Dr. Hern and Nurse Corrigan reported on their own staff. "Reactions to viewing the fetus ranged from 'I haven't looked' to shock, dismay, amazement, disgust, fear, and sadness." .... "We discerned that the following psychological defenses were used by staff members at various times to handle the traumatic impact of the destructive part of the operation: denial, sometimes through literal distance from viewing the procedure itself; projection, as evidenced by concern or anguish for other staff members assisting with or performing the procedure; and intellectualization. Popularly, the latter took the form of discussing the pros and cons of performing the D & E procedure and rationalizing its value."
....
The later the pregnancy and the larger the fetus, the harder it becomes to distance. Joy Davis gives another explanation, "When you did a suction procedure, it would come out in pieces, it would go in the jar, it would go in a stocking, it would go in a cup. You didn't actually see the baby. When you did a second and third trimester, if they come out in pieces, we were better. It didn't bother us as bad. If they come out intact, we had a dead baby there. So all of us would cry a lot, and all of us would hurt over that."
....
Putting the tasks into different divisions is needed and used, but putting the responsibility into different compartments is also quite necessary as a defense. Nurse Sallie Tisdale explains, "I couldn't be here if I tried to judge each case on its merits; after all, we do over a hundred abortions a week. . . For me, the limit is allowing my clients to carry their own burden, shoulder the responsibility themselves. I shoulder the burden of trying not to judge them."
....
The best way to counter a fantasy is to show the reality. With the wonders of modern technology, we are now able to show photographs of embryos and fetuses. We're able to do sonograms to show the movement and actuality of them at the very time it's occurring, although in shadowy form. A strong dose of reality should put a fantasy to rest. Curiously, this technique seems to be counter-productive. Former abortion doctor Joseph Randall, for example, said, "I think the greatest thing that got to us was the ultrasound. At that time, the ultrasound, or the sound wave picture which was moving, called 'real-time ultrasound,' showed the baby on TV. The baby really came alive on TV and was moving. And that picture, that picture of the baby on ultrasound bothered me more than anything else. . . . We lost two nurses. They couldn't take looking at it."
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Achieving Peace in the Abortion War, Chapter 3
We've started to read and discuss Rachel McNair's Achieving Peace in the Abortion War. So far we've read chapters 1 and 2. Today we'll look at Chapter 3, Dealing With It:
Christelle Morrison, Abortion Survivor
From The Survivors, and others linked to below.
On the night of November 14, 1979, a two-pound baby girl of 28 weeks gestation was found in a Nevada field, wrapped in an old, wet, dirty shirt. Her umbilical cord was still attached. The baby was blue and unresponsive, which is hardly surprising since the temperature that night was only 15 degrees. The baby was rushed to a rural emergency clinic, where a doctor immersed her in warm water. She revived and was transferred to Medical Center in Reno. Registered Nurse Susan Walker was among the staff that tenderly cared for the little girl. When she was three months old, weighing in at three pounds, the baby underwent heart surgery.
Susan Walker and her husband adopted the discarded miracle baby, who they named Christelle. According to Mrs. Walker, Christelle is "bright, beautiful, strong and healthy, and probably the most loving person you could ever meet! She is a living testimony of God’s tremendous power and love and of the value of each and every unborn child."
On the night of November 14, 1979, a two-pound baby girl of 28 weeks gestation was found in a Nevada field, wrapped in an old, wet, dirty shirt. Her umbilical cord was still attached. The baby was blue and unresponsive, which is hardly surprising since the temperature that night was only 15 degrees. The baby was rushed to a rural emergency clinic, where a doctor immersed her in warm water. She revived and was transferred to Medical Center in Reno. Registered Nurse Susan Walker was among the staff that tenderly cared for the little girl. When she was three months old, weighing in at three pounds, the baby underwent heart surgery.
Susan Walker and her husband adopted the discarded miracle baby, who they named Christelle. According to Mrs. Walker, Christelle is "bright, beautiful, strong and healthy, and probably the most loving person you could ever meet! She is a living testimony of God’s tremendous power and love and of the value of each and every unborn child."
Wise as Serpents, Innocent as Doves
A visitor at my old Pro Life Views forum wrote to me:
Although I sent this particular person a direct response, I think that a more global response is in order. After all, there is a tiny, frustrated minority of people who are coming to think that those who live by the sword need to die by the sword (or, more accurately, that those who live by the canula need to die by the .22, but that's just being technical). By and large, these folks aren't bloodthirsty. They're just plain fed up. It's hard to watch abortionists slaughter women and children for a quarter of a century, and listen to them gloat about it, without sometimes thinking that maybe the world would be a better place if somebody just took these folks out of it.
Most of them struggle with the issue; after all, the Bible says "Rescue those who are being led to slaughter." Does this mean that believers have an obligation to use whatever worldly means are necessary to stop abortionists in their tracks? Since I personally have been a Christian for 5 of my 15 years of pro life activism, and since those tempted to become violent often think that God might be calling them to harm abortionists, my primary approach will be from a Christian point of view. But those of other faiths, or of no faith, or those who are confused, will still find food for thought.
There are many angles from which to approach the question, "Is violence justified in dealing with abortionists?" The one that I think cuts to the quick is Jesus' admonition to "Be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves." Examining whether or not killing abortionists is wise and innocent can provide insights for people of all faiths.
Is killing abortionists wise?
The professed goal of someone who shoots an abortionist is to "rescue those who are being led to slaughter." Superficially, it might seem wise to simply shoot the person who plans to slaughter the babies. But is that what is really accomplished?
Let's not forget that every baby scheduled for death by abortion is being carried to the death house by his or her own mother. The abortionist is the instrument that carries out the death sentence she herself, for whatever reason, has imposed on the child. Unless her heart and mind are swayed, she will simply select another executioner. Although some women might take the shooting of the abortionist to be a sign against aborting, others will be hardened in their resolve. Insiders who have fled the abortion industry tell us again and again that direct confrontation only tends to make the woman more stubborn -- she now has an additional reason to go through with the abortion, if only to show those hateful busybodies that they can't push her around. The most anyone will accomplish by shooting an abortionist is that they will delay some scheduled abortions. On the other hand, peaceful pro life efforts such as running alternative centers, sidewalk counseling, and peaceful pickets, have been shown to be effective in turning women away from abortion and helping them to choose life for their unborn children. Is it wise to turn from a method with a proven track record to one that is dubious at best?
Let's also step back and look at the big picture. There are more babies scheduled for death in the United States every day than just those at a particular abortion mill. Roughly 4,000 women will walk into abortion facilities on any given day and have their children put to death. Assuming that the gunman chooses a high-volume mill, he will at most delay the 50 or so abortions schedeuled for that day, leaving 3,950 other abortions to go on as scheduled. What of the 3,950 mothers going into other abortion facilities? On a peaceful day, many of them will be swayed by the peaceful pro life presence outside. Sometimes just looking out through the waiting room window at all those people willing to help her is enough to give a woman the courage to have her baby. But if an abortionist gets shot, you can be certain that word will get out quickly, and that the staff at clinics nationwide will be exploiting the news. They will use it to convince the women that the peaceful prolifers outside are actually violent, ready to shoot people who disagree with them. Instead of being open to approach by pro life counselors, the women will be frightened and driven straight into the waiting arms of the abortionists.
And what of the 4,000 women scheduled for abortion the next day, and the day after that? Again, abortion advocates will use the shooting of the abortionist to drive a wedge between the women and the people who are tying to reach them. Proven effective peaceful efforts will not have a chance if the women are too frightened to approach pro life activists.
Let's look at some of the ripple effects of shooting abortionists: demonization of pro life activists, increased sympathy for abortionists, draconian laws passed to keep peaceful and effective pro lifers away from abortion facilities. None of these effects is positive. So is shooting abortionists wise? Not at all. It simply feeds the pro abortion propaganda machine.
But that's a physical examination of the problem. What about the spiritual impact? Let's start with the abortionist himself. He was shot on his way to kill babies; he dies unrepentant. Another soul is firmly won for Satan, with no chance of redemption. Peaceful efforts, on the other hand, have been shown to win abortionists over to Christ. Now, which does Satan the greater harm -- giftwrapping an abortionist and leaving him on Hell's doorstep, or stealing him into the Kingdom of God? Which does God the greater service, reaching out to a lost sheep, or delivering an abortionist to Satan, all trussed up and ready to torment?
And what of the surviving abortionists? Won't shooting one of their own at least put the fear of God into them? Hardly. As we've seen before, it hardens their hearts and makes them harder to reach.
What of the other unrepentant souls? The associates of the slain abortionist, and the other abortion defenders? Again, they harden their hearts. Those who might have been receptive to the Gospel want no part of God, if God means people shooting their friends. What about the unbelievers not directly involved in abortion? All they see is a man or woman gunned down in the name of God. They decide, "If that's what God is about, I want nothing to do with it." So unbelievers -- even those with no great love for abortion -- are turned away from Christ. I'm sure Satan chuckles when that happens.
So what does shooting an abortionist do? It thwarts efforts to rescue babies from death, and drives more souls away from Christ and toward Satan.
This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, wise.
Is shooting abortionists innocent?
There are those who advocate shooting abortionists since the Bible contains examples of God instructing His people to smite the wicked. Since the abortionists are clearly wicked, these people rationalize, killing them isn't covered under the Commandment to refrain from killing.
They're overlooking quite a few things.
First of all, God gave very specific instructions to very specific people about exactly which wicked folks to smite, and when, and how. There have been far more wicked people that God did not give orders for anybody to smite. I doubt that this was an oversight on His part. If He had wanted His people to smite these particular wicked folks, I'm sure He would have said so. God is many things, but He's no shrinking violet. Unless you've received a direct order from God, "On such-and-such date, take such-and-such weapon and shoot such-and-such abortionist," your actions don't fall under some sort of global instruction to smite the wicked. And even if you think you have received such an order, you're instructed to "test" the message by consulting with your brothers and sisters in Christ. All the abortionist slayers to date have neglected this vital step, or have ignored the council of their brethern who warned them that their plans were not Godly. Jesus warns us that the Devil can quote Scriptures. Considering the great service done to Satan when an abortionist is shot, it's pretty clear where those instructions are coming from, and they're not from God.
Secondly, we can not see into anybody else's heart. Our many brothers and sisters who have fled the abortion industry tell similar stories of the final days before they left. Many of them reached out to their fellow employees, trying to reach them. Others helped women to leave the clinic instead of going through with scheduled abortions. A human being standing outside the abortion mill has no way of knowing what is going on inside the hearts of those walking in. The gunman has no way of knowing if that abortionist is going in to kill babies, or to tell his staff he's had an epiphany, or to walk out with records he's planning to turn over to the authorities about crimes committed at that clinic. Because we can not know, shooting the abortionist is not innocent, either.
Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Continue the prayer and education and peaceful efforts that have saved lives and souls.
All that I have to say is some people deserve to die. If you think that instead of killing the murders that kill our children should just stay in prison, then you are really stupid.
Although I sent this particular person a direct response, I think that a more global response is in order. After all, there is a tiny, frustrated minority of people who are coming to think that those who live by the sword need to die by the sword (or, more accurately, that those who live by the canula need to die by the .22, but that's just being technical). By and large, these folks aren't bloodthirsty. They're just plain fed up. It's hard to watch abortionists slaughter women and children for a quarter of a century, and listen to them gloat about it, without sometimes thinking that maybe the world would be a better place if somebody just took these folks out of it.
Most of them struggle with the issue; after all, the Bible says "Rescue those who are being led to slaughter." Does this mean that believers have an obligation to use whatever worldly means are necessary to stop abortionists in their tracks? Since I personally have been a Christian for 5 of my 15 years of pro life activism, and since those tempted to become violent often think that God might be calling them to harm abortionists, my primary approach will be from a Christian point of view. But those of other faiths, or of no faith, or those who are confused, will still find food for thought.
There are many angles from which to approach the question, "Is violence justified in dealing with abortionists?" The one that I think cuts to the quick is Jesus' admonition to "Be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves." Examining whether or not killing abortionists is wise and innocent can provide insights for people of all faiths.
Is killing abortionists wise?
The professed goal of someone who shoots an abortionist is to "rescue those who are being led to slaughter." Superficially, it might seem wise to simply shoot the person who plans to slaughter the babies. But is that what is really accomplished?
Let's not forget that every baby scheduled for death by abortion is being carried to the death house by his or her own mother. The abortionist is the instrument that carries out the death sentence she herself, for whatever reason, has imposed on the child. Unless her heart and mind are swayed, she will simply select another executioner. Although some women might take the shooting of the abortionist to be a sign against aborting, others will be hardened in their resolve. Insiders who have fled the abortion industry tell us again and again that direct confrontation only tends to make the woman more stubborn -- she now has an additional reason to go through with the abortion, if only to show those hateful busybodies that they can't push her around. The most anyone will accomplish by shooting an abortionist is that they will delay some scheduled abortions. On the other hand, peaceful pro life efforts such as running alternative centers, sidewalk counseling, and peaceful pickets, have been shown to be effective in turning women away from abortion and helping them to choose life for their unborn children. Is it wise to turn from a method with a proven track record to one that is dubious at best?
