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Volume 19, Number 5
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Sep. - Dec. 2008
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Luxembourg Legalizes Euthanasia
The Parliament in this tiny country has voted in both houses to legalize assisted suicide. The Grand Duke Henri still has power to veto such laws by refusing to sign.
In reaction, the Parliament plans to strip him of such power.
Estonia Challenge to Abortion
A pro-life group in Tallinn, Estonia’s capitol, the Institute for the Culture of Life, has challenged that nation’s public financing of abortion. For many years it has been paying 70% of the cost of every elective abortion, however, Article 16 of their Constitution states, “Everyone has the right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall arbitrarily be deprived of his or her life.” This group has filed an application with the Chancellor of Justice asking that
public financing of abortion be declared unconstitutional.
Melbourne, Australia - Abortion Decriminalized
By vote of its Parliament, the Australian state of Victoria has decriminalized abortion. There had been about 20,000 abortions done annually under the old law which at least technically was more restrictive. Whether or not the numbers will now increase remains to be seen. Abortion is now totally a woman’s choice up to
twenty-four weeks gestation but needs the consent of two doctors later than that.
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Norway - Abortion Increases Depression
Dr. W. Petersen in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, in studying 6,000 women, age 15 to 27, concluded that “young adult women who undergo induced abortion may be at
increased risk for subsequent depression.”
Mexican States Protect Unborn
In response to the looming threat of legal abortion, three Mexican states have amended their constitutions to protect the unborn.
They include Sonora, Chihuahua, and Baja California.
India
The Law Commission of India has recommended the legalization of euthanasia in extreme cases. In response to this, the Catholic Bishops Conference has denounced this recommendation,
stating that “legalizing euthanasia would open a Pandora’s Box.”
Fiji and Malta Defend Family
At the United Nations these two small countries spoke up forcefully defending the rights of the unborn and of the traditional family as the Third Committee of the General
Assembly began to address agenda items for the current session.
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Fewer Abortions Equal Lower Infant Mortality Rate
Figures even from Planned Parenthood confirm that the number of abortions in the U.S. have declined 25% since 1990. This decline has had an effect on the infant mortality rate, according to the Centers for Disease Control, as induced abortion causes an increase in prematurity and neonatal death.
In 1995, the infant mortality rate in the U.S. was 7.6.
The new figure is 6.8.
Oregon - Assisted-Suicide Law
Lung cancer patient, Barbara Wagner, was notified that the medication prescribed to slow the growth of her cancer would not be paid for by the State of Oregon’s Health Plan. However, she was also informed that if she cared to commit suicide,
the state insurance would cover those drugs.
California Votes "Yes" and "No"
This huge state very narrowly defeated a third try to require parental notification prior to abortion of a minor daughter. On the other hand, a constitutional amendment to guarantee that a legal marriage exists only between a man and a woman passed over vehement opposition. The states of Florida and Arizona also protected heterosexual marriage. This makes 30 states that have amended their
constitutions to protect heterosexual marriage.
Shanghai - Disastrous Birth Rate
Since the 1990s, the average couple in Shanghai is having 0.7 children. This is even lower than the mandatory one child per family that has been enforced in China by the Chinese
government for the last few decades.
Argentina State Forbids Morning-After Pill
A judge in the province of Tierra del Fuego in Argentina has ruled that it is illegal to sell the morning-after pill because it causes abortions.
It had been illegal to use the pill in public hospitals.
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U.S. Freedom of Choice Act?
Obama has promised to sign the radical Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) which would prohibit any state from “interference with a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy. . .” It would nullify any and all restrictions on abortion, including parental consent laws, waiting periods, informed consent provisions, funding restrictions, etc. He also has pledged to appoint Supreme Court justices who will maintain the abortion freedom. The question is will FOCA pass? Washington insiders tell us that at least in its proposed comprehensive
form there are not enough votes in the new Congress to pass it.
Louisiana Forbids Human Cloning
The U.S. state of Louisiana unanimously approved a measure that prohibits the use of state or federal funds for research in Louisiana involving human semantic cell nuclear transfer (human cloning).
The vote in the House was 90-9; in the Senate was 36-0.
Montevido, Uruguay
Both houses of Parliament passed a bill to legalize abortion. It was vetoed by President Vazquez and the override vote failed.
Now there is pressure for the president to step down.
Ecuador - New Constitution
Ecuador has a new constitution. It contains pro-abortion and pro-homosexual language, threatens the right of parents to decide their children’s education and gives excessive power to the presidency. Sadly, in spite of the best efforts of pro-lifers,
it was approved by almost two-thirds of the voters.
Stem Cells Grow New Trachea
The world’s first tissue-engineered trachea (windpipe) has been created using the patient’s own adult stem cells. These stem cells created a
graft that was used to replace the patient’s left main bronchus (tracheal branch).
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Reprogramming Cells Makes Embryonic Research Irrelevant
Recent researchers at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute have announced their ability to reprogram a cell to have it become a different type of tissue. This has been done in vivo, that is within the bodies of experimental animals. They announced that they have now isolated three molecular tags that control the nature of a cell. This enables scientists to directly reprogram a cell to change it into a different type of tissue while it remains yet in the body. One of the things they have done has been to change pancreatic cells in mice into insulin producing cells. Because this is done within the patient’s own body, it eliminates the need to use embryonic or
even adult stem cells that have been cultivated in a lab.
