| Are you new to the pro-life movement and aren't sure what you can do to help or looking for some new ideas? Here are over 30 easy things you can do to continue to be a catalyst for life... 1) Be sure to share a pro-life message through blogging. Some great examples of well-written pro-life blogs include: Jill Stanek, The Dawn Patrol, and JivinJehoshaphat to name a few. If you're new to blogging, Blogging Basics 101 can help you get started. 2) If you've had an abortion, share your abortion story (your experience, feelings, how your abortion affected you, and how you found healing or closure) with others and learn how to become involved in the Post-Abortion movement. The negative effects of abortion on women are often downplayed and/or not discussed in dialogues about abortion. Women who've had an abortion, especially when they experience feelings of grief or loss after their abortion, often face stigma and shame from both sides of the abortion debate. In sharing your experience, you can help remove the stigma and shame as well as show other hurting men and women that they're not alone in their feelings/experience, as well as present dialogue and opportunity to help others find healing/closure. 3) Host a baby shower or place a collection crib at your church/non-profit for a mom in need. 4) Volunteer your time with, support, and spread the word about The Nurturing Network. "The objective of the Nurturing Network is not a political one, but a most practical one: to ensure that every woman knows that the resources she needs in order to continue her pregnancy are available by calling the Network's toll free number: 1-800-TNN-4MOM. Volunteer members form an extensive employment, medical, educational, counseling and residential network which enables a mother to continue the life of her unborn child without sacrificing her own hopes and dreams. Services include medical assistance, financial assistance, nurturing homes, educational programs, employment & adoption counseling, preparation for parenthood. Staffed during normal business hours, specializing in help for college and professional women. 5) Support your local pregnancy resource center! You can do this a few ways 1)Volunteer your time at a pregnancy resource center. ( What is a Pregnancy Resource Center). 2) Donate new and gently-used items to your local pregnancy resource center's Earn While You Learn Program. Through this program, women participate in parenting and life skills courses which empower them to become more independent and break the cycle of poverty, poor parenting, neglect, and abuse while earning vouchers for supplemental maternity and baby items. Or 3) Support your local pregnancy resource centers by participating in the Purple Envelope Project. Place 1 dollar inside a purple envelope and a supportive note and send it to Care Net and/or Heartbeat Int. Their addresses can be found at the blog above.
6) Become a peer counselor and support advocate for teens at your high school. Be a non-judgemental and safe person for other teens to approach with their questions and issues. Be prepared to direct them to community resources as needed, but most of all, just be a listening ear and supportive. 7) Participate in activities which support single and teen moms who choose life, for example: create a single moms support group in your community, start a home daycare or create a daycare co-op for parenting teen and college students, provide rides to doctor's appointments, WIC appointments, job interviews, etc. 8) Become a visible volunteer in your community. Being prolife encompasses more than just activism on behalf of the unborn and their mothers, it also means caring for the disadvantaged in our communities and our enviroment. Some ideas include volunteering at your local soup kitchen, food pantry, or homeless shelter, becoming a Big Brother/Big Sister to an at-risk child, becoming a foster parent to an at-risk child, volunteering at the local animal shelter, or organizing a trash pickup day along a highway or in your neighborhood. 9) Reach out to change the hearts and minds of abortion providers and clinic staff on National Abortion Provider Appreciation Day, March 10th. See this blog entry for ideas. 10) Be a peaceful presence at an abortion clinic: silently praying or sidewalk counseling. This is an opportunity to minister to abortion-minded women as well as those undecided and to abortion clinic staff. Remember: Love and kindness wins hearts better than condemnation and hate. 11) Get involved with your local pro-life organization. There are many pro-life organizations and many different approaches. Be sure you are aware of and agree with their mission statement and activities. You can find listings of groups here and here. If one doesn’t exist in your community, consider starting one. 12) Get involved with your college's pro-life organization, Students for Life (national organization), or Feminists for Life's college outreach. If there's not pro-life group at your school, considering starting one. Be sure to check with your student affairs or activities department for the guidelines and rules. 