Greetings from Charlotte, North Carolina! Communications Assistant Jessica Rodgers here, in the press room monitoring media comings and goings with fellow assistant Megan McCrum, Director Derrick Jones, and our great intern Tatiana Elowson.
Today kicked off to a great start in the morning with a gathering of the leaders of NRLC and our SC and NC affiliates for a press breakfast. Fr. Tad Pacholczyk, Director of Education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, opened the convention with a GREAT speech on stem cells and the amazing scientific discoveries surrounding the often misunderstood treatments. Like all pro-lifers, Fr. Tad supports ethical adult stem cell research. Latest numbers show that more than 70 treatments for diseases have been derived from adult stem cells, while embryonic stem cells have yet to have a single human trial (for more information, visit http://www.stemcellresearch.org/facts/treatments.htm) .
After a break for lunch (during which it was great to catch up with old friends!), the sessions started up with everyone heading off to their respective workshops.
Here in the press office we’ve been checking in camera crews and arranging interviews with Olivia Gans—NRLC Spokesman and Director of American Victims of Abortion and NRLC President Dr. Wanda Franz. There’s been a steady stream of old and new friends coming in to say hi, and the back of the press room has been occupied by members of National Teens for Life Advisory Board, as they prepare for upcoming workshops.
Students from the ’07 and ’08 NRLC Academy classes have come in to volunteer and attend sessions, and it’s been encouraging to see so many young faces again this year attending the National Teens for Life Convention.
I took a break from the press office to go around and take pictures for a while, and was so excited to see all of the workshops so well attended. Lights had gone out in one of the workshop rooms but even sitting in the dark couldn’t dissuade pro-lifers from listening attentively to the speakers.
The first day of the Convention is always a long one, but the energy here is great. Attendee’s are excited to hear Kate Adamson speak tonight, and are getting geared up for the prayer breakfast in the morning.
Day one is off to an excellent start- – we’ll keep you updated!
Check out more of the action on the convention department’s blog: www.stoptheabortionagenda.com/convention, complete with this video, which we’re totally re-posting:
REPEAL OF CONSCIENCE PROTECTION REGULATIONS IS NEXT STEP IN ENACTMENT OF EXPANSIVE OBAMA ABORTION AGENDA
WASHINGTON- The Obama Administration is expected to take action today to rescind a regulation that enforces federal laws protecting the conscience rights of doctors and health care providers. Issued by the Bush Administration, this regulation was designed to raise awareness in the medical community and general public, as well as increase compliance with federal laws protecting doctors and health care providers from discrimination in federally funded health care programs. Health care providers are increasingly being pressured to violate their moral convictions with regards to abortion. The regulations are based on underlying federal conscience protection laws that Congress has enacted, including the 1973 “Church Amendments,” the 1996 Public Health Service Act amendment, and the “Hyde-Weldon amendment,” which was first added to a funding bill in 2004.
Susan Muskett, J.D., Senior Legislative Counsel of the National Right to Life Committee commented: “These conscience protection regulations were carefully crafted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services after soliciting public comments and a lengthy period of review. Once again, the Obama Administration is doing the bidding of pro-abortion advocacy groups, which wish to penalize health-care providers who refuse to participate in providing abortions.”
Although rescinding this federal regulation does not repeal the underlying federal laws, pro-abortion advocacy groups have targeted the Hyde-Weldon law for repeal. “No one should be forced to take a human life against their moral convictions, especially not in a federally funded program,” Muskett said.
The National Right to Life Committee is the nation’s largest pro-life group with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters nationwide. National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect those threatened by abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and assisted suicide.
None of us are in Denver this week for the Democratic convention (for obvious reasons), but I’ve been glued to C-SPAN watching all of the coverage live (really I’m just waiting for the balloons and confetti..it’s fun television).
The Democratic Party has just officially nominated pro-abortion Illinois Senator Barack Obama as their nominee for President of the United States. Obama is perhaps the most pro-abortion candidate ever nominated for President.
And we’ve also put together a great comparison piece that factually outlines the positions of both Barack Obama and John McCain. You can download it in PDF here: http://www.nrlc.org/Election2008/Comparison071408.pdf
The CommBlog is the official blog of the National Right to Life Communications Department. You'll find commentary, press releases, media sightings, live-blogging from events and a host of other items. To contact the Communications department, email us at mediarelations@nrlc.org.
