Today's Second Cultural Warfare Update
Mar. 1st, 2006 08:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
solarbirdI thought I was done today, but I'm not; there's just too much going on. Here's a second update. This one is also important, because there's a lot of more-frank-than-usual fundamentalist talk about the abortion agenda and their growing control over the courts and expectations for the near future. I also have transcribed Dobson's reading of the letter he and Focus on the Family got from Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, which you should read too.
Fundamentalists p0wn the Courts, Part 1: Focus on the Family claims 30 states will ban abortion in complete or large part; urges activists not to count chickens before hatching, they don't know that they have the court votes for 100% sure yet;
Fundamentalists p0wn the Courts, Part 2: Justice Alito thanks Dobson for his and his listeners' support during confirmation hearings;
Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney endorses South Dakota's anti-abortion law, which does not include exemptions for the health of the other, rape, or incest - so if you get raped by your dad and carrying the child will leave you blind or paralysed from the waste down but won't kill you, that's just too fucking bad for you;
Doctors working before Roe v. Wade talk about life for women pre-abortion rights; read this;
Or, hell, just read this: Virginia woman shoots herself(!) to induce an abortion; charged with illegally attempting to induce an abortion in Virginia; murder charges considered but set aside because of limits still in place until Roe v. Wade is overturned; she's in jail, faces up to 10 years in prison; THIS IS THE FUTURE, SO WAKE THE FUCK UP, PEOPLE;
Wisconsin to have anti-marriage-rights initiative on the ballot in 2006;
Focus on the Family condemns temporary lifting of ban on travel for HIV+ people for the Gay Games in Chicago, talks about how diseased fags pose a national health risk, demands ban be reinstated;
Missouri court upholds 24-hour "waiting period" for abortion;
Kentucky considering 24-hour "waiting period" and in-person "counseling" before abortion;
***** Concerned Women for America ACTION ITEM: CWA's Robert Stuber writes condemning the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) treaty, starts effort to reject any attempt at passage by US Senate;
***** Focus on the Family's main broadcast is an "issues update": it's a long sequence of updates on political issues. Significantly, it includes the letter of thanks and support from Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. It also includes a lot of rah-rah for South Dakota's near-absolutist abortion ban, support for their "ex-gay" bullshit conferences, and an update on installations of ultrasound in their anti-abortion evangelistic "pregnancy centres" that lure women in pretending to be health clinics. One particularly interesting quote is when Dobson starts rhapsodizing about "little human beings growing and learning to serve the Lord!" but there's all sorts of fun in this one.
----- 1 -----
STATES POISED TO BAN ABORTION IF ROE IS TOPPLED
Newfound energy appears to be fueling the pro-life side.
Focus on the Family
Family News in Focus
March 1, 2006
by Pete Winn, associate editor
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0039699.cfm
Pro-abortion groups have long said that there are dozens
of states that would ban abortion, if Roe v. Wade is ever
overturned. Are they prophetic?
In recent weeks, banning abortion has been a hot topic
with state legislatures:
[...]
What's going on?
Pro-abortion lobbyists like Nancy Northup, president of
the Center for Reproductive Rights, argue that the
nation's highest court is now more likely to reverse
itself on the abortion issue because of the addition of
Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel
Alito.
They claim state lawmakers realize it -- and want to
capitalize on the prospect.
[...]
But Hausknecht and other pro-life conservatives have
adopted a "don't count your chickens before the hatch"
philosophy. Even with the presence of the two new members
-- assuming they would vote with Justices Scalia and
Thomas to strike -- that still wouldn't add up to the five
votes necessary to nix Roe.
And even if the votes were amassed, Hausknecht pointed out
that abortion in the U.S. would not be over.
"Even if Roe v. Wade was overturned tomorrow, there would
be some states that would allow abortion to continue," he
said. "So, abortion is not going away in this country
anytime soon, simply because a court decision may or may
not be overturned."
Still, it is encouraging, he said, that many states and
state legislatures, if allowed to do so, would heavily
restrict or ban abortion.
Hausknecht said pro-lifers must pray and work to see they
get the chance.
[Much more at URL]
----- 2 -----
Dobson says Alito sent thank-you note
By Colleen Slevin, Associated Press Writer | March 1, 2006
Long URL elided
DENVER --Focus on the Family founder James Dobson said Wednesday that new Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito sent him a letter thanking him and his radio listeners for their support during his Senate confirmation hearings.
Alito wrote that "the prayers of so many people from around the country were a palpable and powerful force. As long as I serve on the Supreme Court, I will keep in mind the trust that has been placed in me," Dobson said on his radio broadcast.
[More at URL]
----- 3 -----
Romney veers right on abortion, gay adoption
By Maggie Mulvihill and Kimberly Atkins
Wednesday, March 1, 2006 - Updated: 06:06 AM EST
http://news.bostonherald.com/localPolitics/view.bg?articleid=128548
Lunging to the right on two red hot social issues, Gov. Mitt Romney said he would sign a bill outlawing abortion, even in cases of rape or incest, and agreed to meet with the state’s Roman Catholic bishops to discuss their bid to exempt Catholic Charities from gay adoptions.
On abortion, Romney spokeswoman Julie Teer said the governor would back a state ban on abortion if, as occurred in South Dakota, lawmakers passed such a measure.
“If Gov. Romney were the governor of South Dakota he would sign it,” Teer told political newsletter The Hotline yesterday. “The governor believes that states should have the right to be pro-life if that is the will of the people.”
On gay adoption, the governor is wading into an issue so volatile that three Catholic Charities board members quit last night over the church’s stance seeking to block such adoptions.
[More at URL]
----- 4 -----
Our Word
God Forbid
words by moiv posted January 23, 2006 - 3:58am
Long URL elided
In The War Between Heart and Mind, the Rev. Tom Davis, Clergy Advisory Board Chair for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, suggests that the Religious Right do some soul-searching about abortion.
If, God forbid, the "right to life" people actually get what they say they want — the criminalization of abortion — millions of them may be stunned at their reactions when they see or read about:
· Women forced to testify at the trial of doctors accused of doing abortions. Refusal to testify could result in charges of contempt.
· Hospitals required to report suspected illegal abortions.
· A startling increase in teen births on the part of women who cannot afford to travel to a state where abortion is still allowed.
· Police coming to the emergency room to question women who are suffering infections or other damage due to an illegal abortion.
