Canada
The Canadian Paediatric Society is recommending that teen girls use intra-uterine devices (IUDs) as their first choice of artificial birth control. In an article in the May 31 National Post, the Society waxed eloquent on the positive aspects of IUDs, while playing down any negative effects. But what truly stands out is the inability or unwillingness of the Society to urge young girls to refrain from sexual intimacy at all, and rather develop healthy relationships of a non-intimate nature. IUDs and other such instrument choices are not for disease prevention or control; in fact, they invite all kinds of genital diseases that can emotionally and physically harm girls through their entire life.
In another case that limits freedom of conscience, a group of Ontario Christian doctors is appealing an Ontario Superior Court decision in January that compels Ontario doctors to participate in or refer patients for any medical “service” to which any doctor may have a moral objection, notably abortion and euthanasia. In addition, all doctors must commit these “services” in an emergency, regardless of their moral objection. Doctors in violation of the law will be subject to severe penalties. The appeal was submitted to the Ontario Appeal Court on May 18 by the five original Christian doctors, Canadian Physicians for Life, the Christian Medical and Dental Society of Canada, and the Canadian Federation of Catholic Physicians’ Societies.
Madeline Weld, organizer of a screening of a controversial documentary Killing Europe, filed for a judicial review when the Ottawa Public Library backed down from its contract and cancelled the showing at the last moment. Weld is the Ottawa spokesperson for Act for Canada and co-founder of Canadian Citizens for Charter Rights and Freedoms. Killing Europeis a documentary by a Danish filmmaker that warns about the dangers of the Islamization of Europe. Supporters of the film contend that Islam needs to be discussed and debated in the public square; those opposed call the film thinly veiled hate speech and a violation of Ontario’s Human Rights Code.
A killdeer, a small bird also known as a plover, built a nest near the Canadian War Museum, where the RBC Bluesfest was scheduled to begin July 5, and it literally became a federal case. In late June, the National Capital Commission (NCC), which oversees most federal properties in Ottawa, hired a security guard — presumably guards — to watch over the next 24 hours a day until the chicks safely hatched. There were worries that it would disrupt the blues festival although there were also discussions about relocating the nest. The bird is not endangered; it is, in fact, quite common but still enjoys “protected status” in Canada. The nest was removed after the festival’s organizers consulted with the NCC and Environment and Climate Change Canada. Does one really need to point out the irony of the extent to which the government protects wildlife but not preborn human life. Of course, the story made the front page of the National Postand was covered by both the CBC and Canadian Press.
United States
Planned Parenthood (PP), the largest abortion provider in the United States, is launching an Internet service “Tracking Trump,” alleging that President Donald Trump and his officials are seeking to “restrict the rights of women and minority communities” so that women will not be able to access abortion services. According to Planned Parent’s Twitter account, “the Trump-Pence administration is taking away our reproductive rights, freedoms and opportunities.” PP wants all women to know what rights they will be denied because of the pro-life Trump-Pence administration.
On May 28, the Supreme Court refused to hear PP’s suit against the Arkansas Abortion-Inducing Drugs Safety Act, which requires doctors who provide medical abortions to have a contract with another physician having hospital-admitting privileges. PP may now have to close two of its three abortuaries in the state, since it cannot find doctors who are willing to enter into such a contract with PP. The Arkansas Attorney General applauded the Supreme Court decision, saying Arkansas is a pro-life state, and the first state to ban medication abortion.
Dr. Diane Foley, a pro-life obstetrician-gynecologist who once ran Life Network, a pro-life pregnancy resource organization in Colorado, has been installed as the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services deputy assistant secretary for population affairs. One of her primary responsibilities will be overseeing Title X family planning funds from which PP receives about $60 million a year.
A proposed Title X rule would cut Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer funding (estimated at about $60 million per year). One part of the rule requires recipients of Title X dollars to ensure that they follow all state and local laws reporting of child abuse. PP has consistently refused to report cases of child abuse or rape to law enforcement officials after killing the babies of girls as young as 12 years of age. In fact, there are documented cases where young girls had their babies aborted at a PP facility, and then the girls were sent back to the home where they had been sexually abused and raped. Meanwhile, the pro-abortion governors of Montana, Washington state, Rhode Island, New York, Minnesota, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Delaware, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Virginia are threatening to sue the Trump administration over the proposed Title X rule.
