Obama Administration vs The Defense of Marriage Act

He's at it again. On Wednesday February 23rd, the Obama Administration announced that it will no longer defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). This is a complete reversal of policy. Attorney General Eric Holder said the Obama Administration cannot defend the federal law,that defines marriage, as being between a man and a woman. Attorney General Holder remarked that during the passage of DOMA, "It contains numerous expressions reflecting moral disapproval of Gays and Lesbians and their intimate and family relationships - precisely the type of stereotyped based thinking and animus the Constitution is designed to guard against." Note - When Our Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution to guard against such stereotyping, they obviously did not anticipate this to cover immoral behavior.

The Administration has been heavily lobbied by Gay groups to pass same-sex marriage. In fact, Ron Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, called the policy change: "A tremendous step towards recognizing our common humanity, and ending an egregious injustice against thousands of loving, committed couples, who simply want the protections, rights and responsibilities afforded other married couples. We thank the Obama Administration."

Attorney General Holder related that the president has concluded, given a documented history of discrimination against Gays, classifications based on sexual orientation should be subject to a more heightened standard of scrutiny, that the department has been applying in legal challenges to the Act up to now. He went on to say that the Justice Dept. will immediately bring the policy change to the attention of two federal courts now hearing separate law suits targeting the Defense of Marriage Act.

The Allied Defense Fund said, "The Department of Justice has a constitutional duty to defend the laws duly enacted by Congress, and the refusal of the Attorney General to defend the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, just because they don't like it politically, is really inexcusable." Attorney Austin Nimocks of the Allied Defense Fund suggests, that US citizens are the ones who will ultimately suffer the pitfalls of the administration's decision, as they expect the government to do its job and support traditional marriage. "Americans across this country - from north to south, east to west, red states and blue states - when they have voiced their opinions on marriage, they have been unified, that marriage is between one man and one woman, and for the Department of Justice to make a political decision to throw marriage under the bus, the way they are, should really upset a lot of Americans." More on this will follow in further communications.

[Friedman's Update] February 23, 2011

ObamaCare Section of the Week:

Section 4101. School Based Health Centers
This Section deserves some analysis. $200 million over a 4 year period is being appropriated to build and equip school based health centers. The list of services these centers will be expected to provide is pretty extensive:

(1) COMPREHENSIVE PRIMARY HEALTH SERVICES- The term `comprehensive primary health services' means the core services offered by school-based health centers, which shall include the following:

• (A) PHYSICAL- Comprehensive health assessments, diagnosis, and treatment of minor, acute, and chronic medical conditions, and referrals to, and follow-up for, specialty care and oral health services.
• (B) MENTAL HEALTH- Mental health and substance use disorder assessments, crisis intervention, counseling, treatment, and referral to a continuum of services including emergency psychiatric care, community support programs, inpatient care, and outpatient programs.

Essentially, these clinics will be general pediatrics offices that are run by school administrators. It's not hard to imagine that the state-sponsored convenience of these school based clinics would result in a monopoly of services. After all, how can a private practice compete with an "integrated" clinic located at the school? After all, if a private practice wanted to serve these same children they would have to fund their own build-out and rent. Moreover, it appears likely that the salaries for the personnel will simply become part of the school district's payroll. Probably for the best. Everyone knows government provided health care is the very very best, right? No need for those icky money grubbing private doctors anymore, thank goodness.

Read the section and see if you can spot some of the many other concerning elements of this program.


Health Care:

"You can keep your doctor" as long as you don't care whom your doctor works for.

Whenever I speak on ObamaCare, I am asked about the prospects of defunding it. Not so good, unfortunately.

As many of you know, one of my pet peeves is the fact that Donald Berwick serves as the unconfirmed Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Recently, a Berwick doppelganger testified before the House Ways and Means Committee. The fact that those who supposedly serve the people are so willing to deceive the people is telling, don't you think?

More government deceit: Megan McArdle discusses ObamaCare's diminishing returns when it comes to budget gimmicks.

Apparently, there is a D.C. federal judge out there who thinks the government has the right to regulate our thoughts. Seriously.

Picture perfect parody of Health Information Technology companies. I would actually place a bet that some HIT "experts" wouldn't get the joke.

The Philosophy of Luck Egalitarianism seems to me to be key to understanding much of liberal behavior. Ezekiel Emanuel, The White House Office of Budget and Management's Special Advisor on Health Care Policy, is a proponent of this philosophy. The linked article remains one of the most disturbing pieces of writing I have ever encountered.

