Texans for Life Coalition

Outrage! Obamacare Forces All Employers To Provide Free Abortion Drugs

kwalker — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:31:28 +0000

In a move House minority leader and “Catholic” Nancy Pelosi has called “courageous,” the Obama administration has narrowed religious exemptions for sterilization and various forms of birth control, including abortion drugs. Said Chron.com blogger Richard Dunham, “The administration would require Catholic institutions to abandon their doctrines on reproductive issues or face catastrophic fines forcing them them to close hospitals that care for about a sixth of U.S. patients.”

Under Obamacare’s new regulations, all employers — exempting only churches and missions, but including religious hospitals and universities – will be forced to provide drugs and procedures that directly contradict the teachings of the Catholic Church and other religious belief systems.

For free.

Most people have to pay some portion of even life-saving surgery, and fight to get insurance to pay for some transplants. But in Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’s brave new world, you can jaunt on over to the Walgreen’s and have them rustle up an abortion pill for free, on an insurance plan subsidized by your Catholic employer.

If you’re not outraged about this, no matter what your religious persuasion or lack thereof, you have abandoned all belief in liberty.

Liberty is a God-given right granted to us not by any government, document, or law, but by our Creator. Or, if the word Creator offends you, by our nature. We are free because we are supposed to be free, and even those who reject religion and have no firm belief system on which to base their understanding of liberty still know it is our birthright.

Ironically, the same people who cry “liberty” when it comes to a woman’s “right” to have an abortion, get herself sterilized, or contracept, are ignoring it now when it comes to the sacred right of human beings not to support that which they find unsupportable. Pro-lifers believe liberty ends when it conflicts with another’s right to live; hence our opposition to abortion and abortifacients. Supporters of this new regulation believe liberty ends wherever they say it does, and to hell with your religion and everything in it.

An op-ed written for the far-left magazine The Nation comes right out and says all you need to know in the title: “Obama Stands Up To Bishops. Finally.” The article goes on to question the teachings of the Catholic Church on birth control and condemn the Church for its imaginary war on “women’s health.”

First: I am so sick of people lumping abortion and birth control together and calling it “women’s health.” Neither one of these two things are necessary for women to be healthy. In fact, you can make a pretty solid argument that both of these things are damaging to women’s health, emotionally and physically.

Second: the Catholic Church is definitely the largest and arguably the most prolific charitable organization on the planet. If you have done any reading on the subject of European history, you will know that throughout the past two millennia, no one single entity has fed, clothed, and healed more human beings — including human women — around the world than the big mean evil patriarchal rich white woman-hating Catholic Church. This is not me ringing the Papal bell because I’m a Catholic. It’s just true.

Oh, you pesky truth! Getting in the way of everybody’s sexy, young, refreshing lies!

Third: when it coms to this issue, it shouldn’t matter to you whether abortion or birth control or sterilization is a good idea or not. It should just deeply bother and alarm you that our current administration is making it illegal to not pay for something you don’t believe in.

This administration has repeatedly shown a blatant, unapologetic disregard for those of us who believe that human rights begin when human life begins. Even as they curtail the rights of the unborn, they find magical new “rights” at every turn, and turn them into entitlements. It is no longer enough to have a “right” to birth control pills. Now, someone has to provide them for you — for free. How far will it go? Abortions are already subsidized by the taxpayer — Planned Parenthood gets tons of money from us, as you well know — so how long ’til radical pro-abortion groups like the Center for Reproductive Rights get their way?

I sat in an audience and listened to CRR president Nancy Northup argue that a right you can’t afford is no right at all. Hence, her argument for free abortions on demand.

I have a right to drive a Ferrari. Maybe one day in the golden Obama-scented future, all of you will be required to buy me one. That would be nice! Except, of course, for the pesky fact that, as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher observed of Socialist governments, “They always run out of other people’s money.”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: unfortunately, abortion is still legal. You can go have an abortion if you want, and I can’t stop you. What I will not do, however, and should not by any government be compelled to do, is assist you in any way. I do not believe in artificial contraception, so if I am your employer and I am a Catholic, I should not have to provide you with insurance that pays 100% — or any percent — of your contraception costs. The government that forces me to do so is no longer a government for and by free men, but a tyranny.

Pro-choicers, if your sex life is — as you have been fond of screaming at me when I protest abortion — “your business,” how can you expect me to help you pay for it?

