:: The S.I.C.L.E. Cell ::

:: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 ::

PBA Injuctions...

The abortionists in this case say that the lack of the bogus "health exception" endangers the health of women, yet the abortion-supporting American Medical Association says there is never an instance in which PBA is necessary.

As plantiffs in the case, abortion-supporters are the ones who have to "bring it". We certainly can't take their word for it in a court of law. Obviously they need to prove that what they are saying is true. Yet we know that they have consistently attempted to prevent the medical evidence, in the form of anonymous medical records, from factoring in. Instead, the abortionists would like to serve as witnesses providing their own expert testimony, and they would like the decision to be based on that testimony.

BUT...

Did you know that the National Abortion Federation, one of the plantiffs, never denied that access to anonymous medical records was "entirely appropriate" in determining the case of the PBA ban? In fact, they said that a group of PBA ban-supporting physicians, including formal Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, were "not competent to argue that PBA's are never medically necessary". And WHY were they not competent to argue this?

Because the NAF said the physicians had not reviewed the medical charts of patients who had undergone PBA's and therefore could not possibly determine what medical options were most appropriate for the patients involved.

That says it all.

:: ashli 8:39 PM # ::
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INSANITY!!!
As the lawsuits against the PBA ban continue the newest, and most assinine argument is that parents want partial birth abortions so their children can have a "proper burial".

Having gone to funeral college and personally embalmed/prepaired bodies for burial, I can tell you that a baby that is delivered via c-section can have a "proper burial" in the event that his/her life can not be saved... and probably looks a lot better than a child who has had his brain sucked out turning his head into a deflated balloon.

Now, if we're talking about women who don't WANT their child to live, women who are NOT using PBA to "save their lives", then how many of them are actually holding funeral services for their aborted little ones?

"Grunebaum (a specialist in maternal fetal medicine at New
York Hospital) said the abortion procedure held the vast number of women who otherwise 'really, really, really wanted to have a baby.'"

This is what PBA supporters keep telling us, but where's the proof? Every single time we try to find out exactly what the scenario is with PBA cases the PBA supporters say it is a violation of privacy - even when the identifying information is completely removed! That being the case, wouldn't saying "Most women who abort via PBA really, really, really want babies," be a violation of privacy also? Either way the women are anonymous!

If the evidence actually supported the claims of the PBA advocates, you can bet they would be INSISTING that the records be reviewed. And they would demand to know the identities of the women to boot! (When you hit the hyperlink, scroll down to the "anonymity" section to see the ruling on this woman's privacy.)

Grunebaum also has this to say: "[Partial birth abortion] is the same as any baby dying. People want to hold the fetus."

Is this guy NUTS? How many women want to hold children whose brains they have just had sucked out? I would really like to know! It's just another attempt at normalizing the atrocious.

That being said, I actually do know one woman who had her daughter killed because she felt death was better for her child than trisomy 18. She dressed and held this baby, took pictures, and posted them proudly to her "pro-choice" website. So at least some moms are undaunted by the fact that they have destroyed their children. I'm not sure most mothers want to hold and photograph children they have killed.

Furthermore, I can tell you from personal experience, ABORTION IS NOT THE SAME AS "ANY BABY DYING".

I have had a baby die and I have aborted a baby in the second trimester due to maternal health reasons. In both cases the babies were EQUALLY wanted by me, but the miscarriage was pink bunny cake with marshmallows on top compared to the abortion. It just wasn't the same at all.

I'd wager that most miscarriages/stillbirths do not involve a violent death. In abortion, the baby dies violently at the hands of someone who is intentionally trying to kill him/her. A little bit of a difference.

Grunebaum is as looney as the article's abortionist who asserts that even if the PBA ban ever goes into effect he will still perform illegal PBA's regardless. Well isn't that interesting? A "pro-choicer" that supports illegal abortions... I'm sure women can trust him to be very "safety" conscious while he is breaking the law.

These appeals are pathetic. America has her head in the sand re: abortion, but even a large number of abortion-supporters don't support PBA.

Our country does not WANT PBA's, and I think these suits are not going to help PP, NAF, abortionists, etc. But I guess that as long as they keep crowing about the lack of a health exception (and the liberal media keeps printing it) they will still have a few American heads to snow in spite of the "pro-choice" American Medical Association's assertion that there is never ANY medical situation in which PBA is ever necessary. Abortion supporters know the truth about this, which is probably why they are slowly graduating to a new argument that, in stark contrast to their usual methodology, actually focuses on the aborted child's remains.

Groups like PP, NARAL, NOW, etc. take exception to people who cloud the abortion issue with facts. As is evidenced by the new argument, it's not the truth that counts; what really matters most is looking good.

:: ashli 7:18 AM # ::
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Call her Cleopatra...

:: ashli 7:18 AM # ::
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In Florida? Want a groovy Choose Life tag for your car? Wanna save four fins?

"For a limited time now, anyone in Florida can switch to the Choose Life license plate by mail and Choose Life, Inc. will pay the switching fee of about $19.65. This has to be done through Russ Amerling at Choose Life, Inc.

This offer is open to anyone in Florida.

Several donors have given funds to make this offer. Currently there is enough money to pay for 150 people to switch their vehicles to the Choose Life license plate. Once this $3000 is gone, another fund raiser will be held, but only the first 150 folks who respond to this offer are guaranteed to get it.

You don't have to wait until your renewal date to do this. You can switch now even if you have just renewed your plate and it will only cost you $22.

Also, if you happen to be within three months of your renewal month, you can switch and renew at the same time, but you will have to pay the normal renewal fee in addition to the $22. (The renewal fee is usually the amount shown on your current vehicle registration you received with your decal or new plate.)

Here are the instructions on how to switch to the Choose Life license plate by mail and save around $20.

1. Make a copy of your current registration of the
vehicle(s) for which you want a Choose Life license plate.

2. Make a copy of the current proof of insurance card for the
vehicle(s) for which you want a Choose Life license plate.

3. Email Russ and request that he email you the form that the state requires for switching, complete and sign it by the "X".

4. Write a check payable to Thomas Olson Tax Collector for each vehicle for $ 22.00 for the Choose Life tag.

5. If you want to renew as well, add the normal renewal fee to the $22 for each vehicle. (The renewal fee is usually either $28.10, $38.10 or $48.10, depending on the weight of the vehicle.)

6. Mail all of these items to Russ Amerling at:

Choose Life, Inc.
Attn: Russ Amerling
PO Box 830152
Ocala, FL 34483-0152

7. Your Choose Life license plate(s) will be mailed to you within ten days with a new decal on it and your new registration slip. Then each year thereafter, you will receive your renewal notice in the mail just as always. The cost will be $22 above the normal cost of your yearly renewal and $20 of that will be returned to your county and distributed to the qualified agencies in your county. These will be various Crisis Pregnancy Centers, Maternity Homes and certain non-profit Adoption Agencies. The $20 is a tax deductible contribution if you itemize your deductions on your IRS Form
1040.

8. If you have any problems or questions, please email Russ Amerling. If you do not receive the plate within 2 weeks of mailing in your application, be sure to contact Russ immediately.

