In the realm of trying to convince people that being pro-life is the right way to go, sometimes I lose perspective.

So when a Canadian blogger released data showing that 491 babies were born alive and left to die over a ten year period in Canada, I failed to post about it.I think it’s because many babies die annually, so it failed to register with me that these deaths are very egregious. Are they worse than other abortions? I’d argue yes.

They are worse because these are most often babies with some sickness or illness (disability) that the parents have found out about at a late number of weeks. I am particularly disturbed by abortion because a baby has Down Syndrome, for example.

They are worse, because it causes nurses and doctors to turn a blind eye to the people we are supposed to actually care about–those who are born. So the line between abortion and infanticide is very blurry here.

They are worse, because the most vulnerable among us are left to die alone, at an age when they can feel pain.

I’ll let Jill Stanek inform you on what this looks like. She’s an American nurse who was a whistleblower on the practice in the United States.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9duXeLahkV4]

I really enjoy reading Kay Hymowitz. Here, she tackles why it is we see fewer women in top positions. In a nutshell: because this is what they choose. And better family benefits don’t change the situation, either:

Can such family-friendly policies admit more women to the executive suite? Not on the evidence. Consider two countries with some of the most highly touted family policies in the world, the kind that the work/family advocates are always calling for: France and Sweden…. The conclusion that a number of them have reached provides a textbook case of unintended consequences: the very family policies that make it easier for women to combine work and family discourage them from pursuing career Olympus. In a paper called “Is There a Glass Ceiling in Sweden?,” James Albrecht and colleagues speculate that the country’s maternal benefits are so generous that they “may discourage strong career commitment” by women. The paper also points out that Sweden’s liberal wage policies, elevating incomes at the bottom of society, make it prohibitively expensive for many ambitious mothers—and mothers still do most of the child care, even in Sweden—to hire outside help during hours when day-care centers are closed.

Love any and all of Véronique’s posts. Here’s the story of how her twins were born.

I think the Two and a Half Men star is right, his show is indeed bad, filth, even. Somewhat refreshing to hear him say this, but it’s lacking in impact because he still works for the show. A little bit of a resignation might be in order. But still nice to hear someone call it like it is: I watched that show for a certain amount of time, and at some point I realized the writing isn’t good, the content isn’t good, it’s not terribly funny…and that’s when I stopped. I like the idea of being critical consumers.

There’s a free web cast on this topic tonight. Click here for more info.

Join us for a national webcast on Tuesday, November 27th at 9:00PM ESTto hear Dr. Marguerite Duane discuss all the options available to physicians when counseling patients on family planning options.

As medical students you will one day be asked to prescribe birth control pills. Do you have all of your options? Do you know there are alternatives?

Fertility is a normal, healthy physiologic state.  Women’s hormonal cycles determine the fertile window when a couple will most likely conceive.  An understanding of the cycle and recognition of the external signs that determine each phase has led to the development of more environmentally friendly and highly effective forms of family planning.  Despite these advances, there is limited information about fertility awareness based methods (FABMs) being taught in medical school and residency and the majority of health professionals are trained to approach fertility as a disease state.

By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to describe the scientific basis for different types of FABMs and discuss the evidence supporting the effectiveness of these methods to both avoid and achieve pregnancy.  Participants will also be able to list the basic characteristics of the different methods to determine the appropriate population for use.  Finally, we will briefly introduce the participants to FACTS – the Fertility Appreciation Collaborative to Teach the Systems – a dedicated group of physicians and other health professionals committed to teaching our colleagues about fertility awareness based methods of family planning.

From We Need A Law:

Surrey, BC – In the latest example of censorship and bullying, the Kwantlen Student Association (KSA) has rejected an application from a group of students to form a pro-life club on campus.

A statement released this morning by National Campus Life Network, an organization which supports pro-life clubs across the country, said the students who placed the application had retained legal counsel in their fight to have this rejection overturned. “They are in violation of their own policies,” stated Anastasia Pearse, the Western Campus Coordinator for National Campus Life Network. “Their own policy states that the association can’t censor or interfere with a club, even if it disagrees with its beliefs. Free speech and debate, even on controversial issues, should not be stifled at a university simply because those in positions of authority are pro-choice.”

