US States Passed 19 Pro-Life Laws in 2020 Saving Unborn Babies from Abortion

US States Passed 19 Pro-Life Laws in 2020 Saving Unborn Babies from Abortion

Despite the coronavirus shutdowns and limited legislative sessions, 13 states still made protections for unborn babies a priority in 2020.

A new report from Americans United for Life recently highlighted the life-saving laws and resolutions that state lawmakers passed this year – doing what they could to end the human rights abuse of abortion against unborn babies in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.

According to Americans United for Life, 13 states passed 19 pro-life laws in 2020, including measures to require abortion facilities to give mothers accurate information and to protect underage girls from secret abortions without a parent’s knowledge or consent.

“While state lawmakers hit the ground running in January, pursuing dozens of life-affirming bills, efforts stalled in March when the COVID-19 global pandemic prematurely ended the legislative sessions in most states,” the pro-life organization said.

Thankfully, the shutdowns meant that states also passed fewer pro-abortion laws; only Virginia and the District of Columbia voted to expand abortions, AUL noted. Currently, Massachusetts also is considering a last-minute amendment tacked onto its budget that would expand late-term abortions in the state.

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The states that passed pro-life laws were: Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Idaho and Utah passed legislation that would ban abortions when Roe v. Wade is overturned or the U.S. Supreme Court allows states to begin protecting unborn babies again, according to the report.

Three other state legislatures passed bills to protect newborns from infanticide, but only the one in West Virginia became law. The governors of Kentucky and Wyoming vetoed the Born-Alive Infant Protection Acts in their states.

Meanwhile, Florida passed a law to strengthen parental involvement when an underage girl has an abortion. The state now requires a minor to have a parent’s consent prior to aborting her unborn baby. Such laws not only protect young girls and their babies from abortion, but they also can help prevent and expose sexual abuse.

Four other states, Alaska, Iowa, Kansas and Kentucky, moved forward with ballot initiatives and constitutional amendments to protect unborn babies, according to the report.

Meanwhile, Louisiana voters just overwhelmingly passed a pro-life amendment to their constitution on Nov. 3. It states, “To protect human life, nothing in this constitution shall be construed to protect a right to abortion or the tax payer funding of abortion.”

Pro-life laws do save lives. Americans United for Life pointed to research by Dr. Michael New, professor of social research and political science at the Catholic University of America and associate scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute. New’s research found a direct correlation between increasing the number of state pro-life laws and reducing the number of abortions.

As a result, “the national abortion rate continues its downward trend, and it is now the lowest rate since 1973, when Roe v. Wade legalized abortion,” the pro-life organization said.

There were 862,320 abortions in the U.S. in 2017, down from a high of about 1.5 million annually in the early 1990s, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

The declining abortion rate comes as states pass a record number of pro-life laws. In 2019, the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute reported 33 states passed a record 479 pro-life laws since 2011. To put that number into perspective, states have passed 1,271 pro-life laws since 1973 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade. This means more than one third of all pro-life laws in the U.S. were approved in the past decade.

However, the abortion industry is challenging many of these laws in court. Because of Roe v. Wade, states have very limited power to protect unborn babies and mothers from abortions.

Many state lawmakers recognize that their constituents want unborn babies to be protected.

Polls consistently show strong support of abortion restrictions. A 2019 Hill-HarrisX survey found that 55 percent of voters said they do not think laws banning abortions after six weeks – when an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detectable – are too restrictive.

Another poll out of Harvard University found that just 6 percent of Americans said abortions should be allowed “up until the birth of the child,” while 8 percent said they should be permitted up to the third trimester. It also found that a majority of Americans want the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit Roe v.Wade.

This is a LifeNews.com opinion piece

Ref: https://www.lifenews.com/2020/11/17/states-passed-19-pro-life-laws-in-2020-saving-unborn-babies-from-abortion/

 

 

Abortionist Forced Woman to Have Abortion: “Don’t Scream, You’ll Scare the Other Patients”

Abortionist Forced Woman to Have Abortion: “Don’t Scream, You’ll Scare the Other Patients”

Crystal’s abortion was like a horror story in real life.

Pressured by her boyfriend and then forced into it by the abortionist and his staff, the young woman never fully recovered from the trauma of her unborn baby’s abortion death, Live Action News reports.

However, she went to a Rachel’s Vineyard retreat where pro-lifers helped her begin to heal from the pain and abuse that she experienced and grieve the loss of her baby. She shared her story in the book “Shockwaves: Abortions Wider Circle of Victim,” by Janet Morana.

According to the report, Crystal became pregnant at age 18 to her 22-year-old boyfriend. She said he quickly began pressuring her into an abortion, and she consented to go to the abortion facility.

“I was never asked what I wanted to do about the baby, he decided for me,” she said.

The abortion facility staff confirmed that she was 13-weeks pregnant when they did an ultrasound, the report continues. Crystal said she had to beg them repeatedly before they finally let her see her unborn baby’s image.

“Finally, they turned the screen toward me. I could see my BABY, not a ball of tissue or clump of cells, but my BABY moving around. Face, hands, and even the heart beating. I got to see the tiny child turning somersaults in my belly,” she remembered.

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Crystal said she began to argue with her boyfriend again about the abortion, and again he insisted that she go through with it. Because they did not have $1,200 for the abortion and anesthesia, she paid for the abortion without pain relief, the report continues.

