Politics
Thursday March 1, 2001
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PrintPRO-LIFERS ARRESTED IN ONTARIO AND BRITISH COLUMBIA
TODAY'S HEADLINES
TO, Mar 1, 2001(LSN.ca) - Toronto pro-lifer Alex Vernon, who does pro-life sidewalk counselling, was arrested Tuesday while standing outside the bubble zone at Scott abortuary in Toronto. Vernon was arrested by four plain-clothes officers in an unmarked car followed by a marked car that took him to 51 Division where he was held about 6 hours and underwent a strip search. The arresting officers failed to read the injunction as they are required to do. In order to be released, Vernon was made to sign a condition that he would stay away from what amounted to the eastern part of downtown Toronto until the matter is decided. He is facing charges of criminal harassment. Alex is known to LifeSite editor John-Henry Westen who described him as one of the most kind and gentle pro-life young men he had ever known.
Meanwhile in Vancouver British Columbia pro-lifer Sissy Von Dehn was also arrested while standing outside the bubble zone around the Everywoman's Health Centre while handing out brochures. During the arrest the officer insinuated Von Dehn was "high on cocaine." Although the officer told her she was under arrest he walked away without taking her into custody. Von Dehn told LifeSite that should she be made to sign a condition it could be problematic since her house is next to the abortuary.
Back to TopNEW JERSEY CATHOLIC FIGHTS TO SAVE LIFE OF HIS FROZEN EMBRYONIC CHILDREN
State Supreme Court To Rule On Right to Life of Embryos
CAMDEN, NJ, Mar 1, 2001 (LSN.ca) - On Monday the Supreme Court of New Jersey heard arguments in the case of a Catholic man seeking to protect his frozen embryonic children from death. The parents of the embryos divorced in 1998 after having used in-vitro fertilization to create 11 embryos in 1995." The ex-husband is arguing that there was an agreement before they underwent in-vitro fertilization that the unborn children created would not be destroyed. He is now asking that the remaining seven frozen embryos be allowed to be used by a potential future spouse or donated to an infertile couple. However, the ex-wife wants the embryos destroyed saying that otherwise she will "become a parent against her wishes."
The state appeals court had ruled previously in favour of the woman on the case but the Supreme Court ordered that the embryos should not be killed pending appeal. The Newark Star-Ledger reports that Supreme Court decisions in Tennessee and Massachusetts and New York have ruled that embryos cannot be used by one parent over the objections of another. In Tennessee and Massachusetts the courts ruled the embryos should be destroyed and in New York they ruled that the fertility clinic could use the embryos for research.
See the coverage in the Newark Star-Ledger at:
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/jersey/ledger/12795fb.html
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/page1/ledger/1276616.html
OHIO JUDGE GIVEN TWO-YEAR SUSPENSION ON SUSPICION OF RULING BASED ON PRO-LIFE VIEWS
CLEVELAND, OH, Mar 1, 2001 (LSN.ca) - On Monday the Ohio Supreme Court Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline recommended that Patricia Cleary, formerly a Judge of the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, should be suspended for two years, with one year stayed. The board accepted the charge that Cleary was partial in the 1998 sentencing of Yuriko Kawaguchi. Kawaguchi, then 21 and over 20 weeks pregnant, attempted to avoid jail by saying she intended to abort her baby and thus should only be placed on probation for her fraud conviction. Cleary rejected the arguments and sentenced her to six months in prison.
Kawaguchi's lawyer and the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio filed a motion immediately to have the ruling canceled and another judge appointed to the case claiming that Judge Cleary's decision was based on her pro-life convictions and not based on Kawaguchi's crimes. She was granted bail so that she could get an abortion but claimed she could not find a willing abortionist. She decided to keep the baby and had a girl born in 1999 but announced that she intended to sue Cleary. The suit was dismissed but is being appealed.
Judge Cleary maintains her decision was based on the seriousness of the crime, but admitted her pro-life convictions saying, "I'm not going to be a hypocrite. I think it worked out swell if that was her desire to abort her child that late." Cleary's lawyer says she "intends to defend against these charges vigorously" at the Supreme Court hearing.
See the Ohio.com coverage:
http://www.ohio.com/bj/news/ohio/docs/008430.htm
See related LifeSite coverage:
http://lsn.ca/ldn/1998/oct/981009.html#3
http://lsn.ca/ldn/1998/oct/981015.html#2
http://lsn.ca/ldn/1998/oct/981016.html#5
LIFESITE NEWSBYTES
The National Post reports that Alberta has opened the door to recognizing homosexual unions by not contesting a homosexual man's "challenge of provincial inheritance laws. This opens the door for same-sex couples to be considered spouses in cases involving wills and estates."
http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/stories/20010301/488944.html
Mark Pickup, one of North America's strong voices against euthanasia and assisted suicide, has put out a new video. "To be, or not to be -- the Human Family (a disabled man's plea)", makes a convincing argument for society to reject euthanasia consciousness in favor of inclusive "community" where all human life is welcomed and embraced. Disabled in adulthood with chronic, progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), and after experiencing significant discrimination, Mark became a strong advocate for "life with dignity", disability equality and inclusion. For more on the video see:
http://www.humanlifematters.com/
US NEWS ROUNDUP
The Seattle Times reports that a bill introduced in Washington would mandate health insurers to cover abortifacient birth control.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/SeattleTimes.woa/wa/gotoArti...
268448412&text_only=0&slug=pills26m&document_id=134270099
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