February 2006 Newsletter
Back to Main Newsletters Page"A little bit of creativity and a lot of love can solve just about any problem."
- Lisa-Ann Oliver, Life Principles Speaker
During the confirmation hearings for Samuel Alito, Senator Orrin Hatch complained: "It's all over one issue and that's Roe v. Wade." He's right - it was like watching the John Roberts hearings on re-run. Many of our national leaders have become fixated on the idea that abortion is the solution to all our problems.
This mentality has, predictably, assumed a stronghold in the minds of many young people. In an article for the Seattle Times, our staff speaker, Lisa-Ann Oliver, wrote about her experiences teaching the Life Principles to high school students:
Recently, I was invited to a women's studies class at a prestigious private school. We talked about how the meaning of life is love; about how freedom requires commitment to what is true and good; how all human beings have intrinsic worth, regardless of their size, abilities, or age; and how inalienable rights become meaningless when we start denying them to certain people.
Afterwards, the questions went something like this...
"What about when the woman is raped? Shouldnt abortion be legal then?"
"What if she's a poor single mother, and the father won't pay child support?"
"What if the baby is disabled? Shouldn't she abort?"
It struck me that, for every legitimate social problem they listed, each student focused on abortion as the answer. Apparently, abortion could solve everything from disabilities to poverty, to marginalization, discrimination, domination, exploitation, and even violence against women.
Lisa-Ann goes on to explain in her article how she reasons with the young people she speaks to:
It seems to me that when a woman has been raped, abortion doesnt take away that tragedy - it only adds another one. Abortion doesn't cause men to be more responsible to the children they father - it gives them an excuse to be less responsible. And aborting a disabled child seems a rather disingenuous way of claiming to solve the problem of disabilities. It's rather like claiming to solve world hunger by shooting all the hungry people.
It's amazing how our "me first" culture has made it necessary to point out simple logic to high school students. But if our young people are convinced to put their "Level 1 and Level 2 needs" above everything and everybody else, their ability to creatively solve problems becomes stunted.
That's why Life Principles speakers such as Lisa-Ann are so valuable. They provide young people with real answers, logical thinking, and the inspiration to be creative. Each talk encourages students to solve the problems they list without resorting to abortion. It's amazing what they come up with, when challenged just a little bit. In LIsa-Ann's words:
Solving the problems that lead to abortion may require passing better laws to protect woment from rape and incest, finding more realistic ways to help single moms out of poverty, holding men accountable for the children they father, and requiring schools and workplaces to better accommodate their members who choose life over abortion.
When students are honored, respected, and dared to think outside the "abortion box," they become excited and enthusiastic. After one of Lisa-Ann's presentations, a 7th grade teacher reported that when they were later questioned about what they had learned, the students recalled nearly everything Lisa-Ann had taught them. The organizer of the event wrote, "It's a big deal when Junior High students remember that much of a speech, and the name of the presenter!"
One of our initiatives in 2006 is to train more speakers like Lisa-Ann, and provide them with fresh, new pro-life materials and Life Principles resources. We will also be increasing our speaking and retreat outreaches to schools, churches, and youth organizations.
Healing the Culture relies on your financial contributions to do this vital pro-life work. We anticipate that this year we will be able to reach over 10,000 new students, in person. But not without your help.
Every event costs between $200 and $2,500, depending on the length, preparation, and travel distance. Would you consider sponsoring a speaker? $200 funds an entire classroom presentation. If it's easier, you can offer four monthly gifts of $50, or eight monthly gifts of $25. $2,500 funds an entire weekend retreat.
Every single gift is important to us. Your donation is the lifeblood of our organization, and makes you a partner in everything we do. Please return the enclosed envelope with the largest donation you can afford to share. Your gift is completely tax-deductible. Thank you!
God bless you,
Camille E. De Blasi, President
| February 2006 | ||
| Feb. 3-5 | Yelm, WA | Women's Life Principles Retreat (Camille De Blasi) Contact Julie Laning, lannings1@comcast.net |
| Feb. 10-11 | Emmitsburg, MD | National high school and college conference "Mount 2000 and Beyond" (Camille De Blasi) Contact Joe Yokum, fanofbenedictxvi@yahoo.com |
| Feb. 11 | Yakima, WA | Life Principles Retreat Leader Training (Lisa-Ann Oliver) |
Feb. 13 | Kirkland, WA | University Life Principles classroom lecture (Camille De Blasi) |
Feb. 15 | Kirkland, WA | University Life Principles classroom lecture (Camille De Blasi) |
Feb. 18-19 | Burien, WA | Church presentation "Life Principles Introduction" (Camille De Blasi) Contact Joanie Johnson, seahurst3@comcast.net |
Feb. 23 | Burien, WA | Church evening presentation "Why Does a Good God Allow Suffering?" (Camille De Blasi) Contact Joanie Johnson, seahurst3@comcast.net |
Feb. 23 | Burien, WA | High School Life Principles Assembly "Why Does a Good God Allow Suffering?" (Camille De Blasi) |
Feb. 23 | Burien, WA | Grade School Life Principles Assembly "The Four Levels of Happiness" (Camille De Blasi) |
| March 2006 | ||
| March 3-5 | Yakima, WA | Teen youth retreat "That Life Rally!" (Camille De Blasi) Contact Dan Bartleson, 509-965-7119 ciayouthministry@yahoo.com |
March 16 | Seattle, WA | Retreat for Lay Ecclesial Ministers "Love for Life - Finding Our Voice" (Camille De Blasi) Contact Eric Paige, ericpaige@comcast.net |
| March 17 | Richland, WA | Staff Life Principles training Catholic Family and Child Services (Camille De Blasi) |
| March 18 | Tri-Cities, WA | Pro-Life conference "It's About Life" (Camille De Blasi and Norma McCorvey) Contact Doug DuVon, duvon6@verizon.net |
March 25 | Mercer Island, WA | Pro-Life Symposium Contact: 206-232-2900 (Camille De Blasi) |
March 25 | Shoreline, WA | Pro-Life evening "The Life Principles: Forging a Pro-Life Culture" (Camille De Blasi) |
Back to Main Newsletters Page