She did not want to abort her unborn baby, but the abortion staff did nothing to empower her to make her own choice. Instead, she said they gave her “one-sided opinions, no medical facts.”

“I was lied to! I was told that there were rarely any side effects. ‘Most women go out that night,’ I was told. ‘It’s really no big deal. It will all be over soon…’” she continued. “After filling my head with lies, they took me to a cold room for the procedure.”

Feeling a renewed urgency to save her baby’s life, she told the abortionist that she did not want the abortion, according to the report. Instead of listening, he told the abortion workers to hold her down, she remembered.

Crystal said she yelled at him and told him “no” several times, but he ignored her. At one point, she said she screamed at him to stop. To which he responded: “Don’t scream. You’ll scare the other patients.”

She said she felt “violated and threatened” as he began, and the pain was excruciating.

The horrific experience traumatized her. Crystal said she began to drink to numb the pain. Eventually, she said she dropped out of school and married her abusive boyfriend to “punish” herself.

“Abortion took my soul, and now I didn’t deserve happiness,” she said. “I felt unlovable. I hated myself, and I was unworthy of forgiveness. I deserved to be punished for what I did. I murdered my baby!”

Crystal was physically traumatized as well. She said she passed out during a pap smear because she experienced a painful flashback to her abortion.

Eventually, she connected with pro-lifers who run Rachel’s Vineyard, a post-abortion healing ministry that counsels women and men across the world. Through the retreat, she said she began to heal, but the trauma may never be gone.

Crystal’s horrific experience is not unique. Abuse is commonly connected with abortion, and women frequently say they felt pressured or even forced to abort their unborn babies – sometimes under threat of violence or death. As LifeNews previously reported, one study found that as many as 64 percent of post-abortive women say they felt pressure to have an abortion.

LifeNews has been keeping track of stories involving allegations of forced and coerced abortions, as well as abuse connected with women who refuse to abort their unborn babies. They include:

England – Man Threatens to Slit His Baby’s Throat if His Ex-Girlfriend Didn’t Have Abortion

England – Husband Orders His Wife to Kill Their Unborn Baby in an Abortion

Florida – Jeffrey Epstein Rape Victim Says She Was Pressured to Have Abortion

California – U.S. Swim Coach Accused of Sexual Abuse, Pressuring Girl into Abortion

Pennsylvania – Man Allegedly Used Abortion Pills to Hide Sexual Abuse of Daughter and Stepdaughter When They Got Pregnant

India – Woman’s Parents Allegedly Strangle Her to Death After She Refuses to Kill Her Baby in an Abortion

Philippines – Police Officer Charged with Raping Intern, Forcing Her to Abort Her Unborn Child

Uganda – Man Stabs 18 Year-Old Girlfriend to Death After She Refuses to Have Abortion

India – Teacher Rapes 13-Year-Old Student, Then Forces Her to Have Abortion

England – Pastor Raped Multiple Women and Children From His Congregation, Forced Them to Have Abortions

Wales – Man Accused of Brutally Strangling His Pregnant Girlfriend, Demanding She Get an Abortion

Texas – Man Jailed for Life After Killing His Pregnant Girlfriend Because She Wouldn’t Abort Their Baby

California – Man Reportedly Forced His Girlfriend at Gunpoint at Take Drugs to Kill Her Baby in Abortion

Wisconsin – Man Allegedly Slipped Abortion Drugs into Pregnant Girlfriend’s Drink

England – Man Allegedly Tries to Force Girlfriend to Abort Their Disabled Baby: “It Would be Cruel to Have a Baby Like That”

Indiana – Teen Kills Pregnant Girlfriend After She Waited Too Long to Get Abortion: “I Took Action, I Took Her Life”

Tennessee – Man Kills Girlfriend and 4-Month Old Baby, She Refused to Abort So He Could Escape Child Support

New York – Attacker Kills Woman 5 Months Pregnant, New York’s New Abortion Law Says Her Baby Isn’t a Human Being

Utah – Man Reportedly Killed His Pregnant Ex-Girlfriend Because She Refused to Have Abortion

Virginia – Doctor Convicted of Spiking Pregnant Girlfriend’s Drink with Abortion Drugs

Hawaii – Man Stabs His Girlfriend More Than Two Dozen Times Because She Refused an Abortion

California – Man Hired Hitman to Kill His Girlfriend and Unborn Son Because She Refused Abortion

Florida – Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Tricking Pregnant Girlfriend into Taking Abortion Drugs

Norway – Man Convicted of Killing Unborn Baby after Slipping Abortion Drugs into Girlfriend’s Drink

Indiana – Man Charged with Attempted Feticide for Allegedly Spiking Girlfriend’s Drink with Abortion Herbs

New York – Man Convicted of Attempted Murder after Secretly Giving Girlfriend Abortion Drugs

Pennsylvania – Abortion Doc Allegedly Tried to Force His Girlfriend to Abort Their Baby, Then Beat Her When She Refused

Colorado – Man Uses a Skewer to Force His Girlfriend to Abort After She Refuses Demand to Have an Abortion

Indiana – Man Tries to Force Pregnant Girlfriend to Have Abortion By Poisoning Her Drink

England – Man Jailed for Tying Up His Girlfriend, Forcing Abortion Drugs Into Her Vagina

This is a LifeNews.com opinion piece

Ref: https://www.lifenews.com/2020/11/17/abortionist-forced-woman-to-have-abortion-dont-scream-youll-scare-the-other-patients/

 

50 UK Palliative Care Doctors Speak Out Against Introducing Assisted Suicide

50 UK Palliative Care Doctors Speak Out Against Introducing Assisted Suicide

Over fifty doctors working in palliative medicine and care for dying patients have signed a letter to The Times in opposition to any proposed changes in the assisted suicide law.

