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Thursday, May 26, 2016

RTE isn't an abortion lobby group and it's time for its presenters to accept that fact...by Cora Sherlock




For the second time in 6 months, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has upheld a complaint against the Ray D’Arcy Show on RTE Radio 1 for their treatment of the abortion issue. 

As they criticised the biased and one-sided nature of the interview, the BAI said that it was “set out so as to encourage support for the Amnesty International campaign” on making abortion more widely available in Ireland. 

The reaction has in Ireland has been swift.  Pro-life supporters were quick to comment on the Pro Life Campaign facebook page and contact the office to say how happy they were that the BAI was doing its job – highlighting items of extreme bias where public funds were being used by RTE to promote one side of a very complex and sensitive debate.

Predictably though, there was a lot of anger from prochoice activists who could not accept that RTE has breached the Code – despite the fact that this is not the first time (a complaint was upheld against the Ray D’Arcy Show for an interview with Colm O’Gorman of Amnesty Ireland when the Amnesty research was being launched). 

Despite the tone of some of these comments, there is no mystery or conspiracy here.  RTE is a publicly funded entity.  Everyone pays for it through the licence fee.  It doesn’t have the freedom that private organisations do and whether some prochoice activists like it or not, it is bound by the BAI Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality in News and Current Affairs.  Section 4.22 of that Code places an obligation on broadcasters to ensure “that the audience has access to a wide variety of views on the subject of the programme or item”.  And now, for the second time, the BAI has found that the Ray D’Arcy Show has failed to meet what most people would feel is a reasonable standard for a station that relies on public funding. 

On the first occasion, the complaint concerned an interview with Colm O’Gorman.  When upholding that complaint, the BAI went so far as to say that the presenter Ray D’Arcy “endorsed the views of this interviewee and was articulating a partisan position.”   They also found that the anecdotes and human interest aspects discussed on the show were “highlighted with a view to supporting the objectives of Amnesty International, which is to bring about a change in the Irish Constitution.”  If this concerned any other group or topic, there would be huge outcry about RTE taking a position so obviously.   But many abortion advocates were shocked at this earlier decision, just as they are at the latest one.  Seeking some other explanation, they are unable to accept that RTE could have adopted a partisan position, or that the BAI should uphold a complaint when this happens.   

It never seems to occur to those picking holes in this decision that entire groups of people in Ireland are completely side-lined by RTE's biased approach. Families who were pressured to have abortions when told their babies wouldn't survive for very long or not at all, women whose lives were drastically affected by abortion regret, people who have direct experience of the positive effects of the 8th Amendment - these are all ignored by programmes that adopt a pro-abortion mindset.  These people are obliged by Irish law to pay the licence fee to RTE - aren't they entitled to feel that their experiences will be reflected on-air?  

This ongoing bias is a very serious matter.  It clearly wasn’t dealt with or even properly addressed by RTE back in January when the complaint against the interview with Colm O’Gorman was upheld.  Here we are, nearly 6 months on and another complaint has been upheld by the BAI.  This has to stop.  RTE is not an abortion lobby group and it cannot allow its presenters to act as if the repeal of the 8th Amendment is within its remit.

These two decisions are book-ending a period of 6 months when the topic of media bias has been coming up again and again from pro-life supporters around the country. The cat is out of the bag. People are talking about media bias and that won't stop until both sides of the abortion debate are being fairly dealt with on the airwaves.  

No-one is asking for a bias in favour of the pro-life position. That doesn't help anyone either.  What we need is a national broadcaster that is responsible enough to recognise abortion for the complex and sensitive issue that it is and to work to represent all view points fairly.  It's not difficult if the will is there.  The time has well and truly come for RTE to address this serious issue before its credibility as an impartial and fair-minded broadcaster is gone for good.







Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Why I'm Going To Celebrate The 8th...by Sinead Slattery





The 8th Amendment ensures the equal right to life and importance of all Irish citizens – both the life of the mother and the life of her baby.

I have listened very carefully to the testimonies of Irish women who face a crisis pregnancy and I believe we need to work far harder to find better and more civilised ways to respect and understand their circumstances and concerns in this difficult situation. Despite all of the conversation and debate surrounding the 8th Amendment, the only government report commissioned to identify the factors which contribute to the incidence of unwanted pregnancies and the issues which resulted in women choosing the option of abortion was in 1995 (Women and Crisis Pregnancy Mahon, Conlon and Dillion).

