Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Contact Congress Today - Tell them to De-fund Planned Parenthood

Arizona Right to Life needs your help today! This week Congress is on recess and the Members of Congress are home in our community right now.

Would you please take 5 minutes today and call your Senator or representative at their state or District office and demand that they de-fund Planned Parenthood and vote against any future Continuing Resolution (CR) that does not contain language to de-fund the nation's largest abortion provider.

Call your Member now by going to this link.

Here are the steps you need to take.

1. Educate yourself and your friends about Planned Parenthood using the fact sheets at ExposePlannedParenthood.com that answer any questions you may have.

2. Call into your Member of Congress' district office with the following message:

- Please vote AGAINST any Continuing Resolution (CR) that does not contain Congressman Mike Pence's amendment de-funding Planned Parenthood.

- Now is the time to draw the line and de-fund the nation's largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood.

- Please understand that de-funding Planned Parenthood is now a non-negotiable.

3. The coalition of pro-life organizations is asking everyone to Email, Facebook, and Tweet all of your friends and family to call their Members this week. You can use sample messages like:

"Planned Parenthood has been proven to protect rapists, racists, and sex traffickers. Call Congress and tell them to defund Planned Parenthood today! http://exposeplannedparenthood.com #prolife #exposepp"

"Congress is home this week in their districts. Now is the time to call their district office and tell them to defund Planned Parenthood: http://exposeplannedparenthood.com/contact-congress.#prolife #exposepp"

Each year, Planned Parenthood receives over $360 million of our tax payer dollars, and yet continues to hide rape, racism, and sex trafficking of minors. Planned Parenthood should not receive one more dime of our money.

"Public record shows Planned Parenthood does not meet federal acquisition standards;ineligible for Title X or any federal contracts."

This is the headline in a press statement released today in Washington, DC, by American Life League. Planned Parenthood fails to meet government requirements to receive federal dollars. The press statement reads as follows:

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.203-13 (b)(2) requires that every contractor doing business with the government “shall—(i) Exercise due diligence to prevent and detect criminal conduct; and (ii) Otherwise promote an organizational culture that encourages ethical conduct and a commitment to compliance with the law.” American Life League (ALL) released a new video today that they say summarizes a long, well documented public record that Planned Parenthood does not meet federal standards and therefore is ineligible for Title X or any federal contracts.

State audits revealed overbillings by Planned Parenthood in at least four states and a 2010 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit raised serious questions about a $1.5 billion discrepancy between federal grants to Planned Parenthood and the funds they reported spending 2002-2008. ALL alleges those financial irregularities are part of a sustained pattern of illegal behavior and avoiding compliance with the law.

“Undercover video and audio investigations since 2002 show that Planned Parenthood employees in every state routinely tell minors to lie about their age on medical forms," said Jim Sedlak, vice president at ALL. “Just recently, undercover videos at Planned Parenthood in NY, NJ, VA, and DC caught employees advising pimps to coach 13-15 year old child prostitutes how to lie so Planned Parenthood could avoid laws meant to protect those very children from child rape and sex trafficking.”

When American Life League (ALL) tried to respond to Planned Parenthoods public relations blitz targeting lawmakers earlier this month, NBC and CBS affiliates refused to run ALL’s popular YouTube video “Planned Parenthood Bunnies.” Undeterred, this time ALL is turning directly to YouTube to launch the 30-second spot entitled “We’re Waiting."

“Like ACORN, Planned Parenthood’s powerful friends in Congress never want to look too closely. Too many others—even in this financial crisis—do not have the courage to act. Pro-life or not, cutting $362 million in contracts to $1.2 billion Planned Parenthood is not just an easy funding decision but required by federal regulations,” Sedlak concluded. “We’re waiting."

Act now to stop this wasteful spending and prevent our tax dollars from going to an international criminal terrorist organization.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Baby Joseph update 3/22/2011

Brother Paul O'Donnell talked to Moe Maraachli today and Baby Joseph is comfortable, alert, and peaceful. Today the baby's father can look at his child's face and kiss him without the tubes over his son's face. Dr. Manny Alvarez of the FOX News Network said having the ventilator in the nose or throat for this long can be painful. With the new tracheotomy, the child will be much more comfortable. Keep everyone in prayer.

Thanks Brother Paul for all you have done along with Fr. Pavone and the Priests for Life Team.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Baby Joseph update

Baby Joseph received a tracheotomy today at the Franciscan hospital in St. Louis where he was transported a little over one week ago due to the international calls from pro-lifers everywhere and the emergency actions of Priests for Life.

The 14 month old baby's father Moe Maraachli, released the following statement: “Good morning all friends and family and supporters. Me and my wife we thank you so much for everything and for your praying to our baby Joseph ….today is big day for Joseph.”

Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, who was in Arizona over the weekend, had this to say.

We at Priests For Life are very grateful to you for being among the tens of thousands of pro-lifers who sent e-mails to the doctors and administrators at the Canadian hospital where Baby Joseph would have been forced to die.

This victory just goes to show that when enough good people get involved and work together, miracles happen.

We’re also extremely grateful that the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital—out of dozens of hospitals we contacted—had the intestinal fortitude to stand up to all the political pressure and say, “YES! We’ll take Baby Joseph and care for him! That’s what we do!”

Let us all continue to pray for this family and for those who helped make this all possible.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

A letter from a soul crying in the wilderness

I am reprinting this letter that was sent to Jill Stanek in full. Please read it and pray for the thousands of women this one woman represents.


As I’ve read your tweets and your blog, I silently repeat, “Thank you God for this woman’s courage.”

