21.11.2013 CLARE DALY’S NEW BILL EXPOSES THE HOPELESS QUALITY OF DEBATE IN THE DÁIL ON ABORTION ISSUE

The Pro Life Campaign today criticised independent TD Clare Daly over her plan to introduce a Bill in the Dáil to make abortion available in situations where the unborn baby has a terminal illness.

The PLC said it is deeply hurtful to families whose babies live or lived with a terminal illness to describe these children as ‘non-viable’ or ‘incompatible with life’.

PLC spokesperson Caroline Simons said: “Clare Daly’s latest abortion proposal exposes the hopeless quality of debate in the Dáil on this matter"

Full story can be found on the Pro Life Campaign website here

14.10.2013 OVER 600 ATTEND PRO LIFE CAMPAIGN NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN THE RDS

The Pro Life Campaign’s National Conference took place on Saturday 12th October in the RDS, Dublin. Over 600 members of the Pro Life Campaign attended the conference along with Terence Flanagan TD and Senator Fidelma Healy Eames who were present for most of the afternoon session. They received a standing ovation lasting several minutes as a sign of appreciation for voting against the Government’s new abortion law.

Read the full story on the Pro Life Campaign website here

23.08.2013 – PLC COMMENTS ON HOLLES STREET “ABORTION” STORY

The PLC was responding to media reports today that the first termination of pregnancy under the new abortion legislation took place recently at the National Maternity Hospital on Holles Street.

Commenting on the reports, Dr Ruth Cullen of the Pro Life Campaign said: “While the precise circumstances surrounding the intervention in this tragic case are unknown, what is clear is that the Government’s abortion legislation permits doctors to blur the distinction between necessary life-saving interventions in pregnancy and induced abortion"

Full story can be found on the Pro Life Campaign website here

30.07.2013: PRO LIFE CAMPAIGN ‘WILL NOW DEVOTE ITS ENERGIES TO THE REPEAL OF UNJUST LAW’ AS PRESIDENT SIGNS ABORTION BILL INTO LAW

The Pro Life Campaign has said the passage into law today of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill “is a very sad day for our country” and “for the first time in our history makes it legal to deliberately target the life of an innocent human being.”

Caroline Simons of the Pro Life Campaign said: “Despite what the Taoiseach and others claim, the new law is life-ending, not life-saving"

“The pro-life movement is mobilised and growing. We have seen the biggest ever gatherings of pro-life people in recent weeks. The passage of this bill into law marks a new beginning not an end for pro-life activism."

Full story can be found on the Pro Life Campaign website here

19.06.2013: LIFE-AND-DEATH ISSUES DESERVE A FREE VOTE – PRO LIFE CAMPAIGN

Today we made the statement that "TDs and Senators should be free to vote according to their consciences on the Government’s abortion legislation"

Caroline Simons said today at the PLC Press Conference: “The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill is causing unprecedented concern throughout the country and ordinary citizens cannot understand why their views are not being represented in Dáil Éireann."

“There is a real danger to our democracy if people aren't having their say heard"

Full story can be found on the Pro Life Campaign website here 

The National Vigil for Life. June 8th 2013. Merrion Sq. 3pm

Thousands of people are working hard to oppose the Government’s destructive abortion proposal. Thank you for playing YOUR part.

We simply must keep the effort up to stop this appalling legislation. As things stand, two psychiatrists, with an obstetrician on the sidelines, will be able to sign away the life of a child of a healthy mother. This is a travesty of good medicine.

There can be no question of pessimism on our side or resignation that all this is going to happen. We must oppose this at every step – before, during and after events in the Dáil and Seanad – and propose a positive alternative. We must never give up on the cause of human dignity.

So we urge you to do all you can to make the National Vigil for Life on 8th June a big success. This Vigil comes at the key moment with the Government producing the actual legislation. 

We must demonstrate the massive number of pro-life people in Ireland. Early June is a critical time and we need you to do everything that you can – now.Please get involved by attending yourself and also bringing as many others as possible.

Bring a carload or a busload! 

To organise a bus from your area, please telephone Denise on (087) 266 8702, Theresa on (085) 871 1100 or Maria on (085) 883 4636

You can order leaflets instantly to spread among family and friends here

For information on updates like the National Vigil For Life Facebook page and follow @natvigil4life on Twitter

40 Days of Choice's disturbing #prochoicefriend campaign

40 Days of Choice are running an online campaign at the moment, asking their supporters to tweet about what makes a good pro-choice friend. 