Some will question whether all of these things will happen. Perhaps the enforcement will not be thorough at all. But if that proves to be the case, if the law is largely ignored and illegal abortions occur in great number, then what was the point of the law? Clearly it was not to stop abortions. It was to institutionalize a principle, the principle that women do not have this right. That principle is something that the mind can understand abstractly, but it also produces consequences that fill the heart with revulsion.
[Much more at URL]
----- 6 -----
Police: Woman shot self to induce an abortion
Richmond (Virginia) Times-Dispatch
By Bill Geroux
Times-Dispatch Staff Writer
March 1, 2006
RELATED: Police Beat
SUFFOLK -- A Suffolk woman who lost her unborn baby after suffering a bullet wound to the abdomen was arrested yesterday and charged with shooting herself to "illegally induce an abortion."
[...]
Skinner was rushed by ambulance to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where doctors listed her in good condition but her fetus was pronounced dead. Doctors had planned to induce labor for Skinner, who police said was seven to nine month's pregnant, that day.
[...]
Skinner turned herself in to police yesterday afternoon. She is charged with illegally inducing an abortion, a Class 4 felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. Authorities studied several possible charges against Skinner but decided not to charge her with murder because the fetus had not been born, George said.
[...]
She remained in jail yesterday after failing to post a $15,000 bond, George said.
[More at URL]
----- 7 -----
Wisconsin to Vote on Marriage Amendment
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
March 1, 2006
[Received in email; no URL]
Lawmakers in the Badger State voted Tuesday to place a
constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would
define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
Critics called the move political posturing.
"This is a cynical right-wing attempt to motivate the base
for the fall elections," said Democratic Rep. Marlin
Schneider.
Rep. John Gard, a Republican, said the amendment would
defend marriage from legal challenges by activists seeking
to legalize gay marriage.
"An issue of this importance will be decided by the people
of this state," he said, "not an activist judge."
Matt Daniels, president and founder of Alliance for
Marriage, said Wisconsin's approval of the referendum is
an important step toward the protection of marriage.
"Wisconsin is a prelude to the real battle," he said. Only
a federal marriage protection amendment "can protect
marriage from radical activist lawsuits intended to strike
down marriage."
Similar state amendments will appear on the ballot in
Tennessee, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Alabama
and Idaho.
----- 8 -----
HIV Travel Restrictions Lifted for Gay Games
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
March 1, 2006
[Received in email; no URL]
Pro-family advocates are asking President Bush to
reinstate a federal ban that prohibits HIV-infected
travelers from coming to United States. A lobbying
campaign succeeded in getting the ban lifted in time for
Chicago's 2006 Gay Games.
Homosexuals from around the world will travel to Chicago
for the event slated for July 15-22. The official Web site
claims 8,000 people have registered.
Gay advocates, with the help of Chicago Mayor Richard
Daley, convinced the federal government to waive
restrictions on international travel for those with HIV so
they could attend the games. Pro-family analysts argue
that such a move is counter to the goal of stopping the
spread of the disease.
Peter LaBarbera, executive director of the Illinois Family
Institute, is calling on the president and Congress to
reinstate the ban. He said the people of Chicago should
not be subjected to activities that facilitate immoral and
reckless behavior.
"Mayor Daley has forgotten his role as 'chief protector'
of the people of Chicago," he said. "The public-health
goal of stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS must take
precedence over the political wants of homosexual
advocates."
The Gay Games Web site promotes dangerous sexual activity,
LaBarbera said. For example, Steamworks, a gay bathhouse
that offers anonymous sex for men, is listed as a business
sponsor and under "Parties and Events."
"The evidence is clear: the extracurricular activities
surrounding the Gay Games present a real health hazard to
those involved and the surrounding community," he said.
"Inviting thousands of HIV-infected visitors to a Gay
Games celebration that officially promotes promiscuity
will only put Chicagoans at risk and help spread HIV."
----- 9 -----
Missouri Court Affirms One-Day Wait for Abortion
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
March 1, 2006
[Received in email; no URL]
The Missouri Supreme Court ruled Tuesday the state's
mandatory 24-hour waiting period for abortion withstands
constitutional scrutiny, The Associated Press reported.
The law, passed in 2003, requires physicians to wait 24
hours after consulting with a woman seeking an abortion
before performing the procedure. It also requires the
doctor to provide information on the physical and
psychological risk factors associated with abortion.
Violators face possible revocation of their medical
licenses, jail time and a $1,000 fine.
Planned Parenthood challenged the law, arguing it was too
vague for doctors to understand and avoid prosecution.
The court disagreed, stating that the law places no
further duty on abortion doctors than they already have
under common law.
"There is no reason to construe the language in the
Missouri Constitution more broadly than the corresponding
language of the federal Constitution," the ruling read,
"and the United States Supreme Court already has
determined that such a waiting provision does not violate
the federal Constitution."
Patty Skain, executive director of Missouri Right to Life,
called it an important win.
"It's a victory for the women of Missouri who find
themselves in a crisis pregnancy," she said, "but need the
information and time to consider what's best for them."
----- 10 -----
Kentucky General Assembly
Bills require in-person counseling for abortion
Women would have to be told about risks and alternatives
By Tom Loftus
tloftus@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
Long URL elided
FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Women seeking abortions would have to be told in person of medical risks and alternatives at least 24 hours before the procedure, under two bills that advanced in the Senate and House yesterday.
Women now normally receive that information from a recorded telephone message.
But Senate Bill 125, which passed the Senate 34-3 and now goes to the House, would require the information to be delivered "orally" and "in person" by a doctor or a doctor's designee.
[More at URL]
----- 11 -----
Feminists Step Up Attempt to Ratify CEDAW Treaty
Concerned Women for America
3/1/2006
By Robert Stuber
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/10233/CWA/nation/index.htm
Liberal efforts for U.N. ratification of the radical United Nations treaty known as CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) is alive and well, as Concerned Women for America (CWA) President Wendy Wright found when she spoke at a December debate in the greater Washington, D.C., area sponsored by a group called Women Engaging Globally.
Wright was the only one of four on the panel who presented a pro-life, pro-family and anti-CEDAW viewpoint.
“The other speakers claimed that other countries—those that have already signed CEDAW—will not treat women decently unless the U.S. also ratifies it,” said Wright. “This is a form of blackmail.
[...]
“People should be concerned because the CEDAW treaty is everything that was bad about the ERA and much more,” said Wright. “I believe that liberal feminists are preparing the groundwork for the Senate to try a quick ratification strike that would give us little time to react.”
CEDAW could become the law of the land simply with Senate ratification. The U.S. Constitution doesn’t permit President Bush to veto its ratification, and the House of Representatives is similarly barred from any role in its approval.
