LifeLines February

LifeLines is the newsletter of the Rochester Area Right to Life. Older, complete issues in print are available in the Rochester office. These articles have been selected from the issue in print.

Presidential Primary Elections
to pick presidential nominees of the Democratic, Green, Independent and Republican parties

Tuesday, March 7^th from 12:00 to 9:00 PM

Every person registered in one of the four parties named above is eligible to vote in their party’s primary election to identify the party’s candidate for the office of President of the United States

Again United Way donors will be able to make campaign contributions to Rochester Area Right to Life Committee, Education Fund. These donations are very important to maintaining/expanding area pro-life education efforts. Money donated to RARTL Education Fund is received monthly. A percentage of the total donations is kept by the United Way to cover their administrative costs.

In Rochester, NY, to support the Rochester Area Right to Life Committee, Inc. Education Fund through the 2000 United Way Campaign:

1. Request a 2000 Donor Choice Designation Form when your employer gives you a pledge card.

2. In the section entitled Other Eligible Organizations you will see Rochester Area Right to Life Committee, Inc. Education Fund, numbered 1087.

3. On the Designation Form, Choice #3 should be completed to identify (1) RARTL by its name and number and (2) the amount you wish RARTL to receive from you.

4. Return both the Pledge Card and the Designation Card to the person specified by your employer.

We recognize that the United Way Campaign collects and provides funds for many valuable services. We also believe that activities affirming life itself are an essential core. In advance we thank pro-life people who direct their donations to support RARTL’s pro-life efforts in the Rochester, NY, area.

On 1/6/00, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released figures on U.S. abortions. In 1997, (most current year available) the number of reported abortions was 1,184,758 – lower than any number the CDC has reported since 1978. The abortion rate was 20/1,000 women, ages 15 – 44; the ratio was 305 abortions per 1,000 live births – the lowest since 1975.

NRLC Media Director Laura Echevarria applauded the work of pro-life people. She reminded that technology has given Americans better understanding of the unborn child. She noted that the lower number of abortions and opinion polls’ drop in support of abortions coincide with the national discussion/debate of partial-birth abortion.

Janet Parshall, Director of Family Research Council (FRC), also applauded the drop. She reported the following from a 1/98 Wirthlin poll, commissioned by the FRC.

Age: Annually, about 2% of American women aged 15 to 44; a decline since 1980 when it was 3%. Based on 1992 numbers, an estimated 43% of women now of childbearing age will have had at least 1 abortion by the time they are 45 years old

Income: In 1995 almost as many white women from households with annual incomes above $60,000 had about as many of that year’s 1.4 million abortions as white women from households with incomes below $15,000.

Stanley Henshaw from the Alan Guttmacher Institute said "Highly educated people are less likely to have ‘unintended pregnancies", but they are also less tolerant of them."

Race: 46%. i.e. fewer than one half of women having abortions are white; they are 74% of the population. Black women have 29% of the abortions; they are 12% of the population. Hispanic women account for 20% of the abortion total; they are 11% of the population.

Religion: 54% of American women identify themselves as Protestant; they had 37% of the abortions. 31% identify them-selves as Catholic; they had 31% of the abortions. 6% held no professed religion; they had 24% of the abortion total. Peter Brimelow; Forbes, 10/18/99

BBC News reported on a British Pregnancy Advisory Services survey results of 2,000 women seeking abortion.

A BPAS spokesman concluded "abortion care is an essential support to other family planning services." The Wanderer; 11/11/99

Trademark Registration (for Planned Parenthood)
TM 124
Class 42 – (Continued). OFFICIAL GAZETTE

SN 346.339. Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc.
New York, N.Y. Filed Jan. 19, 1982.

Owner of U.S. Reg. No. 1,195,422.
The mark represents the stylized letters "PP".
For Promoting the Accessibility of Effective Means of Voluntary Fertility Control, Especially Contraception and Abortion (emphasis added) (U.S. C1.100)
First use October 16, 1981; in commerce Oct. 16, 1981.

