by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN and Kelli

We welcome your suggestions for additions to our Top Blogs (see tab on right side of home page)! Email Susie@jillstanek.com.

• Women’s Rights Without Frontiers marked the UN’s International Day of the Girl Child yesterday with the start of their “Save A Girl” campaign to end gendercide in China. WRWF gives “monthly stipends for a year to mothers who are at risk of aborting or abandoning their baby girls. This money helps the mother resist pressure to abort or abandon their baby girls” and also gives to “help support women who are pregnant without a birth permit and are hiding or running to escape forced abortions.”

  Pro-woman, pro-life. Abortion does not help women. Real support does.

• ProWomanProLife points out the insane political correctness in Canada, where being pro-life (and teaching that abortion is wrong) supposedly violates anti-bullying laws because some view it as “misogyny.” (Funny how Canada can’t seem to find any misogyny in sex-selective abortions.)

• ProLife NZ disagrees with a NZ Herald article which asserts that having a child centered marriage is a threat to marital happiness:
  

  We all know that mums and dads need regular time alone together to nurture their relationship, but to suggest that parents who devote themselves to loving their children above and beyond the call of duty are engaging in one of the “greatest threats” to their marriage is just selfish nonsense….

  This is the very attitude which underpins so much abortion in this country – many people now believe that they shouldn’t have to be responsible for the very children that their sexual choices have brought into existence, or that children are a threat to their personal happiness.

  All the talk of bodily autonomy and “freedom of choice” is really little more than an attempt to get around the fact that… everyone wants to be sexually liberated, but no one wants to be sexually responsible.

• Michael New analyzes last night’s Vice Presidential debate responses to the question of abortion:
  

  Now, some pro-lifers will doubtless be disappointed that [GOP candidate Paul] Ryan specifically carved out exceptions for rape, incest, or life of the mother. However, Ryan’s position is consistent with the stances of Republican presidential candidates since 1980. Though pro-lifers have made some impressive gains in the court of public opinion — most people still think abortion should be a legal option in hard-case scenarios.

  All in all, Ryan stated the pro-life position in a very humane way that was clear, compelling, and convincing.

• National Pro Life Radio posts the story of Pamela, a mother who was advised by two doctors to abort after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After rejecting this advice, her son Thomas was born prematurely with a brain bleed. Doctors again advised her to allow him to die. Instead, Pamela authorized a life saving shunt… but as days went by, Thomas’ prognosis improved, and surgery was not needed.
• Reflections of a Paralytic posts a video tribute to baby Ethan, whose mother was told at 18 weeks that her pregnancy was “incompatible with life.” This family also proved the experts wrong:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMYdx5KFPUY[/youtube]

Last night Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Paul Ryan engaged in the one and only vice presidential debate of the 2012 election cycle.

I thought Biden lost hands down, coming across as a snide, rude, condescending, blowharded buffoon, while Ryan appeared presidential and gave measured, polite, substantive responses.

As somebody said on one of the radio talk shows this morning, watching the debate was like watching someone try to carry on an intelligent conversation with a drunk at a bar.

Then again, I’ve never for the life of me understood why people don’t always see the Biden we saw amplified last night. And I’ve never been able to figure out why people aren’t frightened to death of the prospect of Biden as president.

All that aside, and on to our issue, I thought moderator Martha Raddatz’s question on abortion was great, quite pointed. It was just too bad she had Ryan answer first, and it was too bad she didn’t make Biden actually answer her question:

Raddatz: This debate is indeed historic. We have two Catholic candidates, first time on a stage such as this, and I would like to ask you both to tell me what role your religion has played in your own personal views on abortion. Please talk about how you came to that decision. Talk about how your religion played a part in that. And please, this is such an emotional issue for so many… people in this country. Please talk personally about this if you could. Congressman Ryan.

Read the transcript of their responses here.

Bearing in mind that Ryan was speaking to undecideds and independents, his answer was for the most part good. He started by humanizing preborn children at a very young age. ABC listed this as one of the top 10 quotes of the night:

[A]bout 10 1/2 years ago, my wife Janna and I went to Mercy Hospital in Janesville where I was born for our seven-week ultrasound for our firstborn child, and we saw that heartbeat. Our little baby was in the shape of a bean, and to this day, we have nicknamed our firstborn child, Liza, “Bean.”

Ryan struck the Obama administration on the religious freedom issue as it pertains to Obamacare. He struck the Democrat Party for being extreme on abortion (“The Democratic Party used to say they want it to be safe, legal and rare. Now they support it without restriction and with taxpayer funding, taxpayer funding in Obamacare, taxpayer funding with foreign aid.”), and he pointed out Biden’s own extremism on abortion, wheren he condoned China’s one-child policy.

My quibble would be that Ryan didn’t go far enough in exposing Obama’s extremism on abortion – opposing the Born Alive Act (which Biden supported), opposing the Partial- Birth Abortion Ban, opposing parental notification, opposing a ban on sex selective abortions, opposing a ban on abortions after babies can feel pain – any and all of which the public would be horrified to learn.

Ryan could have also done a touché on abortion flip-flopping by pointing out Biden’s remarkable “evolution” on abortion. (Funny how the media doesn’t notice that.)

But Ryan did well enough. My only real regret is the Romney/Ryan ticket’s support of abortions for rape and incest.

Biden’s response to the question was fallacious. He began by agreeing that “[l]ife begins at conception. That’s the church’s judgment. I accept it in my personal life.” Then the but: “But I refuse to impose it on equally devout Christians and Muslims and Jews and – I just refuse to impose that on others, unlike my friend here, the congressman.”

