Theresa Stammen, President

                                                                                                                                      % 363 Kremer Rd.

                                                                                                                                      Maria Stein, OH  45860

                                                                                                                                      August/September 2007

Meeting Date:  Our next meeting will be September 27^th, 8:00 PM, Coldwater Mercer Health Hospital Meeting Rm.  Why not come and bring a Friend.

GUEST SPEAKER:  Thomas Strobbar of Pro-Vita Advisors was the guest speaker at the July meeting. He was extremely interesting.  He shared his stories on how he became involved with this program and how he personally helped stop over 70 companies from supporting Planned Parenthood. He is a true pro-life warrior working with Human Life International.  At the present time, Human Life International is going after Johnson & Johnson.  Johnson & Johnson uses its immense resources in “charitable giving” for the purpose of funding the baby-killing company Planned Parenthood.  Johnson & Johnson refuses to stop the funding that is totally contradictory to their baby-oriented mission or to disclose the amount of funding that they give to the giant abortion organization or other charitable groups.  They claim that funding Planned Parenthood is a matter of “ordinary business practices.”  Go figure!!!

RTL FLOAT:  Fall means it’s time to retire our float for the winter months.  Many Thanks to Pat & Henry Timmerman for taking care of getting the float delivered to and from the parades and for storing the float, as well.   Everything went really GREAT at the Celina & Coldwater parade.  Thanks so much to ALL the young people for helping to pass out the Bookmarks along the parade routes.  Also, Thanks to all the youth groups that called to volunteered to help. We really appreciated the thought.

MERCER COUNTY BANNER FAIR - Aug. 7 – 13, 2007

Our ‘Life is a Treasure’ educational booth was ‘Super!’  Many Thanks to Ginny Axe and Marlene Evers for all the work they did in decorating the booth. Marlene and her daughter painted the lovely mural – it was Awesome!

 Thanks to Angie Bertke for getting the workers lined up to man the booth.  It takes a lot of time and a lot of people to put something like that together for the week, but everything went well.  A Special Thanks to Fowler TV for the use of their TV during the Fair on which we played pro-life DVD’s.  Thanks to Sharon Hibner for putting together all the educational materials, which were passed out to fairgoers.

2007 Diaper Derby, August 8th

Much to everyone’s delight, Mercer County Right to Life sponsored the Diaper Derby. However, due to the extreme heat, our participation was the lowest ever – only 13 crawlers.  It was still an exciting race and all the crawlers received Prizes for their efforts.            

Pictured L to R are the Winners of the 2007

Diaper Derby: The OverAll Winner William

Wenning, son of Steven & Jodi Wenning,

Celina; Derrick Wagner, son of Andy &                                                PHOTO OF WINNERS

Shannon Wagner, Celina; Cole Sunderland,

son of Mike & Angie Sunderland, Celina and

Alivia Rogriquez, daughter of Chelsea

Rogriquez, Celina.

Chairlady Ginny Axe wishes to Thank Doug Eberle

for serving as Master of Ceremony and Karla Eberle

and Ginny’s children for assisting with the Derby.

*On a personal note - from William’s grandmother: 

William was born with a learning & physical disability.  He has been taking speech, physical therapy & Early Intervention at Cheryl Ann School since he was 6 months old.  He has a hearing problem and cannot talk, but can use some Sign language.   William began to crawl when he was 17 months old.  At the time of the Derby, he was 21 months old and still crawling.  He was thrilled when he won and so was the rest of his family.  At 22 months, he is now trying to walk with assistance.  Good Luck William!

FIELD OF CROSSES DEDICATION

            This event is being sponsored by the Respect Life Committees from St. Michael Church in Ft. Loramie and Sts. Peter & Paul Church, Newport.  It will take place on Sunday, September 23^rd, beginning 12:15 until 2:30 at Sts. Peter & Paul Church parking lot in Newport. At 1:00, Attorney John Huffman from Lima will be the guest speaker.  There will be activities for the children and a Rosary for Life.  The Crosses will remain up during the entire month of October.  The Public is Welcome.

RESPECT LIFE SUNDAY – October 6/7, 2007

On this Sunday, Catholic Churches will have a special collection, which will be given to those in particular need. May we never cease to pray for the day when all people and all societies, will defend the life of every human from conception to natural death.

“It’s hard to have a future “for our children and our children’s children” without children, and in practice, Planned Parenthood specializes in the business of preventing them.  Even more troubling is Planned Parenthood’s long involvement in abortion “rights” and the lethal services associated with them.  Helping women kill their unborn children abuses the real well-being of women.  It also violates the dignity of unborn children in a brutally intimate and permanent way.  Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput, Column, 1/17/07

OHIO RTL UPDATE:  MAKE SURE YOUR VOICE AND VOTE CONTRIBUTES TO THE CULTURE OF LIFE!  Learn how to become a pro-life community organizer.  Join with your neighbors to impact public officials and legislation in Columbus & Washington.