Take Action: Ratification of CEDAW would require two-thirds of U.S. senators present to vote for the treaty. Ask your senators to vote no on CEDAW. Capitol switchboard: 202-225-3121. Or click here for additional contact information.
[More at URL]
----- 12 -----
Focus on the Family
Issues Update: March 2006
Main broadcast
March 1, 2006
Dr. Dobson and his guests report on a number of recent positive developments in the realm of social issues. Topics include the passing of an abortion ban in South Dakota and an Air Force decision allowing for greater freedom of religious expression for its chaplains.
Also, Dr. Dobson talks with Christian recording artist Rebecca St. James about the impact of prayers for our nation and reads a special letter he received from Justice Samuel Alito.
[Transcription begins. Summarised material in brackets; text in quotes is literal with ellipses indicating skipped (and unimportant) material. Speakers are identified as best I could.]
[First 10-minute section is with Rebecca St. James, which is not particularly important or politically relevant, tho' there is a lot of talk about the importance of "sexual purity," which continues to strike me as strange and fascist. Lots of pushing of the National Day of Prayer.]
[Two next guests: Tom Minnery, Senior Vice-President, Government and Public Policy at Focus on the Family; Dr. Bill Meyer; psychologist in residence and vice-president at FotF.]
Dobson: "First of all... you just got back, both of you, from the Love Won Out conference in St. Louis, and it was one of the most exciting Love Won Out conferences we've ever had."
Minnery: "...the Lord continues to bless that one day Saturday conference on homosexuality, explaining the causes and the ways out of homosexuality... we hoped for a thousand people, interest in this conference was very high, partly because the homosexual activists were very belligerent, there were two billboards that were erected to advertise the conference, both of them were defaced, one of them had an ugly saying written across it, it said, "right wing scum, your time will come," very ominous, very ugly, but see, that draws the press, and that draws the interest... lo and behold, when the day of the conference came we had nearly 1800 people... interest to continues to grow..."
Dobson: "You're meeting a need, that's why! And even though there are those who would like to stifle that message, that's why we're out there... there is no hate expressed, no disparagement, no name-calling, nothing to hurt anybody, it is a conference dedicated to those who want to understand homosexuality and want a way out."
[Editor's note: The lying here makes me want to hurl - FotF spews crap like diseased queers can't form actual emotional relationships and want to, in Dobson's words, destroy western civilsation. And that's a quote. What a fucking liar.]
Meyer: "It's all about compassion, and hope, and understanding, and actually, there's a very effective challenge to the church to be more understanding on this issue. One of the things Tom didn't mention is that the church that was hosting the event was egged... some gay activists came by before the conference [Ed. Note: they have no idea who threw the eggs.] and threw eggs at the entrance. And yet this pastor Jean Monez went outside to the two or three hundred protesters, set up a porta-potty for them, served them coffee, gave them sandwiches, engaged with them in dialogue -- that is what Christianity is all about. [Dobson: What church was it?"] the First evangelical free church of St. Louis County in Manchester, Missouri."
Dobson: "[We] used to have trouble getting churches "to even accept this conference. We put it on, but they wouldn't allow their churches to be used, that's not a problem now, is it?"
Minnery: "God bless the pastors, they understand how important the subject of homosexuality has become, because of the attack on marriage. We began several years ago to holding informational meetings for pastors several weeks priour to these conferences and we'd get 40, 50 pastors... we had 345 pastors... they understand what's at stake."
Dobson: "Well, the world is changing, we said on this broadcast, the three of us, just 10 or 12 days, ago, there is some evidence that the pendulum seems to be swinging back on the moral and cultural issues. For 20 years I have decried what is going on, what the media was doing to us, what the cocongress was doing, in some cases, what the white house was doing, and we're seeing something different now, and that's why I said a few minutes ago that's why this will be an exciting update for our listeners... several news items... we will offer our interpretation of what's taking place."
"First of all, our listeners know, I hope, that we fought very very hard to get both new Supreme Court justices confirmed. First was John Roberts, who went on to become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and more recently Samuel Alito who is a good man - we do not know yet how these men will vote, but every indication is they get it. They understand. Two years ago I was decrying judicial tyranny - I mean, it threatens everything, including the decision that's about to be made on partial birth abortion, and the definition of marriage, and religious liberty, and so many other issues. Well, we fought hard, I mean, I poured my life into trying to let everybody know that everything was on the line, that Democrats, primarily in the United States Senate were determined to protect their liberal playground, which is what the Supreme Court has been, and they were not successful and these two men were confirmed."
"Well, so many people contacted Samuel Alito in response to our programme and he got so many letters that he wrote me this response, that arrived on my desk yesterday. At the top is the very understated heading, "Supreme Court of the United States - Washington DC" ... and that got my attention. And he wrote,
Dobson: "Isn't that fantastic?"
Minnery: "You can live a long time on good feedback like that."
Dobson: "I sure can!"
Meyer: "And what a good man to take the time to write that kind of a letter, too!"
Dobson: "Absolutely! And what I appreciated most is that the people listening to us out there helped to make this happen.
Meyer? (hard to tell, talking under Dobson): "He gets it."
Dobson: "They responded. They called. It's the reason why those that wanted to defeat his confirmation in the United States Senate never got any traction, because the American people stepped up and made it happen. To the folks who are listening to us, thank you for doing that; please, I beg you, when we come back to you on these issues, continue to participate; it makes a difference! And in this case, it absolutely affected history. And just in time! Just in time, because partial birth abortion is now being considered by the Supreme Court. And that leads us to the next very exciting bit of news, Tom, I'm gonna let you explain that about what happened in South Dakota just five days ago."
Minnery: "The South Dakota legislature passed a law prohibiting all forms of abortion South Dakota except an abortion to save the physical life of a mother. That is astounding, a very strong bill, it is now on the desk of governor Mike Rounds, who's indicated that he will sign it, though he is getting some opposition pressure now, but nonetheless, we expect him to do so, and certainly that'll be challenged, and that law will make its way to the US Supreme Court where now, we are still short one vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, but it'll take several years for it to get to the high court, and maybe, by then, we'll have a chance to see another such Justice as Samuel Alito confirmed."
Dobson: "Nothing like that has happened since 1973, with Roe v. Wade, and we are hoping and praying, and I say again to our listeners, please be in prayer, that by the time that prohibition on abortion reaches the United States Supreme Court, there will be one more conservative justice sitting there. And that is very impossible, because the age and the health of some of the other members of the Supreme Court. [sic] Can anyone hear the creaking of the pendulum begin to turn in the other direction? I may be wrong about this, it's hard to predict the future and I've been wrong in the past, maybe again, but I'm seeing some good things."