13) Host an informational pro-life booth at your employer's or college's health or activities fair. Be sure follow guidelines and get written permission. Heritage House76 is a great source for pro-life literature and materials. 14) Attend the annual March for Life and other pro-life marches and peaceful protests. Also present a pro-life presence for life at state houses and government buildings on the anniversary or Roe v. Wade and when laws pertitant to pro-lifelife issues are being debated/passed. Also you can participate in a Life Chain or speak out at Silent No More events. Remember, no matter how heated it gets, not to engage in screaming, name-calling, obscenities, or threatening gestures. 15) Don't forget to speak out on other issues important to supporting women and their children, including, advocating for male responsibility in sex and reproduction, prevention of unplanned pregnancies through acess to better and more reliable contraception and education, paid maternity and family leave and better living wages, support services for pregnant and parenting women at educational institutions, affordable and quality prenatal and children's health care/day care, and safe drinking water and food sources for pregnant and breastfeeding women and their children. 16) Thank local businesses as well as large corporations for standing up for life. Send out “thank you” notes/emails to organizations which support local PRCs, boycotted pro-choice projects, and who have donated time and money to the pro-life movement. 17) Read and support pro-life publications. There are a myriad of movies with a pro-life theme, books and blogs out there. Check out my sidebar for my favorite sites and my Amazon book list for a pro-life tool box of books! 18) Share a pro-life message with those in your community by wearing a shirt, bracelet, necklace, lapel pin, button, etc. Don’t have any of this stuff? Make something! With that said, don't forget National Pro-Life T-Shirt Week! 19)Find out how your money is being spent. Don’t support pro-choice companies or organizations unless it is unavoidable. A boycott list of companies/organizations which support pro-choice causes can be found here. 20) Write to and call your senators and congressmen and urge them to vote pro-life. Sometimes, we have to remind them why the pro-life issue are important! Click here to locate your Congressperson. Click here to locate your Senator. 21) VOTE! This is the most effect way to have an impact on support for pro-life measures. Research the candidates voting background and stances on the issues. Vote for representatives and leaders who have a pro-life voting record, but also have beliefs consistant with your other views Most importantly, please share these ideas with others. | |
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| Keep Calm and Carry On has some good insight on inexpensive ways to stay cool this summer 1. Fans are great. They use much less energy than air conditioners. I run my ceiling fans all day long to keep the cool air circulating. 2. Keep shades/curtains drawn. Sunlight is hot!
3. If your bathroom has one and doing so would not attract Peeping Toms & Tinas, shower with the window open to let out the steam. Otherwise, open the window immediately after your shower. If you belong to a gym, you can use their facilities and avoid steaming up your own. Of course, you could always shower with cold water. Having done this for several months two years ago, I don't recommend it. You will feel deprived the rest of the day, and probably cram yourself full of chocolate/sugar/salt until you realize what is missing.
4. At night, rinse off in cold water just before you get in bed. The evaporation will cool you as you fall asleep. 5. Close your closet doors. No need to air condition your closets. See the rest of the tips here | |
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| In the wake of late term abortion provider, George Tiller's Death, many pro-choicers have been harping on how much of a hero he was and the services he provided were medically necessary for severe fetal deformaties and grave threat to the health or life of the pregnant woman. Myth: Late term abortions are rarely preformed. Fact: 4% of abortions are late term (broken down as 3% are preformed at 16-20 weeks and 1% are preformed at 21 weeks or later) , taking place at 16 weeks or greater ( source), which translates to 4% of 1.3 million abortions preformed annually or 52,000 late term abortions each year. Because there is no regular reporting system implemented in place and we are relying on the clinics providing the information on a volunteer basis, we cannot get an accurate prediction of how many late term abortions are actually taking place.
Myth:
Late term abortion providers are rare and difficult to find. Fact: Going to the Abortion Clinics Online listing of late term abortion providers brings up a listing of 49 abortion providers which advertise for preforming elective abortions up to 20 to 25 weeks LMP with 4 abortion providers advertising abortions greater than 24 weeks for fetal or maternal indications.