A 5/99 CNN/USA Today poll found 58% of Americans believe either that abortion should be "illegal in all circumstances" or "legal only in a few circumstances."

A Princeton Survey Research Associates poll conducted for the pro-abortion Center for Gender Equality showed women becoming more pro-life. It found 70% of American women favor "more restrictions" on abortion and that 53% believe that abortion should be legal (at most) in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. National Catholic Register; 10/31/99

Sally Winn, former coordinator of Indiana Democrats for Life is now Chairman of the National Pro-Life Democrats Committee. (NPLDC). She said: "The Democrat Party has historically been based on protecting the defenseless and voiceless members of our society. The NPLDC plans to educate the party so that it once again recognizes that unborn children are a part of that group and deserve our protection."

Winn continued: "2 of every five rank and file Democrat classify themselves as pro-life, yet many of us have been ostracized on the national and local levels by the leadership … Abortion advocates such as PP and NARAL have thrown millions of dollars at party leadership to keep our voices from being heard… The NPLDC will work diligently to ensure that pro-life Democrats have a seat at the table."

National Pro-life Democrats Committee, an out-reach of National Right to Life Committee; 419 7^th St. NW; Suite 500; Washington, DC 20004; 1-202-626-8800, ext 238; fax 1-202-393-2610; e-mail ProLifeDemocrats@aol.com

This bill was passed by the House. Then it was thought the bill would go to the Senate attached to other year end legislation. Sen. Don Nickles, (R-Okla), the bill sponsor in the Senate, recognized that the bill would be filibustered if taken directly to the floor for a vote.

This bill does mean that federally controlled substances could not be used for intentionally ending life through physician-assisted suicide. The bill will go through Senate Health, Education and Pensions Committee hearings, chaired by liberal Sen. Jim Jeffords, (R-VT). Sen. Ted Kennedy, (D-Mass.) is a member.

The final Senate vote is probably 6 months away but NY’s Senators Moynihan and Schumer need to know now that this bill has the support of those who want terminally ill people treated with compassion. We want them to communicate this to Senate Health, Education and Pensions Committee members.

Final points to be made now with both Senators Daniel Moynihan and Charles Schumer: ¹ co-sponsor the Pain Relief Promotion Act; ² promise to vote for cloture to enable a vote on the Pain Relief Promotion Act.

Supreme Court justices debated on 1/20/00 over the free-speech rights of abortion protestors and what limits can be placed on their "sidewalk counseling" outside abortion facilities. The issue before the justices is a Colorado law requiring protesters to stay at least eight feet away from people entering abortion facilities, unless someone agrees to closer contact to talk or take a leaflet. The law "makes the peaceful distribution of a leaflet, the display of a sign ... a crime if prior consent is not obtained."

"You certainly can convey anything you want to convey orally from a distance of eight feet," Justice Sandra Day O'Connor told attorney Jay A. Sekulow, representing three protesters who challenged the law. If a person wants to take a leaflet "they can and will and it would be the same if it were one foot or eight feet." she added.

Justice Antonin Scalia challenged the Colorado Solicitor General’s argument that the law was neutrally written. "I think we know what it's aimed at, which is abortion protesters," Scalia said, adding that counseling someone to consider the consequences of abortion is "a totally different entity when you do it from eight feet away."

The Colorado Supreme Court had upheld the law, and Sekulow had asked the justices to reverse that ruling. A decision is expected by July. The justices asked some pointed questions:

Justice Kennedy: Would the law bar all protest activity, even if it were only one office in a tall building? He then remarked: "It seems to me that this is troublesome…whimsical and imprecise." He added that the law then could affect businessmen, lawyers and other occupants of the building.

Justice Scalia and Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist asked similar types of questions, e.g. if the same type of limits could be set on labor picketing. "In the public forum out in the street, can we have a law that enables people to turn off unwelcome speech?"

