Opponent of China's Forced Abortion/Sterilization Policy Again Arrested

Human Rights in China has learned Shanghai authorities have initiated a crackdown on activists leading up to the 17th anniversary of the June 4th crackdown. Shanghai petitioner Mao Hengfeng has again been detained and the father of dissident Xu Zhengqing was summoned by the police after posting an open letter to Kofi Annan on May 19.

Mao Hengfeng (pictured above with her 3 daughters)

Some time after 11 p.m. on May 23, Mao was forcibly taken away by over ten police officers from the Yangpu District Daqiao police station led by Bai Jiemin (Officer No. 039351), the officer who had previously beaten Mao in February 2006. The next day, Mao Hengfeng’s husband, Wu Xuewei, received a summons from the Daqiao station stating that Mao had been detained for violating rules of residential surveillance. Also on May 24, when Wu was at the detention center, he heard Mao’s loud protests coming from the room where she was being held. That night, when Mao’s daughter went to deliver food to Mao, she was told by a Daqiao officer that Mao had already been transferred elsewhere. Despite repeated inquiries by Mao’s husband, her whereabouts cannot be confirmed.

On February 13, 2006, Mao Hengfeng was taken into custody by police from the Yangpu District Daqiao station and placed under residential surveillance on suspicion of “violating processes for public order” at the Gongqing Senlin apartment complex in Yangpu District. During this time in custody Mao was completely deprived of her personal liberty, mistreated and on many occasions, physically beaten. She was under the daily supervision of five to six guards and had to even get permission to use the restroom.

There's a more detailed story on Mao over at LifeSite News right here.

Perfection or Abortion

Here is a story which shows how very rotten human beings can be; namely, by requiring a baby to be "perfect" in certain arbitrary categories in order to be protected and loved. Downs Syndrome detected? Abortion. Unusual fingers? Abortion. Club foot? Abortion. These, as we know too well, are part of a whole host of other reasons for abortion -- babies being the wrong gender or babies simply being inconvenient.

Sigh.

However, there is something encouraging in the fact that this Daily Mail (U.K.) story treats the abortion of preborn children for "imperfection" as being obviously callous and unnecessary. There was a day not long ago when the MSM (mainstream media) refused to carry a story that might reflect negatively on any abortion procedure. So, take heart and keep shining the light on the beauty and intrinsic worth of all human beings -- the abortionists are finally being seen as the bad guys they always were.

Top Ten "Junk Science" Scams

Steven Milloy over at Human Events has come up with a Top Ten list of today's most popular, most influential...and most unfounded "junk science" stories.

But Milloy goes further in this special online edition and provides additional information which is linked to each item on his list. Excellent work. This article is a real keeper -- and a terrific one to send around. After all, your pals are getting all kinds of goofy e-mails all the time; you might as well send them something that's interesting, relevant and, oh yes, true!

Conservative Rock 'n Roll?

Oh yes, says National Review's John J. Miller and in this interesting article, he lists his Top 50 of all-time conservative rock songs. Now, I must admit I don't recognize half of the songs Mr. Miller has selected. After all, as a dedicated devotee of "classic" rock, I pretty much stopped listening to anything made after the 4 Seasons broke up.

Anyhow, I do have a couple of comments about Mr. Miller's list. For instance, I enthusiastically agree with his choice of "Kicks" by Paul Revere and the Raiders. I once described on an old "Vital Signs" radio program how the lyrics of that song had been all-too-true for me back in the 60's and how God used it as a haunting reminder of the emptiness of my life in those years. Other songs from Miller's list that would also have made mine (if I ever tried to come up with one) include the Beatle's "Taxman," the Beach Boy's "Wouldn't It Be Nice?" and the Everly Brothers' "Wake Up, Little Susie."

Miller also listed a Dylan song from the early 80's that certainly deserves a spot on such a list. But if you open that door, the explicitly Christian lyrics of nearly every song on the albums "Slow Train Coming," "Saved," and "Shot of Love," have to be dropped in too.

Also, if one simply considers record sales and ratings on the pop charts (instead of insisting on one's own tastes of what constitutes rock 'n roll) then songs like Barry Sadler's "Green Beret" or Neil Diamond's "America" should be near the top of such an enterprise. And, especially given the plot of the film in which a teacher's dedication to intelligence, courtesy and a hard work ethic overcomes the amoral attitudes of London' street toughs, Lulu's "To Sir With Love" is more than qualified. And, in a much more recent example, MTV headliner Nick Cannon's pro-life hip-hop epic, "Can I Live," should be a no-brainer for a Top 50 conservative rock 'n roll list. (Although certainly one of the most encouraging things in reading through Miller's list is seeing from just what unlikely circles anti-abortion themes have arisen.)