Let's also step back and look at the big picture. There are more babies scheduled for death in the United States every day than just those at a particular abortion mill. Roughly 4,000 women will walk into abortion facilities on any given day and have their children put to death. Assuming that the gunman chooses a high-volume mill, he will at most delay the 50 or so abortions schedeuled for that day, leaving 3,950 other abortions to go on as scheduled. What of the 3,950 mothers going into other abortion facilities? On a peaceful day, many of them will be swayed by the peaceful pro life presence outside. Sometimes just looking out through the waiting room window at all those people willing to help her is enough to give a woman the courage to have her baby. But if an abortionist gets shot, you can be certain that word will get out quickly, and that the staff at clinics nationwide will be exploiting the news. They will use it to convince the women that the peaceful prolifers outside are actually violent, ready to shoot people who disagree with them. Instead of being open to approach by pro life counselors, the women will be frightened and driven straight into the waiting arms of the abortionists.
And what of the 4,000 women scheduled for abortion the next day, and the day after that? Again, abortion advocates will use the shooting of the abortionist to drive a wedge between the women and the people who are tying to reach them. Proven effective peaceful efforts will not have a chance if the women are too frightened to approach pro life activists.
Let's look at some of the ripple effects of shooting abortionists: demonization of pro life activists, increased sympathy for abortionists, draconian laws passed to keep peaceful and effective pro lifers away from abortion facilities. None of these effects is positive. So is shooting abortionists wise? Not at all. It simply feeds the pro abortion propaganda machine.
But that's a physical examination of the problem. What about the spiritual impact? Let's start with the abortionist himself. He was shot on his way to kill babies; he dies unrepentant. Another soul is firmly won for Satan, with no chance of redemption. Peaceful efforts, on the other hand, have been shown to win abortionists over to Christ. Now, which does Satan the greater harm -- giftwrapping an abortionist and leaving him on Hell's doorstep, or stealing him into the Kingdom of God? Which does God the greater service, reaching out to a lost sheep, or delivering an abortionist to Satan, all trussed up and ready to torment?
And what of the surviving abortionists? Won't shooting one of their own at least put the fear of God into them? Hardly. As we've seen before, it hardens their hearts and makes them harder to reach.
What of the other unrepentant souls? The associates of the slain abortionist, and the other abortion defenders? Again, they harden their hearts. Those who might have been receptive to the Gospel want no part of God, if God means people shooting their friends. What about the unbelievers not directly involved in abortion? All they see is a man or woman gunned down in the name of God. They decide, "If that's what God is about, I want nothing to do with it." So unbelievers -- even those with no great love for abortion -- are turned away from Christ. I'm sure Satan chuckles when that happens.
So what does shooting an abortionist do? It thwarts efforts to rescue babies from death, and drives more souls away from Christ and toward Satan.
This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, wise.
Is shooting abortionists innocent?
There are those who advocate shooting abortionists since the Bible contains examples of God instructing His people to smite the wicked. Since the abortionists are clearly wicked, these people rationalize, killing them isn't covered under the Commandment to refrain from killing.
They're overlooking quite a few things.
First of all, God gave very specific instructions to very specific people about exactly which wicked folks to smite, and when, and how. There have been far more wicked people that God did not give orders for anybody to smite. I doubt that this was an oversight on His part. If He had wanted His people to smite these particular wicked folks, I'm sure He would have said so. God is many things, but He's no shrinking violet. Unless you've received a direct order from God, "On such-and-such date, take such-and-such weapon and shoot such-and-such abortionist," your actions don't fall under some sort of global instruction to smite the wicked. And even if you think you have received such an order, you're instructed to "test" the message by consulting with your brothers and sisters in Christ. All the abortionist slayers to date have neglected this vital step, or have ignored the council of their brethern who warned them that their plans were not Godly. Jesus warns us that the Devil can quote Scriptures. Considering the great service done to Satan when an abortionist is shot, it's pretty clear where those instructions are coming from, and they're not from God.
Secondly, we can not see into anybody else's heart. Our many brothers and sisters who have fled the abortion industry tell similar stories of the final days before they left. Many of them reached out to their fellow employees, trying to reach them. Others helped women to leave the clinic instead of going through with scheduled abortions. A human being standing outside the abortion mill has no way of knowing what is going on inside the hearts of those walking in. The gunman has no way of knowing if that abortionist is going in to kill babies, or to tell his staff he's had an epiphany, or to walk out with records he's planning to turn over to the authorities about crimes committed at that clinic. Because we can not know, shooting the abortionist is not innocent, either.
Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Continue the prayer and education and peaceful efforts that have saved lives and souls.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Interesting Prochoice Reflections
Thanks to Emily at After Abortion for sharing these provocative articles from Nerve.
Point of No Return. "As a pro-choice woman, I'm ashamed to admit it, but I think second-term abortion is wrong."
Trouble in Numbers. "On the stigma of the second abortion."
Who Are the Feminists for Life? "In a word, dangerous."
Point of No Return. "As a pro-choice woman, I'm ashamed to admit it, but I think second-term abortion is wrong."
Trouble in Numbers. "On the stigma of the second abortion."
Who Are the Feminists for Life? "In a word, dangerous."
Achieving Peace in the Abortion War, Chapter 2
I've invited all my readers to join me in reading and discussing Rachel McNair's excellent Achieving Peace in the Abortion War. Yesterday we read Chapter 1, The Well-Kept Secret. Today, let's look at Chapter 2, On The Front Line. Here are some excerpts:
Some scholars have proposed that women who undergo abortion have a variant of PTSD which they call Post Abortion Syndrome. .... Over 300 studies with varying outcomes have been done on this matter, and it is subject to intense debate. However, incredibly little study has been done of the doctors, nurses, counselors, and other staff in abortion clinics and hospitals. Such studies exist, but they are very few and hard to find. In fact, if it is narrowed down to scientific studies done by researchers who don't work in the abortion field and that look at a large number of people, there are really only two.
One feature of those two studies is that they were done by people with a bias in favor of abortion availability. Yet in contrast to the studies of post-aborted women, they both note the high prevalence of symptoms that fit under posttraumatic stress disorder.
....
Dr. Hern, an abortion specialist, gave a paper to the Association of Planned Parenthood Physicians in 1978 in which he had studied his own staff. "We have produced an unusual dilemma. A procedure is rapidly becoming recognized as the procedure of choice in late abortion, but those capable of performing or assisting with the procedure are having strong personal reservations about participating in an operation which they view as destructive and violent.... We have reached a point in this particular technology where there is no possibility of denial of an act of destruction by the operator. It is before one's eyes. The sensations of dismemberment flow through the forceps like an electric current."
....
The American Medical News reported this from the National Abortion Federation workshop: "They wonder if the fetus feels pain. They talk about the soul and where it goes. And about their dreams, in which aborted fetuses stare at them with ancient eyes and perfectly shaped hands and feet asking, 'Why? Why did you do this to me?'"
....
"We don't have conversations," said Joy Davis, a former employee of Dr. Tucker. "Sometimes, the employees faint. Sometimes they throw up. Sometimes, they have to leave the room. It's just problems that we deal with, but it's not talked about."
Abortion Survivor Jim Kelly
From The Survivors
Jim's mother is described as "troubled." She had eight children by five different men, only one of whom she ever married. Jim was 27 when he learned of the prenatal attempt on his life. The abortion had killed a female fetus, but had spared Jim.
He'd become a Christian several years earlier, and was working through the effects of growing up in an unhealthy family. Jim said that he was abused by one of her mother's live-in boyfriends, who broke Jim's ankle and burned his hands. Jim was placed in foster care and various instutions, where he suffered more abuse, including sexual abuse. But he still was struggling with feelings of anger, rejection, and loss. He was making progress in building healthy bonds with his siblings, but not with his mother until she was on her deathbed.
Unlike Sarah Smith and Gianna Jessen, Jim Kelly is largely unknown, even to the pro-life community. Although he is the oldest abortion survivor we are aware of, he has only told his story publicly once, to a pro-life rally on the steps of the state capitol in Sacramento, California. Like Sarah Smith, Jim Kelly is a surviving twin. His twin sister, Katherine Marie Kelly, was killed by his mother in a self-inflicted abortion ... in 1949.
Jim's mother is described as "troubled." She had eight children by five different men, only one of whom she ever married. Jim was 27 when he learned of the prenatal attempt on his life. The abortion had killed a female fetus, but had spared Jim.
He'd become a Christian several years earlier, and was working through the effects of growing up in an unhealthy family. Jim said that he was abused by one of her mother's live-in boyfriends, who broke Jim's ankle and burned his hands. Jim was placed in foster care and various instutions, where he suffered more abuse, including sexual abuse. But he still was struggling with feelings of anger, rejection, and loss. He was making progress in building healthy bonds with his siblings, but not with his mother until she was on her deathbed.
Does Jim Kelly ever wish that he had been spared his tumultuous and painful life, that he had also been aborted with his sister? Although he did try to commit suicide once as a teenager, while in an institution, he says he is glad to be alive. And, he adds, "Thank God there were no Planned Parenthood abortion clinics at the time I was born or I wouldn’t have survived; they would have finished the job."
According to Jim Kelly, his life is proof of the truism that God works in mysterious ways. "As negative as so many of my life experiences have been, I wouldn’t trade any of them now," he says. Those experiences have given him compassion and psychological insights that are invaluable to his vocation as a social worker. "I can build bridges, I can reach people who can’t be reached by your so-called ‘professionals,’ because I’ve been there, I know what they’re going through. And they can see that I’m not just relating something I read in a psychology textbook."
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Achieving Peace in the Abortion War
Recommended reading. Here are a few excerpts from Chapter 1:
I hope that my readers will follow along with reading and discussing this important book, available in full online.
Having gone through the exercise of listening to the real-life experience of doctors and nurses involved in providing abortion in the United States, I have come to the conclusion that the abortion business is too fragile to last. .... Though more study and the passage of time will tell whether this is right, I will risk making the following prediction: the abortion business is weakening, this downturn can't be stopped, and the American public for the most part will not be sad to see it go. Politics won't settle the issue. Achieving peace doesn't mean scoring a victory over opponents. Only when everybody's well-being is realized will we get peace. And peace is coming.
....
The reaction to the work itself is examined in an article written in the American Medical News ... which reports on a meeting of the National Abortion Federation. It says that the discussions "illuminate a rarely heard side of the abortion debate: the conflicting feelings that plague many providers . . . The notion that the nurses, doctors, counselors and others who work in the abortion field have qualms about the work they do is a well-kept secret."
....
If abortion is the taking of a human life ... then certain psychological consequences could be expected among those who perform abortions. .... If we find no such aftermath, the case that abortion is not violence at all is strengthened. If those reactions can be found, what then? Can the United States, with its abundance of abortions, provide evidence for such a problem? Are there other negative emotions that also interfere with the smooth functioning of the practice, and account for its oddities? If so, it could help to explain a decline and predict an eventual fall. The rest of this book will be making a case for the prediction that this has started to happen, will continue to happen, and probably can't be stopped.
I hope that my readers will follow along with reading and discussing this important book, available in full online.
An example of malpractice
Anne S., age 32, made the following allegations regarding an August 10, 1998 abortion performed at A Lady's Choice, possibly by Bruce Steir, the abortionist who performed the fatal abortion on Sharon Hamplton.
Anne had undergone previous abortions at this place in December of 1994 and August of 1996, and had three daughters. After the abortion, she had pain, and called Dr. Joseph Durante at the clinic at 4PM. He prescribed Tylenol 3 (a Tylenol with codeine). Anne called again at 11PM, still in pain, and Durante told her to take two doses of Tylenol 3.
Anne couldn't sleep, so she called the Victor Valley ER, and a nurse said to try milk and toast. Anne called Durante at 4AM, he said he'd see her in the morning.
The abortionist who'd done Anne's abortion had called Durante and told him that her abortion had taken longer than normal, that he'd had to penetrate deep into uterus, and that he might have perforated her uterus.
Late in the morning of August, Durante performed a D&C to remove possible retained tissue. Anne's pulse was 118 and her hemoglobin 17.1, which are alarming symptoms. Nevertheless, Durante sent Anne home, and told her see Dr. Albano at the hospital for further problems. Anne couldn't reach Albano, so her boyfriend called Durante on August 12 to report that she was vomiting "green stuff." Durante said to give Anne food but not to bring her to the emergency room.
Anne went to the ER on the 13th. The doctor performed an endoscopic examination and saw "fecal exudate." Anne required 4.5 hours of surgery to repair her uterus and small bowel and remove feces from her abdominal cavity. Anne spent 8 days in the ICU and ten additional days hospitalized.
Ut turned out that the abortionist had used a #12 canula, indicating that he thought Anne was 11 weeks pregnant, rather than using a smaller one appropriate for 8-9 weeks. He made no notes of abnormal symptoms on Anne's chart. Dr. Makala Reddy, who treated Anne, testified before a state judge, “I noticed the overwhelming infection inside the abdomen. I decided I wouldn't be able to take care of her problem through a scope, so I decided to do a laparotomy, which is opening up her belly from above the navel down to the pubic bone by slicing through the layers of the abdominal wall. .... When we peeled off the omentum that was adherent to the bowel lobes and the uterus abdominal wall, we discovered there was a hole in the uterus and there was a lot more fluid collection in the pelvis, which again was bowel contents mixed with pus and exudate, and then we noticed the hole in the lower part of the small intestine."