9. When you receive your new plate, be sure to deface the decal on the old plate before you throw it away to make sure no one finds it in the trash and uses it.

10. Proudly display your love and support for women, children and families!"

:: ashli 10:46 AM # ::
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It's no secret that I'm obsessed with T-shirts, so somebody make me this one:

"Half of all American women are overweight.

(Image of a box of Dove Bars goes here.)

If you can't trust me with a box of Dove Bars
then how can you trust me with the choice to abort a child?"

Snicker.

:: ashli 9:05 AM # ::
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Half of American women are overweight.

But wait! Do studies suggest that many women are making personal, private health care choices that AREN'T best or right for themselves?

It's almost like women are... human!

Could it be that we are susceptible to making poor choices, especially in crisis situations, like everyone else on the planet?

GASP!

(Don't tell Planned Parenthood, NARAL or NOW!)

:: ashli 5:52 PM # ::
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"What is right is often forgotten by what is convenient."
~Bodie Thoene

:: ashli 5:52 PM # ::
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A few days ago I posted an entry on a mom who was diagnosed with breast cancer during pregnancy and advised to abort. She chose not to abort her daughter.

Her daughter was born healthy and well, and Mom is now fighting for her life. It's not looking so good. Last week the doctors gave her some bad news: she's too far gone for any more chemo. On Monday she went to the Moffit cancer treatment center in Florida to find out how much longer she has to live.

A Bit of Hope
Doctors have decided to go ahead and try some weird new nothing-to-lose chemo on her in hopes that it will extend her life for 2 to 5 more years. No guarantees.

Her daughter is not even a year old, and Mom has a pre-schooler also. She continues to fight for as much remaining time with them. This mom is in her 20's and has a wonderful husband who is just heartbroken. However, they are hanging in there, and Mom is terribly brave.

Her husband is trying to make the most of the time they have left and as I indicated in the last related post, he is trying to plan a family camping trip to Disney's Fort Wilderness. They are financially drained as you can well imagine, and his mom has been asking for help for this devastated family.

Requested help:
1. Inspirational cards with a positive, encouraging message from the sender
2. Donations to help with expenses

They are all Christians, so anything related would be much appreciated.

Since my last post on this mom only TWO people have asked for the address to send something: a Christian and an atheist.

I find this interesting.

I think we should all ask ourselves what it would be like to be in this mom's shoes and how we would want people to treat us.

A card only costs a buck at WalMart.

So let's try this ONE MORE TIME...

Anyone who is interested in helping this mom who was willing to sacrifice her own life for that of her unborn daughter please email me, and I will send you her home address.

This mom is dying of cancer, so please, be tactful and appropriate. No abortion debates. That means no cleverly thrown in sentiments like:

"I support a woman's 'right to choose' but I hope you are hanging in there."

Have some couth for cryin' out loud.

It's sad that I even have to say that, but I think we all know how some people can be.

:: ashli 5:45 PM # ::
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Anesthesiologist, not surgeon, performs surgical abortion, which maims mother. Mother didn't know abortionist was no surgeon and says she never would have consented to the abortion had she known.

"In the mid 1990s, the Montana legislature put an informed consent law for abortion on the books, but it was struck down by the Montana Supreme Court. The high court said the law was unconstitutional because it violated a privacy provision in the state constitution."

What a victory for abortion-advocates who claim they lobby for these laws for the sake of womens' health.

In other news, more illegal "pro-choice" vandalism. Denying an individual their right to choose what to use as lawn ornaments doesn't seem very pro-choice to me. Also, the crosses merely represented the number of children killed in abortions daily in this country. That information can be gotten from the abortion-supporting Alan G. Institute. No one can argue with the numbers, so it seems the vandalizing abortion-supporters simply wanted to suppress the information. Imagine them not wanting anyone to know how many people are hurt by abortion.

Further, there has never been one documented case of a coathanger abortion. Not one. Women are smarter than to go shish-ka-bobbing themselves with coathangers. Too bad abortion-supporting women's groups don't seem to think so. If they believe that women are so stupid that we're going to start mutillating ourselves with coathangers, then how can they possibly trust us with such a profound and important choice as ending or not ending a child's life?

:: ashli 11:12 AM # ::
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Go to Emily's blog and read Theresa's Saturday, March 20th post on Planned Parenthood and their ghastly Teen Wire site for the youth of America.

The post generated an unusually high number of comments that are an absolute must read.

:: ashli 8:29 PM # ::
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When my birthmother had custody of me my birthdad refused to pay child support. My bmom's parents were dead. She had NO support from anyone and had long since lost custody of her two other children (by a different dad) because she was unable to care for them. She was and is quite mentally ill from severe physical abuse, addicted to drugs and alcohol, etc. We were poor, it was bad, but I am so glad no one thought the solution for any of it was to kill me!!! I am glad to be alive.

I get offended when killing children is the answer for poverty or seen as a solution for the child's own "good". There are worse things than getting your arse beat by a maternal lunatic or wondering where your next meal is coming from. Having your head ripped off seems to be one of them.

There are answers for children in situations like mine, and killing the children should never be one of them.

:: ashli 6:42 AM # ::
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"African Americans make up 13 percent of the population, yet
African-American women have more than 35% of all abortions in the United States. The abortion rate of black women is three times that of white women."

Which explains why the NAACP is publicly advocating abortion for the first time in their 96 year history.

Um... WHAT?!?

:: ashli 8:54 AM # ::
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I have some heartbreaking news.

About a year or so ago I was made aware of a pregnant Florida mother with a young son and gestating daughter. Her doctors detected breast cancer and advised her to terminate so that she could start chemo and such right away and so the pregnancy's growth hormones would stop "feeding" the cancer.

This mother is a Christian and freely chose to reject abortion. She focused on growing her baby and was put into contact with another mom who had been diagnosed with breast cancer during pregnancy and did not abort. This other mom is cancer free today and enjoys sharing her life with both of her young sons.

Unfortunately, the Florida mom's cancer was not eradicated and is now eating her alive. She was supposed to start another round of chemo this past week but she was having some problems with pain, nausea and fevers, so they couldn't start. She went to a specialized cancer treatment center, the Moffit center, and they told her that at this point they are not even planning to start anymore chemo because the cancer is basically too advanced, i.e., terminal. Her daughter isn't even a year old.

They go back to Moffit on Monday to see how much time she has left.

Mom is upbeat and joking so far. She is courageous and satisfied with her choice to not kill her daughter to try and save herself. It looks like she literally gave her life for her child, which is something every parent says they will do but many in her shoes don't. Most parents are thankfully never put in such a situation. This woman is a hero.

In my years of research for the book I wrote on HG, I perused hundreds of medical journal articles and observed many cases where pregnant moms diagnosed with cancer DID abort to try and save their lives, and they still died anyway. If the Florida mom had aborted her daughter there is no guarantee that she would have lived. The doctors gave her much better odds in that scenario, but she made the only choice she could live (or die) with, and she is not sorry.

She is one of these folks with a crummy childhood whose parents put her through a lot of dysfunction and heartbreak. She fought her way out of it though with the help of a Christian foster family in her teens. She survived all of this only for this to happen and it is so sad. But again, she is upbeat and does not regret her decision.

She is too good for this world.