“In the past, post-secondary institutions welcomed open debate as young Canadians sought to find their place in the fabric of this country”, said WeNeedaLAW.ca director Mike Schouten when he learned of the rejected application. “Today they are among the most intellectually sterile environments.”

“Rather than pose impediments to open dialogue, I encourage the KSA to remove barriers and restore openness by promoting intellectual liberty on their campus”, said Schouten.

“Post-secondary students today are growing up in a world that is making a conscious effort to correct the bullying tactics which were seen as normal in past decades. Here we have a clear case where the KSA is using its authority to bully pro-life students by ensuring they aren’t able to express their viewpoints in a similar manner as other groups. It is the height of hypocrisy for them to take this course of action,” Schouten went on to say.

“The KSA’s rejection of the application and defensive attitude of their so-called ‘intellectual turf’ is nothing short of unfair discrimination and they should rescind their decision immediately”, Schouten concluded.

A propos of nothing, I laughed quite hard at this one. A 55-page photo spread? Wow. Just wow.

BEIJING — The online version of China’s Communist Party newspaper has hailed a report by The Onion naming North Korean dictator Kim Jong -un as the “Sexiest Man Alive” – not realizing it is satire.

The People’s Daily on Tuesday ran a 55-page photo spread on its website in a tribute to the round-faced leader, under the headline “North Korea’s top leader named The Onion’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2012.” Quoting the Onion’s spoof report, the Chinese newspaper wrote: “”With his devastatingly handsome, round face, his boyish charm, and his strong, sturdy frame, this Pyongyang-bred heartthrob is every woman’s dream come true.”

“Blessed with an air of power that masks an unmistakable cute, cuddly side, Kim made this newspaper’s editorial board swoon with his impeccable fashion sense, chic short hairstyle, and, of course, that famous smile,” the People’s Daily cited the Onion as saying.

Remember the editorial telling pro-lifers to shut up? Margaret Somerville responds:

Your editorial, “The abortion debate is over, so shut up” is very bluntly expressed pro-choice wishful thinking on your part. This debate is not going away. It’s gaining strength.

The editorial does, however, accurately reflect a belief of many Canadians that there seems to be no way for us to reach any consensus on the law that should govern abortion, as recent votes in Parliament have consistently demonstrated. I don’t agree, but note I’ve qualified the word consensus with the adjective “any”.

I believe a majority of Canadians can find some “common ground” regarding legal regulation of abortion, but this must be distinguished from finding unanimous agreement – that’s impossible.

For many of us, whether we are pro-choice or pro-life, this common ground will not be a “perfect” stance. That’s unavoidable because we live in a pluralistic society where people have vastly divergent worldviews; we don’t all share the same convictions about the intrinsic dignity and value of all human beings, from their conception to their natural death; and we disagree whether the value of respect for life or that of individual autonomy should take priority when they conflict.

From my friend Stephanie Gray, in the National Post:

Do the tragic deaths in Ireland of Savita Halappanavar and her pre-born daughter Prasa  really make a case for legal abortion? Many across the world are coming to that conclusion but overlooking an important piece of information recently reported in The Irish Times and The Guardian: an autopsy revealed that Halappanavar died of septicaemia “documented ante-mortem” and E.coli ESBL.

I just stumbled across this blog. The poster below is a little bit crass, but conveys the point we are all trying to make: You aren’t some big and noble defender of women’s rights when you are pro-choice. I just had a man write me and say being pro-woman and pro-life is an oxymoron. I engaged the issue with him a tiny bit. Where the discussion has been left for right now is with him saying he supports a woman’s right to kill her child with or without medical reason. Incidentally, the euphemism he used was “terminate a pregnancy.” I think I may further make a George Jonas point to him which is simply this: You can be pro-choice, but please, you should very much understand what it is you are advocating for and “terminating a pregnancy” masks what it is a woman is doing in abortion. Masking that reality helps no one and is certainly not “pro-woman.”