tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2673702877788505332024-03-12T21:13:07.246-04:00North Carolina Right to Lifeprotecting innocent human life, from conception until natural death from abortion, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, infanticide, and euthanasia/assisted suicide...N C Right to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09420225754305114136noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-3803276994689847092014-05-15T08:43:00.003-04:002014-05-15T08:44:17.813-04:00Our Blog Has Moved!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For our latest posts, please go to <a href="http://ncrtl.org/blog/">http://ncrtl.org/blog/</a>, or look on our website under the "about us" tab. </span>Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-61919351675410096522014-04-25T09:16:00.005-04:002014-04-25T09:16:58.401-04:00Registration for Camp Joshua is Open!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://campjoshuanc.org/index.php/register">Registration for our second annual Camp Joshua</a>, held at the Short Journey Retreat Center in Smithfield, is now open!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What is Camp Joshua? Quite simply, an exciting pro-life weekend camp for high school students! At Camp Joshua, we train teens to be pro-life leaders now and in the future. We know that college-age women are the largest demographic receiving abortions, and it's essential that we teach our teens what being pro-life means, why being pro-life is important, and how they can be effective pro-life leaders in their communities. In short, they need to be able to defend their pro-life beliefs. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6K62XZ9SeLiglHi0IpI-2JlfOtCO96e2OJzJHEf8pcPie6ys2sBIuDX_Nmv3Rp8traSRXmd5nkUPtRbmKqj_4VdKWwaKIawV3J5EMS61aJ_0yVgDRyiluTKAfK5o78udHE1eqgS0dL2PZ/s1600/1069377_10152087820977782_605099036_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6K62XZ9SeLiglHi0IpI-2JlfOtCO96e2OJzJHEf8pcPie6ys2sBIuDX_Nmv3Rp8traSRXmd5nkUPtRbmKqj_4VdKWwaKIawV3J5EMS61aJ_0yVgDRyiluTKAfK5o78udHE1eqgS0dL2PZ/s1600/1069377_10152087820977782_605099036_n.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our goal is to teach the basic facts of pro-life issues like abortion and euthanasia, as well as the skills to communicate these facts well. As <a href="http://campjoshuanc.org/index.php/about-camp-joshua">our website</a> says, "Just as Joshua brought down the walls of Jericho, the young men and women of Camp Joshua will lead their generation in bringing down the walls of the culture of death. They will be Be Joshua to our world in need." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So what can you do to help these young leaders-in-training?</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Promote!</b> Do you attend a school, church, or homeschool group that would be willing to send students to Camp Joshua? Promoting our camp in your community is a great way to help us expand this awesome program. We can provide posters, flyers, and even a speaker!<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Attend!</b> Send your teens to Camp Joshua! They'll learn a lot, make new friends, and have a wonderful time. We're also in need of college-aged volunteers to help as counselors at the camp.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Donate! </b>Unfortunately, camps don't run themselves, and your generous donations ensure that we can continue this program now and in the future. All funds raised go towards student scholarships, basic materials like binders and T-shirts, and overhead administrative expenses. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you have any questions about <a href="http://campjoshuanc.org/">Camp Joshua</a>, our mission, the camp schedule, or how to be more involved, please don't hesitate to contact Erin at ncrtl.erin@gmail.com. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Camp Joshua 2014 will be July 18-20 in Smithfield, NC. Cost is $95 per student, which includes food and lodging, materials, and a T-shirt. </i></span></div>
Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-38915825446833216162014-04-11T14:36:00.003-04:002014-04-11T14:37:50.817-04:00NRLC, Representative Stam Endorse Tillis for Senate<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAfUgObFl8k6eY8ZQ6kTenpA3HQIs2h7dgAdP-FI6HlA8jVzdTXXUpa8woYT6vM9s6kkH22pgPao1upiAIRE8Whpgq1LH2XhQFCJP1ALIofSWmVtkOESgtGs3XBScw3YeeTl5ugnTB75n/s1600/565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAfUgObFl8k6eY8ZQ6kTenpA3HQIs2h7dgAdP-FI6HlA8jVzdTXXUpa8woYT6vM9s6kkH22pgPao1upiAIRE8Whpgq1LH2XhQFCJP1ALIofSWmVtkOESgtGs3XBScw3YeeTl5ugnTB75n/s1600/565.jpg" height="320" width="218" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rep. Thom Tillis</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week, both <a href="http://www.magnetmail.net/actions/email_web_version.cfm?recipient_id=97309294&message_id=3973897&user_id=NRLC&group_id=966887&jobid=17888575">National Right to Life</a> and <a href="http://paulstam.info/2014/04/why-i-endorsed-thom-tillis-for-the-u-s-senate/">Representative Paul "Skip" Stam</a> have endorsed Speaker of the NC House Thom Tillis for U.S. Senate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In a <a href="http://www.magnetmail.net/actions/email_web_version.cfm?recipient_id=97309294&message_id=3973897&user_id=NRLC&group_id=966887&jobid=17888575">statement</a> released by National Right to Life, president Carol Tobias describes Tillis as "an outspoken leader in the fight to protect innocent human life in North Carolina, and . . . the only candidate with a proven record of leadership who can defeat pro-abortion Sen. Kay Hagan this fall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://paulstam.info/2014/04/why-i-endorsed-thom-tillis-for-the-u-s-senate/">Representative Stam</a> also notes Tillis' excellent pro-life accomplishments as Speaker of the House in the General Assembly. He additionally comments on his solid conservative leadership and ability to work with Democrats and Republicans alike to pass commonsense legislation on the state level. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Representative Tillis and several other Republican candidates will be on the May 6 primary ballot. Please encourage your pro-life friends to vote!</span><br />
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<br />Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-24268787225255938192014-04-04T10:04:00.000-04:002014-04-11T14:37:17.221-04:00Oratory Contest for High School Students<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The annual <a href="http://ncrtl.org/ncrtl-oratory-contest/">Jane B. Thompson Oratory Contest (Regional Competition)</a> will be May 17, 2014, in Greensboro! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To participate, interested high school juniors and seniors should fill out the <a href="http://ncrtl.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Application_20142.pdf">registration form</a> and prepare a 5-7 minute speech on a pro-life topic. Appropriate issues include abortion, infanticide, euthanasia/assisted suicide, and stem cell research.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The winner of the regional competition will receive admittance to Camp Joshua NC, as well as a chance to compete in the national competition at the National Right to Life Convention in June. As the national competition is in Louisville, KY, our regional winner will receive up to $300 to be used for travel expenses to the convention. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At the national competition, regional winners from each state compete for the $1000 prize and the opportunity to give their speech at the popular closing banquet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For more information or to register, please visit <a href="http://ncrtl.org/ncrtl-oratory-contest/">http://ncrtl.org/ncrtl-oratory-contest/</a>. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfkE4YcUgAYFROpUG65g-mYpUfifvc0aG3zGIGTAW3emcvsB2SUErCX-nCZv2xKdK9hY-Enz1divf2A8cEeTgoQTbN-qfgubMop-Kf8v94wF0HOElkoa6ajQw_AZ-_JtgvlLND9U6ttcT/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfkE4YcUgAYFROpUG65g-mYpUfifvc0aG3zGIGTAW3emcvsB2SUErCX-nCZv2xKdK9hY-Enz1divf2A8cEeTgoQTbN-qfgubMop-Kf8v94wF0HOElkoa6ajQw_AZ-_JtgvlLND9U6ttcT/s1600/photo.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stephen Holly, 2013 Regional Winner</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-4259667910028107102014-03-21T09:08:00.001-04:002014-03-21T09:09:14.521-04:00Academy Deadline Extended! <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's not too late! College students interested in receiving an outstanding education from the leaders of the pro-life movement still have time to apply to the <a href="http://www.nrlc.org/academy">National Right to Life Academy</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurejcJs8x3h6TjAXP3x0JFrZfEyg0YJCfV3QDuajWPdpIGgsuY3Xr7e6BXT7-cFBh3LiyraBIojiAxrYFgDcleygMhTAOi9cPpmBaK98aHI0yeZokYG_xS4Xw56IG0kBNDziJvLWztKSq/s1600/1519790_10153721150715147_698950244_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurejcJs8x3h6TjAXP3x0JFrZfEyg0YJCfV3QDuajWPdpIGgsuY3Xr7e6BXT7-cFBh3LiyraBIojiAxrYFgDcleygMhTAOi9cPpmBaK98aHI0yeZokYG_xS4Xw56IG0kBNDziJvLWztKSq/s1600/1519790_10153721150715147_698950244_o.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The NRL Academy is a five week summer program located in Washington, D.C., at National Right to Life's headquarters. Students spend their days studying with the country's experts on abortion, euthanasia, and </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">medical ethics; by completing the course, students can earn three college credits through the Franciscan University of Steubenville's Human Life Studies program. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Although the Academy's curriculum is challenging, the summer is not without fun! Attendees have ample time in the evenings and on the weekends to explore the city and visit its many attractions. Best of all? You're guaranteed to make solid pro-life friendships with people from all over the country. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">North Carolina has had the privilege of sending a total of five students to the NRL Academy since its founding in 2007. This is, in part, due to the <a href="http://ncrtl.org/nc-scholarship-for-life/">Scholarship for Life</a>, a full-tuition scholarship for one NC student each year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Still need convincing? Here's what some of our graduates have to say about the Academy:</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"This summer has reaffirmed and strengthened my knowledge and hope of the pr-life movement. I have made connections that I will cherish for a lifetime. I am truly blessed to be chosen to this lifetime opportunity." -Will Moore, 2013</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"The Academy has made me more aware of how much we have accomplished in the movement and how much work that needs to be done. It renewed my enthusiasm to protect the vulnerable among us." -Teresa Pincus, 2012</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"My five weeks at the Academy gave me a greatly expanded knowledge about various life issues, but more importantly, I learned how to effectively implement that knowledge by practicing lobbying, debating, and giving speeches. I still use these important skills in discussions today.... The Academy is a place where pro-life students can meet each other and form lasting friendships in support for life." -Sarah Urdzik, 2012<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.333333969116211px;"> </span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To apply to the Academy, simply <a href="http://www.nrlc.org/academy/application/">send in the form found here</a>. Then, fill out the <a href="http://ncrtl.org/nc-scholarship-for-life/">Scholarship for Life application</a> and inform our office of your interest in attending the Academy. </span>Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-68645523376426788592014-03-14T10:27:00.000-04:002014-03-14T10:27:19.611-04:00Save the Date!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlaW1SB4qg0fZESKyqxlhpf0gEJ3M8SF364v7IP-u8r4UGZBexGxrLgFLgYF6Nv8P9WBPQqydL9fS1M_EH2gP1JZa-ZQn65r6jUDk5tFcx-cmkfYtgfPGHIZaGybT9U8M-MDswT_DWP6RT/s1600/home-hdr-img4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlaW1SB4qg0fZESKyqxlhpf0gEJ3M8SF364v7IP-u8r4UGZBexGxrLgFLgYF6Nv8P9WBPQqydL9fS1M_EH2gP1JZa-ZQn65r6jUDk5tFcx-cmkfYtgfPGHIZaGybT9U8M-MDswT_DWP6RT/s1600/home-hdr-img4.jpg" height="77" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The <a href="http://nrlconvention.com/">44th Annual National Right to Life Convention</a> is just around the corner! This year, join pro-lifers from all over the country in Louisville, Kentucky, from <b>June 26-28</b> for informational workshops, inspiring speeches, and an all-around great time! