I love Rep Smith! And its great to know he represents New Jersey, a very democratic state. He actually had the courage to stand up to Hillary and call her out on her Planned Barrenhood award.

I went to the convention when it was in Kansas City because it coincided with a trip I was taking to KC. Funny how things work out sometimes. It does help you connect and get motivated. I was pregnant and looking for something on the internet when I stumbled on Jill's story about the little Down Syndrome baby that was killed at the hospital where she worked. I was shocked out of complacency. I mean I always knew abortion is wrong because no one deserves to die just because someone wants them to die. However I had never lifted a finger to change that. Then I found that the convention was just when I would be in town. I am more outspoken and involved now.

I will just take a minute to expand and say that abortion is losing support among some in the sciences. Some genetic researchers are now beginning to figure out that abortion has had an overall dysgenic effect on the population. They basically have looked at the trends and figured out that disproportionally more of the healthiest and most intelligent people from their respective ethnic groups have been aborted. So much for Margaret Sanger, and Gamble, and Rockefeller's eugenic dreams. Birth control and abortion have not had the eugenic effect, they had hoped for, rather the opposite.

You can't fool mother nature.

I have just learned that Mike Tyson's 4 year old daughter Exodus has passed away due to a tragic accident at their home here in Phoenix.

Also, the wife of State Treasurer Dean Martin has passed away after giving birth to their first child, who is also in critical condition.

Please pray earnestly for these two families.

God, please have mercy on us all.......

wow I wish I was going to this convention.
Some great speakers!

I read about mike tyson's little one. :(

Jill, thanks for putting a plug in for the NRLC convention! I always leave this convention feeling inspired. It refuels me for another year. There, you get to hear from the experts and asks questions of them at the end of the workshops.

Also, great for families. There is childcare during all events, and the kids have a blast.

Hippie, there will be a workshop at this year's convention focusing on Down syndrome.

How tragic for the families involved. The death of a child has to be the worst thing anyone can endure. And I'm so sorry for that man who lost his wife in childbirth. I hope the baby survives.

Communism is om the march.
I listened to a Dr Breggins on Michael Savage and he share the legislation to require moms to get a psych eval after delivery. That way they can be 'screened' and get on anti depressants.
all this with good intentions of drug company lobbies to help moms. You know it is so difficult for them.

Of course they will get hooked on scrips. I will look this up and post more. sounds like Obama care is coming in the nursery.

Wow, antidepressants are very dangerous for an infant's developing brain.

Breastfeeding is a natural antidepressant.

It is free and easy, normal and natural, healthy for mom and baby.

People need to get back to nature. Feeling tired is not a disease.

Just say no to drugs!

Wow, antidepressants are very dangerous for an infant's developing brain.

Breastfeeding is a natural antidepressant.

It is free and easy, normal and natural, healthy for mom and baby.

People need to get back to nature. Feeling tired is not a disease.

Just say no to drugs!

Posted by: hippie at May 26, 2009 8:47 PM

No kidding. My sweet little daughter is academioc all american and tearing up the big 12 in sports. She was breast fed and none of the child hood illnesses that come from daycare and bad formula.

Breast feeding doesn't help humans suck on the gubments teit and start the journey to welfare.

By the way, nursing has to stop if they put the mom on psychotropic drugs.

All this to make normal childbearing and family development look bad and gay adoption and abortion are the preferred approach.

HisMan,
Thank you for letting us know. How heartbreaking! I will pray.

"If you want to be trained in the quickest, most thoughtful and effective manner possible to help stop the abortion agenda, the NRL Convention is where you want to be."

National RTL opposes all personhood efforts and advocates regulating abortion with laws like, 'wait 24 hours, and then you can kill your baby.'

Their 15 year effort for the Partial Birth Abortion Ban generated money but no protection for the pre-born. As James Dobson said, the PBA ban does not have the authority to save one life. Judge Roy Moore called the ruling evil.

The quickest, most thoughtful, and effective manner possible to help stop abortion, is to honor God and His command, "DO NOT MUDER THE INNOCENT."

Mballentine: The quickest, most thoughtful, and effective manner possible to help stop abortion, is to honor God and His command, "DO NOT MUDER THE INNOCENT."

I'm sure NRLC is all for that. But obviously Americans aren't there yet. NRLC is doing its part to inspire the troops and lobby for laws that, although not perfect, play a huge role in educating Americans and REDUCING abortions (pro-life state legislation is the largest factor in reducing abortions).

Recent polls show Americans are moving in the pro-life direction. This is in part because of the lobbying and education efforts of NRLC.

I'm sure all pro-lifers would love to see a personhood amendment. But we can't sit on our thumbs waiting for Americans to think that is a great idea because that dream will never happen. People need to be made aware and educated....and that is done through lobbying for pro-life legislation and education efforts....which requires educating and inspiring the troops....and that's where the NRLC convention comes in.

