The newsletter of the Rochester Area Right to Life
1998 September/October Articles

LEGISLATORS OK MEASURE ON LATE-TERM ABORTIONS
The Accurate Story

On 10/13/98, by a vote of 21 to 8, the Monroe County Legislature adopted a Resolution i.e.

"Monroe County shall not enter into contracts with or fund any agency, or its affiliates, that performs partial-birth abortions. This policy will be enforced by requiring agencies to attest to the fact that they, or their affiliates, do not perform partial-birth abortions."

Partial-birth abortions are performed from the 4^th through the 9^th month of pregnancy. They are not just late-term abortions as the ban’s opponents continuously said in two hearings. The above inaccurate headline ran in the Democrat Chronicle on 10/14/98 and was heard on Channel 13 News on 10/13/98.

The ban was proposed by Tracy Logel; seconded by Mark Assini, David Proud, Fred Amato, William Reilich, Sean Hanna, James Roose, Michael Hanna, Peter Smeenk, and George Wiedemer. At the 10/13 Legislature meeting, Amato proposed that the funding ban be done to agencies/affiliates who both perform and/or refer for partial-birth abortions; the amendment was defeated. The ban was challenged by opponents and defended by David Proud, Fred Amato, Mark Assini, Peter Pecor, Mike Hanna, Mark Assini, Sean Hanna, William Smith

Voting against the ban: Stephanie Aldersley, H. Todd Bullard, Linda Goldstein, Willie Lightfoot, Kevin Murray, Dale Rath, Bill Benet, Ronnie Thomas. Voting for the ban were Michael Hanna, Fred Amato, Mark Assini, Karla Boyce, Charles Eber, John Ferlicca. Sean Hanna. Tracy Logel, Peter McCann. Peter Pecor. David Proud. William Reilich, Jim Roose, Ray Santirocco, Peter Smeenk, William Smith, Max Streibel. George Wiedemer, Chris Wilmot, Robert Zinck and Dennis Pelletier.

This ban does not mean that partial-birth abortions are illegal or cannot be done in Monroe County. It does mean no agency or affiliate where partial-birth abortions are performed will receive any funding from Monroe County. All of its county funding would be withdrawn.

To date, there has been no other place in the US known to have done this at the county level. We are most grateful to our County Legislature members who proposed and supported this action.

Partial-birth abortions (PBA) Update

In opposing this resolution County Legislator Linda Goldstein provided the Democrat & Chronicle, 9/25/98 with this: "according to Planned Parenthood of Rochester and Genesee Valley, no health agency in this county performs late-term abortions."   Not all PBAs are "late-term" and not all late term abortions are PBAs. The attempt to mislead is obvious.

Facts about partial-birth abortions

It is medically known as "intact dilation and extraction.

Between 4 through 9 months the abortionist pulls a living baby, feet first, from the womb and into the birth canal, except for the head. That is left lodged just inside the cervix (opening of the womb). The abortionist punctures the base of the skull with long surgical scissors. He then inserts a catheter (tube) into the wound and removes the baby’s brain with a powerful suction machine. The skull collapses; a now-dead baby is delivered.  PBAs are generally done in the 4^th through 6^th month but can be done through the 9^th month

• There are no requirements for agencies or doctors to report PBAs to the state.

• There are 2,363 late-term abortions done annually in NY state. Only a few procedures can be used; PBA is one of them.

• In Monroe County, 1995:
      # 3,299 abortions were performed
      # 12 were listed under Dilation & Curettage
      # 2,620 were listed as Dilation & Evacuation.
                      So 419 of 3,299 could be PBAs to equal 12.7% or 1/8.
           1995 Vital Statistics: NY State Department of Health

• Many babies killed by PBAs are old enough to survive independently outside of the mother
      # Babies born at 23 weeks have 23% long term survival chance
      # Babies born at 24 weeks have 34% long term survival chance
      # Babies born at 25 weeks have 54% chance of long term survival
          National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network
  

Some Congressional Votes on Abortion

In June, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted a significant amendment to the Fiscal 1999 Agriculture Appropriations Bill (HR 4101). The Coburn Amendment would block the FDA from testing, developing or approving any drug for chemically induced abortion, including the controversial French abortion pill, RU-486.

Rochester Area Reps LaFalce, Paxon and Walsh voted for the amendment; Reps Houghton and Slaughter voted against blocking FDA testing of drugs for chemical abortions.

In July, the U.S. House voted to override President Clinton’s veto of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. The vote was a lop-sided bipartisan majority of 296-132.

Rochester Area Reps LaFalce, Paxon, Walsh and Houghton voted in favor of overriding the presidential veto; Slaughter voted against overriding the presidential veto. By only 3 votes, the President’s veto was sustained in the Senate. Both Senator D/Amato and Moynihan voted in favor of overriding the veto.

Also in July, the U.S. House approved the Child Custody Protection Act. This bill would make a federal crime of transporting minors across state lines to circumvent a state law requiring parental/judicial involvement in a minor’s abortion decision. This had implications in NY where many pregnant girls come for abortions from states like Pennsylvania which requires parental involvement.