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This year's speakers include National Right to Life President Carol Tobias; Kathryn Jean Lopez, editor-at-large of The National Review Online; Bobby Schindler, executive director of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network; and many more! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Registration is now open, with many different rates to choose from (adult, senior, student, couple, etc). Teenagers who would enjoy learning more about pro-life issues are also welcome to attend, as the Teens for Life Convention meets at the same time. For families with small children, complete childcare services are available. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Special events, such as the Prayer Breakfast and Closing "Stand for Life!" Banquet, require additional tickets. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Visit the <a href="http://nrlconvention.com/">convention website</a> for more information!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-52263326104816933782014-03-07T09:45:00.000-05:002014-03-07T09:45:05.541-05:00National Right to Life Releases Report, "The Affordable Care Act and Health Care Access in the United States"<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>From the National Right to Life Committee: </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND HEALTH CARE ACCESS<br />IN THE UNITED STATES”<br />National Right to Life Releases New Report<br />Examining the Effect of the Affordable Care Act in the United States</span></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-5BKKwgOwPLpqbsQvoJ-EnZTEK0Tbn4roPSlnl7uqsYZhtw5xrYqLA0D3hzU5b5KkgXFl8KW-jkLIJd3PnNS0Uwgq3qqV22mTacREV__tB-lSTI1CS4pNw0rEypEDQzqjw6Q5VjPsEYU/s1600/hospital.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-5BKKwgOwPLpqbsQvoJ-EnZTEK0Tbn4roPSlnl7uqsYZhtw5xrYqLA0D3hzU5b5KkgXFl8KW-jkLIJd3PnNS0Uwgq3qqV22mTacREV__tB-lSTI1CS4pNw0rEypEDQzqjw6Q5VjPsEYU/s1600/hospital.png" height="200" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">WASHINGTON – With a March 31, 2014, deadline impending for open enrollment in the insurance exchanges established by “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (also known as Obamacare), the Robert Powell Center for Medical Ethics at the National Right to Life Committee today issued a new report, “The Affordable Care Act and Health Care Access in the United States.” The report analyzes four fundamental policy areas of Obamacare and concludes that they will drastically limit access to life-saving medical treatment under the law. These four areas include: the “excess benefit” tax coming into effect in 2018, the current exclusion of adequate health Insurance plans from the exchanges, present limits on senior citizens’ ability to use their own money for health insurance, and federal limits on the care doctors give their patients to be implemented as soon as 2016.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“For pro-life Americans concerned about the impact on innocent human life—both born and unborn—the policies of Obamacare couldn’t be worse,”</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. <b>“Americans are just as concerned with the law’s impact on our ability to access life-saving medical treatment for ourselves, our family members, and our loved ones as with Obamacare’s funding of abortions. Obamacare is bad medicine for America.”</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Since it was first debated in Congress, National Right to Life’s Powell Center for Medical Ethics has argued that key provisions of Obamacare would limit what Americans could spend—out of their own funds—to access life-saving medical treatment. As the Center’s new report concludes, Americans will see a significant shift in how they are able to access health care, and just what types of treatment they will be able to obtain.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As documented by media reports and the language of the law itself, Obamacare will limit access to life-saving treatment in four different ways:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Obamacare imposes a 40% excise tax on employer-paid health insurance premiums above a governmentally imposed limit that does not keep up with medical inflation. Consequently, insurance companies will be forced to impose increasingly severe restraints on policy-holders’ access to medical diagnosis and treatment—limits that will make it harder to get often-expensive treatments essential to combatting life-threatening illnesses.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Under Obamacare, consumers using the exchanges may only choose plans offered by insurers who do not allow their customers to spend what government bureaucrats deem an “excessive or unjustified” amount for their health insurance – regardless of whether the insurers offer such plans inside or outside of the exchanges established by the law.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Most senior citizens know that the law will significantly cut government funding for Medicare, but they may not be aware of the law’s provision allowing Washington bureaucrats to prevent them from making up the Medicare shortfall with their own funds by limiting their right to spend their own money to obtain insurance less likely to limit treatments that could save their lives.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. The “Independent Payment Advisory Board” is directed to recommend measures to limit spending on health care to a growth rate below medical inflation – not just for Medicare, but also for all private, nongovernmental health care spending. The federal Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is then authorized to implement these measures by placing limits on the treatments providers may give their patients by requiring them to abide by so-called “quality and efficiency standards” imposed by HHS.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Obamacare authorizes Washington bureaucrats to create one uniform, national standard of care that is designed to limit what private citizens are allowed to spend to save their own lives,”</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> stated Burke Balch, J.D., director of the Robert Powell Center for Medical Ethics. <b>“We are convinced most Americans do not believe that the government should limit the right of Americans to use their own money for health care necessary to save their lives. Yet, that is exactly what Obamacare does. ”</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The report is available from the National Right to Life Communications Department here:<a href="http://www.mmsend3.com/link.cfm?r=999999999&sid=33530318&m=3775923&u=NRLC&j=INCLUDEJOBID&s=http://www.nrlc.org/communications/healthcarereport">www.nrlc.org/communications/healthcarereport</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Founded in 1968, National Right to Life, the federation of 50 state right-to-life affiliates and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation's oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, NRLC works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.</span></span>Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-3098839347204059832014-02-28T13:20:00.002-05:002014-02-28T13:21:25.246-05:00February Recap<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">February was a short month, but there was a lot going on!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Attorney General Confirms State Will Appeal Abortion Ultrasound Law</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On February 7, Attorney General Roy Cooper said the state will appeal the recently rejected abortion ultrasound law. This provision, part of the 2011 Women's Right to Know Act, would require an abortionist to display and describe the ultrasound to each woman seeking an abortion. Although ultrasounds were previously required by the state and are already standard procedures before abortions, in January Judge Catherine Eagles issued a permanent injunction against the provision, stating that requiring doctors to describe the images violated their freedom of speech rights. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: trans; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ultrasounds are high on the list of controversial sub-topics when it comes to abortion, but they are vital to an expectant woman's decision-making process. Too often, mothers are ignorant of their unborn babies' development, and having the opportunity to witness for themselves what their children look like at 8 weeks could influence their decision. What they see on the screen is not someone else's opinion, but a factual representation of pre-born life. Many post-abortive women say that if they had only known the truth about their baby, they would not have chosen abortion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: trans;">NCRTL president Barbara Holt expressed her approval of the Attorney General's decision. </span><span style="background-color: trans;">"We are pleased that Attorney General Roy Cooper has decided to defend NC's ultrasound law in spite of his opposition to the pro-life provision. A mother has the right to an opportunity to see an ultrasound image of her unborn child and to hear her baby's heartbeat in advance of an abortion. How else can she make a fully informed decision to have the abortion, which will take the life of her unborn child? This is critically important information about her developing unborn child which many mothers who later regret their abortions say they wish they had been given at the time of their abortions."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Thanks</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: trans; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our February 8th campaign to thank our pro-life legislators was a success! Almost 500 people saw our Facebook post, and many others saw our tweets.Thank you to everyone who shared our graphic on Facebook, tweeted #NC4Life and #ProLifeNC, and contacted your pro-life elected officials in support and appreciation. We know they were grateful to hear from us! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: trans; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Please continue to support your pro-life legislators in the coming year, and remember to vote pro-life! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Choose Life Plates</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: trans; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On February 11, the Fourth Circuit <a href="http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=24770142&msgid=235459&act=7Z8G&c=1261502&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsobserver.com%2F2014%2F02%2F11%2F3612005%2Fappeals-court-rules-choose-life.html" target="_blank">Court of Appeals ruled</a> that North Carolina's "Choose Life" license plate is unconstitutional because a pro-abortion plate was not also permitted. North Carolina Right to Life and other pro-life groups remain hopeful that a "Choose Life" plate will eventually be offered in North Carolina. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: trans; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Barbara Holt commented, "The 'Choose Life' plate simply affirms childbirth, in which the state has legitmate interest. Thanks to our current legislature, to help vulnerable mothers, the Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship is receiving $250,000 through a special budget apppropriation to make up for those funds being lost from the sale of the plates because of the litigation and this ruling."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: trans; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-66729806259386912872014-02-21T11:23:00.000-05:002014-02-21T11:24:57.469-05:00It's That Time of Year Again!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOB1Ufj6QLDrNJPVpUJzmNmHH-KnO2jm0T3DG8U0E-mkmZom-xOWDpcOB4y-Aw3ATZaMzcvlxE0SmTb-vqFTvKMNgnHkFqhaNRTbku_hLEBoYL2mXnxKO_HTL-oQL16kTplhWOIl0sFoG/s1600/Promotion-Collage-300x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOB1Ufj6QLDrNJPVpUJzmNmHH-KnO2jm0T3DG8U0E-mkmZom-xOWDpcOB4y-Aw3ATZaMzcvlxE0SmTb-vqFTvKMNgnHkFqhaNRTbku_hLEBoYL2mXnxKO_HTL-oQL16kTplhWOIl0sFoG/s1600/Promotion-Collage-300x300.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The National Right to Life Academy is once again accepting applications! If you are a college student interested in a summer in Washington, D.C. and a life-changing pro-life education, this is for you! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What is the Academy? From <a href="http://www.nrlc.org/academy">the website</a>: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>The National Right to Life Academy is a unique, five-week academic summer course for college students who are eager to put their pro-life passion to work. Students have the opportunity to earn 3 college credits through the Human Life Studies Program from the Franciscan University of Steubenville.