Glenn Beck on Abortion and Planned Parenthood

Glenn Beck does a nice job boiling down the issues and history regarding abortion and Planned Parenthood.



Here in Lake County, Congressman Joe Walsh voted last week with the bipartisan majority in the House for the Pence Amendment to cut off Title X funding for Planned Parenthood. Walsh and fellow Illinois Congressman Randy Hultgren will be the target of falsehood-filled radio ads run by Planned Parenthood. Congressman Bob Dold, by contrast, was one of seven Republicans (including Chicago's Judy Biggert) who voted to maintain funding for Planned Parenthood. This seems to contradict his campaign platform of opposition to federal abortion funding.

Now the Pence Amendment goes to the Senate. Senator Mark Kirk has sometimes voted in the past to ban federal funding for abortion. Polite calls to the senator's office encouraging him to support the Pence Amendment in the Senate would seem to be called for this week. Senator Kirk is pro-choice, but may be receptive to arguments made on fiscal grounds. Explain that you don't want your tax dollars going to pay for a no-bid contract for an abortion lobbyist.

The fight against abortion, as we all know, is a long drawn-out one. This is what you can do this week to advance the flag.

Bernard Nathanson..RIP

Bernard Nathanson
Passed away.. He had a Damascus moment and acted on it.

ERA Still Alive Afer 30 Years

It's alive, it's alive! The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is Alive after Thirty years of debate, and it's still alive! In Illinois on February 23rd, the ERA will be considered in the House Judiciary 1 Committee. The sponsor of the Amendment, Representative Lou Lang (he has sponsored this legislation almost every year) is positive that he now has the votes to pass ERA in the House.

So what's wrong with ERA? It isn't what it appears to be. Everyone thinks it's a simple amendment that will provide equal rights to women. But in fact, ERA will strip away women's current protections and benefits. Because of it's vague language and broad coverage, it will also legalize same-sex marriages, mandate state funding of abortions and weaken the balanced structure of our government.

The laws that provide women with equal rights already exist. The Fourteenth Amendment of The Constitution, has been interpreted by the courts, to prohibit gender based discrimination . Other existing laws that provide women with equal rights, cover virtually all areas of American life - education, employment, credit eligibility, housing and public accommodations.

The major problem with ERA is in it's wording. It simply states: "Equality of rights, under law, shall not be denied or abridged, by the United States or any state, on account of sex." In essence, women are not being guaranteed equal rights; rather gender is being removed as a legal characteristic on which to base distinctions. So the wording in State ERAs has been interpreted, by courts, to remove the critical protection of wife and child support, mandate state funding of elective abortions and legalize same-sex marriage.

The ERA is not about women's rights. It's about creating a genderless society, that removes sex as a legal characteristic. So, it's passage will negatively impact women, families, society and the structure of our government. Those who claim ERA is an innocent piece of legislation, that gives women equal rights, have a different agenda.

Utilitarianism At It's Pinnacle

Just when you thought you heard and read it all - you find out that what was once beyond comprehension is now a reality. What am I talking about? Here goes.

This could be the making of a science fiction movie or Robin Cook book. In case you don't remember who Robin Cook is; he's a physician who writes on the cutting edge of medical ethics, and wrote the book "Coma", later made into a movie, long before organ donation became a household word.

A group of Belgian doctors are harvesting "high quality" organs from patients who have been euthanized. And it is no secret. A little past history - euthanasia is legal in Belgium. But, just as a rose is a rose by any other name, I don't think euthanasia and organ donation can be called by the same name.

This revelation was published in a transplant medical journal, where the doctors admitted harvesting organs, after the euthanasia of a disabled woman.

At a medical conference, organized by the Belgian Royal Medical Academy, a power pointe presentation was made by several doctors from the University Hospitals of Antwerp, Leuven And Liege. This presentation revealed, that about 20% of the 705 people who were officially euthanized in 2008, were suffering from neuromuscular disorders. Hmmmm. Usually neuromuscular disorders in patients result in neurological problems, but their organs are healthy, and ready for harvest - how fortuitous.

These doctors have created a useful pool of organs which can help the organ shortage present in Belgium. (There's an organ shortage in every country in the world)

Wow! Horrible! Can you imagine convincing people with disabilities, that their death has greater value than their life? All because someone else needs a kidney - utilitarianism at it's pinnacle.

