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is Campaign TheProN-ife l onbably a n o n -d e n o m i n a t io gr o u pd. r a w i nigt ss i i pp o rt frcma widecross-section of lrishsociety. Th eCa m p a i gpnr c m * t*s pr o -lifeed u e a t i oann d hi"rman lifeat all defends f rcmc o n c e p ii o n st ages to n a t u r adle a t h . l i n l s n c a m n a i n n sf n r
l0 suppOt't resourees an das s i spt r e g n a nwtomsn an dt hos ei n n e e do f he a linagl t c ra b o r t i o n .
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MillwardBrown/lMS The Pro-LifeCampaignrecentlycommissioned to conductresearchon a rangeof life issues.The resultsare very for encouraging and revealstrongoppositionto the Ddillegislating safeguards to protect abortionand broadpublicsupportfor legislative research. humanembryosfrom destructive In the poll,66% of those who expressedan opinion were opposed to the D6il legislatingfor abortion. In contrast,the Government Agencylistsabortionas a "PositiveOption". appointedCrisisPregnancy ln the same poll,73/" of those who expressedan opinion wanted the human embryo protectedin law. Yet,FiannaF6iland the PDs appointeda commissionthat voted 24-1tor researchthat destroys livinghumanembryos. The ethicalsenseof the generalpublic,as reflectedin the polls, pointblankrefusalto listen is in starkcontrastto the Government's to reasonablepro-liferequests. The challengefor the pro-lifemovementgoingfgrwardis to encourage issues.This involves more and morevotersto linktheirvote to right-to-life carefulplanningand commitmentbut it has workedin countrieslikethe US and can be made work here as well.The PLC's"YourVote Matters" ad campaignis focusedat presenton the upcominggeneralelection but thereare alreadyplansto expandthe initiativeafterthe election. Politicsshouldbe guidedby respectfor everyhumanlife. This GeneralElectionmarksthe beginningof a new phase in holdingpoliticians to accountfor theiractions.
Two of the currentPro Life Campaignads
The lrishCouncilof Bioethicsis seekingsubmissions from the publicon the acceptability of stem cell research,adultand embryonic.lt's importantthat pro-lifepeopleput aside5-10 minutesto fill out the questionnaire. To makea submlssionelectronically, log onto:www.bioethics"ie Submissions are alsovalidthroughthe postand questionnaire formscan be obtained by ringingthe Councilat 01-4773217. Closing date for submissions is 30th April. The numberof submissions receivedwill be a good indicatorof the strengthof publicfeeling on the issueand, in turn,can influencethe recommendations of the Councilon Bioethics.
The storyof the birthof a baby,in the UnitedStates,whom some doctorsconsiderthe world'smost prematurebabyto havesurvivedis promptingmorecallsfor restrictions on abortions. AmilliaTaylorwas bornat just 21 weeksat Miami'sBaptistChildren'sHospital.She was just 284 grams(10 ounces)and24 centimetres (9.25inches)longwhen she was born. Doctorstypicallysay that babiesweighinglessthan 400 gramshavevery littlechance of survival.To putAmillia'sachievement in perspective: babieswho go to full term are born at 37-40 weeks. of her mother,Sonja, beforeleavinghospital for home
Englandcurrentlyallowsabortionsthroughthe 24thweek of pregnancy. Responding to Amillia'sstory,ProfessorStuartCampbell,a consultantat the CreateHealthClinicand formerlyheadof obstetricsand gynecologyat King'sCollegeSchoolof Medicine,said:
"Te me if seems utt*rly illoEi*al that, in adjae€F?fil/a,"#s, sffi€ docfcr ss sfruggff ng to s#ye a bafuy deliv*r*d at 23 a4/eeks w*ile anotk€r is ab*rting a healthy baby of the same age." Amillia'stinyfeet,aftershe was born at 21 weeks
- Tysiac v. Poland Lastmonth,the EuropeanCourtof HumanRightsheldthat Polandwas guiltyof a breach in humanrightsfor refusingto grantan abortionto a Polishwomanon groundsthat she had a deteriorating eye condition. The CourtorderedPolandto pay the womanâ‚Ź39,000 The ECHRmade its decisiondespiteeightmedicalspecialists who examined compensation. the womanunanimously declaringthat they foundno causallinkbetweenthe pregnancy and deliveryand the deterioration in the woman'seyesight. JudgeJavierBorregoBorregoof Spainwas the lonedissenterin the case. He concludedhis dissentingopinionwith the followingremarks: "AIl human beings are barn free and equal in dignity and rights. Today the Court has decided that a human being was barn as a result of a violation of the European Convention an Human Rights. According to this reasoning, there is a Polish child, currently six years old, whose right to be born contradicts the Convention. I would never have thought that the Convention would go so far, and I find it frightening."
A babywho survivedan abortionin an ltalianhospitaldiedon MarchB, unableto overcome cardiacweaknessand a brainhemorrhage afterbeingtakenfromthe womb prematurely. The baby boywas abortedin a hospitalin Careggi,ltaly,weighingonly 17 ouncesafter 22 weeksgestation.He initiallysurvivedthe abortionwhichdoctorsperformedafterthey concluded- inaccurately- thal he would be severelydisabled. The VaticannewspaperL'Osservatore Romanocommentedon the case: "A life &as been thrown aw&!4 cauEftf up in f#e sysferm of a fu*rribfs euff{.rrewhieh nat anly reiecfs diversity and disability, but eyen fhe s/fgftfesf pcssfbiiffy af having to face a painful caurse even though it could end in happiness""
Honorary President: DesHanafin Chairperson: DrJoel\,4cCaroll Deputy Chairperson: CoraShedock Professor Legal Adviser; WiliamBinchy PubishedbytheProL ie Campaign StreelUpper. D!blin1. 34Gardiner Fax:018748094 Tel:0l-8748090 go.e prolife@ind Email: gn.ie Website: www.prolifecampa
l\y'edical Adviser:Dr BerryKiely LegalConsullant: Caroline Simons JohnO Reilly Secretary: Educat on Offcers:Geradinel\,4artif DrRlthCullen
When politicians callat your door duringthe GeneralElection,let them knowyou only intendto vote for candidatesand partiesthat give publiccommitments to: Oppose abortion legislationin the D6il and promote positive alternativesto abortion Legislateto protect human embryos from deliberatedestructionincluding experimentation Make lreland a centre of excellencefor adult stem cell researchwhich is effectiveand ethical BeforeElectionDay,the Pro-LifeCampaignwill publishthe responsesfrom candidates and partiesto the issueslistedabove.
ffiruHWffiffiffi youarewilling to devote thepro-life message to your Perhaps someof yourfreetimeto finding newwaysof bringing youarewilling Perhaps to makea smallfinancial to secure theimplementation of theProLife community? commitment programme youhaveyourownideasonhowyoucanbesthelpthe overthenextthreeyears? Perhaps Campaign Regardless of howyouwishto help,please campaign? takethetimeto callustodayandwewillsendyoumoredetails. #Wgxw**
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partof yourWill.lf youarethenin a position to leavesomething theProLifeCampaign's work to a goodcause,we hopeyouwillconsider gi{tmakesa bigdifference. overtheyears.Goodcausesrelyon bequests as a sourceof income. Bigdonations aremarvellous butthesmallest
please contribution to theProLifeCampaign, it to theaddress listed below- thankyou! lf youwishto makea financial fillinthecoupon andreturn
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