Live Action, a pro-life activist group founded by Lila Rose, has released a new undercover video series “Aiding abusers,” which “exposes a systemic, decades-long cover-up of child sexual abuse at Planned Parenthood.” The videos are accessible at LifeSiteNews.
The next time you are hankering for a speciality coffee, the following news items may give you pause as you look longingly at a Starbuck’s coffee outlet. The now ubiquitous Starbucks started as a local Seattle coffee chain which has grown into an international conglomerate of more than 28,000 stores in 77 countries, catering to “a philosophy of community and environmental responsibility.” So far, not so bad. However, it does not want your business and its president has said so, publicly, a number of times, if you are opposed to same-sex “marriage.” Starbuck’s is also a big supporter of Planned Parenthood. The coffee giant has a matching program whereby it provides matched cash awards to PP for contributions made by Starbuck’s employees. It probably isn’t a stretch to assume that most Starbuck’s employees are in tune with the social justice warriors at the top of the chain.
Two years ago, a list was released of more than three dozen corporate sponsors of Planned Parenthood, including Johnson and Johnson, Levi Strauss, Microsoft, Nike, Pepsi, and Starbuck’s. After intense public pressure, five brands dropped their support of PP: AT&T, Coca-Cola, Ford, Macy’s, and Xerox. Starbuck’s refused. However, in a recent interview, unbelievably, the current CEO of Starbuck’s, Howard Shultz, denied any knowledge of his company’s financial support of PP!
Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King and a staunch pro-life activist, called out Starbuck’s for its racism, long before the recent fiasco in a Philly outlet where two black men were arrested. King says that almost 80 per cent of Planned Parenthood facilities are located in minority neighbourhoods. “About 13 per cent of American women are black, but they have more than 35 per cent of the abortions … If you are really serious about eliminating racism, you will acknowledge that black people, and indeed all human beings, are of one blood and one human race — born or unborn. Racism and abortion are crimes against humanity. Stop funding Planned Parenthood’s house of horrors!”
U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has announced that his department will host an international religious liberty conference in Washington on July 25-26 entitled “Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom.” He is looking to identify “concrete ways to push back against persecution and ensure greater respect for religious freedom for all… The U.S. will not stand by as spectators” in the face of religious persecution outside its own borders.
International
The following are excerpts of a letter from Lorenzo Fontano, Italian Minister of Family Affairs in the new Italian parliament to Il Tempo, a Rome newspaper: “I would like to thank Il Tempo, its staff and all those who have given me their support during these days when there is a strong attempt to attack not only me but even the values that reflect the silent and peaceful majority of the country … We said things we thought were normal, almost a foregone conclusion: that in order for a country to develop, it needs to have children, whereby a mother is called a mother (and not parent 1) and a father is called a father (not parent 2). We have said that the only people who must have a word on education, growth and care of children are their mothers and fathers… The reaction from certain circles which are flag-bearers of relativism has been very violent …The revolt of the elites does not scare us and we are not scared of taking on the dictatorship of thought police… History comforts us. “They will call you papists, retrograde, intransigent, clerical: be proud! Words of St. Pius X … We are proud not to be afraid to call ourselves Christians, to call ourselves mothers, fathers, to stand for life …Never before has fighting for normality become more heroic than it is now.” (Note: An emphasis on family by the new government has not come at a better time. Excluding Japan, Italy has the second lowest birth rate in the world.)
British publishing house Penguin Random House has announced that it will no longer choose authors based on the literary merit of their works. Rather, authors will be chosen according to a politically correct quota system of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, social mobility and disability. When respected author, Lionel Shriver, complained publicly about the changes, she was sacked as a Penguin Random House judge for one of their literary competitions. This would seem to be more of a loss for Penguin Random house than Ms. Shriver.
David Linden, a Scottish National Party MP, held up an ultrasound scan of his preborn child in the Commons chamber to make a point about parental leave and proxy voting for members of Parliament. He said, “This is my daughter to be born in the autumn, so I’m particularly keen to see (proxy voting by other MPs) be put in place as soon as possible.” The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) say it is the first time such a scan was shown in Parliament. SPUC said in a press release: “Despite 50 years of legal abortion, it’s taken a discussion on parental leave for MPs to be shown the image of an unborn child.”