Renua general election manifesto

Whilst the date of the upcoming general election has not yet been set, Renua, the new political party is first out of the traps in announcing its manifesto. See RTE report

Pro-lifers had great hopes of this party as it was set up by Lucinda Creighton who stood by her convictions and voted against the pro-abortion, Protection of Life in Pregnancy, legislation at the high personal cost of ejection from the Fine Gael parliamentary party and loss of her ministerial post prior to setting up the new party

There was considerable dismay in pro-life and pro-family circles however at Ms. Creighton’s statement in February 2015 prior to the same sex marriage referendum that she was a supporter of the marriage equality referendum and she intended to vote in favour of it.

Ms Creighton in presenting the Renua manifesto at a press conference claimed no party would have a clear-cut majority after the election and the question voters had to ask was "who would be their watchdog in government?".  

The new manifesto concentrates on tax reform and other political issues but  the meeting was told By Ms. Creighton that that the party would not be taking a view on the question of liberalising abortion legislation and that there were other social issues facing the electorate.

Clearly there are different opinions in the new party on the pro-life issue.

On a show of hands 14 of the eighteen party members indicated they opposed removal of the 8^th amendment (the pro-life amendment) from the constitution.

The good news is that 14 out of the 18  Renua party members standing for election appear to be pro-life.

War on Ireland's unborn 2016

We have just entered 2016 but there are already two pro-abortion stories in the news. All such reports must currently be viewed as part of the propaganda spewed out by political parties and others in the lead up to the upcoming general election. One of the saddest things is that these people can so callously play with human life as though it is of no consequence. They have bought into the lie that there is such a right, as the right to choose,  the right to choose to kill another human being.

First we were told on the very first day of the new year that two leading liberal Fine Gael ministers have committed to addressing abortion in 2016 — with or without the Labour Party in government.  The two, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald and Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe are both reported to have said Fine Gael did not need Labour in order to progress the issue.

This was clearly an attempt to tell the electorate that they are just as liberal on this crucial issue as the Labour party and by so doing to remove any possible advantage that Labour may gain from being perceived as the only pro-abortion party.

Then on day 4 of the new year we have been told that the new Master of the Rotunda Professor Fergal Malone has called for change in Ireland’s laws on abortion.

 We can predict that this is only the beginning and that in the lead up to the election we will have the pro-abortion industry, the media, pro-abortion organisations and politicians all howling for change in Ireland’s Constitution.

Pro-life organisations and politicians will have an uphill battle to retain the remaining level of protection of unborn human life.

Clearly one cannot vote for pro-abortion politicians and it is therefore vital that a complete list of pro-life politicians be made available prior to polling.

It is also imperative that people ask general election candidates where they stand on this issue. This issue is too important to fudge.

Human Rights Day: Abysmal failure of the United Nations to protect the rights of unborn babies

Today December 10th the United Nations celebrates Human Rights Day.

The UN, instead of clapping itself on the back at its own perceived success in promoting human rights, should hang its head in shame at its abysmal failure to protect the rights of the most vulnerable members of our community, unborn babies. 

The UN, its agencies and organs appear to be more influenced by ideology than in upholding  truth and justice even though the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Covenents enacted under it are crystal clear.

It is now fifty years since the UN adopted the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which along with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights constitute the International Bill of Rights that recognize 'the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world'. In addition to the foregoing the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in its preamble tells us that 'Bearing in mind that, as indicated in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, "the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth".'

Sound science recognizes that human embryos, from the moment of fertilisation, are new living human beings. To use the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights we are all members of the 'human family'. From the moment of fertilisation we all share a common humanity. Human embryos are equal members of the species homo sapiens and each stage of development is equal in value to every other stage.

There is a connection between the self-interest of certain communities and the line to be drawn between recognition of persons and non-persons.  That self-interest may be driven by eugenic, economic, social or political factors such that those a society wishes to exclude are deemed to be non-persons.  History is replete with examples of this phenomenon.

However cleverly the arguments are presented, the taking of a human life, the killing of a human being is a heinous crime, it is called murder. The killing of the most vulnerable human beings, unborn babies, is the most heinous of crimes.

We call on the Secretary General and the United Nations General Assembly to redress this blatant injustice, to uphold its own declared values and to immediately reject the wholesale killing of the unborn.

Denying embryonic and foetal human beings their fundamental and inherent right to live, either by design or by omission, diminishes the whole of humanity, hinders the search for justice and truth and brings the UN, its organs and agencies, into disrepute.

Manipulation of Language

One of the issues that pro-life advocates need to be aware of is the manipulation of language by the media and by pro-abortion organizations and activists.

