July 2010

One bus and a number of cars and vans of Mercer, Darke, Auglaize, and Shelby Countians, coming together from various churches, traveled to the Kettering abortion clinic on Friday, June 18, 2010. Organizers showed pro-life videos on the bus en route and on the way home. Approximately 50-60 people of all ages peacefully lined the sidewalks upon arrival at the abortion clinic; pro-life signs were made available for those who wanted them. God provided nice weather, a wonderful bus driver from Excursions Trailways, and the opportunity for many to see previously-recorded ultrasounds at the pro-life pregnancy center across the street. The program of speakers included Pastor Eric Muhlenkamp of Covenant Community Church, Coldwater, who addressed “What the Lord Says about the Gift of Life”; Pastor Mike Spencer of Aletheia Christian Church in Celina, whose family adopted a little girl from Guatemala; Patty Thees, Director of Choosing Life Pregnancy Center in Celina; Kim Pohlman, Coldwater, who spoke movingly about her and her husband’s adoption of two newborn babies; Judy Bruns, Coldwater, Teachers Saving Children, Inc., who spoke of her organization’s mission statement and of the anti-life involvements of the NEA; Kim Poeppleman, advisor for the Teens for Truth group, which paints on roadside barns—free of charge—beautiful outlines of preborns. Sharon Hibner represented friend Angie Crider by reading Angie’s testimony about her abortions prior to turning her life over to Christ and joining Silent No More. Vice President of MCRTL Marie Heitkamp, delivered the Welcoming, and President of MCRTL Marleen Evers, delivered the final address and the closing prayer. Hopefully, this trip to the abortion mill in Kettering will motivate area participants to go back with friends and members of their individual churches to, during the course of the year, pray on the sidewalk and “walk the pro-life talk.” Going to Washington D.C. for the March for Life once a year just isn’t enough. (Photo’s will appear in the August Newsletter)

Where did the summer go?? It’s almost Fair time!! The Mercer County RTL will once again sponsor an educational booth during Fair week. Ginny Axe & Pres. Marleen Evers will decorate the booth in a Patriotic theme. Sharon Hibner has ordered the education materials. Choosing Life Pregnancy Center in Celina will set up a display with us again this year. Thanks everyone – it take a lot of planning to make things just right.

Angie Bertke has agreed to line up workers to man the Fair Booth. If you are interested in working a two-hour shift during Fair Week, give her a call, 925-4822.

Diaper Derby: Much to every ones delight, the Mercer County RTL will again sponsor the Diaper Derby, which will take place on Kids Day, Wednesday, August 18th, 5:30 PM in the Entertainment Tent. The first 25 crawlers entered will be able to participate in this event. Prizes will be awarded to all participants. Entry forms for the Diaper Derby will be available in the Fair Board Office. Entries will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis and up until the time of the Contest. Parents, if your young one is of crawling age, sign him/her up!! Ginny Axe will also Chair this event.

SUMMER TIME PARADES AND THE ‘RIGHT TO LIFE’ FLOAT

Every year, the Mercer County RTL enters a float in the local parades, and this year is no exception. Pat & Henry Timmerman will again take charge of getting volunteers to pull the float in the various parades in our area. Look for them at the Celina, Coldwater & Minster Oktlberfest Parades.

Choosing Life Pregnancy Center also has their Float entered in the Celina, Coldwater & St. Marys Parades. Make sure to LOOK for them!

The Center is located in the Celina First Church of God on Fairground Rd. in Celina. Their hours are Monday & Thursday, 10:00 to 4:00. The staff at Choosing Life recently held their 1^st Client Picnic held at Lake Shore Drive Park. 28 parents & 25 infants participated. They are rapidly growing and can always use volunteers. There is always plenty of work to do. If you are interested in volunteering, give Patty Thees a call, 419-733-4847.

FATHER’S DAY BABY: Sophie Roberts, daughter of Nicole Siefring & Nick Roberts, St. Henry was the first baby born at Community Hospital on Father’s Day. A Father’s coffee mug filled with sweet treats, an angel night-light, and a baby blanket were presented to the family.

