidents veto.

ACTION: Regardless of how your Representative voted previously, please contact your Representative and urge support for the partial-birth abortion ban. You can reach the Capitol switchboard to ask for your members office at 202-224-3121 or 1-800-522-6721. You can also find out a) how your member voted previously and b) specific office numbers, fax numbers, and email addresses for your member at the Armchair Lobbyist - http://www.prolife.org/tal

Please act now to show your support for the ban on partial-birth abortion.

** Please forward this email to any pro-life people you know. **

http://www.epm.org/~ralcorn/bcpill.pdf

This site is an extremely valuable resource. It contains quotations from medical journals(such as the Physician Desk Reference Guide, which is the industry standard on pharmaceuticals), doctors, the company that produce the drugs and other prolife resources. If for some reason you can't access this site using the shortcut above try going to yahoo and quering "eternal ministries".

If that does not work (you need Adobe Acrobat to view the book) try one of these other sites.

http://www.spiritone.com/~lifeadvo/7_97/feature.htm

This site pretty informative.

http://members.aol.com/Liam542/index.html

This site is not as lengthy as the other sites but it should provide you with the basics.

The following is a transcribed account by Robert A. Brothers, age 62, a graduate of Villanova University, and retired journalist.

Every Rescuer was a 'Rodney King' to police at the "US Capitol of partial-birth abortion" in Englewood, New Jersey on April 19th, 1997. A dozen pro-lifers were battered and bloodied by a swarm of officers in 36 police vehicles that formed a barricade in front of the Metropolitan Medical Associates abortion mill where fully formed babies are butchered after they are 99 percent out of the womb.

Joan (Andrews) Bell, a Franciscan Priest from Boston, two men from Philadelphia and eight others intended to block the mill entrances, but never even made it past wooden barricades 60 feet away, and therefore were not on the property or sidewalk of the killing center. Yet they were tackled by police outside the restricted area and arrested. The Rescuers immediately went limp as lambs, but were brutally treated by police with demonic passion to inflict pain. Two Rescuers were left with bloody blotches on their faces as they were slammed to the street. Some were kneed in the groin area while they were helpless on the ground.

Flexcuffs were tightened with such gusto that one Rescuer's hand was swollen to twice it's normal size for a week with deep cut marks on the wrist. The hands of other Rescuer's went numb from the flexcuffs. They were then punished with 13 days in jail, an upcoming trial, and federal charges under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. One prolifer outside the police barricades was given all of the above for simply handing a leaflet to a girl who was heading toward the abortion mill.

Rev. Ed Martin, executive director of the (Ocala, Florida) based Rescue America, was the leader. As a protestant minister, he wore a clerical collar. The police mistook him for a priest. After he was cuffed beside a woman rescuer, the police forced him face down in her private area and mocked, "Father, how do you like that smell?" During the time it took police to drag away the Rescuers, the 100 pro-lifers across the street unleashed their secret weapon - Tina Krail, sidewalk counselor. She was responsible for saving the lives of two babies (who) would have been aborted that morning.

Rescuers repeated to their captors, " We broke no law. We can not assist you in this unjust incarceration. We can't cooperate in this injustice. Don Treshman, national director of the (Baltimore based) Rescue America, told a reporter for ' The Record ' of Bergen County, "The reason we are being so uncooperative with police is because they are being so cooperative with abortion supporters."

On the second day in captivity, Catholic Rescuers were saying the Rosary when the lieutenant in charge interrupted and charged the group with 'inciting to riot' for refusing to cooperate. "And this charge will stick!" he shouted. One Rescuer said, "That's a lie." The lieutenant replied, "I have six cops here who will back me up." He threatened to put each Rescuer in with a murderer. A day later he said that he had dropped the riot charge.

After two days in a holding cell, the Rescuers were dragged to food carts and moved to "disciplinary isolation," where they spent 11 days, two to a cell. Each cell was five paces long, had four cinder block walls, a steel door with a window the size of a bologna sandwich, and (on the opposite window) a window with three layers of mesh, horizontal bars, and small glass panels. There was a 'suicide watch' every half hour for the entire time. Not even Steve McQueen could escape from here. The view of the outside was a brick wall seven feet away, and the sky, which was a blur to some, since eyeglasses were confiscated. Food was brought to the cages as is done in the zoo. Male Rescuers were locked in for 23 hours a day. They were allowed to walk in the hall for one hour each day to stretch their legs. The two women Rescuers were kept locked inside their cells for 24 hours a day, except when they were taken to court. One Rescuer in the general population faced the worst punishment of all - 24hours of TV a day.

Six days later, the Englewood police went ballistic again with Rescuers who were being transported from court back to jail. "I'll teach you a lesson," one officer said, as he slammed a Rescuer against a door frame with suck force that he cut the victim's ear with the badge on his chest.

Metal handcuffs were used to keep the arms in front of the body. But the police dragged some Rescuers by the chain between the cuffs, which put all the body weight on the wrists, just as it was for Christ on the Cross. The pain, even for a short duration, was excruciating. One Rescuer had to bite his forearm to keep from screaming during this painful ordeal. After the torture by these uniformed 8th grade bullies, it was a relief to be placed in the holding cell with hardened felons.

Worse than the physical pain was the correctional officers' anti-Christian venom, blasphemy, and the lewd and crude talk in front of the women. One officer shook his finger at the 12 Rescuers and shouted, " I hope they have a million abortions, you f-----g scumballs!" In jail, one of the correctional officers yelled at the Rescuers, "I hope they keep having abortions. We need that RU486. I hope we get that pretty soon." Another officer mocked the praying, when at 2am he said, " Time for morning prayer," then broke wind.

Attorneys working on behalf of the Rescuers included John Broderick & Richard Traynor.

I did not want to write this story. I felt that if anyone rad what actually happened, they would never rescue again. Is the price too high? "I wouldn't do this for a million dollars," said Lifeboat, a veteran rescuer, in his isolation cell. "But I'll do it to save a baby."

What a story...God bless these people...they are 100% correct. Rescue is the way. If one can't rescue then be outside a mill. Direct action, not pro-life think-tanks.

FOR THE GLORY OF THE LORD. Prolife without compromise, without exception, without apology.

I came across a site on the weekend that may be of interest to you. The address is http://www.abortion.com. On this site one can vote whether he is pro-life or pro-choice. The results are then forwarded to the White House every month.

The tally is shown right on the screen. When I visited the site the numbers were enormously in favor of pro-choice [Ed. note: When I visited today (17 Apr 97) the pro-life side had a slight lead--Pete]. This means that more pro-lifers have to visit this site.

To help do this could you forward this message (or a modified form of it) to as many people as possible, especially Americans.

          ------------------------------
          Father James N. Dean
          St. Michael's Catholic Church
          302 East Magnolia Avenue
          Auburn, Alabama 36830
          (334) 887-5540
          (334) 887-5572 (fax)
          ------------------------------

"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God." (John 6:68-69)

Please mention the title of the movie and announce the boycott of all HBO products, as well as a letter writing campaign aimed at the commercial sponsors of the film. (Click here to request a list of sponsors when it becomes available [October 14th]).