Rochester Area Reps LaFalce, Paxon and Walsh voted in favor of the interstate transportation ban; Reps Houghton and Slaughter voted against it.

On September 22^nd the Senate blocked floor action on its version of the Child Custody Protection Act (S.1645). This effectively prevented the required Senate action to pass and send it to President Clinton . He had earlier said that he would veto this legislation, if passed.

In August, by 180–243, the House rejected an amendment to allow the District of Columbia to use tax dollars for low-income women's’ abortions

Rochester Area Reps LaFalce, Paxon and Walsh voted against this; Representatives Houghton & Slaughter voted for use of tax dollars for low-income women’s abortions.

Campaign Reform

Also in August, the House passed the Shays-Meehan "campaign reform" bill. The bill would restrict the right of citizen groups, including NRLC and affiliates, to educate the public about the positions/voting records of federal legislators. Also, within 60 days of a primary/general election, groups, except PACs, would be barred from mentioning the name of a Congressional member or candidate in radio/TV/newspaper ads. It would be illegal to run ads alerting pro-life citizens to upcoming votes on RTL issues if the bill is known by the sponsor’s name, e.g. Hyde Amendment, if he is seeking re-election.

Rochester Area Representative Paxon was the only local Congressman to vote against this bogus reform bill. Considered by NRLC and affiliates to be among the most important votes of the 105^th Congress, Representatives Walsh, Slaughter, LaFalce, Quinn and Houghton voted for this bogus bill

It went before the US Senate as the McCain-Feingold bill. On 9/10, the bill was blocked from coming up for a vote. No further 1998 action expected on this in Washington.

AMA President Claims Assisted Suicide Negative

AMA President, Dr. Nancy Dickey spoke at a Respect Life Conference in Austin, Texas. She is the AMA’s first female president. She said that euthanasia and physician-assisted suicides are bad for both the patient and also the physician. "We believe it is not our job to decide which life to shorten," she said while explaining the AMA’s opposition to legalization of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. She said:

• The elderly, poor, handicapped and others who could be seen as liabilities to society might receive substantial pressure to "want to die." High health care costs would undoubtedly be stressed.

• Medical advances have prolonged life and made it more enjoyable, but that has had a price. The mix of legal and medical worlds has pressured doctors to continuously seek cures, sometimes long after a cure is possible. This, Dickey said, happens as doctors seek to avoid being involved in malpractice suits which take up tremendous amounts of time, energy and money.

• Americans’ focus on individual rights has brought many to believe they have the right to make decisions about their body, regardless of decision’s impact on family members.

Doctors have not been well-trained in dealing with end-of-life issues. "There is a huge difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia and a patient’s decision to stop extraordinary treatment," Dickey said. "You have a right to stop treatment. At that point, the disease takes your life. That is very different from assisted suicide." National Catholic Register; 9/6/98

Leo Holmsten Human Life Award

On September 16 at the Marriott Thruway Hotel 200 people cheered the award presentation to David C. Hoselton.

First given in 1997, the Human Life Award bears the name of Dr. Leo Holmsten, its first recipient. Dr. Holmsten agreed that the award carry his name. It was agreed that future LHHL Awards be given to recipients for sustained efforts to preserve and protect innocent human life. Dr. Holmsten nominated David C. Hoselton to be the 1998 LHHL Award recipient.

Following a reception, Master of Ceremonies, Dr. M. Richard Rose introduced Rev. Wayne Hill for the Invocation and Blessing.

Dinner music was provided by Perinton Community Church String Ensemble members: Amanda Brown, Beth Hansen, Ken Brown, Anne Brown. Perinton Community. guitarist and vocalist Mary Haltiner sang First Heartbeat.

A slide show followed. It included glimpses of Mr. Hoselton, at different ages and with family. Other slides showed some of his numerous pro-life activities, e.g. founding Faith Haven & Crisis Pregnancy Services, activity with Boy Scouts, volunteer leadership at Roberts Wesleyan College and Perinton Community Church.

The Perinton Community Church Ensemble then sang; they are Kristin Benham, Janet Betteridge, Mary Haltiner, Debbie Baldwin, Wayne Hill, David Gardiner, Reinhard Schneider and accompanist Anne Brown.

Testimonials about Mr. Hoselton and his efforts to preserve and protect innocent human life in numerous ways were given by:

• Michael Piehler: Rochester Auto Dealers Association
• William McNamara: Crisis Pregnancy Services of Rochester
• Honorable George Wiedemer: Monroe County Legislature
• Dr. William Crothers: Roberts Wesleyan College
• Sheila Cody: Faith Haven, Inc.
• Katherine Hoselton Durgo: Daughter

Barbara Holmsten, widow of Dr. Holmsten, presented the award to Mr. Hoselton.

The award event was conducted by the Leo Holmsten Human Life Committee of the Rochester Area Right to Life Committee, Inc, Education Fund. It was co-sponsored by 13 additional pro-life organizations, i.e

The Leo Holmsten Human Life Committee members are Tom Beck, Diann Conquest, Barbara Durkin, Ed Franus, George Green, Gerry Oftedahl, Father John Reif, Judy Wheeler in consultation with Barbara Holmsten.

CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES TO Lisa Topar and William Purcell