Friday, April 21, 2006

Media follow up

In a recent post I noted that the Republic ignored the governor's vetoes of three pieces of pro-life legislation. Apparently some article made its way to the internet version of the paper (or maybe the editor realized that it was a news story) and allowed for comments to post. The posted comments are very interesting and you can view them here Follow the thread. There are at this point over 50 comments. The need to educate is huge. At the same time, there were some very powerful statements that remind us why we are pro-life.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

The Law of Unintended Consequences

With the three vetoes by Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano of three benign pro-life bills, one realizes that this is a governor so connected with the culture of death and yet so unconcerned that the vetoes will produce any political fallout.

Last week when she vetoed the fetal pain bill, it hardly raised a stir in the local media. The Arizona Republic did not print a story on the veto but merely put a short AP wire story on its website. My sources tell me that the Republic did not even mention yesterday's vetoes in Tuesday's paper.

The governor believes that she is invincible.

Unless we, the people, do something about it, she may be right.

The press is covering for her. The Republic is her own personal rah rah sheet. It has not only hitched its wagon to her star, but acts with an arrogance that exclaims, "if we don't write about it, it didn't happen."

Remember this is the person while attorney general who allowed the 14-year-old ward of the court to fly to Kansas to have an abortion at 28 weeks.

This is the person who counseled Anita Hill while she lied about Clarence Thomas.

This is the person who has vetoed four pro-life pieces of legislation this year alone.

Can anything stir the pro-family pro-life movement into action? Is there a person who can rally the average person to stand up against this tyranny and disdain for the people?

There is an alternative voice - a voice truly of the people - a voice that respects the dignity and value of every human life. ARTL-PAC has endorsed him for governor. His name is Len Munsil.

He has obtained all of his signatures - and all of his $5 dollar contributions. With the grassroots actively supporting him, Munsil can win both the primary and the general. But he needs your support. Len Munsil does not have the name recognition of the governor. He will not be mentioned in the Republic so as to avoid giving him an equal footing with Janet. The clean elections money will not give him the money he needs to advertise. So he needs you to put the word out. Go to his site. Pass this blog onto friends and tell them to contact Len.

Let the unintended consequences of this latest denial of the people's be that come November, Janet Napolitano will be unable to ignore the littlest of people - the unborn child.

Monday, April 17, 2006

ASU Pro-abort students fear pro-life challenge

In a classic scene out of the The Princess Bride the six-fingered man, when confronted by our hero, turns tail and runs away. Well, after agreeing to debate the ASU Students for Life, the campus pro-abortion group called on Friday to back out of the debate scheduled for this week on the ASU campus.
This week marks another teaching opportunity for the pro-life community. There will be tables and discussions and speakers. Learn more about how you can make a difference and save life.

For more information, contact AZ Right to Life or call the office at 602-285-0063.

Some things never change. Being afraid of the truth is one of them.

Good Friday at Planned Parenthood

In what has sadly become an annual tradition, Pro-lifers gathered at noon on Good Friday to pray the mysteries of the Rosary in front of Planned Parenhood. Asking God to send His mercy upon this land, over 350 people, young and old, parents and teens gathered under the somber gray skies of Phoenix. Each was there for a personal reason but the group consensus was that fervent prayer remains essential if we are going to end this modern day holocaust. The local Catholic bishop, the Most Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted lead some of the decades, his presence a sign of solidarity with the unborn children, their mothers and the pro-life movement.

It should be noted that such events take place not only all throughout the country on Good Friday but every weekend as dedicated pro-life advocates offer hope and help to the women seeking abortions. Consider joining their ranks as they make a concrete effort to save the lives being dragged to death. (Proverbs 24)

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Abortion Governor

Arizona governor Janet Napolitano once again demonstrated her extreme pro-abortion views when she vetoed the recently passed “Fetal Pain” bill, HB 2254 which would have required the abortion provider to inform women that their unborn child will experience pain when the abortion provider kills the child.

Her veto of the legislation was not unexpected.

She does after all have a history of hostility toward children.

While attorney general her office put up a sham fight to prevent a 14 year old ward of the state from being transported to Kansas for an abortion of her 28-week old unborn child. Her complicity in the blood lust that Planned Parenthood had directed toward the death of this child was consistent with her political history as an extreme liberal lawyer who advised Anita Hill as she slandered Justice Clarence Thomas.

A brief AP story marked the Arizona Republic’s notation of the governor’s veto action.

A recent study reported in the Journal of Neuroscience stated that premature babies “feel true pain’ and that neonatal units need to have a protocol for pain for premature babies.

Somehow even though the bill would not prevent any abortions and only serve to inform women of the issue, the governor’s allegiance to the abortion lobby resulted in the veto.

This veto marks the third veto of legislation that would have provided help to women and children. In the past she has vetoed legislation that would have required abortion providers to properly inform women of the risks of abortion. She also vetoed a bill that would have protected and respected the conscience of health care providers.

Monday, April 10, 2006

Priorities

As the discussion of illegal immigration seems to absorb the front pages and that talk radio shows, remember that there is a segment of the human family that has been ignored by the courts, the media and sad to say most of us. The unborn child is a part of our human family. As we wrestle with the subject of immigration, let us not lose sight that every day, there are predators killing our children in the womb for money.

All of us are born and people can see us.

Look at the child in the womb and tell me he or she does not have a right to life.

