Pro-Choice Advocates Need to do Their Homework

Written by Aleebannister. Edited by Paleocrat.
Jan. 2, 2009

A few nights ago, my husband and I were at engaged in a discussion with a pro-choice woman over the issue of when life begins. One of her main arguments was that a “fetus” doesn’t have a heartbeat until 12 weeks. She claimed that her working at an  OB/GYN gave her firsthand insight that my husband and I did not have. She went further by saying that a “fetus” is just a blood clot, that he or she does not move, that there is no brain function, that they are unable to think, that they are unable to cry, and that pregnant women don’t “feel life” until well after the time most women have abortions. This pretty much summarizes her arguments.

What I hope to do, then, is provide proof to the contrary. I am relying heavily upon authorites in this field so as to better substantiate the reason for our opposition. Listed below are just a few of the things I found.

When does the heart begin to beat?
At 18 days [when the mother is only four days late for her first menstrual period], and by 21 days it is pumping, through a closed circulatory system, blood whose type is different from that of the mother. (J.M. Tanner, G. R. Taylor, and the Editors of Time-Life Books, Growth, New York: Life Science Library, 1965, p. 64)

When is the brain functioning?
Brain waves have been recorded at 40 days on the Electroencephalogram (EEG). ( H. Hamlin, “Life or Death by EEG,” JAMA, Oct. 12, 1964, p. 113)

Brain function, as measured on the Electroencephalogram, “appears to be reliably present in the fetus at about eight weeks gestation,” or six weeks after conception. (J. Goldenring, “Development of the Fetal Brain,” New England Jour. of Med., Aug. 26, 1982, p. 564)

Only several generations ago, doctors used the ending of respiration to measure the end of human life. This is no longer true, for the use of artificial ventilators is common. Only one generation ago, doctors were using the ending of the heartbeat to measure the end of human life. This is no longer true, for now the heart can be stopped and restarted for different operations. It also may stop during a heart attack and sometimes can be restarted. Today, the definitive and final measure of the end of human life is brain death. This happens when there is
irreversible cessation of total brain function. The final scientific measurement of this is the permanent ending of brain waves. Since all authorities accept that the end of an individual’s life is measured by the ending of his brain function (as measured by brain waves on the EEG), would it not be logical for them to at least agree that individual’s life began with the onset of that same human brain function, as measured by brain waves recorded on that same instrument?

When does the developing baby first move?
“In the sixth to seventh weeks. . . . If the area of the lips is gently stroked, the child responds by bending the upper body to one side and making a quick backward motion with his arms. This is called a ‘total pattern response’ because it involves most of the body, rather than a local part.” ( L. B. Arey, Developmental Anatomy (6th ed.), Philadelphia: W. B. Sanders Co., 1954)

At eight weeks, “if we tickle the baby’s nose, he will flex his head backwards away from the stimulus.” ( A. Hellgers, M.D., “Fetal Development, 31,” Theological Studies, vol. 3, no. 7, 1970, p. 26)

Another example is from a surgical technician whose letter said, “When we opened her abdomen (for a tubal pregnancy), the tube had expelled an inch-long fetus, about 4-6 weeks old. It was still alive in the sack. “That tiny baby was waving its little arms and kicking its little legs and even turned its whole body over.” (J. Dobson, Focus on the Family Mag., Aug. ’91, pg. 16)

But pregnant women don’t “feel life” until four or five months!
The inside of the uterus has no feeling. The baby has to be almost a foot long (30 cm.) and weigh about one pound (454 gm.) before he or she is large enough to brace a shoulder against one wall and kick hard enough against the opposite wall to dent it outward. Then the mother feels it because the outside of the uterus is covered by a sensitive peritoneal surface.

What is the development at seven to eight weeks?
The baby’s stomach secretes gastric juice by eight weeks. Now we can listen to the tiny one’s heartbeat on an ultrasonic stethoscope. These are now common in doctors’ offices and on hospital wards. They are never used in abortion facilities, however, as this information is universally withheld from mothers prior to abortion. Abortionists know that if they tell women there already is a heartbeat — and certainly if they would let her listen to the heartbeat — some mothers would change their minds. The actual sounds of a six-week-old
baby’s heartbeat are available on tape from Cincinnati Right to Life, 1802 W. Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45239 ($3.00).