Finally, when morality is considered an essential "conservative" value (as Miller rightly does), there's a whole gang of records extolling marriage, fidelity and a basic sense of decency that could make the list. For instance, the Grassroots' "Midnight Confessions," the 4 Seasons' "Bye Bye Baby," Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line." and so many others which underscore the commitment, even under severe temptation, to be faithful to one's spouse.

So, of course, there are always going to be additions, omissions and other differences of opinion when one encounters a list like John J. Miller's but that's a whole lot of the fun, isn't it? He's therefore provided an admirable service and I urge you to go over and have fun with it yourself.

Who Cares About the Facts?

In a particularly egregious example of bias trumping truth, the BBC (in both news stories and links on its web site) is still reporting the embryonic stem cell research conducted by the South Korean team of scientists led by Hwang Woo-suk as valid, despite the international headlines which have broadcast those findings as being completely fraudulent and falsified.

For instance, in a recent article criticizing members of the U.S. Congress for voting against funding embryonic stem cell research, the BBC includes a sidebar graphic detailing advances in stem cell research over the years -- and last two bullet points include a 2004 notation saying "South Korean scientists clone 30 human embryos and develop them over several days" and a 2005 note claiming "Korean team develops stem cells tailored to match individual patients."

The BBC is also guilty yet repeating the erroneous research claims in a list of related news articles.

"Nicklaus Did It By Squinting"

You say you've heard enough about Barry Bonds, steroids and asteriks? Well, I urge you to read at least one more article. I'm betting (oops...I don't want to jeopardize my Hall of Fame chances so make that I'm guessing) that you'll find Charles Krauthammer's column one of the sanest, most insightful perspectives around.

Nebraska Abortion Rate Still Falling

The full statistical report can be viewed in a PDF file right here but let me sum up its findings for you.

For the second consecutive year there was a double-digit decrease in the number of abortions performed in Nebraska. The number of abortions in 2005 showed a drop of 11.5%, bringing the rate to its lowest level since 1974. With the drop recorded last year, one sees the official report suggest a 22% decline in abortions in the state over the last two years. As skeptical as I am about the reporting procedures, this still represents a very significant change. And that change, by the way, reflects a steep drop in what had already been a steadily decreasing abortion rate. For example, the state recorded 6,346 abortions in 1990. The 2005 number was half that.

Regarding the excuses used to justify their abortion, nearly half checked the boxes marked “contraceptive failure” (23.1%) or “no contraception used” (26.2%). Commenting on this Greg Schleppenbach, the Executive Director of the Bishops' Pastoral Plan for Pro Life Activities says, "This statistic, of course, seriously undermines the abortion industry claim that greater access to contraception results in fewer abortions. Access to contraceptive devices and services has never been higher, and yet half of all abortions last year were related to contraceptive failure or nonuse."

Not surprisingly for sidewalk counselors, the report suggests that over 1/3 of all women paying for Nebraska abortions in 2005 were doing so as a repeat. Indeed, over a hundred women in the report admitted it was their 5th or 6th abortion!

The obvious question arising from these statistics concerns the dramatic decline and I've got a couple of thoughts about that. On one hand, there is certainly positive evidence that the prayers and educational efforts of pro-life advocates over the years have paid off in amazing ways. There is in Nebraska and throughout the country a greater tenderness towards prenatal life because of our work. I am encouraged.

However, the Nebraska decline in surgical abortions also involves things that are not so encouraging. Among these is the opening of a Planned Parenthood abortion center in Council Bluffs, Iowa (just across the river from Omaha) which is clearly drawing some of C.J. Labenz's and Leroy Carhart's abortion business. And less liable to demographic charting are the increases in chemical and internal device abortions being performed in Nebraska (Norplant, the "morning after pill," RU-486, the patch, the I.U.D., and the most deadly of all in sheer numbers, the abortions caused by the backup mechanisms of the so-called birth control pills when breakthrough ovulation occurs). The kids killed by these "secret" abortions won't show up on any state report but their deaths are as tragic and unnecessary as those done by any curette or suction machine.

So yes, I believe pro-life Nebraskans can take heart from the latest reports from the state but they must not relax their efforts. No, we must not only keep up what we've been doing but we must also increase our prayers and our creative efforts against whatever sources of endangerment lie in wait for mothers and their babies.

Oglala Sioux Tribal Council Bans Abortions and Tosses Out Pro-Abortion President

Here is one of today's good news stories. And though it hasn't received a fraction of the media attention that the earlier pro-abortion story did, we're delighted to share it with you so we can all help pass the word around. This account is from the KELO radio web site in Sioux Falls.