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>$3600 tuition includes lodging at a university residence in downtown Washington, D.C., registration, room and board at the 2014 National Right to Life Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, and five weeks of the most comprehensive pro-life education around</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you're looking at the tuition cost and thinking, "I could never afford that," that's okay. Every year, North Carolina Right to Life offers the <a href="http://ncrtl.org/nc-scholarship-for-life/">Scholarship for Life</a>, which covers tuition for one student. When you apply to the Right to Life Academy, <a href="http://ncrtl.org/nc-scholarship-for-life/">contact our office</a> and let us know you're interested. We'll be happy to work with you through the application process. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Since 2007, five students have represented North Carolina at the Academy. Their enthusiasm for the Academy is unparalleled, and if you'd like a student's perspective of the program, check out what they have to say <a href="http://northcarolinarighttolife.blogspot.com/2013/03/why-should-college-student-attend-nrl.html">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Applications for the Summer 2014 course are due by March 15th, so hurry and <a href="http://www.nrlc.org/academy/application">apply today</a>!</span>Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-42643003844760643932014-02-14T11:40:00.000-05:002014-02-14T11:40:54.074-05:007 Quick Takes!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Sometimes it's easy to take technology for granted, but we think that images of life in the womb never grow old! <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/personhoodusa/top-10-mind-blowing-images-of-human-life-in-the-wo-drqv?utm_content=buffer87dbf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer">These are so beautiful</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Earlier this week, Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards got a lot of attention when she posted a video saying that #WhatWomenNeed for Valentine's Day is access to abortion. For obvious reasons, people took issue with that. We saw lots of great responses, including</span><a href="http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2014/02/for-planned-parenthood-the-perfect-gift-for-valentines-day-is-abortion/?utm_content=bufferdac99&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#.Uv41dfldXpU" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> this article</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> from National Right to Life, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.455432404583433.1073741835.133371733456170&type=3">Women Speak for Themselves' photo album</a>, and this </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.727881350567322.1073741827.202144953140967&type=3" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"What Women REALLY Need" photo album </a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">from New Wave Feminists. Great work, everyone!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Attention aspiring filmmakers! National Right to Life's <a href="http://nrlconvention.com/video-contest/">annual video contest</a> is now accepting submissions. This is a fun way to use your talents to give voice to the voiceless, and the prizes are great! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRyokH0YWPeKhuadRbT66YzBlD7-6N2QCZoC95aKl5wIzojATRG1fkMmMaQ6nVHLX5T_9xBVkf3YmGXao-KcP6WcEP4Vsd_eHAl67sRF16S8b-QSB4VX9vwTXh58ccA1ZZb3S18HVJzt0/s1600/1519790_10153721150715147_698950244_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRyokH0YWPeKhuadRbT66YzBlD7-6N2QCZoC95aKl5wIzojATRG1fkMmMaQ6nVHLX5T_9xBVkf3YmGXao-KcP6WcEP4Vsd_eHAl67sRF16S8b-QSB4VX9vwTXh58ccA1ZZb3S18HVJzt0/s1600/1519790_10153721150715147_698950244_o.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Speaking of exciting opportunities from National Right to Life, the annual <a href="http://www.nrlc.org/academy">Right to Life Academy</a> is just around the corner! College students have another month to apply for this life-changing summer training camp. Don't forget, if you're a student in North Carolina, you can apply for our <a href="http://ncrtl.org/nc-scholarship-for-life/">Scholarship for Life</a>, too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. National Right to Life recently released a report on <a href="http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/communications/stateofabortion2014.pdf">"The State of Abortion in the United States."</a> Packed full of facts, charts, and images, it is a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning more about this controversial issue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Would you believe that a lingerie company is making some of the most beautiful pro-woman, pro-life videos ever? Titled "My Beautiful Woman," each celebrates the strength of women. </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFG6W2_iiQE" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is one</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. Grab a few tissues and prepare to be moved.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">7. Happy Valentine's Day! Remind someone that you love them! </span><br />
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Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-52954595780702514052014-02-07T13:03:00.000-05:002014-02-07T13:03:20.475-05:00We're Saying Thanks<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The legislature may not be in session, but it's never a bad time to say "thanks" to the men and women who do so much to protect the dignity of life in North Carolina. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On Saturday, Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups will have a "Moral March" in Raleigh. Not only are they busing in NC college students, they're also bringing in people from out of state. Why? Because North Carolina is one of the leading states in protecting babies and mothers from abortion, and they don't like that. </span><strong style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Let's take advantage of this to remind our pro-life legislators that we're PROUD of their hard work! </strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In recent years, our General Assembly has passed the following pro-life laws:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Woman's Right to Know</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Unborn Victims of Violence Act (Ethen's Law)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">SB353<br />-Opt out of abortion in Obamacare and the city/county employee health plans<br />-Ban sex selection abortions<br />-Ban webcam abortions</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong>Do your part. Thank your pro-life General Assembly members*. </strong>Please take a few moments to write a note, send an email, or make a phone call. Representatives' contact information can be found <a href="http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/members/memberList.pl?sChamber=House">here</a>, and senators' contact information is <a href="http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/members/memberList.pl?sChamber=senate">here</a>. These elected officials face a great deal of criticism for their defense of the unborn, and they need to hear our appreciation!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong>You can also join us as we tweet #NC4Life and #ProLifeNC on Saturday in recognition of all their efforts to stand for life! </strong>When you tweet, be sure to use @thomtillis, @PatMcCroryNC, or @SenatorBerger, as well as the names of any other pro-life legislators on Twitter. </span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Unsure who to contact? Here are some suggestions: </span></em></div>
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<li><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=H&nUserID=565" href="http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=H&nUserID=565"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Speaker of the House Thom Tillis</span></a></li>
<li><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=S&nUserID=64" href="http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=S&nUserID=64"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">President Pro Tempore Phil Berger </span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.governor.state.nc.us/contact" href="http://www.governor.state.nc.us/contact">Governor Pat McCrory </a>(signed SB353 into law)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Those who voted "aye" on SB353<br />-<a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/voteHistory/RollCallVoteTranscript.pl?sSession=2013&sChamber=S&RCS=885" href="http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/voteHistory/RollCallVoteTranscript.pl?sSession=2013&sChamber=S&RCS=885">Senators</a><br />-<a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/voteHistory/RollCallVoteTranscript.pl?sSession=2013&sChamber=H&RCS=1159" href="http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/voteHistory/RollCallVoteTranscript.pl?sSession=2013&sChamber=H&RCS=1159">Representatives</a></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>*All Republican members, with the exception of Representative Charles Jeter and Senator Bill Rabon, voted pro-life. Unfortunately, no Democrats voted for our newly-passed 2013 laws. </i></span></div>
Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-45157484952137376012014-01-31T09:56:00.000-05:002014-01-31T10:02:41.962-05:00H.R. 7, No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, Passes House <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On January 28, 2014, the U.S. House passed H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act with a 227-188 vote. The following commentary is taken from National Right to Life's commentary on the bill's passage: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>H.R. 7, sponsored by Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Dan Lipinski (D-Il.), would codify the principles of the Hyde Amendment on a permanent, government-wide basis, applicable to both longstanding federal health programs and to the new programs created by Obamacare. Under the bill, health plans that cover </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQWmHGua0uSrbUH54hIqmXLyfrzKht3zd-KgvvMR1uNGnqBpglZv8XxbhLLl775lXmYUhwqvwq79xS4kN-F0GlgZ0VD9y2ylO76uU8-OVEuNLlrbZgqTmUaK_188tUYhIXrmllVsfBD5s/s1600/BVLSBHLCQAATQRH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQWmHGua0uSrbUH54hIqmXLyfrzKht3zd-KgvvMR1uNGnqBpglZv8XxbhLLl775lXmYUhwqvwq79xS4kN-F0GlgZ0VD9y2ylO76uU8-OVEuNLlrbZgqTmUaK_188tUYhIXrmllVsfBD5s/s1600/BVLSBHLCQAATQRH.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>elective abortions would not qualify for federal subsidies, although such plans could still be sold to those who wish to purchase them with personal funds.<br />On today’s vote on passage, the bill was supported by 221 Republicans and six Democrats. It was opposed by one Republican and 187 Democrats, many of whom echoed attacks on the bill found in a veto threat issued by the White House.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“The White House veto threat demonstrates yet again that President Obama is engaging in establishing massive federal subsidies for abortion on demand, notwithstanding his evasions and denials,”</b> said National Right to Life President Carol Tobias. <b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“The 188 House members who voted against the bill will be firmly marked as supporters of federal funding for elective abortion.”</b></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></b>Further details on specific components of H.R. 7 are found in NRLC’s January 24 letter to the House of Representatives (<a href="http://www.mmsend3.com/link.cfm?r=166824244&sid=30555402&m=3474838&u=NRLC&j=16684537&s=http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/ahc/NRLCToHouseHR7.pdf" style="border: 0px; color: #fa0000; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/<wbr></wbr>ahc/NRLCToHouseHR7.pdf</a>). More extensive documentation on the abortion-expanding provisions of Obamacare, and the overall history of limitations on federal subsidies for abortion, are found in NRLC’s congressional testimony at <a href="http://www.mmsend3.com/link.cfm?r=166824244&sid=30555403&m=3474838&u=NRLC&j=16684537&s=http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/ahc/ProtectLifeActDouglasJohnsonTestimony.pdf" style="border: 0px; color: #fa0000; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/<wbr></wbr>ahc/<wbr></wbr>ProtectLifeActDouglasJohnsonTe<wbr></wbr>stimony.pdf</a>.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">North Carolinians should be proud of the nine House members who voted "yes" on the bill. Congressman Mark Meadows (R-11), one of the bill's supporters, gave a short but moving pro-life testimony during the debate. You can watch that speech <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnEfiyEQbN4#t=53">here</a> and see the votes below. Please contact your representatives to thank them for their "yes" votes! Being pro-life in Congress isn't easy, and they need your support. </span><br />