President Obama, under pressure from Congressional Republicans, signed an executive order in 2010 stating that Obamacare would not require citizens to pay for other people’s abortions. And now here he is, forcing all employers — including religious hospitals and schools, or even just some Catholic guy who owns a chain of bowling alleys – to provide insurance plans that include free abortion drugs to their employees.

Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for Military Services wrote a letter which he issued to all Catholic military clergy to be read aloud at Sunday masses around the world. He called the new regulations “a blow to a freedom that you have fought to defend and for which you have seen your buddies fall in battle.”

The Army’s Office of the Chief of Chaplains attempted to stop Archbishop Broglio’s letter from being read. Secretary of the Army John McHugh, an Obama appointee, ended up allowing the letter to be read almost in its entirety. The Archbishop had to remove a line that said, “We cannot–we will not–comply with this unjust law.”

Well, I am not in the Armed Forces. So I’m saying it, on behalf of myself, and on behalf of millions of pro-life men and women, employers and employees, of all religious faiths, and even those who may not be pro-life but who recognize a threat to liberty when they see it.

“We cannot — we will not — comply with this unjust law.”

Contact your Representatives and Senators today. Right now. Call them on the phone or write them. They work for you. Click here to find out who they are. Tell them if they don’t oppose Obamacare, you will oppose them. Tell them you will refuse to comply with a law that compels you to betray your conscience.

This is still our country. Let’s make sure they know it.

___________________________________________________________________________

Kristen Walker makes people mad on the Internet and sometimes tweets.

Susan G. Komen Reverses Decision To Defund Planned Parenthood

kwalker — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:23:34 +0000

I was listening to a talk radio show based here in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area this morning. Mark Davis, a North Texas radio staple since the early 90s, was discussing Susan G. Komen’s decision to defund Planned Parenthood. I was trying to call in because no one was mentioning the abortion-breast cancer link, when I got a text telling me Komen had reversed their decision.

Here is some of Komen’s official statement:

We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women’s lives.

The events of this week have been deeply unsettling for our supporters, partners and friends and all of us at Susan G. Komen. We have been distressed at the presumption that the changes made to our funding criteria were done for political reasons or to specifically penalize Planned Parenthood. They were not.

Our original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors by not funding grant applications made by organizations under investigation. We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair.

“Or is it what is gutless?” asked Mark Davis on the air this morning.

I had planned on saying two things if I managed to get on the air. The first thing: yes, it’s great that Komen defunded Planned Parenthood, but not great that it took a Congressional investigation to make them do it. It makes it seem like they are fleeing from controversy, when what they should be doing is taking a strong stand for women’s health. Planned Parenthood encourages women to make irresponsible, physically damaging decisions, and makes money off those decisions by offering to suck the decisions out of them and dispose them as medical waste. In the process, they mislead women about the fact that their decision is now a living human being.

The second thing I was going to say: there is medical research showing a link between abortion, birth control pills, and breast cancer, which I’ll get to in a moment. I would call that a conflict of interest, wouldn’t you?

Komen grants funds to Planned Parenthood based on the idea that they provide general “healthcare services” to women. Although it is certainly possible a breast exam at Planned Parenthood might reveal a lump and a mammogram (which PP doesn’ t offer) might be recommended, “Any check written to Planned Parenthood facilitates the abortion services they provide,” as Mark Davis said this morning.

Davis made no bones about his deep admiration for Komen and the work they do to cure breast cancer. What he did not mention, and what he may not be considering, is that you can’t spend money to cure women from this stack, and spend money to hurt them from this other stack. Abortion hurts women. It hurts them physically, mentally, and emotionally.

There is also a link — which some in the medical community deny and others proclaim is absolutely true — between having an abortion and contracting breast cancer later in life. I urge you to look at the research and make up your own mind whether denial of the link is politically motivated or based on science.

“We do not want our mission marred or affected by politics – anyone’s politics,” said Komen’s official statement, released this morning. In response to this, Mark Davis said, “The Komen people made this political the day they decided to contribute to Planned Parenthood.”

If raising money to cure breast cancer were their primary concern, they would not have reversed this decision. Their donations went up 100% in the short time since they announced the halting of grants to PP as pro-lifers who have refused to donate to Komen opened their wallets to thank them for their decision, happy to finally be able to give to their good work of fighting breast cancer with a clear conscience. I wonder if Komen has given any thought to the fact that those people gave money in good faith believing it wouldn’t be used to fund abortions. Will they refund that money? I guess we’ll see.