She is in her 20's and her young husband is devastated but making the best of the time they have left. They are financially drained but he is taking her on a surprise shopping spree. She wanted to buy "one new dress".

It reminds me of the day I walked into my mom's room and the new pink dress was hanging on the door. She had terminal cancer and tried to hide a lot of things from me. Somehow I seemed to know things anyway, and when I saw the dress on the door I knew she had picked it out to wear in her casket. It freaked me out big time. We discussed it and I told her that I couldn't stand the dress just waiting there for her to fill it. It represented death to me, waiting at her bedroom door to gobble her up. I didn't want the end of her life to be that real, to be something I could look at and touch. We decided that after she died I'd pick out a comfy nightgown and put her in that. She said, "Make sure it's got a high enough collar to cover my neck; I have a horrible neck!" FYI, she had a beautiful neck.

The husband of the Florida mom is trying to think of things they can do as a family and as a couple before his wife dies. One of the family traditions has always been to vacation at Ft. Wilderness. Lots of family members are coming down soon and the husband would like to stay at Ft. Wilderness one more time. They can't afford it. (Does anyone know about a discount on cabins there?) He has not asked for charity, but his mother is taking up a collection.

His mom also supplied me with their home address for sending cards, prayers and encouraging words. I'm not at liberty to share this address on the blog but I am going to write for permission to share it in some form. Perhaps you could write me if you are interested in helping, and I could send their address in individual emails to compassionate people who are not interested in debating abortion but who desire to support and encourage this family during this devastating time. I will ask for permission and let you know.

I will let you know about making donations to them when I find out more about that as well.

:: ashli 7:47 AM # ::
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It just takes a second to write your Senator and encourage them to vote for Laci and Conner's Law (aka the Unborn Victims of Violence Act). This vote is coming up soon.

Encourage your Senator also to reject the Feinstein and Murray amendments.

:: ashli 7:39 AM # ::
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"Whenever a little child is born
All night a soft wind rocks the corn;
One more buttercup wakes to the morn,
Somewhere, somewhere."
- Agnes Carter Mason, Somewhere

:: ashli 1:45 PM # ::
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In a note today a friend of an abortion clinic worker describes the worker's disgust as a mother's unusually clear 20-week sonogram was examined.

The clinic worker and the mother could count the child's ribs and see that the child was a boy. Even the clinic worker couldn't stomach this one and began to give the mother positive alternatives instead of just referring to a late term abortion facility. All the mother could say over and over again was:

"I don't want it. I just don't want it."

It is assumed she will travel to a different Florida abortion clinic that is equipped to do abortions further along.

Poor little boy. Poor Mama who will have to live with what she does to him.

:: ashli 1:35 PM # ::
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After the post the other day about the so-called "religious" organizations that advocate choice, I had some interesting email that prompted me to make this clarification:

My opposition to abortion is BASED on my personal experience with abortion and later became SUPPORTED by my faith.

Before the abortion I believed myself to be a Christian and was the biggest abortion supporter you ever saw. After I lost my child in an abortion I didn't want anything to do with religion or God. During this time I realized that I could no longer support abortion and that I must actively oppose it.

Five years later I stepped foot into a church. I found that when I spent less time "interpreting" the Bible and just reading it, abortion was not ever supported by God and could never be. This was new to me, because my former, abortion-supporting church, presented God as the ultimate "pro-choicer".

So for the record, for the first 25 years of my life I was "religious" and "pro-choice". Then I aborted my first child in the second trimester and spent the next 5 years totally rejecting Christianity and abortion.

My opposition to abortion stems from my experience with abortion, not from my religious beliefs. If anything, for 25 years my religious beliefs supported abortion.

My abortion opposition:

BASED on experience
SUPPORTED by God

That's just the order in which it came around for me.

Can I say it any clearer?

:: ashli 1:15 PM # ::
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Third trimester forced abortion in China.

:: ashli 10:23 AM # ::
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Dorothy Louise Gage was born in July, 1898, and only lived four months. She does, however, live on in spirit, thanks to her uncle, L. Frank Baum, who wrote her name, "Dorothy Gale", into the Wizard of Oz in order to keep her memory alive.

A short life can have tremendous impact.

:: ashli 10:06 AM # ::
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The Thursday, March 18th RU486 post at Emily's just goes to show that the media (and abortion-supporting groups like NARAL and NOW) are not concerned when abortion hurts women.

They are only concerned when women hurt abortion.

:: ashli 8:12 AM # ::
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I got an email the other day from someone who I'm half-way certain was trying to be helpful. Evidently she somehow stumbled onto my hyperemesis website and read the account of what happened 7 years ago. Here are some soundbites from her email:

"I do not understand the condition that you had, but... I also don't know if I could have aborted."

"I think in your situation I would have demanded another doctor...or doctors before taking the step that you did."

"...you do not need to worry what others say. You have to live with yourself. God forgives you if you ask for His forgiveness and you are only responsible to HIM."

"...[children] are blessings."

Hmmm...

I could be wrong, but I think that deep down inside most people who have not aborted look at women who have aborted with a mixture of pity and disdain. This includes even the ones, and maybe PARTICULARLY the ones, who make it their business to work with women who have lost children in abortion.

I've received tons of email in the past seven years and with the above type the general rule is to let me know that they would never do such a thing, to educate me on the subject of the value of a child and lastly to deign to tell me that God will forgive and heal me.

It's extremely condescending.

But I am not allowed to protest because the understanding is I'm a big baby-killing schmuck and I'm God-awfully lucky to have any amount of pity generously bestowed upon me.

In the year that it happened, I found myself in a group of women dealing with early miscarriages. I ended up there, because I was trying to find a place where I fit and I just did not fit anywhere, least of all the "post-abortion" groups.

The moms who miscarried heard my story and they all outwardly sympathized and assured me that I would find compassion there. Then I started getting the typical comments. "I would have done ANYTHING to have my baby." I might comment back, "That's very easy to say when you have normal pregnancies." Then 8 grieving moms would jump:

"We didn't kill our kids like you did."
"You don't belong here; We are grieving moms who didn't want our kids to die like you did. Our pain is real."

Blah, blah, blah.

(BTW, I later lost a child in a miscarriage. Though it was terribly sad it was NOTHING compared to abortion. Absolutely nothing. I remember thinking, "Good grief. THIS is what all the fuss was about on that board?")

Later I met a "passionate pro-lifer" who condemned not only the practice of abortion but also the "selfish" women who aborted. Assuming that I was not one of "those people" her venom dripped. She recounted that as a teen she became pregnant but refused to abort, therefore "God blessed me with a miscarriage." I.e., "Because I made a good choice God killed my baby for me." How touching and unselfish. On and on she droned. Lots of mention of God and what a Christian she was.

Finally, at the end of her spiel, I remarked that she was certainly quite "passionate" about the children (forget the women for whom she didn't give a rat's butt), and I asked her if she would be able to help with a certain anti-abortion truth campaign. She said she really believed in this particular effort. I gave her opportunities to help in big or small ways and her repeated response was, "I'll think about it." I asked several times and always she would think about it. The project came and went, and she, a very "passionate", very long-winded "pro-lifer" didn't lift one finger to help. She, like many, are very interested in opposing abortion in condemning tirades, but that is the extent of it. "I hate what they're doing to ya, kids, but you're on your own." How inspirational.