Stop. A moderator experienced on the topic of abortion, or desirous to discuss it any deeper than on the surface level, would have made Biden explain how he believes life begins at conception but finds it is acceptable to allow someone to kill that life. As pro-life Democrat strategist Kirsten Powers tweeted:

Biden’s ‘i accept the church’s teaching that abortion is murder” but people shld be able to do it is 1 of the most specious args ever made

— kirsten powers (@kirstenpowers10) October 12, 2012

Biden also lied by denying Obamacare forces religious institutions to pay for abortions.

And Biden made a big deal out of Ryan’s personal opposition to abortion for rape and incest. “I just fundamentally disagree with my friend,” which is pretty impossible if one really believes life begins at conception.

Biden also reminded the audience that Roe is endangered if Obama isn’t reelected and gets to choose the next one or two justices, as is anticipated. Does that sound like someone who honestly believes life begins at conception? Of course not.

Oh, for a reporter who would actually delve in to this topic. The responses are always the same. Everyone knows what answers are coming. Why after almost 40 years of legalized abortion does no reporter ever ask a follow-up question of abortion proponents? Raddatz certainly had one for Ryan:

I want to go back to the abortion question here. If the Romney-Ryan ticket is elected, should those who believe that abortion should remain legal be worried?

What are your thoughts? How do you think Ryan and Biden’s debate on abortion will impact the electorate?

[Photo of Biden via USA Today; photo of Ryan via ABC]

by LauraLoo

Possibly one of the most unappealing candidates to the noble call of fatherhood, Joran Van Der Sloot, the suspect in the disappearance of U.S. teenager Natalee Holloway and murderer of young Peruvian Stephany Flores, has now impregnated a woman (allegedly known as “Leidi”) while imprisoned in Lima, Peru.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLnI_gMgEvg[/youtube]

The obvious question is why was this woman attracted to a morally bankrupt, convicted murderer? 

Email dailyvid@jillstanek.com with your video suggestions.

Twenty weeks into Spelling’s fourth pregnancy, doctors diagnosed her with a condition known as placenta previa – a condition in which the placenta covers the cervix, leading to massive internal bleeding. She was even at risk for a bleed catastrophic enough to force doctors to terminate her pregnancy.

We pro-lifers often say a politician who doesn’t seek to protect human life at its earliest stages cannot be trusted to care about and protect life at later stages.

Last night CNN’s Anderson Cooper interviewed Pat Smith, mother of slain State Dept. official Sean Smith, who was killed in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11 along with Ambassador Chris Stevens and two others during a terrorist attack.

It has become clear the attack was premeditated and had nothing whatsoever to do with a video disparaging Mohammed, as Barack Obama, SOS Hillary Clinton, and UN Ambassador Susan Rice have all claimed.

It has also come out that the State Department denied at least one request for added security at the US Embassy in Libya. It is thought this request was denied for political purposes, to make it appear as if the killing of Osama bin Laden had also dealt a death blow to al-Qaeda. (As an aside, I’ve also always thought Joe Biden’s oft-coined quip, “Bin Laden is dead, and General Motors is alive,” is totally crass.)

During this heartbreaking interview, Mrs. Smith said something odd, at 2:25 on the video:

[A]t first I was so proud because they were treating me so nice when I went to that reception. They all came up to me and talked to me and everything. I cried on Obama’s shoulder. And he — then he’d kind of looked off into the distance. So that was worthless to me.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3ldyGsZ1Io&sns=em[/youtube]

Mrs. Smith picked up on the fact that Obama’s attention was elsewhere and not on her. He was going through the motions.

We’ve all experienced talking to someone while their eyes were scoping out the room. We all know what it’s like to be talking to someone but not have their attention.

But my goodness. Couldn’t Obama have faked it for one minute? I don’t understand the lack of empathy, particularly in regard to the mother of an American who died in the line of duty.

Families of slain soldiers have also complained about receiving form letters, which were delayed to boot, although Obama has been known to send at least one personalized note of condolence – to the family of rapper Heavy D, who died in August.

Abortion proponents should not be expected to care about the lives of anyone who doesn’t matter to them.

by Hans Johnson

The American Family Association has produced a short film that dramatizes the declaration: “I regret my abortion.”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0XjX-y8NoI[/youtube]

You can read about the video here and here.

Email dailyvid@jillstanek.com with your video suggestions.

[HT: Suki]

There is indeed a gender divide on the abortion debate in Britain…. [O]f the 37% of Britons who favoured a lowering of the 24 week limit (34% supported the status quo) the majority were women. In total, twice as many women as men (49% as opposed to 24%) wanted to see a lower limit. There was also an interesting age difference: among the younger age group (18-24) support for a lower limit stood at 43%, whereas in the two older age groups it was 35%….

Such a view is not unknown even in radical feminist circles. Catherine McKinnon once wrote that “abortion facilitates women’s heterosexual availability” and “frees male sexual aggression.”

~ Nelson Jones, pointing out how “the majority of those who want a reduction in abortion time-limits [in the UK] are women,” New Statesman, October 6

[Photo via New Statesman]

by LauraLoo

Wisconsin Right to Life produced the Ask 2 campaign, which simply asks pro-life advocates to encourage 2 other pro-life friends, neighbors, etc., to vote Romney-Ryan with them on November 6.

Even with so many compelling reasons why Obama should not be given a second term as President, this one stands alone for many:  his non-existent pro-life record and utter disregard for the sanctity of human life. 

Which 2 will you ask to vote on November 6th?

Email dailyvid@jillstanek.com with your video suggestions.

[HT: Moderator Carla]