I remember being a happy child. I had simple joys then. Some toys, some sweets, my playmates, a VHS tape of The Sound of Music, my beloved dog and my doting parents made me feel the luckiest kid on earth. But an experience suddenly burst my happy bubble when I was about nine years old. It was the 16^th of January, a big feast in our small town is being celebrated. It was Sto. Nino’s fiesta (Feast of the Child Jesus). I remember being glad because there were no classes that day. Therefore I was allowed to watch The Sound of Music even if it wasn’t Friday.  

Abortion activists are at it again, attempting to introduce bubble-zones around New South Wales abortion facilities. As stated many times on this website, these so-called 'safe-access zones', also known as exclusion zones, are designed to stop advocates for life from offering assistance to desperate women who feel pressured to abort their children. They also hamper the freedom of political communication which should exist in a free society like Australia. Exclusion-zone law, very similar to that being proposed in New South Wales will be under the scrutiny of the High Court of Australia this year due to our legal challenge. Any politician who is realistic about the fiscal and time constraints that apply to our parliamentary system wouldn't dream of introducing legislation that has a constitutional cloud hanging over it.

World-renowned speaker, Jason Evert, was in Melbourne this week for a series of talks on the true nature of love. Jason has spoken to more than one million people about the virtue of chastity and has been a keynote speaker at five World Youth Days. He has written several books, including “Theology of the Body for Teens” and “How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul,” and has studied counselling and theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. It was my great pleasure to meet him and ask him a few questions about how a return to chastity can put the brakes on the abortion culture.

By now, many of you will be familiar with the massive Save the 8th! campaign, mounted by Ireland's pro-life community. Abortion is currently illegal in Ireland, except under very few circumstances. On May 25th, a referendum will be held in Ireland to determine whether or not to repeal the constitution's 8th Amendment, adopted in 1983: protection of the unborn child. The mainstream media has, on the whole, supported the pro-abortion side, concentrating on the fact that many Irish women travel to England in order to procure abortions. However, this 'need' to travel simply shows that Irish women have been sold the same lie that is being spread around the world: a mistimed pregnancy will ruin women's lives.

Richard Grant writes that giving a prominent abortionist a platform at a pro-life conference is a grave disservice to the cause of the unborn. As covered in a previous article, the presence of Leah Torres, famous for her callous 'cord-cutting' tweet, at the Abortion Rethink conference sparked horror and confusion among the pro-life community. Advocates for her appearance claimed that there is always a chance for her conversion, and surprisingly, Dr. Torres said in a recent interview that she no longer performs abortions. But - unsurprisingly - she still vehemently maintains her pro-abortion position, leaving us to wonder if her employer, Planned Parenthood of Utah, thought her tweet gave the public a little too accurate an insight into the true nature of abortion. Richard weighs in on the scandal.

All sources used in this article are either medical or secular, so there can be no accusation of a pro-life bias. Abortion providers and advocates are very eager these days to push Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (or LARCS) onto their patients. There have been more than a few studies on their use and uptake, with an abundance of advice for practitioners on how to increase their sales. It's been of particular interest to me, to note that abortion providers are very keen to fit women with LARCS right after an abortion.

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King. The quote in the image accompanying this post is taken from King's "Letter From a Birmingham Jail."  Written in 1963, its sentiments still apply today to a range of evils that threaten to overwhelm the West: gender mainstreaming, political corruption, same-sex 'marriage', abortion. The following testimony is taken from the book, "King Rules", written by MLK's niece, Alveda King. The book is subtitled, 'Ten truths for you, your family, and our nation to prosper.' Alveda King is now a prominent pro-life activist, and assures those who would appropriate the legacy of MLK to promote abortion, that he was undoubtedly pro-life. The following extract describes Alveda's own tragic experience with abortion, and the pro-life philosophy that pervaded the King household. Note that the after-effects of abortion, as suffered by Alveda King, are similar to those experienced by many post-abortive women.  

Abortionist Leah Torres is no stranger to controversy. She has a huge following on twitter and actively advocates for abortion, while educating - according to her personal brand of science - on the dangers of pregnancy. Last week, she drew heavy criticism from within and without the pro-life community for her comments about her abortion technique: "You know babies can't scream, right? I transect the cord first so there's really no opportunity. If they're even far enough along to have a larynx." Although like many others, I concluded that Torres was referring to the vocal cords, she says she was actually referring to the umbilical cord. [See Dave Pellowe's article and interview with Leah Torres here.] And, while umbilical cord transection is a technique that is sometimes used for second-trimester abortions, it has mixed outcomes for mothers. In any case, it seems irrelevant which cord is being cut: umbilical, vocal or spinal; for the abortionist, they all lead to the result they're after: a dead baby.  

[As a practising Catholic, it was interesting to read this account by Rissa Hann of her experience at the 2016 Day of the Unborn Child. For those who may not be aware, this annual pro-life event is held in the Sydney CBD on the Feast of the Annunciation, and it is unashamedly Catholic. I've added pictures from this year's event, but have left Rissa's text unchanged - Kathy.]  

Before exclusion-zones were introduced, the Melbourne Helpers of God's Precious Infants were able to help many women choose life for their children. On average, one mother and her baby were saved from abortion every month. That number has dwindled significantly, thanks to the totalitarian "Safe-Access Zones". But Richard Grant explains how God continues to provide for vulnerable mothers and their preborn children: