Wisconsin Right to Life Applauds Suspension of RU 486 Abortions Suspension Likely to Spur Sharp Decline in Wisconsin Abortions
Friday, April 20, 2012
"In a true victory for Wisconsin women, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin announced that it is suspending dangerous RU 486 chemical abortions because of the new law, Act 217, which takes effect today," stated Barbara Lyons, Executive Director of Wisconsin Right to Life. “The FDA reports that 14 American women have died during RU 486 abortions and there were over 2,200 adverse incidents for women through use of this drug."
Act 217, the Coercive and Web Cam Abortion Prevention Act, requires the abortionist to determine if a woman is being coerced into having an abortion and prohibits web cam RU 486 abortions. The purpose of the law is to ensure the health and safety of women in these situations. Wisconsin Right to Life was the major organizational force behind the enactment of the law.
"People mistakenly believe that women who have chemical abortions pop a pill and, magically, they are no longer pregnant. Yet, FDA protocol for use of this two-drug regime is three to four visits to a doctor with close supervision," continued Lyons. "With the advent of web cam abortions, now taking place at Planned Parenthood clinics in Iowa and Minnesota, instead of this close supervision, women discuss their abortion over a web cam without a physical exam by a doctor. Planned Parenthood envisions bringing web cam RU 486 abortions into local communities. But now, not in Wisconsin, thanks to Act 217. And, because chemical abortions comprise 26% of Wisconsin abortions, their suspension will result in another decline in Wisconsin abortions which is great news for mothers and babies."
"Opponents of Act 217 complain that the requirement of a private discussion with the woman to learn if she is being coerced is somehow detrimental. Yet, women who are coerced are many times accompanied to the abortion clinic by the person doing the coercing who want to make sure she has the abortion. This common sense law protects women at a time when it is most needed and provides help if she is a potential or real victim of domestic abuse."
"Wisconsin Right to Life applauds Senator Mary Lazich, Rep. Michelle Litjens and the state legislature for passing this important bill and Governor Scott Walker for signing it into law," said Lyons.
CATHOLIC EMPLOYERS COOPERATE IN SIN BY PROVIDING CONTRACEPTIVE COVERAGE, SAYS CARDINAL BURKE
From Catholic Action: Catholic Action for Faith and Family announces a timely and insightful thirty minute interview with Cardinal Raymond Burke as he discusses critical matters of faith, religious liberty, and culpability in relation to the threatened government mandate for employers to provide free contraception, sterilization services, and abortion inducing drugs. Catholic Action Insight, a special program series hosted by Catholic Action founder and president, Thomas McKenna, aired on EWTN on April 11 and April 13. View the interview here.
Catholic Action Insight released the following excerpts from the interview:
Thomas McKenna: “It is beautiful to see how the Faithful has rallied behind the Hierarchy… How does your Eminence comment on the union of solidarity of our bishops?”
Cardinal Burke: “Yes, I have received emails and other communications from lay Faithful who say that they are supporting their bishops 100% and they have communicated to their bishops their gratitude and assured them that they want them to continue to be courageous and not to be deceived by any kind of false accommodations which in fact continue this same kind of agenda which sadly we have witnessed for too long in our country which is totally secular and therefore is anti-life and anti-family. I admire very much the courage of the bishops. At the same time I believe they would say it along with me that they are doing no more than their duty. A bishop has to protect his flock and when any individual or government attempts to force the flock to act against conscience in one of its most fundamental precepts, then the bishops have to come to defend those who are entrusted to their pastoral care. So I am deeply grateful to all of the bishops who have spoken about this and who are encouraging the members of their flock to also speak up because our government needs to understand that what is being done with this mandate is contrary first of all to the fundamental human right, the right to the free exercise of one’s conscience, and at the same time, contrary to the very foundation of our nation.”
Thomas McKenna: “So a Catholic Employer, really getting down to it, he does not, or she does not provide this because that way they would be, in a sense, cooperating with the sin… the sin of contraception or the sin of providing a contraceptive that would abort a child, is this correct?”