In the face of continual attempts to legalise assisted suicide, fifty doctors have signalled their continued support for protections in the law for the most vulnerable. In particular, the doctors have called attention to a recent British Medical Association survey on assisted suicide which shows the unwillingness of doctors to participate in assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Most doctors would not participate in assisted suicide or euthanasia

In the letter, the doctors point out that whatever marginal support there is for the idea of assisted suicide, it remains the case that a “majority of doctors licensed to practise would not agree to prescribe lethal drugs (assisted suicide) and a larger majority would not administer them (euthanasia).”

In other words, when the doctors who answered the survey were asked if they would personally “participate in any way in the process” of assisted suicide, 45% said ‘no’, as opposed to 36% who said ‘yes’. When asked if they would personally “participate in any way in the process” of euthanasia, 54% said ‘no’, and only 26% said ‘yes’.

The same BMA survey showed that 84% of doctors in palliative medicine would not be willing to perform euthanasia on a patient should the law ever change.

The letter also notes that supposed safeguards in euthanaisa and assisted suicide laws are regularly breached. “Every legislature that allows ‘safeguarded’ assisted dying has seen its safeguards breached, starkly illustrating the gap between principle and practice.” In the Netherlands, for example, reports indicate that the requirement for explicit consent is frequently ignored, as is the required reporting of all instances of euthanasia.

The signers of the letter also emphasise the role medical professionals, which “if ever assisted dying were to be legalised… must be limited to the provision of an opinion on the applicant’s medical condition. It should be for the courts alone to make decisions – as they do now – on life-or-death issues.”

Being a burden

Calls for the legalisation of assisted suicide come at the same time as countries that have already legalised the practise reveal that the motivations for assisted suicide are social and not medical.

For example, in 2019 Canada reported that more than a third (34%) of those who opted for “medical assistance in dying” cited concerns of being a burden to family or carers. A further 13.7% cited “isolation or loneliness” as their reason for procuring an assisted suicide.

Right To Life UK’s spokesperson Catherine Robinson, said: “Once again, this letter shows that the vast majority of those doctors working with dying patients are opposed  to the introduction of assisted suicide.

“The data from Canada shows that ‘isolation or loneliness’ is a reason people choose assisted suicide. With the current COVID 19 lockdowns, loneliness is likely to get worse. This is a serious social problem, not a medical one, and the solution to it is not to end the lives of those suffering.”

This is a Right to Life opinion piece

Ref: https://righttolife.org.uk/news/fifty-palliative-care-doctors-speak-out-against-introducing-assisted-suicide/

A tribute to the fearless and inspirational priest

A tribute to the fearless and inspirational priest

Article written by Katrine Camilleri and Danielle Vella

A free spirit who was larger than life… for us, that is the best way to describe Fr Pierre Grech Marguerat who died in Italy on Friday morning. Since waking up to the news, we’ve been fending off sadness by remembering what made Pierre such a remarkable person. And here it is: Pierre tried to live life to the full despite the debilitating sickness that plagued him.

Life dealt him a raw deal when it came to his health but for as long as he could, Pierre resolutely refused to give in. Where others would have retreated from the world, Pierre persisted. Asked how he kept from falling into despair, Pierre would chuckle and say, “What would you have me do? Hide myself in a corner and cry?”

We knew Pierre through the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Malta over several years. Pierre was a Jesuit priest and pioneer of JRS. He was a passionate advocate for refugee rights and never afraid to speak out; quite the contrary, he delighted in making his voice heard and did not shy away from controversy.

A gifted communicator, Pierre had a way of explaining things to people, so that they listened and understood. He inspired people and made them want to support him and the causes he was advocating. It was about more than just having the gift of the gab. Pierre was respected because he cared deeply about people, and about justice as a natural expression of his faith in God, and this authenticity came across.

Pierre tried to live life to the full despite the debilitating sickness that plagued him

Pierre’s abiding interest in people went beyond his tireless work for social justice. He was a loyal and concerned friend who liked to know what was going on. There were kind and thoughtful gestures, like calling from abroad if he heard that we were sick or searching for and buying Madhur Jaffrey’s Curry Bible as a gift because he gleaned from conversation how much it would be valued. Pierre liked food and talking about food. Although there was much he could not eat because of his health, he would really appreciate whatever you prepared when invited for dinner, and recall it for ages afterwards.

Pierre’s irrepressible sense of humour, expressed in a trademark mischievous chuckle, made him fun to be around. He was a gregarious soul, who liked to be around people and in where the action was. When we heard about his death, the first thing that occurred to us was how many people around the world will be sorry to hear the news.

Pierre was known and loved by Jesuits and others in the international JRS family. A colleague of ours in Brussels said: “He was of those people who leave a deep impression on those who cross paths with him. We’ll miss him.” People liked Pierre; it was as simple as that. Perhaps it was because he made you feel like you mattered.

Given that Pierre cared so much about others, it was with a twinge of regret that we received news of his death, because of the missed opportunities to contact him in Italy to see how he was doing. But then our guilt was wiped away by the realisation that Pierre would never dream of holding our failings against us.

