pro-life Archives

Talking Health Care & Abortion

There are two things that will drive a debate to the point of a decision: Pain and partisan politics, though not necessarily in that order.

The legislative wrangling regarding health care reform is raging red hot these days. Admittedly, it’s a complex issue. For some, there is a genuine and sincere appeal to its passage, centered on a desire to help those families least able to help themselves. Few would fail to acknowledge the real pain of those most in need; those who are unable to access necessary health care for themselves and their loved ones.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: policy, pro-life August 5, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

High Cost of Healthcare Reform

Thursday’s broadcast last week featured a conversation between Tony Perkins (president of Family Research Council), our own Senior Vice President Tom Minnery and myself on the topic of managing the nation’s healthcare. As you may know, the nation is engaged in a vigorous debate whether or not the government should step into the health care arena—or leave health coverage to private providers.

It strikes me that regardless of whether you come down on the side of handing the healthcare system to the government or keeping it privatized, we need to acknowledge there aspects of the current system that require our attention.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, news, policy, pro-life August 3, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

One Small Step

In my last post I spent some time talking about the 40th anniversary of the first lunar landing. I just came across a terrific advertisement crafted by the organization called CatholicVote.com.

I love the creative way they cast the pro-life message in light of a man walking on the moon. We applaud these good folks with whom we share our devotion for the defense and celebration of life.

Click here to enjoy the brief yet powerful video, and consider sharing it with a friend.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: pro-life July 20, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Help Me, Hillary

A remarkable event happened recently which was largely ignored by the media. Earlier this year Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accepted the 2009 Margaret Sanger Award, the highest honor offered by Planned Parenthood, named after their founder, a noted eugenicist. If you’re unfamiliar with eugenics, it’s an approach to “improving” the human race through the process of “selective breeding.” Yes, for those who know about World War II, this was one of many theories embraced by the Nazis.

Topics: Current Events Tags: events, family, news, pro-life July 1, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The “Blessing” of Abortion

Just when I thought I’d heard every positive spin used to justify the practice of aborting babies, I cracked open this week’s edition of WORLD magazine. Marvin Olasky’s article, “The ‘Blessing’ of Abortion,” left me speechless. Olasky presented several excerpts from a speech given by Rev. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale in Alabama. I think you’ll agree Ms. Ragsdale is about as far to the political left of the spectrum as is humanly possible.

For starters, Ragsdale doesn’t agree with Hillary Clinton’s popular pro-choice worldview that believes abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare.” Far from it.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: pro-life May 8, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

A Supermodel’s Pro-life Journey

Last weekend, I was in Memphis speaking to a group of 1,200 attendees at the LifeChoices Banquet. LifeChoices has been helping women in the greater Memphis area facing a crisis pregnancy since 1986. In 1987, LifeChoices became a state-licensed child-placing agency that has found loving homes for children who would have otherwise been aborted.

Two years ago, they added a number of medical services, including ultrasound and diagnostic pregnancy testing and, more recently, opened a counseling center and medical clinic minutes from three abortion clinics.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: policy, pro-life April 28, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Leave it to a 12-year-old

Meet Lia. She’s twelve. She lives in Toronto. And her powerful video, has become a YouTube sensation in just two weeks. More than 330,000 viewers have watched this seventh-grader make the case for life in a speech that almost didn’t happen. As her mother Kimberly explains, “Several teachers discouraged her from picking the topic of abortion; she was told it was ‘too big,’ ‘too mature’ and ‘too controversial.’”

That’s not all Lia was told. Her mother adds, “She was also told that if she went ahead with that topic, she would not be allowed to continue on in the speech competition.” But faced with taking on such a Goliath-sized issue, and in spite of the warnings from her teachers that she might be disqualified from the contest, Lia’s pro-life convictions prevailed.

Topics: Current Events Tags: kids, pro-life February 24, 2009 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Planned Parenthood Report No Reason to Rejoice

Cecile Richards is president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. I’ve not met her. Perhaps one day I’ll have that opportunity. If given the chance to sit across the table from her, there’s no doubt that we’d have our share of differences. For instance, here are just three of what she views as “a year full of noteworthy achievements” as summarized in Planned Parenthood’s Annual Report to Stakeholders:

We provided medical services to more than three million people and helped prevent an estimated 621,000 unintended pregnancies in the U.S.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, kids, pro-life December 10, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Fighting For Dear Life: Part 1

Ever since Sarah Palin was picked as John McCain’s running mate, babies with “special needs” suddenly took center stage in the headlines. Much has been written about her decision not to abort a baby with Down syndrome. Some believe she shouldn’t have brought a special needs child into the world. Others believe she and husband Todd made the right choice. Regardless of your political leanings, I thought I’d add some perspective on the value of every human life.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting, pro-life September 30, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Don’t Back Down on Life

There’s a disturbing news story out of Philly last week regarding the behavior of three or four youth who, just for kicks, burned a pit bull to death. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, the youngsters walked the dog down near the Olney Train Station last Thursday evening placed a blanket on the pit bull and then saturated it with lighter fluid. With the strike of a match, these sadistic juveniles reduced the dog to ashes and then fled the scene.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: events, news, pro-life September 9, 2008 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura