"The nurses dealt with the body like it was rubbish," Wei said. "They wrapped it up in a black plastic bag and threw it in the trash."

I listened to this story on NPR: Morning Edition, on Monday. Please take time to listen to the story. Use this link. Here is print from a news release I found on WorldNetDaily:

MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH
Police force abortions on Christian women
Dozens of unborn reported killed by mandatory chemical injections

---

Posted: April 20, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

Liu Qibao, the Communist Party secretary of the Guangxi autonomous region

Dozens of unborn babies have been killed in a sweep by Chinese authorities of the Guangxi province that snared pregnant women and brought them against their will to a hospital for fatal abortion injections, according to a Christian ministry that monitors the district and ministers to those in need.

"After 41 women were forced to have abortions on [Tuesday], China Aid Association has learned that the Youjiang District People's Hospital of Baise City performed forced abortions for at least 20 more pregnant women on [Wednesday]," an alert from the organization said.

China Aid, which has its U.S. offices in Midland, Texas, confirmed that eyewitnesses are reporting that the latest roundup of pregnant women involved more than 20, who were transported to a hospital by government "Family Planning" authorities.

"Within 30 minutes, about 10 of them were injected forcefully for an abortion. This means within [the] last 24 hours, at least 61 babies were killed by forced abortions," the sources within China told CAA.

"At bed Number 37, Ms. He Caigan was nine months pregnant. Officials injected her baby's head and 20 minutes later, her baby stopped moving and died," the sources confirmed.

Many of those targeted in the killing rampage were Christians, CAA said.

"About 6 a.m. on [Wednesday], Pastor James Liang's wife Ms. Wei Linrong gave birth to a boy, but he was dead because of the injection. She received three injections – one is to induce the birth and the other two to kill the baby in the womb," CAA's sources reported.

Liang formerly was a pastor in the government-sanctioned Three-Self church before he became a House church pastor a year ago, according to information from China Aid Association's Bob Fu. Eyewitnesses told CAA that the couple wanted to keep their child because of their Christian faith.

Officers from the government surrounded the section of the hospital where the women were being held, the report said.

"CAA urges the international community to register your protest and concern with letters and phone calls to the chairman of the National Population and Family Planning Commission, Party Secretary of Baise City, Mr. Liang Chunlu, and the Youjiang District People's Hospital," CAA said.

The Population Research Institute's research earlier indicated in the past the United Nation's Population Fund, into which the United States had poured money, actually has assisted Chinese government efforts to force married couples to have only one or two children.

China maintains, at least in some areas of the country, a one-child policy sometimes enforced through a policy of forced abortions. It is believed China performs some 10 million involuntary abortions a year.

First exposed by WND in 1997, what has come to be known as "gendercide" in China – due to a cultural preference for boys – has resulted in the deaths of at least 50 million girls.

The organization provided the following contact information:

• Chairman Wei Qing Zhang, National Population and Family Planning Commission of China
  Hotline for complaints: :+86-10-8250492
  Also can be via e-mail.
• Youjiang District People's Hospital
  Tel: +86-776-2839393; 2697723
• Party Secretary of Guangxi Province: Mr. Qibao Liu
  Tel: +86-771-5883508
• Governor of Guangxi Province: Mr. Bing Lu
  Tel: +86-771-2807778
• Party Secretary of Baise City Mr. Liang Chunlu
  Tel: +86-776-2834089

In searching out the particulars of this story, I have found some interesting things. In 2002, President Bush denied the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) some 34 million dollars which had been appropriated by the U.S. Congress. The President continued to deny funds to the UNFPA for several years. The denial of funds was based on the fact that the UNFPA monies would go to China's Family Planning Commission- the perpetrators of forced abortions. I find the statements of Ms. Thoraya Obaid, the Executive Director of UNFPA, to be ironic, when considering that her organization's involvement in China permits even more forced abortions to occur. Ms. Obaid made claims that UNFPA involvement in China did not encourage abortion. What will the UNFPA have to say now? So far, they seem to be avoiding the issue altogether. A search of all news stories, featured stories, statements, etc. for the week of April 20, 2007 on the UNFPA website garnered nothing on the subject of China or forced abortions.