We need a new report and we need a truly enhanced and sincere pro-women environment where women don’t feel like they have no other choice than the option of abortion. I care about women’s rights very deeply and it is my view that women should not have to decide between having their baby or finishing college; having their baby or choosing their career; having a baby or paying unaffordable childcare costs. 

I find it deeply disturbing that should a women experience regret, distress or physical side effects following this procedure, such as preterm birth in her next pregnancy; she is told that it is her fault. She is told that she either has a severe mental illness, she was coerced into the procedure by someone else or she had a negative attitude to abortion to begin with. No accountability is taken by those who carried out the abortion even if the procedure results in her dying in the back of a taxi. Liberalising abortion does not solve the underlying issue, it merely masks it and in my view, women deserve better than this.

We have shown the world that we are a humane society which stands up for the rights of every individual, especially minority groups. The 8th Amendment is a proof point of this as it ensures that each human being in any Irish hospital is given equal medical care and goodwill regardless of their health, their ability and their gender.  This is not the case in many countries where children who have been given a diagnosis before they are born of potentially having a life limiting condition, a disability or they are simply identified as being female.  Whether they are allowed to be born is something which will be decided upon at the discretion of another.

We cannot deny the devastating effects that this would have on our society should we repeal the 8th Amendment and liberalise abortion. We only have to look to other countries to see the devastation that abortion wreaks on human dignity. One in every four human lives are ended in England and Wales before they’ve had a chance to be born. Denmark has set itself a goal to be Down Syndrome free by 2030 and over 160 million baby girls are aborted in countries and cultures where baby boys are revered more highly than baby girls. 

To infer that abortion can be restricted is misleading for many reasons. One example of this is the interpretation of wording e.g. in England and Wales, a cleft palate and club foot are deemed “severe disability” and therefore any baby diagnosed with those conditions can be aborted right up until birth.
I am in favour of choice…but I don’t know any human being that would choose the ending of their own lives, often times very violently, at someone else’s discretion. So if we wouldn’t choose it for ourselves, then why choose it on behalf of the smallest, youngest most vulnerable in our society?

The unborn don’t have a voice, they’re too small. They need yours and they need the protection of the constitution and it is for this reason that I’m going to be there on June 4th to help celebrate the 8th Amendment and find out how I can use my talents to help protect this life-saving provision.



Monday, May 23, 2016

Introducing our Guest Speaker at Celebrate the 8th - Heidi Crowter




All those coming along to Celebrate the 8th on June 4th have  a real treat in store.  Among the guest speakers is Heidi Crowter who is coming to us from Coventry to share her thoughts on the need to protect and guard the human dignity of every human being.

Heidi is a disability rights activist who hasn’t allowed Down’s Syndrome to dictate how she lives her life.  She first came to public attention when she became the target of internet trolls and was featured on the BBC, Daily Mail and other media outlets as she worked with the authorities to help gain control of this serious and ongoing issue.

She then became involved with the “Don’t Screen Us Out” campaign in England to oppose the introduction of a new screening test of Down’s Syndrome which, if introduced, is expected to result in a profound reduction in the number of children born with Down’s Syndrome.  The campaign, which garnered the support of actors, politicians and other public figures, led to Heidi being invited to make a speech outside Westminster in April 2016.  A video of Heidi’s speech went viral on Facebook as a result. 

We are so lucky to be able to welcome Heidi and  her mum Liz to the Celebrate the 8th event.  Heidi continues to smash stigmas for people with Down’s Syndrome, living an independent life and working as a hairdresser.  She has a unique and very personal reason for opposing attempts to target vulnerable children in the womb and her testimony at Celebrate the 8th is sure to be one of the highlights of the day.

Make sure you don’t miss out on this incredible event which will change the fact the abortion debate in Ireland.  Be there on Molesworth Street on Saturday, 4th June from 3-4pm and find out why we need to retain the life-saving 8th Amendment which guarantees the equal right to life of every precious human being in our society.







