When your health insurance declines life-extending medication but covers assisted suicide

Imagine that there was medical help to save your life, but your health insurance plan denied authorization for it and offered you assisted suicide instead. This very thing happened to Oregon patients. The Oregon Health Plan notified them by letter that payment for life-extending mediation would not be covered, but that the Plan would pay for assisted suicide. (Sources: here, here, and here)

Here's what's coming, folks. It's already happening, though you may not have noticed it; but what do you think is going to happen when the next real financial crunch comes, when the economy tanks, resources are scarce, medicare and medicaid and social services are swamped and funds run dry?

NY moves to protect baby-killers from dangers of pro-lifers

Rick Karlin, Pro-choice lobbyist cites danger to donors in winning exemption (TimesUnion.com, June 26, 2013):

One of the most outspoken lobbying groups in the state has been given an exemption to donor disclosure rules after saying the information could put its contributors in danger.

NARAL Pro Choice NY is so far the sole recipient of a disclosure exemption under new lobbyist donor rules now in effect.

Meanwhile, pro-life ND Governor Jack Dalrymple received death threats this year, and Princeton University pro-life professor Robert George and Fr. Frank Pavone received death threats from supporters of pro-baby-killers last year. Yet pro-life groups receive no such exemption for donor disclosures.

• North Dakota Governor Signs Pro-Life Bills, Receives Death Threats (New American, March 29, 2013)
• Self-professed pro-choice ‘terrorist’ pleads guilty to issuing death threats: cyanide found in home (LifeSiteNews, May 11, 2012)
• Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life Receives Post-Election Death Threat (LifeSiteNews, November 11, 2008)

If you Google "violence" or "bomb threat" or "murder" together with "abortion," about all you will turn up is articles about the grave threat posed by pro-life groups (now listed as potential "terrorist" groups), but virtually nothing about pro-choice violence against pro-lifers. To get a sense of how distorted the typical media presentation of comparative pro-life and pro-choice violence is, the following site provides ample well-documented grist for the mill:

Pro-lifer stands up to Supreme Court of Canada

Stalwart is undaunted by ruling, prospect of jail time: Charles Lewis, "Crusader Linda Gibbons says Supreme Court ruling won’t stop her abortion clinic protests" (National Post, June 8, 2012).

[Hat tip to New Oxford Review]

K of C begins airing "Vote Pro-Life" radio ad nationwide

"'Vote Pro-Life' Radio Ad Begins Running on U.S. Radio Stations" (Knights of Columbus, September 23, 2008):

Knights of Columbus spot features beating heart of 10-week-old unborn child.

A 30-second radio spot encouraging people to “vote pro-life” in the November elections began running on radio stations around the United States Sept. 23 It will continue to air until the Nov. 4 election.

The ad features the sound of an unborn baby’s heartbeat at 10 weeks, and the voice of a woman saying, “Listening to this makes me wonder – why would anyone question that her life has begun?” It concludes with the words, “Vote your heart. Vote Pro Life.”

“The fact that the child whose heartbeat we hear is alive is simply a matter of science,” Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said in announcing the beginning of the ad campaign.

“We believe that it is vital that America’s pro-life community make it clear that they will reserve their votes for candidates of either party who are committed to protecting life from conception to natural death.”

A similar ad is planned for broadcast in Canada, where general elections are set for October 14, 2008.

[You can listen to the ad via the link above.]

A governor whose pro-life witness is more than words

Alaska's youthful Governor Sarah Palin, who is reportedly being considered as a possible running mate by John McCain, gave birth on Friday to her fifth child, a son who has Down's Syndrome. She said in a released statement: "We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives. We have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed." As many as 80% of unborn children diagnosed with Down's Syndrome become victims of abortion. Governor Palin, known for her deeply-held pro-life views, did not let her child become a statistic, but warmly embraced her son as God's gift.

See: "Alaska Governor Gives Birth to Son with Down’s Syndrome" (Catholic New Agency, April 24, 2008).

[Hat tip to C.G-Z.]