George Orwell in his famous novel 1984 wrote about a fictional language he called 'newspeak' supposedly designed to standardize thought to reflect an ideology that makes "all other modes of thought impossible". He may have been wrong about the date but it is abundantly clear that elements of newspeak have invaded our lexicon.

A widespread example of this strategy is political correctness, even that term has been shortened to become the letters PC.

What's the difference between ‘positive discrimination’ and ‘sexual discrimination’ ? The former is policy and the latter illegal. However, they both mean the same thing – favouring one sex over another! Have you noticed we don’t have firemen anymore, ? We have firefighters. Have you ever noticed that the non-gender specific word Homemaker has superseded the term Housewife ? We hear of ‘deadbeat’ dads – but not moms ? We also hear of ‘single’ rather than ‘unmarried’ mothers ? We have ‘family courts’ and not ‘divorce courts’

I came across a letter in the Irish examiner which expresses the issue clearly I am reprinting it below

One of the first strategies for success at any given subject is the manipulation of language. First of all, the issue is obscured, and then the other side uses your phraseology.

The pro-‘choice’ side is to be congratulated in winning this first phase of the battle. Take the word ‘abortion’.

The impression can be given that the whole procedure is innocuous, somewhat akin to the pulling of a tooth, giving immediate relief. The advocator will thus be seen as a ‘compassionate’ person, not a person bound by inflexible dogma. (Oddly, the responsibility of the man is never mentioned).

By using the word ‘abortion’, the pro-life side is actually helping the pro-‘choice’ side in covering up what, in reality, is the deliberate taking of a human (unborn) life. It is this reality that needs to be made plain, not obscured. Similarly, with the phrase, “repeal of the 8th amendment”.

Pro-lifers will be well aware of what is involved, and the consequences. Not necessarily so, in the case of others. These may be indifferent, or may be quite happy with the vagueness involved. They will be entitled to ask, “The 8th amendment of what?” Time for plain speaking.

Donal O’Driscoll

Dargle Road

Blackrock

Co Dublin

The war on Ireland's unborn has entered a new and deadly phase

We reported in June and October that relentless pressure is being exerted, by pro abortion forces in the lead up to the next general election in Ireland, to remove Ireland’s remaining protection for the lives of unborn babies.

Now that it is clear that the next general election will be held in spring 2016 this pressure is becoming even more relentless.

Minister for Children James Reilly on Sunday Nov 22nd called for a referendum on the issue to take place early in the next Dáil term. Reilly called for the next government to move quickly to repeal the 8th Amendment, which gives equal rights to the life of the mother and that of the unborn.

The Irish Independent reports that Taoiseach Enda Kenny was furious at Reilly’s intervention and gave him a severe dressing down prior to the Cabinet meeting yesterday.  With an eye on being returned to power after the next election neither Kenny nor his Finance Minister Michael Noonan wanted the issue of abortion, the taking of unborn human life, to influence their campaign or to cause further strains in the Fine Gael Party, bearing in mind that five TDs and three senators, including then minister Lucinda Creighton, were forced to resign from Fine Gael in 2013 for voting against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill.

Reilly’s intervention according to the Irish Independent  caused a bitter split among Fine Gael Cabinet ministers over the party's approach to the divisive issue of the taking of unborn life and forced Mr Kenny to assure his parliamentary party that, in the event of a referendum to repeal the pro-life amendment, TDs and senators would be permitted vote in accordance with their conscience.

Kenny  also said the Fine Gael manifesto will not commit to a repeal of the Eighth Amendment instead it would pledge to refer the issue to a 'Citizens Convention', which is clearly a prelude to taking a decision to hold a referendum on the issue.

Meanwhile Labour Women has made clear that seeking a referendum to remove the remaining protection of the unborn from the Irish Constitution will be a major plank of the Labour Parties general election campaign.

Labour Women commenced its campaign with the publication of draft anti life legislation they hope will replace the pro-life amendment if they succeed in repealing it.

The draft legislation published by Labour Women would allow for killing unborn babies on grounds of: risk to life of the mother, risk to health of the mother, rape and foetal abnormality. In short it is a recipe for abortion on demand

No one should be under any illusion about the issue, a major battle about the rights of the unborn has already begun and everything must be done to protect all unborn life. 

Not only should article 40.3.3, the 28^th amendment to the Irish Constitution remain, to ensure that the lives of all unborn babies be given constitutional protection, it is also essential for pro-life organizations to seek the strengthening of the existing amendment to counteract the effects of recent pro-abortion legislation.We must take the initiative away from the anti life forces and demand full and unambiguous protection for all unborn babies.