People Are Catching On: Abortion
 
        In the United States, there’s been a recent upsurge of abortion-prevention legislation in the states. Soon after Roe v. Wade, even the most common-sense approaches about women being given information beforehand have been taken to court by Roe proponents. Now Dahlia Lithwick and Rachel Maddow are reporting (to their great dismay) that Roe proponents aren’t taking the new legislation to court for fear that it will be used as an occasion to overturn Roe entirely. Yet if these statutes are allowed to stand, they say, how much does that amount to Roe being overturned already?
 
People Are Catching On: Death Penalty
 
        The Danbury News Times has an April 23, 2011 article called "Why law enforcement supports abolishing the death penalty."
        A recent poll in California found strong support for commuting all of the sentences of California's 712 death row inmates to life in prison without parole and requiring them to pay restitution to the victims' families. Of the 800 voters surveyed, 63% supported the commutations, which would save the state $1 billion over five years. California currently faces a $13 billion budget gap. 

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People Are Catching On: War
 
        Military Spending:How to cut a trillion dollars from the federal budget? The April 14 issue of Time reports how to do it on military spending. If a major magazine points this out, can word get to the politicians?
        Afghanistan: Republican Richard Lugar, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the strike on Osama bin Laden in Pakistan raises questions about whether the continuing war in Afghanistan is worth the cost, stating on May 3: “With al Qaeda largely displaced from the country, but franchised in other locations, Afghanistan does not carry a strategic value that justifies 100,000 American troops and a $100 billion per year cost, especially given current fiscal restraints.” This idea is popping up in various places, both liberal and conservative, and several U.S. polls are showing a majority now supporting pulling out of Afghanistan.
  

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Sharing of Writing
 
        As we mention now and then, we’re always delighted for subscribers to send in items to share with the consistent-life community. We’re also preparing the summer paper newsletter, which has longer articles. Anyone who has a piece written or an idea for one can send it to weekly@consistent-life.org. 
 

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Delving Deeper: Euthanasia, Poverty, and Bigotry Against Those with Disabilities

 
     
        Not Dead Yet is a group of advocates for people with disabilities that takes action and maintains a website with current news about the lethal discrimination that follows the Roe v. Wade concept of death as a choice that the targets of killing ought to want. Unlike unborn children, in this case, the targets are able to object.
  

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Quotation of the Week
Dick Gregory
Ebony magazine, October, 1971
                                                
"Government family programs designed for poor Blacks which emphasize birth control and abortion with the intent of limiting the Black population is genocide. The deliberate killing of Black babies by abortion is genocide – perhaps the most overt of all."