Only one person knows my entire story and that is my current husband. I confessed to him a few years ago when I felt the Holy Spirit rising up inside me to let someone know. I had to tell someone I could trust. With abortion, it’s hard to know who you can trust. The shame is unbearable.

During a particular church service, our pastor had us take a small rock at the beginning of service and during the service he explained the rock was representative of our sin and to imagine carrying that rock everywhere we went, never letting it go. When he encouraged us to bring the rock to the stage and letting go of our sin, I put my rock in my purse. Afterward, when my husband asked why I did that, I explained I had to hold on to it to remember what I had done. I put the rock in our garden. That rock, to me, represented the abortions I had. Yes, plural. Abortions. 3.

I’m a recovering alcoholic, a former narcissist, and now a follower of Jesus Christ. I was born again 10 years ago. I’ve committed sins since that time but the sins I committed in the ’90′s will forever be etched in my heart and cause heartache until I come face to face with God.

The first time I became pregnant was by a guy who I had dated for several months. We had broken up and I found out I was pregnant. He told me I had to have an abortion because he was in college and his dad had these plans for his life and they did not include a child before marriage. We talked about this for several days and I eventually made the appointment and killed my baby.

A year later I became pregnant again and knowing I couldn’t go through what I had done the year prior, I had my daughter who is now a beautiful high school student. Her father and I had dated off and on for a couple of years and it was during one of the “on” times that I became pregnant. He told me he was scared but would be there for me. He wasn’t. Thankfully I had a supportive family and friends who were with me throughout my entire pregnancy and to this day are there for me.

A few years later, I married. During my 4-year marriage, I became pregnant twice. But both times, I was afraid my marriage wouldn’t work and he would leave me and though I could “manage” caring for one child as a single parent, I couldn’t manage having another child. At the time, it wasn’t “convenient.” So, in 4 years of marriage, I had 2 abortions. The first time, my husband took me to the clinic. The second time, I went by myself.

The last abortion had major complications. Not during the procedure, but after. The abortion doctor had not fully removed my baby, “the fetus,” and I started bleeding profusely the evening of the abortion. In a panic, my husband rushed me to the emergency room where the doctors informed me that my baby had been partially aborted, but they would need to remove the rest of the tissue that was left behind. My body, in essence, was aborting what was left of my baby. At the hospital, I felt like I was having another abortion all over again. This time I was fully aware of what I had done and promised God I would never had an abortion again and to forgive me. My marriage ended a year later.

I cry as I write this. I’m not sure why I’m sending you this message to be honest. I just want to encourage you to continue the fight of speaking out against the ones who have no voice. I suffer from depression, have had suicidal thoughts, and the guilt I feel from time to time is overwhelming. I often tell my husband it is so easy for me to forgive others because I know that God has forgiven me, but how do I forgive myself? I’ve read books on forgiving myself and they make sense. But to actually put them into practice takes work. Hard work.

If I could talk to one girl or woman who is considering abortion, I would tell them NO. Stop. The hurt of having an abortion didn’t stop when I got up from the table after the procedure. The pain continues in my heart. Nearly 20 years later, the pain of what I did to my unborn babies is, at times, overwhelming. When I look at my daughter now, I wonder what my other children would look like. Would they have her smile? Would they have her sense of humor? Would they enjoy sports and hanging out at the mall with their friends? I wonder what I would have named them. Would I have a son? Or daughters that argue over clothes and makeup? It’s been almost 18 years since I had my first abortion. 14 years since my second. 12 years since my third. I remember every detail of every one. The pain doesn’t stop. That’s why you, Jill Stanek, must continue to fight! Have courage. Speak up! Don’t stop.

I’ve been married for [ ] years to my second husband. I confessed to him one abortion then a few years later, the entire truth. He has continued to love me.

Please keep my email address anonymous. You may use the words of my email to help encourage others but I prefer not to be recognized, not at this time.

Thank you for all you do and for reading this email. May God bless you beyond your imagination!


This is just one reason why we must end abortion now.

Monday, March 14, 2011

The latest breaking news on Baby Joseph.

Here are the latest stories regarding Baby Joseph.

U.S. Hospital to give Baby Joseph a tracheotomy.

From the Globe and Mail

From CBC news

Remember that Fr. Frank Pavone will be here on Friday March 18 in Scottsdale to discuss this case and the current problems in Washington, D.C. Join us for a great evening. Please go to the Arizona Right to Life web site for more information or call the office at 602-285-0063

Here is the latest on Baby Joseph.

Joseph Maraachli, the terminally ill baby at the center of a right-to-life controversy, has been transferred from an Canadian hospital in Ontario to a Franciscan Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri for "a second opinion," said the family's lawyer on Monday.

Fr. Frank Pavone was instrumental in effecting the transfer.

Read more about the latest information on Baby Joseph.

Fr. Frank Pavone will be here in Scottsdale on March 18 to speak at the Scottsdale Chaparral Suites. The event sponsored by Arizona Right to Life will have a reception at 5:30 pm prior to the speech at the general session which begins at 7:00 pm.

For more information go to the Arizona Right to Life web site and register or call the office at 602-285-0063.

Baby Joseph rescued

Tonight baby Joseph Maraachli was flown to St. Louis after Fr. Frank Pavone and the Priests for Life staff successfully negotiated his release from a Canadian hospital in Ontario.

As this blog is being written, the baby whose life has been the subject of intense controversy for the last month was in the intensive care unit at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center in St. Louis.

A Fox News exclusive covers the story here.