Anne had undergone previous abortions at this place in December of 1994 and August of 1996, and had three daughters. After the abortion, she had pain, and called Dr. Joseph Durante at the clinic at 4PM. He prescribed Tylenol 3 (a Tylenol with codeine). Anne called again at 11PM, still in pain, and Durante told her to take two doses of Tylenol 3.
Anne couldn't sleep, so she called the Victor Valley ER, and a nurse said to try milk and toast. Anne called Durante at 4AM, he said he'd see her in the morning.
The abortionist who'd done Anne's abortion had called Durante and told him that her abortion had taken longer than normal, that he'd had to penetrate deep into uterus, and that he might have perforated her uterus.
Late in the morning of August, Durante performed a D&C to remove possible retained tissue. Anne's pulse was 118 and her hemoglobin 17.1, which are alarming symptoms. Nevertheless, Durante sent Anne home, and told her see Dr. Albano at the hospital for further problems. Anne couldn't reach Albano, so her boyfriend called Durante on August 12 to report that she was vomiting "green stuff." Durante said to give Anne food but not to bring her to the emergency room.
Anne went to the ER on the 13th. The doctor performed an endoscopic examination and saw "fecal exudate." Anne required 4.5 hours of surgery to repair her uterus and small bowel and remove feces from her abdominal cavity. Anne spent 8 days in the ICU and ten additional days hospitalized.
Ut turned out that the abortionist had used a #12 canula, indicating that he thought Anne was 11 weeks pregnant, rather than using a smaller one appropriate for 8-9 weeks. He made no notes of abnormal symptoms on Anne's chart. Dr. Makala Reddy, who treated Anne, testified before a state judge, “I noticed the overwhelming infection inside the abdomen. I decided I wouldn't be able to take care of her problem through a scope, so I decided to do a laparotomy, which is opening up her belly from above the navel down to the pubic bone by slicing through the layers of the abdominal wall. .... When we peeled off the omentum that was adherent to the bowel lobes and the uterus abdominal wall, we discovered there was a hole in the uterus and there was a lot more fluid collection in the pelvis, which again was bowel contents mixed with pus and exudate, and then we noticed the hole in the lower part of the small intestine."
Abortion Survivor - Yamile Munoz
 |
| Yamile in the lap of her mother, Maggie Munoz, with Mrs. Magaly Llaguno, Latin America Coordinator for Human Life International |
Ultrasound prior to the abortion revealed a normal 11-week pregnancy. Maggie underwent an abortion by D&C. After returning home, she was ill and depressed.
Two weeks later, staff at the abortion facility called Maggie to tell her that the pathology report showed that the abortion was incomplete.
Maggie returned to the clinic, where an ultrasound revealed a healthy fetus, still very much alive. But the employee told Maggie that there was "retained tissue" and gave her an appointment to return in a week for a second abortion procedure. Maggie didn't trust the clinic staff, and decided to go to her own doctor, who ordered an ultrasound showing a healthy 15-week fetus.
Maggie was born May 18, 1992, perfectly healthy. Every day Maggie thanks God for her perfect daughter. (Source: Abortion Survivors [translation by Babelfish], from Right to Life League of Southern California, Fall 1992)
Monday, November 14, 2005
The Quality of the Debate
Not to say it's always like this, but too often it is:
Prolifer: Look. Here's a quote from an abortion clinic worker saying that they withhold information from women.
Abortion Advocate: YOU LIE!!! LIAR!! YOU DIRTY STINKING )(*)(*&(*)(!!!!!
PL: Here's the source. See?
AA: YOU STINKING )(*)(&#)(S ARE ALL ALIKE!!! You want to impose your will on women!!!!
PL: I was just pointing out this quote. If you're for choice, wouldn't you be opposed to withholding information?
AA: ITS' YOU EVIL STINKING )&^%$&^^(*&^S WHO DO THAT!
PL: In this instance, it's the abortion clinic staff. What do you think of that?
AA: GET YOUR MIND OUT OF MY VAGINA, YOU )(*(*^&)(*&ING )(*(*^&()*&!
PL: Huh?
AA: You (*&)(*&U$#s are always bombing clinics and besides abortion's safer than childbirth and you want women to die form coathanger abortions you *$)&$#$ing )*$#)(*$#)*$!!!!
PL: I agree with you that bombing abortion facilities is wrong. And I don't want women to die from any sort of abortion. But that's another issue. What I was trying to show you was this quote.
AA: IT'S MY BODY AND YOU )*$#)(*$#ING )(*$#)(*$##ERS JUST WANT TO BE INSIDE WOMEN'S VAGINAS!!!
YIKES!
Prolifer: Look. Here's a quote from an abortion clinic worker saying that they withhold information from women.
Abortion Advocate: YOU LIE!!! LIAR!! YOU DIRTY STINKING )(*)(*&(*)(!!!!!
PL: Here's the source. See?
AA: YOU STINKING )(*)(&#)(S ARE ALL ALIKE!!! You want to impose your will on women!!!!
PL: I was just pointing out this quote. If you're for choice, wouldn't you be opposed to withholding information?
AA: ITS' YOU EVIL STINKING )&^%$&^^(*&^S WHO DO THAT!
PL: In this instance, it's the abortion clinic staff. What do you think of that?
AA: GET YOUR MIND OUT OF MY VAGINA, YOU )(*(*^&)(*&ING )(*(*^&()*&!
PL: Huh?
AA: You (*&)(*&U$#s are always bombing clinics and besides abortion's safer than childbirth and you want women to die form coathanger abortions you *$)&$#$ing )*$#)(*$#)*$!!!!
PL: I agree with you that bombing abortion facilities is wrong. And I don't want women to die from any sort of abortion. But that's another issue. What I was trying to show you was this quote.
AA: IT'S MY BODY AND YOU )*$#)(*$#ING )(*$#)(*$##ERS JUST WANT TO BE INSIDE WOMEN'S VAGINAS!!!
YIKES!
Prochoicers group offering birth help!
Diamondsoul over in the Delphi Forums answered my challenge to tell me about a single prochoice group that actually offers any kind of help to women who don't want to abort. She sent me to Young Mommies Unite. I'm adding this one to the sidebar! I'm particularly excited about their Operation Baby Bag.
This is an answer to a prayer for me -- that prochoice women would start an organization that offers help for women who want to carry to term. Praise God!
This is an answer to a prayer for me -- that prochoice women would start an organization that offers help for women who want to carry to term. Praise God!
Sad Anniversary: Twila Coulter
On November 13, 1972, 21-year-old Twila Coulter traveled from her home in Colorado to California for a saline abortion.
Twila was injected with the saline on November 13, then expelled the dead fetus and the placenta the following day. Twila had no blood pressure and was bleeding from IV sites -- signs of disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, a clotting disorder. She was given oxygen and three units of blood and transferred to a fully-equipped hospital.
Upon arrival, Twila was comatose and bleeding heavily. Doctors removed some retained pregnancy tissue and sutured numerous uterine injuries, but were unable to address her clotting problems. Twila died of cerebral hemorrhage.
Other women who died of safe-and-legal abortions before Roe include:
Twila was injected with the saline on November 13, then expelled the dead fetus and the placenta the following day. Twila had no blood pressure and was bleeding from IV sites -- signs of disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, a clotting disorder. She was given oxygen and three units of blood and transferred to a fully-equipped hospital.
Upon arrival, Twila was comatose and bleeding heavily. Doctors removed some retained pregnancy tissue and sutured numerous uterine injuries, but were unable to address her clotting problems. Twila died of cerebral hemorrhage.
Other women who died of safe-and-legal abortions before Roe include:
- Cassandra Bleavins, 1971
- Margaret Davis, 1971
- Gwendolyn Drummer, 1972
- Janet Forster, 1971
- Betty Hines, 1971
- Denise Holmes, 1970
- Sara Lint, 1970
- Natalie Meyers, 1972
- Katherine Morse, 1972
- Maria Ortega, 1970
- Erika Peterson, 1961
- "Amanda" Roe, 1970
- "Alice" Roe, 1970
- "Amy" Roe, 1971
- "Annie" Roe, 1971
- "Andrea" Roe, 1971
- "Anita" Roe, 1971
- "April" Roe, 1971
- "Audrey" Roe, 1971
- "Barbara" Roe, 1971
- "Beth" Roe, 1971
- "Connie" Roe, 1972
- "Danielle" Roe, 1972
- "Judy" Roe, 1970
- "Julie" Roe, 1972
- "Kimberly" Roe, 1970
- "Monica" Roe, 1971
- "Robin" Roe, 1972
- "Roseanne" Roe, 1971
- "Roxanne" Roe, 1972
- "Sandra" Roe, 1971
- "Sheryl" Roe, 1970
- "Tammy" Roe, 1971
- "Vicki" Roe, 1971
- LaSandra Russ, 1971
- F.S., 1970
- Stella Saenz, 1968
- Carole Schaner, 1971
- Margaret Smith, 1971
- Kathryn Strong, 1972
- Cheryl Vosseler, 1969
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Where's the blind rage come from?
I was just looking for some interesting abortion-related discussions at Delphi Forums, when I stumbled into this. (WARNING: VERY crude and nasty language)
What's with these people? Where does the blind, impotent rage come from?
The only underlying thing I can pick out is the idea that their sense of self is so constricted that there's simply no room for anything else. It's like, "If the fetus exists at all, then I AM NOT REAL!" And they have to deny the very existence of the fetus in order to assert their own existence. It's really creepy and sad.
What's with these people? Where does the blind, impotent rage come from?
The only underlying thing I can pick out is the idea that their sense of self is so constricted that there's simply no room for anything else. It's like, "If the fetus exists at all, then I AM NOT REAL!" And they have to deny the very existence of the fetus in order to assert their own existence. It's really creepy and sad.
Abortion Survivor Lauren Pulliam
"Destined to be born" (Scroll down; translation by Babelfish)
Tiny Witnesses (Scroll down)
Seventeen-year-old Kristen went to Birthright for a pregnancy test. When the result was positive, she cried. Her mother spent the next few days reassuring Kristen that she'd help with caring for the baby, or with an adoption plan, but not with abortion. Kristen became withdrawn, and her mother became concerned. She learned that a friend had encouraged Kristen to go to Planned Parenthood.
After speaking with Planned Parenthood staff, who assured Kristen that she didn't need her parents' permission to abort, Kristen decided to schedule the abortion. Her parents pleaded with her. The day of the abortion, Kristen left the house in silence. Kristen's mother, Pat Pulliam, said, "Our home seemed a tomb."
Four weeks after the abortion, when Kristen returned to Planned Parenthood for a checkup, she learned that she was still pregnant. The staff recommended that she schedule a second procedure, but Kristen instead rushed home. Her mother called Planned Parenthood, but nobody would speak to her.
Kristen then went to an obstetrician for a checkup. He performed an ultrasound, and told her that the baby was a girl. Kristen and her mother looked at the ultrasound and everything seemed fine to them, but the doctor told them that the baby had abnormalities. He asked Kristen to reconsider abortion, but after having heard the baby's heartbeat, Kristen refused.
Kristen's mother took her to a pro-life obstetrician, who told them that the baby was "destined to be born."
Lauren Pulliam was born one month early, weighing six pounds. She was perfectly healthy. "Our daughter was in labor only twenty minutes," says Kristen's mother. "The baby was six pounds and absolutely perfect in every way.... Our daughter has been chosen to know the fullness of Christ’s love, care and forgiveness. Our lives will never be the same."
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Hillary softening abortion stance!
Hillary Clinton sent Bush a letter encouraging him to address the issue of forced abortions during his upcoming visit to China! To my knowledge, this is the first time a high-profile abortion advocate has even recognized that these forced abortions are taking place, much less spoken out against them. Wow!
This is, of course, good news for the women of China, since a united prolfe/prochoice front will bring to bear enough pressure to at least soften China's draconian campaign against second children. But it's bad news for women and children in the US, since a softening of her stand on abortion will make Hillary more palatable to voters in the US. Hillary's proposed national health care plan would have effectively forced abortion of disabled children, since it would have made it illegal to provide medical care to those who were not aborted.
This is, of course, good news for the women of China, since a united prolfe/prochoice front will bring to bear enough pressure to at least soften China's draconian campaign against second children. But it's bad news for women and children in the US, since a softening of her stand on abortion will make Hillary more palatable to voters in the US. Hillary's proposed national health care plan would have effectively forced abortion of disabled children, since it would have made it illegal to provide medical care to those who were not aborted.
Patricia Case, Abortion Survivor
According to this site (Translation by Babelfish), based on the HLI Congress of Abortion Survivors held in 1992, the parents of Patricia Case wanted a divorce. This was in the mid 1940s. By law, they had to be physically separated for at least a year. But shortly before that year was up, Patricia's mother became pregnant. This made it impossible to prove that they'd been separated for the full year and jeopardized their divorce plans.
According to Patricia, three unsuccessful attempts were made to cause an abortion. Despite these attempts, Patricia was born and placed for adoption. Patricia said that all went well until 1985, when Patricia was struck with strange feelings and tried to kill herself. In discussions with her therapist and adopted mother, Patricia learned that as a very small child she rejected people, and did not want to be shown affection. Patricia attributes this to how strongly her birth mother was rejecting her in-utero.