Please pray for Pastor Liang Yage and his wife, Wei Linrong of Baise City, Guangxi Province, China. Pray for all of the mothers whose children were murdered in their wombs by the Communist People's Republic of China. Pray for He Caigan, whose 9 month old child was mere days from birth, but was killed by Communist Party officials who missed their "family planning targets last year". The birth rate was 13.61%. The Communist Party goal was 13.5%. Chairman Wei Qing Zhang's job is on the line after all...

Keep the population low for the betterment of China?

I'm looking into how I can help our brothers and sisters in China. Here are a few groups who have been looking out for the oppressed in China longer than I have.

Persecution.org

China Aid

Population Research Institute

Ut runco es traho sursum quod exuro in incendia , sic is ero procul terminus of aevum.

I don't have much to talk about at the moment. I've been too busy with my baby, and reading (currently enjoying The Club Dumas) to really think about anything of late. I would be interested in knowing what others think of the worldwide discussion on global warming. I'll post links to some of the articles I've been reading on the web. If you've read something that has influenced your thoughts on climate change, I'd love to read it as well. With that said, I'll set out what articles I remembered to save, and I'll look forward to what anyone else might like to recommend. This is open to anyone - both those few folks that stop by regularly, as well as the random visitor from Indiana, Italy, or Singapore.

UPDATE*** I only caught the tail end of the program, to my dismay, on KVPR FM89, called Intelligence Squared. It's a semi-regular program from NPR in the format of an Oxford-style debate. Today's debate was titled "Global Warming Is Not A Crisis". It featured notables like Michael Crichton, Richard Lindzen, and Gavin Schmidt. Follow the link here to download a podcast of the program. I found it to be very interesting. I hope you will feel the same. Drop your suggestions in the box. I'll put them in a post, to appear a little later. Thanks, as always for reading.


Richard Lindzen talks about the Kyoto treaty and the National Academy of Sciences report on climate change

Science Daily: Researchers Question Validity of a Global Temperature

Malaria, Kenya, Climate Change and DDT?

Global Warming Swindle

From a Rapt Audience, A Call to Cool the Hype

GlobalWarming.Org

vulnerant omnes, ultima necat

Anathema for Amusement

It's funny what becomes entertainment around the house when there is a new baby around. Today the big topic of discussion was Lauren's display of 4, count 'em 4, flip-over manoeuvres in a row. That combined with her sporadic proclaiming of "a-goo" is enough to send the audience into a standing ovation. I love to see Lauren at the end of my day. I look forward to watching her spit-up and smile, more than I ever looked forward to the next episode of Alias (the best spy show that ever was on television).

In fact, I am considering taking television out of my normal day-to-day altogether. How much time to I spend going brain-numb in front of the telescreen? I don't really know. Isn't that the point of it all anyhow? Amuse yourself in between visions of "the good life". Isn't it interesting that the etymological roots of the word "amuse", mean to divert the attention of in order to deceive. English speakers may have altered the common use of the word over the years, but the real intent remains the same. Amuse yourself with the talking heads. Distract yourself so that you can be deceived into thinking that watching other people do things is actually better for you in the long run. Idle Americans watching the American Idol.

Divert your attention so that you feel okay about spending time not being an active member of the family. To be honest, I should admit that I amuse myself by staring at this screen, and checking to see if anyone stopped to read what I have written. I convince myself that this matters. Really. I should go spend time with my daughter and wife every chance I get. Life is too short to spend too much time being amused on purpose.

I didn't intend - I just broke away for a whiiiile there. Spending time with my baby. - to write this when I started. I guess it's something that has been on my mind. I think that, as Americans, we have been fractured as a society. Cable and satellite television channels of a thousand niche interests have transformed our national identity into a paranoid schizophrenic. When FDR had a chat with America by the fireside, he asked America to go to her maps - in order that she might understand the nature of the war they were a part of. As a result, maps sold out. Maps. Sold out. Maps. Why? Because we were less distracted. Less "amused". When our leaders spoke, we looked to understand what was being said.

Perhaps as Christians we should endeavor to avoid mindless amusements when we are called to be ever mindful.

So. I've been rambling. I'm going to guide my focus in areas that are more beneficial. I'll still be blogging. I'm not ready to give it up just yet. I think that the telescreen will be ratcheted down quite a few notches in importance in my life.

With that, I say good night. Be mindful of the life that God has given you. Be ever aware of the gift that is in every breath you take. Waste not. Fear not.

13Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;

Philippians 3:13-15 (New American Standard Bible)