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<tr align="left" bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><td><span class="cwsubbold" style="font-family: verdana, helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold;">How the U.S. House from North Carolina voted:</span></td><td align="center"><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;">voted</span></td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#DDDDDD" valign="top"><td><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;"> � Rep. <a href="http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/bio/?id=146731&congress=1132&lvl=C" style="background-color: transparent; color: #7c0594; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">G.K. Butterfield</a> (D-1)</span></td><td align="center"><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;">N</span></td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE" valign="top"><td><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;"> � Rep. <a href="http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/bio/?id=445&congress=1132&lvl=C" style="background-color: transparent; color: #7c0594; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Howard Coble</a> (R-6)</span></td><td align="center"><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;">Y</span></td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#DDDDDD" valign="top"><td><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;"> � Rep. <a href="http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/bio/?id=12188&congress=1132&lvl=C" style="background-color: transparent; color: #7c0594; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Renee Ellmers</a> (R-2)</span></td><td align="center"><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;">Y</span></td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE" valign="top"><td><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;"> � Rep. <a href="http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/bio/?id=5638&congress=1132&lvl=C" style="background-color: transparent; color: #7c0594; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Virginia Foxx</a> (R-5)</span></td><td align="center"><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;">Y</span></td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#DDDDDD" valign="top"><td><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;"> � Rep. <a href="http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/bio/?id=17538&congress=1132&lvl=C" style="background-color: transparent; color: #7c0594; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">George Holding</a> (R-13)</span></td><td align="center"><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;">Y</span></td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE" valign="top"><td><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;"> � Rep. <a href="http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/bio/?id=17540&congress=1132&lvl=C" style="background-color: transparent; color: #7c0594; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Richard Hudson</a> (R-8)</span></td><td align="center"><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;">Y</span></td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#DDDDDD" valign="top"><td><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;"> � Rep. <a href="http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/bio/?id=442&congress=1132&lvl=C" style="background-color: transparent; color: #7c0594; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Walter Jones</a> (R-3)</span></td><td align="center"><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;">NV</span></td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE" valign="top"><td><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;"> � Rep. <a href="http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/bio/?id=132688&congress=1132&lvl=C" style="background-color: transparent; color: #7c0594; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Patrick McHenry</a> (R-10)</span></td><td align="center"><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;">Y</span></td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#DDDDDD" valign="top"><td><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;"> � Rep. <a href="http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/bio/?id=446&congress=1132&lvl=C" style="background-color: transparent; color: #7c0594; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mike McIntyre</a> (D-7)</span></td><td align="center"><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;">Y</span></td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE" valign="top"><td><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;"> � Rep. <a href="http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/bio/?id=17599&congress=1132&lvl=C" style="background-color: transparent; color: #7c0594; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mark Meadows</a> (R-11)</span></td><td align="center"><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;">Y</span></td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#DDDDDD" valign="top"><td><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;"> � Rep. <a href="http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/bio/?id=138321&congress=1132&lvl=C" style="background-color: transparent; color: #7c0594; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Robert Pittenger</a> (R-9)</span></td><td align="center"><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;">Y</span></td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="#EEEEEE" valign="top"><td><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;"> � Rep. <a href="http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/bio/?id=443&congress=1132&lvl=C" style="background-color: transparent; color: #7c0594; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">David Price</a> (D-4)</span></td><td align="center"><span class="cwsubnormal" style="font-family: helvetica, arial; font-size: 8pt;">N</span></td></tr>
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Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-91913361296134134242014-01-24T12:25:00.000-05:002014-01-24T12:25:13.737-05:00What a Week! <br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">It's been quite the busy week for pro-lifers in North Carolina!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">On Saturday, January 18th, hundreds of people joined NCRTL for the Prayer Breakfast, Rally, and March for Life in downtown Raleigh. Just a few days later, thousands more from all over the country gathered on the Mall in Washington, D.C., for the national March for Life.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">At the Prayer Breakfast, we were pleased to be joined by three hundred grassroots supporters, as well as the Lieutenant Governor and many of the pro-life legislators who helped make the passage of SB353 possible. Our featured speaker, Steven Mosher of The Population Research Institute, spoke about "Overpopulation, a Myth that Kills (Little Girls in Particular)." It was a fascinating account of the growing problem of gender-selection abortions, including in the United States, and he praised North Carolina for passing legislation against it here. He shared <a href="http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=24770142&msgid=227796&act=7Z8G&c=1261502&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DvZVOU5bfHrM" target="_blank">this video</a> as an illustration of the myth of overpopulation, as well. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Assistant Director Erin Karlovich, 2013 NRL Academy graduate Will Moore, and local college students pose with the NCRTL banner before the March for Life. Photo credit Elizabeth Foley.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Approximately 2,000 people joined us for the Rally in Nash Square, followed by the March for Life. At the rally, NCRTL President Barbara Holt praised the legislators and the grassroots supporters for the success of the past year. </span><span style="color: black;">“Much has been accomplished over the past year and we take this time to share these successes and encourage the faithful to help us realize even greater successes in the future. Too many unborn children continue to die through abortion,” she explained. “We particularly want to see the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act passed both on the state and federal level.” Check out our Facebook page for more pictures and details! </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh44_7fI-eSY0B_sQepGZcO15kDnsV-zXh7FImSyjeJMFHSDSGVhd7s1CCCqhmcZSO81aVKqx5LtwCa9rUhS166iJNdxwHH-cQtLMspyy-MCf2fecNldnQxLYKqn3iO1KvspMhIirIX4p8/s1600/IMG_1583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh44_7fI-eSY0B_sQepGZcO15kDnsV-zXh7FImSyjeJMFHSDSGVhd7s1CCCqhmcZSO81aVKqx5LtwCa9rUhS166iJNdxwHH-cQtLMspyy-MCf2fecNldnQxLYKqn3iO1KvspMhIirIX4p8/s1600/IMG_1583.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Despite temperatures in the teens and snow on the ground, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">thousands of pro-lifers from all over the country gathered in Washington, D.C. for the national March for Life on Wednesday. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">While the March for Life marks a sobering event--the tragic passage of <i>Roe v. Wade</i>, the Supreme Court case responsible for the deaths of millions of unborn children--the energy and excitement in the crowd was a reminder that we celebrate the great good that is life. We are blessed to be a movement of young people, something quite evident at the March for Life. Whether marchers are chanting, singing, praying, or walking in silence, their presence makes an impact. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Though the weather did deter some groups from coming, many North Carolinians braved the trip. </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">After the March, Senator Richard Burr welcomed his constituents with a reception in the Russell Senate Office Building. The hot drinks and cookies were much appreciated after being outside for so long! We are very grateful to have a supportive pro-life senator from North Carolina.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">The March for Life ends in front of the Supreme Court.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">If you have never attended the March for Life, we at NCRTL encourage you to do so! It's truly an inspiring, motivating experience, and you will not regret it. </span></div>
