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By Daniel Herbster
I had the opportunity to speak to sophomore biology students and senior chemistry students at my high school alma mater about stem cells, cloning, and the pro-life cause. The students at Community Baptist Christian School were great, and showed genuine interest in the presentation. I'd like to thank Miss Anderson for inviting me to speak to her students and for taking these photos.
Explaining the science of human embryo development.
For more information about bioethics and life issues check the pro-life, stem cell, adult stem cell, and human cloning pages at AdvanceUSA.org or check the stem cell, adult stem cell, pro-life, abortion, and human cloning categories at AdvanceUSA Blog.
From the President: To read President Bush’s statements to marchers at the White House click here.
Good Reporting: Mark Hemingway from National Review Online has some great photos and excellent reporting of the march in a recent article.
Encouraging News: Barna says that evangelical Christians consider abortion their top concern (94% list it as an important issue).
More Resources: For more March for Life coverage from other bloggers check the FRC Blog.
UPDATE: The Washington Post has a great article today about the March For Life entitled “A Youthful Throng Marches Against Abortion.” Let’s hope other mainstream media outlets report this important event with the coverage it deserves.
It is
truly impressive to see the huge crowds of ordinary Americans marching in the
streets of our nation’s capital, to expose the world to the injustice of
abortion and to proclaim that the pro-life cause has not been abandoned. Here are some photos of yesterday’s March for Life event taken by AdvanceUSA DC
staff member Daniel Herbster:
Praying
for the end of Roe and the end of
abortion
Massive
crowds gathered in the shadow of the Capitol to hear pro-life speakers on the
National Mall.
The
spires of the Smithsonian look down on the gathering crowds. More photos below. Click "Read More" to view the rest.
Our friends at FRC were generous enough to host many conservative bloggers to hear a wonderful selection of pro-life activists, thinkers, and politicians.
Staying warm in the lovely facilities at FRC
Michael Illions shares the story of his son Cole who he and his wife decided to have despite incredible pressure to simply abort their child late in the pregnancy due to potentially severe health concerns. Mr. Illions and his wife do not regret their decision to “choose life.”
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), pro-life and pro-family champion of the Senate.
Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Pro-Life Caucus and a strong pro-life leader.
Photos by Daniel Herbster
Daniel
Herbster (AdvanceUSA DC staff
member) posting:
At the conservative blogger luncheon I was privileged to attend, we again heard
from Johnson County (Kansas) District Attorney Phil Kline about his efforts to
investigate Planned Parenthood for serious breaches of the law.
We then
heard from Hadley Arkes again who mentioned the importance of selecting a
pro-life president. He said that a president can sometimes err by being
“all action and no talk.” His point is that a president should lead the
charge in articulating a pro-life philosophy and spearhead real efforts to
restrict abortion and foster a culture of life (not just do the bare minimum to
be considered pro-life). Turning his attention to the current
presidential primary, Arkes encouraged the Republican Party to not abandon the
classic balance of social, economic, and defense conservatism and warned that
three of the five major GOP candidates (this was before news of Fred Thompson’s
withdrawal became public) would fracture this important coalition.
After the
blogger conference I traipsed over to the National Mall to survey the massive
crowds, take in a few pro-life speeches, take some photos of the crowds from
the Capitol, and take in the events being held in front of the Supreme Court
building.
I hope to
get some of my photos up soon.
Daniel
Herbster (AdvanceUSA DC
staff member) posting:
Earlier this morning Kansas prosecuting attorney (and former KS Attorney
General) Phil Kline chronicled his dealings with the notorious abortion pusher
Planned Parenthood in his home state and demonstrated how the mainstream
media's pro-abortion bias clouds their judgment and observations (some times
almost humorously). It was great to see, in person, this pro-life
crusader who is attempting to expose the abuses of Planned Parenthood and bring
them to justice.
Next, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) reiterated the need to examine Planned Parenthood
and do everything possible to insure that they do not receive taxpayer
dollars. He referenced a recent speech he gave on the House floor called
"time to take a second look at child abuse incorporated" which you
can read
for yourself here.