Europe - Turning Point in 2015
This is the date, after which deaths will outnumber births in the European Union. This is in spite of the fact that many more people will live to be older, those over 80 tripling from today’s 22 million to tomorrow’s 61 million. If there is any growth after that,
it will be because of the inflow of Muslim immigrants from the south.
Obama Win Unrelated to Abortion
Barack Obama is President Elect because 80 to 90% of the voters said that economic issues were the main guide for their decision. Polls taken post election do not support any claims by some that
Americans have changed their minds about abortion.
Serbia - Abortionist Converts
The former “Champion of Abortion,” Stojan Adasevic, has become pro-life. During his sordid career, he had performed 48,000 abortions over a 26 year period. He stopped doing abortions after a series of nightmares and dreams in which he conversed with a man dressed in a black and white habit who identified himself as St. Thomas Aquinas. He has told his story in magazines and newspapers throughout Eastern Europe and has returned to
the Orthodox faith of his childhood.
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Poland - Major March
On Mother’s Day thousands of pro-lifers marched in Warsaw to support traditional family and fundamental human rights for everyone,
from conception to natural death.
Young Voters in the U.S. Turning Against Abortion
Missouri is usually considered about median in terms of public opinion. Accordingly, a major survey comparing 1992 with 2006 reports an interesting change. Their data almost reverses a 2 to 1 ratio in this last decade. Then 39% of young people were ardently “pro-choice.” The figure today is 18%. Then 23% of young people were strongly pro-life, and today the figure is 36%.
So this data almost reverses a 2 – 1 ratio and this in the
last ten to fifteen years.
Parental Involvement Laws Save Lives
Dr. Michael New at the University of Alabama has documented that laws requiring parental involvement prior to a teen-age daughter’s abortion save lives. His study found: If the state passes a pro-life parental involvement law, the minor abortion rate drops 13%. If the law adds parental consent, the rate drops by 19%. If the law requires the involvement of two parents, rather than only one, the rate drops by 31%.
The study involved 15, 16, and 17-year-old girls.
Romania
This country’s health ministry has proposed a law allowing girls under 15 to have abortions up to 24 weeks of age.
Current legislation forbids abortions beyond 14 weeks.
Arctic Ice Cover Increases Dramatically
Over the past year, the area covered by Arctic ice has increased by an area twice the size of Germany. This is causing some serious rethinking of predictions of global warming.
Will this have an impact on population?
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Stem Cells Help Stroke Damage
From the University of Adelaide in Australia comes a report. Adult stem cells from the pulp of extracted human teeth are being used to repair damaged brains after a stroke. Its Center for Stem Cell Research is bringing together 100 research scientists from 18
groups to explore and discuss this new treatment.
Embryonic Stem Cell Pioneer Changes Course
James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin considered the “Father of Embryonic Stem Cell Research” is famous for isolating the first embryonic stem cells in 1998. Now, we hear that he is planning to focus his entire energy on stem cells that don’t involve killing five-day-old human embryos.
He is in the forefront of research on the new pluripotent stem cells.
Adult Stem Cells Help Livers
In Imperial College London, a small group of patients with alcoholic liver sclerosis were helped when their own adult stem cells were injected into their livers.
This is a preliminary report, but will be followed up.
Stem Cells Heal Knee Ligaments
Scientists at Bristol University (UK) have used adult stem cells to repair knee ligament injuries in soccer players. This shows very interesting promise as it is better to heal a tear than to remove the damaged
ligament as is the current practice.
Curb Effects of Down Syndrome?
Researchers in Washington DC have developed an injection based on two proteins injected into an unborn mouse which had been genetically engineered to be afflicted with Down syndrome.
Published in the New Scientist, they have found this curbs the effect of Down syndrome.
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U.S. Military Into Stem Cell Research
The U.S. Pentagon has announced that it is investing a quarter of a billion dollars into research using adult stem cells. They plan to investigate their potential to stop scarring, rebuild tendons, and grow bones in order to aid injured military personnel. These cells are harvested from the patient’s own skin, bones or wisdom teeth,
and their use is entirely ethical.
New Stem Cell Option
Cells taken from men’s testicles seem as versatile as those derived from embryos and from pluripotent stem cells. Their use offers no ethical problem. Cultures within a few weeks showed that such cells could differentiate into various other types of cells but did not have a rejection problem
if re-transplanted into the original donor’s body.
Embryonic Stem Cells Fail Again
Researchers at Stanford University in California have run into the same problem that has been haunting embryonic stem cell researchers. They have once again verified that embryonic stem cells transplanted into mice are resoundingly rejected by the immune system and quickly destroyed. This continues to stand in contrast to successes
with adult stem cells and now with the new pluripotent cells.
Adult Stem Cells Help ALS
Rats, with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, injected with adult stem cells showed distinct improvement. This is a landmark achievement.
If it is repeated in adults, this would be wonderful.
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www.internationalrighttolife.com
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J.C. Willke, President,
International Right to Life Fed.
1821 West Galbraith Road
Cincinnati,
Ohio 45239 USA
Phone +1 (513) 729-3600
Fax +1 (513) 729-3636
e-mail:
IRTLF@lifeissues.org
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International
Right to Life Fed., International Office
Ruitersweg 35-37 1211 KT Hilversum
The Netherlands
Phone +31 35 624-4352
Fax +31 35 624-9141
e-mail:
info@schreeuwomleven.nl
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