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Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-79452025703495983712014-01-10T13:58:00.001-05:002014-01-13T08:35:04.775-05:00Upcoming Student-Friendly Events<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: trans; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Have you ever wanted to get your teens more involved in pro-life activities? North Carolina Right to Life offers many opportunities for you and your family to learn about and participate in the pro-life world. Below are descriptions of some of our upcoming events, and we’d love to see you at some!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://ncrtl.org/prayer-breakfast/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Prayer Breakfast for Life</a> (January 18): </b>Every January, NCRTL sponsors a morning of fellowship and prayer in Downtown Raleigh on the day of the local March for Life. Guests enjoy a buffet-style breakfast, hear from a featured speaker, and are led in prayer for an end to abortion. This is a great opportunity to meet other pro-lifers, hear from famous speakers, and receive inspiration for the coming year. This year’s featured speaker is Steven Mosher, President of The Population Research Institute. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMd4rAxBrENihCH3ZoxqAuaOwTWhrWcouBWX_Ff7fdTgEvNAU2Z8Qex3GVPs4D-avZCOH0ow1vR1RmLEOndjalEgAhTbNtgYg0OYXxV6lp97OG_Z8jYpDyPwlnIzFSFIxlEwgXpDHlMEIL/s1600/NCRTL_JanEvents_Ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMd4rAxBrENihCH3ZoxqAuaOwTWhrWcouBWX_Ff7fdTgEvNAU2Z8Qex3GVPs4D-avZCOH0ow1vR1RmLEOndjalEgAhTbNtgYg0OYXxV6lp97OG_Z8jYpDyPwlnIzFSFIxlEwgXpDHlMEIL/s1600/NCRTL_JanEvents_Ad.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Tickets are required for this event, and can be purchased <a href="http://ncrtl.org/prayer-breakfast/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">here</a>.</i> <i>Guests will have the opportunity to buy a resource book, which can also be purchased <a href="http://ncrtl.org/resource-book/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">here</a> (order soon, as quantities are limited). Books will also be available after the March for Life. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://ncrtl.org/rally-and-march-for-life/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Rally and March for Life</a> (January 18): </b>Washington, D.C. is famous for its huge annual March for Life, but for those who can’t or don’t want to travel, we have one in downtown Raleigh! Join us at Nash Square at 1 o’clock (right after the prayer breakfast, and only 3 blocks away) for a short rally, followed by a march through the streets. Families, youth groups, and church groups especially enjoy this event. Of course, the national March isn’t until the 22<sup>nd</sup>, so you can come to both if you like!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://northcarolinarighttolife.blogspot.com/2013/11/pro-life-essay-contest.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Pro-Life Essay Contest</a> (deadline January 22): </b>Attention students in grades 7-12! The annual National Right to Life Pro-Life Essay Contest is accepting submissions through January 22<sup>nd</sup>. Each essay should address the subject “Why I Am Pro-Life” in 300-500 words. Not only is this a great chance to practice writing skills, it’s also a good time to learn how to articulate one’s pro-life beliefs. As an added bonus, the top three essays in each category receive monetary prizes! What’s there to lose?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://ncrtl.org/ncrtl-oratory-contest/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Pro-Life Oratory Contest</a> (May 17): </b>Every May, NCRTL sponsors a statewide oratory contest in Greensboro. Winners receive a certificate, free admittance to Camp Joshua, and the opportunity to attend the National Right to Life Convention to compete on the National level. Please note that a short application must be submitted by April 15<sup>th</sup> in order to participate.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOPJluH2UyeeUAINqWBV2fTCx72R1jSmMmMiIx_FtuiBm-C5y3vAleKeNIF9O1_l5OBSIRzmWb6UTSk1eNnHme3WvV1C-iC5LWhexPg7G5faE9uFapqxeVPTT-sFCzRDldx3pe_v73Per/s1600/2013+0720+Cam+Joshua+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOPJluH2UyeeUAINqWBV2fTCx72R1jSmMmMiIx_FtuiBm-C5y3vAleKeNIF9O1_l5OBSIRzmWb6UTSk1eNnHme3WvV1C-iC5LWhexPg7G5faE9uFapqxeVPTT-sFCzRDldx3pe_v73Per/s1600/2013+0720+Cam+Joshua+004.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://campjoshuanc.org/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Camp Joshua NC</a> (July 18-20): </b>Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors are invited to attend this fun weekend camp to learn more about pro-life issues and meet like-minded peers. Students attend educational workshops on abortion, euthanasia, and stem cell research, as well as leadership sessions to learn how to share the pro-life message effectively. The goal of Camp Joshua NC is to send young people back to their communities with the knowledge and confidence to promote the pro-life message.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://www.nrlc.org/academy" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">NRL Academy</a> (Summer 2014): </b>College students interested in furthering their pro-life education should seriously consider attending the Right to Life Academy, a five-week program held at National Right to Life’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. A self-described “pro-life boot camp,” the NRL Academy gives students the unique opportunity to learn from some of the country’s top pro-life leaders and earn college credit. Every year, students attend the Academy and come back with the knowledge, education, and support necessary to make a difference. North Carolina is privileged to offer the <a href="http://ncrtl.org/nc-scholarship-for-life/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Scholarship for Life</a>; this scholarship covers the Academy tuition and lodging for one NC student each year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As you can see, there's lots going on for young people in North Carolina!</span></div>
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Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-75679078823600251172014-01-03T12:03:00.000-05:002014-01-03T12:03:13.249-05:00Guest Post: NCSU Students for Life<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>**Thanks to Teresa Pincus, president of NCSU Students for Life, for submitting this post!**</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This past semester has certainly been an eventful one for
our pro-life group on campus despite the usual business of obtaining a college
degree and the difficulties associated with it. Students for Life started the
semester with a bang by participating in recruitment fairs to promote our
message and our club. We were able to meet many people and had some good
discussions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our first impactful activity was participating in <a href="http://nationalprolifechalkday.com/">National Pro-life Chalk Day</a>. We
wrote loving, truthful messages around the more populated spots on campus. The next day, we were in for a surprise. Our
messages were defaced in support of “women’s choice.” The same tired rhetoric of bodily autonomy and
scare tactics of illegal abortions where used to justify the dismemberment of
tiny human beings. No one cared to address the issue at hand. The abortion is
the intent to kill human beings at early stages of development</span></div>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheM1FEv-Qt7YVM1SUhr_aBo2Add73tC9aBzRvM1BX4JVf6jd5f-ipvua4vN5bmohO4eA2ntzq3HiyhlmGK3B_FChVBgoZKssjX40tNem5aq1-NvbReT8hA9RRTtXssaslKjKG2kmxPI63U/s1600/ncrtl+banquet+dan+forrest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheM1FEv-Qt7YVM1SUhr_aBo2Add73tC9aBzRvM1BX4JVf6jd5f-ipvua4vN5bmohO4eA2ntzq3HiyhlmGK3B_FChVBgoZKssjX40tNem5aq1-NvbReT8hA9RRTtXssaslKjKG2kmxPI63U/s320/ncrtl+banquet+dan+forrest.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> As the semester progressed, we held some
meetings that discussed the pro-life movement and reviewed pro-life arguments.
Then, we were invited to join pro-lifers around the state at the North Carolina
Right to Life Banquet. There, we had the
pleasure to meet Lt. Governor Dan Forrest and Carol Tobias, the President of
National Right to Life Committee. Both
of these great pro-life leaders inspired us to continue to be unapologetic
voices for those who cannot speak for themselves. It was a great opportunity to
mingle and connect with the pro-life community in North Carolina.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Soon, the pro-life month of October was upon us. This month
is very busy for us and the pro-life movement. We participated in the national
campaigns of <a href="http://www.lifechain.net/">Life Chain</a>, <a href="http://www.silentday.org/">Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity</a>, and <a href="http://www.40daysforlife.com/">40 Days for Life</a>. Also, we volunteered
to run the NC Right to Life education booth at the state fair. At the booth, we
were able to talk to people and raise awareness about the humanity of the
unborn. The best part was watching children marvel at the tiny babies in the
fetal development display. </span></div>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJqcyk8a56C2WlfIg1IAzXfLJEKZsHGwyPfTxn-u2wd1ORtFhk0Ji3GhZmRPGYdT91UFtIhF6Iy_3kOheNtqQz0ex9Jm7zcufu5wbURhFFRoQkk9xgV-y2N0ChgzAhq-ENL0ZJuYZJK2g/s1600/DSCN1901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJqcyk8a56C2WlfIg1IAzXfLJEKZsHGwyPfTxn-u2wd1ORtFhk0Ji3GhZmRPGYdT91UFtIhF6Iy_3kOheNtqQz0ex9Jm7zcufu5wbURhFFRoQkk9xgV-y2N0ChgzAhq-ENL0ZJuYZJK2g/s320/DSCN1901.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the biggest
events we held on campus was the <a href="http://studentsforlife.org/plannedparenthood/">Planned Parenthood Project</a>.
We borrowed a display from Students for Life of America that described how
Planned Parenthood profits from the most vulnerable people of society: unborn
children. Along with the signs, we set up roughly 915 crosses that represented
the 915 lives that Planned Parenthood takes <i>daily</i>.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While the weather was anything but ideal (note the
umbrellas), we still made waves on campus. Some students who stopped by learned
that Planned Parenthood performs abortions, a fact that they did not previously
know. Some stopped by just to spew profanities. A few stopped to have a
dialogue with us and others stopped by in support of this project. Not only
were people upset about our group being vocal about our pro-life beliefs, but they
were upset that we were exposing truth about Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood only cares about its
bottom line and not women. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To end the semester, we held our first ever diaper drive. These diapers were donated to the <a href="http://www.stmichaelcary.org/article151713.htm">Gabriel Project</a>, who
helps parents with young children. We are proud to support the Gabriel Project
because not only do we care about children in utero, but we care about
children’s wellbeing once they are born. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is very important for us to engage in many of the
different aspects of the pro-life movement, not only on our campus, but in our
community. The movement is so diverse that there is a place for everyone. By
exposing ourselves to the variety of approaches the movement takes, we can find
our niche and work to further advance the culture of life. If you are a student
at NC State or intend to become a part of the Wolfpack in the fall, I encourage
you to get in touch with us or follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/21232626187/">Facebook</a>. We have accomplished so much and we look
forward to the following semester of activism. </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=267370287778850533" name="_GoBack"></a></div>
Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-38255771724371190532013-12-20T08:47:00.000-05:002013-12-20T08:47:38.932-05:00NCRTL News, Delivered to Your Inbox<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Did you know NCRTL sends out <a href="http://ncrtl.org/signup-for-alerts-and-web-newsletters/">email alerts and web newsletters</a>? We do! Our e-alerts are great for keeping up to date with the latest pro-life happenings in North Carolina. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When the General Assembly is not in session, we send out biweekly email newsletters packed full of news, information about upcoming events, blog posts, and anything else we think you should know. It's an easy way to stay informed, and because we only send them every two weeks, you won't feel overwhelmed with emails. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">During the legislative sessions, we send out action alerts so that you know exactly what's happening with our pro-life legislation. You'll learn about the bills we're supporting or opposing, as well as what you can do to help. Sometimes all we need is for our grassroots supporters to call their legislators about a particular bill, but if something really important is happening, we may ask you to come to the Legislative Building for a pro-life presence!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkY5Nyr2PM6Uaxx2Kc1p54jqKMgVBRGiplI5t_Up0sE8XZH2LENlKni-FozpLc_aE4LjtfQcGDPPjWusir3PLMMNEyLCh-hgNnvd_LvL-rvgiFX_W3dwIj4j-TXCvKh5H_GTcwLZn0AEq/s1600/1093873_10152099802332782_1613481057_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkY5Nyr2PM6Uaxx2Kc1p54jqKMgVBRGiplI5t_Up0sE8XZH2LENlKni-FozpLc_aE4LjtfQcGDPPjWusir3PLMMNEyLCh-hgNnvd_LvL-rvgiFX_W3dwIj4j-TXCvKh5H_GTcwLZn0AEq/s200/1093873_10152099802332782_1613481057_o.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last summer, our legislation drew so much attention that Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups rallied and lobbied in pink T-shirts, so we asked our supporters to come in wearing blue. We sponsored a Pro-Life Information and Lobby Day in April, and when our bills were up for vote later in the summer, we urged everyone to show their support by sitting in the galleries during debates. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Signing up for e-alerts is a simple first step in becoming more acquainted with NCRTL's life-saving work. If you've ever wanted to be more knowledgeable about North Carolina's pro-life activity or more active in the movement, consider <a href="http://ncrtl.org/signup-for-alerts-and-web-newsletters/">signing up</a>!</span><br />
