New Ultrasound Machines in Elgin Pregnancy Center

The Kane County Chronicle has this story about some new equipment that a crisis pregnancy center in Elgin, Illinois has received.

The Life Center of Elgin will host a grand opening for its new Life Choices Ultrasound and Pregnancy Resource Clinic from 2 to 4 p.m. today at 825 Dundee Ave., Elgin.

“We are using the wonderful tool of ultrasound technology to reveal life to save lives,” said Life Center Executive Director Vivian Maly of Elburn. “And to reveal the beauty of the child and the humanity of the child that this woman is carrying. We open her eyes to the beauty of this child and the reality of this child. It’s not a ‘blob’ of tissue.”

The conservative Christian organization Focus on the Family provided a grant that paid for 80 percent of the cost of the ultrasound equipment through its Option Ultrasound Program. Focus on the Family has helped place 409 of the machines in centers since 2004, spokeswoman Kelly Rosati said.

Focus on the Family, based in Colorado, has spent $10 million for the program. Rosati said data collected from the pregnancy centers indicates using ultrasound and counseling increases a woman’s chances of having a baby instead of an abortion by 50 percent.

Of course, you’ve got critics who have to find the nefarious motive in using this equipment…

Pam Sutherland, vice president for public policy for Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said she was gratified to hear the center had trained medical personnel. But she did not agree with using the technology to steer women away from all their options.

“Many times, people go into a crisis pregnancy center because they hear ‘free ultrasounds’ and what they get is propaganda and a biased lecture,” Sutherland said. “This is the problem when you have an organization that only has one goal and that is to preach an anti-abortion message. … She gets one option – carry the pregnancy to term.”

Cynthia Davidsen, the center’s on-staff nurse manager, said they do not coerce anyone not to have an abortion.

“We want to use this to deter from abortion, that’s true,” said Davidsen, of St. Charles. “We are using ultrasound to provide a service, to show them a window to their womb. We’re not using ultrasound to force a person to choose life. Obviously, we are a pro-life Christian organization. God never forces himself on anybody. He’s a gentleman.”

Davidsen said it is Planned Parenthood that gives women biased information, not them.

“I would say Planned Parenthood centers sell abortions and don’t give the women enough information about the physical, emotional and spiritual complications of abortion,” Davidsen said. “We believe in life and the sancity of life – but more in the power of love and acceptance of the people who come through our doors. We don’t coerce anybody here. We love them with the love of Christ and provide client services for them.”

Palin’s Speech In Support of Life

Kathryn Jean Lopez posts the text of a speech that Governor Sarah Palin just gave.

Yes, every innocent life matters. Everyone belongs in the circle of protection. Every child has something to contribute to the world, if we give them that chance. There are the world’s standards of perfection … and then there are God’s, and these are the final measure. Every child is beautiful before God, and dear to Him for their own sake.

As for our beautiful baby boy, for Todd and me, he is only more precious because he is vulnerable. In some ways, I think we stand to learn more from him than he does from us. When we hold Trig and care for him, we don’t feel scared anymore. We feel blessed.

It’s hard to think of many issues that could possibly be more important than who is protected in law and who isn’t – who is granted life and who is denied it. So when our opponent, Senator Obama, speaks about questions of life, I listen very carefully.

I listened when he defended his unconditional support for unlimited abortions. He said that a woman shouldn’t have to be – quote – “punished with a baby.” He said that right here in Johnstown –“punished with a baby” – and it’s about time we called him on it. The more I hear from Senator Obama, the more I understand why he is so vague and evasive on the subject. Americans need to see his record for what it is. It’s not negative or mean-spirited to talk to about his record. Whatever party you belong to, there are facts you need to know.

Senator Obama has voted against bills to end partial-birth abortion. In the Illinois Senate, a bipartisan majority passed legislation against that practice. Senator Obama opposed that bill. He voted against it in committee, and voted “present” on the Senate floor. In that legislature, “present” is how you vote when you’re against something, but don’t want to be held to account.

Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a Democrat, described partial-birth abortion as “too close to infanticide.” Barack Obama thinks it’s a constitutional right, but he is wrong.

Most troubling, as a state senator, Barack Obama wouldn’t even stand up for the rights of infants born alive during an abortion. These infants – often babies with special needs – are simply left to die.

In 2002, Congress unanimously passed a federal law to require medical care for those babies who survive an abortion. They’re living, breathing babies, but Senator Obama describes them as “pre-viable.” This merciful law was called the Born Alive Infants Protection Act. Illinois had a version of the same law. Obama voted against it.

Asked about this vote, Senator Obama assured a reporter that he’d have voted “yes” on that bill if it had contained language similar to the federal version of the Born Alive Act. There’s just one little problem with that story: the language of both the state and federal bills was identical.