Bowing to Precedent
A decent respect for the Constitution should cause the Supreme Court to reconsider some past decisions.
by Robert F. Nagel


A very insighful article from The Weekly Standard for those who are considering the means by which the court may reconsider Roe v. Wade.

I have my own thoughts regarding Roe that will soon be arriving at this site.

Zogby Poll: Are Most Americans Po-life?

A recent Zogby Poll released on March 22, 2006 has raised very little waves in the mainstream media, thus confirming a long known bias in the press in favor of the abortion lobby.

Over the years whenever a poll purported to reveal the pro-abortion views of the American public, the press would make it page one news or address the poll during the nightly television broadcast. Conversely, whenever a poll claimed a more nuanced view or a pro-life slant, the story generally died on the vine.

Now comes reported a poll that surveyed over 30,000 people on a whole host of abortion related questions.

And while the story has been discussed on the Internet and written about in various pro-life news sources, the major media has all but ignored it.

Could it be that it is time for some major advertising campaign to get the message out to the people?

Could it be that showing the latest in ultrasound technology would further educate an already more pro-life America?Or are the means of manipulating the stories that are seen by the American people too entrenched in the media to be overcome?

The use of the Internet to get the message out cannot be underestimated. Yet the continued manipulation by the media is still a problem. After all we are supposed to be so well educated and yet only 50% of the public understands that a new human life begins at conception. Information common in most high school biology books is referred to as a belief system. According to the poll, 50% believe life begins at conception. No offense, but this is a question regarding factual information. 59% agreed that abortion ends a human life. While this is a majority, again, it does not speak well to our educational system that so many people are so unaware of the results of an abortion.

The point is – we still have a lot to do when it comes to education the public that an abortion kills one life and wounds another.

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Praying at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast

I traveled to Washington D.C. late last week to attend the 3rd Annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast. The event is designed to bring together Catholics both in the Washington area and elsewhere to pray for the nation and its public officials and to make a statement that those of us who believe in God have an important voice and an important place in the public square.

Over 1700 people gathered early on a rainy Friday morning at the Washington Hilton. After going through security – President Bush was to address the attendees – and taking their seats, we were asked to be silent as five priests took the stage to lead the people in the Rosary. And so we prayed for the nation, for the unborn, for our troops, for our political leaders, and for all the intentions of those present.

We greeted the president who cracked a few jokes and then thanked us for our commitment to life and to the nation. He reminded us that we as a nation must welcome the unborn and protect them in law. He thanked those who have been involved in the cause of life.
After he concluded his remarks and breakfast was served, we heard from Bishop Molino who gave a primer on the natural law and the relation of the civil law to the natural law.
The application of his speech to the current debate on the role of religion and morality in public life could not be more timely.

There were a number of distinguished persons in attendance, including Chief Justice John Roberts, who received a very warm reception.

EWTN broadcasted the event live and there was a tribute to the late John Paul II.

There was a special relief effort for the Catholic schools in New Orleans devastated by last year’s Hurricane Katrina.

From the opening Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral the evening before, throughout the morning and even afterward – there were two talks directed toward the importance of prayer – there was a the continuing theme that both as individuals and as a nation, we must to be humble and prayerful before God if we are to seriously address the current conflicts and challenges of the day.

Len Munsil - Candidate for governor and Blogger

I have known Len Munsil and his wife Tracy since their days at Arizona State University where Tracy was the Editor of the State Press and Len the news editor. Both of them have always been on the cutting edge and open to news ideas to accomplish whatever the challenge.

In seeking to be the Republican candidate for governor, Len wants to be connected to the voters and for the voters to know his ideas, his thoughts, his goals and his policies should he be elected governor.

A native son of this great state, Munsil and his wife Tracy have raised their family of eight children with the hope that Arizona has a great future before her.

Ever mindful of the new technology and the new media, Len has started blogging. You will be able to read his perspective as the campaign develops and give him your insights into those areas of importance.

This election will be and election of ideas and world-views. The current governor has a view of life and politics that cares little if anything for the human person. Yet she will mask that disdain for the poor, the weak, and the defenseless with photo-ops for her friends at the Arizona Republic.

Len’s campaign, as his life, is about protecting and preserving that which is important. Bookmark his Blog (and mine) and check with us daily on the events that will impact Arizona and the nation.

Reaching out to the Uninformed

So many people do not know where their politicians stand on the pro-life issue. In some cases the political candidate deliberately will color his position to confuse the voter. In recent days there seems to be a lot of elected officials who will tell the particular audience what they want to hear. Do not be confused. Check with your local pro-life organization to make sure the candidate or elected official is strongly pro-life.

Explain to anyone asking for your vote that he or she must be pro-life in order for you to consider voting for the person. “Pro-life” is a threshold position. In other words, if a candidate does not support changing the current laws to provide legal protection for all human beings, born and unborn, then he or she does not cross the threshold of consideration. We must be vigilant and informed.

It is also just as important to discuss with friends and family what their perceptions of candidates may be. You have a responsibility to inform those around you of the candidate’s true position on the life issues. Direct them to www.azrtl.org for the latest in information on the current races. Our PAC has made some early endorsements to help pro-life voters in Arizona. Help those candidates and continue to raise this issue among your friends. There are some issues where reasonable people can disagree. There is never any good reason to support groups, organizations and people who kill babies or laws that will not protect the most defenseless members of the human family.

Perseverance 101

Great post from ProLifeBlogs.com tells us of another abortion mill closed by the grace of God and your prayers and constant presence. Remember that your continued involvement will produce positive results. Never ever give up. We will prevail.