According to Patricia, three unsuccessful attempts were made to cause an abortion. Despite these attempts, Patricia was born and placed for adoption. Patricia said that all went well until 1985, when Patricia was struck with strange feelings and tried to kill herself. In discussions with her therapist and adopted mother, Patricia learned that as a very small child she rejected people, and did not want to be shown affection. Patricia attributes this to how strongly her birth mother was rejecting her in-utero.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Blog Roundup
Erin ponders where she really stands on abortion. We get a nice variety of stands here; stop in and chime in!
Read here about a woman's amazing victory.
Read here about a woman's amazing victory.
Joshua Vandervelden, Abortion Survivor
A lawsuit filed suit on behalf of Joshua Vandervelden alleged that Dr. Benjamin Victoria attempted to perform an abortion on Linda Moie on January 12, 1979, at Fox Valley Reproductive Health Care Center in Wisconsin. The abortion injured but did not kill the fetus (Joshua), who was born September 18, 1979. Joshua spent two weeks on a respirator. The suit was struck down by the court on the grounds that Linda consented to the abortion. Linda appealed, but the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the lower court's refusal to hear the case.
According to this site (translation by Babelfish), Joshua's mother became prolife after the birth of her son, and together they picket the clinic where the attempt on Joshua's life was made.
How many deaths?
Life Dynamics Inc. (LDI) has never claimed to have uncovered every case in which a woman has died from a legal abortion. Their focus is on the individual story. But still, we can count how many deaths LDI was able to discover, and compare those numbers to the "official" abortion mortality statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and see what we can see.
Life Dynamics numbers are obtained by counting the deaths from the "Tombstone Project" poster for each year, then adding stories from "The Blackmun Wall" for that year, for which Life Dynamics is unable to give names. This will give us the total legal abortion deaths Life Dynamics was able to find. I posted a table here. (It will open in a new window so you can refer to it as you read.) Years in red are years in which Life Dynamics found fewer deaths than did the CDC. Years in black are years in which Life Dynamics found the same number of deaths as the CDC. Years in green are years in which Life Dynamics found more deaths than the CDC.
Clearly, Life Dynamics is not finding all of the abortion deaths, since many years the CDC found more. But clearly also, the CDC is not finding them all. In fact, as time goes on, they seem to become worse and worse at finding abortion deaths.
The CDC has access to documents Life Dynamics can't get -- death certificates and coroner reports from jurisdictions with closed records, for example. The CDC also can easily obtain medical records from doctors and hospitals; Life Dynamics can not. In the 1970s, this advantage shows clearly, with the CDC finding far more abortion deaths than Life Dynamics finds. But in the early 1980s, this trend flattens out, with LDI and the CDC running neck and neck. In the late 1980s, Life Dynamics, with its limited access to records, outstrips the CDC at the job taxpayers are paying them to do: find out how many women are dying from legal abortions.
Clearly, nobody really knows how many women are dying from legal abortion. And the people in charge of keeping track dropped the ball.
Life Dynamics numbers are obtained by counting the deaths from the "Tombstone Project" poster for each year, then adding stories from "The Blackmun Wall" for that year, for which Life Dynamics is unable to give names. This will give us the total legal abortion deaths Life Dynamics was able to find. I posted a table here. (It will open in a new window so you can refer to it as you read.) Years in red are years in which Life Dynamics found fewer deaths than did the CDC. Years in black are years in which Life Dynamics found the same number of deaths as the CDC. Years in green are years in which Life Dynamics found more deaths than the CDC.
Clearly, Life Dynamics is not finding all of the abortion deaths, since many years the CDC found more. But clearly also, the CDC is not finding them all. In fact, as time goes on, they seem to become worse and worse at finding abortion deaths.
The CDC has access to documents Life Dynamics can't get -- death certificates and coroner reports from jurisdictions with closed records, for example. The CDC also can easily obtain medical records from doctors and hospitals; Life Dynamics can not. In the 1970s, this advantage shows clearly, with the CDC finding far more abortion deaths than Life Dynamics finds. But in the early 1980s, this trend flattens out, with LDI and the CDC running neck and neck. In the late 1980s, Life Dynamics, with its limited access to records, outstrips the CDC at the job taxpayers are paying them to do: find out how many women are dying from legal abortions.
Clearly, nobody really knows how many women are dying from legal abortion. And the people in charge of keeping track dropped the ball.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Abortion survivors added to sidebar
I've made yet another addition to the sidebar -- children born alive after abortions. I'll be gathering information on survivor Joshua Vandervelden, since I can find a picture of him but the only text I can find online is in Spanish.
If you know of any other abortion survivors with photos available, let me know.
If you know of any other abortion survivors with photos available, let me know.
Additions to the cemetery of choice
Thanks to information I've gotten from the National Organization for [Some] Women, I've added four illegal abortion deaths to the Cemetery of Choice. These women are Clara Duvall, Ruth Friedl, Pauline Shirley, and Vivian Cambpell.
Improved search-and-destroy
First Trimester Best Time to Test for Downs Syndrome
Of course, the unspoken message is, "and then you can arrange an abortion."
To their credit, the authors say Down Syndrome causes "mild-to-moderate mental retardation," rather than painting a grim picture. But you know where the whole thing is leading.
For a reminder of what it is they're testing for in these search-and-destroy missions, visit Band of Angels.
Of course, the unspoken message is, "and then you can arrange an abortion."
To their credit, the authors say Down Syndrome causes "mild-to-moderate mental retardation," rather than painting a grim picture. But you know where the whole thing is leading.
For a reminder of what it is they're testing for in these search-and-destroy missions, visit Band of Angels.
Abortion: The Un Choice
The Elliot Institute has a great new campaign addressing how about is experienced by far too many of the woman who go through it.
Unwanted:
Unsafe:
Unfair:
The campaign features billboards,
display ads,
radio ads, and TV ads.
Visit the site. It's full of information you can use even if you're not in a position to place an ad.
Unwanted:
In Virginia, a homeless woman testified that she was forced to choose between an abortion and staying at the shelter. ...
Unsafe:
Our granddaughter, age 21, had an abortion. Three months later her father found her hanging from the cross beams in the basement.
Unfair:
"If you regret an abortion, nobody wants to hear about it. After all, there's nothing anyone can do to fix the problem. So you have to tell yourself what happened was good - and everyone around tells you the same thing. After that, I knew I would never bring up the subject again."
The campaign features billboards,
display ads,
radio ads, and TV ads.
Visit the site. It's full of information you can use even if you're not in a position to place an ad.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Two blog entries that belong together
I don't usually link to poetry, but I make an exception for Destroying His Image. This is not typical sappy prolife poetry -- it's a strong witness from somebody who has been there, done that.
To complement this -- tell me this isn't the hand of God -- Catholic Fire posts these words from Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae.
To complement this -- tell me this isn't the hand of God -- Catholic Fire posts these words from Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae.
Sidebar addition -- the cost of abortion
I've made another addition to the sidebar -- pictures, with links, of women whose abortions cost them their lives. Top to bottom: Christin Gilbert, Carolina Gutierrez, Maureen Tyke, Diana Lopez with her kids, Sharon Hamplton with her son, Holly Patterson, and Marla Cardamone.
I didn't select them on the basis of their specific stories, but because I had pictures which could bring home the reality, that these were somebody's daughters, somebody's moms. They weren't statistics. They weren't theoretical. In each case, somebody who supported abortion took instruments or prescription pad in hand and took action that killed them.
Let's not forget.
I didn't select them on the basis of their specific stories, but because I had pictures which could bring home the reality, that these were somebody's daughters, somebody's moms. They weren't statistics. They weren't theoretical. In each case, somebody who supported abortion took instruments or prescription pad in hand and took action that killed them.
Let's not forget.
Narrow victory for California perverts
By a narrow margin, 53 to 47, advocates for abortion, and the perverts who benefit from their activism, defeated a measure that would have required abortionists to notify parents that their children were seeking abortions. This goes so far beyond being disgusting that I can't find words to express it. How anybody could value the privacy of perverts above the well-being of underage girls is beyond me. Perverts and abortionists -- the most disgusting bedfellows politics has ever made.
Sad anniversary of a lingering death
Demetrice Andrews, age 22, underwent an abortion on October 17, 1988. She became progressively ill, and was finally admitted to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. Demetrice suffered multiple organ failure. She died on November 9, 1988.
It is ironic that Demetrice was admitted to Grady to be treated for abortion complications. Another woman, Jacqueline Reynolds, died just two years earlier, from complications of anesthesia administered for an abortion performed at Grady.
It is ironic that Demetrice was admitted to Grady to be treated for abortion complications. Another woman, Jacqueline Reynolds, died just two years earlier, from complications of anesthesia administered for an abortion performed at Grady.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Standards of Care
Calif. Holds Tanning Salons to Higher Standards Than Abortionists
The article goes on to tell individual stories:
Anecdotes can move your heart, but how representative are these cases?
California has been pandering to predators for too long, and young girls have been paying the price.
Despite the fact that parents generally have the best interests of their children in mind and they are legally liable for any costs or complications resulting from their minor daughter's abortion, the state of California does not require them to be notified. Yet, the state requires not only parental notification but parental consent for a minor age 14 to 18 to use a tanning bed. A minor under the age of 14 cannot use a tanning bed under any circumstance, but she can have an abortion without telling her parents.
The article goes on to tell individual stories:
Diana Lopez received a call on July 30, 2004 from her 13-year old daughter's school that she had been taken to the hospital because she was bleeding. As it turns out, her daughter's boyfriend’s mother took the child to an abortion clinic in downtown San Diego. By the time Diana reached the clinic, the clinic staff would not allow her to see or be with her own daughter. In fact, the clinic threatened to call the police.
Bill and Georganne, each parents of 15-year old daughters who’d had abortions, found out well after the procedures. But they got to pick up the pieces. Each called into the Roger Hedgecock radio talk show in San Diego to tell their experiences. Georganne's daughter became an alcoholic shortly after she had an abortion without telling her parents. Five years later, alcoholism claimed her life. Bill found out about his daughter's abortion when he came home and found that she'd overdosed in an attempt to commit suicide. Fortunately, he was able to get her to the hospital in time to save her. The father of her baby was her 33-year old karate instructor who had threatened her if she told anyone about her pregnancy and subsequent abortion.
Anecdotes can move your heart, but how representative are these cases?
A 1995 study published in Lancet surveyed 46,000 pregnancies of minor girls in California. The researchers found that 71 percent - about 33,000 - were fathered by adult men who were an average age of 22.6 years old. The study also revealed that men 25 and older father more children among minor girls than do boys under the age of 18.
Another study published in a 1999 issue of the American Pediatrics journal showed that 74 percent of all girls who were under the age of 14 at first intercourse did not have voluntary intercourse. For girls under age 15, the percentage was 60 percent.
California has been pandering to predators for too long, and young girls have been paying the price.
Blog Roundup: Abortion map, UK minors
Where the Abortions Are. The map shows "percentage" for abortion. I think they mean what percent of pregnancies end in induced abortion. What I find encouraging is how patchy the US is. Some areas -- California immediately leaps out -- have appallingly high abortion rates, but other areas have few abortions. This means that we can learn what it is that leads a woman to end up on the abortion table, and devise prevention methods accordingly.
UK mother challenges child abortion rules. We can only pray that she succeeds.
UK mother challenges child abortion rules. We can only pray that she succeeds.
Illegal abortion, not homicide
I have to agree with Brad Zambrell, who wrote Do-It-Yourself Abortion, in that charging Gerardo Flores with murder makes no legal sense. Flores was charged with two counts of murder for helping his teenage girlfriend kill her fetuses by beating and stomping on her abdomen. But I disagree with Zambrell about why.
Zembrell holds that 16-year-old Erica Basori had every right to demand that her fetuses be put to death, and that legally she had every right to ask anybody she wanted to help her achieve that end. Zelbrell wants to loosen abortion laws to allow anybody to perform them, as long as the mother asks for the fetus to be killed.
I disagree that anybody has any right to demand that somebody be put to death. But if abortion is legal, the most you can charge anybody with, should they illegally assist in killing a fetus the mother wants dead, is practicing medicine without a license. Zembrell is right that we can't give cart-blanc to physicians to slay fetuses, then charge a layman with murder for doing it.
The law, as it is written, should be used to protect women who want their babies to live. Anybody who causes a fetus to die without the mother's express consent should indeed be prosecuted for murder of that fetus, and I think that should include any physician who proceeds without a clear instruction from the mother that she has considered her fetus and wants it dead. Not that she wants to not be pregnant any more, but that she specifically wants that particular fetus to die.
I think that by clearly re-defining legal abortion as the destruction of a fetus whose mother actively wants that fetus dead, we'll go a long way to reduce abortions. Anybody performing an abortion would need to be able to demonstrate that he was acting at the express wish of the mother, that she knew what was being killed -- a living fetus that had passed whatever developmental milestones her fetus had passed -- and that she absolutely and without reservation wanted that fetus put to death on her behalf.
In fact, I think that the mother ought to be required to sign a death warrant, similar to the warrants signed to authorize a legal execution.
If this country wants abortion to be a legal right, we need to be honest about what it is we're giving women a right to do -- to have an innocent human being put to death. We need to stop pretending that it has anything to do with provision of "medical care."
Zembrell holds that 16-year-old Erica Basori had every right to demand that her fetuses be put to death, and that legally she had every right to ask anybody she wanted to help her achieve that end. Zelbrell wants to loosen abortion laws to allow anybody to perform them, as long as the mother asks for the fetus to be killed.
