Tuesday December 12, 2000
See today’s LifeSiteNews stories- 1997 US ABORTION STATS INDICATE MINORITIES ESPECIALLY TARGETED
- CBS “60 MINUTES” BASHES CATHOLIC HOSPITALS DENYING “REPRODUCTIVE SERVICES”
- MORE MEDICAL SCHOOLS WITH REGULAR ABORTIONIST TRAINING
- GERMANY BECOMES 25TH COUNTRY TO RATIFY INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
- STATS ON FALL IN ATTENDANCE AT RELIGIOUS SERVICES TROUBLING
- HEAR MICHAEL COREN ON THE HARRIS GOVERNMENT, NEW BRUNSWICK
- CORRECTION
- LIFESITE NEWSBYTES
- US NEWS ROUNDUP
1997 US ABORTION STATS INDICATE MINORITIES ESPECIALLY TARGETED
WASHINGTON, Dec 12, 2000 (LSN.ca) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released statistics on US abortions in 1997. They note there were 1,186,039 surgical abortions reported in 1997, a decline of three per cent from 1996. While mainstream media outlets are reporting that a majority of women aborting babies were white, the statement is misleading and apparently contrived to hide the fact that abortion centers disproportionately target black and Hispanic communities.
Among women whose race was reported (from 39 reporting areas), approximately 56% of women who obtained legal induced abortions were white, but Hispanics are also included in the “white” category. Clarity on the issue is seen as the report notes “The abortion ratio for black women was 543 per 1,000 live births, 2.8 times the ratio for white women (194 per 1,000 live births).” If Hispanic women were excluded from the “white” category that already very significant difference would increase dramatically. Also the “abortion rate for black women (32 per 1,000 women) was 2.9 times the rate for white women (11 per 1,000 women).” The abortion ratio for women of other races (Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian, Alaskan Native, and women classified as “other” race) was 1.8 times the ratio for white women.
The figures also note that most aborting women were under the age of 25, and unmarried. Half of the abortions were repeat abortions.
See the full CDC report at:
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss4911a1.htm
CBS “60 MINUTES” BASHES CATHOLIC HOSPITALS DENYING “REPRODUCTIVE SERVICES”
WASHINGTON, Dec 12, 2000 (LSN.ca) – A CBS “60 Minutes” episode which aired Sunday night promoted anti-Catholic bigotry by presenting the Church as a villain for denying “reproductive services” at Catholic hospitals. American Life League (ALL) notes that the program “featured ex-Catholic, Francis Kissling, head of the Catholic dissident group, Catholics for a Free Choice, parading as a practicing Catholic when in fact she is a heretic.” ALL president Judie Brown pointed out that the program also “featured a physician, an alleged practicing Catholic, at odds with ‘his church’ for not allowing him to provide his female patients with a full range of so-called reproductive health services, including murdering their babies and rendering members of both sexes sterile on demand.” The report also showcased a mother portrayed as a victim because she could not receive surgical sterilization at her local Catholic hospital
“60 Minutes has committed the most virulent attack on Catholicism, Truth and the natural law in the history of its program,” Brown said. “Catholic health care policy is based on Truth that cannot, does not and will never change. And that is why Catholic health care is such a puzzle to the modern- day, moral relativist who views the aborting of a baby as an exercise in freedom.”
Complaints to the program can be made at:
60 Minutes II, 524 West 57th Street, New York, N.Y. 10019,
e-mail [email protected]
MORE MEDICAL SCHOOLS WITH REGULAR ABORTIONIST TRAINING
A study published today in the November/December issue of Family Planning Perspectives by the National Abortion Federation (NAF) notes that there has been an enormous increase in the last six years in the number of US medical schools training students to abort babies. While a 1992 study found 12% of OB-GYN residency programs offering such training, the NAF study reports that 46% per cent (nearly a four-fold increase) routinely offer training in first-trimester abortions, and 34% offer it as an elective. Routine second trimester abortion training increased even more dramatically, from 7% in 1992 to 44% in 1998.
USA Today reports that in the new study, about a quarter of programs said all of their residents receive abortion training; 40% said that fewer than half are trained. Of those reporting, 14% said they train no residents. The study questioned all 261 accredited US OB-GYN residency programs 179 responded.
See the NAF and USA Today reports:
https://www.prochoice.org/Media/12122000.htm
https://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20001212/2907678s.htm
GERMANY BECOMES 25TH COUNTRY TO RATIFY INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
BONN, Dec 12, 2000 (LSN.ca) – Human Rights Watch, today commended Germany for becoming the 25th country to ratify the Rome Treaty for the International Criminal Court (ICC). Today, Germany took the formal step to become the twenty-fifth state to ratify the treaty, by depositing its “instrument of ratification” at the United Nations. The Marshall Islands became the twenty-fourth state to ratify on December 7, 2000, reports HRW.
See the HRW release at:
https://www.hrw.org/press/2000/12/icc_germany1211.htm
See LifeSite critiques of the ICC at:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/1999/dec/99121301.html
https://www.lsn.ca/ldn/2000/mar/000314a.html
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2000/june/00061602.html
STATS ON FALL IN ATTENDANCE AT RELIGIOUS SERVICES TROUBLING
OTTAWA, Dec 12, 2000 (LSN.ca) – Statistics have consistently shown that regular church attendance is strongly associated with a belief in the sanctity of life. Therefore current Canadian statistics which show a substantial decline in overall religious attendance is troubling to life and family organization leaders.
