by Susie Allen, host of the blog, Pro-Life in TN, and Kelli Americans United for Life applauds Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, who “signed into a law a groundbreaking, pro-life measure that passed with tremendous bi-partisan support and will expand the enforcement options for any violation of state abortion laws as well as provide greater protections […]

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

• Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) calls out the World Health Organization for falsely associating high maternal mortality rates to legal restrictions on abortion:
  

  … WHO states in its report that “treaty monitoring bodies have … linked elevated rates of maternal mortality to … restrictive abortion laws [and] unsafe or illegal abortion.” But WHO cites only old, and flawed, country reviews. The truth is that maternal mortality depends on the quality of maternal health care, not the legal status of abortion. Some countries prohibit abortion and have very low MMRs; others permit abortion and have very high MMRs. Legalizing abortion is demonstrably unnecessary to improve maternal health and save women’s lives.

by Kelli

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

• Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life says the World Health Assembly recently adopted a plan to “reduce high rates of neonatal mortality in large parts of the world”. Unfortunately, they left out something important:
  

  MCCL GO participated in the online consultation on a draft version of the “Every newborn” plan. [MCCL executive director Scott] Fischbach noted that while preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn mortality (and second leading cause of under-five deaths), the action plan fails to mention a significant risk factor for premature delivery. A wealth of worldwide research has shown that induced abortion substantially increases the risk of preterm birth in subsequent pregnancies.

  “The prevalence of abortion significantly contributes to the problem of neonatal mortality,” Fischbach observed. “The plan to end newborn deaths should have taken into consideration all of the known risk factors.”

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.

• Clinic Quotes shares something that might make your blood boil:
  

  In one year alone, the Los Angeles Planned Parenthood clergy consultation service received $250,000 in kickbacks from clinics to which they referred women for abortions.

  Planned Parenthood and their current Clergy Advisory Board has celebrated the 40th anniversary of the CCS and states that they are proud to continue defending abortion in the spirit of the CCS.

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.

• At thirtyone8, Andy Moore outlines some of the fundamental errors in the logic of Gary Gutting’s New York Times editorial entitled, “Should Pope Francis Rethink Abortion?”

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.

• Michael New reflects on the progress of the pro-life movement in 2013:
  

  Overall, according to the Guttmacher Institute, 70 state-level pro-life measures were enacted in 2103. This makes 2013 the second most productive year on record in terms of the number of pro-life laws that were passed. Overall, there were more pro-life laws enacted between 2011 and 2013 than in the entire previous decade.

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.

• Wesley J. Smith adeptly points out that a “die-and-get-out-of-the-way” rationing campaign has already begun in the U.S.

  Liberal New York Times writer Bill Keller recently demeaned popular blogger Linda Bonchek Adams and her fight against cancer. Keller’s advice? Stop trying to give “false hope” to people and enter hospice already. Smith says everyone should be appalled by this attitude:
  

  Here is what I believe is going on behind the curtains: There is a great effort underway at the highest level of the ruling and intellectual classes to devalue the struggle to stay alive. Part of it is utilitarian ideology – the idea that society can define a life not worth living. Indeed, we have seen open advocacy in bioethics for a “duty to die.”

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.

• At Catholic Vote, Michael New examines reduced teen pregnancy rates, partly credited to a drop in sexual activity among teens. He also notes that since the early 1990s, the teen abortion rate has fallen faster than the teen pregnancy rate.