Komen has literally chosen Planned Parenthood over finding a cure for breast cancer, which is startling proof both of PP’s political and societal clout, and Komen’s lack of integrity and commitment to their own professed cause. They claim not to be politically motivated, but they give money to the most polarizing “healthcare” organization in the country. They claim all they want to do is cure breast cancer, but Planned Parenthood has no more connection to breast cancer than any hospital, clinic, or OB/Gyn who performs breast exams as part of a routine physical.

It is a terrible shame that Komen has caved in to political pressure from pro-abortion fanatics who demand obeisance to Planned Parenthood. It is a terrible shame they’re allowing PP and its followers to compromise their mission to cure breast cancer.

If you would like to donate to a remarkable healthcare organization that fights breast cancer every day, consider M.D. Anderson in Houston.

_____________________________________________________________

Kristen Walker makes people mad on the Internet and sometimes tweets.

March for Life!

kwalker — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:13:12 +0000

On a clear, cold morning this past Saturday, January 21, in Dallas, TX, about 8,000 people gathered downtown to commemorate the day 39 years ago when America was changed forever. The Roe v. Wade decision made abortion a right in the United States, and has since resulted in the deaths of approximately 50 million unborn children in our country alone, as well as an incalculable number of broken-hearted women, grieving fathers, and incomplete families.

The morning began with two worship services. For Catholics, the Roe Memorial Mass and Rose Procession was held at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Bishops Kevin Farrell of Dallas and Charles Vann of Ft. Worth officiated, along with dozens of priests from the area. The Mass ended with the ceremonial procession of roses, in which a representative born each year since the Roe decision in 1973 carried a single red rose to represent the approximately 1.2 million children lost that year, including a pregnant woman whose unborn child bore silent witness to those who will be lost in 2012.

Despite the somber occasion the event marks, the March for Life is always a somewhat festive affair, and this year was no exception. The cathedral filled up quickly, so hundreds of worshipers gathered in an open-air tent in the cathedral square to watch Mass on a television monitor.

Meanwhile, just blocks away at First Baptist Dallas, Evangelicals held a praise and worship service that began with music from the Christ for the Nations singers. Walter Guillaume, Executive Pastor of First Baptist, welcomed thousands, including scores of Christ for the Nations International students, who were gathered to hear a moving testimonial from women hurt by abortion. Former abortion provider, Carol Everett, gave a stirring speech, followed by Save the Storks’ David Pomerantz, a college student, who shared an unforgettable testimony of his transition to pro-life activist in high school, fulfilling a plan for his life ordained generations ago when his grandfather narrowly escaped imprisonment and death in Nazi Germany.

Dr. Jack Hatcher, the vice president of Christ for the Nations closed the service with a charge to march, and marchers with yellow balloons bearing the word “LIFE” lined up to join the Catholics who would soon be marching by.

By now, non-Catholics and latecomers began arriving outside the cathedral, the volunteers were gathering in their orange vests to escort marchers, and members of the Dallas Police Department began to prepare for the two mile walk to the federal building.

By the time Mass was over, the square and the street outside were full, and the crowd leaving the church caused a gentle crush. As families, friends, and pro-life strangers gathered, a team of volunteers arrived with hundreds of “LIFE” balloons.

As the crowd of several thousand moved peacefully along the streets of downtown Dallas, they were joined by yet another enormous crowd from First Baptist. Guided by road blocks and police, some chatted, some reconnected with fellow protesters they only see once or twice a year, and others prayed the rosary in groups as they walked. Most carried signs. Many children carried ones they made themselves.

As the crowd arrived and filled up the courtyard outside the Earle Cabell Federal Building, where the original suit in the Roe case was filed in 1970, Prestonwood Christian Academy Chapel Band was playing praise and worship music. The courtyard, for the first year ever, filled up completely, and Karen Garnett of Catholic Pro-Life Committee took to the stage to enthusiastically remind a cheering crowd that Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards announced recently the company had its worst year ever.

Event organizer Kyleen Wright of Texans for Life Coalition, sponsors of the recently upheld Texas informed consent bill known as the Sonogram Law, was on hand, as was Dallas bishop KevinFarrell. Also on hand was Bishop Kevin Vann of the Fort Worth Diocese, and event organizer, Chanacee Ruth-Kilgore, Director of the Respect Life Office of that diocese. Dr. Barry Creamer, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Criswell College and host of the For Christ and Culture radio show, gave an eloquent speech about the need for a change in how our culture views children.”That the day would come when our society looks at the next young mouth that comes into the world and instead of saying, ‘Someone else to eat our food, someone else to drink our water, one more leech to sap society and its economy.’ Instead of that, they look at that child and realize that every child of God is a gift from Him that brings more into the world than it will ever consume.”