Pierre was free from pettiness, he was never one to get offended, or sulk or nurse grudges in his heart. His freedom frees us too, to remember the great times spent together in work and in fun, and to learn from the touch of greatness that made Pierre who he was. Thank you, Pierre, we’ll never forget you.  

This is a timesofmalta.com opinion piece

Ref: https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/a-tribute-to-the-fearless-and-inspirational-priest.831841

As president, Biden will re-start funding international organizations that promote abortion

As president, Biden will re-start funding international organizations that promote abortion

Biden plans to rejoin Paris Agreement and WHO, undo other Trump decisions on Day 1

He would also reinstate DACA and repeal Trump’s travel ban targeting majority Muslim countries.

President-elect Joe Biden plans, on his first day in the White House, to enact four executive orders rolling back President Trump’s efforts on a number of issues, the campaign told Fox News on Monday.

The executive actions would include rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, reinstating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, rejoin the World Health Organization and repeal Trump’s travel ban targeting majority Muslim nations.

The pledge came after several media outlets, including Fox News, projected Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election. As of Monday, the Trump campaign vowed to continue challenging the results, citing issues with ballots and the counting process.  

Monday’s news signaled the beginning of a longer effort to undo a variety of policies pursued by Trump. Biden has vowed to repeal Trump’s tax cuts, for example, and said that he would reverse the Mexico City Policy, which Trump reinstated shortly after taking office in 2017.

FAUCI SAYS HE’S NOT LEAVING JOB AFTER 2020 ELECTION, EXPECTS COVID VACCINES BY END OF THE YEAR

That policy restricts international funding for organizations that promote abortion. Other abortion-related policies and those weakening the Affordable Care Act, will likely be on the chopping block in a Biden-Harris administration as well.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Biden’s decision to re-enter the WHO reflected a broader effort to combat the coronavirus upon taking office. Democrats have decried Trump’s decision to exit the transnational organization in the middle of a pandemic. Trump has defended the move as a way to hold the organization accountable for alleged missteps during the pandemic.

In an official move, the president-elect formed a coronavirus advisory board dominated by scientists and doctors.  

“The challenge before us right now is still immense and growing, and so is the need for bold action to fight this pandemic,” Biden said after being briefed on the virus. “We are still facing a dark winter.”

By Sam Dorman, Hillary Vaughn | Fox News

Ref: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-executive-orders-day-one

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Pro-life campaigners gather outside UK parliament to commemorate abortion ‘crisis’

Pro-life campaigners gather outside UK parliament to commemorate abortion ‘crisis’

Pro-life campaigners from across the UK gathered outside the Palace of Westminster in Parliament Square today to commemorate the 9,563,907* lives lost since the passing of the Abortion Act, which happened 53 years ago on 27 October 1967.

The event, which was organised by March for Life UK, included a live display of people, ranging in age from one to 53 years old, holding signs revealing the total number of abortions performed in the calendar year they were born.  

March for Life UK Directors Ben Thatcher and Isabel Vaughan-Spruce said the idea behind the pro-life demonstration was to give a face to the 9,563,907 lives lost to abortion over the past 53 years.

Isabel said: “Each of these individuals was more than just a number but was an irreplaceable human being.”

She called for more to be done to offer pregnant women who are vulnerable practical help, love and support, adding that “abortion has not solved the crisis” but is the crisis.

Continuous rise

Since the passing of the Abortion Act, there has been an almost continuous year-on-year rise in the number of abortions in England & Wales and Scotland.

In 1969, the first full calendar year abortion was legal, there were 54,819 terminations in England & Wales and 3,556 in Scotland.

Back in 2007, when the number of abortions reached 205,598 in England & Wales and 13,778 in Scotland, the architect of the Abortion Act, Lord Steel, admitted that he never anticipated “‘anything like’ the current number of terminations”.

Yet the number of abortions is still increasing.

In 2019, the number of abortions in England & Wales reached an all-time high of 209,519, while the number of terminations performed in Scotland was the second-highest on record at 13,583.

Unfortunately, this pattern of ever-rising abortion numbers could continue in the future, following the introduction of an extreme abortion regime in Northern Ireland and policy changes allowing for ‘DIY’ home abortions across England, Scotland and Wales.

New and radical abortion legislation in Northern Ireland, imposed upon them by the Government in Westminster, allows abortion-on-demand up to 24 weeks and disability-selective abortion right up to birth – including for Down’s syndrome, cleft lip and club foot.

Earlier this month, it was revealed 664 terminations have already taken place under the new regime despite the fact the Northern Ireland Department of Health has not officially commissioned abortion ‘services’.

Meanwhile, the introduction of ‘DIY’ home abortion schemes across Great Britain has coincided with record-high abortion numbers in England and Wales.

Abortion statistics released by the Department of Health and Social Care show that 109,836 abortions were performed for English and Welsh residents in the 6 months between 1 January and 30 June 2020. This is 4,296 higher than a six-month average of 105,540 in 2019.

‘Monstrous figure’

Three years ago, Lord Alton of Liverpool marked the 50th anniversary of the Abortion Act by saying the number of abortions being performed was ‘a monstrous figure’.

Hundreds of pro-life campaigners listened to the pro-life peer as he condemned the “willful killing of the smallest and most helpless member of the human family in the very place she should be safest – her mother’s womb”.