“Eleven years ago, while giving an anesthetic for a ruptured tubal pregnancy (at two months), I was handed what I believed to be the smallest human being ever seen. The embryo sac was intact and transparent. Within the sac was a tiny (one-third inch) human male swimming extremely vigorously in the amniotic fluid, while attached to the wall by the umbilical cord. This tiny human was perfectly developed with long, tapering fingers, feet and toes. It was almost transparent, as regards the skin, and the delicate arteries and veins were prominent to the ends of the fingers. “The baby was extremely alive and swam about the sac approximately one time per second with a natural swimmers stroke. This tiny human did not look at all like the photos and drawings of ‘embryos’ which I have seen, nor did it look like the few embryos I have been able to observe since then, obviously because this one was alive. “When the sac was opened, the tiny human immediately lost its life and took on the appearance of what is accepted as the appearance of an embryo at this stage (blunt extremities, etc.).” ( P.E. Rockwell, M.D., Director of Anesthesiology, Leonard Hospital, Troy, New York, U.S. Supreme Court., Markle vs. Abele, 72-56, 72-730, p. 11, 1972)

He certainly can’t cry!
Although the watery environment in which he lives presents small opportunity for crying, which does require air, the unborn knows how to cry, and given a chance to do so, he will.

A doctor “injected an air bubble into the baby’s amniotic sac and then took x-rays. It so happened that the air bubble covered the baby’s face. The whole procedure had no doubt given the little fellow quite a bit of jostling about, and the moment that he had air to inhale and exhale they heard the clear sound of a protesting wail emitting from the uterus. Late that same night, the mother awakened her doctor with a telephone call, to report that when she lay down to sleep the air bubble got over the baby’s head again, and he was crying so loudly he was keeping both her and her husband awake. The doctor advised her to prop herself upright with pillows so that the air could not reach the baby’s head, which was by now in the lower part of the uterus.” (Day & Liley, Modern Motherhood, Random House, 1969, pp. 50-51)

Does he/she think?
In adults, when we contemplate a physical move or action from a resting state, our heart rate accelerates several seconds before the motion. Similarly, the fetal baby’s heart rate speeds up six to ten seconds prior to fetal movement. Is this conscious thought and planning? ( N. Lauerson & H. Hochberg, “Does the Fetus Think?” JAMA, vol. 247, no. 23, July 18, 1982)

The evidence, in my opinion, is compelling. The truth is easy to find, it just takes a willingness to do some homework. I think the saddest part of the entire thing is that the non-scientific arguments in defense of abortion were coming from someone who should have known better. It is just so sad to see people in the field of medicine and pregnancy say things that are so easily discredited, even by a lay person like me.

King Jesus, we pray for the end of the abortion holocaust. Kyrie, eleison.

“Slut-erizer” Won Fuse’s Best Music Video 08

By Aleebannister and Paleocrat
Dec. 20, 2008 

Public morality is down the drain, and most Americans are increasingly desensitized by the media. Television seems to be the biggest influence on what many consider morally acceptable. Take Britney Spears as an example. Not only is she still the most talked about celebrity in America, but her video for “Womanizer” recently won her Fuses’ Best Music Video of 2008. It would be one thing if it was just a bunch of judges from the music scene, but it wasn’t. It was by popular demand. The people voted on this one.

When I watched the video of “Womanizer”, which was the Director’s Cut on YouTube, I almost thought I was watching a porno. Britney Spears’ spends most of her time in the nude and is very provocative in her body language. Her style of clothing, when she is actually wearing some, is not much different than a hooker on Cherry St.

After watching this video I decided to find out what all the fuss was about. I know that a lot of it (most of it) had to do with her squirming around all oiled up, but I thought maybe the lyrics had some kind of value to them. What was she trying to tell people. At least in words.

I don’t think the person who wrote this song did a very good job. Maybe that is because I like lyrics to be more meaningful, or at least tell a story. Just take a look at the lyrics! It was either written by a bad writer, or maybe someone who knows how to write to an audience who could care less about quality songs.