Myth: Late-term abortions are only preformed for severe fetal deformaties and grave threat to the health or life of the pregnant woman, medically necessary reasons. Fact:Overwhelming evidence points to the vast majority of late-term abortions are preformed for socio-economic reasons, on a healthy and potentially viable fetus, not for fetal abnormalities or endangerment to the woman's health. According to AGI, abortions for indication of fetal abnormaility only consists of 2% of all late term abortions, other reasons given include: Woman did not realize she was pregnant 71% Difficulty making arrangements for abortion 48% Afraid to tell parents or partner 33% Needed time to make decision 24% Hoped relationship would change 8% Pressure not to have abortion 8% Something changed during pregnancy 6% Didn’t know timing was important 6% Didn’t know she could get an abortion 5% Other 11% Source: Alan Guttmacher Institute: An Overview of Abortion in the United StatesReasons for Abortions After 16 Weeks Since Last Menstrual Period. Of the 30 original criminal complaints filed against Tiller, which is available as a PDF here, based on a review of patient records, the compelling medical reasons given in Tiller's records for these third-trimester abortions were: Anxiety Disorder Not Otherwise Specified or Adjustment Disorder With Mixed Anxiety and Depressed Mood: 1 Major Depressive Disorder, Single Episode: 9 Fetus "non-viable" but with no record of how non-viability was determined: 2 Acute Stress Disorder: 2 Anxiety Disorder Not Otherwise Specified: 1 No medical basis documented: 14 Christina at Real Choice has documented cases of late-term abortions which were elective and fatal or near fatal to the woman.
The most famous denunciation of the claim was by Ron Fitzsimmons, head of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers. Said Fitzsimmons:
"When you're a doctor who does these abortions and the leaders of your movement appear before Congress and go on network news and say these procedures are done in only the most tragic of circumstances, how do you think it makes you feel? You know they're primarily done on healthy women and healthy fetuses, and it makes you feel like a dirty little abortionist with a dirty little secret."
Source: American Medical News, Abortion rights leader urges end to "half truths"
In the middle of 1998, the state of Kansas instituted a mandatory reporting policy that required Tiller to submit information about the abortions that he performs. The Kansas Department of Health and Environmental Statistics has recently published this information: http://www.kdhe.state.ks.us/hci/absumm.html.
Myth:
Third-trimester abortions are illegal for any reason other than severe fetal deformity and grave threat to the health or life of the pregnant woman.
Fact:
Supreme Court Ruling, Doe V Bolton, which came shortly after Roe v. Wade, allows abortion at any time during pregnancy for "health" of mother, in which "health" is broadly and loosely defined.
'...a woman has a constitutional right to abortion from six months to birth, if her doctor "in his best clinical judgment," in light of the patient's age, "physical, emotional, psychological [and] familial" circumstances, finds it "necessary for her physical or mental health."
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=410&invol=179
Also, here are some testimonies and late-term abortion experiences at Tiller's Women's Health Care Services clinic you won't hear on pro-choice feminists blogs:
Luhra Tivis
Luhra Tivis used to work at Tiller's clinic. She testified at the "Meet The Abortion Providers" conference about what it was like to work for him LaDonna's Story
was rushed by her local doctor into aborting, and later reflected, "I am no longer grateful for Dr tiller 'helping me' he didn't help me at all. I wish now I would of had the courage to deliver my little girl and let her get even just one breath of air before she passed...
Michelle Armesto's Story
Michelle Armesto spoke out last month about an abortion performed on her at 24 weeks, under duress, by Shelley Sella at Tiller's facility in 2003. Mrs. Armesto, (maiden name Berge), came forward in 2007, and testified before a joint legislative committee that she was given an abortion at WHCS against her will on May 13, 2003, in her 24th week of pregnancy. Mrs. Armesto discovered only after receiving her medical records years later that abortionist Shelley Sella had made a determination that her baby was non-viable. [View the document.] Mrs. Armesto testified that she was in good health with an uncomplicated pregnancy and had no reason to believe that her baby was not viable.
Patient S.
A complaint has been filed with the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts
Patient S. suffered life-threatening abortion complications at Tiller’s abortion clinic, including a high fever and respiratory and cardiac arrest during the abortion. Tiller Abortion Patient Transported to Hospital, “No Lights, No Sirens”
A patient of Tiller's was taken to the hospital from his clinic March 12, 2009, speculations indicate she was young and had hemorrhaged. Ambulance Transports Yet Another Tiller Abortion Patient To Hospital
An ambulance arrived at George R. Tiller’s late-term abortion clinic, Women’s Health Care Services October 29, 2008 and transported a woman to Wesley Medical Center's emergency room.