Now I'm listening to Hadley P. Arkes (one of our friends from FRC) who is
emphasizing that judicial nominations are not the only means for promoting the
"culture of life." Too often pro-lifers think that overturning
Roe is the only thing we can do (as good as that would be) and are too easily mollified
by politicians who promise us "good judges."
Next I'll be attending a luncheon for conservative bloggers, and then I hope to
venture out into the cold and observe some of the March for Life myself.
Check back with AdvanceUSA Blog for photos of today's events.
To view the March for Life event live check out their website. To view live streaming of the Blogs for Life event at FRC check FRC's blog.
For more coverage of today's pro-life events be sure to check back with AdvanceUSA Blog!
Daniel Herbster (AdvanceUSA DC staff member) posting:
Though the weather outside is frigid, I got to spend the morning in the warm confiness of the Family Research Center in downtown Washington , DC.
Today is the "March for Life" and I am covering the "Blogs for Life" event here at FRC. We've heard from several special speakers about the pro-life movement and harnesing technology in that effort.
Michael Illions told the story of his son Cole. Late in his wife's pregnancy doctors told the couple that their unborn son had irreparable brain defects and encouraged the couple to have an abortion. Though the couple experienced much pressure to abort the child they were determined to give their son a chance at life. Now they are glad they chose life as their son Cole, despite serious health challenges, has the prospects of a fairly normal life. The Illions' inspiring story is a stirring challenge for us to respect all human life, despite serious challenges.
We next heard from Sen. Sam Brownback, who has long been a champion of the pro-life and pro-family cause. He reminded us of the wonderful history behind the march for life and warned us that despite the massive crowds that would gather today in the nation's capital, the mainstream media would most likely minimize the significance of the March for Life. The Senator reminded our gathering that we are "fighting for life" and not against people, activists, women, or doctors. What we are fighting against, he said, is "death, fear, and despair."
Many great speakers (including: Michael New, Phil Kline, Rep. Chris Smith, and others) are coming up!
Check back later for more special reports. Hopefully, I will be posting some photos of the March and of some of today's speakers later today or tomorrow.
January 22, 2008 marks the 35th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision in which the Supreme Court usurped the will of the people, ignored the authority of representative government, and erroneously declared a constitutional right to kill unborn children in the womb. The verdict opened the door to abortion on demand and, as Cal Thomas points out, devastatingly damaged our culture and society.
For years, in our nation’s capital and across the country, the March for Life has taken place on this somber anniversary, and this year’s events will be especially important. AdvanceUSA will be blogging the events in Washington, DC live and anticipates supplying first-hand reporting on our website and blog.
AdvanceUSA
had the privilege of attending a lecture last week by John West (Senior Fellow
at the Discovery Institute) at the Heritage Foundation at which he explained
the effects of scientific materialism on American culture and political
thought. In his lecture West highlighted 5 specific effects of scientific
materialism evident today.
- technocracy elevated above
democracy
- pursuit of utopianism
- dehumanization
- moral relativism
- stifling of free speech and
free debate
To hear
an audio recording of this very insightful lecture click here
or here.
For more information about this and other Heritage Foundation events click here.
 AdvanceUSA was privileged to attend the Values Voter Summit this past weekend which hosted numerous conservative speakers and all nine major Republican presidential candidates (all Democrat candidates were invited but all declined or refused to respond).
The values voters in attendance heard from such notable speakers as Newt Gingrich, Laura Ingram, Star Parker, Robert Bork, Michael Steele, and Paul Weyrich. Additionally, there were panel discussions about conservative women in politics, the power of the media, and battling for the culture through the movie industry. The Summit culminated in a gala banquet honoring the life and ministry of Dr. James Dobson (video excerpts and commentary here) who took the opportunity to clarify his position on voting for a lesser party, pro-life candidate in the event the Republican party nominates a pro-choice candidate.
The National Review observes that after the Values Voter Summit and last night’s Fox News debate, the GOP field is still wide open.
As noted earlier Mitt Romney won the overall straw poll while Mike Huckabee won among voters actually in attendance (full results here).
Continue reading to view video clips of candidate speeches at the Values Voter Summit (more will be added as they become available).
This past
weekend at the Family Research Council’s Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC
a straw poll was taken to determine which candidate values voters were most
likely to support. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won
the overall poll (internet and on-site voters) while former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee won
among the values voters who voted on-site.