Although I'm skeptical of the "post-abortion healing" movement (and have never made a secret of that skepticism) exposure to too many "compassionate pro-lifers" really makes me better understand the need for efforts like Rachel's Vineyard. I've never been, but these "healing" retreats are probably one of the only places where moms with SICLEs are not used as doormats or as step-ladders for others who want to feel just a little bit taller themselves.

Outside of the "healing" culture there seems to be a sort of consensus that anyone who kills their child in an abortion is not only a tad on the malevolent side but invariably pretty stupid. Of this mentality, some of the worst offenders in my life have been self-professed Christians (including one who directs a crisis pregnancy center). A couple of minutes of commentary from them and I can fully understand why so many people are disgusted by the "Christian right".

I, however, am conscious enough to know that the problem is not with Christ but with people.

I lump these goofballs in with the people who support abortion for "womens' sake" but who verbally and emotionally assault women who are concerned enough to stand up and tell the world that they've been devastated by the SICLE.

I am learning to accept that the goofball mentality exists and am secure in the resolution that it is not valid. However, it still frustrates me, because it is oppressive and prevents much progress.

:: ashli 8:12 AM # ::
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Another piece on the abuse waged against Rebecca Porter and more reader comments than you can shake a stick at.

:: ashli 5:35 PM # ::
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On Monday, March 15, Emily blogged on the Catholics for a Free Choice. While it is true that all people from any diverse background can and should be concerned about abortion, those who use Christianity to promote abortion are the easiest to challenge.

Anyone who reads statements by these abortion-advocating groups will realize almost immediately that abortion, not Christianity, is their true religion.

Many of their appalling statements can be found in this most excellent blog entry by an atheist who reads from "religious" groups that God is nothing short of an abortionist. If God were an abortionist, who wouldn't be an atheist? But the truth is, these "religious" people have a self-serving agenda and anyone who studies the Bible knows that they are ultimately busted.

Yes, the Bible does say that God has given each of us free will.

"God has given us the right to choose, therefore He is pro-choice!" is usually one of the first things these misguided "religious" folk point out.

BUT they never finish with the second half of the concept of free will. In this, God tells the free individual exactly what to choose: life. How can choices that lead to death ever be from God when the Bible is chock full of God's warnings away from death?

One of the things you will notice about the "religious" abortion proponents' "spiritual" comments is that they are mushy and soft and require very little if anything from the individual. It's that whole, "I'm OK, You're OK" mentality where choices are simply choices with little repercussions as long as you set your mind to believing as you like.

The God of the Bible is not like this. He is not an idea or a concept who is formless, gives little guidance, and requires nothing of His subjects. A good parent, He gives His children the freedom to choose to make good and bad choices, but He makes it clear that if His children love Him, and if they want the best chance at a happy life they will choose to His specifications and not their own! This is what is meant by "dying to one's self"; we are given free will and asked to willingly forfeit it to a God who knows much better than we do.

These dippy "religious" coalitions do not cotton at all to this idea. As a gestating baby's existence is up to their personal interpretation, so too do they disallow God's being who He is. Instead, He is only who each individual says He is. "You are what I say you are." Sound familiar?

How then is it possible for there be one true God if we all get to define Him to our own personal, convenient specifications? If we whittle Him down to a God that fits our own rationalizations and understandings, it serves us very little other than to make it very easy to blame Him for all of the problems that come from the so-called "God-advocated" choices we ourselves make in lieu of His actual guidance. How can that be good enough for "religious" folk"? How much of an authority is God if he doesn't know any better than we do?

If everything in the Bible has to make sense to me before I will accept it, then I am my own God, and I need no one else. If some things don't make sense then that seems more realistic. Afterall, I don't need to understand thermonuclear dynamics to know that it exists anyway. I would hope that as a "religious" person I would trust that the God I believed in, the One who made the world and everything in it, would know better than I do. The "religious" groups for "choice" don't agree with this at all.

Read their comments at the atheist's blog mentioned above. They are all about self. When considering abortion, they advise women to pray and "ask yourself" this and "ask yourself" that. I, me, mine, I, me, mine. They call that consulting God. Who are these people fooling? The answer I'm afraid is a lot of others who enjoy the kind of shackling freedom that answers to no one. And there are many in our responsibility-loathing, toss-away society of convenience and self-obsession.

As the Bible reads, Christ did nothing that was convenient for Himself. In His example, He set Himself aside continuously for others. He did not consider His future, yet forfeited it for everyone else's future. The Bible tells us to think of others before ourselves. How can any of this be interpreted as God wanting us to think of ourselves first, even before the children in our wombs?

The folk who do not work diligently to acquaint themselves with the Bible are at risk of being led in the absolute wrong direction by Bible-thumpers who are concerned with conforming God to society and not the other way around.

Those who actually study the Bible, the book these "religious" liars claim to hold so dear, know that on this earth it has always been thus and thus will it always be. The Bible warns about these "religious" coalitions for "choice" and teaches that in order to spot people who lie in the name of God you have only to get to know God, who is not a wishy-washy, mushy, "anything goes" God who requires nothing. The God of the Bible has given His people everything, and to whom much is given, much is required. (Luke 12:48b)

The same God says not to murder, to choose life, that children are a blessing and a gift from Him, that He forms and knows people in the womb, and the Bible, yes, the Bible, refers to gestating children not as fetuses, but as CHILDREN.

Contrary to popular belief, the Bible is not erasable, and its wisdom shouts to all who care to pick it up and study it in total. The God of the Bible makes it clear that if you use your free will to choose death, you will get death and not all these happy Hallmarky puffs of smoke the "religious" coalitions are blowing up society's butt.

As I say, abortion is everyone's issue no matter how diverse their backgrounds or beliefs. However, if certain organizations want to play the "religious" angle in support of abortion, they had better be prepared to be liberally challenged and easily dismissed.

The best way for people to fight "pro-choice religious" propaganda is by studying the Bible. Then you can tell when God is being mocked and you are being manipulated.

People might find themselves duped by the "religious" organizations for "choice", but the God of the Bible is no rube; He is down with the 411.

:: ashli 10:23 AM # ::
...

"Please contact Senators on the Judiciary Committee and ask them to Support Parental Notification in Florida.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear the proposed Constitutional Amendment on Parental Notification (SJR 2178) on Tuesday March 16.

Please contact those listed below and ask them to support this Constitutional amendment.

Senator Alex Villalobos (Chair)
(850)487-5130

Senator Dave Aronberg (Vice Chair)
(850)487-5356

Senator Walter "Skip" Campbell
(850)487-5094

Senator Rod Smith
(850)487-5020

Senator Lisa Carlton
(850)487-5081

Senator Charlie Clary
(850)487-5009

Senator Durell Peaden
(850)487-5000

Senator Dan Webster
(850)487-5047"

:: ashli 11:17 AM # ::
...

My letter to John Kerry re: Rebecca Porter's sign:

Subject: Here's Your Sign

"When one of your staff members stole and destroyed a sign carried by a grieving mother hurt by abortion, he was showing that he was devoid of the compassion and tolerance that Democrats say they love and constantly demand.