Ambulance Transports Another Injured Woman From Tiller’s Abortion Clinic
This incident occured on October 1, 2008 and was reported by Brandi Lozier, who was volunteering for the Kansas Coalition for Life outside the WHCS gate. Brandi observed that a clinic employee driving a green vehicle entered the parking lot at high speeds carrying a Caucasian woman who appeared to be in distress. The vehilce pulled around to the back of the building and began to sound the horn. Lozier called 911 and asked for help. It is unclear if her call summoned the ambulance or if another call was placed from inside WHCS. an ambulance, a fire truck, and a police cruiser arrived and within approximately two minutes the ambulance left WHCS with lights and sirens.
Janice's Abortion Story (scroll down)
"Cathy's" Abortion Story
A patient accuses Tiller of mistreating her and botching her abortion.
"Dolores" Abortion Story
A patient accuses Tiller of having a severe lack of respect for choice.
Christin Gilbert: "Health" Abortion Proves Fatal
Died after third trimester abortion at Tiller's late term clinic
Sarah Brown
Sarah was born with birth defects after a failed late-term abortion attempt at Tiller's clinic and lived until the age of five | |
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| Dr. George Tiiler, a contraversial, late-term abortion doctor was murdered while attending service at his church. This is indeed a sad day, for a crime has been committed in the name of "pro-life" and the division between pro-life and pro-choice has grown even deeper. While there are many claims that the murder was motivated by pro-life beliefs and the blame is being extended to anyone who identifies themself as pro-life (guilty by association fallacy and profiling), it was not pro-life beliefs nor any member of the pro-life movement, but an individual with a history of untreated mental illness and member of an anti-goverment faction, acting alone. Please bear in mind that no person who condones murder is pro-life, as murder (and even the death penalty) is not consistant with pro-life beliefs, which call to honor the sanctity of human life from conception until natural death, even with those with whom and actions which we vehmently disagree. This is also evident by the statements of nonviolence made by many mainstream pro-life organizations. In fact the majority of pro-lifers were praying for a change of heart and convictions and they wished no harm upon Dr. Tiller, nor any other abortion provider. Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life released YouTube statement Several of the Comments Made By Pro-Life Individuals on Anti-Abortion Activist's Jill Stanek's blog: "By word and deed, let us teach that violence against abortionists is not the answer to the violence of abortion. Every human life is precious. George Tiller's life was precious. We do not teach the wrongness of taking human life by wrongfully taking a human life. Let our "weapons" in the fight to defend the lives of abortion's tiny victims, be chaste weapons of the Spirit."
Well said. Two wrongs have never made a right.
I hope Dr. Tiller had a chance to make peace with God before he took his last breath. No one is beyond redemption.
My prayers are with his family.
May whoever murdered Dr. Tiller realize the terrible wrong he did and plead for God's mercy.
I used to have elaborate daydreams about his conversion. Now all the secrets that would have been brought to light are taken to the grave....But it's somebody who, had he only lived to convert, would have been a mighty warrior for life. And now he's stone cold dead, a martyr for abortion advocacy. [named removed -ed] , I also had hoped and prayed for his conversion....
I agree with you, too, [named removed -ed]. I had such hopes that something good could come of all things, including Tiller's actions. I've read that a suspect is in custody, and hopefully we can all start to respect life enough that nothing like this ever, ever happens again.
Absolutely *no* human being deserves to be shot down in cold blood...let alone in a house of worship, which should be a place of safety, peace, and refuge for *all* God's children who seek it there...no matter what they do for a living and no matter how objectionable we may find their means of livelihood.
*No* human being should usurp that power of life and death over another.
There is *no* justification or extenuating circumstances for this murder of a fellow member of humankind.
May peace and healing come to George Tiller's loved ones.