ObamaCare and "Meaningful Use" Part II

Part II was promised for a couple of weeks ago. However, snow, business, and minor family illnesses interfered. Better late than never, I hope!

Since my last update, David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, has announced his resignation. This article from the Health Renewal Blog explains why this is a very good thing.

Part I of my discussion on "Meaningful Use" regulations can be found here if you need a refresher.

Continued from last update:

3. Further down, we start getting to the real meat of "Meaningful Use" and how it will fit into the overall ObamaCare scheme: Implement capability to electronically exchange key clinical information among providers and patient-authorized entities. Not so bad, right? Patient-authorized entities are, well, authorized. Actually, the term "patient-authorized entities"  refers to insurance companies and the government in the form of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This is the provision that will allow real-time monitoring of and interference with the decisions you and your doctor make in the (former) privacy of the doctor-patient relationship. Previously, these entities could request copies of your chart but infrequently did so due to the logistics involved. Now they will simply log-in. Worse, they will have electronic algorithms that will watch and wait for signs that "poor quality" decisions are being made. This is the actual mechanism whereby our health care will be rationed.

4. Implement one clinical decision support rule and ability to track compliance with the rule. At least they aren't calling them "guidelines" anymore. The word "guideline" implies that there is some wiggle room for doctors and patients to make judgments. On the other hand, a rule is a rule. This will be where the doctor is "supported" into telling you that your mammogram must be delayed until you are 50 years old instead of 40.

5. Generate lists of patients by specific conditions to use for quality improvement, reduction of disparities, research, or outreach. "Quality improvement" refers to rules and penalties. "Reduction of disparities" is a subject I wrote about at American Thinker. Research? What about The Nuremberg Code's requirement that all medical research involve voluntary consent? I don't see any such requirement in these regulations. Lastly, since when it is the business of an electronic medical record system to provide lists of patients for "outreach". Outreach by whom?

6. The rest of the Meaningful Use regulations include more of the same. Among other things, information will be submitted by these systems to state vaccine registries, public health agencies, and will check to see if the your doctor's drug choices are on approved formularies. Oh, one last thing, the electronic chart must be capable of documenting the advance directives of people over the age of 65 years of age or older (DrRich at the Covert Rationing Blog recently expounded on the subject of advance directives).

I will reiterate that all of the above will be required if doctors and providers are to receive incentive payments from the government. We talk about corruption and money in reference to politicians getting contributions. But isn't it corruption when the government is spending billions in order to convince (or bribe) doctors and hospitals into doing questionable things with patients' medical information?

In response to those of you who have asked, I will get back to more general health care updates over the next few days. To hold you over, here is a video from today of Representative Tom Price, M.D., questioning Donald Berwick. Listen to how he talks about freedom as it relates to medical decision making!

Euthanasia Update

Although abortion is a primary focus, we should be aware that the same people and organizations who promote abortion, are also working just as hard to legalize euthanasia.

In Quebec Canada: Quebec will hold hearings on "assisted suicide" during "Suicide Prevention Week". RU kidding?

In Belgium: Another study has been published, which shows the practice of euthanasia for organ donation. People are being pressured to die, in order to provide healthy organs.

In France: The euthanasia debate is ongoing, however, the Senate defeated a bill to legalize euthanasia last week. This will not be the end of the debate.

In Oregon: Death With Dignity released it's 2010 report. Remember assisted suicide is legal in Oregon. So, it is not surprising that the number of assisted suicides have increased. There were 59 reported deaths from the 96 lethal prescriptions, that were written, with an additional deaths from lethal prescriptions from previous years (96 prescriptions & 59 deaths don't add up). Oregon stats continue to indicate that elder abuse is likely. Those who died by assisted suicide indicated that 61 (93.8%) of the people, felt a loss of autonomy, 61 (93.8%) felt a decreasing ability to participate in activities, while 51 (78.5%) of the people felt they had lost dignity.

In Montana: Montana's Court had allowed legalized euthanasia, but Senator Greg Hinkle has introduced Senate Bill 116, that would reverse the court decision and prohibit assisted suicide. The debate continues. The outcome is uncertain.

In Vermont: There is a proposed bill to legalize assisted suicide. The Governor will sign the bill.

