Political Crossfire Forums

[Coral]

This is how out of touch the far right are. The extreme pro-lifers are too embroiled in a crusade to see the forest through the trees.

Quote: http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/29/billionaires.abortion.ap/index.html

NEW YORK (AP) -- Warren Buffett's new philanthropic alliance with fellow billionaire Bill Gates won widespread praise this week, but anti-abortion activists did not join in, instead assailing the two donors for their longtime support of Planned Parenthood and international birth-control programs.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to which Buffett has pledged the bulk of his $44-billion fortune, devotes the vast majority of its funding to combating disease and poverty in developing countries. Less than 1 percent has gone to Planned Parenthood over the years. And the Gates Foundation does not permit its gifts to Planned Parenthood to be used for abortion services.

"The merger of Gates and Buffett may spell doom for the families of the developing world," said the Rev. Thomas Euteneuer, a Roman Catholic priest who is president of Human Life International.

Referring to Josef Mengele, the infamous Nazi death camp doctor, Euteneuer said Buffett "will be known as the Dr. Mengele of philanthropy unless he repents."

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America issued statements praising Buffett and Gates for their generosity. Gloria Feldt, a former Planned Parenthood president, said she was appalled by the harsh attacks on them.

"What an outrage that these people have the gall to cast aspersions on other citizens for standing up for what they believe," Feldt said Thursday. "They have no right whatsoever to criticize people who put their money where their mouths are."

The foundation founded by Buffett, and now named after his late wife, Susan, came under fire from some anti-abortion groups in the 1990s after it gave $2 million to fund clinical trials of mifepristone, more commonly known as the RU-486 abortion pill. The foundation also has supported various abortion-rights and family-planning groups, and Susan Buffett was eulogized after her death in 2004 as a champion of women's reproductive health.

Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council, wrote a commentary this week holding the Buffetts partially responsible for the approval of RU-486 in 2000.

"Since then, approximately 500,000 American babies have been killed with RU-486," Perkins wrote. "Buffett's billions have the potential to do damage like this on a global scale."

Staff at the Susan T. Buffett Foundation office in Omaha, Nebraska, said its executive director, Allen Greenberg, would have no comment on the criticisms.

The Gates Foundation also is a patron of reproductive-health programs, funding research on new contraceptive technologies and initiatives to improve access to birth control.

[AllAmericanMan]

Caring deeply for our young is not extreme its compassion for all human beings especially the most immature and innocent. Compassion is great thing.

[name]

Quote: "Since then, approximately 500,000 American babies have been killed with RU-486," Perkins wrote.

Babies killed by RU-486? People are bludgeoning babies to death with morning after pills?
I think this Perkins is missing a crucial fact: a newly fertilized egg is NOT a baby. A baby is a conscious being. A newly fertilized egg is in the process of becoming an embryo. This is just another anti-abortionist taking an arguable stance way too far. Equating a pre-implanted egg with a baby is the result of emotions getting in the way of logic. The distinctions are there, it's pure science, it's realistic: there is a huge difference between an early embryo and a baby or late fetus. The morning after pill is a blessing: it's safe, it's reliable, and it has been the savior of many a rape victim. Would this Perkins person deny a 15-year-old rape victim RU-486? Would they deny an abortion to a woman whose life or health was threatened? Not many pro-lifers would, which weakens their arguments in favor of the embryo's personhood and rights. The rights of the actual naturally come first, that's just the way it is; they are the ones who feel pain and despair.

[Plodder]

your arguing semantics here, which is easier babies or, unborn baby? either way many many birth control drugs are abortifacients, they do kill many many babies. and I would deny a rape vic tim that drug, and so would perkins, pain of the victim while we can support and help her, does not trump a human life. If the life of the mother were threatened then obviously you save the mother. That is the only case in which I would allow for such a thing to occur.