Statistics Canada today released the 1998 statistics for religious services attendance. The figures note that while attendance rates over the 10-year period 1988 to 1998 declined for adults in all age groups, the drop was most notable among those who were young adults in 1988. In 1988, 34% of youths aged 15 to 24 went to a religious service at least once a month; by 1998, when this group was aged 25 to 34, their attendance had dropped to 24%.
The study also noted that married couples with children and senior citizens were the most likely Canadians to be regular worshippers. Not surprisingly, attendance at services was lowest among adults living in common-law relationships. Individuals who were divorced or separated also had lower attendance rates than did married adults and childless couples attended less than those with children. Those born in Canada were less likely to attend religious services than were immigrants. The survey also found that people who live in rural areas and small towns attend services more frequently than do city-dwellers.
See the Statistics Canada release at:
https://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/001212/d001212b.htm
HEAR MICHAEL COREN ON THE HARRIS GOVERNMENT, NEW BRUNSWICK
Michael comments on the Harris Tory’s post-election criticism of Stockwell Day
https://www.lifesitenews.com/coren/ra/121100harris.rm
and New Brunswick’s refusal to fund abortion clinics
https://www.lifesitenews.com/coren/ra/121200newbrunswick.rm
CORRECTION
The quotes from former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney suggesting a united conservative party must rid itself of social conservatism come from an article in the National Post and not a letter to the National Post as was indicated erroneously in the news yesterday. The letter expressing similar sentiments was written by PC supporter Norman Spector. Moreover the one quote in the LifeSite article yesterday referring to Day as an “extremist” was made by Spector not Mulroney.
Mulroney’s quotes can be found in the National Post article here:
https://www.nationalpost.com/search/story.html?f=/stories/200…
LIFESITE NEWSBYTES
American Life League notes that Canadian physicians have reported on post-abortion emotional distress among mothers and fathers directly involved in surgical abortion. In the October 2000 edition of Canadian Family Physician, on pp. 2033-2040 is found the study “Emotional Distress Among Couples Involved in First-trimester Induced Abortions”.
https://www.cfpc.ca/CFP/canadian.htm. This issue is not on this web site at this time. For assistance in acquiring a copy of the study, contact [email protected]
SPUC writes today that the report of the all-party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution, which considered the abortion issue, urged the general availability of the morning-after pill and claimed that “the legal presumption must be that it is not regarded as an abortifacient”. The Irish Medicines Board recently refused to license the Levonelle-2 morning-after pill on the basis that it worked as an abortifacient and therefore contravened Ireland’s constitutional protection of the unborn. The Irish Independent claims that Levonelle has been licensed for use in every other member country of the European Union except Greece. [Irish Independent, 12 December] The British government plans to make Levonelle-2 available over-the-counter from pharmacists from 1 January throughout the UK, including in Northern Ireland.
https://www.independent.ie/2000/346/d04a.shtml
US NEWS ROUNDUP
* GATES FUNDS IPPF $8.8 MIL
Microsoft mogul Bill Gates’ Foundation has donated another $8.8 million (US) to International Planned Parenthood Federation. Reuters reports that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will give money to the world’s largest abortion provider over five years.
https://www.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/women/12/11/health.women.gate…
* CLINTON TO REPAY PLANNED PARENTHOOD FOR LOBBYING
The Family Research Council reports that President Clinton is trying to force Congress to approve a massive spending increase ($35 million) in federal tax dollars for the “Title X” (Title Ten) family planning fund which mainly benefits abortion provider Planned Parenthood. Conservatives in Washington are claiming the President is merely paying off his political allies. In recent months, Planned Parenthood spent at least $10 million (and likely millions more than that) to defeat pro-life conservatives in Congress. Now it appears Bill Clinton wants to reimburse them for their expenses. Clinton is also insisting on allowing public schools to hand out abortifacient morning-after pills to school children without parental consent.
* ‘CHOOSE LIFE’ PLATES VERY POPULAR IN FLORIDA
The Florida Sun Sentinel reported yesterday that Floridians have purchased “Choose life” license plates at a rate of 500 a month, making it the state’s 13th best-selling specialty tag for this year even though sales only commenced in August. The plates raise money for charities that help pregnant women who are putting their babies up for adoption. Nearly 8,400 Florida drivers have paid an extra $22 for a “Choose life” plate since the tags went on sale 17 weeks ago. The National Organization of Women and other pro-abortion groups are fuming and suing to have the specialty plate stopped.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/daily/detail/0,1136,3600000…
* SCHOOL VOUCHERS RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL
The Washington Times reports that a federal appeals court yesterday struck down the Cleveland school-voucher program as unconstitutional, saying it violates the separation of church and state.
https://www.washtimes.com/national/default-20001212231647.htm
* COURT RULES TEXAS MUST PAY FOR MEDICAID ABORTIONS
A Texas appeals court ruled last week that not allowing Medicaid abortions was a violation of the rights of women. The state AG said the state would likely appeal the ruling.
https://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20001207/us/abortion_funding…