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<br />Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-57361234140252494782013-12-06T09:55:00.000-05:002013-12-06T09:55:30.095-05:00Prayer Breakfast, Rally, and March for Life Coming Soon!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On Saturday, January 18th we will be commemorating the 41st anniversary of <i>Roe v. Wade</i> with our annual prayer breakfast, rally, and March for Life. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The <a href="http://ncrtl.org/prayer-breakfast/">Prayer Breakfast for Life</a>, founded in 2000, brings together committed pro-lifers who are eager to celebrate our victories and become energized for another year of life-saving work. </span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pop.org/sites/www.pop.org/files/images/stories/Mosher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.pop.org/sites/www.pop.org/files/images/stories/Mosher.jpg" width="163" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steven Mosher</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This year's featured speaker is Steven Mosher, president of The Population Research Institute, an internationally recognized authority on China and population issues, and an acclaimed author and speaker. He was worked tirelessly since 1979 to fight coercive population control programs and has helped hundreds of thousands of women and families worldwide. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This year, the Prayer Breakfast for Life will be held at the Sheraton in downtown Raleigh. The doors will open at 9 in the morning, with the buffet opening at 9:30 and the program beginning at 10 o'clock. Ticket pricing, directions, and more details about the program can be found on our website <a href="http://ncrtl.org/prayer-breakfast/">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The <a href="http://ncrtl.org/rally-and-march-for-life/">Rally for Life</a> will begin at 1pm in Nash Square. Confirmed speakers include Barbara Holt, president of NC Right to Life, Steven Mosher, president of The Population Research Institute, the Very Rev. Michael Burbidge, Bishop of Raleigh, and William Moore, 2014 Scholarship for Life recipient and NRL Academy graduate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This event is most effective when lots of people attend, so bring a crowd! Families, church groups, and youth groups are especially encouraged to attend. Your presence has an influence on all who see you, and you will be making a stand for life! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Following the rally there will be a <a href="http://ncrtl.org/rally-and-march-for-life/">March for Life</a> through the streets of Raleigh, with refreshments at the end. NCRTL will also provide literature and pro-life materials for anyone interested. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-9619600910058531642013-11-29T11:23:00.000-05:002013-11-29T11:23:40.876-05:00Pro-Life Essay Contest!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Attention students! Are you pro-life? Have you ever thought about why? This is your chance! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The annual <a href="http://ncrtl.org/2013-nrlc-essay-contest/">National Right to Life Pro-Life Essay Contest</a> is accepting submissions beginning December 16, 2013 and ending January 22, 2014. Each essay should address the subject "Why I am Pro-Life" in 300-500 words (1-2 typed pages). The competition is open to students in grades 7-12, and participants are split into categories based on their grade level. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This essay competition may not strike you as important, but there are several reasons why students should participate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On the most basic level, this is a great opportunity to practice and improve writing skills. Not only will this help students excel in their classes at school, it will also help them on college aptitude tests and beyond. Even if you don't plan to enter a field that requires frequent papers, you should still have a solid foundation in writing. Oftentimes, people will see your writing samples before they meet you; do you want their first impression to be, "This person doesn't write well?" Whether you're writing a resume, an email, or a dissertation, you need to know how to formulate your thoughts clearly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">From the pro-life perspective, the ability to express opinions well is vital. Did you know that college-aged women are more likely to have abortions than any other demographic? Too many young men and women grow up never thinking about why they are pro-life, making them vulnerable to the cultural mentality that abortion is just another choice. Students should think through the "whys" behind their pro-life beliefs before they're faced with a challenging situation. This essay contest requires students to think critically on the subject--500 words may sound like a lot, but people have written entire books on why they're pro-life! To do this assignment well, students will have to work to find and express the heart of their pro-life beliefs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is also a chance to learn and share with your family and friends. Part of fostering a pro-life culture is allowing our pro-life education to grow with us. Young children may not need to know the graphic details about abortion, but they are fascinated by fetal development. Kids often look up to older siblings, and if they witness you openly sharing your thoughts on pro-life issues, they will remember. Someone who grows up knowing a baby is a baby and who takes the time to understand why he or she is pro-life is much more likely to make life-affirming decisions or counsel others to do so when they are older. You never know what seeds you may plant in someone's heart. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally, what a great opportunity to learn something new, write about something you care about, and possibly win some money! You have to admit, it's a pretty good deal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For more details about the requirements for the competition, please visit <a href="http://ncrtl.org/2013-nrlc-essay-contest/">our website</a>. </span><br />
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<br />Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-73236455470984785352013-11-14T09:05:00.000-05:002013-11-14T09:05:03.037-05:00We're Publishing a Resource Book!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you ever wish you had a list of all the pregnancy resource centers, maternity homes, or adoption agencies at your fingertips? Want to read the text of a pro-life law and see whether your representative voted for it? Need a chart of statistics related to abortion in North Carolina, or maybe some fact sheets to study up on an issue?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Look no further! In January 2014, NCRTL will be releasing its updated <a href="http://ncrtl.org/resource-book/">Resource Book</a>, a helpful and handy compilation of all kinds of pro-life information. Everything you may need to educate yourself or a friend will be bound into one convenient book available to anyone who wants one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's cheap, too! We're only asking a donation of $10 for each book. Not only does this money go to a great cause, it also buys you a valuable resource that you can use for years! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Another great feature of the NCRTL Resource Book is that it features ads from local businesses and organizations, so you can find other pro-life members of your community to support. If you know of a church, business, or individual you think would like an ad in our book, <a href="http://ncrtl.org/resource-book/">tell them to contact us.</a> Advertisers get a free copy! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So if you're interested in finding out more, pre-ordering a book, or advertising your organization, check out our website! <a href="http://ncrtl.org/resource-book/">http://ncrtl.org/resource-book/</a></span></div>
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Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-68671577889148107882013-11-08T10:26:00.001-05:002013-11-13T10:24:52.432-05:00Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act Introduced in the Senate<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yesterday, November 7, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) introduced the <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/182313016/Pain-Capable-Unborn-Child-Protection-Act-Bill-Text">Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act</a> in the Senate. This law, which passed in the House in June, would protect unborn children after 20 weeks old, the age at which medical and scientific evidence agrees that babies can feel pain.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTJXmp6UXc7uvRRt9Imkes6-QQVHmh7DKk6FE2RUfvEpEARiTDYvZRavtIgH0QjQyyFkRqzVTqNaio3nIoilus5RZun-IWWr946CmnVfP6PaerKyZngbVd23O7HC01cBNs7Dkm_XF_1bq/s1600/PainCapable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTJXmp6UXc7uvRRt9Imkes6-QQVHmh7DKk6FE2RUfvEpEARiTDYvZRavtIgH0QjQyyFkRqzVTqNaio3nIoilus5RZun-IWWr946CmnVfP6PaerKyZngbVd23O7HC01cBNs7Dkm_XF_1bq/s320/PainCapable.jpg" width="216" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As medical technology continues to develop, an<a href="http://www.doctorsonfetalpain.com/"> increasing number of studies</a> indicate that preborn children are fully capable of experiencing pain by no later than 20 weeks after fertilization. Doctors also have reason to believe that at this stage of life, babies feel pain more intensely than do adults or even newborns because they have not had the time to develop resistance to pain. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It should come as no surprise to pro-lifers that our country holds a curious double-standard when it comes to the unborn. Premature infants, for example, are treated like any other patient even as other babies their age are being aborted. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Earlier this year, Americans were horrified to learn that abortionist Kermit Gosnell's preferred method was nothing short of infanticide...but only because he delivered his tiny victims first. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">During fetal surgery, doctors provide </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">both</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> mother and child with anesthesia. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Even former abortionists admit that they witnessed the babies' distress during the abortions they performed. This, of course, should be obvious: abortions after the first trimester are all surgical, and the babies are literally ripped apart limb by limb. Not only is this a gruesome way to die, it's barbaric, especially considering the excruciating pain they must experience in the process. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You can see why the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act is so very important, so please help in any way you can! Here are some suggestions:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1) Educate yourself. Websites like <a href="http://nrlc.org/">nrlc.org</a> and <a href="http://doctorsonfetalpain.com/">doctorsonfetalpain.com</a> are both good places to start learning about fetal development, abortion procedures, and fetal pain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2) Educate others. Share what you've learned! Talk to your friends and family members, re-post graphics and facts on Facebook, pin this on Pinterest, tweet using #TheyFeelPain, and whatever else it takes to inform others about the pain babies feel during abortions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3) Sign the petition. Let Congress know you approve of legislation protecting pain-capable children! </span><a href="http://thepainlesspetition.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">http://thepainlesspetition.com/</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4) Contact your Senators and tell them you support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. You can also thank Senator Richard Burr, who co-sponsored this landmark piece of legislation!</span></div>
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<br />Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-3519998716276318042013-10-25T15:31:00.000-04:002013-10-25T15:52:32.968-04:00Got Stories?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hey pro-lifers, we need your help!</span></div>