It is disturbing that you say you care for women and yet when they tell you and your staffers how they feel your staffers abuse them to shut them up. That is oppression of women if I ever heard it.

I aborted my first child in the second trimester, and it left me with permanent physical and emotional damage. I supported abortion until I lived it, and now I know better. I wouldn't wish this pain on a dog. You should listen to ALL women, not just the ones who agree with you on something you will never experience yourself.

I know I will be voting for Bush and urging all my friends to do so as I share with them what your campaign staff did to Rebecca Porter.

Ashli *. ********
(address)"

If abortion hurt you, write John Kerry here:
info@johnkerry.com

Thanks to Emily for the email address.

:: ashli 11:10 AM # ::
...

"If you help a mother love her life, you will help a family. And as families go, so goes society."
- Dr. Brenda Hunter, What Every Mother Needs to Know

I think many women love themselves less after abortion, and that hurts families. And as families go, so goes society.

:: ashli 10:54 AM # ::
...

Letter I received from NJEA:

"Dear Ms. ********,

Thank you for writing to express your views. In answer to your concerns, I want to provide you with some background. More than 20 years ago, NJEA adopted a policy "in accordance with its long history of defense of individual freedom and choice (that) supports the right to reproductive freedom for all women and men." It is because of this long-standing
policy, popular with the vast majority of our membership, that we are promoting member attendance at the Washington, DC rally. While you may
not agree with this stance, I hope that, in keeping with the spirit of a true democracy, you can understand that we debate and deliberate such issues in a representative forum in order to reach the decisions that shape our policies. In this instance, the majority view prevailed and has not been effectively challenged for two decades.

Regards,
Lynn Maher

Director of Communications
NJEA
180 W. State Street
Trenton, NJ 08607-1211
609-599-4561"

My response:

"At one point in our history the majority believed in and desired enslaving African Americans who were deemed, as gestating children are currently deemed, non-human property. The fact that a majority supports an atrocity does nothing to validate it.

Say what you will, use democracy as your shield, but educators of children have no business supporting the deaths of children. What could you ever hope to teach a dead child?

Reproductive freedom is one thing but ending a child's life is another entirely.

Sincerely,
Ashli *. ********
Former Elementary Teacher"

NEA: Democrat Heavy, and don't I know it!

:: ashli 10:22 AM # ::
...

RU486? I'm not. Here's why: Another gal bites the dust.

:: ashli 9:47 AM # ::
...

Kudos to my friend Rebecca! Girl, you are keeping up the good work. I'm sorry one of John Kerry's cronies tore your sign. Kerry and his fiends are all about tearing up and getting rid of anything that inconveniences or exposes them.

As for me, I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!

Sorry I couldn't be there with and for you; I'm doing a little "pro-life" work of my own at this time.

;-)

:: ashli 9:37 AM # ::
...

"My mother told me I was dancing before I was born. She could feel my toes tapping wildly inside her for months."
- Ginger Rogers

:: ashli 8:04 AM # ::
...

"Suppose someone said he defended both the right of a man to molest children, and the right of a man to not molest children. Would you consider that a neutral, even-handed position?"

As a former public and private school teacher and current huge proponent of home schooling, I simply LOVED the above article!
-------

"During the hearing attended by more than 400 NEA delegates, Mr. Kaiser asked Shirley Cherry of Middletown, R.I., chairman of the NEA Resolutions Internal Editing Committee, what "private facilities" the resolution referred to.

'I am not prepared to answer that question to you at this time,' Mrs. Cherry responded."

Thanks to a special pal for sending those links for a more revealing view of the NEA. I become a bigger advocate of home schooling each and every day.

:: ashli 7:48 AM # ::
...

An email from another satisfied customer...

"I left the father of my baby and moved into my dad's. I just want some peace right now and it wasn't happening over there. There's this fantasy that i've had ever since the first time my boyfriend turned his back on me. I think it was the 3rd night after the abortion. I had woken up from a nightmare where the abortionist was showing me coffins for the aborted babies and was trying to get me to look inside the coffin that had my baby in it. Just as i'm leaning over the coffin I hear crying and then I wake up. This is a nightmare that I still have to this day.

Anyway, back to the asshole. So I woke up and was crying and he just patted my back and told me to go sleep even though it was obvious that I was freaking out and sleep was out of the question. He just rolled over and when my crying kept him from falling asleep he got his pillow and went to the guest bedroom ( where he stayed for the next 2 years)! It was like a slap in the face. I needed someone desperately then not just because of the dream but he was at work all day and I just stayed in bed crying unable to move and he couldn't or WOULDN'T do anything to help me.

The person that was so sure that abortion was a good idea and that everything would be just perfect afterward was now acting like I was crazy and interfering with his sleep. So that's when I came up with my little fantasy. I would wait until he was asleep , put on a babydoll nighty, make a cocktail and take every last sleeping pill that I had . Then I would crawl into bed with him, let him make love to me and then fall asleep in his arms and in the morning when he woke up and felt my cold flesh next to his and realized I was dead, I felt confident that he would be as scarred, empty and crazy as I felt then.

I would envision him trying to give me mouth to mouth to revive me, screaming, crying, scared and not knowing what to do and there would be no one to comfort him and he would be forced to deal with this. No way for him to hide from the truth then. I would see him holding my lifeless body, cold and stiff while his tears fell on my naked flesh. I saw him touching my stomach, stroking the hollow, empty space wishing for the ability to turn back time. I saw him running through the house screaming or on the bed in a ball crying. And the fantasy goes on and on.

I've had two years to dream up ways of bringing him to my level and I finally realized that it was enough. I either had to do it or get the hell out because I would always resent him no matter what he says now because it's all crap. He just wants me. He doesn't care about our baby. So I left. And it's crazy because I feel like I've left her again by leaving her daddy, her other half. It makes no sense to me but it's how I feel.

But I am glad that I am here at Dad's because it was starting to become hard to not give in to my fantasy. I wanted, WANT him to feel my pain and I was becoming self-destructive there.

I'm scared of what the doctor will think of my cuts and scars tomorrow. I had no control over my pain the past few months. My body looks so ugly that I want the lights off when I get naked now. I cut off a part of my lower lips one night with a razor. I had wanted to cut it all off but I passed out. I feel like that part of me and my stomach have a sign that reads "use me and abuse me because I am nothing but an empty space ". Pain doesn't even take me to that place anymore. It's just like, yes, this is what I deserve ."

Abortion... so liberating!

:: ashli 9:43 AM # ::
...

Where does your child's teacher stand on abortion?

Aside from the more general social danger, can you imagine what would happen specifically if your young pregnant daughter trusted her "hip" English teacher with her secret dilemma?

At 16 I would have been horrified to disappoint my parents, so I might have gone to a trusted teacher instead. I can just imagine the "PC" abortion advice.

We've got to protect our kids (and grandkids).

Write the NJEA here and let them know what you think about their "education" policy.

:: ashli 9:03 AM # ::
...

Leading lambs to slaughter: Planned Parenthood hires chaplain.

:: ashli 10:41 AM # ::
...