I'll be attending the NRLC Convention this year, and I'm so excited!! I was able to go a few years ago, and left encouraged, informed, and more educated and passionate than ever.

Thanks for posting this up, Jill!! I'd recommend this to anyone who actually wants to change hearts in this country.

MBallentine, I'm so sorry you feel this way... I had hoped that the days of infighting in the pro-life movement had come to an end. I pray that God will forgive us for not uniting to save the children whose lives can be saved today through education and informative legislation. God have mercy on us for staying silent in the name of "principle". Truly, *that* is the evil.

History Unfolding

By Pat Dollard

I am a student of history. Professionally, I have
written 15 books in six languages, and have studied it all my life. I think
there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is just
a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes these exist,
but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now
coming into a sharper focus.

Something of historic proportions is happening. I
can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and
how people react to it. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is
something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten
to fifteen years. The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two.

We demand and then codify into law the requirement
that our banks make massive loans to people we know they can never pay back?
Why?

We learn just days ago that the Federal Reserve,
which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has "loaned" two trillion
dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not
tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and
mine. And that is three times the $700B we all argued about so strenuously
just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are
the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it? I thought
this was a government of "we the people," who loaned our powers to our
elected leaders. Apparently not.

We have spent two or more decades intentionally
de-industrializing our economy. Why?

We have intentionally dumbed down our schools,
ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are
exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot
write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting,
teachers are not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why?

We have now established the precedent of
protesting every close election (now violently in California over a
proposition that is so controversial that it wants marriage to remain
between one man and one
woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible
just a decade ago?) We have corrupted our sacred political process by
allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of
life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our
voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose?

Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing
prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is
on the verge of collapse, social security is nearly bankrupt, as is medicare
and our entire government, our education system is worse than a joke (I
teach college and know precisely what I am talking about) - the list is
staggering in its length, breadth, and depth. It is potentially 1929 x
ten. And we are at war with an enemy we cannot
name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who cannot wait to
slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so.

And now we have elected a man no one knows
anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town
as big as Wasilla , Alaska . All of his associations and alliances are with
real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn
about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (Surely you
have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian
defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh
of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then
demand he answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe
is more important.)

Mr. Obama's winning platform can be boiled down to
one word: Change.

Why?

I have never been so afraid for my country and for
my children as I am now.

This man campaigned on bringing people together,
something he has never, ever done in his professional life. In my
assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart,
and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure.
Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same
nation again.

And that is only the beginning.

And I thought I would never be able to experience
what the ordinary, moral German felt in the mid-1930s. In those times, the
savior was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about
whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they did know was that he
was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people
with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through
great oratory. Conservative "losers" read it right now.

And promises. Economic times were tough, people
were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and waved a lot.
And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his
"brown shirts" would bully them into submission. And then, he was duly
elected to office, a full-throttled economic crisis at hand [the Great
Depression]. Slowly but surely he seized the controls of government power,
department by department, person by person, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The
kids joined a Youth Movement in his name, where they were taught what to
think. How did he get the people on his side? He did it promising jobs to
the jobless, money to the moneyless, and goodies for the military-industrial
complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control,
health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill
pride once again in the country, across Europe , and across the world. He
did it with a compliant media-did you know that? And he did this all in the
name of justice and . . . change. And the people surely got what they voted
for.

(Look it up if you think I am exaggerating.)

Read your history books. Many people objected in
1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and made fun of. When
Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in
the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed
into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though.

Don't forget that Germany was the most educated,
cultured country in Europe . It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals,
laboratories, and universities. And in less than six years-a shorter time
span than
just two terms of the U. S. presidency-it was
rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning
children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors. All with the best
of
intentions, of course. The road to Hell is paved
with them.

As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to
emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the
objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with
disgust); I can
believe what history is shouting to me from across
the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes,
having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me.

Some people scoff at me, others laugh, or think I
am foolish, naive, or both. Perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to
look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe-and why I
believe it. I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am.

Eileen, thanks for responding

I'm sure NRLC is all for that. But obviously Americans aren't there yet. NRLC is doing its part to inspire the troops and lobby for laws that, although not perfect, play a huge role in educating Americans and REDUCING abortions (pro-life state legislation is the largest factor in reducing abortions).

No. NRTL opposes personhood amendments and their legal counsel James Bopp advocates stem-cell research. NRTL supports pro-choice political candidates, and abortion regulations that end with, "and then you can kill the baby". These laws are immoral.

Two questions:

1.Is it possible that these laws make abortion seem resonable, to millions of Americans?

2. Is it possible that these laws could prolong abortion in this county, because abortion, now, seems reasonable?

Recent polls show Americans are moving in the pro-life direction. This is in part because of the lobbying and education efforts of NRLC.