Minnery: "Well, it requires always to be vigilant. We celebrated the election successes in 2004, and where are we? We're in 2006, another very significant election year, and the gains made in 2004 could be lost in other states when we consider who's up in the Senate and in the House of Representatives."
Dobson: "You never know! But I believe what we started with at the top of this programme, talking about prayer, with Rebecca St. James, I believe that's why we're seeing what we're seeing. Now, man, it's, we're already 21 minutes in, we've got three or four very other important things, let's do this one very very quickly."
Dobson: "Tom, you and I came before these microphones very concerned because the Pentagon was beginning to change the rules, even for chaplains, not allowing them freedom to talk about Jesus Christ [ED NOTE: the guidelines the fundamentalists disliked prohibited religious harassment and were in response to the religious harassment lawsuits at the Air Force Academy], there were guidelines that were issued that were not entirely satisfactory; you and I got on a plane, we went to the Pentagon, we met with the Acting Secretary of the Air Force, he's a good man, he understood our concerns, he brought in his chief attourney for the Air Force, and she's a committed Christian, and, you know, this has gone back and forth, but just last week new guidelines were issued saying what?"
Minnery: "Essentially that chaplains are free to express their religious convictions according to the tenants of their faith, and what that means is, they are free to tell people about Jesus Christ! And at the Air Force Academy, there is free exercise of religion restored so that informal discussions, Bible studies can take place on [sic] that academy that has been attacked [sic] which is why all of this came to the fore, so it's a great victory for free exercise of religion, and congratulations, Dr. Dobson on being invited to the Pentagon and having a part in advising them on this very important set of religious guidelines."
Dobson: "Well, I don't want to overstate it, I don't want to say, 'look at us, look what we did,' we just played a role, we just played our role, and I just want to say to all these people out there who heard a couple of years ago that we were starting a 501(c)4 organisation in addition to the 501(c)3 in order to not only nurture the family but in order to defend the family, and that's why we've been able to do some of the stuff we couldn't have in the way that we did it priour to the Focus on the Family Action Ministry. And people have supported that and I'm very very grateful."
[Two other guests; Yvette Marr (vice-president, Community Impact Outreach of Focus on the Family) and Kim Conroy (director, Sanctity of Human Life at FotF)]
Marr: "I'll set it up and pitch it to Kim; Tom Minnery said we need to celebrate these victories, Doctor; we have a victory; in the life of what we call Option Ultrasound here at Focus on the Family that we started in 2004 to save the lives of babies, "a revealed life is a saved life," we are in celebration mode because we have hit a milestone, and I want to pitch it over to Kim to tell you exactly what that is."
Conroy: "We have. That milestone is that we have just signed our 200th placement of ultrasound services."
Dobson: "Isn't that unbelievable?"
Conroy: "Yeah, that's worth celebrating."
Marr: "200."
Dobson: "And that has been done in three years?"
Conroy: "Two years."
Dobson: "Two year's time?"
Conroy: "Two years this month, that's right."
Dobson: "This means in some cases these every small pregnancy resource centers, that we used to call crisis pregnancy centers, have been given the equipment in order for a young woman who comes in abortion-minded, she's thinking about doing that, and she sees her baby and what happens, Kim?"
Conroy: "Well, the vast majority of the time, that woman chooses life for that child, and we know that ultrasound has a very pivotal role to play in that, because she does come face to face not just with the reality of that baby, but the reality of her baby."
Dobson: "And Focus on the Family has now facilitated 200 such facilities." [Sic]
Conroy: "That's right!"
Dobson: "Yvette, I am proud of you guys, I really am."
Conroy: "It's been amazing."
Dobson: "How many babies do you suppose you have..."
Conroy: "Well, I hesitate to say, because to be honest with you, the stat keeping has really been an uphill battle for us, because a lot of these centres have not kept stats, or they have not kept consistent stats one to another, but at our best guess, it is approximately 50 babies annually per centre. That's how we're doing the math. So 50 babies annually per centre times 200. Dr. Bill Meyer, what would that be?"
Meyer: "That is 10,000, Yvette!"
Conroy: "Thank you! I am not the mathematician... I'm just here to get these services out!"
Dobson: "Ten thousand in two years!"
Conroy: "That's right."
Dobson: "Imagine! Ten thousand little human beings growing and learning to serve the Lord! Could there be anything more thrilling than that?"
Minnery: "Yes, I think there's cheering in Heaven at each one of these decisions, I think the Lord must be pleased."
Dobson: "Oh my goodness. Well, I think we have done a pretty good job of covering a lot of stuff... you know what, that's just the beginning, isn't it, Bill? You're keeping up with a lot of stuff that's going on, you too, Tom - we could devote the whole week's programme [sic] to exciting things that are taking place! We're still losing some battles, but we're winning more than we ever have before."
[Recap of guest names; Focus on the Family staff is at 1300; Kim Conroy actually meets Dr. Dobson here for the first time.]
Fundamentalists p0wn the Courts, Part 1: Focus on the Family claims 30 states will ban abortion in complete or large part; urges activists not to count chickens before hatching, they don't know that they have the court votes for 100% sure yet;
Fundamentalists p0wn the Courts, Part 2: Justice Alito thanks Dobson for his and his listeners' support during confirmation hearings;
Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney endorses South Dakota's anti-abortion law, which does not include exemptions for the health of the other, rape, or incest - so if you get raped by your dad and carrying the child will leave you blind or paralysed from the waste down but won't kill you, that's just too fucking bad for you;
Doctors working before Roe v. Wade talk about life for women pre-abortion rights; read this;
Or, hell, just read this: Virginia woman shoots herself(!) to induce an abortion; charged with illegally attempting to induce an abortion in Virginia; murder charges considered but set aside because of limits still in place until Roe v. Wade is overturned; she's in jail, faces up to 10 years in prison; THIS IS THE FUTURE, SO WAKE THE FUCK UP, PEOPLE;
Wisconsin to have anti-marriage-rights initiative on the ballot in 2006;
Focus on the Family condemns temporary lifting of ban on travel for HIV+ people for the Gay Games in Chicago, talks about how diseased fags pose a national health risk, demands ban be reinstated;
Missouri court upholds 24-hour "waiting period" for abortion;
Kentucky considering 24-hour "waiting period" and in-person "counseling" before abortion;
***** Concerned Women for America ACTION ITEM: CWA's Robert Stuber writes condemning the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) treaty, starts effort to reject any attempt at passage by US Senate;
***** Focus on the Family's main broadcast is an "issues update": it's a long sequence of updates on political issues. Significantly, it includes the letter of thanks and support from Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. It also includes a lot of rah-rah for South Dakota's near-absolutist abortion ban, support for their "ex-gay" bullshit conferences, and an update on installations of ultrasound in their anti-abortion evangelistic "pregnancy centres" that lure women in pretending to be health clinics. One particularly interesting quote is when Dobson starts rhapsodizing about "little human beings growing and learning to serve the Lord!" but there's all sorts of fun in this one.