Do you think Roe v. Wade should be overturned? Vote here (there's a little voting box half-way down into the text of the article). Right now the vote is 70% to overturn.

:: ashli 9:10 AM # ::
...

Update on the 20-week baby:

Email I received:

"Thank you for the prayers...the cousin called about 2 PM and said *** had just called her to say they were leaving West Palm and that SHE WAS NOT ABORTING HER BABY....

God did it once again. ***, who does not support abortion, showed up just as *** and her mother arrived. He had their descriptions and called out ***'s name to talk. *** turned around and told him she was "Cindy" and her mom grimaced at him. They then promptly walked into the abortion business.

As he waited for *** to possibly come out so he could try and talk to her again, another young mom arrived with her boyfriend. Like ***, she was being pressured to kill her little one too. She came over to the sidewalk counselors, people who believe that women deserve better than abortion, to listen to what they had to say. *** LISTENED AND TURNED AWAY FROM KILLING HER BABY TOO.

One of the sidewalk counselors (aka "pro-lifers") is now giving her shelter at his home as she felt she could not leave with the boyfriend after choosing to have her baby. Pray for this little one...

The cousin of the mom of the 20 weeker, said she would call back soon to get more info about what I do at the abortion businesses. Do we have a neat young sidewalk counsellor in the making now too???

A divine day to say the least...for your prayers, I am eternally grateful..."

I wonder how many abortion clinic staffers invite the girls home to live with them when they have nowhere else to go.

:: ashli 8:32 AM # ::
...

Update:

Email I received:

"Will send the whole story in a bit. *** did get there in time to call out her name. She denied being ***. It was her though. She, her mother and the baby are all inside the abortion business now. More soon."

I will keep you posted.

This is just one mother, one grandma, one child...
This drama is being played out over and over again on a daily basis every few minutes. Meanwhile there's a woman crying somewhere because it is taking so long for her social worker to call her with the news that a birthmother has chosen her to parent her child. Trashcans everywhere are consuming her dream, consuming scads of precious, precious children, consuming our society's collective conscience and humanity. When will the sanction of this brutal practice end?

:: ashli 10:12 AM # ::
...

A 20-week baby will be aborted in less than an hour.

Here is the email I just received:

"At 11 AM today, *** and her mom *** will arrive at The Presidential, the abortuary in West Palm. Her panciked cousin, ***, called yesterday to see if we could help stop it.

I sat down at Hyde Park cause we thought they were coming there. *** just called and said they will be at WPB to kill the baby because *** is 20 weeks.

*** said he would get right over there and find someone to go with him. It is a nasty place to be. Owner of the abortuary is horrific to the people who come and try to help mothers and children avoid that heartache and death. *** and company will be at risk as they try to fend off this child's death. Pray for just the right partner for *** as they go over. Pray for wisdom as they approach the baby's grandmother, ***'s coercing mom. Pray that *** can run away from that place and her mom to safety with ***.

I am so glad we have the Source for our networking and thankful that all who read will go to that source to make a miracle happen for this little one and that He will use this in his/her life years down the road..."

For those that pray, please do. Now. Right now.

:: ashli 10:12 AM # ::
...

The Girl Scouts Organization is at it again. Many of us were under the impression that "hey, the Girl Scouts are OK! This Planned Parenthood travesty was just an anomaly involving one super-wacky abortion-supporting Bluebonnet chapter in TX."

Evidently, we were wrong!

Kathy Cloninger, CEO or the Girl Scouts of America, went on the Today Show and had this to say:

"We partner with many organizations. We have relationships with our church communities, with YWCAs, and with Planned Parenthoodorganizations across the country, to bring information-based sex education programs to girls."

Churches and Planned Parenthood?

As a former Girl Scout I have to say I don't remember ever talking about sex at troop meetings or campouts. I do remember going to the blood bank and getting my blood typed, trying pickled herring for the first time, winning a costume contest, making s'mores, hiking, playing "light as a feather, stiff as a board" at a sleep-over at a church with a huge, scary mural of Jonah and the whale on the wall, making friends, weaving mats to sit on outside, earning badges (including the famed "math whiz" badge), etc.

Thank God I was allowed to just be a child in the Girl Scouts and no one was bugging me about sex or using me to make abortion look more valid, innocent and appealing.

I don't like where the Girl Scouts are headed. What's next? Planned Parenthood badges that depict the mythical coathanger with a slash through it? Yeah, I can see it now: you have to escort one woman into an abortion clinic to kill her future Girl Scout and then you earn your badge. Sheesh.

I hate to say it, but their willingness to associate with Planned Parenthood is making me toss my cookies. Until they clean up their act I won't buy another box!

:: ashli 6:40 AM # ::
...

Planned Parenthood backs out of its YMCA rental agreement.

Tina Smith, vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood, said they cancelled because the St. Paul Urban League (SPUL), a partner in the event, backed out.

The SPUL refuted Smith's claims that they were a partner saying that an individual within the SPUL volunteered on their own time and initiative.

Upon hearing the response Smith had this to say:

"There must be some confusion at the St.Paul Urban League. We have a signed contract and check from them in support of the events."

Hmmm... another case of associating with Planned Parenthood until the public finds out?

The YMCA is fully prepared to continue to rent it's facilities to Planned Parenthood in the future.

People opposed to PP's legacy of death and deception are fully prepared to continue bringing to light associations with PP.

Don't want controversy? Don't partner with an organization that lies to women and kills children.

Pretty simple.

:: ashli 9:21 AM # ::
...

Thanks, Emily for this link:

Forced Abortions Legal in the U.S.

It's not the first time; it won't be the last...

"PRI has recently learned of another forced abortion in
America. A 25-year-old Maryland woman, four months pregnant, changed her mind about having an abortion after being taken to the procedure room. She ran back to the clinic entrance where her boyfriend stopped her. You have to get an abortion, he told her. I?ve already paid for it. Three clinic workers and the abortionists surrounded the women, sedated her by injection, and then took her back into the procedure room. After the forced abortion, she awoke in a closet."

The idea that forced abortion is legal in America is an EXTREMELY scary thought for anyone but particularly for women like me who suffer extreme illness during pregnancy. During my five week hospital stay for a pregnancy-related illness, I had doctors enter my room and advise me to undergo tubal ligation as soon as the baby was born to prevent me from ever having to suffer such hell again. And when I hit the $65k mark, my insurance called me in the hospital just to make sure that I "understood" that I had a right to abort. If I had had a different doctor, s/he might have decided on her own that I "needed" an abortion. Knowing that s/he could legally perform such a grizzly task against my will just infuriates me and absolutely chills me to the bone.

There are times when doctors sternly advise patients to abort and patients refuse. I met a friend in the hospital who had the worst case of life-threatening placenta previa I've ever heard of. She was passing baby-sized clots and had two near-death experiences when she lost so much blood that she actually registered no blood pressure. This woman was as good as gone TWICE! She went down the tunnel, saw the light, the whole nine yards. Aside from being pregnant, she had other children to take care of and also a husband. Her doctors assumed she was going to die and even told her husband as much. The medical pressure to abort was great, but it was ultimately her right to make her own health care choices and there was nothing they could do about it. My friend eventually had her baby at 25 weeks of pregnancy and both survived. Had doctors had it their way she would have been the only survivor.

Doctors do not always know best, and women should have the right to choose to carry their children against a doctor's advice. Evidently American courts don't see it this way, and that, my friends, is terrifying.

:: ashli 8:24 AM # ::
...

From Patte:

"Thursday, 12 February, 2003

Tricia screamed when she saw her baby boy wiggling. She had just delivered him into the toilet at Orlando Women's Center. "It's ALIVE!"

"Be Quiet!", the clinic worker demanded. "You don't want to upset that little girl in the next room who is still in labor do you?"

Tricia closed her mouth and they both waited for her son to stop moving.

That was a year ago. Today Tricia was back for another late abortion. She confessed that she didn't really feel bad about the last abortion, but promised; "I will think about everything you've said. I really will."

Although Maria, Shirley Jo and I approached each and every one of the 10 or so women who were headed into Orlando Women's Center to pay for late abortions this morning, we failed to convince any of them not to kill their infants. Each of the women will labor and deliver their children by 9PM tomorrow night.

As the hours go by, the clinic workers will urge each of the laboring women to walk in circles around the back parking lot. If you go to 1103 Lucerne Terrace tonight, you will see them with your own eyes.

Without you there will be no outrage, no presence, no
witness as the children are born, one by one, dead... and alive."

Orlando Women's Center is where my child died in a second trimester D&E abortion seven years ago. I was married and suffering from a severe, debilitating pregnancy-related disease. We very much wanted our little one, but I felt I couldn't stand the illness any longer. Neglegent doctors weren't helping, so I believed I had no other choice. It was the single worst event of my life. My child was killed and I was permanently physically and emotionally damaged.

Killing my child to solve my problem was a very poor choice. The abortion was far worse than the horrible crisis that prompted me to abort in the first place. I hear that same sentiment from many women.

Still, some, like Tricia, seemingly have no remorse and feel that abortion, even late-term abortion, is a legitimate form of birth control even after seeing their live-aborted child drowning in a toilet bowl.

Abortion supporters brag about these women and what an empowering non-event abortion is. They try to convince us (and themselves) that most women react similarly to Tricia.

If that is the majority reaction it is a terrifying commentary on women and certainly nothing to proclaim with any sense of pride or satisfaction.

Is this really what we as women want to be?

:: ashli 7:26 AM # ::
...

"There is an amazed curiosity in every young mother. It is strangely miraculous to see and to hold a living being formed within oneself and issued forth from oneself."
- Simone de Beauvoir

:: ashli 10:26 AM # ::
...

Let's hear it for "safe" abortion.

Correspondence from pals:

"this comes from Patte in Orlando. Perper is my "favorite" killer. the one with the balls last month that screamed at me for sending a hemorrhaging patient over to TGH when he didn't show early enough to tend to her...He's a real honey to be sure. Imagine declaring bankruptcy so he doesn't have to pay up for his injurious ways...Anyway, those of you in Michigan will be interested in the Detroit area killing at the end of her update about Perper....It just doesn't stop..."

"News Flash: Abortionist Harry Perper is filing for bankruptcy. The woman who was injured during a 10 week abortion in December at Orlando Women's Center rec'd a letter about it today. She is asked to go to a meeting of his creditors at the end of the month. More as I learn details.

Evidently he had no malpractice/liability insurance.

If Perper is successful at becoming "bankrupt" the surviving victim will be left with the $51,000 bills. Ultimately, tax payers will probably have to PAY for this botched abortion --- and perhaps that's how most botched abortions are paid for.

Another woman suffered perforation of her uterus during a 16 week abortion at Orlando Women's Center on Saturday. This time is was abortionist Randall Whitney. The patient was taken to the hospital, recovered well and released the following day. Perhaps her medical bills will be paid by tax payers too.

Makes you sick, huh?

Here's news of a 15 year old who died as a result of an abortion in Detroit in January:

In Detroit, Michigan, on Jan 8th 2004, a 15 year old female died from what we believe to be a Partial Birth Abortion. The clinic where this occured is called Woman's Care in Lanthrup Village. The girl appeared to be the victim of statuatory rape since her boyfriend was 24.

The clinic not only violated Michigan Parental Notification Law, but also the Child Protection Law since she was only 15. Information on this incident was been kept very hush hush. As a matter of fact, Fox Channel 2 was the only TV station that did a quick blurb on it. The parents had no idea that their daughter was pregnant. As a matter of fact, the boyfriend's sister signed the consent form."

UPDATE:
A while back I said I had something cooking and was going to share a picture with you here on the blog. During an abortion at OWC (where I lost my child) a woman's uterus was perforated when her ten-week-old punkin was shoved through the back of it. When she was taken to a hospital for life-preserving surgery, her tot was not only found floating in her abdomen but the physicians TOOK A PICTURE of him/her. The mother later saw the picture and agreed to obtain the picture and share it. Don't have the pic yet. I don't know if she was unable to obtain it or if she simply can't cope with what happened at this time. She is having trouble with over $50k of hospital bills to cover the work of the "safe, legal" abortionist who butchered her. Here is her update:

"Upon investigation of the incident the Agency for Health Care
Administration cited a deficiency with Orlando Women's Center. AHCA found that Orlando Women's Center transferred the patient to the hospital with a document that stated that they had examined the contents of her uterus after the abortion and that: "the uterine contents were adequate for the gestational age". This statement was false as the patient was transferred to the hospital with the fetus inside her abdomen. At present Miss *** has rec'd over $51,000 of medical bills from her hospitalization. On March 1, 2004 Miss *** rec'd a letter from Abortionist Harry Perper's attorney notifying her that Dr Perper is filing for bankruptcy."

How convenient.

Nevermind the fact that I went absolutely round and round with AHCA a few years ago complaining that Pendergraft lied on my records and that his habit of documenting lies was dangerous. Oh it was my word against his over and over again! They closed the case, I reopened it, they closed the case, etc. Eventually I gave up. Later in a hearing on the Women's Health and Safety Act (which passed every vote until Senator Jim King decided to stop the vote!) I was asked why I didn't just contact AHCA. I answered by supplying copies of correspondence and case numbers.

You contact AHCA, you complain, they side with the abortionist; they do NOTHING. Shortly after my back and forth with AHCA Pendergraft was jailed for comitting many combined crimes and of course one of them was LYING (unrelated to abortion clinic record keeping). And now here we see dear ol' Pendergraft's employees continuing the legacy of lies and AHCA just had no warning, did they.

Sheesh.

Another UPDATE:

"On Saturday, February 28, 2004 *Miss Darla, a 20 year old woman, was injured during an abortion of a 16 week fetus. Her uterus was perforated by abortionist Randall Whitney at Orlando Women's Center. She was transferred to ORMC's ER and subsequently transferred to AP's Urgent Care. Miss Darla was released from AP on February 29.
*name changed

A friend has info on ANOTHER patient who was taken away by ambulance a few Saturdays ago. He wasn't able to get any add'l details except that the patient was soon released from the hospital."

Oh the joys of the "safe, legal" abortion!

:: ashli 9:34 AM # ::
...

