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NRL News
Pro-Life
Resources to Help Students There is no hint of approaching autumn in the summer heat as I write this, but the calendar doesn’t lie. Summer will end, and students and teachers will need good pro-life materials for their papers and presentations in their government, biology, psychology, sociology, ethics, and perhaps theology courses. Let me call your attention to some of the resources the Educational Trust Fund has available that might help in your academic endeavors. First, let’s deal with books, DVDs, and videos. (Prices are in parentheses. See shipping charges at the end.) Sadly, the calls for increased research on human embryonic stem cells have not abated, nor has the exaggerated hype about their potential to cure countless patients with countless diseases. As dedicated readers of NRL News know, the exaggerated hype is, well, exaggerated hype. But how best to get this message across? The Educational Trust Fund offers a DVD titled Stem Cells and Cloning. Presented by NRLC President Dr. Wanda Franz, this is an excellent primer, a helpful introduction to a topic that can be quite confusing. This easy-to-follow, 30-minute presentation discusses what stem cells are, the difference between adult and embryonic stem cells, and the difference in how both are obtained. Dr. Franz discusses the scientific interest in stem cell research, the ethical implications of destroying human embryos to harvest stem cells, and the often overlooked successes using adult stem cells. This DVD can be a perfect introduction to this subject in biology classes, or in government classes dealing with current events ($10—free shipping!). Shifting gears, the Trust Fund offers Margaret Sanger’s Eugenic Legacy, written by Angela Franks, Ph.D. (Those fortunate enough to have attended a recent NRL Convention may already be familiar with Dr. Franks’s work.) Pro-life chapters or individuals might consider purchasing a copy or two and donating them to high school, college, and public libraries. This thoroughly researched and footnoted book is best suited for college or advanced high school students. