An abortion survivor speaks

Melissa Ohden's extraordinary story, captured here on video, echoes that of Gianna Jessen, the abortion survivor publicly attacked by Barack Obama for exposing his record on infant protection legislation. Like Gianna, Melissa's teenage mother underwent a late-term saline abortion but Melissa was born alive and astonished doctors by surviving. She describes the procedure and her subsequent adoption by a loving couple. Particularly moving is her description of the moment her adoptive mother had to tell her the truth about her origins.

God save Spain's Pro-Life Queen!

I would never have described myself as a monarchist, but I have to admire the courage and highly-principled stand of the Queen of Spain, Doña Sofia Margarita Victoria Frederica, on the life issues. A new book based on interviews with her has caused a stir in her country after she expressed her opposition to abortion and euthanasia.

In her own words:

"It is necessary to respect every living child, every child that has begun to live. And to be in favor of life is not backward, nor is it something confined to Christianity. It is to follow the natural law."

Of death with dignity she adds:

"Life and death are not in our hands. Death with dignity? I'm completely in agreement. Those who are in agony should be in better conditions, these are their final moments. For humanity's sake, they should have the pain taken away, and for that there are sedatives, palliatives. I don't think that any doctor, any nurse, any health worker, should be willing to kill someone, even if it is requested or it is required by the hospital."

Official: lighted matches have a tendency to start fires

Here is a shocking piece of news. Researchers have discovered that if young people are constantly being exposed to images of attractive people burning houses down and playing with matches, if these programmes contain the strong message that being an arsonist is 'cool', 'grown-up' and involves no serious risk of injury or loss to anyone, young people are much more likely to start fires. The media cannot understand why this should be the case. The Government and their faithful agencies are equally baffled as to why handing teenagers boxes of matches as well as promoting the message that arson is a good idea, appears to be aiding and abetting this problem. Indeed, they doubt this is really the case. Teenagers are, by their very nature, prone to starting fires and it is far better if they are taught to do so in an open, responsible, adult....[cont. page 98]

I can't be the only person who choked on their morning cornflakes, having it solemnly announced to me via the radio news that explicit television programmes portraying sex as a glamorous recreational activity devoid of any negative consequences are increasing the teenage pregnancy rate. Good heavens, really? Can't think why that should happen.

Predictably, the give-toddlers-condoms brigade are using this latest piece of research to argue in favour of exposing children to yet more sexually explicit material (in the classroom not on the television so that's all right then). Society needs to wake up and take responsibility for this moral crisis before any more young people are sucked into a pattern of behaviour that causes such physical, mental and emotional suffering, whether or not a pregnancy occurs.

MPs named and shamed

His Hermeneuticalness has produced a list of Catholic MPs who voted in favour of the recent embryology bill, with the comment that there hardly seems to be any point in listing Catholic MPs in the Catholic Directory when they have no qualms about voting for evil legislation. I was particularly disturbed by the presence of two Papal knights on the list, but I can think of stranger choices for a Papal knighthood in recent years...

Amnesty for Babies

Back in September, I blogged on the Amnesty for Babies campaign to recognise the rights of nascent human beings. I am writing again to ask readers to consider signing the two petitions currently being circulated by Amnesty for Babies, one general petition, the other specifically for scientists and members of the medical profession.

With a strongly anti-life US president, the battle for the lives of the unborn at the UN will become increasingly difficult and necessary. Please consider adding your name to the campaign.