Hello, this is SOOOO yesterday's news and yet, here it is cropping up in the biased, biased media. I'm going to include the entire article here with bold print added for areas of significance:

"Some Texans Boycott Girl Scout Cookies
By ANGELA K. BROWN, AP

CRAWFORD, Texas (March 3) - Some families are boycotting Thin Mints and Do-Si-Dos and other Girl Scout cookies. Troop 7527 is down to just two members after the other girls were withdrawn by their parents. And Brownie Troop 7087 is no more.

Why are folks in this conservative Texas town where President Bush has his ranch so mad at the Girl Scout organization?

Planned Parenthood and sex education.

The furor was started a few weeks ago by the leader of the anti-abortion group Pro-Life Waco, who sent out e-mails and ran ads on a Christian radio station urging people to boycott Girl Scout cookies because of the "cozy relationship" between the Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood.

Parents were upset to learn that the local Girl Scout organization had given a "woman of distinction award" last year to a Planned Parenthood executive. And they were disturbed to find out that the Girl Scout organization has been giving its endorsement for years to a Planned Parenthood sex-ed program in which girls and boys are given literature on homosexuality, masturbation and condoms.

"It's not that we're a bunch of activists. We're just a bunch of moms who care about their kids," said Lisa Aguilar, who took her 10-year-old daughter out of her eight-member Girl Scout troop. "For us, it's the morality. Where is Girl Scouts going?"

The two troops in Crawford, population 700, decided not to deliver the cookie orders that they had already taken.

But cookie sales have skyrocketed this year as many people bought cases just to show their support for the Girl Scouts, said Becky Parker, a troop leader who is the cookie distributor for Waco-area troops.

"People thought the boycott was ridiculous and was one man's extremist views," Parker said.

While the cookie boycott may have backfired, the furor prompted the parent leaders of the two Crawford troops to quit.

"You're telling these girls to raise their fingers up to pledge to honor God and country, and yet you're handing out materials saying homosexuality is OK," said Brownie leader Donna Coody, who disbanded her five-member troop.

Because of the uproar, the Bluebonnet Council of Girl Scouts, which oversees troops in the Waco area and 13 other counties, announced last week that it would not be affiliated with Planned Parenthood sex-education programs this year.

In an editorial in Friday's Waco Tribune-Herald, Pam Smallwood, the Planned Parenthood of Central Texas executive director who was honored by the Girl Scouts last year, complained that Girl Scouts had thereby demonstrated that "bullying tactics are more effective than an informed democracy."

The Waco-area Girl Scout organization has been putting its name and logo on brochures for the Planned Parenthood sex-education programs but said it does not contribute any money and does not send girls to attend.

Some 400 to 700 fifth- through ninth-graders attend the half-day Nobody's Fool conference in Waco each July. The program never mentions abortion, according to Planned Parenthood. The youngsters receive a book with chapters on homosexuality and masturbation, as well as illustrations of couples having sex, people examining their naked bodies and a boy putting on a condom.

Some Girl Scout mothers called it soft-core porn.

"It embarrassed me to look at it with my husband," said parent Shannon Donaldson.

Pro-Life Waco director John Pisciotta, an economics professor at Baylor, the world's largest Baptist university, said his call for a cookie boycott "was a way to bring attention to the issue and wasn't really about cookies."

The Girl Scouts national organization, which is based in New York and has 2.9 million girl members and 986,000 adult members, takes no position on sex education or abortion and has no national relationship with Planned Parenthood, according to the Bluebonnet Council.

The Crawford mothers are forming their own girls organization and will use a Christian-based curriculum. Beth Vivio, director of the Bluebonnett Council, declined to say if parents in any other troops had taken their daughters out.

Some parents decided to explain abortion to their girls. Others gave only a vague explanation about the uproar.

"Our girls have been through a lot these past three weeks," said Jennifer Smith, who quit as leader of Girl Scout Troop 7527 and removed her daughter. "After I told my 10-year-old daughter that they are supporting some things that are not morally right, she understood."

End of article.
--------------

First, it seems parents were not aware of the PP/Girl Scout association that PP-supporting board members decided to involve their children in. It seems that this association only came to light when a "pro-lifer" informed parents, something PP-supporters within the organization failed to do over a long period of time. Of course, in the media, the "pro-lifer" is credited for starting all of this controversy and trouble. That is insanity. The "pro-lifer" is the person who should be credited for informing parents of the deception and ENDING the controversy that the board members chose to involve children in.

The recurring theme is that parents found out about the PP association, parents found out about the award given to a PP executive by an organization that pledges an oath referencing God, parents found out, parents found out and parents were mad. Parents were mad at the association not the revelation.

The author of the above article reports that cookie sales have been up this year BECAUSE of the controversy and case-buying supporters of the PP/Girl Scout association. She claims the boycott backfired. If it is even true that sales have been up in direct relation to the boycott, that has no bearing on success. The boycott was tremendously successful as the goal was not to wound the Girl Scouts but to end the contradictory association.

This is another way the media uses bias. In one sentence the author attempts to convey the idea that the purpose of the boycott was to rob the Girl Scouts of cookie sales. Subtle, powerful deception. Like chumming the water, this is where the fence-sitters go into a frenzy. "Well, I'm not 100% sold on abortion, but those damn Christians trying to rob adolescent girls of their scouting money really PISSES ME OFF!"

Becky Parker, one troop leader, tells readers that people viewed the boycott as "ridiculous" and "one man's extremist views". What people? How many? Because again, over and over, you see concerned parents receiving new information and yanking their kids right out of there. They don't give their reason as "One man has extreme views." They don't like the association between Girl Scouts and PP. If what Becky Parker said was true, the boycott would not have been so ultimately effective.

Personally, I would like to know why the Girl Scout organization was putting its name and logo on PP's written materials but not giving money or anything else. What was the purpose of this association then? It seems the purpose was just to use the Girl Scout name to bottle abortion and sexual immorality and slap a beloved picture of a sweet little cookie-selling girl on it.

While the media complains that one "pro-life nut" ruined the Girl Scouts for pulled troop members, the rest of us focused in on their resourceful parents who decided to start a new, Christian-based scouting program for their children. Perhaps Keepers At Home or something of that nature. This is a much better idea for little girls than making them the poster children for abortion and sexual depravity.

One "pro-life nutbag" didn't start all this controversy and hurt the little girls. He ended it when he turned the light on and PP and other abortion-supporters scattered like roaches.

:: ashli 9:03 AM # ::
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So many of us go through this, the myth of filling the void with "one more" child.

:: ashli 11:18 AM # ::
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Much heartbreak today over the discovery of the bodies of the Hargon family. People are having a hard time understanding how someone could murder a 4-year-old boy. Why? Because he's so young and innocent and barely had a chance to live. And yet these are the same reasons many give for supporting abortion. Why is youth and vulnerability so appealing in the 4-year-old child and so damning in the case of the 4-month-old gestating child? It seems the very characteristics that are valuable in the pre-schooler render worthless the pre-born. It's a sad, confusing world. No wonder the lines are so hopelessly blurred for some.

:: ashli 9:11 AM # ::
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The face of a 26-week-old unborn girl.

:: ashli 2:47 PM # ::
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