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Voices Online Edition
Vol. XVIII: No. 2 - Pentecost 2003
VOCATIONS ISSUE

President Bush: Building a Free Iraq -- Canadian Doctor Ordered to Pay Damages for "Wrongful Birth" -- Baseball Greats Support Pro-Life Cause -- Former NOW President to Head YWCA -- Actress Leaves "vulgar" Awards Ceremony -- Cardinal "deeply troubled" by Senator's Opposition to Partial-Birth Abortion Ban -- Daughters of Mary Gives Girls Active Role in Service to Parish and Spiritual Life -- Support Pro-Life Nurses -- Pro-Life Library Needs Volunteers

 

President Bush: Building a Free Iraq
"We're helping to rebuild Iraq ..." said President George W. Bush on May 2, announcing the end of the 43-day war, "where the dictator built palaces for himself, instead of hospitals and schools. And we will stand with the new leaders of Iraq as they establish a government of, by, and for the Iraqi people".

President Bush closed his speech with a memorial to those lost in battle: "Every name, every life is a loss to our military, to our nation, and to the loved ones who grieve. There's no homecoming for these families. Yet we pray, in God's time, their reunion will come.

"Those we lost were last seen on duty. Their final act on this Earth was to fight a great evil and bring liberty to others. All of you -- all in this generation of our military -- have taken up the highest calling of history. You're defending your country, and protecting the innocent from harm. And wherever you go, you carry a message of hope - a message that is ancient and ever new. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, 'To the captives, 'come out', -- and to those in darkness, 'be free''.

"Thank you for serving our country and our cause. May God bless you all, and may God continue to bless America".

For complete text of speech, go to www.whitehouse.gov.

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Canadian Doctor Ordered to Pay Damages for "Wrongful Birth"
A judge in British Columbia has awarded the parents of a child with Down Syndrome $200,000 because their doctor's actions prevented them from knowing about their baby's problem. They declared they would have killed their child before birth if they had known of her condition.

Lydia Zhang, the mother, says that the 1997 birth of her daughter, Sherry, "totally disrupted our plans", and that her marriage to Simon Fung collapsed as a result.

Justice Michael Catliff ruled that Dr. Ken Kan of Richmond, British Columbia, was "negligent in failing to ensure" that Ms. Zhang received an amniocentesis test.
"This judicial decision is appalling", said Karen Murawsky, director of the Campaign Life Coalition Public Affairs Office. "The fact that someone would rather kill their unborn baby than give birth to a child with Down Syndrome is a judgment on our society and our hardness of heart towards others", she continued.

"Anyone who knows a child with Down Syndrome knows the great gift of love that they bring to everyone around them", said Jim Hughes, National President of Campaign Life Coalition. "It is time our judicial system recognized the worth and dignity of every human person".

Dr. Will Johnston, president of Canadian Physicians for Life, also commented on the decision, stating "Amniocentesis is a relatively dangerous procedure, often performed in situations where it has more chance of causing the death of the baby than of discovering a chromosome defect. A recent British study discovered that a year's worth of amniocentesis in that country had likely caused the death of 400 healthy children".

(Source: Campaign Life Coalition)

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Baseball Greats Support Pro-Life Cause
Battin' 1000, a national pro-life initiative designed around the theme of baseball, has kicked off a campaign to raise $1 million for the American Life League's Campus for Life. Battin' 1000 seeks to promote a culture of life through the endorsements and engagement of major league personalities and aims to establish a "team" of pro-life sympathizers in each of the 30 major league markets. The format mirrors the major league through the establishment of 30 teams in friendly fund-raising competition, complete with baseball paraphernalia and imagery.

The major leaguers have earned praise for their courage in taking a stand on an issue that many celebrities would not publicly affiliate themselves with. Sal Bando, campaign chairman and former General Manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, said "I think if you believe strongly enough in something, political ramifications are unimportant".

ALL's Campus for Life plans a comprehensive educational center for pro-life individuals and organizations throughout America. Located 40 minutes south of Washington, DC, it will offer a wide array of training through on-line teaching, workshops, resources, and transferable for-credit courses.

More than 90 former and current players have endorsed Battin' 1000, including six Hall of Famers, 20 All-Stars, a former commissioner, one former and one current owner, and a former team president. The official "season" launched March 31, 2003 and will last until September 30, 2003, with a one-month post-season playoff.

To learn more about the campaign, visit www.all.org.
(Sources: American Life League [ALL], Riverfront Times)

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Former NOW President to Head YWCA
The YWCA of the USA has chosen Patricia Ireland, former president of the National Organization for Women (NOW), to be its new chief executive.

"This is just an irresistible opportunity", Ireland said in an interview in April. She attributed her selection for the post to her "unique experience" with NOW and her public visibility; and said that that the YWCA has "a real focus on issues that I care about, like women's empowerment and racial justice".

Ireland also said that "the YWCA has a certain amount of respectability that I would like to capitalize on". At NOW, she developed a reputation for bucking conservative norms. A decade ago, she raised eyebrows by living with another woman in Washington while remaining married to her husband, with whom she recently celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary.

Today, Ireland, 57, one of America's most prominent feminists, finds herself leading an organization historically associated with traditional Christian values. But she says that the YWCA is "enriched by many faiths". "The YWCA's long history includes taking positions that were at the time very radical and distressful to the common culture," she said.

According to the YWCA's web site: "The Young Women's Christian Association of the United States of America is a women's membership movement nourished by its roots in the Christian faith and sustained by the richness of many beliefs and values. Strengthened by diversity, the Association draws together members who strive to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision: peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all people".

(Sources: New York Times, Associated Press, ywca.org)

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Actress Leaves "vulgar" Awards Ceremony
Emmy-award winning actress Patricia Heaton, co-star of the CBS series Everybody Loves Raymond, is known for her strong beliefs, which she acted on by walking out of the American Music Awards in January. After what she described as "an onslaught of lewd jokes and off-color remarks", Heaton -- who was scheduled to be a presenter at the ceremony -- called for her car: "what was passing for humor basically ranged from stupid to vulgar, and I just thought, 'I'm not going to be a part of this'.... It was an affront to anyone with a shred of dignity, self-respect, and intelligence".

Heaton is vocal about her support for pro-life causes and has served as Honorary Chair of Feminists for Life since 1998. Although her views on abortion may not be popular in Hollywood, Heaton seems unconcerned: "At the end of the day, I believe I have to answer to God for the actions in my life, the actions that I took and the actions that I didn't take. So that's scarier to me than somebody in the Hollywood community not liking me". She also notes that "the early feminists were pro-life. And really abortion is a huge disservice to women".

Heaton has spoken out on other life issues, including human cloning research: "This research ... raises serious ethical questions about the exploitation of women.... The good news is that there is promising, ethical research that does not require the systematic manufacture and destruction of humans for science.... The proper role of medical research is to eradicate illness, not create and destroy human beings".

Heaton was raised Catholic and is intent on raising her own children in a "Christ-centered" home: "the point in Christianity is that your life is in submission to God. By the power of His Spirit, the process of our life can be to become like Him -- as opposed to having an agenda and hoping if we add God to the mix, He will help us accomplish that".

(Sources: Cleveland Plain Dealer, iBelieve.com, The O'Reilly Factor, feministsforlife.org)

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Cardinal "deeply troubled" by Senator's Opposition to Partial-Birth Abortion Ban
Charging that partial-birth abortion "has no place in a decent and compassionate society", Cardinal William H. Keeler, archbishop of Baltimore, expressed deep disappointment and regret that US Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), a Catholic living in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, voted against a ban on the late-term abortion procedure, according to a report in The Catholic Review, the archdiocesan newspaper.

"I am deeply troubled by your continuing insistence that such a heinous procedure should be available in the United States of America", said Cardinal Keeler in a March 21 letter to Senator Mikulski.

The Senate passed the partial-birth abortion ban in a 64-33 vote March 13. The ban would prohibit doctors from committing an "overt act" designed to kill a partially delivered fetus and includes an exemption in cases when the procedure is necessary to save the life of the mother.

In his letter, Cardinal Keeler said the partial-birth abortion legislation describes the procedure with great precision, "so as to avoid any possible confusion with other abortion procedures not covered by the ban".

Despite the claims of abortion advocates, Cardinal Keeler, former chairman of the US bishops' committee on pro-life activities, said it is not true that partial-birth abortion is used "only very rarely". He cited a January 2003 survey of abortion providers completed by the Alan Guttmacher Institute, an affiliate of Planned Parenthood, that estimated that 2,200 partial-birth abortions were performed in the year 2000.