Gallup's recent poll showed, overwhelmingly, that Americans favor abortion of some kind. The only good news of that poll was personhood gained (6 or 8 per-cent). NRTL opposes all personhood amendments.

Forty years of a failed strategy cries out for new leadership

Sobering but good article HisMan. There is no question Barry has a compliant media, all except for Fox and some talk radio that the Democrats are trying to get shut down with the "fairness doctrine."

His Man, great article.

MBallentine Wrote: NRTL ..... their legal counsel James Bopp advocates stem-cell research.

I would respectfully ask that you back up nasty accusations with more than an online comment on a message board. I recall a debate a while back about Mr. Bopp, but to my recollection, it was found to be a simple misunderstanding on terms. He was, as a lawyer, making sure that the language in the GOP platform did not accidentally exclude in-uterus surgeries (that are meant to save the baby) in a blanket
condemnation of fetal experimentation. This was perfectly reasonable, and yet some people jumped on it as proof that he supported immoral research. I have yet to see any actual evidence of that.

Two questions:

1.Is it possible that these laws make abortion seem resonable, to millions of Americans?

I would not be so bold as to say that it is IMPOSSIBLE. But I am pro-life BECAUSE of the legislation put forward by NRLC. The PBA ban that you condemn is why I heard about, and learned about this issue. And why I now do my part to educate friends and family. The legislation they do keeps abortion in the news, and makes it unpalatable to millions of Americans, while still being presented in such a way that people who aren't fully educated on the issue will actually listen.

2. Is it possible that these laws could prolong abortion in this county, because abortion, now, seems reasonable?

See above. Also, I'm confused as to your point... It would seem that you're advocating personhood and nothing else. I want a personhood amendment. But when I stand before God, I will have a clear conscience that I did everything I could. If I *didn't* support good pro-life legislation that at least saved *some* children, most assuredly God would condemn me for my self-righteousness. We must do what we can, where we can. In heaven, when we meet the children that have been killed by abortion, I don't envy you having to meet the ones that you could have saved, but chose not to.

I don't know why you have such a hatred for NRLC and the work that they do, but surely energies could be put to better use attacking PPFA, NOW, NARAL, and the like? Satan doesn't need to do any work at all when we spend all our time fighting with each other.

I would like to clear some things up on anti-depressants and PPD (Post-Partum Depression)

I listened to a Dr Breggins on Michael Savage and he share the legislation to require moms to get a psych eval after delivery. That way they can be 'screened' and get on anti depressants.
all this with good intentions of drug company lobbies to help moms. You know it is so difficult for them.

Of course they will get hooked on scrips. I will look this up and post more.

Wow, antidepressants are very dangerous for an infant's developing brain.

Breastfeeding is a natural antidepressant.

People need to get back to nature. Feeling tired is not a disease.

Just say no to drugs!

While I don't think new moms should be forced to get a psych evaluation after delivery, I certainly think it would be wise to offer it to women to screen for PPD (which is what we're discussing, right?) PPD is more than just being a tired new mom or having the baby blues, it's a more serious form of depression (which can be caused by a combination of changing hormones and the stresses/lack of sleep of being a new mother) which can have a negative impact on and interfere in every day functioning. While I'm not crazy about Brooke Shields, I do suggest reading her book, "Down Came the Rain" which is about her experience with PPD.

Women who are at higher risk to develop PPD (and I'm one such canidate) are those who have a history of mental illness either themselves or in their family and those who have a poor support system. Consider that depression is a neurobiological illness, and a very real illness much like diabetes or heart disease, and medical treatment, whether natural/alternative or pharmaceutical combined with cognitive/behavioral therapy has been shown to improve the quality of life for individuals living with depression. Breastfeeding may certainly be a preventive factor, but may not be eliminate the risk in those at higher risk, nor is it a treatment.
Also, contrary to popular beliefs, neither anti-depressants nor mood stabilizers are not addictive (you may be thinking narcotic sedatives such as lorazepam, brand name Ativan), although anti-depressants do need to be tapered down when one is discontinuing them to reduce the incident of side effects. I can speak on this from both experience and research. Also, while most mood stabilizers are pregnancy class C or lower and carry the risk of causing birth defects, most anti-depressants are safe to take during pregnancy and carry little risk of birth defects (Lexapro and Wellbutrin are two examples of Pregnancy Class B medications which are safer and can be used during pregnancy) and a doctor can determine which medications and the treatment plan which is best for the woman and her unborn child, sometimes the risk of taking the medication outweighs the risk of a major relapse.

Rachael C.

The following should of been in italics as well, quoting other commentors,

Breastfeeding is a natural antidepressant.

People need to get back to nature. Feeling tired is not a disease.

Just say no to drugs!
Rachael C.

And this should of said, "...sometimes the benefit of taking the medication outweighs the risk of a major relapse."

Also, taking medication to treat depression is no more "unnatural" than taking medication to control diabetes or heart conditions.