NEA Rejects Opportunity to Get Out of the Abortion Issue; by Danni Matthews: At the 2010 National Education Association Representative Assembly, held July 1-6 in New Orleans, Louisiana, delegates voted down Bylaw Amendment #1, proposed by Christine Nowak, New York, which would have had the NEA take a position of NO POSITION on abortion. The Amendment failed by approximately a 70% to 30% ballot vote of the delegates. As a result, NEA’s “right” to file an amicus curiae brief and to participate in opposing pro-life efforts to overturn or to limit Roe v. Wade, has been confirmed. Also confirmed is NEA’s “right” to lobby for or against legislation regarding abortion. It was indicated at the 2010 NEA Representative Assembly that the union’s support for the “choice” to abort is included through the words “reproductive freedom” in Resolution I-16 and also through the words “family planning” in Resolution I-16. NEA’s Position on Abortion: NEA Resolution I-16 Family Planning states, “The National Education Association supports family planning, including the right to reproductive freedom. The Association urges the government to give high priority to making available all methods of family planning to women and men unable to take advantage of private facilities. The Association also urges the implementation of community-operated, school-based family planning clinics that will provide intensive counseling by trained personnel.” (1985, 1986)

At the 1998 NEA Rep. Assembly in New Orleans, an Ohio first-time delegate asked the following 3-part Point of Information at the microphone:

a) Through the words “reproductive freedom” in our Resolutions document, does NEA support the choice to abort after the first trimester? [Response from the chair: YES]

b) Through the words “reproductive freedom” in our Resolutions document, does NEA support a woman’s choice to abort after viability, that point at which a baby is capable of surviving outside the womb with assistance? [Response from the chair: YES]

c) Through the words “reproductive freedom” in our Resolutions document, does NEA support the decision to abort up to, and including delivery, commonly termed by the media a “partial birth, brain suction abortion?” [Response: WE HAVE NO LIMITATIONS.]

In the past, NEA has hired people to influential positions “high in the chain of command” who have been on the board of directors of Planned Parenthood [often referred to as the biggest abortion referral agency and abortion profiteer in the U.S.], who have escorted women into abortion clinics; and who came to NEA after working for Emily’s List which, according to its website, supports only “pro-choice” Democratic candidates for political office.

CALL YOUR SENATOR, URGE INVESTIGATION: There is a startling new development in the Elena Kagan nomination to the Supreme Court. We now know that Elena Kagan appeared willing to lobby not one, but two medical organizations. During her time in the Clinton Administration, Elena Kagan urged the President to oppose any meaningful restrictions on partial-birth abortion. She told President Clinton at the time that any real limitations on abortion were “unconstitutional.” AUL attorneys raised additional concerns about Kagan’s apparent lobbying efforts to change the position of a major medical group – the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) – on partial birth abortion. When Kagan found out in December 1996 that ACOG was considering a statement that its experts "could identify no circumstances under which the [partial-birth] procedure... would be the only option to save the life or preserve the health of the woman," Kagan wrote a memo stating that this “of course would be [a] disaster.” In other words, Elena Kagan knew that if ACOG’s scientific opinion became public, her argument that partial-birth abortion is necessary would be completely discredited. Kagan intervened and drafted language to alter ACOG’s position. Yesterday, Kagan was questioned about this by several Senators and admitted that the new language was in her handwriting. “I'm really stunned by what appears to be a real politicization of science,” Senator Orrin Hatch said yesterday. “The political objective of keeping partial-birth abortion legal appears to have trumped what a medical organization originally wrote and left to its own scientific inquiry they had concluded.” Kagan told Senator Hatch that “….there was no way in which I would have or could have intervened with ACOG, which is a respected body of physicians, to get it to change its medical views on the question.”

OHIO Right to Life PAC Ballot Cards for the November General Election will be available. The cards will indicate which candidates are Pro-Life and who the PAC indorses in a particular region in the State.

Officers: President: Marleen Evers, 375-2475 Newsletter: Janet Gels & Sharon Hibner

Vice President: Marie Hietkamp 375-1044 Address Change: Ann Schroyer, 678-4785

Secretary: Lisa Homan, 419-375-2515 Sorting & Labeling: Deb Huelskamp & Volunteers

Catholic Social Services, 800-521-6419 Choosing Life Pregnancy Center: 419-733-4847

Mercer Co. RTL, Phone/FAX: 419-678-1348 Elizabeth Pregnancy Service: 419-586-9029

MCRTL SPONSORED BUS TO KETTERING ABORTION CLINIC FOR PRAYER/PROGRAM

SUMMER TIME PARADES AND THE ‘RIGHT TO LIFE’ FLOAT