----- 1 -----
STATES POISED TO BAN ABORTION IF ROE IS TOPPLED
Newfound energy appears to be fueling the pro-life side.
Focus on the Family
Family News in Focus
March 1, 2006
by Pete Winn, associate editor
http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0039699.cfm
Pro-abortion groups have long said that there are dozens
of states that would ban abortion, if Roe v. Wade is ever
overturned. Are they prophetic?
In recent weeks, banning abortion has been a hot topic
with state legislatures:
[...]
What's going on?
Pro-abortion lobbyists like Nancy Northup, president of
the Center for Reproductive Rights, argue that the
nation's highest court is now more likely to reverse
itself on the abortion issue because of the addition of
Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel
Alito.
They claim state lawmakers realize it -- and want to
capitalize on the prospect.
[...]
But Hausknecht and other pro-life conservatives have
adopted a "don't count your chickens before the hatch"
philosophy. Even with the presence of the two new members
-- assuming they would vote with Justices Scalia and
Thomas to strike -- that still wouldn't add up to the five
votes necessary to nix Roe.
And even if the votes were amassed, Hausknecht pointed out
that abortion in the U.S. would not be over.
"Even if Roe v. Wade was overturned tomorrow, there would
be some states that would allow abortion to continue," he
said. "So, abortion is not going away in this country
anytime soon, simply because a court decision may or may
not be overturned."
Still, it is encouraging, he said, that many states and
state legislatures, if allowed to do so, would heavily
restrict or ban abortion.
Hausknecht said pro-lifers must pray and work to see they
get the chance.
[Much more at URL]
----- 2 -----
Dobson says Alito sent thank-you note
By Colleen Slevin, Associated Press Writer | March 1, 2006
Long URL elided
DENVER --Focus on the Family founder James Dobson said Wednesday that new Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito sent him a letter thanking him and his radio listeners for their support during his Senate confirmation hearings.
Alito wrote that "the prayers of so many people from around the country were a palpable and powerful force. As long as I serve on the Supreme Court, I will keep in mind the trust that has been placed in me," Dobson said on his radio broadcast.
[More at URL]
----- 3 -----
Romney veers right on abortion, gay adoption
By Maggie Mulvihill and Kimberly Atkins
Wednesday, March 1, 2006 - Updated: 06:06 AM EST
http://news.bostonherald.com/localPolitics/view.bg?articleid=128548
Lunging to the right on two red hot social issues, Gov. Mitt Romney said he would sign a bill outlawing abortion, even in cases of rape or incest, and agreed to meet with the state’s Roman Catholic bishops to discuss their bid to exempt Catholic Charities from gay adoptions.
On abortion, Romney spokeswoman Julie Teer said the governor would back a state ban on abortion if, as occurred in South Dakota, lawmakers passed such a measure.
“If Gov. Romney were the governor of South Dakota he would sign it,” Teer told political newsletter The Hotline yesterday. “The governor believes that states should have the right to be pro-life if that is the will of the people.”
On gay adoption, the governor is wading into an issue so volatile that three Catholic Charities board members quit last night over the church’s stance seeking to block such adoptions.
[More at URL]
----- 4 -----
Our Word
God Forbid
words by moiv posted January 23, 2006 - 3:58am
Long URL elided
In The War Between Heart and Mind, the Rev. Tom Davis, Clergy Advisory Board Chair for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, suggests that the Religious Right do some soul-searching about abortion.
If, God forbid, the "right to life" people actually get what they say they want — the criminalization of abortion — millions of them may be stunned at their reactions when they see or read about:
· Women forced to testify at the trial of doctors accused of doing abortions. Refusal to testify could result in charges of contempt.
· Hospitals required to report suspected illegal abortions.
· A startling increase in teen births on the part of women who cannot afford to travel to a state where abortion is still allowed.
· Police coming to the emergency room to question women who are suffering infections or other damage due to an illegal abortion.
Some will question whether all of these things will happen. Perhaps the enforcement will not be thorough at all. But if that proves to be the case, if the law is largely ignored and illegal abortions occur in great number, then what was the point of the law? Clearly it was not to stop abortions. It was to institutionalize a principle, the principle that women do not have this right. That principle is something that the mind can understand abstractly, but it also produces consequences that fill the heart with revulsion.
[Much more at URL]
----- 6 -----
Police: Woman shot self to induce an abortion
Richmond (Virginia) Times-Dispatch
By Bill Geroux
Times-Dispatch Staff Writer
March 1, 2006
RELATED: Police Beat
SUFFOLK -- A Suffolk woman who lost her unborn baby after suffering a bullet wound to the abdomen was arrested yesterday and charged with shooting herself to "illegally induce an abortion."
[...]
Skinner was rushed by ambulance to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where doctors listed her in good condition but her fetus was pronounced dead. Doctors had planned to induce labor for Skinner, who police said was seven to nine month's pregnant, that day.
[...]
Skinner turned herself in to police yesterday afternoon. She is charged with illegally inducing an abortion, a Class 4 felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. Authorities studied several possible charges against Skinner but decided not to charge her with murder because the fetus had not been born, George said.
[...]
She remained in jail yesterday after failing to post a $15,000 bond, George said.
[More at URL]
----- 7 -----
Wisconsin to Vote on Marriage Amendment
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
March 1, 2006
[Received in email; no URL]
Lawmakers in the Badger State voted Tuesday to place a
constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would
define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
Critics called the move political posturing.
"This is a cynical right-wing attempt to motivate the base
for the fall elections," said Democratic Rep. Marlin
Schneider.
Rep. John Gard, a Republican, said the amendment would
defend marriage from legal challenges by activists seeking
to legalize gay marriage.
"An issue of this importance will be decided by the people
of this state," he said, "not an activist judge."
Matt Daniels, president and founder of Alliance for
Marriage, said Wisconsin's approval of the referendum is
an important step toward the protection of marriage.
"Wisconsin is a prelude to the real battle," he said. Only
a federal marriage protection amendment "can protect
marriage from radical activist lawsuits intended to strike
down marriage."
Similar state amendments will appear on the ballot in
Tennessee, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Alabama
and Idaho.
----- 8 -----
HIV Travel Restrictions Lifted for Gay Games
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
March 1, 2006
[Received in email; no URL]
Pro-family advocates are asking President Bush to
reinstate a federal ban that prohibits HIV-infected
travelers from coming to United States. A lobbying
campaign succeeded in getting the ban lifted in time for
Chicago's 2006 Gay Games.
Homosexuals from around the world will travel to Chicago
for the event slated for July 15-22. The official Web site
claims 8,000 people have registered.
Gay advocates, with the help of Chicago Mayor Richard
Daley, convinced the federal government to waive
restrictions on international travel for those with HIV so
they could attend the games. Pro-family analysts argue
that such a move is counter to the goal of stopping the
spread of the disease.
Peter LaBarbera, executive director of the Illinois Family
Institute, is calling on the president and Congress to
reinstate the ban. He said the people of Chicago should
not be subjected to activities that facilitate immoral and
reckless behavior.
"Mayor Daley has forgotten his role as 'chief protector'
of the people of Chicago," he said. "The public-health
goal of stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS must take
precedence over the political wants of homosexual
advocates."
The Gay Games Web site promotes dangerous sexual activity,
LaBarbera said. For example, Steamworks, a gay bathhouse
that offers anonymous sex for men, is listed as a business
sponsor and under "Parties and Events."
"The evidence is clear: the extracurricular activities
surrounding the Gay Games present a real health hazard to
those involved and the surrounding community," he said.
"Inviting thousands of HIV-infected visitors to a Gay
Games celebration that officially promotes promiscuity
will only put Chicagoans at risk and help spread HIV."
----- 9 -----
Missouri Court Affirms One-Day Wait for Abortion
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
March 1, 2006
[Received in email; no URL]
The Missouri Supreme Court ruled Tuesday the state's
mandatory 24-hour waiting period for abortion withstands
constitutional scrutiny, The Associated Press reported.
The law, passed in 2003, requires physicians to wait 24
hours after consulting with a woman seeking an abortion
before performing the procedure. It also requires the
doctor to provide information on the physical and
psychological risk factors associated with abortion.
Violators face possible revocation of their medical
licenses, jail time and a $1,000 fine.
Planned Parenthood challenged the law, arguing it was too
vague for doctors to understand and avoid prosecution.
The court disagreed, stating that the law places no
further duty on abortion doctors than they already have
under common law.
"There is no reason to construe the language in the
Missouri Constitution more broadly than the corresponding
language of the federal Constitution," the ruling read,
"and the United States Supreme Court already has
determined that such a waiting provision does not violate
the federal Constitution."
Patty Skain, executive director of Missouri Right to Life,
called it an important win.
"It's a victory for the women of Missouri who find
themselves in a crisis pregnancy," she said, "but need the
information and time to consider what's best for them."
----- 10 -----
Kentucky General Assembly
Bills require in-person counseling for abortion
Women would have to be told about risks and alternatives
By Tom Loftus
tloftus@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
Long URL elided
FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Women seeking abortions would have to be told in person of medical risks and alternatives at least 24 hours before the procedure, under two bills that advanced in the Senate and House yesterday.
Women now normally receive that information from a recorded telephone message.
But Senate Bill 125, which passed the Senate 34-3 and now goes to the House, would require the information to be delivered "orally" and "in person" by a doctor or a doctor's designee.
[More at URL]
----- 11 -----
Feminists Step Up Attempt to Ratify CEDAW Treaty
Concerned Women for America
3/1/2006
By Robert Stuber
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/10233/CWA/nation/index.htm
Liberal efforts for U.N. ratification of the radical United Nations treaty known as CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) is alive and well, as Concerned Women for America (CWA) President Wendy Wright found when she spoke at a December debate in the greater Washington, D.C., area sponsored by a group called Women Engaging Globally.
Wright was the only one of four on the panel who presented a pro-life, pro-family and anti-CEDAW viewpoint.
“The other speakers claimed that other countries—those that have already signed CEDAW—will not treat women decently unless the U.S. also ratifies it,” said Wright. “This is a form of blackmail.
[...]
“People should be concerned because the CEDAW treaty is everything that was bad about the ERA and much more,” said Wright. “I believe that liberal feminists are preparing the groundwork for the Senate to try a quick ratification strike that would give us little time to react.”
CEDAW could become the law of the land simply with Senate ratification. The U.S. Constitution doesn’t permit President Bush to veto its ratification, and the House of Representatives is similarly barred from any role in its approval.
Take Action: Ratification of CEDAW would require two-thirds of U.S. senators present to vote for the treaty. Ask your senators to vote no on CEDAW. Capitol switchboard: 202-225-3121. Or click here for additional contact information.
[More at URL]
----- 12 -----
Focus on the Family
Issues Update: March 2006
Main broadcast
March 1, 2006
Dr. Dobson and his guests report on a number of recent positive developments in the realm of social issues. Topics include the passing of an abortion ban in South Dakota and an Air Force decision allowing for greater freedom of religious expression for its chaplains.
Also, Dr. Dobson talks with Christian recording artist Rebecca St. James about the impact of prayers for our nation and reads a special letter he received from Justice Samuel Alito.
[Transcription begins. Summarised material in brackets; text in quotes is literal with ellipses indicating skipped (and unimportant) material. Speakers are identified as best I could.]
[First 10-minute section is with Rebecca St. James, which is not particularly important or politically relevant, tho' there is a lot of talk about the importance of "sexual purity," which continues to strike me as strange and fascist. Lots of pushing of the National Day of Prayer.]
[Two next guests: Tom Minnery, Senior Vice-President, Government and Public Policy at Focus on the Family; Dr. Bill Meyer; psychologist in residence and vice-president at FotF.]
Dobson: "First of all... you just got back, both of you, from the Love Won Out conference in St. Louis, and it was one of the most exciting Love Won Out conferences we've ever had."
Minnery: "...the Lord continues to bless that one day Saturday conference on homosexuality, explaining the causes and the ways out of homosexuality... we hoped for a thousand people, interest in this conference was very high, partly because the homosexual activists were very belligerent, there were two billboards that were erected to advertise the conference, both of them were defaced, one of them had an ugly saying written across it, it said, "right wing scum, your time will come," very ominous, very ugly, but see, that draws the press, and that draws the interest... lo and behold, when the day of the conference came we had nearly 1800 people... interest to continues to grow..."