Post-abortive mother Lisa Luby Ryan gave an emotional testimony about the three children she lost to abortion, and former Planned Parenthood clinic manager Ramona Trevino spoke about the great victories against Planned Parenthood this year. Finally, “Roe” herself, Norma McCorvey, addressed the crowd, encouraging them to continue fighting for the rights of the unborn.

At last, yellow “LIFE” balloons bobbing, the group made its way back to their cars and buses, some stopping at the Cathedral or First Baptist on the way back for refreshments or to view information on pro-life ministries in the area.

The next day, there was no coverage whatsoever on the event in the Dallas Morning News. Apparently an annual gathering of several thousand people big enough to require 33 police escorts, a large police command station, a helicopter fly-over, and a shutdown of half of downtown Dallas is not newsworthy.

Texans for Life president Kyleen Wright shoots down the argument that a recurring event is not news when she points out that the Susan G. Komen breast cancer walk, various parades, 4th of July celebrations, and other annual occurrences get plenty of coverage from the Dallas Morning News. “This is the largest event Dallas permits on a recurring basis, and it grows substantially every year, despite the harsh weather that is often associated with it,” she said. “It is no secret that as we began to make real gains in the pro-life movement, that the media quit talking about it as much as possible. Legislation tends to sort of force them out of that policy, though, since no matter how hard they try to pretend legalized abortion on demand is a settled matter in this country, it absolutely is not.”

It most certainly isn’t, as evidenced by the thousands of men, women, and children who got out of bed early on a cold day and took to the streets to tell America and the world they will not rest until we recognize that human rights begin when human life begins, and put an end to abortion in our country.

Outrage!

texlife — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:44:08 +0000

The pro-abortion blogosphere is on fire with outrage over the Susan B. Anthony & Frederick Douglass Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act, or PreNDA. The purpose of the bill is to keep women from being coerced into aborting their child based on its gender or race.

There’s a simple way around this, of course, in that the woman can lie about her reason for aborting. But even this easily slipped knot is too restrictive for abortion advocates.

Part of what’s angering pro-aborts — besides the idea of applying any restrictions whatsoever to abortion — is that the abortion provider could be punished if he knowingly aborts a baby based on its gender or race.

Also, Ms. Magazine, and maybe some other publications people actually read, grumbles that this bill is aimed to single out women of color.

Lastly, the name of the bill is apparently offensive to the pro-aborts, who are fond of co-opting women and black people for their own cause and don’t want to share. They say that “scholars agree” Susan B. Anthony’s views on abortion were not as clear-cut as so-called pro-life feminists would have us believe.

Let’s take this one hypocrisy, irony, and lie at a time, shall we?

First: if it were the woman who was punished for aborting a child, I promise the pro-aborts would be screaming their heads off. It doesn’t matter to them who is punished for an abortion. It’s the idea that anyone — besides the baby, of course — could face legal action over an abortion that drives them crazy. If the bill stated that a woman seeking a sex or race-based abortion could be prosecuted, I guarantee you this same blogger would be just incensed as she is now over the provider being punished.

Second: how ironic is it that Ms. Magazine, et. al., are playing the race card over a bill that will keep babies from being killed based on their race?

Third: Let’s leave the scholars out of this and let Susan B. Anthony tell you what she thinks about abortion in her own words:

“Guilty? Yes. No matter what the motive, love of ease, or a desire to save from suffering the unborn innocent, the woman is awfully guilty who commits the deed. It will burden her conscience in life, it will burden her soul in death; But oh, thrice guilty is he who drove her to the desperation which impelled her to the crime.”

Not a lot of room for interpretation there.

According to The New Statesman, Congressman Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) crafted the bill so that not only the abortion provider but anyone seeking to coerce a woman into aborting based on sex and race could spend up to five years behind bars. “The result of abortion on demand in America today is that between 40 and 50 percent of all African-American babies — virtually one in two — are killed before they’re born,” said Franks.