I disagree that anybody has any right to demand that somebody be put to death. But if abortion is legal, the most you can charge anybody with, should they illegally assist in killing a fetus the mother wants dead, is practicing medicine without a license. Zembrell is right that we can't give cart-blanc to physicians to slay fetuses, then charge a layman with murder for doing it.
The law, as it is written, should be used to protect women who want their babies to live. Anybody who causes a fetus to die without the mother's express consent should indeed be prosecuted for murder of that fetus, and I think that should include any physician who proceeds without a clear instruction from the mother that she has considered her fetus and wants it dead. Not that she wants to not be pregnant any more, but that she specifically wants that particular fetus to die.
I think that by clearly re-defining legal abortion as the destruction of a fetus whose mother actively wants that fetus dead, we'll go a long way to reduce abortions. Anybody performing an abortion would need to be able to demonstrate that he was acting at the express wish of the mother, that she knew what was being killed -- a living fetus that had passed whatever developmental milestones her fetus had passed -- and that she absolutely and without reservation wanted that fetus put to death on her behalf.
In fact, I think that the mother ought to be required to sign a death warrant, similar to the warrants signed to authorize a legal execution.
If this country wants abortion to be a legal right, we need to be honest about what it is we're giving women a right to do -- to have an innocent human being put to death. We need to stop pretending that it has anything to do with provision of "medical care."
Where are all the coathangers?
This review of The Last Abortion Clinic features an interesting quote:
We've been told time and again that before Roe, women were flooding emergency rooms and morgues, impaled on coathangers. But there's no mention of that happening in Mississippi.
Let's look at the CDC's stats on Mississippi abortions prior to PP v. Casey, the SCOTUS decision that allowed states to start regulating abortion. In 1991, the CDC's abortion surveillance indicates that 8,184 abortions were performed in Mississippi, out of 1,388,937 abortions reported for the entire US. That's .6% (six-tenths of one percent) of all abortions. We're also told that 5,000 - 10,000 women were dying from botched abortions every year in the US prior to Roe. That would mean that 30 - 60 women were dying of botched abortions in Mississippi every year before Roe.
So if the hysteria mongers are right, there are virtually no legal abortions being done in Mississippi, and perhaps as many as 60 women are dying from botched illegal abortions.
Let's look at the most recent numbers. The most recent abortion surveillance numbers put out by the CDC are for 2001. According to their numbers, 6,983 women submitted to abortions in Mississippi, out of 752,283 reported nationwide. (The CDC's numbers are low because many states don't report.) So though the overall numbers dropped 1,201 (15%), the percentage of US abortions performed in Mississippi climbed 33%! How's that for lack of "access"?
And what about the 30-50 dead women we should be expecting, since Mississippi's abortion situation is now "like even before Roe v. Wade? Well, the CDC counted a total of 12 induced abortion deaths in the US for 1991 (11 legal and 1 illegal), but for 2000 they counted 11 legal and no illegal. So for all these horrible restrictions unleashed after 1991, we're not seeing all the coathanger-impaled women we were told would be inevitable.
The point is this: restrictions on abortions result in fewer abortions, with no rise in the number of women dying as a result of their abortions.
''It's like even before Roe v. Wade for these poor women," says Pat White, an OB-GYN nurse who has worked for 30 years at public health clinics in the Mississippi Delta.
We've been told time and again that before Roe, women were flooding emergency rooms and morgues, impaled on coathangers. But there's no mention of that happening in Mississippi.
Let's look at the CDC's stats on Mississippi abortions prior to PP v. Casey, the SCOTUS decision that allowed states to start regulating abortion. In 1991, the CDC's abortion surveillance indicates that 8,184 abortions were performed in Mississippi, out of 1,388,937 abortions reported for the entire US. That's .6% (six-tenths of one percent) of all abortions. We're also told that 5,000 - 10,000 women were dying from botched abortions every year in the US prior to Roe. That would mean that 30 - 60 women were dying of botched abortions in Mississippi every year before Roe.
So if the hysteria mongers are right, there are virtually no legal abortions being done in Mississippi, and perhaps as many as 60 women are dying from botched illegal abortions.
Let's look at the most recent numbers. The most recent abortion surveillance numbers put out by the CDC are for 2001. According to their numbers, 6,983 women submitted to abortions in Mississippi, out of 752,283 reported nationwide. (The CDC's numbers are low because many states don't report.) So though the overall numbers dropped 1,201 (15%), the percentage of US abortions performed in Mississippi climbed 33%! How's that for lack of "access"?
And what about the 30-50 dead women we should be expecting, since Mississippi's abortion situation is now "like even before Roe v. Wade? Well, the CDC counted a total of 12 induced abortion deaths in the US for 1991 (11 legal and 1 illegal), but for 2000 they counted 11 legal and no illegal. So for all these horrible restrictions unleashed after 1991, we're not seeing all the coathanger-impaled women we were told would be inevitable.
The point is this: restrictions on abortions result in fewer abortions, with no rise in the number of women dying as a result of their abortions.
Prolifers and the death penalty
- Q. Where do prolifers stand on the death penalty?
A. It depends on the prolifer.
There is no unified stand on the death penalty among prolife activists. This is largely because many prolifers see the death penalty and abortion as being unrelated topics. As a former George Bush (the elder) campaign worker put it, "You show me an armed and aggressive fetus, and I'll discuss the relationship between abortion and the death penalty."
What we end up with is a broad spectrum of thought on the death penalty. At the "liberal" end of the spectrum are the "seamless garment" or "consistent life ethic" prolifers, who hold that any killing of a human being by other human beings is unacceptable. At the "conservative" end of the spectrum, we have people who actively support the death penalty as a means of protecting the lives of innocent members of the community from those who take it upon themselves to kill.
How are prolifers distributed along this spectrum? The high-profile individuals -- here I'm thinking of politicians and conservative activists -- tend to be supporters of the death penalty. This gives the impression that prolife citizens tend to support the death penalty. But this impression is an illusion.
Support of abortion and support of the death penalty seem to be related. In the early 1960's, most Americans opposed both abortion and the death penalty. By 1982, after about a decade of unfettered abortion, public opposition to the death penalty had fallen to 27 percent -- except among hard-core prolifers. People who opposed all abortion also opposed the death penalty by 45 percent. In other words, prolifers were nearly twice as likely as the general public to oppose capital punishment. People who supported unfettered abortion were the least likely to oppose capital punishment, with only 21 percent opposing the death penalty.
What the polls seem to show is that people tend to either embrace or reject killing as a way of solving problems. Those who reject abortion also tend to reject the death penalty. Those who support abortion also tend to support the death penalty.
Conservative organizations that take a stand on a variety of issues often oppose abortion and support the death penalty. But organizations that exist primarily to address abortion either take a stand against the death penalty ("consistent life ethic" groups), or take no stand at all. Indeed, for a group primarily focused on preventing abortion to take a stand on the death penalty would be a divisive move, since either supporting or opposing the death penalty would alienate about half of all prospective members.
So where do prolifers stand on the death penalty? About 45 percent opposed.
Statistics taken from Are abortion opponents becoming less likely to support capital punishment?
Monday, November 07, 2005
Answers to questions I've gotten
In my old Forum, I got some typical questions, which I answer here:
Why does abortion have such a big place in your life?
In a nutshell, because I have a low betrayal tolerance. Abortion, especially as practiced in the United States, involves so much betrayal on so many levels, it's impossible for me to ignore:
If abortion was illegal again, would that fix the problems that lead to women seeking abortions? If not, how do we begin to fix all those problems?
The biggest thing leading women to seek abortions is the normal ambivalance of early pregnancy. We can't make that go away, any more than we can make toddlers stop going through the "terrible twos." We need to teach women that this ambivalence is normal and self-limiting.
What could we all be doing right now that would help women not need abortions?
The most important thing would be to address the myth that abortion is a need. Panic and rejection of the pregnancy are normal in early pregnancy. Our job is to educate women about the fact that this early panic and rejection are normal and self-limiting.
I think just taking the focus off the idea of abortion and turning the woman's attention to addressing any concerns she has about having the baby would do most of what is needed in terms of focusing resources on the woman's real needs, whatever they may be.
If you think making abortion illegal would solve the problem of abortion itself, ask yourself:
I don't think making it illegal would cure all the ills abortion brings; I just think it would reduce them to a more manageable level.
~Would the lives of those dead women mean anything to you? If those women did not abort, and had the baby, and even kept the baby, what kind of mother's would they make towards the children they did not want?
This question is loaded with unquestioned assumptions: that criminalization is throwing huge risks at hapless women, that early rejection of the pregnancy means that the woman would reject the baby, that an unwanted pregnancy means an unwanted baby. There's no evidence that any of these assumptions is true.
~If they had the baby and it was unhealthy, because of the woman not caring about it, who would take care of it?
Again, this question contains the unquestioned assumption that legal abortion improves the quality of prenatal care sought by those women who do carry to term. There's no evidence of that. There's no reason to believe that recriminalizing abortion would reduce the amount of prenatal care women would seek. Actually, I'd bet that eliminating the idea of spending early pregnancy deciding whether or not to abort would get women into prenatal care earlier, and improve the health of both mothers and babies.
Why does abortion have such a big place in your life?
In a nutshell, because I have a low betrayal tolerance. Abortion, especially as practiced in the United States, involves so much betrayal on so many levels, it's impossible for me to ignore:
- Mothers are supposed to protect their children, not sign their death warrants; by choosing abortion, a woman betrays the profound trust a child must be able to have in his or her mother.
- Doctors are supposed to preserve life, not destroy it; by participating in abortion, doctors are betraying the trust their youngest and most helpless patients should be able to have in them.
- Doctors are supposed to do no harm to their patients; by participating in abortion, they are ignoring the overall well-being of their patients and instead prostituting their skills and betraying the doctor/patient relationship with the mother.
- Abortion facilities operate in an atmosphere that promises information and counseling to women, but it is standard operating procedure to withhold vital information, and common to lie in order to facilitate abortions; this is a betrayal of the trust women should be able to place in organizations that purport to exist for their benefit.
- Communities owe it to their smallest and weakest members to protect them; by supporting abortion, communities betray this responsibility to the youngest among us.
- The scientific community is supposed to pursue knowledge; abortion supporters use the patina of science to promote politics, at the cost of women's well-being and the lives of unborn children. This is a betrayal of the public trust.
- Prochoice organizations present themselves to the public as the vanguards of women's health, safety, and well-being; however, they betray the public trust by putting politics and the promotion of abortion above the needs of the very women they supposedly exist to protect.
If abortion was illegal again, would that fix the problems that lead to women seeking abortions? If not, how do we begin to fix all those problems?
The biggest thing leading women to seek abortions is the normal ambivalance of early pregnancy. We can't make that go away, any more than we can make toddlers stop going through the "terrible twos." We need to teach women that this ambivalence is normal and self-limiting.
What could we all be doing right now that would help women not need abortions?
The most important thing would be to address the myth that abortion is a need. Panic and rejection of the pregnancy are normal in early pregnancy. Our job is to educate women about the fact that this early panic and rejection are normal and self-limiting.
I think just taking the focus off the idea of abortion and turning the woman's attention to addressing any concerns she has about having the baby would do most of what is needed in terms of focusing resources on the woman's real needs, whatever they may be.
If you think making abortion illegal would solve the problem of abortion itself, ask yourself:
I don't think making it illegal would cure all the ills abortion brings; I just think it would reduce them to a more manageable level.
- ~Will women who would otherwise abort really care about the life inside them?
Since rejection is normal in early pregnancy, there's every reason to think that they'd adapt, like everybody else. The advantage of recriminalization is that there's be nobody hovering like a vulture waiting to tell her that the feelings are abnormal and cash in on her fears by selling her an abortion.
~Would they bring into this world a healthy baby?
No more or less likely than any other woman.
~Would they find other means of aborting?
Some no doubt would. The question is whether we build our communities to pander to the minority who persist in wanting their fetuses dead, or whether we build our communities to support the vast majority of women who don't really want abortions but who might feel trapped into them if abortion is presented as the normal response to early pregnancy stress.
~Will those women die trying to illegally abort?
Some will, just as some die from legal abortions. The female body is designed to protect the fetus, and abortion is a violent assault on the female body. I'd prefer a situation in which only those women who have a genuine, persistent enthusiasm for the idea of an abortion are subjected to the risks.
~Would the lives of those dead women mean anything to you? If those women did not abort, and had the baby, and even kept the baby, what kind of mother's would they make towards the children they did not want?
This question is loaded with unquestioned assumptions: that criminalization is throwing huge risks at hapless women, that early rejection of the pregnancy means that the woman would reject the baby, that an unwanted pregnancy means an unwanted baby. There's no evidence that any of these assumptions is true.
~If they had the baby and it was unhealthy, because of the woman not caring about it, who would take care of it?
Again, this question contains the unquestioned assumption that legal abortion improves the quality of prenatal care sought by those women who do carry to term. There's no evidence of that. There's no reason to believe that recriminalizing abortion would reduce the amount of prenatal care women would seek. Actually, I'd bet that eliminating the idea of spending early pregnancy deciding whether or not to abort would get women into prenatal care earlier, and improve the health of both mothers and babies.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Blog Roundup
Ken at Ken's Opinion posts his attempt to sort out abortion ethics. He seems to want some debate and discussion, so let's go over and bounce this around with him.