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| I was inspired by a suggestion Keep Calm and Carry On made of creating basic care bags to distribute to the homeless individuals you come across at street corners and traffic lights. Well I'd like to take this one step further and turn it into a non-profit organization. The basic care bags will contain sample-size hygiene items, protein-based and other dried food items, weather-related items (i.e. sample-sized sunscreen, insect repellant, gloves and hat), and a small card with the phone numbers and addresses of local social service organizations. If you'd be interested in helping out with this program or donating items, please leave a comment below with your e-mail address and I will contact you. Items needed include: UNOPENED hotel and travel-sized shampoo/conditioners, body soap, lotion, anti-persperant/deodorant, toothpaste/toothbrush, and wetwipes; nutritional, non-perishable, food items i.e. Carnation Instant Breakfast packets, granola bars, and dried fruit. - Mood:contemplative
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| Sexting, or sex texting, is a new trend among teens and young adults in which individuals sends sexually explicit, usually nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves to other teens and young adults. However fun or cool this practice sounds, it isn't without risks or consequencies. Be smart and consider the following before taking that picture or hitting "send": - Keep in mind that you loose control over who sees it once you hit 'send' and it goes to another person's phone. Regardless of what a person tells you they intend to do with the picture, once it's on their phone, they could save or distribute copies without your knowledge or permission.
- Once you hit 'send' and it's in cyberspace, you can't take it back. Much like wildfire and rumors, sexually explicit pictures tend to spread quickly. Once you hit 'send' and it goes to another person's phone, the image could be saved and/or distrubuted through a variety of means, including on the internet. Once it's reached the internet, it's all but almost impossible to track down and remove all the copies of such images and they may circulate around the internet for years.
- Your pictures may get into the wrong hands and go from cool and sexy to embarasssing. The images could be received by and used in a malicious or otherwise a threatening way by someone with a grudge or who otherwise dislikes you.
- If you're under 18, it could land you in serious legal hot water. Possesion of sexually explicit images of any person under 18 is illegal and could result in charges ranging from misdemeanor to felony and probation, heavy fines, or even jail time, depending on how the images were used and the jurisdiction. Also, if you were caught during school hours, you could lose your scholarship, the abiity to participate in extra-circicular activities, or even face suspension or expulsion.
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| The following is a documentary exploring the real basis of pregnancy in a college setting, created by St. Loius University student, going by the monniker, PrettyInPink. Beginning with portraying herself as an 8 month pregnant college student, she explores others reactions to pregnant and parenting college students. Also she interviews parenting college students, explores the options available to pregnant and parenting college students, and explores the relationship of these elements with the Saint Louis University administration and stated values. Her reason behind this documentary? I came up with the idea to do a movie about pregnancy when I was in need of a quick Halloween costume and sacrificed my scarf collection temporarily to fashion a quick belly with duct tape and a large t-shirt. I thought some of the reactions to me were a bit interesting - I'm sure a few people were wondering whether it was a costume or not - so I thought it would be interesting to do a larger belly for a longer period of time. The topic evolved into exploring the real basis of pregnancy in a college setting on St. Louis University's campus, which has unique qualities that are worth investigating. [Editor's Note - SLU is a Catholic university.]... Specifically, it is interesting to see how the values of charity and chastity intertwine during these situations and how the structure of the university addresses them. This is not a "pro-choice" or "pro-life" issue, although the discussion of pregnancy in the educational system may cause these kind of political issues to rise to the surface. Women today faced with pregnancies legally have several options in front of them. But are they truly able to make these decisions freely? Or are they pressured by family, community, financial, or educational circumstances to make a choice they are not fully comfortable with? My motivation is to help women make these choices freely, and academia and communities need to be able to make accommodations freely available to women who need them.
In the first video, we are introduced briefly to SLU and 3 lovely students who have had children: Dana, Cassi, and Alex. Each has a story to tell and her own experiencesabout being a student and a mother on SLU's campus. Here we get a glimpse of what SLU is doing right and a few things that SLU might need to work on.
What to Expect When You're Expecting in College: Part 1 of 5
In Part 2, we learn more from the girls about the "lowest lows and highest highs," and about the accommodations they received. She asked different people in the St. Louis University community if they know what resources are available on campus and/or where to get it, and get some interesting answers. Then we are introduced to the 1st of 2 big pregnancy centers close by that cater to the students - Planned Parenthood. The representative explains PP's programs, agenda, and what happens when students or women come in the door with a positive pregnancy test.
