When I launched my blog in 2005, many didn’t even know what a blog was! I didn’t have to invest much money in the early days due to the low volume of traffic initially.

The Life Prizes award I am indebted for receiving from the Gerard Foundation in 2008 kept the blog financially afloat as it grew to attract thousands of visitors a day. It enabled my partner Tim, of ProLifeBlogs.com, and I to incorporate (to legally protect us personally), and to hire administrative assistant Kelli to care for our growing managerial needs.

Kelli is the only person associated with this blog to receive a salary. All moderators and writers – Alice, Bobby Bambino, Carder, Carla, Gerard, Hans, LauraLoo, and Susie – are volunteers for whom I know we are all so grateful! Nor have Tim or I ever financially gained from our blogs.

But the Life Prizes award has now been depleted, and we have to finally turn to our faithful readers and believers for financial support to cover Kelli, our monthly server fee, and blog improvements.

As you all know, there are precious few news and opinion sources from inside the pro-life world who can break through the liberal wall of protection that surrounds the culture of death. I am grateful to be one. None of these news sources would have quoted me – which is to say, published a pro-life point of view – except for this blog.

In the nine years JillStanek.com has existed, I’ve never requested financial support. But now it is time.

Please consider donating even $5 a month to keep JillStanek.com providing online news and opinion and providing a forum to share the same.

Thanks in advance for your generosity. :)

Good morning, and Happy Mother’s Day! Here were my top five six favorite political cartoons this week. Be sure to vote for your fav in the poll at the bottom of the post!

by Henry Payne at Townhall.com…

 by Gary Varvel at Townhall.com…

 by Dana Summers at GoComics.com…

 by Gary McCoy at Townhall.com…

 (regarding this…)

 by Michael Ramirez at Townhall.com…

 by Jerry Holbert at Townhall.com…

A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long.

She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing. She’s like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises. She’s up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day. She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she’s put aside, plants a garden.

First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day. She’s skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking. She’s quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor. She doesn’t worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear. She makes her own clothing, and dresses in colorful linens and silks. Her husband is greatly respected when he deliberates with the city fathers. She designs gowns and sells them, brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops. Her clothes are well-made and elegant, and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.

When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly. She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive. Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise: “Many women have done wonderful things, but you’ve outclassed them all!”

Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God. Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praise.

~ Proverbs 31:10-31, The Message translation

by Hans Johnson,

Molly Kate Kestner, a senior at Austin High School in Minnesota, wrote and performed this song, reminding us that all mothers, whether they know it or not, are “His daughter”.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/35say5G5cz8[/youtube]

You can read the lyrics here.

Email dailyvid@jillstanek.com with your video suggestions.

(HT: Andy Moore)

I have a new poll question up:

Do you think Emily Letts’ “abortion video” helps or hurts the pro-choice movement?

Vote on the lower right side of the home page.

Regarding the last poll, the middle top vote getter would seemingly fall into the category, “Which of these things is not like the others?” don’t you think?

Congrats to Senator Rick Santorum for winning our straw poll!

As always, make comments to either the previous or current poll here, not on the poll site.

Online for Life asked this question, and I thought it was a good one: What pro-choice argument(s) do you have the most difficulty refuting?

We’ve all seen them - slogans written on placards and protest signs used by pro-abortion activists in their attempts to narrow down the pro-abortion position to a simple, succinct catch phrase. Unfortunately, these types of statements are misleading and untrue. And we believe it deserves an open and honest dialogue….

We know you’ve tried to help change the hearts and minds of your pro-abortion friends and family, but sometimes their arguments leave you stumped. How should we respond if an unborn child was conceived during rape? What if the mother’s life is truly in danger? Doesn’t the mother’s right to control her own body supersede the rights of the unborn child in her womb?

So which, if any, pro-choice argument(s) do you struggle to respond to? The inverted question could be asked of our pro-choice friends.

Here’s news so good I couldn’t let the weekend pass by without mentioning it. From the Associated Press, May 9:

Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri dropped its legal challenge Friday to a Kansas law that stripped two of its Kansas clinics of federal money for family planning….

Kansas is among several conservative states that have sought in recent years to strip Planned Parenthood of taxpayer funding. At issue in the case is money distributed to states under Title X, a federally financed family planning program….

The development comes in the wake of an appeals court ruling in March finding that Kansas could strip clinics in Wichita and Hays of the funds while Planned Parenthood pressed its lawsuit contesting a state law it calls retaliation for its advocacy of abortion rights.

But Friday’s court filing ends the litigation.

This may be why. Planned Parenthood is happy to sue and keep laws tangled up in courts for years, even if PP knows it will lose… except, perhaps, in cases like this. Quoted the AP, April 30:

A federal appeals court has ordered Planned Parenthood to pay Kansas the costs of an appeal over family planning funds.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday awarded the state $1,350 for its costs of appealing a district court order.

Planned Parenthood apparently decided it didn’t want to draw even more legal invoices from the state.

A Charlotte abortion doctor, who made headlines for a racist rant caught on video in 2012, has been arrested and charged with raping a woman….

Ashutosh Ron Virmani was arrested early Thursday morning after he’s [sic] accused of raping a 49-year-old woman.

Virmani was booked… for second degree rape and two counts of second degree sexual offense.

[A] woman told police that she was raped inside a home along the 4600 block of Charlestowne Manor Drive on Wednesday afternoon….

Virmani also made headlines in 2012 after he was confronted at his home by a conservative Christian organization.

At the time Virmani was a licensed gynecologist with A Preferred Women’s Health Clinic in Charlotte. The clinic would not confirm on Thursday if Virmani was still practicing at the clinic “due to the nature of their business.”

A video posted in 2012 shows Virmani standing in the doorway of his home. He can be overheard in the video saying… “Go ahead and pay for them. Let me see you adopt one of those ugly black babies,” he yelled back at them.

That phrase has sparked anger across the country.

~ wbtv.com, which also lists an extensive rap sheet for Virmani, May 8

[HT: Kelsey of SecularProLife.org]