The Oglala Sioux tribal council has matched the South Dakota Legislature and voted to ban all abortions on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The panel also voted Tuesday to suspend tribal President Cecelia Fire Thunder on grounds she asked for donations for an abortion clinic without the council's OK.

After Governor Rounds signed the abortion ban, Fire Thunder vowed to help open a clinic on the reservation that was beyond the reach of state law.

Tribal council representative Will Peters says what she did amounted to unauthorized political activity. He made the motion to suspend Fire Thunder for 20 days until an impeachment hearing could take place.

Fire Thunder says she never solicited donations and called the actions "an ambush."

Another Bush Bonehead Play

President Bush hits a home run one day and then drives his friends crazy by striking out completely the next. And most defintely in the strike-out category is his nomination of Henry Paulson to watch over the nation's money. Good grief!

Here's the Family Research Council's take --

"EMILY's List, the nation's largest grassroots political network, is dedicated to taking back our country from the radical right wing by electing pro-choice Democratic women to federal, state, and local office." That's how Emily's List describes itself. It surely doesn't sound like a group that shares President Bush's stated goal of building "a culture of life." Yet Emily's List is one of the groups supported by Henry Paulson, the President's new nominee to be Secretary of the Treasury.

The Wall Streeter also backed the Senate campaign of New York's Chuck Schumer (Democrat-Liberal). Schumer has been led the way in grilling any Bush judicial nominee he even suspects of "deeply held beliefs" that might include respect for human life.

Of course, George W. Bush might not be president at all if Henry Paulson's choice had prevailed in 2000. Paulson donated to Sen. Bill Bradley's (D-NJ) presidential campaign. Bradley ran against then-Vice President Al Gore (D) in the primaries--attacking Gore for having formerly supported the idea that taxpayers should not be forced to pay for abortions. The Bush Administration is reportedly long on loyalty among its appointees; had Paulson had his political way, someone besides the President and his party would now be doing the appointing and confirming.

So Why NOT Ban Abortion?

...What South Dakota proved is that truth is persuasive. All you need are politicians who will fight for it.

This is the last line of Terence Jeffrey's excellent Town Hall column about where the country is presently at about abortion. But you really have to read the rest of it too!

"Doctoring" the Congressional Record

Are you one of those Americans who were taught in your junior high civics class that the Congressional Record was, in fact, just that -- a record of what had been said that day in open sessions of the Congress? I was. But John Stossel has opened my eyes to the truth. Let him do the same with yours.

Whatever Happened To Promise Keepers?

Promise Keepers certainly isn't making the national splash it once did.

The absence of the outspoken, charismatic Coach Bill McCartney at the helm of Promise Keepers left the movement without its initial fervor and its ability to grab the headlines. The football arenas around the country haven't been filled with attentive worshipers for a long time now and Promise Keepers' hope to create thousands of "accountability groups" among America's Christian men never really materialized.

However, neither of these failures are the fault of Promise Keepers as an organization. The real problems in reaching the organization's goals have come from all the "regular suspects" which have historically limited the Christian man's spirituality in America: apathy, inconsistency, improper passions, desires for comfort and entertainment, and so on. Promise Keepers did an incredible job of shaking things up in the early 90's -- God bless 'em for their vision and dedication to biblical orthodoxy. But keeping things shook up? Well, that required the rest of us to follow through with courage, faith and an aggressive work ethic for the Kingdom. We didn't.

So, is Promise Keepers completely a thing of the past? No, far from it. Their audience events may be smaller, fewer and less publicized but the organization is very much alive with enthusiasm and commitment. And, of particular significance, Promise Keepers hasn't sold out its founding purposes. When the numbers began to decline, there must have been tremendous pressure brought upon Promise Keepers to compromise its values, to soften its doctrinal statement, to pragmatically remove (or at least keep quiet about) some of its more controversial elements, especially its insistence on preaching Christ crucified, its pro-life convictions, its fidelity to biblical teachings on marriage and sexuality, etc. But Promise Keepers kept its own promise to God and therefore deserves our fervent appreciation and respect.

And they deserve our present attention too.

For although the "movement" of Promise Keepers (amazingly influential) has run its course, the ministry of the modern version of Promise Keepers is very much alive. Clicking on the title of this post will take you to the Promise Keepers web site where a visitor can see how true the organization has been to the Lord Jesus and how active they yet are in changing the character of America by bringing redemption, illumination and spiritual power to one man at a time.

So, for those of you who well remember the way God moved you in one of those PK stadium rallies and for those of you whose earnest spiritual adventure began after those halcyon days, today's Promise Keepers is a ministry well worth your prayers, your support and your participation.

