Archive for the ‘Legal and Political’ Category

When Planned Parenthood opened the largest abortion facility in the country back in 2007, we Aurorans learned that hard way that abortion isn't just a political issue on the national or state level.

In 2007, abortion became a local issue here, with packed City Council meetings that led to a fraud investigation, two lawsuits and continued controversy in our community. The people in City Hall serving as Aldermen and mayor are of momentous importance.

With the right people in office—supporters of both the sanctity of life and the rule of law—Planned Parenthood would never have opened.

With that in mind, I want to share with you what we've learned about the positions of the candidates in tomorrow's municipal election on abortion and Planned Parenthood. [Continue reading . . . »]

 

The Work of His Hands, Copyright © Gary B Clark

Abortion proponents and their friends in the mainstream media are going ballistic over a comment yesterday by Richard Mourdock, a Republican running for senate in Indiana. In explaining his pro-life position during a candidate's debate, Mourdock said, "Life is a gift from God and I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.”

Immediately after the debate, Mourdock's Democrat opponent, Joe Donnelly, tried to construe Mourdock's remark as some kind of endorsement of rape, as if Mourdock meant that the violent act—rather than the child's life—was intended by God.

That spin—which Mourdock rightly called "sick and twisted"—has been seized upon by Planned Parenthood and the Democratic party to attack Mourdock and, by extension, all pro-life candidates as extremists.

Who are the real extremists?

Far from being labeled an extremist, Mourdock is to be commended for upholding the humanity of children conceived in rape. God's words to the prophet Jeremiah belong to these children, too, as they do to all of us: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you." Of course God knows and loves these children, innocently conceived in violence. [Continue reading . . . »]

 

Illinois Supreme Court Building

This morning the case of Sandholm v. Kuecker begins oral arguments before the Illinois Supreme Court.

Normally a case like this involving a high school athletics coach who was fired and later sued a group he claimed was libeling him wouldn't make pro-life news, but Sandholm is different because it involves the Illinois Citizen Participation Act (CPA).

The CPA is the same law that Planned Parenthood has used in the Scheidler v. Trombley libel case to put the Pro-Life Action League and League Executive Director Eric Scheidler on the hook for nearly $500,000 in legal fees.

Citizen Participation Act Gives Planned Parenthood a License to Lie

The CPA states that, when pursuing favorable governmental action, a person cannot be held responsible for public statements made in pursuit of that action, even if those statements are libelous.

Scheidler v. Trombley began when Planned Parenthood ran a smear campaign on the League and local activists while trying to open their massive "Abortion Fortress" in Aurora, Illinois. When Eric and the League sued for libel, Planned Parenthood counter-sued under the CPA and won, claiming that they weren't responsible for their false claims about pro-lifers because they were seeking the favorable government action of getting the Aurora City Council to approve their new clinic.

This is obviously ridiculous as it essentially grants Planned Parenthood, or anyone else invoking the CPA, a license to lie and say whatever they please about their opponents without being held responsible. [Continue reading . . . »]

Planned Parenthood is on the defensive.  Just yesterday, they showed up to counter-protest against the Defund Planned Parenthood Truth Tour, led by Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave and Lila Rose of Live Action, held at the offices of Rep. Randy Hultgren (who voted in favor of defunding Planned Parenthood). [Continue reading . . . »]

Doctor charged in baby deaths; Archdiocese calls actions 'abhorrent'

"A Philadelphia doctor who routinely performed illegal late-term abortions for more than 30 years was charged in the death of a female patient and accused of murdering seven babies born alive in his squalid health clinic." [Continue reading . . . »]

The pro-life community of Illinois' Fox Valley showed what it's made of this past Saturday during the monthly protest at Planned Parenthood Aurora, with a strong showing of 70 activists. We've held this protest every third Saturday of the month since November 2007.

August can be a tough time for pro-life activism, with summer vacations, high temperatures and back-to-school responsibilities tending to dampen participation. [Continue reading . . . »]

Yesterday a piece ran on Moody Radio's national program Prime Time America highlighting the libel suit I'm fighting against Planned Parenthood of Illinois and their CEO Steve Trombley, and how the Illinois Citizens Participation Act has been turned inside-out by Planned Parenthood's lawyers.

[Continue reading . . . »]

Roger Earl beat me to it with the exciting news that three babies were saved from abortion the day after the Aurora City Council met our (very low) expectations by granting Planned Parenthood's request to expand their parking lot. This is an especially significant number, since precisely three aldermen voted against PP's petition.

On the City Council agenda for Tuesday evening, October 27, was a petition by Planned Parenthood to expand their parking lot. The petition had been approved by the Planning and Development Committee, but then appealed by 4th Ward Alderman Rick Lawrence to the full Council. [Continue reading . . . »]

On Friday, October 23, Judge Neal Cerne (pictured to the right) heard arguments on Planned Parenthood and the City of Aurora's motion to dismiss Fox Valley Families Against Planned Parenthood's zoning case in the Illinois 18th Judicial Circuit Court.

I'll tell you all about the hearing in a minute, but first let me emphasize that this case is one of the biggest reasons we need to pack the Aurora City Council meeting Tuesday, October 27 at 6 p.m. at Aurora City Hall, 44 W. Downer Pl. (Map) when the council will consider Alderman Rick Lawrence's appeal of the city's approval for Planned Parenthood to add new parking. Among other reasons, the city must not allow Planned Parenthood to add to their property while the zoning of their property is the subject of a lawsuit in state court (see Eric's post on the situation here for all the reasons). Call the City Clerk at 630-844-3615 to get on the list to speak at the meeting. [Continue reading . . . »]

UPDATE below.

Last night the Planning and Development Committee rubber-stamped Planned Parenthood's expansion of their parking lot. Unless a member of the City Council appeals this decision, it will pass by consent at the next City Council meeting, October 27.

This result, though disappointing, was not a surprise. We've grown used to seeing City of Aurora officials avoid confronting Planned Parenthood's misdeeds. But I was impressed to see that at least some of our objections had made it through to the aldermen on the committee.

[Continue reading . . . »]