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

• At Secular Pro-Life, Rebecca Stapleford, who is autistic and physically disabled, writes an excellent article about the pervasive philosophy of ableism in society, and how it is devaluing to life both in and out of the womb:
  Simply put, ableism is a prejudice, much like sexism or racism. Unlike most other prejudices, ableism can often be well-intentioned. For instance, a doctor denying lifesaving treatment to a severely disabled infant is often acting out of compassion, believing that the child’s life is not worth living. However, such an assumption ignores the fact that many severely disabled individuals do find their lives to be worth living, and this scenario involves an able-bodied individual forcing their assumptions about the kind of life that is worth living onto a disabled person — a textbook example of able-bodied power and privilege….

  If we want to create a truly pro-life society, we must not only establish the humanity of the unborn and their right to life, but the right of all human beings to life and non-discriminatory medical care, regardless of how much we cost or how productive we are.

• Saynsumthn’s Blog notices that a new Planned Parenthood in New York appears to be wooing the business of the LGBT community:
  According to the Star Gazette, on the second floor is business offices and space for youth and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered groups.Planned Parenthood told the paper that an example of designing to meet program needs, restrooms were designed with care for transgendered people in mind, according to Maureen Kelly, vice president for programming and communications. For about 18 months, PPSFL Ithaca’s center has provided health care including hormones for transgendered people, the first Planned Parenthood affiliate in New York to do so.
• At National Review, Michael J. New refutes abortion advocate Robin Marty’s claims about the unintended pregnancy rate. Marty believes that “political efforts are preventing consistent contraception use” and that Republicans are to blame because of their attempts to “prevent insurers from covering contraception and to defund family-planning providers.” New says “the facts lend little support to her argument.”
• Wesley J. Smith points out that Wisconsin Democrats now officially embrace the culture of death in their 2014 platform, which states, “We believe in freedom of reproductive choice, family planning, and the individual’s right to choose death with dignity including physician?assisted end?of?life”.
• Right to Life of Michigan spots a “whoops” in the Detroit Free Press, whose editorial board supports abortion. They originally referred to the death of a woman’s “unborn baby” in a story about a traffic accident. The term was quickly changed to “unborn fetus”, but the link still uses the term “baby”.
• At Reproductive Research Audit, Dr. Jacqueline Harvey examines how New York’s newly proposed Women’s Equality Act is simply another version of the defeated Reproductive Health Act, which supported late-term abortion and generally lowered the standard of care for women:
  Ultimately, the proposed Women’s Equality Act achieves the same dangerous goals as the Reproductive Health Act, only repackaged to be more concise and more misleading. The Women’s Equality Act, just like the Reproductive Health Act would endanger women of all ages by lowering medical standards for first trimester abortion, increasing the legality of dangerous late-term abortions, and removing stiff penalties for violence against pregnant women.There is not compelling evidence that Women’s Equality Act presents any benefits, but rather that this bill is a threat to the health and welfare of women of New York state.

• Pro-Life Wisconsin rejoices in the closure of the Planned Parenthood facility in Fond du Lac (pictured right). 5 down, 22 to go:
  These clinic closures are no accident — they’re the direct result of Pro-Life Wisconsin’s efforts to de-fund Planned Parenthood in the state budget. And de-fund them we did. In the last bi-ennial budget, we successfully eliminated $1 million in funding from Planned Parenthood.PLW also credits the prayerful and persistent public witness of the pro-lifers in the area.

[Photos via Saynsumthn’s Blog and doorcountyadvocate.com]