Tag Archives: Abortion

Videos

Alan Shlemon explains a classification system for pro-abortion arguments

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Unborn baby scheming about pro-life arguments
Unborn baby scheming about pro-life arguments

Here’s the main post, which contains: (H/T Life Training Institute)

  • a chart showing how pro-abortion arguments can be classified using disjunctions
  • a 5-minute video of Alan explaining the chart
  • links to ALL of the responses to each type of pro-abortion argument

Alan is a veteran of university campus debates on abortion, so he’s speaking from experience. The guy who introduces him is Scott Klusendorf. Scott is the best pro-life debater in the business. Bar none. Scott is the William Lane Craig of the abortion issue.

Ok. Let’s get started.

Here’s the chart. Open that up and take a look at it.

Then watch this video and refer to the chart:

Then find a pro-abortion person, classify their argument, and use these links to find the appropriate response:

You may already be familiar with these three kinds of responses, but if not, learning them is quite feasible (Trot Out the Toddler, the scientific case that the unborn is human, the S.L.E.D. test, Taking the Roof Off, and responding to the violinist and bodily rights arguments have been explained by Stand to Reason (through Making Abortion Unthinkable) and many others). It’s just a matter of thinking through the flowchart when you’re in a conversation with an abortion-choice advocate, recognizing the position they’re taking, and then responding accordingly. Knowing this, you can respond to every defense they offer for abortion.

Anyone can do this – and you get better at it the more you practice. It’s fun to be a little more confrontational about controversial things – being a good person means taking bold stands on moral issues, and backing up your talk with good arguments and evidence. The more time you put into it, the better you get at it.

Commentary

What kinds of experiences do women have after an abortion?

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Here’s an essay about post-abortion trauma from Public Discourse. (H/T RuthBlog)

Excerpt:

Many of these women cannot go outside for fear of “triggers”—the sight or sound of things that will bring back the abortion experience and cause panic attacks. Triggers include the sound of a vacuum cleaner (many abortions are done by the vacuuming out of the fetus from the uterus) or the music that was playing at the abortion clinic while the abortion was being performed. The sight of pregnant women, or maternity clothes, or babies, or toddlers, or school-children, or of the place (even the neighborhood or town) where the abortion took place can all serve as triggers. Other triggers are anniversaries of all kinds, especially of the abortion and of the EBD (expected birth date), and, in particular, Mother’s Day.

What is particularly striking is that most of the women who have these powerful emotional reactions to their abortion are stunned by them. They were not opposed to abortion; many were actively pro-choice. They were blind-sided by their own reaction. One woman lamented—and thousands of others echo her mystified anguish—“If this was the right decision, why do I feel so terrible?”

Research indicates that there are various psychological or political factors that may contribute to this disconnect between the anticipated and the actual emotional outcome. Since this disturbing phenomenon is so widespread, and found among women from varied backgrounds and different parts of the world, it seems likely that the brain itself—in particular, the nature of women’s brains—may shed some particularly useful light on this unexpected negative emotional reaction.

The authors go on to list various types of trauma. One of the co-authors is Dr. Paul C. Vitz, who wrote an amazing book on why people become atheists. Here’s an essay on the topic. I’ve got the book – it came all shrink-wrapped! Weird.

You may also be interested in the New Zealand study on abortion and women’s mental health that I blogged about before.

News

Is Planned Parenthood overbilling state and local governments?

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Here’s the story on Fox News.

Excerpt:

Two former Planned Parenthood employees-turned-whistleblowers have made stunning allegations regarding the abortion provider’s accounting practices.  In a case now pending in federal court P. Victor Gonzalez alleges that he saw millions in fraudulent overbilling to state and federal governments when he worked as Chief Financial Officer for Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles.

Gonzalez alleges that after he reported the problems internally he was fired.  While Gonzalez was still working for PPLA the state of California launched audits of various Planned Parenthood affiliates, and uncovered more than $5.2 million in overbilling at a single affiliate based in San Diego.  Gonzalez claims that Planned Parenthood lobbyists intervened to stop other audits that were still pending statewide.

In his court filings, Gonzalez has outlined several transactions he alleges show illegal activity.  For example, in one year Gonzalez says PPLA paid $225,695.65 for Ortho Tri-Cyclen birth control pills, yet billed the government $918,084 – for a profit of $692,388.35.

[…]Planned Parenthood tried to have the Gonzalez whistleblower case dismissed on a technicality, but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently denied that motion.  Walter Weber, who represents Gonzalez, says it could take years to actually get the case to trial.  Weber asserts that the issues outlined by Gonzalez are so wide-spread that they are akin to “ACORN-like corruption” – and that federal agencies, like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, should consider de-funding Planned Parenthood of any government money.

[…]The most recent figures available show that the Planned Parenthood Federal of America and its affiliates received $349.6 million dollars in government grants and contracts for fiscal year 2008.

Government audits of Planned Parenthood affiliates in New Jersey and Washington state have uncovered similar billing discrepancies.  In addition, a second California whistleblower claim alleging improper ties between Planned Parenthood and its political arm has reportedly launched an investigation by the criminal division of the Internal Revenue Service, according to the New York Times.

ACORN, Planned Parenthood and teacher unions are three of the Democrats’ biggest special interest groups.