Sunday, May 22, 2016

Why I'm Going To Celebrate The 8th...by Yi Wang






I believe Ireland should Celebrate The 8th for a few reasons, but one of the biggest factors as to why I think unborn babies should receive equal protection under the law is because adoption is why I am here today. 

My grandmother found herself pregnant in her early twenties.  She had no boyfriend, her family was not supportive, and she was urged to terminate the pregnancy.  I am Canadian, and Canada is one of only three countries worldwide with absolutely no laws restricting abortion.  Our abortion laws were set with the intention of allowing abortion in some cases only but in just a few decades the laws had expanded so much that we were left with a country where abortion was allowed at any time, for any reason, and nearly a third of our pregnancies end in abortion. 

My grandmother’s choice to choose life for my mother and give her up for adoption in a crisis pregnancy, especially amidst a culture that so often pushes women to abortion, saved not only my mother’s life, but allowed her to become a doctor and a wonderful mother to myself and my eight siblings. 

If my grandmother had decided to have an abortion, then my mother would never have been born, and I would not be here today.  That’s the reality of abortion and that’s why we need to keep the 8th Amendment in the Irish Constitution – because it is a provision that saves human lives.

I strongly believe we should stand up for the rights of the unborn because every life matters.  I am in medical school, and my studies in embryology in particular have highlighted for me that the humanity of the unborn is a scientific fact, not a matter of opinion.  Ireland has stood alone as a country that has continued to recognize that and to provide world-class care to both mothers and their unborn children.  I think that is something to celebrate, and so I will be there on June 4th to Celebrate The 8th.



Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Introducing the keynote speaker for Celebrate the 8th - Melissa Ohden





In a move that will bring a whole new perspective to the abortion debate in Ireland, the Pro Life Campaign is delighted to welcome Melissa Ohden as the keynote speaker of the Celebrate the 8th vigil which is due to take place from 3-4pm in Molesworth Street, on Saturday 4th June 2016.

Melissa has an extraordinary story to tell.  She is a voice for the truly voiceless in society – people who survived abortions and were left to die but were saved when a member of hospital staff decided to intervene and save them.  Melissa was one of those babies.

The whole issue of babies born alive and left to die after failed abortions is, understandably, something the most abortion advocates don’t want to address.  It highlights what is perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the abortion debate – how a lack of respect for unborn human life in any way can lead to the kind of abuses that would shock even the most ardent supporter of the pro-choice cause.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that this is such a horrific issue, it’s something which doesn’t come up in the abortion debate in Ireland very often and even when it crops up in other parts of the debate, we find it difficult to come to terms with the fact that anyone would treat a baby in such a cruel way.  

Sadly too, Melissa’s story is not an isolated incidence. Official reports from England and Wales show that 66 babies died in this way in one year alone.  One of those babies struggled for life for 10 hours before expiring. But this fact inspires disbelief, not shock, in many who follow the debate in Ireland.

Just last week, Ireland was subjected to criticism from Canada at the UN’s Universal Periodic Review when Canada called on Ireland to make abortion available. But Canada itself has a record of allowing 491 babies to be born alive and left to die over a ten year period beginning in 2000.  The UN does not stand up for the right to life of these babies and international human rights groups like Amnesty International remain steadfastly silent.

Considering these facts, we hope that Melissa’s testimony will help to focus on the issue of what happens to babies when they are born alive after botched abortions.  What rights do they have? Why do the laws in so many countries disregard them in such an inhumane fashion? 

The Abortion Survivors Network (ASN) was set up by Melissa to help educate the public about failed abortions and survivors, and to provide emotional and psychological support to abortion survivors.  Since its inception, Melissa has been in contact with 206 survivors.


We are delighted and honoured to welcome her as a keynote speaker for the Celebrate the 8th event and we look forward to hearing her contribution on this very complex issue.  

Make sure you don't miss out on hearing Melissa speak - find out how you can organise a bus or find one in your area today!




Monday, May 16, 2016

"Why I'm Going To Celebrate The 8th"....by Clare Cromie O'Toole





I’m going to Celebrate the 8th to distribute sunflower seeds for "Sunflowers for Life", which is a new initiative set up to encourage pro-life advocates everywhere to grow sunflowers as a public witness of their support for life at every stage of development.