John has an interesting post at The Legal Reader:
Well, John, the common thread is that we must always side with whoever wants the embryo/fetus to die. Haven't you noticed that about the supposed supporters of "choice"? The only choice they actually back is the one that means death for the unborn entity,
arkansas501 posts about medical professionals and conscience clauses. I think she/he is on the right track -- I've been advocating for years that we need to clearly differentiate between the Hipocratic and Progressive practitioners. I think this would seriously reduce lawsuits, for one thing.
John has an interesting post at The Legal Reader:
Case study one: a pregnant woman wants an abortion. Her husband doesn't. Should he have a say?
Case study two: a woman wants to become pregnant with frozen embryos. Her ex-husband opposes the decision. Should he have a say?
The answer, legally, is no in the abortion case, and in the case of frozen embryos, almost always yes.
It might seem paradoxical, but it is emblematic of the way technology is changing the landscape of human reproduction. And it is the kind of paradox that could get more attention with the nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. to the Supreme Court.
Well, John, the common thread is that we must always side with whoever wants the embryo/fetus to die. Haven't you noticed that about the supposed supporters of "choice"? The only choice they actually back is the one that means death for the unborn entity,
arkansas501 posts about medical professionals and conscience clauses. I think she/he is on the right track -- I've been advocating for years that we need to clearly differentiate between the Hipocratic and Progressive practitioners. I think this would seriously reduce lawsuits, for one thing.
Sidebar additions
Take some time to look over the sidebar. I've added some button links to great pages, plus a recommended reading list linking to Amazon.com. Also, for those of you who haven't noticed, I have links to some quizzes at FunTrivia.com so you can test your knowledge.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Web Roundup
Carter Condemns Abortion Culture:
I'm not the only one who noticed the snide pro-abortion slant to CSI. I disagree, though, about Grissom. First of all, he was chewing the woman out for being unprofessional. Second, the scripture he quoted could be used only to support abortion up to 18 days after conception. So though one could use that scripture to support, say, cloning, it pretty much comes down against induced abortion of a confirmed pregnancy.
Media Girl posts a bunch of comments by kids about why they don't think they ought to have had to involve their parents in their abortion decisions. I think they're more an argument in favor of parental involvement, since the kids in question don't show a spectacular maturity. They're just, well, kids.
Former President Jimmy Carter yesterday condemned all abortions and chastised his party for its intolerance of candidates and nominees who oppose abortion. ....
Mr. Carter said his party's congressional leadership only hurts Democrats by making a rigid pro-abortion rights stand the criterion for assessing judicial nominees.
"I have always thought it was not in the mainstream of the American public to be extremely liberal on many issues," Mr. Carter said. "I think our party's leaders -- some of them -- are overemphasizing the abortion issue." ....
Mr. Carter said his party lost the 2004 presidential elections and lost House and Senate seats because Democratic leaders failed "to demonstrate a compatibility with the deeply religious people in this country. I think that absence hurt a lot."
Democrats must "let the deeply religious people and the moderates on social issues like abortion feel that the Democratic party cares about them and understands them," he said, adding that many Democrats, like him, "have some concern about, say, late-term abortions, where you kill a baby as it's emerging from its mother's womb."
I'm not the only one who noticed the snide pro-abortion slant to CSI. I disagree, though, about Grissom. First of all, he was chewing the woman out for being unprofessional. Second, the scripture he quoted could be used only to support abortion up to 18 days after conception. So though one could use that scripture to support, say, cloning, it pretty much comes down against induced abortion of a confirmed pregnancy.
Media Girl posts a bunch of comments by kids about why they don't think they ought to have had to involve their parents in their abortion decisions. I think they're more an argument in favor of parental involvement, since the kids in question don't show a spectacular maturity. They're just, well, kids.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Sad anniversary -- Louchrisser Jackson
Louchrisser Jackson, a 23-year-old mother of five, was 12 weeks pregnant when she went to Dr. Robert L. Gardner for an abortion at Reproductive Services in Dallas on November 4, 1977. Louchrisser began hemorrhaging. Gardner said that he ordered blood for a transfusion, but it didn't arrive so about an hour before her death he attempted to give her a transfusion with his own blood -- which turned out to be an incompatable type.
A private ambulance was called but was not informed of the nature of the transport. In that jurisdiction, private ambulances are only permitted to transport stable patients; they are prohibited from responding to emergency calls. Because the ambulance service had no reason to expect an emergency, they did not respond promptly, nor did they refer the transport to the fire deparment's ambulance service. When the ambulance crew arrived, Louchrisser had gone into cardiac arrest. The crew, upon discovering that they'd been called for an emergency transport, rushed Louchrisser to the hospital immediately rather than calling for a fire department ambulance.
Louchrisser died that day. Gardner requested that the body be released without an inquiry. Another physician at the hospital learned of the case and requested an inquiry. The autopsy found massive hemmorage of at least two liters of blood, and a "1.8 x 2 cm. ragged perforation in the right lateral wall just above the internal os of the cervical canal. This perforation commonicates freely with the retroperitoneal space on the right side. The endometrial surface of the uterus is ragged and hemorrhagic." Death was attributed to "massive retroperitoneal hemorrhage due to perforation of the uterus during a therapeutic abortion."
For more abortion deaths, visit the Cemetery of Choice:
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A private ambulance was called but was not informed of the nature of the transport. In that jurisdiction, private ambulances are only permitted to transport stable patients; they are prohibited from responding to emergency calls. Because the ambulance service had no reason to expect an emergency, they did not respond promptly, nor did they refer the transport to the fire deparment's ambulance service. When the ambulance crew arrived, Louchrisser had gone into cardiac arrest. The crew, upon discovering that they'd been called for an emergency transport, rushed Louchrisser to the hospital immediately rather than calling for a fire department ambulance.
Louchrisser died that day. Gardner requested that the body be released without an inquiry. Another physician at the hospital learned of the case and requested an inquiry. The autopsy found massive hemmorage of at least two liters of blood, and a "1.8 x 2 cm. ragged perforation in the right lateral wall just above the internal os of the cervical canal. This perforation commonicates freely with the retroperitoneal space on the right side. The endometrial surface of the uterus is ragged and hemorrhagic." Death was attributed to "massive retroperitoneal hemorrhage due to perforation of the uterus during a therapeutic abortion."
For more abortion deaths, visit the Cemetery of Choice:
To email this post to a friend, use the icon below.
Blind activist uncovers more forced abortions in China
From Life News
This is what happens when you let the Pill pushers have their way.
Since he placed a spotlight on a brutal campaign by population control officials in one region of China, blind activist Chen Guangcheng has been under house arrest and twice assaulted for trying to leave. Now, some of the details of the thousands of forced abortions and sterilizations he helped expose are coming to light. ....
Zhu Hongying, 40, and her husband, Xia Jiandong, 40 were farmers in a local village outside the huge city of Linyi. They already had one son and when population control officials found out Zhu was five months pregnant, she hid with family members in Linyi.
"We panicked and ran into (Linyi) to hide," Zhu said during an interview with the Chronicle by telephone because police have sealed off her area following Chen's detention.
Zhu said the officials arrested three of her sisters in order to force her to come out of hiding.
When she returned home, "The people from the family planning department were waiting for us. They demanded 700 RMB (about $90, two months' wages for Zhu) to release my sisters-in-law, and then they pushed me into a van and took me to a local family planning clinic."
Once there, eight officials surrounded her and coerced her into agreeing to have an abortion, she told the San Francisco newspaper.
"I just kept sobbing and begging, but no one listened," she said. "Finally, I was so weak, I just said 'yes.' Then a doctor came in and gave me an injection in the stomach. After I took the shot, the whole day I didn't feel anything. The second day in the early morning blood and water all flowed out of me. Then the baby came out, but it was dead. It was a boy."
After she had the abortion, her husband said, a nurse came back into the room, placed the baby in a black plastic bag.
"She told me to go throw it into a truck, which had a large container kind of thing at the back," Xia explained to the Chronicle. "When I opened the door and looked in, it was full of black bags and blood."
Just a week later, population control officials arrested Zhu again because they found out one of her sisters was pregnant for a second time. They held Zhu for ransom for five days until her family paid another hefty fine for her release.
Her sister-in-law was forcibly aborted as well.
What the officials did in Zhu's case and the case of thousands of other women and families is illegal. Population control officials in Beijing say the local authorities have been removed from their posts, but they appear to be doing nothing to compensate the victims or help Chen be released from illegal custody.
....
In the few months before he spoke with reporters, Chen said 7,000 women had been forcibly aborted or sterilized. He went to Beijing to plead his case with government officials and alert the world when he was detained.
This is what happens when you let the Pill pushers have their way.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Network TV back to normal
After the Today Show with the "you can have your baby even though you have cancer" and Law & Order with "Population control freaks have no right to kill minority women," network TV is back to normal. CSI's plot revolved around the murder of a young woman who'd adopted a frozen embryo and carried him to term. All well and good -- except they were very careful to give the snippy redhead a couple of lines about how historically the Catholic church didn't consider embryos human until 40 days or quickening. It was needless editorializing that did nothing to further the plot; it was just there to counter the obvious selflessness of the young women adopting abandoned frozen embryos. So, we're back to normal on the networks.
Blog roundup
Thanks to JivinJehosphat for sending me to Life of a Zygote. It's a brief blog a woman posted from learning she was pregnant up to her due-date when she's pondering what her life would be at this moment if she hadn't aborted. She doesn't consider herself articulate, and maybe that's one of her strong points. I recommend her blog for those who want to understand better why a woman climbs on the abortion table, who doesn't want somebody who just spouts rhetoric.
A woman who aborted ten years ago due to hyperemesis gravidarum posts her thoughts on the girl she was then, and the emptiness of now.
Catholic Fire posts How to Talk to Democrats About Abortion. Good stuff.
Totally off-topic, go enjoy these Kiddie Quotes.
A woman who aborted ten years ago due to hyperemesis gravidarum posts her thoughts on the girl she was then, and the emptiness of now.
Catholic Fire posts How to Talk to Democrats About Abortion. Good stuff.
Totally off-topic, go enjoy these Kiddie Quotes.
One less mill in Milwaukee
Missionaries to the Preborn reports that Summit Women's Health Organization in Milwaukee is closing its doors unexpectedly, permanently, and without a stated reason. Since 1988, 6 of the 8 abortion facilities in Milwaukee have closed. Yay!
A sad anniversary and a denial
Twenty-six-year-old Moris Helen Herron went to Bakersfield, California abortionist William D. Stanley for a tubal ligation in October of 1983. When Stanley examined Helen, he informed her that she was pregnant and asked if she wanted him to perform an abortion when he did the tubal ligation. Helen consented, and on October 23, Stanley operated on her. After Helen went home, she suffered weakness, vomiting, and severe pain. She called Stanley, who instructed her to take a laxative.
Helen developed a high fever, and died on November 3. An autopsy found feces and feculent fluid in Helen's abdominal cavity from a hole in her intestines. Helen's mother, Inez Herron, sued Stanley on behalf of her two surviving children, and Stanley settled out of court for $200,000.
When a local pro-life group wrote to Stanley to chastize him for his treatment of Helen, he wrote back, saying, "Elective abortion refers to termination of a live viable pregnancy upon the request of the mother. I have never performed this service or even offered it." He claimed that he was merely performing a D&C on Helen after a miscarriage.
NOTE: A previous researcher evidently became confused when reading the name "Moris" on the lawsuit filed by Helen's mother, Inez. Therefore, some reports of this case mistakenly identify the dead woman as being named Inez Herron.
Helen developed a high fever, and died on November 3. An autopsy found feces and feculent fluid in Helen's abdominal cavity from a hole in her intestines. Helen's mother, Inez Herron, sued Stanley on behalf of her two surviving children, and Stanley settled out of court for $200,000.
When a local pro-life group wrote to Stanley to chastize him for his treatment of Helen, he wrote back, saying, "Elective abortion refers to termination of a live viable pregnancy upon the request of the mother. I have never performed this service or even offered it." He claimed that he was merely performing a D&C on Helen after a miscarriage.
NOTE: A previous researcher evidently became confused when reading the name "Moris" on the lawsuit filed by Helen's mother, Inez. Therefore, some reports of this case mistakenly identify the dead woman as being named Inez Herron.
Astonishing on Today
The Today Show had a woman who'd been diagnosed with breast cancer while she was pregnant. Though bald herself from chemo, the mom gave birth to a little boy with a full head of hair. Both the mom and her doctor want to get the word out that you can treat cancer during pregnancy, and have a good outcome for mom and baby both. I nearly dropped my teeth to see the MSM getting this story out.
I tried to find a link to the story on the Today Show web site, but no luck. However, they did link to the following:
Pregnant With Cancer
Of course, the fact that you can deal with concurrent pregnancy and cancer without resorting to abortion is old news to prolifers. Here's more on cancer and pregnancy:
This is just a sample of the sites. Let me know of other sites.
