CONCERNED CITIZEN January 2004
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
CONCERNED CITIZEN January 2004 A publication of Concerned Women for America of California - San Diego/Imperial Counties The California Legislature reconvened January the bill signed by Gov. Davis granting drivers’ licenses 5 and Congress will resume its work later this month in to illegal immigrants, was rescinded by the legislature our nation’s capital. It’s time to prayerfully consider even before it went into effect!) making your voice heard on important legislation! Please pray that Assemblyman Haynes’ next attempt to provide important and necessary protection THE STATE for parents and students will be successful. Pray that Parental Notification Petitions Coming Soon! legislators who hold to Biblical values will find ways to CWA will have petitions for a parental notifica- win their opposition over to the Truth. And remember, tion ballot initiative soon. We will be sending out an e- your voice counts! mail update on this issue during January to let you know how you can get involved, so please be sure you are on THE NATION our mailing list by subscribing at Life and Family Bills Need Your Support [email protected]. We’ve discussed them at And can the liberties of a length before, but we’d like to briefly Parental Rights Bill Dies nation be thought secure remind you of several important There may be new pending federal bills. leadership at the top in Sacramento, when we have removed their The Parents Right to Know Act of 2003 but in the legislature it appears to be only firm basis, a conviction (H.R. 2444) requires clinics receiving business as usual. A case in point is a in the minds of the people federal Title X funds to notify a parent parental rights measure, AB 950, by that these liberties are the gift or legal guardian three days prior to Assemblyman Ray Haynes (R- of God? That they are not to dispensing prescription contraceptives Temecula). to a minor. Rep. Hunter is currently a Last year, CWA opposed SB be violated but with his co-sponsor. 71, a bill to change our sex-education wrath? Indeed I tremble for The Marriage Protection Act of curriculum that was supported by my country when I reflect 2003 (H.R. 3313) limits the power of Planned Parenthood and the ACLU. that God is just: that his unelected federal judges and the U.S. SB 71, which adds sexual orientation justice cannot sleep forever. Supreme Court in defining or granting language to our state’s sex-education ~Thomas Jefferson marriage rights. Given the long-term program and allows students to be nature of any attempt to amend the surveyed on sexual practices without Constitution, this bill is very important direct parental permission is now law. in restraining the power of the judiciary on this issue AB 950 would have helped regain some rights during the lengthy process involved in a federal marriage of parents in this sensitive subject within public educa- amendment. tion, but died quickly in the liberal-dominated Assembly The RU-486 Suspension and Review Act of 2003 Education Committee on January 7. Specifically, AB (H.R. 3453) withdraws FDA approval of the dangerous 950 would have ensured that local school districts can abortifacient RU-486 pending a review by the Comp- adopt an “opt-in” procedure that would require parental troller General of the process by which the Food and consent prior to sex-education instruction. The language Drug Administration approved the drug. in SB 71 was unclear and might be construed as prohib- Action: Please call or e-mail your representa- iting this important parental rights practice from this tives in the House expressing your support for these point forward. The bill also would have required that measures and requesting that they become co-sponsors. school districts using outside speakers in their sex- Contact information is on page 4. education or HIV/AIDS programs provide parents with the name of the organization those speakers represent. Politics Trump Health at FDA AB 950 was defeated along party lines despite A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advi- its very minor and reasonable changes to the new law. sory committee has recommended that the “morning- Even attempts to drop some of the provisions were re- after pill” be made available over the counter. Ingesting buffed. Committee Chair Jackie Goldberg (D-L.A.) as- the drug, also known as “Plan B,” is approximately equal serted that it was simply too early to amend a new law, to taking 50 birth-control pills in a 24-hour period. It is but gave her word that she would allow a similar bill to generally prescribed after unprotected sex to prevent a be presented later in the session. (Consider that SB 60, pregnancy or terminate one that has already occurred. Aside from its harm to a newly conceived human, the disease and early death, especially among homosexual medication carries potentially serious risks and its origi- men.” nal FDA approval process, as with RU-486, was defi- Jan LaRue, CWA’s chief counsel, weighed in as cient and suspect. well stating, “Marriage is protected by law as the unique Standard birth-control pills are not available relationship and foundation of civilization. The president without a prescription because the risk of complications has courageously led the war on terrorism. We were such as blood clots and heart attacks require a physi- counting on him to exhibit the same leadership in the war cian’s oversight. Now, the FDA would have us believe on marriage. His stated position on civil unions is greatly that a high-dose pill can be safely dispensed over the disappointing, and we hope he reconsiders what’s at counter. Further, “Plan B” was not tested on adolescents, stake.” a group that is likely to use the drug if available, nor Americans want marriage protected. Last were its long-term effects on women’s health or the risks month, a USA Today/CNN poll showed that 65 percent of repeated use studied prior to approval. The drug com- oppose homosexual marriage. In Massachusetts, where a pany’s own study indicated that one-third of the women 4-3 decision by the state’s Supreme Judicial Court de- who read the label did not understand that “Plan B” clared denying homosexuals the right to marry uncon- could not be used as a regular form of birth control, and stitutional, 69 percent of residents told Zogby pollsters among those less literate lack of comprehension grew. that they want to keep Massachusetts a traditional mar- CWA’s senior policy director, Wendy Wright is riage state. concerned about support from the American College of Action: Please pray for President Bush. We Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG). “ACOG continues hope that you already regularly lift him up in prayer, but to put politics above women’s health,” stated Wright. please specifically pray for him on this issue. As well, “Sexual politics, that is, that promiscuous sex is a right contact the White House with your concerns over coun- that everyone should accommodate, has blinded many of terfeit marriages such as the domestic partnerships, the medical elite to the dangers of personal as well as which will take effect next January here in California if public health.” Wright is also concerned that the drug not stopped in the courts. Phone 202-456-1111 or 202- could be used by statutory rapists to cover up their abuse. 456-1414 (6 a.m. – 2 p.m. PST), fax 202-456-2461, or e- While the American Medical Association supports the mail [email protected]. drug’s increased availability, their Australian counter- parts have just reversed their prior support and are asking NEWS DESK the Australian government to stop over-the-counter sales. Life Wins in the Polls Action: The FDA will make its final decision on Yes! Another poll has shown that the tide has “Plan B” next month and CWA will continue to urge the turned and more and more Americans understand that commissioners not to make this drug as readily available there is life in the womb—valuable human life. A Zogby as aspirin or candy. To share your concerns about the poll of 1200 likely voters conducted last month found risks to women’s health the over-the-counter sale of this that 52 percent of respondents consider that “abortion drug presents, contact FDA Commissioner Mark destroys a human life and is manslaughter.” Just 36 per- McClellan via e-mail at [email protected] or via cent held the opposite view. U.S. mail at U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Further, in a recent poll of women by the pro- Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. abortion Center for the Advancement of Women, just 30 percent felt abortion should generally be available. Sev- President’s Comments Troubling enteen percent said abortion should be illegal and 34 per- Last month, during an interview with ABC cent believed it should only be available in cases of rape, News’ Diane Sawyer, President Bush shared some incest or to save the life of the mother. Faye Wattleton, thoughts regarding the Federal Marriage Amendment president of the group, was disappointed in the results, stating, “If necessary, I will support a constitutional which she considered “alarming news.” “There is sig- amendment which would honor marriage between a man nificant and growing support for severe restrictions on and a woman, codify that, and will – the position of this abortion rights,” she complained. Praise God that people administration is that whatever legal arrangements peo- are recognizing the truth: Abortion kills an unborn child ple want to make, they’re allowed to make, so long as and harms women physically and emotionally.