In Their Own Words: President Bush and Chinese Christians in White House Conversation

A couple of weeks ago there was an entry here on Vital Signs Blog which drew attention to an important meeting at the White House featuring President Bush and three Chinese Christian dissidents. Here now (from China Aid) are very revealing excerpts from the warm conversation those men enjoyed.

Banning "America" from American Schools

Keeping tabs on Debbie Schlussel's unique web site pays a lot of value and here's just one example -- a tip to check out this op-ed piece from Michael Warren which appeared in the Detroit Free Press.

In this piece, Judge Warren describes just how extreme is the anti-American spirit which is percolating among the government school bureaucrats of Michigan as they attempt to remove the words "America" and "American" from the classroom.

Public schools in...dare I say it... America are becoming less about education and more about leftist political indoctrination every day. Isn't it about time for major change?

Show the Tapes and Get Shoved in Jail

And so it goes in the paranoid state of dictator Alexander Lukashenka's Belarus... A couple of days ago Syarhey Lyashkevich was sentenced to jail for "training opposition activists to stage riots." Lyashkevich was targeted by the police because he is a political dissident - peaceful and properly conducted, yes, but one who doesn't believe Lukashenka's corrupt and totalitarian regime is best for Belarus. That alone is more than enough to get you in trouble there but Lyashkevich dared to openly differ with the government by heading up a local election headquarters of opposition candidate Alyaksandr Milinkevich during the presidential election campaign earlier this year. That really stirred the political police to action.

So how was the trial conducted? Well, the judge declared that Lyashkevich had instructed oppositionists in how to stage riots by showing them videotapes of street demonstrations. However, as the defense demonstrated, if simply showing the videotapes constituted a crime, then arrests were necessary for officials of the state-run media because all of the tapes had originally been shown (and repeatedly) on Belarusian television!

But, of course, standing up for common sense, fairness and freedom remain political crimes in Belarus and Lyashkevich was found guilty. Sentence: 5 months in prison.

Getting the Word (And the Pictures) Out

Here is an interesting story from the online edition of the UC Santa Barbara student newspaper about a pro-life demonstration which utilized graphic photos of abortion.

The story was better balanced than most (that's always nice) but you'll notice that the photo which accompanied the news account (shown here at right) carefully omits any sight which might reveal the horrible violence of abortion and insteads highlights the counter-protesters.

It seems that accuracy and fairness in college journalism do have their limits.

Pro-Abortion Governor Wins Secrecy Vote

In Kansas, the pro-abortion governor managed to hold on to her veto of a law passed by the state's legislators which would have required the state to collect relevant medical information about late-term abortions, such as the woman’s health, fetal abnormalities and the physician who authorized the abortion. The data would have been submitted to state health officials, and no identifying information would be released.

But abortionists must be protected from the light of day as well as the light of justice and so Democrat Governor Kathleen Sebelius vetoed the bill last week.

According to the Kansas City Star that decision "angered some lawmakers who said the bill would allow the state to determine whether state laws are being followed and would not result in any privacy violations. Abortions after the 22nd week are prohibited by law unless a physician concludes that the woman’s health is at stake. Anti-abortion lawmakers suspect that too many physicians use a mental-health exception to authorize abortions."

Honoring the Good Guys

Among the good reading for this Memorial Day weekend is Wade Zirkle's column. Just click on the title of this post to read the whole article but here's a quick teaser...

Since the Global War on Terror was launched four and half years ago, Americans are now only casually reminded of the sacrifices that our new generation of warriors are making in Afghanistan, Iraq and other desperate corners of the world. Usually these reports come in the form of terse, sterile news briefs: a fleeting portrait of a service member flashing across a TV screen or a radio sound-bite at the top of the hour that notes that soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb. When there is an occasional in-depth story, it often focuses on the nature and controversy of the casualty and follows with overtones of grief, sorrow and pity.

Yet, seldom is there a celebration of the life of our fallen warrior.

On this Memorial Day, I hope that our nation can put aside partisanship and political animosities to more fully celebrate the lives of a new, great generation of American warriors; the ordinary citizens who achieved extraordinary achievements and made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf...

STDs Climbing in "High-Class" Retirement Community

The consequences of sexual sin do not just affect the young.

Homosexual Coups

1) If anything should trigger a revolt against the government school system, it is California's Senate bill 1437. If signed into law, this will completely submerge teaching about sexuality, marriage and the family to the wildest extremes of the homosexual agenda. Here is Jeff Jacoby's column describing the bill, its origins and its catastrophic ramifications.

2) And on the other coast, (specifically, in Massachusetts) the newly-discovered Constitutional rights of same-sex marriage have already had a "chilling effect" on the simplest and most kindhearted practice of Christian charity. Read the articles of Chuck Colson and Maggie Gallagher for the details.