I tried to find a link to the story on the Today Show web site, but no luck. However, they did link to the following:
Pregnant With Cancer
Of course, the fact that you can deal with concurrent pregnancy and cancer without resorting to abortion is old news to prolifers. Here's more on cancer and pregnancy:
- National Cancer Institute: Breast Cancer and Pregnancy
- Motherisk: Cancer in Pregnancy
- Breast Cancer in Pregnancy: A Case Study
- Web MD: Cancer in Pregnancy
- About: Pregnancy & Breast Cancer
- American Cancer Society: Breast Cancer and Pregnancy
This is just a sample of the sites. Let me know of other sites.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
New -- Abortion Death Calendar
I'm starting the process of posting abortion deaths on my public MSN calendar. You can check there to see what anniversaries are coming up. We should not let these women and girls be forgotten!
Law & Order
Tonight's episode of Law & Order dealt with a case in which a girl died after a secret, forced sterilization. The girl in question was somebody that nobody would want breeding, but the prosecutors stuck to their guns. I think both sides were presented pretty fairly. Overall I was satisfied. But I think it gave the impression that the Powers that Be actually care if "undesirable" girls die as a result of other people's efforts to keep them from reproducing. If prosecutors really went after people who played Russian roulette with the lives of women they don't think should reproduce, abortion facilities would have to get their staff on work-release. Another drawback is that a lot of the prosecution's anger stemmed from the fact that the girl didn't consent to the sterilization. I'm assuming that had she consented, no matter how badly botched the job was everybody would have shrugged it off.
Oh, for the day when law enforcement actually cares about young women being killed in the name of population control and eugenics!
Oh, for the day when law enforcement actually cares about young women being killed in the name of population control and eugenics!
A death nobody seems to mourn
In tallies of murdered abortion workers, abortion supporters never count clinic owner/administrator Kenneth Yellin, who was gunned down outside his Chicago abortion facility November 3, 1979. Yellin had been shot in the head five times in an apparent gangland execution. But new stories didn't follow the pattern we're accustomed to: that of lamenting the assassination (presumably by prolifers) of a hapless abortion provider. Instead, coverage featured such headlines as "'Creepy Kenny' died in the gutter where he belonged."
"He left a trail of sour deals, bad paper, and civil suits," one article said, noting that Yellin had run a series of businesses opened with money his father gave him (a paint and body shop, a car dealership, an import car business, and Kenneth Yellin Enterprises -- whatever that was). The story went on, "He put his business acumen and money into concerns that were characterized by their increasing sordidness and which have known links to organized crime. He ran a marriage counseling service which a former prosecuting attorney said was a front for prostitution, and was then believed to have operated or invested in X-rated movie theaters. The abortion business seemed a natural progression."
Yellin, stories said, picked up the nickname "Creepy Kenny" as a child, when he was reputed to pull stunts such as putting sand in the gas tanks of parked cars. His attempts to get a degree ended in failure when he was flunked out of four colleges.
Yellin was known for living high and on the edge. He had previously been arrested in his home town "for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest... charges he would beat on a technicality. He was driving a maroon Corvette and wearing a $2000 leather coat." An attorney reflected on Yellin after his death, saying, "I remember him driving around town in a big white Cadillac convertible. There was always a blond sitting next to him. Different blonds each time."
Yellin's facility, originally called "Women's Medical Facility," had been closed by the state for licensing violations, but Yellin reopened it as Biogenetics.
Yellin had been passing himself off as "Dr. York" at Biogenetics, performing physical examinations on unsuspecting abortion patients. "Dr. York" was accused of battery for squeezing a woman's breasts during an examination, although for unreported reasons the charges were later dropped.
An undercover investigator at Biogenetics reported that Yellin scolded a recovery room worker, telling her, "We're giving out too many cookies. Cookies cost money." Yellin was this stingy with his cookies even though the patients had been fasting for a day prior to their abortions and were coming into recovery weak and hungry.
After Yellin's murder, police went to his "elaborate" apartment and found "his live-in girlfriend, a tall, thin blond named Melody Forster" stuffing cash into a suitcase. Forster later turned up in Florida. "There were pornographic video cassettes and assorted sexual paraphernalia stacked near the bed," reports said. During the investigation, evidence turned up that Yelling had recently lost around $200,000 "in a confidence scheme." Police also sought out "Robin Dragin, a professional burglar with mob connections," who ran another Chicago abortion clinic that competed with Biogenetics for customers.
"Yellin reportedly held a secret interest in a second abortion clinic on the Far South Side that burned down. The fire is being reinvestigated for possible arson. Yellin was a heavy gambler and made high-risk investments. Although he made a 'fortune' from his business, Yellin owed a lot of money because he spent and invested it faster than he could make it."
Yellin's estate included "five suburban buildings worth more than half a million dollars," $550,000 in personal property, "six autos, three boats, stocks and bonds worth more than $200,000." Yellin left assets of $1.3 million, yet managed to die $1 million in debt.
Yellin got no sympathy from the press -- or from anybody else, it seems -- on the grounds of "providing vital reproductive health care services." Rather, the fact that he was entangled in a seedy abortion mill was treated as just one more reason society didn't mourn his death. One article quoted a police investigator as commenting, "What goes around comes around. He was a butcher. He got what he deserved. He died in the gutter where he belonged."
Kenneth Yellin's murder remains unsolved.
"He left a trail of sour deals, bad paper, and civil suits," one article said, noting that Yellin had run a series of businesses opened with money his father gave him (a paint and body shop, a car dealership, an import car business, and Kenneth Yellin Enterprises -- whatever that was). The story went on, "He put his business acumen and money into concerns that were characterized by their increasing sordidness and which have known links to organized crime. He ran a marriage counseling service which a former prosecuting attorney said was a front for prostitution, and was then believed to have operated or invested in X-rated movie theaters. The abortion business seemed a natural progression."
Yellin, stories said, picked up the nickname "Creepy Kenny" as a child, when he was reputed to pull stunts such as putting sand in the gas tanks of parked cars. His attempts to get a degree ended in failure when he was flunked out of four colleges.
Yellin was known for living high and on the edge. He had previously been arrested in his home town "for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest... charges he would beat on a technicality. He was driving a maroon Corvette and wearing a $2000 leather coat." An attorney reflected on Yellin after his death, saying, "I remember him driving around town in a big white Cadillac convertible. There was always a blond sitting next to him. Different blonds each time."
Yellin's facility, originally called "Women's Medical Facility," had been closed by the state for licensing violations, but Yellin reopened it as Biogenetics.
Yellin had been passing himself off as "Dr. York" at Biogenetics, performing physical examinations on unsuspecting abortion patients. "Dr. York" was accused of battery for squeezing a woman's breasts during an examination, although for unreported reasons the charges were later dropped.
An undercover investigator at Biogenetics reported that Yellin scolded a recovery room worker, telling her, "We're giving out too many cookies. Cookies cost money." Yellin was this stingy with his cookies even though the patients had been fasting for a day prior to their abortions and were coming into recovery weak and hungry.
After Yellin's murder, police went to his "elaborate" apartment and found "his live-in girlfriend, a tall, thin blond named Melody Forster" stuffing cash into a suitcase. Forster later turned up in Florida. "There were pornographic video cassettes and assorted sexual paraphernalia stacked near the bed," reports said. During the investigation, evidence turned up that Yelling had recently lost around $200,000 "in a confidence scheme." Police also sought out "Robin Dragin, a professional burglar with mob connections," who ran another Chicago abortion clinic that competed with Biogenetics for customers.
"Yellin reportedly held a secret interest in a second abortion clinic on the Far South Side that burned down. The fire is being reinvestigated for possible arson. Yellin was a heavy gambler and made high-risk investments. Although he made a 'fortune' from his business, Yellin owed a lot of money because he spent and invested it faster than he could make it."
Yellin's estate included "five suburban buildings worth more than half a million dollars," $550,000 in personal property, "six autos, three boats, stocks and bonds worth more than $200,000." Yellin left assets of $1.3 million, yet managed to die $1 million in debt.
Yellin got no sympathy from the press -- or from anybody else, it seems -- on the grounds of "providing vital reproductive health care services." Rather, the fact that he was entangled in a seedy abortion mill was treated as just one more reason society didn't mourn his death. One article quoted a police investigator as commenting, "What goes around comes around. He was a butcher. He got what he deserved. He died in the gutter where he belonged."
Kenneth Yellin's murder remains unsolved.
Blog roundup
The Revolution looks at the need for an organization for pro-life medical students. We need this -- Doctors, especially ob/gyns and folks in family practice, need training in identifying the at-risk woman, helping women meet their real needs, treating abortion complications, and caring for the post-abortion woman.
Duc in Altum posts prayer intentions for November.
Charmaine at Reasoned Audacity cites polls showing that about 3/4 of Americans support spousal notification for abortion. So much for PP being "mainstream." Again.
Jessica at feministing.com bristles at California's Proposition 73, that would require parental notification for underage girls' abortions. Her complaints are that the law would track judges' rulings. Where's that a problem? Don't we as citizens have a right to know what our judges are doing? (As long as the girls aren't identified!) She also -- a little more legitimately for somebody whose ideology demands dehumanization of the fetus -- has a beef that the proposition would define abortion as the killing of "a child conceived but not yet born." Yeah, that's what abortion actually is, but I can see that it would stick in the craw if you support the practice.
Duc in Altum posts prayer intentions for November.
Charmaine at Reasoned Audacity cites polls showing that about 3/4 of Americans support spousal notification for abortion. So much for PP being "mainstream." Again.
Jessica at feministing.com bristles at California's Proposition 73, that would require parental notification for underage girls' abortions. Her complaints are that the law would track judges' rulings. Where's that a problem? Don't we as citizens have a right to know what our judges are doing? (As long as the girls aren't identified!) She also -- a little more legitimately for somebody whose ideology demands dehumanization of the fetus -- has a beef that the proposition would define abortion as the killing of "a child conceived but not yet born." Yeah, that's what abortion actually is, but I can see that it would stick in the craw if you support the practice.
A brief mention of a sad anniversary
Life Dynamics lists 24-year-old Karretu Jabbie on their "Blackmun Wall" of women killed by legal abortions. According to LDI, Karretu was from West Africa. She underwent an incomplete abortion and bled to death on November 2, 1989.
Anniversary and a lesson
Today is the sad anniversary of a young girl's needless death. It's also a reminder of how little the CDC cares about the women and girls walking into abortion facilities and whether or not they come out under a sheet.
Latachie Veal was 17 years old, and 22 weeks pregnant, when Robert Dale Crist performed an abortion on her at Houston's West Loop Clinic November 2, 1991. According to Latachie's family, she bled heavily at the clinic, and cried out to the staff for help. They told her that her symptoms were normal, and sent her home. Several hours later, Latachie stopped breathing. Her brother-in-law called 911 while her sister did CPR, to no avail. Latachie was dead on arrival at Ben Taub Hospital.
If Latachie's death certificate had been filled out properly, with the notation of the abortion in the proper box, using the proper ICD-9 code, then theoretically the National Center for Health Statistics would spot the abortion code and report it. But most states send only a statistical sample of their death certificate data to the NCHS. So the CDC would be notified of Latachie's death through the NCHS only if the death certificate was properly filled out, and Latachie's death certificate was among those abstracted and sent to the NCHS.
But still, according to abortion defenders, Latachie's death would nevertheless be automatically reported to the Centers for Disease Control. They're not clear on who is supposed to report the death. Was West Loop Clinic supposed to report it? Was Crist supposed to report it? Was Ben Taub Hospital supposed to report it? Was the medical examiner supposed to report it? Was the Texas Department of Health supposed to report it? The CDC says it gets abortion death information from abortionists, abortion facilities, hospitals, and state health departments, but it does not mention that the reporting is not mandatory.
This does not mean that Latachie's death went utterly unnoticed.
Latachie's family filed suit, retaining the flamboyant "Racehorse" Haynes as their attorney. The case was highly publicized, both in Texas and in Missouri, where Crist had performed a fatal abortion on Diane Boyd, a 19-year-old developmentally disabled woman who had been raped in the institution where she'd lived.
The mainstream publicity went beyond the usual newspaper articles, with Crist giving television interviews calling the publicity "media hype" and "a political event." Haynes retorted, "I wish he would have a copy of the 911 tape.... If he would talk to the parents, if he would talk to the sister as she gave her CPR or talk to the brother-in-law as she was breathing her last breath and see then if he thinks it's a media event."
With all this mainstream publicity in two states, prolife organizations picked up the story, and it was reported in prolife newsletters around the nation. A lot of people very quickly found out about the abortion death of 17-year-old Latachie Veal. But did the CDC?
At the 1992 National Abortion Federation Risk Management Seminar in Dallas, Crist spoke openly of Latachie's death. (He did not, of course, mention her name; I've concluded that he's discussing Latachie's death, since there's been no evidence of any another 17-year-old abortion patient of his who died in 1991.) Crist blamed the death not on malpractice, but on disseminated intravascular coagulopathy.
Present at that Risk Management Seminar, where Crist chattered about Latachie's death, were two -- count 'em -- two -- staffers from the Centers for Disease Control's abortion surveillance activities area: Stanley Henshaw and Lisa Koonin. Henshaw's presence isn't quite as remarkable as Koonin's. It was Lisa Koonin, specifically, whose job it was to "verify" abortion deaths, and obtain copies of death certificates. These she was to pass on to a research fellow, Clarice Green, who would then gather the full information about the case.