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You see, being at the fair for the past week, we've learned a few things.... A lot of people are interested in what we have to say. A lot of people need to hear what we have to say. And a lot of YOU have incredible personal stories about what we do and why we do it. </span><br />
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So here's our idea: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do you have a pro-life story to share? Were you adopted? Did you or someone you know consider abortion but chose life? Have you had upsetting experiences with doctors who were not pro-life? Were you once pro-abortion and had a conversion experience? Have you had any conversations about life that left an impression on you? </span><br />
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If you can say "yes" to any of these questions (or ones like them!), we invite you to share them with us, and we will publish them on this blog. </span><br />
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Here are a few ground rules, though.</span><br />
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1) Keep it at or below 500 words. If your story is shorter, great! We can publish several at the same time. If your story needs significantly more than 500 words to be told, perhaps we can consider a guest post.</span><br />
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2) Abortion and euthanasia are not pretty subjects, but remember that many other people have been hurt by them, too. Please avoid bad language, graphic descriptions, and angry outbursts.</span><br />
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3) Don't over-share. While we appreciate your willingness to share with us, we ask that you be mindful of the privacy of others. Consider changing names and locations (just tell us if you've done so) and leaving out specific dates, especially if other people are involved in your story. </span><br />
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4) Using "Pro-Life Story" as your subject, please email your story to Erin at ncrtl.erin@gmail.com. </span><br />
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Thanks in advance!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />*NCRTL reserves the rights to decide what gets published and to make minor editorial changes as necessary*</span><br />
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Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-3168397268480528522013-10-18T08:54:00.000-04:002013-10-18T08:54:10.739-04:00Euthanasia: Why Not?<span style="background-color: trans; color: #242424; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">While the cultural battle rages most obviously around abortion, another threat to human dignity, euthanasia, has been in the background for decades. And while many will concede that the killing of an innocent child is morally questionable, they might disagree when it comes to euthanasia. After all, isn’t it more compassionate to allow someone to avoid the pain, embarrassment, and drawn-out suffering that old age so often brings? And aren’t those of us who want to force Grandma to live against her will somehow doing something inhumane? For Christians, it may be most natural to respond that only God may choose when we die and that people have dignity at every age, but with the average secular American, this tactic won’t work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fortunately, there are intelligent ways to argue against euthanasia without resorting to religious beliefs, and the easiest way to learn them is to divide the arguments into two categories: autonomy and quality of life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The basic premise of the autonomy argument is that people should have the right to decide when they want to die. Proponents of euthanasia want laws allowing the elderly and terminally ill to have this option, but it’s impossible to limit this “right” to only certain people. What if an eighteen year old has been dumped by her boyfriend and decides that life is no longer worth living? Most people would agree that this is no reason to allow her to kill herself, but a law preventing such cases could be challenged on the basis of discrimination. In the Netherlands, for example, euthanasia was once limited to the terminally ill; today, children as young as twelve may legally seek assisted suicide, and doctors have more power over their patients’ lives than ever before.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Another way to address autonomy is to explain how those seeking suicide are never truly autonomous. Two separate studies, one conducted in Missouri and the other in Great Britain, found that of those considering suicide, 93% suffered from a mental disorder that impaired rational decision making. Another study discovered that of the terminally ill, 24% expressed a desire for assisted suicide, but of that 24%, every single patient had a mental disorder. In other words, in the overwhelming majority of cases, depression or another mental disorder, not the illness itself, caused suicidal thoughts, and mental illnesses are treated separately. Remember, too, that it’s terrible to assume that because someone is terminally ill, they should want to die. Most people who receive a terminal diagnosis are sad because they want to continue living.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This brings us to the quality of life arguments. These are harder to argue because they are much more personal; people are concerned about living in pain, facing a life of disability, or being a burden upon a loved one. What most people don’t realize is that we have the ability to control pain in up to 99% of cases. Too often, however, doctors and nurses do not receive adequate education in pain management, leaving them helpless or unsure of themselves when their patients are suffering. Instead of focusing on euthanasia, we should work for greater education in pain management so that healthcare providers at a clinical level can use it. After all, killing someone in pain does not solve the problem of pain, and we shouldn’t solve problems by killing people.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Also within the quality of life category is the disability argument; in our culture, it is far too commonly assumed that because someone has a disability, that person’s life is not worth living. Besides being incredibly discriminatory, this is just wrong, and certainly not compassionate or respectful. Allowing a disability exception within euthanasia laws just says that anyone who doesn’t meet our standards is disposable. A better response is to work as a society to be more accommodating; for example, we already require new buildings to be handicap accessible, indicating that we value people in wheelchairs despite their inability to walk. Many people with disabilities will tell you that they only feel different when other people treat them that way. Somehow, I suspect that being told they qualify for assisted suicide isn’t what they have in mind when it comes to equality.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOEL8QbDDidqQ3Zl46t2sRsl11F-BcC8LfIuvBF_FWQPorimdaTswd29O4RvoTuHXMRVsBH7lzI1uucU6YiJ2b6l0fKnzwEWcFa8U_8EzHE2TYzQG_XnYW1SVd6nPnp19W53oziHMzEpV/s1600/hands+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOEL8QbDDidqQ3Zl46t2sRsl11F-BcC8LfIuvBF_FWQPorimdaTswd29O4RvoTuHXMRVsBH7lzI1uucU6YiJ2b6l0fKnzwEWcFa8U_8EzHE2TYzQG_XnYW1SVd6nPnp19W53oziHMzEpV/s200/hands+2.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally, people are frequently concerned about dying alone or being a burden on their loved ones. However, telling the elderly that we will be “compassionate” and allow them to die is actually confirming their fears of being burdensome and unlovable. Instead, telling Grandma that we will care for her and love her no matter what is much more reassuring; it says that we value her as an individual, and not because she’s “useful” or self-sufficient. Caring for others and allowing ourselves to be cared for is part of the human experience, and no one could survive long without other people there to help them.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: trans; color: #242424; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Many proponents of euthanasia may never have heard persuasive, rational arguments against it, so hearing the subject presented in this way might be the key to more fruitful discussion. For anyone seeking more information or interested in learning where these studies come from, National Right to Life has an excellent series of articles on euthanasia (found <a href="https://www.nrlc.org/medethics/directkilling/" style="color: #996600; outline: none; text-decoration: initial;">here</a>), as well as other issues of medical ethics.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> (A version of this article was first published on <a href="http://www.ignitumtoday.com/">Ignitum Today</a>)</span></div>
N C Right to Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09420225754305114136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-55505976387966251732013-10-11T08:38:00.001-04:002013-10-11T08:38:40.754-04:00Pro-Life 101: Final Thoughts<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">*This is the seventh and final installment in a series of posts on pro-life apologetics based on the </i><a href="http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/WhenTheySayPacket.pdf" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>“When They Say, You Say”</i></a><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> talks developed by Olivia Gans Turner and Mary Spaulding Balch. While reading in order is not strictly necessary, you may find it helpful. <a href="http://northcarolinarighttolife.blogspot.com/2013/08/speaking-prolifese-using-our-language.html">Post 1</a>. <a href="http://northcarolinarighttolife.blogspot.com/2013/08/pro-life-101-its-not-human.html">Post 2.</a> <a href="http://northcarolinarighttolife.blogspot.com/2013/09/pro-life-101-woman-has-right-to-control.html">Post 3</a>. <a href="http://northcarolinarighttolife.blogspot.com/2013/09/pro-life-101-every-child-wanted-child.html">Post 4.</a> <a href="http://northcarolinarighttolife.blogspot.com/2013/09/pro-life-101-back-alley-abortions.html">Post 5</a>. <a href="http://northcarolinarighttolife.blogspot.com/2013/09/pro-life-101-hard-cases.html">Post 6.</a> </i><br />
<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></i>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Over the last couple months, we've broken down the pro-abortion arguments into five categories and discussed how to address each one. We've also talked about how language influences what we say. Today we'll wrap up our Pro-Life 101 series with a few more thoughts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While the main arguments fall into the five categories already mentioned, sometimes people will slip into a sixth....the ad hominem attack! When there's nothing left to say, you will become the target. The following are some common ones:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>You're a man. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>You're too old to have children.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>How many children have you adopted?</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Remember, abortion is a human rights issue. It doesn't matter if you're an older man who's never had children--you have a right to speak up for your fellow humans! Always go back to your basic talking points, that life begins at conception and that mothers deserve better care than abortion. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Your conversation may not change someone else's mind, but you never know what seeds you may plant or who else may be listening. And of course, your words are only a small part of what it means to be pro-life. More than anything else, the witness of your life, the things you do with it, will change the world. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<br />Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-68810387662328391992013-10-04T08:29:00.001-04:002013-10-04T08:31:44.192-04:00Forty Years of Pro-Life Work!<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While 2013 marks the 40<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the
tragic <i>Roe v. Wade</i> decision, this
year also marks 40 years of life-saving work in North Carolina. On Saturday,
September 28, NCRTL celebrated the occasion with 160 friends and
supporters at a banquet in Greensboro. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtpagVCXMd3kzz4egfBfrohcHT7iqzkwfrFcIhmxKroKqEfrSYNO5nXCw1zmYtBZpbMSPaTh9yaYe_fv88LQllMKOkmsHKCePkR7gdyUgEh-dcT_ZGYt9HvPX5ZsLy1Cya7myRwWn3Aih/s1600/Banquet_Forest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtpagVCXMd3kzz4egfBfrohcHT7iqzkwfrFcIhmxKroKqEfrSYNO5nXCw1zmYtBZpbMSPaTh9yaYe_fv88LQllMKOkmsHKCePkR7gdyUgEh-dcT_ZGYt9HvPX5ZsLy1Cya7myRwWn3Aih/s320/Banquet_Forest.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The evening began with a reception with Lieutenant Governor
