Ohio

In his letter to TimesLeaderOnline.com, Alex Kosky includes a powerful quote from Mother Theresa’s speech at the National Prayer breakfast in front of pro-abortion President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. Mother Theresa died in 1997 but lucky for us, Mother Theresa’s speech was recorded by C-Span. You can see her speech, beginning at 49:00. She teaches at 54:40 that “the unborn [John the Baptist] was the first one to proclaim the coming of Christ”. The quote mentioned in the letter is from 1:02:30 to 1:05:49.

Here’s Mr. Kosky’s letter in full.

Dear Editor,

This year our country marks forty years in the wasteland of the culture of death.

In the US alone, over 55 million babies have been victims of abortion since the Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973. Acknowledging that fact does not diminish the horrors of terrorist attacks, school killings and other evil massacres. Whenever these evil disasters occur, there is always the question of "Why"?

Mother Theresa may have given us the answer, when she spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, on February 3, 1994. She proclaimed, saying: "The greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion. [Abortion] is really a war against the child and if we accept that the mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?... Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love one another but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion."

Congressman Henry J. Hyde, a dedicated defender of the Human Life, who delivered a speech during a debate to overturn President Clinton's veto of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, said the following "what kind of people have we become that this "procedure" is even a matter for discussion? Can't we draw the line at torture? And if we can't what has become of the US"?

Roe vs. Wade did not settle the abortion debate. It is the human rights issue of our day. The younger generation is on the Pro Life side. Many women are saying they regret their abortion.

There is no such thing as a perfect society. Yet we pray, give us the light of hope, and with confidence and persistence in prayer we see a world of peace and justice for all.

Respectfully,

Alex Kosky
Pro Life Chairman
Knights of Columbus
Bellaire

The Ohio Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Personhood Ohio. The suit was aimed at stopping the pro-life organization from circulating a petition that would allow Ohioans a vote to define all human beings as persons, thereby ending abortion throughout the state.

An organization calling themselves Healthy Families Ohio brought the suit in January, asking the Court to split the citizen initiative into two separate measures, after the Ohio Ballot Board ruled the Ohio Personhood Amendment dealt with, and could move forward as, a single subject. Planned Parenthood has previously used the title “Healthy Families,” as a shell to oppose personhood efforts. Mississippians for Healthy Families organized the No on Amendment 26 campaign last fall.

Healthy Families Ohio also charged that the ballot title, describing the effects of the amendment, was inaccurate.

The Ohio Personhood Amendment would define the words “person” and “men” to “apply to every human being at every stage of development of that human being, including fertilization.” The amendment language and ballot title further specify that the measure will not affect “genuine contraception that acts solely by preventing the creation of a new human being” or “In Vitro Fertilization procedures that respect the right to life of newly created human beings.”

The amendment also includes language clarifying that it would apply only to living human beings, from the moment our lives begin, and not “human ‘eggs’ or oocytes prior to the beginning of life.”

Personhood Ohio has until July to collect the 385,000 signatures required to reach the 2012 ballot.

“This ruling from the Ohio Supreme Court confirms what personhood supporters have been explaining all along. Recognizing the legal rights of all persons, regardless of their size or age, will simply put an end to their destruction,” commented Ohio Family Physician and Personhood Ohio Director, Dr. Patrick Johnston. “By dismissing this frivolous lawsuit, the Court got it exactly right. Contraception and reproductive medicine will continue to be widely available in our state. And contrary to the way it has been portrayed, personhood will not grant rights to human eggs. Rather, it will recognize that all men are endowed by our Creator with an unalienable right to life from the moment of our creation.”

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/f375e5922dd445f487e8adbe0c78aa3b/O…

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A group that wants the Ohio Constitution amended to declare that life begins when a human egg is fertilized plans to resubmit paperwork that had been rejected.

Attorney General Mike DeWine previously turned down Personhood Ohio’s summary of the proposed amendment, saying it included things the amendment would not affect.

Patrick Johnston of Personhood Ohio said Wednesday that the group will change the amendment to say it won’t affect contraception or in vitro fertilization. The group also must submit another 1,000 valid signatures from Ohio voters.

The group’s wording must be approved before it can collect the 385,000 valid signatures needed for the amendment to appear on 2012 ballots.