18 states are backing Colorado. Demonstrators are being supported by, among others, the AFL-CIO and the American Civil Liberties Union. The AFL-CIO's brief said its member unions have a "vital interest" in citizens' free-speech right to express their views on the public streets by picketing and leafleting." The ACLU's brief said that barring speech, e.g. handing out a leaflet, would not obstruct someone entering or leaving a clinic.

The Supreme Court has addressed the abortion-protest issue twice before. In 1994 they upheld a 36-foot demonstration-free zone around a Florida abortion facility. In a 1997 NY case, they upheld a 15-foot buffer zone around abortion facility entrances.

Last year the Colorado Supreme Court again upheld the state law, saying an 8, unlike a 15 foot, buffer zone, "allows for normal conversational tones." "This is a case where the state of Colorado went too far in its zeal to keep peaceful, pro-life sidewalk counselors away from medical facilities," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, who presented oral arguments before the Court on behalf of 3 pro-life demonstrators in the Colorado case. "The Colorado statute is not only vague and overbroad, but it sends a very disturbing message by criminalizing free speech activity in public areas outside medical facilities." Sekulow said: "The Supreme Court has an important opportunity to clarify that there is no abortion speech exception to the First Amendment on sidewalks surrounding abortion clinics. This case may very well represent a defining moment in First Amendment law." "Sidewalk counselors who oppose abortion should not have to surrender their constitutionally protected First Amendment rights because some people disagree with their message," said Sekulow. "The Colorado law directly restricts constitutional rights and suppresses freedom. We have asked the Supreme Court to overturn the lower court ruling …and declare the law unconstitutional." The ruling is expected by the end of June.

National Right to Life Committee, with state affiliates and their local affiliates, was founded and designed to restore legal protection of innocent human lives threatened by abortion, infanticide and euthanasia. To achieve this goal, work is done in three distinct areas: education, advocacy and political action.

Education focuses on providing factual information to the public through publications and presentations. Advocacy stresses introduction/support of pro-life bills and opposition to anti-life bills in both the state and federal legislatures. Political action is done by the Political Action Committee which screens, identifies and endorses major party, pro-life voting records.

These activities require staff and volunteer efforts. As we work to get government/law on our side, we move closer to our goal of govern-ment again protecting human life rather than protecting the social and financial goals of abortionists and their supporters. Significant progress has been made by working within this structure. For progress to con-tinue, this structure must be maintained. As a matter of policy, RTL engages in only legal activities.

Thus, neither the National, nor the state RTL (or affiliates) have any involvement in illegal, direct action. While RTL recognizes the frustration and fully empathizes with those who are drawn to direct action, it also recognizes that there are numerous paths leading to a common goal. Some people may choose one or another – many choose several; we respect the personal decision of each individual.

The abortion battle has been likened to the civil rights battle. History shows that direct action, as well as education, advocacy and political action led to the civil rights victory. As the NAACP did not sponsor, direct, illegal activity in that battle, RTL does not sponsor direct, illegal activity in the abortion battle.

Although tactics in the pro-life movement are varied, when victory is attained, it will be because all pro-life individuals will have done whatever they could, with whatever they had, wherever they were, for as long as they were able. Adopted: NYSRTL Bd of Directors: 11/12/88; RARTL Bd of Directors: 12/15/88

Editor’s Note: RARTL does not support or participate in illegal, direct action about abortion. It condemns both the violence of abortion as well as any violence done to those who support/ beieve in abortion. RARTL strongly supports the call for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Colorado law that restricts the right to free speech only when the topic is abortion.

The U. S. Supreme Court will decide whether states may ban partial-birth-abortions (PBAs). It will review a Nebraska law making it illegal to perform PBAs.

The 8^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously struck down Nebraska’s PBA ban and similar laws in Arkansas and Iowa. That court called the ban unconstitutional and described the law's wording as "… could also ban most abortions." The case will be heard in April; a decision is expected by July. Nearly identical laws have been passed in 27 other states but courts have blocked enforcement of all but 8 of them.