He said: “What we mark today, is nothing less than the greatest shame of our nation. The fact that we neuter the protections in our laws for our tiniest countrymen and countrywomen is a horror and disgrace on a massive scale.

“We are here to signify that we are not going away, that we are not going to remain quiet while injustice occurs and we are not going to stop working and educating and championing and fighting until we live in a society where the humanity, dignity and the rights of every member of our nation are together recognised.”

‘National Tragedy’ 

A spokesperson for Right to Life UK, Catherine Robinson said: 

“The UK’s abortion law is failing both women and unborn babies. It is a national tragedy that 9,563,907 lives have been lost since the passing of the 1967 Abortion Act, each one a valuable human being who was denied the right to life.

“Every one of these abortions represents a failure of our society to protect the lives of babies in the womb and a failure to offer full support to women with unplanned pregnancies.

“We are always looking at how we can save more lives by ensuring that protections for unborn babies are introduced and safeguards are strengthened to protect both mothers and babies.”

*This figure is a projection for England, Wales and Scotland through to midnight on 27/10/20 and has been calculated based on the following assumptions:

  • The number of abortions per day in England & Wales will remain the same in 2020 as in 2019.
  • The number of abortions per day in Scotland will remain the same in 2020 as in 2019.
  • The rate of abortions throughout the year is evenly distributed.
  • Please note, figures have been released for the number of abortions through to June 2020. We have not used this published data in our modelling as it only provides data for the first half of the year, which is unreliable for making a prediction due to possible seasonal variation. We have not included data for abortions that have occurred in Northern Ireland in 2020 because it has not been made clear on which day abortions began being performed in Northern Ireland and it is therefore unreliable to model a projection for the remainder of the year using this.

This is a Righttolife.org.uk opinion piece

Ref: https://righttolife.org.uk/news/pro-life-campaigners-gather-outside-uk-parliament-to-commemorate-abortion-crisis/ 

“Int Id-Dawl Ta’ Ħajjitna” – Tamara Webb Tiċċelebra Għeluq It-Twelid Ta’ Bintha

“Int Id-Dawl Ta’ Ħajjitna” – Tamara Webb Tiċċelebra Għeluq It-Twelid Ta’ Bintha

Il-personalità tal-midja Tamara Webb illum żvelat li t-tifla tagħha Pixie Rose għadha kif għalqet xahrejn! “Ma nistax ngħid li ‘ż-żmien tar’ għax inħoss li hi kienet parti minni ħajti kollha,” kitbet Tamara fuq il-midja soċjali.

Iżda x’ġara eżatt f’dawn ix-xahrejn ta’ ħajja u mħabba? Tamara żvelat li Pixie Rose “kellha l-ewwel tbissima tagħha u dewbitilna qalbna.”

Tamara kompliet billi kitbet lista tal-aktar affarijiet li Pixie Rose tħobb tagħmel.

“Tħobb iżżomm rasha ‘l fuq għal perjodi ta’ żmien estiżi, l-aktar fuq missierha!”

“Tħobb leħen il-mamà u tidher ukoll li xi kultant trid titkellem magħha”

“Tħobb il-ħin ta’ filgħodu, tieħu nagħsa u l-bobo tagħha”

“Mhux dilettanta tal-ħin ta’ filgħaxija, il-ħin taż-żaqq u wisq bews”

Fl-aħħar, Tamara kitbet: “Int id-dawl ta’ ħajjitna. Happy 2 months baby girl.” Aħna minn Gwida.mt nawguraw lil Tamara u Ken aktar mumenti mill-isbaħ bħal dawn. Awguri mill-qalb liċ-ċkejkna Pixie Rose!

 This is a gwida.mt  opinion piece

Ref: https://www.gwida.mt/mt/bir-ritratt-int-id-dawl-ta-hajjitna—tamara-webb-ticcelebra-gheluq-it-twelid-ta-bintha?fbclid=IwAR3kMGQuHKWd2k6BiihAot3lHEUqM-GuqX3LS7uZcn876I8YYyL5Z3egOiQ

Amy Coney Barrett sworn in as Supreme Court justice at White House

Amy Coney Barrett sworn in as Supreme Court justice at White House

Barrett’s confirmation solidified a conservative majority on the high court

Judge Amy Coney Barrett, fresh off her confirmation to serve as an associate justice on the nation’s highest court, took her constitutional oath on Monday at the White House.

The Supreme Court said in a press release that Barrett will be able to start her new role after Chief Justice John Roberts administers her judicial oath on Tuesday. Justice Clarence Thomas administered the constitutional oath at Monday’s ceremony.

Thomas has long been considered one of the more conservative justices on the court, along with Barrett’s mentor, the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Echoing her mentor, Barrett underscored the need for a separation of powers between the judicial and legislative branches.

“It is the job of a senator to pursue her policy preferences,” Barrett said to an audience on the South Lawn of the White House. “In fact, it would be a dereliction of duty for her to put policy goals aside. By contrast, it is the job of a judge to resist her policy preferences. It would be a dereliction of duty for her to give into them. Federal judges don’t stand for election. Thus, they have no basis for claiming that their preferences reflect those of the people.”

CNN, MSNBC SKIP HISTORIC SENATE VOTE CONFIRMING AMY CONEY BARRETT TO SUPREME COURT

The separation of duty is what makes the judiciary distinct, she said.

“A judge declares independence not only from Congress and the president, but also from the private beliefs that might otherwise move her,” she said.