As the push to repeal the 8th Amendment becomes more and more likely a topic of a future referendum, engaging the people of Ireland in the conversation about protecting life is hugely important.

The goal of the "Sunflowers for Life" campaign is to provide an avenue for demonstrating support for the pro-life cause in a positive, beautiful, non-confrontational way by engaging people in doing something that strikes a chord with the essential idea that nurturing life is worthwhile.

This simple act of planting a seed and nurturing its growth is a peaceful and positive affirmation of life. It answers the call to stand up and be counted as a voice for the voiceless.

"Everything beautiful starts small
Anything worthwhile needs nurturing"

"Sunflowers for Life" aims to build solidarity across the pro-life movement with this joyful personal and public affirmation so that we can begin to recognise each other whether politically active or not.

Look for the bouquet of sunflowers and come by to collect your sunflower seeds!

And check out our new website, www.sunflowersforlife.com





Friday, May 6, 2016

"Time for Irish Government to stand up to UN on abortion," writes Cora Sherlock






I don’t think anyone will be too surprised to hear that next week’s Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations will provide an opportunity for the UN to apply pressure to the Irish Government on what it terms our “restrictive abortion laws”.
Much like Amnesty International, the UN trades on its reputation for defending human beings but doesn’t live up to that reputation when it comes to unborn babies.  We’ve become well used at this stage to how the UN reviews Ireland on this issue – it ignores the excellent work done by our medical profession and the fact that we are world leaders when it comes to protecting women and babies in pregnancy. 
Never mind that, says the UN.  What about abortion?  Why isn’t that more freely available?  (If only the UN had taken such an active role in questioning the Irish Government back in 2013 when it introduced a law allowing for abortion during the full 9 months of pregnancy when there is a threat of suicide even though there is no medical evidence to show that abortion treats suicide ideation).
When the UPR takes place in Geneva, other countries will be given a platform to ask questions of Ireland – this regardless of the fact that Ireland has a good or better record in protecting women’s lives than any of them.  But still, this is the UN and there is clearly an agenda at work. 
So we’re told that Sweden intends to ask what the Irish Government is prepared to do “to bring its legislation and medical practices in line at least with minimum international standards of sexual and reproductive health and rights and to allow abortion in the most serious cases such as rape, incest, fatal foetal abnormality and serious risks to the health of the mother.”
In other words, Sweden wants to know when the Irish Government will introduce wide-ranging abortion to birth even though the language used in its question tries to disguise this fact.
The Netherlands will asked what the Government will do about “the restrictive abortion regime in Irish law.”
The framers of that question clearly don’t know – or care – about the 2013 Act which is hardly restrictive for reasons already mentioned.
And Germany wants to know whether the Government will review the 8th Amendment “in which the biological existence of a foetus is put on an equal basis with the right to life of a pregnant woman.”
The language here is particularly dehumanizing. We only have a “right to life” because we have a “biological existence” after all, but even the use of the term “foetus” rather than “unborn child” tells you all you need to know about Germany’s intentions in posing this question.
Two things would be great about the UN’s review next week. The first would be if the UN acted as it should, and actually framed a debate that would protect all human lives, born and unborn. While it’s at it, the UN could also ask a few questions of its own – like why countries that do allow abortion do nothing about abuses like babies born alive and left to die alone in hospital corners.  Or what they’re doing to encourage women to find another option, particularly given the recognized but mostly-ignored phenomenon of abortion regret.
But I don’t hold out much hope for that so I’ll opt for the second thing I’d like to see – the Irish Government putting up a robust defence to any questions that try to detract from the life-saving provision that is the 8th Amendment.   They should defend it as something which was chosen by the Irish People and acts as a beacon for the international human rights community.   They should point to the tens of thousands of people who are alive in Ireland thanks to the 8th Amendment.  And they should go to Geneva in the full knowledge that we have reason to be proud, not ashamed of a provision that has ensured our medical profession has not been corrupted by something as negative as abortion.
That’s what they should do – but will they?  On the basis of the last few years, it’s unlikely but we’ll wait and see.  And live in hope because that’s the hallmark of the 8th Amendment itself.