By Dave Andrusko

Part Two gives more encouraging news about the use of adult stem cells. Part Three discusses the outstanding resources available from NRLC's Outreach Department. Please send your thoughts on any or all three parts to daveandrusko@gmail.com. If you'd like, follow me on http://twitter.com/daveha.

"This life in us. . . however low it flickers or fiercely burns, is still a divine flame which no man dare presume to put out, be his motives never so humane and enlightened. To suppose otherwise is to countenance a death-wish. Either life is always and in all circumstances sacred, or intrinsically of no account; it is inconceivable that it should be in some cases the one, and in some the other."
     -- Author Malcolm Muggeridge

"Imagine a society where people live in constant fear for their lives."
     -- Lia, a young Canadian girl whose outstanding speech on euthanasia can be found at www.youtube.com/user/FyreFoxXP#p/a/u/0/q6tAgJStVlo
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Those many thousands of regular readers of TN&V probably recall a piece we ran a couple of weeks ago about the initial refusal of the pro-abortion Speaker of the House to allow Elisabeth Trisler, winner of the 2009 NRLC Oratory Contest, to be presented with an honorary resolution on the floor of the Ohio House of Representatives. Well, after being on the receiving end of a well-deserved outcry, Armond Budish relented. (See http://www.nrlc.org/News_and_Views/Feb10/nv021810part2.html.)

Elisabeth Trisler, winner of the 2009 NRLC Oratory Contest (right), with her mother, Sandi.

Those who were fortunate enough to be at the NRLC 2009 convention held in Charlotte, North Carolina, last June heard Elisabeth's outstanding speech at the closing banquet. (Anyone who would like to order this or any other recording from the Convention can download and view the order form at www.stoptheabortionagenda.com/downloads. If you know which recording you would like to order, you may simply call Jonathan Rogers at 202-626-8809, or e-mail him at Jonathan@nrlc.org.)

Naturally I thought of Elisabeth when Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, forwarded a link to Lia's outstanding speech found on You Tube. It's nearly impossible to believe someone this poised, this compelling is only 13 years old!

Elisabeth spoke about abortion, Lia's topic was euthanasia. According to the tag on the You Tube site, presumably from her mother, "It's speech time again and this year, Lia tackled the topic of Euthanasia for her grade 8 speech project. She didn't win the speech contest this year, but she still got an A on her project. :)" (You can also click on a link to a video where Lia is speaking before a crowd of 12,000 at the 2009 March 4 Life rally in Ottawa.)

Lia, who lives in Toronto, asks a series of "basic questions" that are addressed not just to pro-lifers but to anyone nervous about our growing disrespect for the aged dressed up in the guise of "concern" for their "right to die." That worry is equally valid for those with serious physical disabilities.

Lia talks about one young man who was born with no eyes, deformed fingers, and was told he would never walk. He has since won "several awards for his music talent."

Lia asks pointedly, "What determines the quality of his life? Who determines the quality of his life?"

She does a splendid job of making the case for palliative care where the aim is to "kill the pain not the patient." The "frail line of trust" between doctor and patient is put at great risk if healers turn their backs on their first obligation.

Take four minutes and listen to Lia's wonderful speech. The location again is http://www.youtube.com/user/FyreFoxXP#p/a/u/0/q6tAgJStVlo.

Please send your thoughts to daveandrusko@gmail.com.

Part Two
Part Three