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23 Jan 2011 12:00

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U.S.: From activism to murder charges: Kermit Gosnell’s long decline

  • respected Physician Kermit Gosnell, an early abortion practicioner, went to the Mantua neighborhood of Philadelphia in the late ’60s as an activist trying to change the rough-and-tumble neighborhood. He helped open both an abortion clinic and a methadone clinic.
  • reckless Over the years, Gosnell became known for taking risks that most abortion doctors wouldn’t – a trend that led to a declining reputation, and eventually, his recent arrest on really disturbing charges. He didn’t even have a nurse for most of the time he ran the clinic! source

19 Jan 2011 20:41

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U.S.: This Philly abortion clinic story makes us freaking sick

  • 45 fetuses were just hanging around the Philadelphia clinic (ugh)
  • nine clinic workers were charged along with Dr. Kermit Gosnell
  • one patient reportedly died in Gosnell’s utterly disgusting care source
  • » Breaking the rules, and then some: The clinic was performing illegal late-term abortions en masse, some as late as eight months in. He would induce birth and then … ugh, we don’t even want to talk about it. The fetuses were aborted so late in pregnancy that Gosnell, whose clinic was a mess, will be charged with murder for the fetuses along with the mother who died. No matter where you fall on the abortion debate, we can probably all agree that this is not how they should be done – with bent and gruesomely ignored rules all over the place. *shudder*

24 Nov 2010 18:14

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Politics: Anti-abortion activist Randall Terry wants to scar your eyes in 2012

  • Great, just what we need. More of these ads. (just a link to another article, we swear!) To our friends outside of DC this election cycle, you may have something to not look forward to next cycle. Missy Smith, a protégé of noted anti-abortion activist Randall Terry, ran some incredibly disturbing ads of dead fetuses on television just before the election. And while they weren’t necessarily family viewing, they could run during family hours because Terry had read up on campaign advertising laws. While Smith only earned six percent of the vote in November, here adsy got lots of people talking – so many that Terry plans to take the campaign national in 2012, getting more candidates involved and running for president so he can air the ads during the Super Bowl. Great. source

31 Oct 2010 10:01

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Politics: Missy Smith, campaign ads, and reaching the bottom of the barrel

  • So, recently, this lady has been clogging DC airwaves with the worst ads. We saw them a few times over the weekend. Missy Smith’s been paying money to show aborted fetuses in as disgusting a light as possible, during daytime hours. (Click here if you’re curious.) And because she’s in cahoots with Randall Terry, the founder of Operation Rescue, she knew that she legally could force the TV stations to show them. In fact, she ran for Congress in DC (where she’s destined to lose, because Eleanor Holmes Norton is very popular) specifically to run these ads on television. The stations have had to put lengthy, 15-second warnings in front of the ads. And they’ve forced us to consider a few things:
  • Culture wars not over In the age of Obama, despite all the negative energy that’s been popping up, one positive of it is that certain social movements (specifically gay rights) have been looking more and more likely to go mainstream. But as this ad proves, certain wedge issues won’t go away quite that easily.
  • Playing to our divisions Jon Stewart’s twelve-minute rant at the very end of yesterday’s “Rally To Restore Sanity” was pretty much made for people like Smith and ads like this one. Most people aren’t like Smith, but people like Smith use stunts like these to dominate our dialogue. Don’t let these stunts define us, fellow Americans.
  • The bar has lowered In a political advertising season that started with Demon Sheep and has only gotten worse from there (barring Dale Peterson), it makes sense that we end it with an ad that literally shows aborted fetuses during daytime television. Those earlier ads set the stage for us to hit bottom. Now, here we are. source

17 Jul 2010 18:17

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U.S.: Bus driver somehow shoves himself into the abortion debate

  • what A Texas bus driver sued his former employers, claiming they biased against his religion by firing him.
  • why He would not drive women on his bus route to Planned Parenthood. We’re not kidding. source

01 Apr 2010 21:34

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U.S.: Scott Roeder: Decision to kill George Tiller “agonizing and stressful”

  • You have the power to acquit and if you were to obey the higher power, God himself, you would acquit me.
  • Convicted killer Scott Roeder • Regarding the murder of abortion doctor George Tiller, which he still feels is just after a lengthy court trial. He killed Tiller, who performed late-term abortions, after debating it immensely. “It was the most agonizing and stressful decision I have ever had to make,” he said, “and it took years to come to this conclusion, especially with the knowledge that I may never see my son, my daughter or my family again.” Roeder was sentenced to life in prison with possibility of parole after 50 years – the strongest possible sentence under Kansas law. source

19 Mar 2010 07:59

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Politics: Health care: Has anyone thought about how Bart Stupak feels?

  • People saying they’re going to spit on you and all this. That’s just not fun.
  • Rep. Bart Stupak • Regarding the Senate version of the health care bill that he’s been pushing against due to its language on abortion. The House version, which Stupak had a hand in pushing, has stronger language. Regarding the updated bill, he claimed that he could wrangle 12 representatives to support him, but that’s looking less likely due to the hard work Obama’s putting in to woo these specific voters. Oh, and the fact that it’s almost exactly the same language. source
 

16 Mar 2010 10:09

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U.S.: Who won’t vote for the Senate bill in the House, anyway?

  • Among the people voting no: Dennis Kucinich. Not socialist enough for you, dude? As of right now, CNN estimates that 200 representatives will vote against the Senate bill for sure, including at least one Democrat who voted for the original bill (Luiz Gutierrez of Illinois). Six Democrats could switch from yes to no if their concerns aren’t allayed, including prior sticking point Bart Stupak (who wants changes on abortion funding). It’s gonna be a photo finish. source

01 Feb 2010 21:26

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Culture: Tim Tebow’s anti-abortion ad just the start of Tim Tebow Ministries

  • It’s not just stopping abortions. Tebow wants to convert people, like his father does in Muslim areas of the Philippines. Until now, he’s been subtle in his outreach.
  • Slate sports columnist Jason Fagone • Regarding the soon-to-be-infamous Super Bowl commercial he’s doing with Focus on the Family, where he talks about his mom not getting an abortion. What one probably doesn’t know from his time with the Florida Gators is that he comes from an ultraconservative background and his dad is a missionary. In the past, he’s referred to himself as a “missionary who plays football.” He wears bible verses on his face, for chrissakes! So, in other words, it’s quite likely that the dude is going to follow his dad’s footsteps, whether he’s a Ryan Leaf or a Peyton Manning in the NFL. source

31 Jan 2010 11:13

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Politics: Focus on the Family dude: The Tim Tebow ad isn’t anti-anything

  • There’s nothing political about the ad. Nothing shocking or divisive. Nothing ‘anti’ anything. It’s just an inspiring story from the Tebows – as much as can be fit into 30 seconds, anyway – about celebrating family and celebrating life.
  • Focus on the Family President and CEO Jim Daly • Regarding the Tim Tebow Super Bowl ad that’s driven a firestorm of controversy. He claims that it’s inspiring “cultural change,” not forcing anti-abortion down our throats. “That’s the motivation behind our commercial – to get the country talking about the choices we have to make when faced with all variety of life challenges,” he writes, “not just unplanned pregnancies.” If they can somehow get two dudes kissing in the commercial, then we’d watch. source