            September 29^th marks the date when we will no longer be satisfied with less than pro-life politicians in Ohio.  That is the date of the beginning of a new force in Ohio – the OHIO LIFECAUCUS.  Together we will build on the successes you have all been part of creating in Ohio (which is why NARAL considers us to be the 8^th worst state in the country) to assemble the kind of strength we need to protect every innocent human life.  Consider coming to the training on that date in Columbus at the new headquarters of Ohio RTL to learn about representing your legislative district in the LifeCaucus and making sure your vote in Columbus and Washington is a vote for Life!  Former Secretary of State Ken Blackwell is scheduled to speak at the training.  Register for the training by visiting our website at www.ohiolife.org or by e-mailing: mlally@ohiolife.org using “LifeCaucus” in the subject line.  Come and find out if the LifeCaucus is the place for You!

BANNING ABORTION IN OHIO

            State Rep. Tom Brinkman recently introduced legislation that would ban almost all abortions in Ohio.

We know that Gov. Ted Strickland favors legal abortion and would never sign such legislation into law and even if we could override his veto, our very pro-abortion Attorney General Mark Dann would not be expected to conduct a vigorous defense of the law once it was challenged in the courts.  So why introduce a ban??  We Must do everything we can to avoid mainstream acceptance of abortion.  If we ever hope to see Roe v. Wade overruled, we must convince our friends and neighbors that women don’t need abortion to survive.  It is only when, as U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts said, it will not be  “jolt of the system”, that we would overrule a precedent.  He believes, and courts believe, that if people have come to rely on a particular decision, and have generally accepted it, the decision should not be overruled.  We cannot let the Court think that we have accepted Roe v. Wade.  We must convince people that abortion is still a tragedy, it still wrong, because it hurts both the unborn child and her mother.  Introducing a ban is one way of emphatically saying that we don’t accept abortion and will continue to fight to protect innocent human life.  We Thank Rep. Brinkman and his co-sponsor Rep. Adams for their introduction.

CENTER FOR BIO-ETHICAL REFORM MIDWEST REGION – Helps save lives

            One year ago, CBR Midwest secured a contract with Clear Channel Outdoor advertising to install a pro-life billboard over one of the most prolific killing centers in the Columbus area – Capital Care Women’s Center.  Their strategic partners have included the local Crisis Pregnancy Center, several local churches and a local physician.  One of the partners stated that “the billboards have brought in 36 clients.  The billboards are one area where we can let the public know where we are and how to reach us in their time of need.  Billboards do nothing less than save lives.  They are the best sidewalk counseling we have!”

            CBR Midwest just signed another agreement for the billboard over Capital Care.  They need to raise another $1,000.00 to keep their commitment to saving babies at this facility.  Your gift of any size is helpful.  Together we can spare parents and their pre-born children the trauma of abortion.  Donations may be sent to: CBR Midwest, P.O. Box 360503, Columbus, OH  43236, (614) 759-5195.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL BECOMES A PRO-CHOICE ORGANIZATION.

            In a move that has upset many Christians, the human rights group AI has abandoned its position of neutrality on abortion and will now actively campaign for pro-choice measures.  The organization’s executive committee decided in April to support access to abortion – “within reasonable gestational limits – for women in cases of rape, incest or violence, or where the pregnancy jeopardizes a mother’s life or health.  Delegates gave the decision overwhelming support at its mid-August conference in Mexico.

Pre-Natal Partners:  When pre-natal testing reveals that an unborn child may have special needs, there is often pressure to abort.  If these babies are allowed to be born, they are sometimes deprived of medical care.  A group called Pre-Natal Partners offers support, information and encouragement instead.  They believe that every life is a precious gift from God, and that each child has a special purpose.  To find out more, visit their website at www.prenatalpartnersforlife.com.

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President: Theresa Stammen, 937-738-7046                           Address Changes: Ann Schroyer, 678-4785

Vice President: Ruth Rutschilling, 925-5500                            Sorting & Labeling:  Deb Huelskamp & Volunteers

Secretary:  Lisa Homan, 419-375-2515                                   Mailing:  Carol Ranley            

Treasurer:  Sue Moeller, 419-925-5410                                   Newsletter Editors: Sharon Hibner & Janet Gels   

Mercer Co. RTL Phone/Fax: 419-678-1348           Catholic Social Services: 800-521-6419                Harbor House: 419-586-9029

VISIT US AT OUR WEBSITE,  www.mercerlife.org     Larry Laloge, Web Master.  MCRTL, 419-678-1348