Cardinal Burke: “This is correct. It is not only a matter of what we call “material cooperation” in the sense that the employer by giving this insurance benefit is materially providing for the contraception, but it is also “formal cooperation” because he is knowingly and deliberately doing this, making this available to people. There is no way to justify it. It is simply wrong.”
This comment by one of the highest ranked American Cardinals is the clearest explanation to date on the issue of an employer’s culpability when providing contraception, sterilization, and abortion inducing drug options in the insurance plans for employees.
Sidewalk counselors: Few short words make the difference
If this story doesn’t leave you believing in the goodness of mankind, nothing will!
From the Milwaukee Catholic Herald, a profile of one of our sidewalk counselors and a woman who chose life due to his efforts. About 13 months ago, Dan Miller met Mareza for the first time as she was entering the clinic planning to have an abortion.
Six-month-old Joseph Landeros has gorgeous, dark saucer-shaped eyes, a little button nose and a smile that lights up his chubby face. He’s a stunning baby, but one of the most cherished photos that his mom, 19-year-old Mareza Landeros, keeps in a frame near her bed doesn’t show his black hair or flawless olive skin and toothless grin.
Rather, it’s a fuzzy image of Joseph taken some 13 months ago. It’s a bit blurry, but you can see his tiny head, arms and body on the ultrasound as he grew inside Mareza. That was actually the second image of Joseph that Mareza had taken that February day in 2011, and it’s the one that convinced her that Joseph was a person, a life waiting to be born, instead of a blob of tissue that she had planned on aborting.
Mareza has the first image taken of Joseph, too, the one from earlier in the day on Feb. 24, 2011, the one taken during her initial consult in preparation for the abortion at Affiliated Medical Services on Farwell Avenue in Milwaukee. That one is even fuzzier and is taken at a wider angle. Here it’s more difficult to see Joseph, and he looks more like the mass of cells that Mareza thought he was at this 10-week stage of her pregnancy.
40 Days for Life wrapped up on Palm Sunday. 40 Days for Life in Milwaukee closed out the campaign with 31 saves — the 2nd highest number of saves of all 258 40 DFL locations! This is great news, but it is sobering, as well — there is much work to be done with assisting women in need.
In addition, sidewalk counselors are seeing higher numbers of clients come in from out of state, especially Illinois, now that the infamous Rockford abortion mill has closed permanently. Please keep sidewalk counselors, their work and their spiritual welfare in your prayers.
Video:
One Mom Who Chose Life Due to Sidewalk Counselors in Milwaukee
We recently had the
opportunity to catch up with a young mom who chose life due to the work of
sidewalk counselors at Affiliated Medical Services (AMS) in Milwaukee. Listen
to what Mareza has to say in the video, here.
If you have ever prayed or sidewalk counseled at an abortion facility, prayed
for an end to abortion, supported pro-life causes, or wondered if all our work
is making a difference � this video is for you! Thank you to everyone who gives
up free time on weekdays and Saturdays, stands out in the freezing cold and
blazing heat, to those who spend their birthdays sidewalk counseling to bring a
message of joy and hope to others.
Thank you to Mareza for having the courage to share her story with the world.
Photo of Mareza and her baby Joseph.
As the Advent season is upon us, keep those who have less in your prayers. And
give thanks for all the miracles God allows us to witness!
Young mother with cancer sacrifices life for unborn child
From LifeSiteNews: In August of last year Jessica Council – a beautiful, 30-year-old mother of one – noticed that she had a sore throat. At around the same time, she also began to suspect that she was pregnant.
When after two weeks the sore throat had not gone away, Jessica decided to have it checked out. Her doctor told her that it was probably a thyroid goiter, and ultimately nothing to be too concerned about. Just to be sure, however, he had a test done, which he said confirmed his initial suspicions. Everything would be ok, he said.
But everything was not ok. The doctor had misread the test.
Around November 15, Jessica began having trouble breathing. On November 21 she landed in the emergency room. Then, on November 22, her throat closed up so tightly that she could not breathe, at which point doctors managed to insert a tube down her throat, and put her on a ventilator.
The following day, November 23, Jessica was informed that she had cancer. By then, she also knew for certain that she was with child.