Below are
breakdowns of the poll results for the top five vote-getters courtesy of our friends at FRC.
Which of the
following candidates for President would you be most likely to vote for?
Overall Results
|
Mitt
Romney
|
1595
|
27.62%
|
|
Mike
Huckabee
|
1565
|
27.15%
|
|
Ron
Paul
|
865
|
14.98%
|
|
Fred
Thompson
|
564
|
9.77%
|
|
Undecided
|
329
|
5.70%
|
|
Total
|
5,775
|
100%
|
Onsite Straw Poll
Results
|
Mike
Huckabee
|
488
|
51.26%
|
|
Mitt
Romney
|
99
|
10.40%
|
|
Fred
Thompson
|
77
|
8.09%
|
|
Tom
Tancredo
|
65
|
6.83%%
|
|
Rudy
Giuliani
|
60
|
6.30%
|
|
Total
|
952
|
100%
|
Full
results at FRC.org.
AdvanceUSA will be in attendance at this weekend’s Values Voter Summit
in Washington, DC sponsored by our good friends at the Family Research
Council and others. Conservatives from around the country will be present
to hear well-known conservative leaders and thinkers. All of the
Republican presidential candidates will be in attendance and a straw poll will
be conducted to determine who values voters intend to support.
Check back
with AdvanceUSA Blog next week to see what happens.
FRC has
produced a humorous spoof of a well-know dating service (click
here or see below) to illustrate the importance of really getting to know
presidential candidates and seriously considering just who represents one’s
values and convictions. AdvanceUSA encourages all concerned citizens to
be diligent to inform themselves about the issues and candidates facing our
nation.
“The fairness
doctrine flies in the face of the First
Amendment.”
-Sen.
Norm Coleman
Pointing out that the “fairness
doctrine” is not fair at a Heritage Foundation
event today (video posted tomorrow) Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) said “the
fairness doctrine is the biggest misnomer since jumbo shrimp.” He went on to
explain how the fairness doctrine violates the First Amendment’s protections of
free political speech. He asked rhetorically if we really wanted government
regulators monitoring broadcasts with pencil, paper, and stopwatch enforcing
their idea of “fair and balanced.”
Fortunately Sen. Coleman did not
expect fairness doctrine legislation to make any progress in the current
Congress but voiced his fears that a future liberal administration combined with
a liberal Congress would quickly introduce such dangerous
legislation.
Congressman Thomas Price had a
helpful piece published yesterday entitled “The
Left’s Push to Silence Free Speech.”
AdvanceUSA
attended a press conference yesterday on Capitol Hill to show support for the
embattled nomination of Judge Leslie Southwick for the 5th Circuit
Court of Appeals. Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Orin Hatch (R-UT) led
the event which was well attended by conservative activists, concerned
citizens, and members of the media.
UPDATE: Click here to view a video clip of the press conference. Sen.
Specter kicks off the press conference advocating the speedy approval of Judge
Southwick with many concerned citizen-activists gathered in support.
 Tuesday afternoon AdvanceUSA, along with educators,
community leaders, and education advocates, attended the “Compassion in Action
Roundtable” sponsored by the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community
Initiatives. The topic of the roundtable was “Real Choices for
Educational Improvement: How Faith-Based and Community Organizations Help
Bridge the Achievement Gap.”
A number
of government, church, educational, and community leaders shared success
stories of rising test scores and parental satisfaction because of the
intervention of faith-based and community organizations. Among the
speakers were Bishop William Lori who spoke about the dramatic improvements in
inner city schools in Bridgeport,
Connecticut as well as Sally
Sachar, Virginia Walden-For, and Chris Kelly who highlighted the DC Opportunity
Scholarship Program which benefits low income families in the nation’s capital.
AdvanceUSA
was pleased to hear several speakers emphasize the need for school
choice. Two general categories of school choice were discussed.
Vouchers are direct payments by the government to parents or
schools in order to provide for students’ private or public education thus
providing more options than just the local school district.