The Senate confirmed Barrett with a 52-48 vote. All 45 Democrats and two independents who caucus with the Democrats opposed her confirmation.

Controversial from the start, her confirmation prompted a wave of backlash on Monday. Almost immediately after the Senate voted, Democratic lawmakers panned the decision while some called demanded leaders “expand the court.”

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY LAUDS BARRETT SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATION AS ‘VICTORY FOR OUR FOUNDERS’

Barrett’s confirmation solidified a conservative majority on the nation’s highest court, and gave Trump another victory as he headed into election day.

Whoever wins on Nov. 3 will likely have major consequences on the Supreme Court as an American institution. Former Vice President Joe Biden has mostly refused to answer questions about whether he would pack the courts.

On Monday, Biden said that he might be open to shifting Supreme Court justices to lower courts if elected president, noting that he hadn’t made any judgment yet on the issue.

“There is some literature among constitutional scholars about the possibility of going from one court to another court, not just always staying the whole time in the Supreme Court but I have made no judgment,” Biden said at a campaign stop in Chester, Pa.

AMY CONEY BARRETT CONFIRMED TO SUPREME COURT, ‘SQUAD’ MEMBERS CALL FOR EXPANDING THE BENCH

He went on to say that “there are just a group of serious constitutional scholars, have a number of ideas how we should proceed from this point on.”

“That’s what we’re going to be doing. We’re going to give them 180 days God-willing if I’m elected, from the time I’m sworn in to be able to make such a recommendation.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

During an interview with “60 Minutes,” Biden said he would set up a commission that would make recommendations for reforming the court system. 

“I will ask them to, over 180 days, come back to me with recommendations as to how to reform the court system because it’s getting out of whack,” he said.

 This is a foxnews.com opinion piece

Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

Ref: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/amy-coney-barrett-sworn-in-as-supreme-court-associated-justice-at-white-house-ceremony

 

53 years of abortion: 9,563,907 lives lost since 1967

53 years of abortion:

9,563,907 lives lost since 1967 — one unborn baby every 3 minutes

Today marks the 53rd anniversary of the Abortion Act receiving Royal Assent. 

Since then, a staggering 9,563,907* unborn babies have lost their lives to abortion across England, Wales and Scotland — more than one death every three minutes; 20 lives ended every hour.

Almost 1 in 4 (24%) pregnancies in England and Wales now ends in abortion, according to the most recent Government statistics.

Despite conception rates falling for the eleventh year in a row, this is the highest figure since records began and represents a significant increase from 2012 when approximately 1 in 5 (20.7%) pregnancies ended in abortion.

The number of abortions in England & Wales reached an all-time high in 2019 at 209,519, while the number of terminations performed in Scotland was the third-highest on record at 13,583.

Record abortion figures will likely increase

Unfortunately, those record figures are likely to increase following the introduction of an extreme abortion regime in Northern Ireland and policy changes allowing for ‘DIY’ home abortions across England, Scotland and Wales.

New and radical abortion legislation in Northern Ireland, imposed upon them by the Government in Westminster, allows abortion-on-demand up to 24 weeks and disability-selective abortion right up to birth – including for Down’s syndrome, cleft lip and club foot.

Earlier this month, it was revealed 664 terminations have already taken place under the new regime despite the fact the Northern Ireland Department of Health has not officially commissioned abortion ‘services’.

Meanwhile, the introduction of ‘DIY’ home abortion schemes across Great Britain has coincided with record-high abortion numbers in England and Wales.

Abortion statistics released by the Department of Health and Social Care show that 109,836 abortions were performed for English and Welsh residents in the 6 months between 1 January and 30 June 2020.

This is 4,296 higher than a six-month average of 105,540 in 2019. While a month-by-month breakdown is unavailable, 2019 saw the highest number of abortions ever recorded for English and Welsh residents over a full year, at 207,384.

An unsafe industry

The increase in abortion numbers has coincided with a rise in the number of safety abuses and other significant scandals, placing women at risk, with UK abortion providers.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that over 60% of England’s abortion clinics are rated inadequate or requiring improvement when it comes to safety.

Over the past year, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has released alarming reports detailing health and safety abuses at two of the largest abortion clinics in the UK. Inspectors found an abortion clinic in London which specialises in late-term terminations was putting the lives of women at risk and, in November, the CQC handed BPAS Merseyside the worst rating of any private abortion provider so far.

The situation may be significantly worse too. Despite the damning reports, the CQC announced in March that it would be suspending safety inspections during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In their absence, an undercover investigation found evidence of abortion providers putting women at significant risk by not carrying out basic checks before sending them ‘DIY’ home abortion pills.

The study also discovered ‘DIY’ home abortion pills can easily be obtained and administered to others, potentially in a coercive manner.

In May, it was revealed UK police were investigating the death of an unborn baby after its mother took ‘DIY’ home abortion pills while 28 weeks’ pregnant.

In addition, abortion provider BPAS said they were investigating a further eight cases of women taking ‘DIY’ home abortion pills beyond the 10-week limit, raising questions over what checks are being conducted to ensure the law isn’t being broken and dangerous late-term abortions aren’t happening.

More recently, a nurse in the UK has shared how she was left fearing for her life and needing emergency surgery after Marie Stopes International denied her counselling and pressured her to take abortion pills at home, rather than under the supervision of a doctor in a clinic.

Just two weeks ago, a pregnant woman similarly disclosed that she’d had an abortion after being denied face-to-face counselling services from the UK’s largest abortion provider, BPAS, which boasts that it can offer same-day abortions in its ‘considering abortion’ booklet.

A lucrative industry

Despite the significant rise in safety abuses and other scandals, abortion providers and their bosses continue to be well compensated by the UK taxpayer through Government contributions.

Since the passing of the Act, what was once a crime has become a lucrative industry.

Abortion provider Marie Stopes International’s chief executive earned between £340,000 and £350,000 in 2019 and £434,500 in 2018, according to accounts submitted to Companies House.

The accounts also show the abortion provider had a record income of £308 million from operations here in the UK and overseas, receiving over £46 million in 2019 from the Department for International Development (DfID), who remain the single largest donor.

42 of MSI’s employees were paid more than £100,000 in 2019, an increase of four in the previous year. BPAS, the UK’s largest abortion provider, paid 10 of its staff over £100,000 in 2019, an increase of three on the previous year.

A discriminatory industry

The abortion industry continues to unjustly and disproportionately target unborn babies diagnosed with a disability.

Earlier this year, it was revealed the number of abortions performed on unborn babies with cleft lip and palate in England & Wales has increased 150% since 2011.

Meanwhile, the latest available figures show that 90% of children diagnosed with Down’s syndrome before birth are aborted. There were 3,183 disability selective abortions across England & Wales in 2019, with 656 of those occurring following a prenatal diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. 

The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’ has made a key recommendation that the UK change its abortion law on disability so that it does not single out babies with disabilities for abortion, right up to the point of birth.

An industry on limited time?

Last week it was announced that the High Court in London will hear a landmark case against the UK Government over the country’s discriminatory abortion legislation.

Currently in England, Scotland and Wales, the law singles out babies with disabilities such as cleft lip,club foot and Down’s syndrome, and allows terminations right up to the point of birth. However, there is a 24-week time limit for most abortions that are carried out when a baby does not have a disability.

Heidi Carter, a 25-year-old woman with Down’s syndrome, and Máire Lea-Wilson, whose sixteen-month-old son Aidan also has the condition, both believe this is “deeply offensive” and have joined forces to challenge the law.

Heidi’s legal challenge has generated widespread support from those with first-hand experience of Down’s syndrome, disability advocates and more, with over 5,000,000 people watching Heidi tell Channel 5 the current law is “deeply offensive”. 

Analysis of the 2019 General Election, conducted by pro-life charity Right To Life UK, revealed the number of pro-life MPs has increased while the pro-abortion lobby has lost a large number of MPs.

This played a part in the failure of an attempt to hijack the UK Government’s flagship Domestic Abuse Bill with two extreme abortion proposals, in July.

Majority want safeguards for unborn babies

Opinion polls repeatedly show that the public wants increased protections for unborn babies and the number of abortions reduced – rather than the wholesale removal of legal safeguards around abortion.

Only 1% of the UK population want abortion to be available up to birth and over 70% of women want the abortion limit to be reduced to 20 weeks or lower.

Polling from last year revealed that over 41% of Londoners believe abortion should be illegal in almost all circumstances.

Polling also revealed that two-thirds of women and 70% of 18-34-year-olds in Northern Ireland did not want Europe’s most extreme abortion law imposed on the province by Westminster.

Commemorative event outside parliament

At 12:00pm today, members from pro-life organisations across the country will take part in a live display in Parliament Square to commemorate the Abortion Act receiving Royal Assent. 

The event, organised by March for Life UK, will involve people ranging in age from 1 to 53, all dressed in black, standing around the edge of the square holding placards. Each placard will state the exact number of abortions which occurred during the year in which the holder was born.

‘National Tragedy’ 

A spokesperson for Right to Life UK, Catherine Robinson said: 

“The UK’s abortion law is failing both women and unborn babies. It is a national tragedy that 9,563,907 lives have been lost since the passing of the 1967 Abortion Act, each one a valuable human being who was denied the right to life.

“Every one of these abortions represents a failure of our society to protect the lives of babies in the womb and a failure to offer full support to women with unplanned pregnancies.

“We are always looking at how we can save more lives by ensuring that protections for unborn babies are introduced and safeguards are strengthened to protect both mothers and babies.”

*This figure is a projection for England, Wales and Scotland through to midnight on 27/10/20 and has been calculated based on the following assumptions:

  • The number of abortions per day in England & Wales will remain the same in 2020 as in 2019.
  • The number of abortions per day in Scotland will remain the same in 2020 as in 2019.
  • The rate of abortions throughout the year is evenly distributed.
  • Please note, figures have been released for the number of abortions through to June 2020. We have not used this published data in our modelling as it only provides data for the first half of the year, which is unreliable for making a prediction due to possible seasonal variation. We have not included data for abortions that have occurred in Northern Ireland in 2020 because it has not been made clear on which day abortions began being performed in Northern Ireland and it is therefore unreliable to model a projection for the remainder of the year using this

This is a Righttolife.org.uk opinion piece

Ref: https://righttolife.org.uk/news/53-years-of-abortion-9563907-lives-lost-since-1967-one-unborn-baby-every-3-minutes/

UK MPs fear prenatal testing will result in discriminatory abortions against babies with Down’s syndrome

UK MPs fear prenatal testing will result in discriminatory abortions against babies with Down’s syndrome

Politicians fear the roll-out of prenatal tests for Down’s syndrome across England, Wales and Scotland will result in discriminatory abortions of babies with the condition.