A month after the Nebraska and the Iowa and Arkansas laws were struck down, nearly identical laws in Illinois and Wisconsin were upheld by the 7^th U. S. Circuit Court. That cre-ated a conflict requiring the U.S. Supreme Court's final ruling.

Nebraska Gov. Johanns said, ``I feel strongly that states should have the right to legislate in the area of partial-birth abortion. It's a barbaric procedure that I hope is brought to an end.'' Nebraska Attorney General Stenberg agreed: ``It shocks the conscience that in the United States of America a human child can be literally pulled from the womb and cruelly killed by having his or her skull punctured and brain suctioned out.''

Stenberg gave the Supreme Court a bold appeal. He not only urged the court to reinstate the ban on the partial-birth abortion procedure but also asked the justices to reverse past rulings and give states a free hand to more stringently restrict, or even ban, more abortions. The order issued by the court indicated the justices would not consider that request.

James Bopp Jr., General Counsel of NRLC, said the case is important ``because it will set the outer limit of the so-called ‘right to abortion’ but it is not a challenge to Roe v Wade." The U.S. Supreme Court has not issued a major abortion ruling since 1992 when it reaffirmed the core holding of its 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion on demand. Bopp continued: "even under Roe v. Wade, bans on partial-birth abortion could and should be upheld because the court's precedents on the right to abortion did not apply to 'the killing of living infants who are only inches away from being fully born alive."

FRC Chief Spokesperson Janet Parshall also issued a state-ment: "It is to be expected and applauded that the Supreme Court has finally decided to rule on partial-birth abortion. We hope the judges uphold the ruling of the lower court and end this very gruesome, specific measure of infanticide. "The court of public opinion has already ruled on partial birth abortion, … it is time for the Supreme Court to uphold, not thwart, the will of the Am-erican people. Truth, the Constitution, and human decency will triumph if the Court exercises its independence from the abortion lobby. If America's founding principles are to be upheld, partial-birth abortion must stop." The Family Research Council filed an amicus brief in this case in support of Nebraska's law.

Danish doctors completed a study suggesting that abortions affect the duration of a woman's future pregnancies. Abortion is legal in Denmark. Investigators were able to look at medical records to retrieve data on abortion rates. They examined the information on about 61,000 women who were pregnant between 1980 and 1982. More than 52,500 had abortions; 46,026 carried their pregnancies to term.

Investigators found that both pre-term and post-term births increased significantly in women who had abortions. Post-term births were high no matter how much time had passed between pregnancies, whereas the risk of a pre-term birth was high only if the interval between pregnancies was longer than one year

Investigators cautioned about factors not controlled in the study e.g. hypertension, asthma, smoking, race, socioeconomic status, gestational bleeding and cervical incompetence --and that these factors may have affected study results. Obstetrics and Gynecology Ivanhoe Newswire, Dec. 13, 1999

Alveda King, the niece of slain civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., is a pro-life advocate. On 1/16/00 at Boston University she said: "All people …need to protect the rights of the unborn." and that had been part of her uncle's dream for freedom. "What would Martin Luther King say if he saw the skulls of babies at the bottom of abortion pits?" King asked. "If Martin Luther King's dream is to live, our babies must live."

She called for all present to take leadership positions on the abortion issue. Despite her action call, she is opposed to violent, forceful measures, e.g. bombing abortion facilities. "Anyone who values life will not take it for any reason. We are not in the business of taking life." She then spoke about partial birth abortions, as "one of the most heinous crimes against the unborn."

According to King, the fight to protect an unborn baby is not new. She pointed to the Bible, e.g. the lives of Moses and Jesus who were threatened before they were even born.

King advocates adoption as a solution to unwanted preg-nancies, and believes ministering to the "moms and dads" before they assume the role of parents is a positive step toward stronger families." King feels that by choosing life, people will realize her uncle's dream. "How can the dream survive if we destroy the children?" King asked. "Life was very precious to my uncle and life today is precious. This is the season we celebrate the contributions of Martin Luther King and how he lived a life of love and gratitude. This is the day to choose life."

The event at which King spoke was hosted by the Massachusetts Citizens for Life was entitled "Restoring the Right to Life in the New Millennium" Prolife Infonet: 1/19/00

On 12/29/99, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Washington-based Islamic advocacy group, released results of a nationwide survey of American Muslim political attitudes. The 878 person poll showed 55% believe abortion should be prohibited except to save the life of the mother.

Muslims from more than 40 states responded to the survey, with most responses coming from California, Virginia, Texas, Illinois, Maryland, Ohio, Michigan, and New York. (In order from most to lesser number of responses.) There are an estimated 6,000,000 Muslims in America; 1.2 billion worldwide. Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in America. Associated Press

The UNFPA chose 12 October 1999 -- the date world population was to reach 6 billion -- to again raise the tired claim of overpopulation. Joined by International Planned Parenthood Federation, they tried to frighten Washington into spending more money on family planning programs, at home and abroad.

The most significant aspects of the birth of Baby Six Billion were unmentioned: World population will never double again. If there is any population crisis in the developed world, it is one of looming depopulation, not overpopulation.

Consider the growing labor short-age in the United States. Early in November, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan released a report stating that American productivity and market competitiveness were being threatened by an ever-tightening labor force. How did he propose to address the problem? One suggestion was to increase imports, thus moving American jobs offshore. A second was to expand the workforce, which is hardly possible in a time of record-low unemployment unless you raise the age of retirement.

The fact, unmentioned by Greenspan, is America's birthrate has been below replacement since about 1970. There are simply too few young people coming into the workforce to fill available jobs.

Put another way, America's population growth rate is too low to sustain its current rate of economic growth This will increasingly effect U.S.A. competitiveness on the world market. According to the Census Bureau, the present US rate of natural increase is only about � of 1% annually, and is dropping rapidly. By 2030, without either a significant increase in the birthrate or a massive increase in immigration, the US population will be in absolute decline.

The problems this will cause are now apparent in the Northeast. A joint report issued by the Center for Labor Market Studies: Northeastern University and the non-profit organization Mass INC emphasized the social and economic impact of falling birth rates. Entitled The Changing Workforce: Immigrants and the New Economy in Massachusetts, the report highlights Massachusetts' falling birthrates, and, thus, its increasing dependence on foreign immigration for sustaining both the state's population and the growth and success of its economy.

Dependence on immigration for sustaining economic productivity ex-tends throughout the entire Northeast Corridor, i.e.. NY, NJ, RI and Conn. together with Mass. If not for immigration, the current labor force of the entire New England region would be 200,000 workers less than it was in 1990.

"Many New Englander's have voluntarily adopted a one-child policy, justifying their selfishness by an appeal to the myth of overpopulation," said Population Research Institute President, Steven W. Mosher. "Having chosen fewer children, they will either admit more immigrants or watch creeping economic stagnation infect the entire region. 'Give me your tired huddled masses yearning to breathe free' will be in effect rewritten to say 'Give me your tired huddled masses .to fill our emptying classrooms, take our vacant jobs, and support us in our old age.'"

If birthrates continue to fall according to current projections, Massachusetts and the Northeast Corridor will be joined by more and more states in their dependence on foreign immigration during the new millennium. Population Research Institute Weekly Briefing, 12/16/99

A draft bill would give Belgium one of the world's most pro-assisted suicide policies. Although it has met primarily Roman Catholic opposition, the proposals are expected to become law by June, 00. The ruling six-party coalition of French and Flemish Socialists, Liberals and Greens has moved fast to legalize assisted suicide since coming to power in mid-1999.

The opposition Christian Democrats were defeated in the 6/99 elections. They are now heavily out-numbered in the Chamber of Deputies (Lower House of Parliament). During their 40 years in the majority, they had managed to suppress attempts to legalize assisted suicide. Now the coalition has taken its draft bill before the Senate (Upper House), insisting it would accept no amendments to the plan's basic principles.