What to Expect When You're Expecting in College: Part 2 of 5
In Part 3, she finishes looking into pregnancy options with ThriVe St. Louis, a pro-life pregnancy care center near the St. Louis University campus - what it offers and how it helps women. Then we are introduced to her project. She quickly outlines her experience of portraying myself as 8 months pregnant for 2 weeks on campus. Then the SLU community tells us what they thought about her "pregnancy."
What to Expect When You're Expecting in College: Part 3 of 5
In Part 4, she approaches the issues of the frequency of pregnancy on college campus, social reactions, and stigma towards pregnant college students. She interviews students, asking them how frequently they see pregnant college students and what their reactions were. Also, she interviews members of the faculty about their approach to pregnant students.
What to Expect When You're Expecting in College: Part 4 of 5
Summary of Part 5 Coming...
What to Expect When You're Expecting in College: Part 5 of 5 | |
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| Back in February of 2006, I discovered and disclosed Marie Claire magazine reporter Siobhan O'Connor requesting negative experiences with Crisis Pregnancy Centers for a biased article she was writing. In response, I encouraged others to take action and share their own experiences with CPCs, while also writing this article bebunking pro-choice myths about CPCs. Other blogs picked up my article and the positive response was overwhelming. As a result the article was never published in Marie Claire magazine. Now an update. I recently discovered Ms. O'Connor went on to write and publish a negative article on CPCs May 2007 in Good Magazine, entitled, " Playing Doctor: The pro-life movement's new plan for family planning" Reader responses at the article have been mixed, but please be sure to share your own experience with a crisis preganancy center, whether you were a client or a volunteer, with others at this article and in your community. Also, you can support your local CPC through volunteering your time or donating. Related: Myths and Facts About Pregnancy Resource CentersA comprehensive and investigative report looking at the accusations leveled against CPCs by pro-choice organizations, using facts and documentation in response. Fake Story About a Fake Clinic?A Planned Parenthood sent out an action alert mass e-mail to drum up support for a bill targeting allegedly deceptive advertising by crisis pregnancy centers, using a questionable ancedote about a CPC in Indiana. The ancedote in question is explored more in depth with some investigative reporting. | |
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| Indianapolis Family To Get 'Extreme Makeover'
Estridge To Construct Home For Family In Need
POSTED: 7:35 am EDT March 16, 2009 INDIANAPOLIS -- ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" has chosen an Indianapolis family to be the recipient of a new home. Every Sunday night on ABC and RTV6, the show's crew changes the lives of a family in need, tearing down their home and building them a brand new one in just one week.
The Estridge Companies, a central Indiana homebuilder, will be take on the project. Mayor Greg Ballard was part of an official announcement Monday morning.
"This will not only help a deserving family, but it also will demonstrate to the world how this community works together to honor and support its everyday heroes," Ballard said.
The Indianapolis family, whose identity won't be revealed until later this month, was chosen for the show's season finale, which airs on May 17.
"In a couple of weeks, Ty Pennington (show host) will knock on the door and the family will know for the first time," said Paul Estridge Jr., president of the company.
The show, in its sixth season, has won back-to-back Emmy Awards as Best Reality Program.
"There are many dimensions of this that are quite transforming, to not only this tremendous model of an American family, but also the entire neighborhood," Estridge said. "More than any other show, this show will go beyond the four walls and reach out into the neighborhood."
Times are tough for homebuilders, and the decision to take part in the project was not one that Estridge took lightly.
"It was one of the most challenging decisions our company had to make, because as everyone knows, if you're a homebuilder today … you're struggling to try to make the right decisions," Estridge said. "We're certainly no different than any other builder, but this opportunity is really an extension of our company's values."
Estridge has built more than 7,500 homes in its 42-year history. Updates on the project as well as airing date can be found at the link above on the WTHR Channel 6 website. I'm so excited, both that the producers have chosen this well deserving individual and that the show has come to my area! :D
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rsnider's journal