The visual aspect of the video is just as bad, or maybe worse. I have heard many people argue that it is fine to be naked (or almost naked) in a music video or on television. Then they normally say, “as long as they don’t really ‘show anything.'” But does this make any sense? How can you be naked, or almost naked, and not “show anything”? These kind of images show a lot! They actually show way too much.

This whole thing is a slippery slope. Where do we draw the line? I can see where the partial nudity on today’s TV will be full nudity on tomorrow’s, but I don’t see where the people or politicians will stand up and say “enough smut!”.

Television is always pushing the boundaries. They did it with swear words and now they are doing it with nudity. The only possible excuse that I can think of is that the body is considered art. This is a bad excuse. Seeing sex scenes or provocative images adds nothing to the “art” of film. Nothing. There is no reasonable excuse for this kind of thing. None.

We need moral and intelligent people willing to look at the horrible effects this kind of perversion has on the viewing public, especially younger people. We ned parents who care about what their children watch and who most influences the way their kids think and behave.

How did we even get like this? Whose fault is it? I have a feeling that the answer is looking back at us every time we step in front of a mirror. Our own worst enemy is our only hope.

Related Article – Fuse Fans Vote Britney Spears Womanizer Best Music Video of 2008

Skinny Men in Tight Girl Clothes

By Aleebannister
Dec. 17, 2008 

First we had the supermodels. Now we have Indie Rock emo guys. I guess the new trend is to be as skinny as you can. 

There are more and more people, male and female, admitting to being anorexic or even bulimic. What makes this more messed up is that a ton of these people just want to look like their favorite rock stars. This happened back in the 90’s with people who may have wanted to look like Kurt Cobain, but that guy did enough drugs to put a rhino in a coma.

I never really thought I would see the day when men would be this self-conscious about their physical appearance. Personally, I don’t think it is very attractive for a man to be too skinny. I don’t want to see their ribs protruding through their skin-tight My Little Pony shirts. And I definitely don’t want to see those pencil-thin legs in a pair of tapered women’s pants that are so tight on them that you almost wonder how they got them on. Do they spray-paint them on in the morning? Do they have to use Vaseline to lube up their legs in order to get them through the eye-of-a-needle leg holes? It’s all a mystery to me.

Hopefully these guys will realize that most women like men with a little meat on their bones wearing clothing found only in the adult men’s section. And the clothes have to fit! Maybe the guys who aren’t anorexic can help their brothers out? Bring them to Chinese buffets. Any buffet will be satisfactory, as long as they eat like real men and pile red meat on top of red meat with a side of red meat. 

And while they are at it they can donate all their girl clothing to their 8-year-old sisters. Hopefully they won’t have to grow into them. Maybe this will be the Christmas trend of 2008.

Related entry over at the Huffington Post

Blessed Virgin Mary in Playboy???

By Aleebannister and Paleocrat
Dec. 14, 2008

Every year I hear about Christmas catalogues that go over the line with sexual images. I have never figured out why they do this. I don’t personally know of anybody who bought from any of these stores because of the half-naked anorexic woman or the male models who look like they cam out of a crack house. But I guess I’m just not artistic enough to understand.

But Hugh Hefner is!! The pervert from Playboy decided to outdo the bulimic supermodels and heroin addicts in other catalogues. He was going to depict the Virgin Mary posing naked for the Christmas edition of his magazine. I’ve always known Mr. Hefner was a pervert and a polygamist (see Editor’s note at bottom), but this is just wrong.

I guess the irony of the story is that he decided to make it the Christmas edition of Playboy in Mexico! In case he didn’t know, Mexican Catholics have a special devotion to Our Lady.

I would love to hear of Mexican churches and communities burning piles and piles of this magazine. They need to let Mr. Hefner know that nudity is bad enough, but depicting Our Lady like this is taking things way too far.

Pray for Hefner and the end of pornography.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of they womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Hefner has dated numerous women at one time, but he only “marries” one at a time. He was recently dating three women. One of them was 19 years old, the other two being twin sisters.