A Culture of Life

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Guest blogger Sean Miller

Guest blogger Sean Miller

The potential for violence has created a deep tension in the very fabric in our society. How can we restore hope and trust? The answer, says blogger Sean Miller, lies in a “Culture of Life.”

“A Culture of Life”

It’s hard to believe that 15 years ago the tragedy at Columbine took place. On April 20, 1999, two teenagers went into their school intending to cause absolute chaos by killing innocent students and staff. Twelve students and one teacher lost their lives.

America has changed drastically since that  event. Violence seems to have increased in frequency and intensity. Now, it’s not uncommon to see school shootings. We’ve seen horrific attacks in movie theaters, malls, and even on busy street corners. Violence is the new norm on the American landscape. Recently, a young teenage boy took the life of a classmate because she did not say “yes” to his prom invitation.

How can we trust each other when the climate of today’s society is so filled with rage and unpredictability?

In order to restore trust and hope, a renewed reverence for the sanctity of life must find a place again in our minds and hearts – a “Culture of Life.”  Continue reading →

The WEA Will Hurt Women

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This 30-second video lays out the 4 most dangerous provisions in the abortion component of the Women’s Equality Act.

Before the legislative sessions ends on June 19, this bill will probably come before the NYS Senate. If you have not as yet contacted your state senator, you still have time.

Please ask Sen. Larkin (if you live in Haverstraw, Stony Point or Pomona) or Sen. Carlucci (if  you live anywhere else in Rockland) to oppose the abortion plank of the Women’s Equality Act.

Sen. Carlucci  518-455-2991 — Sen. Larkin 518-455-2770

Break Up 10-Point WEA to Avoid Abortion Gridlock?

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*UPDATED 6/3/14*  A bipartisan group of state lawmakers is considering jettisoning the “all or nothing” approach to passing the Women’s Equality Act to avoid gridlock over the abortion component.

Assemb. Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale) has called for separate votes on proposals to protect pregnant women from discrimination at work and another to further combat human trafficking. 

The pregnancy bill would require employees to make reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees — such as more frequent breaks, or assignments that don’t require standing for long periods of time — and would classify any pregnancy related condition as a “temporary disability.”

Maya Angelou’s ‘Best Decision’

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mayaangelou1This week, celebrated writer and poet Maya Angelou passed away quietly at home on May 28 the age of 86.

Many years ago a story appeared in Family Circle magazine, where she told how she became pregnant at the age of 16 and decided to have her baby. “My greatest blessing has been the birth of my son,” Maya once told Oprah Winfrey. Read the story in her own words here.

Also:  Maya Angelou’s Place on the Pro-Life Left

Urge the New York State Senate to Be Pro-Women and Pro Life

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In May, Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) introduced the Governor’s 10-point “Women’s Equality Act” (S.7540) which includes a dangerous abortion expansion component. Just a few weeks ago the Senate Health Committee defeated a stand-alone abortion expansion bill (S.438), but now we must let our Senate representatives know that New Yorkers don’t want or need abortion expansion — in whatever form it appears. Take action now to urge your State Senator to reject the part of the Women’s Equality Act that contains abortion expansion. Last year, the Senate rightly passed nine individual bills benefitting women, but rejected the abortion expansion bill. We must urge our Senators to stay the course!

Click here to send an email  to your state senator: William Larkin (North Rockland and Pomona) or David Carlucci (the rest of Rockland).

WEA flyer

DANGEROUS ABORTION-EXPANSION LEGISLATION INTRODUCED INTO NEW YORK STATE SENATE

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Today, New York State Right to Life commented on reintroduction of the so-called “Women’s Equality Act.”  A group of pro-abortion Democratic State Senators continued to push today for abortion-expansion, despite polls showing the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers oppose their dangerous agenda.

“How many times do New Yorkers have to reject this radical agenda that would legalize abortion for any reason through all nine months?” asked Lori Kehoe, New York State Right to Life executive director. “New York is already the abortion capital of the United States, with practically no oversight of the industry, but they would rather protect the abortion business than New York women. It’s wrong.”