The bill would legalize assisted suicide for adults with an incurable illness causing them unbearable and constant suffering and who are of sound mind and have clearly asked to die. Euthanasia would also be legalized for anyone, in a coma, with no prospect of recovering consciousness, and who had requested, before two witnesses, to have their life ended in such circumstances within the previous five years. The bill also provides for a committee of doctors and lawyers to be set up to ensure the law is being respected.

The government stressed euthanasia should not be seen as an alternative to palliative care. The bill would put Belgian law on a par with legislation in the state of Oregon.

Euthanasia is widely practiced in Belgian hospitals Doctors can be prosecuted under the current penal code. Although Christian Democrats previous-ly opposed euthanasia, the Lower House will have its chance to discuss the bill early in 2000 after the Senate has finished its deliberations. La Libre Belgique, a daily newspaper with strong Catholic affiliations, said

The bill could be open to widespread abuse as euthanasia would not be restricted to terminally ill patients. It would be available also to those with, potentially, years to live, e.g. persons who have lost the use of arms and legs.

Discussions of this bill were held in secret. "If these proposals are accepted, Belgium will have the most liberal euthanasia legislation, more so even than in the Netherlands,'' said Hugo Vandenberghe, leader of the Flemish Christian Democrat group in the Senate. Government sources say they do not expect the bill to prompt the kind of constitutional crisis that saw Catholic King Baudouin abdicate for 24 hours in 1990 to avoid having to sign a bill legalizing abortion. The current king, Albert II, is seen as moderately supportive of assisted suicide. Reuters News

Call the RARTL office before or on Primary Day only if you just want to be reminded to vote.

The RARTL PAC can legally endorse both federal and state candidates for elective offices. In primaries, there are often many candidates of various degrees of seriousness. It is impractical, often impossible, to survey and interview large numbers, many of whom will lose in the primary. Thus, neither NRLC, NYSRTL nor RARTL PACs make endorsements in primaries.

Certainly information on candidates is available. It can be obtained by calling the candidates’ local offices. Newspapers and other publications will give some descriptive information about candidate stands. For those who are computer literate or have a friend able to use a computer, following are current candidates’ web sites:

John McCain's presidential campaign includes another falsehood in seeking to evade the substance of criti-cisms leveled in radio ads sponsored by South Carolina Citizens for Life and National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) PACs.

The ads, first run 1/1/00 in South Carolina cities, criticize McCain for telling the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board

"certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade,"

A press release posted on the national McCain campaign website, titled, "Secret Soft Money Funds Another Attack Against Reformer McCain," claims that "National Right to Life uses so-called 'soft money' to pay for their ads . This group should immediately take down its ads or at least disclose the names of their secret donors."

NRLC PAC Director Carol Long Tobias said: "In fact, these ads are paid for entirely with so-called 'hard money.’ This should be absolutely obvious to McCain or anybody else who claims to be an expert on federal election law. The ads are sponsored by two PACs, they contain words explicitly calling for McCain's defeat, and they contain the disclaimers that the FEC requires for independent expenditures. The names of all donors of over $200 to either PAC are reported …to the FEC, and are available for inspection in the FEC database.'"

"Only regular members of our organizations may be solicited to donate to these PACs and there is a limit of $5,000 per year per donor -- the actual average donation is more like $30," Tobias explained and then continued:

"As for so-called soft money, in America groups have a constitutional right to comment on the positions of politicians without government regulation or rationing, except for communications that expressly urge the election or defeat of a candidate."

"Indeed, a federal judge last week slapped the FEC with a nationwide in-junction, ordering the agency to stop vio-lating the First Amendment by trying to regulate communications that do not include express words advocating the election or defeat of a candidate. But the radio ads sponsored by South Carolina Citizens for Life PAC and NRLC PAC do contain words of express advocacy and they are funded entirely with 'hard money.'"

