There is so much going on that the only way we can address some/most of it is to include a post that briefly mentions a number of items.
· Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell is not scheduled to be arraigned until March 2 on eight counts of murder. But yesterday pro-life Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett announced both the firing of several state officials who had not exercised oversight over Gosnell’s Women’s Medical Society abortion clinic and a series of administrative changes to ensure that abortion clinics are visited regularly and information shared among agencies with oversight responsibilities. To get a sense at how actively certain agency heads were ignoring state law, read Part Two.
· The House Energy and Commerce Committee yesterday voted 33-19 to approve the Protect Life Act (http://energycommerce.house.gov/News/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=8232).
This is one of NRLC’s major legislative initiatives. Introduced by pro-life Congressman Joe Pitts (R-Pa.), HR 358 is intended to correct the abortion-expanding provisions of ObamaCare ( known formally as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) and provide stronger protections for healthcare providers who do not wish to participate in abortion.
· This morning Kansans for Life held a press conference on HB 2218, a virtual twin to Nebraska’s historic Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. This afternoon supporters testified before the House Federal and State Affairs Committee on HB 2218, which was introduced by Rep. Lance Kinzer along with 47 bi-partisan co-sponsors. The Nebraska law bans abortions at 20 weeks post-fertilization because by that juncture the unborn can experience pain.
· The headline from the story appearing in the British publication the “Telegraph” reads “NHS shamed over callous treatment of elderly.” NHS refers to the National Health System, the single-payer system which Dr. Donald Berwick, who heads the U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, extols unrelentingly. It is an appalling story of systematic and systemic neglect of pensioners. “Ann Abraham, who as health ombudsman carries out independent investigation of complaints against the health service, said: “The findings of my investigations reveal an attitude – both personal and institutional – which fails to recognise the humanity and individuality of the people concerned and to respond to them with sensitivity, compassion and professionalism,” according to Health Correspondent Martin Beckford. “The reasonable expectation that an older person or their family may have of dignified, pain-free end of life care in clean surroundings in hospital is not being fulfilled. Instead, these accounts present a picture of NHS provision that is failing to meet even the most basic standards of care.”
· Abortionist-in-training Mila Means and Foliage Development have reached an out of court settlement in which Means responded to her landlord’s lawsuit by agreeing not to perform abortions at her current location in Wichita, Kansas. In return, Foliage Development agreed to let her out of her lease early. “She is not performing abortions at that site at the time being and really doesn’t intend to and is looking for alternative space, so there wasn’t much of a reason to have a hearing,” Means’ attorney Lee Thompson told the Associated Press. “The attorneys were able to resolve that by agreement for the time being, preserving everyone’s rights if down the line it becomes an issue again.” According to the AP, earlier this month the development company filed a lawsuit “arguing that performing abortions at the multi-tenant office building would be a disruption and nuisance to other tenants and create an unsafe environment.” Once Foliage Development and Means reached their agreement on Monday, “Sedgwick County District Judge Douglas Roth dissolved a temporary restraining order and cancelled a hearing for a temporary injunction that had been scheduled for Tuesday.” Wichita has not had an abortionist since 2009.
· Thanks to the kind people who send me a link to Rolling Stone magazine where teen heartthrob Justin Bieber is quoted as saying, “I really don’t believe in abortion,” adding. “It’s like killing a baby” Naturally, the interviewer immediately asked the under-prepared 16-year-old about rape victims. Bieber responded, “I guess I haven’t been in that position, so I wouldn’t be able to judge that.” This is not to criticize Bieber–his heart is in the right place–but to hope he thinks more deeply about the issue. (P.S. Based on his answer on healthcare , he needs even more schooling there.)
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