In Hawaii: A bill has been introduced to legalize assisted suicide. It is Senate Bill 803. The Hawaii State Senate Health Committee has voted to hold the bill to legalize assisted suicide. It will return.

In Idaho: A bill has been introduced on assisted suicide.

As you can see, the euthanasia proponents are as committed to this issue, as they are to
abortion. Abortion is here. Euthanasia though still new, needs to be understood by all pro-lifers, just as they understand abortion.

Abortion Thrives In Blue States

Unsurprisingly to pro-lifers, abortion is most often resorted to in states that support pro-abortion leaders. From Publius Forum:

As every good liberal pretends to know, the cause of high abortion rates is religious conservatives’ refusal to cooperate with “family planning” advocates, toward the supposedly common goal of reducing the number of abortions. If only those snake-handling bumpkins would see the wisdom in making abortion “safe, legal and rare,” the argument goes, fewer abortions would be “necessary.” Thus, the liberal media explain, those simple-minded anti-abortion activists are unwittingly defeating their own cause.

It follows, then, that abortion rates should be lowest in places where social conservatives have the least influence. Then why aren’t they? According to New York City’s Department of Health, 41 percent of all pregnancies there end in abortion. Planned Parenthood, feigning displeasure with that figure, is blaming it on the city schools for not embracing its preferred sex education curriculum. So you see, even in one of the most liberal cities in America, the frequency of abortion is the fault of those meddlesome right-wing Christians, as usual.

But wait a minute. The same week that the NYC health department report was published, the Alan Guttmacher Institute released its figures on the state-by-state abortion rates for 2008, the most recent year on record. The Guttmacher Institute was originally created as the research division of Planned Parenthood, and was named after a former president of that organization, so the pro-abortion side presumably wouldn’t dispute its findings. The five highest per capita abortion rates were in the decisively blue states of Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and California. The five lowest were in Wyoming, Mississippi, Kentucky, South Dakota and Idaho.

How can the “don’t call us pro-abortion” crowd look at those statistics, and still claim with straight faces to be striving to lower the abortion rate? If they say the carnage in New York City is due to a lack of liberal sex education, then how do they explain abortion rates being lowest in the Southern and Western red states, whose schools are not likely to invite Dr. Ruth Westheimer as a guest lecturer? It turns out they don’t have to, because few in the media ever examine the pro-abortionists’ claims, regardless of how counterintuitive they may be.

Only by indulging in mindless go-along-to-get-along bipartisan feelgoodism could anyone possibly expect abortion advocates to cooperate in lowering the abortion rate. Planned Parenthood owns and operates the largest chain of abortion clinics in the world. When their employees “counsel” pregnant women, they do not merely present abortion as one among several options, let alone as being less desirable than the others. Their job is to sell abortions. Crisis pregnancy centers that counsel women against abortion are stealing their customers. It should be needless to say that this arrangement precludes any cooperation between the two sides.

The only thing that disturbs the abortionists and abortion salesmen about a 41 percent abortion rate is the fact that it has been made public. That number represents not only a great deal of money to them, but also the fulfillment of their purpose, which is not “women’s health” or “reproductive freedom,” but population control. Sure, they promote contraception and sterilization for the same reason, but the effects of those things cannot be quantified. There’s no way for them to know when they’ve prevented the birth of a child who’s never existed. Only abortion provides them with affirmation of their success.

What Is Obama Hiding This Time?

It seems that this president is always trying to hide something or other. Whether it's his birth certificate, his academic records from Columbia or Harvard, the actual contents of pending legislation, or... the list goes on... this man who campaigned on promises of transparency always seems to find something new to cover up. Now, it's abortion statistics:

RedState has uncovered evidence - confirmed by the CDC’s own press office - that the Obama administration is deliberately playing “hide the ball” on nationwide abortion statistics. For apparently the first time in 40 years, the CDC’s annual “Abortion Surveillance Report” was not published, and there are “no plans” for the data to be produced at this time.

Whatever you feel about abortion and its legality, virtually all people agree that transparency and factual accuracy are important in the abortion debate. That is why even Planned Parenthood spends a substantial amount of money each year funding the Guttmacher Institute’s studies on abortion statistics. While pro-life groups have long contended that Guttmacher’s methods systematically undercount abortions, that is beside the point; the Guttmacher studies have long provided a consistent source for studying abortion trends over time. Which aggregate data, we re-emphasize, is important not only for both sides of the ideological debate, but is also important medical information.