Although the McCain press release refers to the ads as "a false attack," it says absolutely nothing about either McCain's San Francisco statement on Roe. " McCain knows he is vulnerable on the substance, so he wants to change the subject," Tobias commented.

Holly Gatling, Executive Director of South Carolina Citizens for Life PAC, co-sponsor of the ads, said:

"Our group was formed in 1974…The voters in the 70,000 pro-life households we reach need to know about McCain's San Francisco statement in favor of Roe v. Wade and his bad record on approving using baby body parts for experimentation. As one with 20 years experience as a reporter, I believe that McCain's press release shows a reckless disregard for the truth."

National Right to Life & South Carolina Citizens for Life Press Release, 1/12/00

Thanks to so many of you who took the time to do the evaluation of LIFE-LINES. We were very pleased to receive very positive evaluation numbers and comments from almost everyone. Most read LIFE-LINES immediately or in a week with most checking "timely" and "informative" about the articles. There was particular mention often of appreciation of both legislative and political information. Many made insightful comments about the issue and gave us some thought-provoking ideas.

From the responses, we believe you, the readers, feel LIFE-LINES has value to you. We learned of no changes requested by the majority. Some were concerned that the glossy paper may be more expensive, but our printer keeps the costs constant. He uses it for us when it is available.

Should you ever recognize additional areas needing coverage or find that this publication is not beneficial to you, please drop us a note and tell us what you feel is missing or needs improvement. We certainly want you, the readers, to be satisfied as well as you, the owners. This is a membership organization and without member support, little could be done.

We are pleased to report that we have purchased six sets of fetal models. Pamphlets, books and videos are all useful in teaching about life before birth, but the most effective teaching tool continues to be the fetal models. To insure that they are available in schools, donations of fetal models have been made to McQuaid, Mercy and Bishop Kearney High Schools. Offers have been made to other schools and responses are expected shortly. This is yet another example of pro-life work accomplished because of your support.

Pro-life Oratorical Contest

National, State, and Local Levels

High school and home-schooled Juniors and Seniors are invited to research, write and then present a 5 - 7 minute original speech on one of the following topics

The Tragedy of Abortion
The Tragedy of Infanticide
The Tragedy of Euthanasia

A local contest will be held in April at the RARTL office if there are applicants. Local contest winner will receive the cost of transportation, room and board to be present in Albany in May for the NY State Oratorical. Call the RARTL office for more information.

Please become a prayer partner by spending 5-10 minutes daily in prayer about life issues. We hope this partnership will fill 24 hours of each day to have a prayer shield over the area. Please join in the following suggested weekly prayer themes for

January 30: Parents to use their time with their children to teach respect for life by prayer, words and actions.
February 6: This nation, so immersed in death, to turn from sins like abortion and euthanasia to choosing life
February 13: All of us called to speak out in defense of innocent human life to remember His words, "Do not be afraid!"
February 20: Us to recognize that life is a gift from God which we human beings have no right to end at any time from conception to natural death.
February 27: Women who have had abortions that they turn to their Creator for healing and forgiveness
March 6: Kind, patient strength and love for sons, daughters, grandchildren and others providing care to an infirm family member

In Memoriam

Andrew Chanler’s Grandmother - Thomas P. Durkin
Frances A. Morreale - Sally G. Seymour
Paul Petzoldt - Marilyn Doyle
Mary Wojnowski - Marilyn & Jack Doyle
Olga Strand - Marilyn & Jack Doyle

You are most welcome to remember a deceased loved one by making a memorial contribution to the Rochester Area Right to Life Committee Education Fund. Your tax-deductible contribution can also commemorate birthdays, new arrivals, or other special occasions. A card in your name will be sent to the family/person you designate. The contribution amount is confidential.

Mail form & check payable to RARTL Education Fund to RARTL; 675 Ling Road; Rochester, NY 14612

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Use the space on subscription form below to give your name and e-mail address. While you are at it, there are probably some friends or relatives who would appreciate your subscribing to LIFE-LINES for them.

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