The article goes on to say that in a Congressional hearing about PreNDA, Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) cited a University of Southern California study of Indian-American women who faced abuse at the hands of their husbands when they revealed they were carrying female babies. “Some husbands have even reportedly withheld food and water from their wives,” Chabot testified. “Some hit, punched, choked, and kicked the women in the abdomen, attempting to forcibly terminate the pregnancy.”

PreNDA would see to it these men received more than a domestic abuse charge.

All abortions are wrong, and it can be argued that killing a baby because it is a certain gender or race is no worse than killing one for any reason. But this bill could save lives, and it could draw attention to the tragically high abortion rate among black women and the 100 million plus baby girls worldwide who have died because they were female.

An Ugly Picture

kwalker — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:31:23 +0000

Abortion advocates paint an ugly picture of the pro-life movement. What if everything they said were true? It might look a little something like this.

Dear ____________,

First of all, you’re no doubt aware by now that our motives are not exactly what we say they are in the media. All of us have different reasons for opposing abortion. For example, I hate women. Others may not hate women per se, but certainly don’t believe they deserve equal rights. The very idea is preposterous!

Many of us are also sexual Puritans who don’t think anyone in the world should enjoy sex. I’m proud to say most of our women are frigid! Truth is, the primary motive behind opposing abortion is slut-shaming, but you’ve probably figured that out by now.

It goes without saying, if you are lacking in religious zeal you won’t get along here. You have to enjoy persecuting others to do the work of the pro-life movement. If you have ever thought to yourself, “Wow, I wish I could have been around to enjoy the Salem witch trials,” then this is the cause for you!

It’s important that we lie to people about our motives — obviously! We’re not all that concerned about the babies. It’s more about control and ruining everyone’s good time. We can’t let that get out!

We also need to keep it a secret that we’re constantly plotting violence against abortion doctors and clinic workers. Sure, there have been very few acts of violence thus far, but we’ve only had 40-something years. Just wait! We’re planning something big! Any minute now…

Luckily, science is on our side, but that doesn’t mean you can’t lie if it’s expedient. Remember, God won’t mind if you lie, cheat, or steal, as long as it’s for a good cause! And speaking of good causes, our primary goal — never forget — is to keep people focused on fetuses so they don’t care about the homeless or child abuse or any other causes.

By now you are well aware we don’t care about women or their health. Keep that very quiet!

There are a lot of ways to oppress and persecute in the name of God, but harming women is our favorite. Just follow our lead, and you’ll be ruining lives in no time! After all, punishment is what it’s all about.

For “Life,”

_________________

Kristen Walker makes people mad on the Internet and sometimes tweets.

Super Bowl Year for Pro-Life in Texas!

texlife — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 01:53:12 +0000

Sometimes I feel like a Dallas Cowboy. You hit hard over and over again. You take the hits. You pour out your blood, sweat and tears, and still some years are a total discouragement. The Cowboys are welcomed back home, even when they fail, with pats on the back and high hopes for the next year. But when they come home winners..WOW! When they hit the big time, the SUPER BOWL, and finally see where their years of work have paid off, then what a celebration it is!

Well, this is a Super Bowl year for pro-life in Texas! Although I have participated in previous years, never have I felt the excitement or anticipation of this year’s March and Rally! This is the 39^th anniversary of Roe v Wade – the abortion decision that was originally filed right here in Dallas, Texas at the Federal Courthouse. We are celebrating God’s gift of Life and the extraordinary gains we have made—and continue to make—at the March for Life and Rally in Dallas! It’s the largest pro-life march in all of Texas! We are going to be the Super Bowl of witnesses for life along with almost 10,000 others!

Our exciting lineup of speakers that will rally with us at the Federal Courthouse in Dallas this year includes Bishop Kevin Farrell of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas; Dr. Barry Creamer, host of KCBI’s Coffee with Creamer, and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Criswell College; Norma McCorvey, the “Jane Roe” of Roe v. Wade, and more!

I am telling my friends, my church family, and anyone else I can recruit¸ and we are going early and staying late on Saturday, January 21st! I’m packing my lunch, wearing my walking shoes and going prepared for any weather, because I’m going to proudly and peacefully stand up and march for the babies – That they may have Life! Just like John 10:10 says! I can’t wait to buy the pro-life balloons, walk the walk, listen to the speakers, and attend the pro-life ministry fair! I don’t want to miss a thing!

Don’t miss this historic event! Be the news, don’t just sit back and watch it! We can’t wait to see you there!! God Bless you and your pro-life heart!

Donna Flores
Development Director
Texans for Life Coalition