Dobson: "You're meeting a need, that's why! And even though there are those who would like to stifle that message, that's why we're out there... there is no hate expressed, no disparagement, no name-calling, nothing to hurt anybody, it is a conference dedicated to those who want to understand homosexuality and want a way out."
[Editor's note: The lying here makes me want to hurl - FotF spews crap like diseased queers can't form actual emotional relationships and want to, in Dobson's words, destroy western civilsation. And that's a quote. What a fucking liar.]
Meyer: "It's all about compassion, and hope, and understanding, and actually, there's a very effective challenge to the church to be more understanding on this issue. One of the things Tom didn't mention is that the church that was hosting the event was egged... some gay activists came by before the conference [Ed. Note: they have no idea who threw the eggs.] and threw eggs at the entrance. And yet this pastor Jean Monez went outside to the two or three hundred protesters, set up a porta-potty for them, served them coffee, gave them sandwiches, engaged with them in dialogue -- that is what Christianity is all about. [Dobson: What church was it?"] the First evangelical free church of St. Louis County in Manchester, Missouri."
Dobson: "[We] used to have trouble getting churches "to even accept this conference. We put it on, but they wouldn't allow their churches to be used, that's not a problem now, is it?"
Minnery: "God bless the pastors, they understand how important the subject of homosexuality has become, because of the attack on marriage. We began several years ago to holding informational meetings for pastors several weeks priour to these conferences and we'd get 40, 50 pastors... we had 345 pastors... they understand what's at stake."
Dobson: "Well, the world is changing, we said on this broadcast, the three of us, just 10 or 12 days, ago, there is some evidence that the pendulum seems to be swinging back on the moral and cultural issues. For 20 years I have decried what is going on, what the media was doing to us, what the cocongress was doing, in some cases, what the white house was doing, and we're seeing something different now, and that's why I said a few minutes ago that's why this will be an exciting update for our listeners... several news items... we will offer our interpretation of what's taking place."
"First of all, our listeners know, I hope, that we fought very very hard to get both new Supreme Court justices confirmed. First was John Roberts, who went on to become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and more recently Samuel Alito who is a good man - we do not know yet how these men will vote, but every indication is they get it. They understand. Two years ago I was decrying judicial tyranny - I mean, it threatens everything, including the decision that's about to be made on partial birth abortion, and the definition of marriage, and religious liberty, and so many other issues. Well, we fought hard, I mean, I poured my life into trying to let everybody know that everything was on the line, that Democrats, primarily in the United States Senate were determined to protect their liberal playground, which is what the Supreme Court has been, and they were not successful and these two men were confirmed."
"Well, so many people contacted Samuel Alito in response to our programme and he got so many letters that he wrote me this response, that arrived on my desk yesterday. At the top is the very understated heading, "Supreme Court of the United States - Washington DC" ... and that got my attention. And he wrote,
"Dear Dr. Dobson;Minnery: "Wow."
This is just a short note to express my heartfelt thanks to you and the entire staff of Focus on the Family for your help and support during the past few challenging months. I would also greatly appreciate it if you would convey my appreciation (Dobson: "which I'm doing now") to the good people from all parts of the country who wrote to tell me that they were praying for me and for my family during this period. As I said when I spoke at my formal investiture at the White House last week, the prayers of so many people from around the country were a palpable and powerful force. As long as I serve on the Supreme Court, I will keep in mind the trust that has been placed in me.
I hope that we'll have the opportunity to meet personally at some point in the future. In the meantime, my entire family and I hope that you and the Focus on the Family staff know how much we appreciate all that you have done.
Sincerely yours,
Samuel Alito
Dobson: "Isn't that fantastic?"
Minnery: "You can live a long time on good feedback like that."
Dobson: "I sure can!"
Meyer: "And what a good man to take the time to write that kind of a letter, too!"
Dobson: "Absolutely! And what I appreciated most is that the people listening to us out there helped to make this happen.
Meyer? (hard to tell, talking under Dobson): "He gets it."
Dobson: "They responded. They called. It's the reason why those that wanted to defeat his confirmation in the United States Senate never got any traction, because the American people stepped up and made it happen. To the folks who are listening to us, thank you for doing that; please, I beg you, when we come back to you on these issues, continue to participate; it makes a difference! And in this case, it absolutely affected history. And just in time! Just in time, because partial birth abortion is now being considered by the Supreme Court. And that leads us to the next very exciting bit of news, Tom, I'm gonna let you explain that about what happened in South Dakota just five days ago."
Minnery: "The South Dakota legislature passed a law prohibiting all forms of abortion South Dakota except an abortion to save the physical life of a mother. That is astounding, a very strong bill, it is now on the desk of governor Mike Rounds, who's indicated that he will sign it, though he is getting some opposition pressure now, but nonetheless, we expect him to do so, and certainly that'll be challenged, and that law will make its way to the US Supreme Court where now, we are still short one vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, but it'll take several years for it to get to the high court, and maybe, by then, we'll have a chance to see another such Justice as Samuel Alito confirmed."
Dobson: "Nothing like that has happened since 1973, with Roe v. Wade, and we are hoping and praying, and I say again to our listeners, please be in prayer, that by the time that prohibition on abortion reaches the United States Supreme Court, there will be one more conservative justice sitting there. And that is very impossible, because the age and the health of some of the other members of the Supreme Court. [sic] Can anyone hear the creaking of the pendulum begin to turn in the other direction? I may be wrong about this, it's hard to predict the future and I've been wrong in the past, maybe again, but I'm seeing some good things."
Minnery: "Well, it requires always to be vigilant. We celebrated the election successes in 2004, and where are we? We're in 2006, another very significant election year, and the gains made in 2004 could be lost in other states when we consider who's up in the Senate and in the House of Representatives."
Dobson: "You never know! But I believe what we started with at the top of this programme, talking about prayer, with Rebecca St. James, I believe that's why we're seeing what we're seeing. Now, man, it's, we're already 21 minutes in, we've got three or four very other important things, let's do this one very very quickly."