In spite of all the publicity, in spite of the lawsuit, in spite of the prolifers shouting from the rooftops, in spite of the abortionist discussing the death at an event attended by the very woman whose job it was to notice abortion deaths, the Centers for Disease Control did not notice Latachie's death. Their 1991 Abortion Surveillance Report, published in May of 1995, did not even make any mention of abortion mortality. And when we at Life Dynamics filed a request for information about abortion deaths, we found that the CDC counted zero -- count 'em -- zero -- abortion deaths among women of Latachie's race in the 15 - 19 age range. In other words, they didn't even notice.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but if the CDC failed to notice this highly-publicized death, discussed openly at an event attended by two of their abortion surveillance staffers, exactly what does it take to get them to notice an abortion death? And how can we even pretend to believe that any serious attempt to accurately count abortion deaths was being made?
Latachie Veal was 17 years old, and 22 weeks pregnant, when Robert Dale Crist performed an abortion on her at Houston's West Loop Clinic November 2, 1991. According to Latachie's family, she bled heavily at the clinic, and cried out to the staff for help. They told her that her symptoms were normal, and sent her home. Several hours later, Latachie stopped breathing. Her brother-in-law called 911 while her sister did CPR, to no avail. Latachie was dead on arrival at Ben Taub Hospital.
If Latachie's death certificate had been filled out properly, with the notation of the abortion in the proper box, using the proper ICD-9 code, then theoretically the National Center for Health Statistics would spot the abortion code and report it. But most states send only a statistical sample of their death certificate data to the NCHS. So the CDC would be notified of Latachie's death through the NCHS only if the death certificate was properly filled out, and Latachie's death certificate was among those abstracted and sent to the NCHS.
But still, according to abortion defenders, Latachie's death would nevertheless be automatically reported to the Centers for Disease Control. They're not clear on who is supposed to report the death. Was West Loop Clinic supposed to report it? Was Crist supposed to report it? Was Ben Taub Hospital supposed to report it? Was the medical examiner supposed to report it? Was the Texas Department of Health supposed to report it? The CDC says it gets abortion death information from abortionists, abortion facilities, hospitals, and state health departments, but it does not mention that the reporting is not mandatory.
This does not mean that Latachie's death went utterly unnoticed.
Latachie's family filed suit, retaining the flamboyant "Racehorse" Haynes as their attorney. The case was highly publicized, both in Texas and in Missouri, where Crist had performed a fatal abortion on Diane Boyd, a 19-year-old developmentally disabled woman who had been raped in the institution where she'd lived.
The mainstream publicity went beyond the usual newspaper articles, with Crist giving television interviews calling the publicity "media hype" and "a political event." Haynes retorted, "I wish he would have a copy of the 911 tape.... If he would talk to the parents, if he would talk to the sister as she gave her CPR or talk to the brother-in-law as she was breathing her last breath and see then if he thinks it's a media event."
With all this mainstream publicity in two states, prolife organizations picked up the story, and it was reported in prolife newsletters around the nation. A lot of people very quickly found out about the abortion death of 17-year-old Latachie Veal. But did the CDC?
At the 1992 National Abortion Federation Risk Management Seminar in Dallas, Crist spoke openly of Latachie's death. (He did not, of course, mention her name; I've concluded that he's discussing Latachie's death, since there's been no evidence of any another 17-year-old abortion patient of his who died in 1991.) Crist blamed the death not on malpractice, but on disseminated intravascular coagulopathy.
Present at that Risk Management Seminar, where Crist chattered about Latachie's death, were two -- count 'em -- two -- staffers from the Centers for Disease Control's abortion surveillance activities area: Stanley Henshaw and Lisa Koonin. Henshaw's presence isn't quite as remarkable as Koonin's. It was Lisa Koonin, specifically, whose job it was to "verify" abortion deaths, and obtain copies of death certificates. These she was to pass on to a research fellow, Clarice Green, who would then gather the full information about the case.
In spite of all the publicity, in spite of the lawsuit, in spite of the prolifers shouting from the rooftops, in spite of the abortionist discussing the death at an event attended by the very woman whose job it was to notice abortion deaths, the Centers for Disease Control did not notice Latachie's death. Their 1991 Abortion Surveillance Report, published in May of 1995, did not even make any mention of abortion mortality. And when we at Life Dynamics filed a request for information about abortion deaths, we found that the CDC counted zero -- count 'em -- zero -- abortion deaths among women of Latachie's race in the 15 - 19 age range. In other words, they didn't even notice.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but if the CDC failed to notice this highly-publicized death, discussed openly at an event attended by two of their abortion surveillance staffers, exactly what does it take to get them to notice an abortion death? And how can we even pretend to believe that any serious attempt to accurately count abortion deaths was being made?
The Visible Embryo
The Visible Embryo is a great site I refer folks to frequently. Today I was perusing it. Here's some cool bits:
Stage 10, 21-23 days post-ovulation, "The cells which become the eyes appear as thickened circles just off of the neural folds. The cells of the ears are also present." "The two endocardial tubes formed in Stage 9 fuse in Stage 10 to form one single tube derived from the roof of the nueral tube, which becomes S-shaped and makes the primitive heart asymmetric. As the S-shape forms, cardiac muscle contraction begins."
Stage 11, 23-25 days post-ovulation, "A primitive S-shaped tubal heart is beating and peristalsis, the rhythmic flow propelling fluids throughout the body, begins."
Stage 13, 27-29 days post-ovulation, "The brain differentiates into the three main parts: the forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain." "Primitive mouth with a tongue is recognizable." "Gall bladder, stomach, intestines, pancreas continue to form and the metanephric bud appears in the chest cavity."
Stage 17, c. 41 days post-ovulation, "The nasofrontal groove becomes distinct and an olfactory bulb (sense of smell) forms in the brain." "The dental laminae or teeth buds begin to form."
Stage 18, c. 7 weeks post-ovulation, "Nipples appear on the chest." "Kidneys begin to produce urine for the first time."
Stage 19, 47-48 days post-ovulation. "Brain has the first detectable brain waves."
Stage 20, c. 8 weeks post-ovulation. "Brain is connected to tiny muscles and nerves and enables the embryo to make spontaneous movements." "Testes or ovaries are distinguishable."
Stage 21, c. 52 days post-ovulation. "Over the next few days, tongue development finishes."
Stage 22, c. 9 weeks post-ovulation. "In female embryos, the clitoris is beginning to form."
Stage 23, 56-57 days post-ovulation. "By the last stage of embryonic development, all essential external and internal structures are present." "Taste buds begin to form on the surface of the tongue."
Week 10, "Brain structure of the fetus is complete and the brain mass increases rapidly." "Early facial hair follicles begin to develop." "Vocal cords form in larynx and fetus can make sounds." "Fingernails begin to grow from nail beds." "Fetus develops reflexes and the skin is very sensitive."
Week 12, "Sucking muscles of mouth fill out cheeks, tooth buds continue to develop and salivary glands begin to function."
Week 16, "Growth continues, but no new structures form after this point." "Fingertips and toes develop the unique swirls and creases of fingerprints and toe prints."
Week 18, "Fetus has phases of sleep and waking and may prefer a favorite sleep position." "Ovaries of female fetuses contain primitive egg cells, all of the eggs a woman will have for her entire life. The uterus of female fetuses is also fully formed."
Week 20, "Testes of male fetuses begin descending from the pelvis into the scrotum."
Week 22, "Bones of the ear - hammer, anvil and stirrup - harden, making sound conduction possible. Fetus recognizes maternal sounds such as breathing, heartbeat, voice, and digestion." NB: This is the earliest any state in the US restricts abortion. Up until this point it's on-demand throughout the US.
Week 24, "Fetal brain waves begin to activate auditory and visual systems, both mouth and lips show more sensitivity. Eyes respond to light, while ears respond to sounds originating outside uterus. Permanent teeth buds appear high in gums." NB: This is the most common point at which those states with restrictions no longer allow abortion on demand.
Week 26, "Brain wave patterns resemble those of a full term baby at birth."
Week 30, "The iris is colored and the pupil reflexes responding to light."
Week 36, "Fetus turns toward light sources in what is known as the orienting response."
Stage 10, 21-23 days post-ovulation, "The cells which become the eyes appear as thickened circles just off of the neural folds. The cells of the ears are also present." "The two endocardial tubes formed in Stage 9 fuse in Stage 10 to form one single tube derived from the roof of the nueral tube, which becomes S-shaped and makes the primitive heart asymmetric. As the S-shape forms, cardiac muscle contraction begins."
Stage 11, 23-25 days post-ovulation, "A primitive S-shaped tubal heart is beating and peristalsis, the rhythmic flow propelling fluids throughout the body, begins."
Stage 13, 27-29 days post-ovulation, "The brain differentiates into the three main parts: the forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain." "Primitive mouth with a tongue is recognizable." "Gall bladder, stomach, intestines, pancreas continue to form and the metanephric bud appears in the chest cavity."
Stage 17, c. 41 days post-ovulation, "The nasofrontal groove becomes distinct and an olfactory bulb (sense of smell) forms in the brain." "The dental laminae or teeth buds begin to form."
Stage 18, c. 7 weeks post-ovulation, "Nipples appear on the chest." "Kidneys begin to produce urine for the first time."
Stage 19, 47-48 days post-ovulation. "Brain has the first detectable brain waves."
Stage 20, c. 8 weeks post-ovulation. "Brain is connected to tiny muscles and nerves and enables the embryo to make spontaneous movements." "Testes or ovaries are distinguishable."
Stage 21, c. 52 days post-ovulation. "Over the next few days, tongue development finishes."
Stage 22, c. 9 weeks post-ovulation. "In female embryos, the clitoris is beginning to form."
Stage 23, 56-57 days post-ovulation. "By the last stage of embryonic development, all essential external and internal structures are present." "Taste buds begin to form on the surface of the tongue."
Week 10, "Brain structure of the fetus is complete and the brain mass increases rapidly." "Early facial hair follicles begin to develop." "Vocal cords form in larynx and fetus can make sounds." "Fingernails begin to grow from nail beds." "Fetus develops reflexes and the skin is very sensitive."
Week 12, "Sucking muscles of mouth fill out cheeks, tooth buds continue to develop and salivary glands begin to function."
Week 16, "Growth continues, but no new structures form after this point." "Fingertips and toes develop the unique swirls and creases of fingerprints and toe prints."
Week 18, "Fetus has phases of sleep and waking and may prefer a favorite sleep position." "Ovaries of female fetuses contain primitive egg cells, all of the eggs a woman will have for her entire life. The uterus of female fetuses is also fully formed."
Week 20, "Testes of male fetuses begin descending from the pelvis into the scrotum."
Week 22, "Bones of the ear - hammer, anvil and stirrup - harden, making sound conduction possible. Fetus recognizes maternal sounds such as breathing, heartbeat, voice, and digestion." NB: This is the earliest any state in the US restricts abortion. Up until this point it's on-demand throughout the US.
Week 24, "Fetal brain waves begin to activate auditory and visual systems, both mouth and lips show more sensitivity. Eyes respond to light, while ears respond to sounds originating outside uterus. Permanent teeth buds appear high in gums." NB: This is the most common point at which those states with restrictions no longer allow abortion on demand.
Week 26, "Brain wave patterns resemble those of a full term baby at birth."
Week 30, "The iris is colored and the pupil reflexes responding to light."
Week 36, "Fetus turns toward light sources in what is known as the orienting response."
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Blog roundup
Sister Toldjah posted Planned Parenthood pulls a NAFAL, pointing out that PP grossly distorted what Samuel Alito had to say on spousal notification on abortion. Nice job of spotting this, even though with PP it's like the old, "How do you know your lawyer is lying?" joke. And what's really telling is how the comments are going. They illustrate how the abortion lobby has driven a wedge between men and women.
Bafflegabber says Alito is NOT mainsteam! Obviously he doesn't grasp that babies have fathers. Why is giving a father a chance to protect his child the equivalent of the man "owning" the mother?
Minivan Mom has a great Top Ten Reasons it'd be great to have a majorly Catholic SCOTUS! Go read it!
Bafflegabber says Alito is NOT mainsteam! Obviously he doesn't grasp that babies have fathers. Why is giving a father a chance to protect his child the equivalent of the man "owning" the mother?
Minivan Mom has a great Top Ten Reasons it'd be great to have a majorly Catholic SCOTUS! Go read it!
Safe-n-legal anniversary -- Anjelica Duarte
On November 1, 1991, 21-year-old Anjelica Duarte underwent an abortion by Dr. Larry Thompson at Women's Place Clinic in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to one of Anjelica's friends, Anjelica had sought an abortion because a doctor had recommended that she delay having another baby for five years due to health problems. Anjelica already had a three-year-old daughter and a one-year-old daughter.
After the abortion, Anjelica was kept under observation for several hours, but was not given any care. She was rushed to the hospital by paramedics at 7:30 that evening, but she was dead on arrival. A hospital spokesman said that she had lost 90 percent of her blood; her uterus had been perforated.
In reviewing the case, the medical board noted that Thompson did not have adequate equipment for post-operative care, and revoked his license.
After the abortion, Anjelica was kept under observation for several hours, but was not given any care. She was rushed to the hospital by paramedics at 7:30 that evening, but she was dead on arrival. A hospital spokesman said that she had lost 90 percent of her blood; her uterus had been perforated.
In reviewing the case, the medical board noted that Thompson did not have adequate equipment for post-operative care, and revoked his license.
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