Tax Credits allow parents to deduct some or all of their tuition
payments from their taxes, or they give individuals or businesses a tax credit
for contributing to a non-public school scholarship fund. Some school
choice advocates prefer this method as it minimizes government involvement in
private school affairs.
The U.S.
Department of Education’s new report entitled “Education Options in the States:
State Programs that Provide Financial Assistance for Attendance at Private
Elementary or Secondary Schools” was also highlighted at the event and can
be read online here.
AdvanceUSA
hopes this interesting and inspiring meeting will help advance the cause of
school choice for parents and further improve the state of education in America through
the efforts of faith-based and community initiatives.
For more
information on school choice ideas check the AdvanceUSA pro-family page.
AdvanceUSA
staff had the opportunity last night to attend a reception for an exciting pro-life
organization.
Students
for Life of America is doing excellent work across the country recruiting
and training the next generation of pro-lifers. Here’s an excerpt from their
website:
A pro-life, student-run, non-profit organization since
1987, Students for Life of America
is the nation's oldest pro-life organization wholly devoted to educating
college students about the medical and ethical issues of abortion, euthanasia,
and infanticide.
Formerly known as American Collegians for Life, SFL's
commitment to facilitating the pro-life movement on American college campuses
has remained strong since its founding. SFL has worked to develop a nationwide
network of prolife students. Now connecting hundreds of college campuses in the
largest national directory of its kind, Students for Life will continue to
serve pro-life champions in every college and university in America.
At last
night’s reception pro-life activists were introduced to the Students for Life regional
recruiters who after this week’s training will fan out across the country working
with college students and groups for the cause of life.
For more
information on Students for Life, check their
website.
 AdvanceUSA and a number of conservative groups held a press conference yesterday led by Sen. Specter (R-PA) to correct the record about the sterling record and qualifications of Judge Leslie Southwick and to demand he receive a fair up-or-down vote in the full Senate. Judge Southwick was nominated by President Bush to sit on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, was unanimously rated "well qualified" by the ABA, and volunteered for active duty in Iraq. However, liberal interest groups, determined to prohibit qualified, originalist judges from reaching the federal bench, have sought to derail his nomination through character assassination and blatantly misleading allegations.
Appointing qualified, originalist judges to the federal bench is one of the most important issues facing our nation and should be a high priority for conservatives in Congress and conservative citizens contemplating presidential candidates.
AdvanceUSA has more information on Judge Southwick on its home page and pro-justice page. Also, there are a number of past blog posts about Southwick's nomination, the support for Southwick from Sen. McConnell and from Sen. Specter (transcript here), the broken promises by some senators, and the shameless attempts by some liberals to use Southwick's race against him.
UPDATE: This article from Investors Business Daily adds more helpful perspective on why liberals oppose Judge Southwick so strenuously.
UPDATE: CWA has provided video clips of the press conference in support of Judge Southwick.
A press conference yesterday in the nation’s capital highlighted the amazing success stories of patients who have been treated with their own adult stem cells and the doctors who are on the cutting edge of this exciting and ethical field of research. AdvanceUSA had the pleasure to attend this press conference (see photos below) at the National Press Club sponsored by our friends at FRC and Do No Harm.
Dr. David Prentice led the discussion in which doctors and patients explained the benefits of using adult stem cell treatments. One of the main purposes of the event was to show that there are indeed ethical and effective alternatives to research that destroys human embryos. The U.S. Senate will soon vote on whether to override or sustain President Bush’s veto of an unethical stem cell funding bill so this information is critically important. Another purpose was to raise awareness of a new bill (H.R. 2807) proposed by Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA) and Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) which intensifies support for the ethical kinds of stem cell research already showing great promise for treatments and cures. The bill has been called “The Patients First Act," focusing attention on the fact that ethical research is already treating real people right now.
To hear a recording of the event click here. For more information on adult stem cell research click here.
See the photos and captions below to learn more about this important press conference.
Can you see the difference? Dr. Amit N. Patel, MD, MS, shows before and after pictures of heart muscle tissue that had received bone marrow stem cells from the patient’s own body in his presentation aptly named “Mending a Broken Heart.” The increased blood vessel growth is obvious. Later, Dr. Patel had the audience in rapt attention when he showed actual footage of heart surgery in which a patient received adult stem cell injections.
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