Life Issues Institute, Inc.

(This is the 3rd in a Lenten series to educate people on some of the leading Pro-Life Organizations as well as encouraging financial support for them. With the current economic conditions many people have reduced their support to charitable organizations. Planned Parenthood [an anything but charitable organization despite the label] has so many politicians in its pockets that they can use to pick our pockets to keep up their murderous profits. But these groups are dependant on private donations alone. By supporting these groups we can help speed up the day when PP & their ilk no longer commit murder with our money.)

This week we look at Life Issues Institute, Inc. It probably isn't as familiar to many in the Pro-life movement as some of the other groups I am looking at. But it still provides a vital service to the Pro-Life movement, educational resources.

They put their mission this way: "Assuring, through education, equal protection under the law for all living humans from the beginning of their biological life at fertilization until natural death."

Whay are they doing the work they are doing? "Since 1990, pro-abortion forces have been financing a very effective national campaign to convince these conflicted middle people that the most important consideration is whether a woman has the right to choose abortion, and that this right to choose overrides the right of the child to live."

The see it as urgent that we "counter this "who decides" and "pro-choice" mentality in American society."

"We must emphasize our compassion to women much more than in the past. The rights of women and the rights of the unborn can be joined. We must reach out to every woman faced with the agony of abortion and say to her: Your life and the life of your baby are both important, and we will not desert either one of you. We want to love you both.

Our research has determined that 87% of this conflicted middle believe that adoption is a loving alternative to abortion. And so, loving alternatives like adoption can now be the focus of part of our debate.

We must change their hearts and minds on abortion. The opposition is using the most effective marketing tools that money can buy. Our days of guesswork are over. We must be sure that we are proceeding wisely." & as I said, they see education as the key.

They provide information about a variety of issues including FOCA, Euthanasia, Stem Cell Research, Cloning, Men & Abortion, RU486 as well as info about organizations like Planned Parenthood, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation & March of Dimes.

To do so they provide a variety of resources. Their website is obviously 1 of those ways. Their radio program, Life Issues, is also available via podcast. They also have a TV program, Facing Life Head On. Other materials include books, CD ROMs, videos, brochures. Life Issues Connector is their quarterly newsletter. There is an e-mail update available as well. They also provide speakers who are qualified to speak on a wide range of pro-life issues.

LII is 1 of the primary sources of information on an issue that has, until recently been mostly ignored. That is the effect that abortion has on the men who participate in it. They have a specific page that lists a variety of Resources for Men. Some of them are LII materials. But they also provide links to outside resources as well.

1 of the sad facts about the abortion industry is that PP & other abortion providers target the black community. LII has developed pro-life educational literature. They also maintain a web site, Protecting Black Life, and resources exclusively for the African American community for the purpose of education on the issue of abortion and how they are being targeted by the abortion industry.

This is only a part of the resources available from LII

LII is headed by J.C. Willke, MD. Dr. Willke is 1 of the patriarchs of the pro-life movement. His 1st book (co-authored with his wife Barbara), Handbook on Abortion, which came out in 1971, was the 1st comprehensive source for abortion information out there. In this day & age with all we have on the internet, we often forget that at 1 time it was only with books like this that we were able to have any information on what abortion realy was about as well as organizations like Planned Parenthood. Thanks to this book, I 1st came to understand what PP was really about.

Over the years he has revised & updated the information in the book. The book is now in its 4th generation under the title Abortion, Questions and Answers: Why Can’t We Love Them Both. & it is still 1 of the best single book resources out there.

While much of what they do isn't that glamourous, it is very much needed. & they need your support as well. As I said, Dr. Willke's 1st book was an eye opener for me about what PP was really about. As someone of Italiano descent, I was horrified to see what PP founder Margaret Sanger felt about my ancestry. & I also realized that if she had had her way, I wouldn't be here. That made this battle for the "Culture of Life" all the more personal. If, through this post, I can get a few more people to support this organization then maybe I will have begun to repay Dr. Willke a small part of what I owe him for all he has done.

Next week: Operation Rescue