In a debate, commemorating Down’s Syndrome Awareness Month, DUP MP Jim Shannon expressed concern that the number of babies born with Down’s syndrome has fallen by 30% in NHS hospitals that have introduced the new non-invasive prenatal tests.

In recent months, the health services in England & Wales and Scotland have announced their intention to roll-out the new tests across all NHS hospitals. 

Jim Shannon believes this is putting the UK on the path to the situation in other countries, where almost 100% babies diagnosed with Down’s syndrome are aborted, which is “chilling to the core”.

Outdated and negative views

Sharing in his trepidation, SNP MP Dr Lisa Cameron echoed the comments of Stacey Corrigan, whose six-year-old son, Daniel Murray, has Down’s syndrome.

Stacey had told the Daily Record that the current advice given to parents expecting a baby with Down’s syndrome is both “outdated” and “negative”.

“More often than not the termination is booked at that appointment with the parents are still in shock with the diagnosis,” she added.

The Scottish mother believes pregnant women deserve to be better informed and supported.

Dr Lisa Cameron said a “more comprehensive and accurate narrative needs to be provided,” recognising the richness and diversity of the Down’s syndrome community across the UK.

Parents under pressure to terminate pregnancies

Stacey isn’t the first mother to express concern over the negative advice given to her following a prenatal diagnosis of Down’s syndrome.

A recent report revealed that pregnant mothers who refuse to abort their children with Down’s syndrome are being pressured by some medical professionals to change their decision.

One mother, whose child is now three-years-old, said medical professionals told her they could leave her baby with Down’s syndrome to die if it was struggling after birth.

Another mum told how even at 38 weeks pregnant she was being offered an abortion.

Time for positive conversations about Down’s syndrome

Picking up on these concerns, Rachel Maskell encouraged the present Minister for Health, Helen Whately, to “go away and look again at the conversations that are had with parents who are diagnosed in pregnancy with somebody with Down’s syndrome and see how we can change that conversation, so that people can understand the positivity of bringing up a child and raising someone into adulthood with Down’s syndrome?”

In response, the Health Minister said: “it is absolutely the case that if, during pregnancy, any abnormality is detected or suspected there should at no stage be any bias towards abortion.”

Concluding the short debate, she added: “It is crucial that we should celebrate the achievements and contributions of those with Down’s syndrome to our society, so we have been and are taking action to support those with disabilities, including Down’s syndrome, but I believe that we can always do more and go further. So I say, let’s do that. Let’s do more and go further to support people with Down’s syndrome to achieve their dreams.”

Earlier this month, Dr Lisa Cameron launched an Early Day Motion celebrating the contribution people with Down’s syndrome bring to communities, families, workplaces and society at large.

Scale of Down’s syndrome abortions

There were 3,183 disability selective abortions across England & Wales in 2019, with 656 of those occurring following a prenatal diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. 

However, the figures are likely to be much higher.

In a 2013 review on disability-selective abortions, it was revealed 886 babies were aborted for Down’s syndrome in England and Wales in 2010, but only 482 of these were reported in official Department of Health records.

The underreporting was confirmed in 2014 in a Department of Health review.

There has also been an increase in the number of abortions of babies prenatally diagnosed with Down’s syndrome since the introduction of new prenatal screening tests.

Figures published last year show that the number of babies born with Down’s syndrome in the UK has dropped by 30% in NHS hospitals that have introduced the new non-invasive prenatal tests.

The figures prompted Down’s syndrome advocates to ask the Government to halt the roll-out of the new tests and undertake an inquiry into the impact that the tests are having on the birth numbers of babies with Down’s syndrome.

However, their pleas appear to have fallen on deaf ears, as the Government recently announced that it will be proceeding with the procurement and rollout of a nationwide prenatal testing scheme for Down’s syndrome – something which will likely lead to an increase of babies with the condition being aborted.

‘Screening out’ babies with Down’s syndrome seen as ‘cash cow’

Earlier this year a spokesperson for a Chinese biotech firm declared “screening out” babies with Down’s syndrome is a “cash cow” funding the growth of the whole business.

The admission came from a spokesperson for BGI Group – a Chinese genetics conglomerate whose main business is offering non-invasive prenatal tests, primarily used to diagnose Down’s syndrome. 

In a segment from an Aljazeera documentary titled Genesis 2.0, the spokesperson gestures towards a digital map of the world and says: “You can see clearly, especially for Down’s syndrome, we have nearly two million samples all over the world. This part is, what we call, BGI’s cash cow, making money to support the growth of the whole group.”

Dismissing a query over potential ethical concerns, she coldly adds: “…with the use of our technology, we could avoid the birth of birth defect, like a Down’s syndrome birth, a Down’s syndrome child, we can screen them out, we can avoid the birth of them.”

Legal challenge

This week it was announced that The High Court in London will hear a landmark case against the UK Government over the country’s discriminatory abortion legislation.

Currently in England, Scotland and Wales, the law singles out babies with disabilities such as cleft lip and club foot and Down’s syndrome and allows terminations right up to the point of birth. However, there is a 24-week time limit for most abortions that are carried out when a baby does not have a disability.

Heidi Carter, a 25-year-old woman with Down’s syndrome, and Máire Lea-Wilson, whose sixteen-month-old son Aidan also has the condition, both believe this is “deeply offensive” and have joined forces to challenge the law.