Rachael C.

PPD is an illness, and a severe one at that. As a certified breastfeeding counselor and pediatric RN, yes, I do recognize the antidepressant qualities of breastfeeding. That being said, there are mothers for whom the attempt to breastfeed actually exacerbates the problem. There is no "one size fits all" answer. For many women with more severe forms of PPD, antidepressants are very much the appropriate response and yes, all women should be screened for this. In addition, Dr. Hale (the source of all definitive work on drugs and breastfeeding) has listed several different antidepressants which can be tried by mothers who still wish to breastfeed... it doesn't have to be an either/or situation.

To CHChick

re: James Bopp go to American Life League (search James Bopp).

My post was, in no way, hateful, but in questioning strategy. Were James Dobson and Judge Roy Moore wrong about the PBA? Were they hateful?

Has NRTL ever suypported pro-choice candidates?

Does God call us to 'keep abortion in the news'
regardless of the consequences?

Perhaps, less emotion and more thought.

TheCHChick,
Thanks so much for your commments. I second them.

I look at it this way: We are on one side of a room. We want to reach the other side but there are many obstacles to overcome. It is impossible to leap over all those obstacles. We need to deal with them, either one at a time, or simultaneously. We make progress, but sometimes we get set back. However, while me might have been set back on some obstacles, others we have made progress. The ONLY way to get to the other side, the goal, is to maneuver and remove these obstacles. If there were no obstacles, we could race across the room, no problem (and that would be great!), but the reality of it is, there are those obstacles, and SOMEBODY has to work at removing them, not just complain that they shouldn't be there. Sometimes, the result of those trying to fly across the room, is that more obstacles are put up, and there are more set backs. The bottom line though, is that we all want to be on the other side of that room. Some of us think that overcoming those obstacles in the meantime is progress. And some think that the incrmentalists don't really want to get across the room, but that's not true.

At least that's how I see it right now.

The following should of been in italics as well, quoting other commentors,

Rachael C.
Posted by: Anonymous at May 27, 2009 9:31 AM

"should of" ??

should have

"commentors" ??

commenters

The whole post partum depression thing is blown way out of proportion. Women who have given birth actually have a lower risk of depression and suicide than women in general and most especially those who have had an abortion.

http://admin.cmf.org.uk/pdf/ethics/2007_stc_abortion_submissions/byron_c_calhoun_pp117-120.pdf

Note: All references are peer reviewed scientific and medical journals.

Elisabeth is right that post partum depression is real, but its incidence is hyped by media who seem to think motherhood is pathological rather than just a lot of work. Anti depressants are dangerous drugs. Honest docs looking at the emerging data are not so enthralled with the way drug companies are pushing them.

Check out this neurologist's ideas.

http://neuroskeptic.blogspot.com/search/label/antidepressants

Was the grammer correction really necessary, hippie???? Seems kind of rude!
Rachael C.

Postpartum Depression
Author: Ruta M Nonacs, MD, PhD, Associate Director of the Perinatal Psychiatry Clinical Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Summary:
"Postpartum psychiatric illness consists of a highly prevalent group of disorders that affect women during the childbearing years. While postpartum blues is typically benign and self-limited, postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis cause significant distress and dysfunction. Despite multiple contacts with medical professionals during the postpartum period, puerperal mood disorders are frequently missed, and many women go without treatment.

Untreated mood disorders place the mother at risk for recurrent disease. Furthermore, maternal depression is associated with long-term cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems in the child. One of the most important objectives is to increase awareness across the spectrum of health care professionals who care for women during pregnancy and the puerperium so that postpartum mood disorders may be identified early and treated appropriately. Effective pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies are available."
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/271662-overview

Rachael C.

sorry Rachel C.

When people nitpick whether I used quotes, or italics etc. even though they had no problem understanding what I said or what I referenced, then I correct their mistakes, just so they understand that no one is perfect.

Rachel the info you cite simply states what we know, that post partum depression exists and should be treated. My posts addressed the low incidence. The incidence of depression after having a baby is lower than the incidence in the general population.

Rachael C.,
"Women who are at higher risk to develop PPD (and I'm one such canidate) are those who have a history of mental illness either themselves or in their family and those who have a poor support system."

Yes. I don't think we can be too careful in monitoring the symptoms of PPD for those who have a history of mental illness. Sometimes pre-existing, but undiagnosed mental illness can surface after a pregnancy. For these women, PPD screening can be extremely important. The stigma attached to mental illness, or fear of their baby being taken away from them can sometimes prevent them from seeking help until it's too late.

Hippie, in my first comment, I had italicized the comments to which I was replying to differeniate (sp) them from my reply and had missed coding a few, which is what I was correcting in my next couple of comments to clearify my message, and had nothing to do with you. While I disagree with you, it was respectfully and my reply was not intended as a personal attack.