Dobson: "Tom, you and I came before these microphones very concerned because the Pentagon was beginning to change the rules, even for chaplains, not allowing them freedom to talk about Jesus Christ [ED NOTE: the guidelines the fundamentalists disliked prohibited religious harassment and were in response to the religious harassment lawsuits at the Air Force Academy], there were guidelines that were issued that were not entirely satisfactory; you and I got on a plane, we went to the Pentagon, we met with the Acting Secretary of the Air Force, he's a good man, he understood our concerns, he brought in his chief attourney for the Air Force, and she's a committed Christian, and, you know, this has gone back and forth, but just last week new guidelines were issued saying what?"
Minnery: "Essentially that chaplains are free to express their religious convictions according to the tenants of their faith, and what that means is, they are free to tell people about Jesus Christ! And at the Air Force Academy, there is free exercise of religion restored so that informal discussions, Bible studies can take place on [sic] that academy that has been attacked [sic] which is why all of this came to the fore, so it's a great victory for free exercise of religion, and congratulations, Dr. Dobson on being invited to the Pentagon and having a part in advising them on this very important set of religious guidelines."
Dobson: "Well, I don't want to overstate it, I don't want to say, 'look at us, look what we did,' we just played a role, we just played our role, and I just want to say to all these people out there who heard a couple of years ago that we were starting a 501(c)4 organisation in addition to the 501(c)3 in order to not only nurture the family but in order to defend the family, and that's why we've been able to do some of the stuff we couldn't have in the way that we did it priour to the Focus on the Family Action Ministry. And people have supported that and I'm very very grateful."
[Two other guests; Yvette Marr (vice-president, Community Impact Outreach of Focus on the Family) and Kim Conroy (director, Sanctity of Human Life at FotF)]
Marr: "I'll set it up and pitch it to Kim; Tom Minnery said we need to celebrate these victories, Doctor; we have a victory; in the life of what we call Option Ultrasound here at Focus on the Family that we started in 2004 to save the lives of babies, "a revealed life is a saved life," we are in celebration mode because we have hit a milestone, and I want to pitch it over to Kim to tell you exactly what that is."
Conroy: "We have. That milestone is that we have just signed our 200th placement of ultrasound services."
Dobson: "Isn't that unbelievable?"
Conroy: "Yeah, that's worth celebrating."
Marr: "200."
Dobson: "And that has been done in three years?"
Conroy: "Two years."
Dobson: "Two year's time?"
Conroy: "Two years this month, that's right."
Dobson: "This means in some cases these every small pregnancy resource centers, that we used to call crisis pregnancy centers, have been given the equipment in order for a young woman who comes in abortion-minded, she's thinking about doing that, and she sees her baby and what happens, Kim?"
Conroy: "Well, the vast majority of the time, that woman chooses life for that child, and we know that ultrasound has a very pivotal role to play in that, because she does come face to face not just with the reality of that baby, but the reality of her baby."
Dobson: "And Focus on the Family has now facilitated 200 such facilities." [Sic]
Conroy: "That's right!"
Dobson: "Yvette, I am proud of you guys, I really am."
Conroy: "It's been amazing."
Dobson: "How many babies do you suppose you have..."
Conroy: "Well, I hesitate to say, because to be honest with you, the stat keeping has really been an uphill battle for us, because a lot of these centres have not kept stats, or they have not kept consistent stats one to another, but at our best guess, it is approximately 50 babies annually per centre. That's how we're doing the math. So 50 babies annually per centre times 200. Dr. Bill Meyer, what would that be?"
Meyer: "That is 10,000, Yvette!"
Conroy: "Thank you! I am not the mathematician... I'm just here to get these services out!"
Dobson: "Ten thousand in two years!"
Conroy: "That's right."
Dobson: "Imagine! Ten thousand little human beings growing and learning to serve the Lord! Could there be anything more thrilling than that?"
Minnery: "Yes, I think there's cheering in Heaven at each one of these decisions, I think the Lord must be pleased."
Dobson: "Oh my goodness. Well, I think we have done a pretty good job of covering a lot of stuff... you know what, that's just the beginning, isn't it, Bill? You're keeping up with a lot of stuff that's going on, you too, Tom - we could devote the whole week's programme [sic] to exciting things that are taking place! We're still losing some battles, but we're winning more than we ever have before."
[Recap of guest names; Focus on the Family staff is at 1300; Kim Conroy actually meets Dr. Dobson here for the first time.]
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-03-02 01:33 pm (UTC)The counseling is not new. Rather, the measure it to stop clinics from simply plopping patients down in a room to watch a video tape.
Ideally, anyone about to undergo a medical procedure should be counseled on what will happen. This information should be delivered in a clinical, objective fashion, _without_ propaganda for or against.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-02 05:09 pm (UTC)I hate the demeaning assumption - and, on the fundamentalist side, assertion - that abortion is something generally done on a whim, for fun, or because some stupid slut doesn't want to, oh, I dunno, pay for her crime of being a stupid slut.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-02 06:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-02 09:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-03 12:45 am (UTC)To me, it's like a major surgery or treatment, something that ought to be done only after proper time has been taken to go through the options and be absolutely certain it's what someone wants to do. Once it's done, you can't just go back. It's not even like, say, high blood pressure or diabetes where you can tailor a diet or prescription to someone and change it if necessary.
It's not like going to the doctor to have your ears cleaned out, or get a flu shot. That's where I'm coming from.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-03 01:11 am (UTC)I am very close friends with two separate women who have been through the absolutely miserable process of deciding whether or not they should terminate a pregnancy. Being familiar with what they have gone through, I am pretty certain that not very many women make the decision to have an abortion without a lot of serious soul searching - definitely more than most people go through before, say, cosmetic surgery, or most other elective procedures.
Of all the elective surgeries there are, abortion is probably the medical procedure that least needs additional safeguards to ensure people think everything through before signing up for it.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-03 01:19 am (UTC)The reason behind my comments has more to do with how people view abortion as a procedure when it comes to the seriousness of it. I don't know that it needs to be legislated at all - as long as it's legal, that should be it. It's should be up to each doctor whether or not they'll do the procedure. But, it should not be against the law for someone to get one.
I could see there being certain situations that ought to have a notification/wait period of at least a couple days, though..especially in the case of a minor. Once you're legally an adult? Your choice.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-02 08:14 pm (UTC)I know that this is a shitty attitude, and that the fight is still worth fighting (even in places like North Dakota), but in war, sometimes when the tide is against you, you have to find a good defensive position to hold out in until things start going your way.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-02 09:15 pm (UTC)I am glad, at the least, I can retain dual citizenship, but wow am I not happy with my native land these days.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-02 09:20 pm (UTC)If Roe falls and stays down, then I suspect this process may accelerate significantly.