The cardinal also quoted the executive director of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers as saying that the "vast majority" of partial-birth abortions are completed on "a healthy mother with a healthy fetus that is 20 weeks or more along".

"Every single partial-birth abortion procedure destroys the life of a real child -- a unique child with a unique destiny", said Cardinal Keeler.

He has often appealed to Maryland's senators to support a ban on partial-birth abortion. In addition to sending letters over the years, in 1998 the cardinal urged Maryland's Catholics to pray a nine-week novena asking God to help the two senators "fully accept the Gospel of Life".

"I regret that once again you did not see fit to vote in favor of the ban", Cardinal Keeler told Senator Mikulski, a graduate of the Institute of Notre Dame and Mount Saint Agnes College in Baltimore. "I pray that our representatives in Congress will follow the Senate's lead and vote to ban this terrible procedure".

President George W. Bush has promised to sign the ban on partial-birth abortion if it reaches his desk. "Partial-birth abortion is an abhorrent procedure that offends human dignity, and I commend the Senate for passing legislation to ban it", the president said. "Today's action is an important step toward building a culture of life in America. I look forward to the House passing legislation and working with the Senate to resolve any differences so that I can sign legislation banning partial-birth abortion into law"

(Sources: Catholic Review, www.whitehouse.gov)

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Daughters of Mary Gives Girls Active Role in Service to Parish and Spiritual Life
The Daughters of Mary is a parish activity for girls and young women in grades 5 through 12 who are eager to serve Christ through His Church. Delores Nelson, the Director of Religious Education at Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish in Arlington, Virginia, organized the group two years ago in order to offer an opportunity for young women to serve the Church in a way that would not copy or interfere with the traditional role of altar boys.

The girls assist in keeping the church clean and orderly, and work to increase the personal sanctity of each member through prayer and study.

The Daughters of Mary also communicate with all seminarians and religious from the parish family. Each month they write letters, and each quarter they prepare "care packages" for former parishioners who have entered religious life.

The Daughters of Mary meet once a month and begin with the recitation of the Rosary. They read a portion of a chapter from The Imitation of Christ and follow with a short discussion. The group leader relates the ideas and suggestions from the book directly to their everyday lives. After the discussion, the girls work on the tasks that have been assigned for the month.

Assignments for cleaning the Church are divided by pews and sections. Books and hymnals are placed in neat order; trash and lost and found items are collected. The members are responsible for maintaining the assigned section of the Church, and assignments are rotated each month. The girls also replenish candles and assist adults in the preparation of altar linens.

Then they write letters and cards to the seminarians, religious, and missionary pen pals. They receive responses to their letters and are always eager to see how their questions were answered.

A highlight for the girls was a visit from Sister Patricia from Alma, Michigan at the December meeting. She answered questions like, "How did your family accept your decision to become a sister?"; "Does your family treat you any differently now that you are a religious sister?"

The young women were intensely interested. "Perhaps some vocations are being formed", their leader said, "but that's the work of the Holy Spirit".

In addition to their helpful work in the parish, and their prayer, studies, and letter-writing activities, the Daughters of Mary also plan annual retreats and pilgrimages.

For more information about the Daughters of Mary, please contact Delores Nelson: click here to send e-mail.

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Support Pro-Life Nurses
We are a small pro-life organization in upstate New York that was instrumental in a very big victory for the cause of life. Six years ago, two nurses who worked at Albany Medical Center Hospital were fired after exercising their right to conscience in refusing to assist at abortions. Citizens Concerned for Human Life became a part of creating new and powerful law in New York state that protects the conscience of those who refuse to perform or assist in abortions.

As the secular media are indifferent to the cause of Life, we are asking the pro-life community to help us educate the public on the rights of conscience so that the medical workers in New York state will be empowered to stand against the death industry.

For more information contact:
Citizens Concerned for Human Life
PO Box 13091
Albany, NY 12212-3091
telephone: 518-355-2959
fax: 518-355-5919
click here to send e-mail
web: http://members.aol.com/cchl/ - broken link

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Pro-Life Library Needs Volunteers
Can you please let your supporters know that the Love Life Library in Milwaukee, Wisconsin needs help? We need volunteers to staff a pro-life library, to make it known and accessible to the public and to lend the tools to help teach about respect and value of all human life and to promote the values and principles that serve the culture of life.

For more information please contact:
Love Life Library
(outreach of Southside Pregnancy Help Center)
10820 W. National Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53227

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