Yet, in the wake of numerous damaging disclosures about unscrupulous practices by abortionists (from Kermit Gosnell to Planned Parenthood clinics across the country), the Obama Administration has apparently ordered that the only Federal government report on abortion statistics – again, a report that has run continuously for 40 years – be deep-sixed. The immediate question this raises is: what is the Obama administration trying to hide? [Emphasis added.]

Can there be any doubt that it's such an increase in abortion numbers as to embarrass even Obama, who once asserted (contrary to the clear evidence of his own voting record) that "no one is 'pro-abortion'"?

(Cross-posted from Thoughts of a Regular Guy.)

Call Any Elected Official On This List

Planned Parenthood endorsed the following state-wide and local politicians, in the 2010 general election ...

• Governor - Pat Quinn (D)
  
• Lt. Gov. - Sheila Simon (D)
  
• Attorney General - Lisa Madigan (D)
  
• Secretary of State - Jesse White (D)
  
• State Senate 31st Dist. - Michael Bond (D) (lost)
  
• Illinois House 52nd Dist. - Mark Beaubien Jr. (R)
  
• Illinois House 58th Dist. - Karen May (D)
  
• Illinois House 59th Dist. - Carol Sente (D)
  
• Illinois House 62nd Dist. - Sandy Cole (R)
  

In view of the recent disclosure of a Live Action Film video, and the request that the US Attorney General Eric Holder investigate Planned Parenthood's sexual abuse and sex-trafficking cover-ups, Lake County Right to Life is urging everyone to call any of their elected officials, who are listed above, and ask them to repudiate their Planned Parenthood endorsement. The Live Action Films video can be viewed HERE.

Sting Operation

Many people, including some in my family, continue to think that Planned Parenthood (PP) is only about family planning. By now, every thinking person should be aware, that PP indeed is all about family planning - in the most insidious manner. Consider the latest release from Live Action Films - which shows a couple posing as a pimp and his prostitute, seeking advise regarding the under age foreign girls in their employ. The video reveals a New Jersey PP office manager working out a deal for a "no questions asked" services for these girls, and how to circumvent the law. Surprise! The services naturally include abortions, birth control and STD testing.

The manager tells the couple to have their under age girls lie about their age to avoid the mandatory reporting laws. The manager further recommends claiming the girls are students in order to make them appear more legitimate and receive discounted services. She continues by referring the couple to another local clinic, which is less scrutinizing, in case one of the minors needs an abortion, stating "they don't get audited the same way we do".

The PP manager continues to advise the couple on how long the girls need to wait after an abortion before being able to earn money by performing their sexual services, and what kind of other sexual services they can do to make money in the interim.

Sex trafficking is a federal offense carrying a 10 year to life sentence. I wonder if Planned Parenthood will get life, or just continue to get our tax dollars.

Lila Rose, president of Live Action , who released the new under-cover video said, "This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Planned Parenthood intentionally breaks state and federal laws and covers up the abuse of the young girls it claims to serve. Live Action is sending full footage to the US Attorney General Eric Holder, the New Jersey Attorney General, the FBI and other law-enforcement officials. Live Action is requesting state and federal investigations into Planned Parenthood's abuse and sex-trafficking cover-up.

Recent information from the Government Accountability Office report reveals, that the Planned Parenthood abortion business reported spending over $650 million dollars in federal funds over a 7 year period. Hmmmm. I wonder if those politicians, who were endorsed by Planned Parenthood, are proud?

Teavangelicals And The Priority of Things

A recent article in the American Family Association Journal (AFA) by Ed Vitagliano chronicled the birth of the Tea Party movement in America, and the rise of what has now been termed "Teavangelicals". This term was coined by David Brody, CBN News White House correspondent, due to the huge conservative Christian influence in the Tea Party movement.

The initial trigger of the Tea Party, according to the article, is attributed by many to a CNBC on-air editor Rick Santelli, who criticized President Obama's bailout plans, asking for a "Tea Party" response". Traders from the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade, upon hearing this remark, shouted approval of the term with raucous applause, and the Tea Party movement seemed to take root from there and spread nationwide.

Still, AFA of Michigan president Gary Glenn believe social conservatives were instrumental in getting the Tea Party phenomenon off the ground. He stated, "A substantial majority of local Tea Party organizations were started by social conservatives mobilized by the special Tea Party Web site posted by the AFA."