You can see the tweets from 40 Days of Choice and their supporters by following the #prochoicefriend hashtag 

What strikes me immediately is seeing the range of choices on offer from these pro-choice friends. Or rather, the lack of choice. Out of all the tweets with the #prochoicefriend hashtag - I can find only one tweet that offers to help someone who wants to have the baby. All of the others offer money or support in obtaining abortion procedures, or parties/alcohol following the abortion. 

Some tweeters offer to throw a party after the abortion. One offers a "sweet not=pregnant" party. None of these tweets belie the gravity of abortion. No tweeter cautions that there is a growing number of women expressing regret following their abortions. Nor does any tweeter point to the suffering of women involved in groups like Women Hurt. Flippant suggestions of 'partying' after abortion must be so hurtful to women who have suffered years of distress following their abortions. 

Some tweets are disrespectful - such as 40 Days of Choice telling pro-life people to "eff off". Some are non-sensical such as a tweet from Education for Choice (delivered with zero irony) on the annual death toll of 47,000 women who die from abortions. Yet Education for Choice advocates access to abortion, the very thing that killed these women. 

None of the tweeters address the discrimination and societal failure that drives women to abortion in the first instance - many women feel that abortion is their only option, which isn't a choice at all. Ben's tweet says it all on abortion being 'liberating' for women. Abortion doesn't change the social circumstances that push women towards abortion --- but abortion is a get-out clause for unwilling fathers. 


I'll end this post with a picture from 40 Days for Choice's facebook page. 

  
Sometimes you just know you're on the right side. Seeing this poster was one of those times. 

Micheál Martin of FF voices his concerns with abortion legislation based on suicidality

In an interview with TheJournal.ie yesterday, the leader of Fianna Fáil, Micheál Martin, said that he and his party "have an issue with suicidal risk in abortion legislation" and that he opposes other ways of eroding the law on abortion.

Yesterday's comments highlight the fact that evidence supporting legislation for suicide doesn't stack up. They follow the strong support Martin gave for the pro-life position and said that legislation to allow abortion along the lines of the X case would effectively lead to abortion on demand. You can read Mr. Martin's previous comments from July here. 

Yesterday, Mr. Martin said that his party fears that X case legislation would "open the door" to abortion on demand. Mr. Martin also highlighted the important issue that Ireland needs more perinatal psychiatrists to care for mothers who are mentally ill. Currently there are only 3 perinatal psychiatrists in the country. 

Mr. Martin's comments are especially timely, given the evidence presented by consultant psychiatrists to the recent Oireachtas Health Committee hearings. At those hearings, all the psychiatrists agreed that abortion is not a treatment for suicidality. 

Martin said that he did not support allowing abortions in "hard cases" such as rape or a poor pre-natal diagnosis. He said that while rape is "particularly difficult", he did not support legalising abortion in cases where a baby is conceived in rape.

Martin also made the point that legalising abortion for babies who may not live long after birth raises the question "where you draw the line".  These abortions are increasingly being referred to as "terminations for medical reasons". Since the IFPA and other groups started campaigning for widening of abortion on these grounds, many parents have come forward to voice their concern that the lives of babies with disabilities could be deliberately targeted under such legislation. You can read the stories of families involved in a group called One Day More by clicking here. This week, we saw the death of Jennifer Morbelli and her unborn daughter during an abortion procedure, performed because the baby had been diagnosed with disabilities. Her story highlights how abortions "for medical reasons" can also be very dangerous to the mother's health, as well as robbing the parents of the chance to get to meet their baby. 

You can watch Micheál Martin's comments in his video interview with TheJournal.ie below. 

Grassroots Campaign

Though 2013 was difficult, the numbers of people who attended the pro-life vigils in Dublin was one of the few encouraging things that happened as the legislation was going through the Dáil. In addition to these numbers, there is a sizeable chunk of the population who are pro-life but remain confused about the legislation and have no idea that the new law permits abortion up to birth based on no medical evidence.The new law will only be overturned when enough of these people realise what exactly has been introduced.

That’s why we are asking supporters all over Ireland to hold a pro-life meeting in their home and invite 5 or more friends, neighbours or family members to attend. We will facilitate you by forwarding you all the materials you will need.

It will take a monumental effort to overturn this barbaric abortion law. To ensure that day comes sooner rather than later, we urge you to play your part and contact us today. 

To find out how easy it is to host a Grassroots meeting in your home and help spread the pro-life message, email grassroots@prolifecampaign.ie or telephone 087-2668702.