Dan Forest, who greeted guests and posed for pictures with them. Forest is only
the second Republican lieutenant governor to be elected in North Carolina since
1897, and he has been active in pro-life work </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">for many years, including acting
as former chairman of the board of Wake Forest Pregnancy Support Services.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Following the reception, guests were seated for dinner and
the evening’s program began. After leading the audience in the Pledge of
Allegiance, Allen Morris, director of Concerned Methodists, presented Barbara Holt with the group's Trooper for Christ Award. Morris explained that
while the award traditionally goes to members of the Methodist church, the
organization felt that Holt deserved recognition for her years of devotion
to pro-life ministry. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowDdBA9771OkdwWCX7HO3eR_SU3Ry-ZVzj4wpRKc_rsuzaDXPG8eCtVxtg2yQ_VoEt6bLcHd85_qYvHSMmh8G8CsL8bKwpm4wP7HTzoxECgoz9zMJq28vnxXiSGtJe1ETkytf40dk_8Ng/s1600/Banquet_Guests.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowDdBA9771OkdwWCX7HO3eR_SU3Ry-ZVzj4wpRKc_rsuzaDXPG8eCtVxtg2yQ_VoEt6bLcHd85_qYvHSMmh8G8CsL8bKwpm4wP7HTzoxECgoz9zMJq28vnxXiSGtJe1ETkytf40dk_8Ng/s320/Banquet_Guests.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guests waiting for the program to begin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holt then gave some updates about NCRTL’s progress in recent
years. As you know, North Carolina has passed some important pro-life legislation,
including the Woman’s Right to Know/informed consent law, the Unborn Victims of
Violence Act, a ban on sex-selection abortion and webcam abortions, opting out of
federally funded abortion in the health care exchange, and increased regulation
of abortion facilities. Holt also talked about the success of NCRTL's first Camp Joshua and our increased presence on social media sites such as Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7I7flonk_6iTd4BHFIPjrSiNEZa1-3bOCvze0n5y3P58l5982ndiMisUkZhbNm2uYRhdSXpAcn0IWlP4IDAlwuDPeB9OpSJ1b6fOSUks1V8nM_KY4fjwKPA34nM-bLU2mvjpoIgc-4xTl/s1600/Banquet_Carol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7I7flonk_6iTd4BHFIPjrSiNEZa1-3bOCvze0n5y3P58l5982ndiMisUkZhbNm2uYRhdSXpAcn0IWlP4IDAlwuDPeB9OpSJ1b6fOSUks1V8nM_KY4fjwKPA34nM-bLU2mvjpoIgc-4xTl/s320/Banquet_Carol.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NRLC President Carol Tobias</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Guests were then treated to an address from special guest
Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. Tobias commended NCRTL for not
only the laws passed, but also for the number of pro-life members elected to
Congress. Tobias encouraged North Carolinians to keep up the good work, noting
that the pro-life movement is one characterized by love. Even though we may
never meet the people we work so hard to save, she said, the fruit of our
efforts is important nonetheless. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lieutenant Governor Forest, the featured speaker, also spoke
positively about the progress made in North Carolina. He recognized the
legislators in attendance, saying that although he is the one often in the
spotlight, the citizens owe their gratitude to the hard-working members of the
General Assembly who face so much opposition for being pro-life. Forest focused much of his speech on the need
to return America to her roots. The misrepresentation of separation of church
and state, he said, is responsible for the culture today because once you
remove God from the public sphere, you lose respect for human life, too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The evening’s program ended with a benediction, but many
people stayed afterward to chat with one another. It was truly wonderful to see
so many pro-life people enjoying each other’s company, and we at NCRTL are blessed to have all of your support!</span></div>
Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-267370287778850533.post-33813292870456601292013-09-27T12:07:00.002-04:002013-09-27T12:07:55.194-04:00Pro-Life 101: The Hard Cases<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>*This is the sixth
installment in a series of posts on pro-life apologetics based on the </i><a href="http://www.nrlc.org/uploads/WhenTheySayPacket.pdf"><i>“When
They Say, You Say”</i></a><i> talks
developed by Olivia Gans Turner and Mary Spaulding Balch. While reading in
order is not strictly necessary, you may find it helpful. <a href="http://northcarolinarighttolife.blogspot.com/2013/08/speaking-prolifese-using-our-language.html">Post
1</a>. <a href="http://northcarolinarighttolife.blogspot.com/2013/08/pro-life-101-its-not-human.html">Post
2.</a> <a href="http://northcarolinarighttolife.blogspot.com/2013/09/pro-life-101-woman-has-right-to-control.html">Post
3</a>. <a href="http://northcarolinarighttolife.blogspot.com/2013/09/pro-life-101-every-child-wanted-child.html">Post
4.</a> <a href="http://northcarolinarighttolife.blogspot.com/2013/09/pro-life-101-back-alley-abortions.html">Post
5</a>.</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rape. Incest. Fetal Abnormality. These constitute what we call “the
hard cases,” because they are incredibly personal and emotionally charged. Many
people are afraid to talk about them, but you shouldn’t be. Discussing the hard
cases requires compassion, sensitivity, and reason, just like everything we’ve talked
about so far. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Abortion advocates often bring up the hard cases because they know they
carry emotional weight and tend to shake up their pro-life peers. Even those
who are otherwise pro-life hesitate when it comes to abortion in the case of
rape and incest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When you look at the statistics, though, you’ll notice that <a href="http://infogr.am/Why-Do-Women-Have-Abortions">the vast majority of
abortions aren’t for the hard cases at all</a>; in fact, rape and incest
account for less than 1% of all abortions. In total, rape, incest, life of the mother,
and fetal abnormality are the reasons given for only 7% of abortions. <i>It is
very important not to downplay the tragedy behind these statistics.</i> You
should bring this up to illustrate that there is not an overwhelming need for
abortion in these circumstances, but be careful: you cannot reduce the
suffering of rape victims to a small statistic in the abortion debate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7rzc1ynHbCHSNVdtBrEpk58W6XmOYxikYY5CpEBENjbfjaIYGl4eA1WnCnelzbNWDjXyJJwOeEYEnh-mzuLH-FGyYB0zrDKjMJgB12LFNp3IJsFbRJtbej2xrMdA9nLX5JeH4SymjMmu/s1600/Sadness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7rzc1ynHbCHSNVdtBrEpk58W6XmOYxikYY5CpEBENjbfjaIYGl4eA1WnCnelzbNWDjXyJJwOeEYEnh-mzuLH-FGyYB0zrDKjMJgB12LFNp3IJsFbRJtbej2xrMdA9nLX5JeH4SymjMmu/s320/Sadness.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So what do we say about abortion in the case of rape? First, remember
that rape is a disgusting, violent crime. Whatever you do, start by acknowledging
the woman’s pain; she is <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the innocent victim of a terrible ordeal, and she
needs your love, compassion, and support, not your judgment. Pro-lifers are
(falsely) accused of caring more about the baby than the mother, and you want
to avoid that. However, when rape
results in pregnancy, a second innocent victim is at stake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Too often, when a woman conceives after rape, counselors encourage her
to abort her baby. On the surface, this seems like a reasonable solution since
she was forced into her situation. Upon closer analysis, however, this line of
reasoning falls apart. Regardless of how he was conceived, the baby is still a
unique, innocent human life. Abortion is a death sentence, but it punishes the
child for the crime of his father. We forget that the child has two parents—he is
also his mother’s, and when we pressure her to abort, we turn her into the
aggressor against her own child. Rape victims are already traumatized, and women
who have abortions often suffer emotionally, physically, and psychologically
for the rest of their lives. When a woman is pressured into abortion after being raped,
then, she often feels like she has been victimized twice. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the case of incest, which almost always involves the abuse of a
minor by an older relative or family friend, abortion not only takes an
innocent life and further traumatizes the mother, it also shields the criminal.
He pays for his victim’s abortion and resumes his abuse, unbeknownst to those
who would protect her. In this way, abortion allows the cycle of abuse to
continue, and, again, only adds to the mother’s pain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But won’t carrying her child to term only distress the mother further?
We often hear that women who are pregnant after rape will relive their rape
every day. However, studies have shown that women who continue their
pregnancies after rape actually heal better than those who abort. Rather than
trying to cover up her experience as something shameful, she is able to cope
with it in an open, healthy manner. Like grieving, recovering from a rape is a
process that takes time. Women reported that although they were afraid at
first, in the end they felt that giving life to their child was a special way
of redeeming their horrible experience. Instead of compounding the violence of
the rape with an abortion, they brought something good and beautiful to the
world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Just as a child conceived in rape has the same dignity, value, and
right to life as a “planned” child, so does a baby diagnosed with fetal
abnormalities. It’s never easy for parents to hear that their very much wanted
baby might have a lifelong disability or perhaps not survive outside the womb,
but this does not make abortion the acceptable solution. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We should never judge the worth of a life based upon an arbitrary
standard of “quality.” <i>All</i> lives are unique and valuable, and to say
otherwise is to establish a dangerous precedent that opens the door to
euthanasia. If we say that babies in the womb should be aborted due to
disabilities, what’s to prevent us from extending that principle to those
outside the womb with disabilities? Modern technology has made it much easier
to accurately diagnose problems before birth, but sadly our medical
professionals often use this as a means of advocating the abortion of these “less
than perfect” children instead of using it as an opportunity to better equip
themselves to care for those children’s medical needs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7kJsoH2P13qh6NNQxTZQ1HwVuGhx35HtocSinzNSCcqeNxX55de9U_Tci1-BxeIgJld1LWibXEKbjPIcRh0s6PiH8n2XAk2gUOAKTauHkMcy3LUbztaNzSIKppGhKdAqMHOec9i4qZJE/s1600/problems.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7kJsoH2P13qh6NNQxTZQ1HwVuGhx35HtocSinzNSCcqeNxX55de9U_Tci1-BxeIgJld1LWibXEKbjPIcRh0s6PiH8n2XAk2gUOAKTauHkMcy3LUbztaNzSIKppGhKdAqMHOec9i4qZJE/s320/problems.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Even when parents receive a fatal prenatal diagnosis, we know that it’s
better for them to continue their pregnancies, just like those pregnant through
rape. Many times, parents are excited about their baby and have already picked
out names and planned for their future with their baby when they receive the
diagnosis. They’re already grieving the life of their baby…before their baby
has died. Abortion, rather than acknowledging that baby as a valued family
member, turns him into a problem that must be destroyed. In contrast, those
with experience at <a href="http://perinatalhospice.org/">perinatal hospices</a>
know that treating the baby as a valuable human being, regardless of how long
he lives, brings much greater peace and healing to his family. Families are
able to celebrate their newest member’s brief life and are allowed to grieve
naturally. Their baby isn’t treated as a problem, but as a blessing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These cases are all difficult and entail much suffering, but abortion
only adds to that suffering. Sympathy, compassion, and love are needed when we
talk about them, but so are facts. No matter how a baby is conceived and no
matter what disabilities he may have, he is still a unique human life, as fully
worthy of our protection and love as his parents. </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Erin Karlovichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10569638789051027325noreply@blogger.com0