So though it would seem that the Tea Party movement was born and driven by concerns of economic freedom and limited government; bankrupting future generations with big out-of-control government was seen, in the eyes of the religious right, as not merely a fiscal issue but a moral issue. Still, though Tea Partiers seem to be more social conservative than libertarian, most particularly on the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage; both opponents of big government, as well as opponents of abortion, are in full accord against the health care overhaul.

So, was the rise of Teavangelicals simply because they would like the government to take a moral role in our culture? Actually, the article points out, that it was because they saw the government intruding upon the moral realm first - with the US Supreme Court removing school prayer and legalizing abortion, and distributing condoms in schools etc.

But, now a handful of Tea Party groups along with the homosexual Republican group GOProud, has asked the GOP to drop social issues from its agenda entirely, stating in an open letter to the GOP, "The Tea Party movement is a non-partisan movement, focused on issues of economic freedom and limited government. Already there are Washington insiders and special interest groups that hope to co-opt the Tea Party's message and use it to push their own agenda - particularly as it relates to social issues." Yet, having no central headquarters or official spokesperson makes it ludicrous for anyone to claim that the movement has been co-opted.

Competition between fiscal and social conservatives for control of the GOP is not new, with social conservatives feeling kicked to the curb more often than not, in the political arena. But this time around, social conservatives will not be that easily dismissed or assuaged to wait patiently on the sidelines. Founder and chairman of the FFC argued that the Tea Party movement and the religious right "are inextricably intertwined and there is an enormous amount of overlap." He further stated, "Those who ignore or disregard social conservative voters and their issues do so at their own peril."

In the Book of Genesis, we read how man's rebellion against God, threw the whole of Creation into chaos, and as man rebelled against God, nature rebelled against man. There is a priority to things, which still holds true today, as it did in the book of Genesis. We cannot hope for a fiscal Garden of Eden, while we continue the unabated murder of millions upon millions of helpless, innocent unborn, and while every other law of God is trampled underfoot.

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Planned Parenthood Consults On Sex-Slave Ring

Here we see the small-business consultants at Planned Parenthood facilitating the work of a local pimp to set up a sex-slave ring with underage illegal-immigrant prostitutes:



This is outrageous on the face of it, but there's much more we'll have to say on this.

(Cross-posted from: Thoughts of a Regular Guy).

Book Review: God's Avenger

God's Avenger
by Daniel John Gura
Pleasant Word, 324 pages, $15.21

We pro-lifers spend a lot of time in prayer. For many of us, prayer is our primary -- even sole -- method of opposing abortion.

Some of us have been privileged to see our prayers answered as babies are saved from abortion when their mothers turn away from the clinic doors, or abortion workers quit their work, or clinics close due to their protests.

But not all the prayers are for conversion of hearts and minds. Some prayers, the "imprecatory prayers" call upon God to visit his justice on those who perform abortions.

When those prayers are answered, what might it look like? That's the question Dan Gura has set out to answer in God's Avenger: Michael, The Imprecatory Angel.

The action begins with the middle-of-the night partial collapse of a Chicago office tower, City Gate Tower 8, home to the national headquarters of the "Council of Women" and their flagship abortion clinic. No one is injured, but some who are close by are preserved from harm only by miraculous means. And when the first building inspectors on the scene catch a glimpse of the Archangel Michael wielding his flaming sword to finish the job, their lives, and thousands of others' are changed forever.

The thing that impressed me most in reading this book was Gura's use of characters, both major and minor, to tell his story. Gura presents us with characters you can identify with, and care about. In a story intended to drive home the point that every life is precious, every character is important. And often in ways that I didn't expect.

I've met Dan Gura on several occasions, most recently at the "Speak Out Illinois" pro-life conference over this past weekend, but more commonly at meetings of the Republican Assembly of Lake County, of which we are both members. This photo was taken this past Saturday of Dan's wife, Dan, and myself.

It's a story about people, and how they become involved in a sequence of events that is really quite fantastic. But ultimately, it's also a story about justice: justice delayed, justice delivered, divine justice. I don't believe that the real world -- or the real God -- operates in quite the way that Gura describes in his novel. But in many ways, it sure would be nice if it -- and He -- did.

I strongly recommend this book for anyone who is pro-life.

(Cross-posted from Thoughts of a Regular Guy)