The 10th point of the Women’s Equality Act, pushed for by Governor Cuomo, would change New York law to open the doors for non-doctors to perform abortions, and to allow abortions in the third trimester for any reason. Current law already allows abortion at any point that a woman’s life is in danger, but the 10th point would change that to include any “health” reason as well. The key distinction is that “health” was defined in the 1973 court case Doe v. Bolton, providing a definition so broad that it far overreaches physical, or even mental, well-being.

A poll conducted by McLaughlin and Associates last year found that 79.5% of New Yorkers oppose allowing unlimited abortion right through the ninth month of pregnancy.

“It is still surprising to me that some Senators so militantly support abortion on demand that basic human rights, safety for mothers and even widespread public opinion months before an election is completely off their radar.”  They hide behind ‘health’ pretending their dangerous agenda is seeking to help women,” added Kehoe. “But the truth is that passage of the 10th point of the Women’s Equality Act only serves the violent abortion industry. We urge the New York State Senate to listen to the voters, and to common sense, and oppose this radical expansion of abortion.”

May 20 press release from New York State Right to Life, the oldest and largest pro-life organization in New York. An affiliate of National Right to Life, NYSRTL works through education, legislation, and political action to protect the unborn, elderly, and medically vulnerable among us.

RTL Pres. Speaks at ‘Priests for Life’ Case Rally

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National Right to Life Chairman Carol Tobias

National Right to Life Chairman Carol Tobias

“Mr. President, why are you forcing millions of Americans who have a moral, conscientious objection to abortion to use their hard-earned dollars to pay for killing innocent unborn children?”

National Right to Life Committee President Carol Tobias spoke at a rally outside the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., today after oral hearings in the case of Priests for Life v. Sebelius.

The ‘Priests for Life’ case was brought by several Roman Catholic nonprofit groups challenging the Affordable Care Act’s mandate to provide insurance coverage of contraception and abortifacient drugs.

At issue here today,” Mrs. Tobias said, “is whether religious institutions and organizations can be forced to provide health coverage for drugs and procedures in opposition to their religious and moral beliefs. . . The law allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to mandate that most health plans cover any service that the Secretary places on a list of ‘preventive’ services.  There is nothing in the law to prevent the Secretary from placing abortion, assisted suicide, or any other additional services on this list.”

The Obamacare mandate has been challenged in courts around the country by groups such as Priests for Life, The Little Sisters of the Poor, and secular companies like Hobby Lobby, whose owners have strong religious objections to the healthcare mandate.

NYS Senate Health Committee Rejects RHA

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RHA-smallToday — by a 9 to 8 vote — the NYS Senate Health Committee rejected the Reproductive Health Act, a bill to expand abortion in New York. That means this dangerous legislation has been stopped in committee and will not move on to the full Senate for a vote.

We would like to thank Sen. William Larkin, who represents North Rockland, Chairman Kemp Hannon, and the other members of the Health Committee who voted No. And thank you, too, everyone who made a call, sent an email, or helped in the last-minute effort to defeat this bill.

Keep in mind though, that while we have won a battle, the war is still ongoing. The RHA has been killed in committee — but, unfortunately, we haven’t seen the end of the threat.

Abortion supporters have built the same provisions of the RHA  into the abortion plank in the NYS “Women’s Equality Act” (WEA) that we fought so hard to defeat last year.

This year, the  WEA  already  passed  the NYS Assembly in January with assembly persons Jaffe, Zebrowski, and Skoufis voting for it and giving Rockland a complete pro-abortion sweep.

Sometime in the next two months, the WEA will come to the Senate for a vote, and if it passes there (it was defeated by only one vote last year) its deadly abortion provisions will become the law in our state.

So please keep up to date. Let your state senators know you oppose the abortion plank of the WEA — Sen. Larkin in Haverstraw, Stony Point and Pomona (39th District), and Sen. Carlucci for the rest of the county (38th District). Watch this site for more information.

Here’s a more in depth analysis of the RHA vote from the New York Families Foundation.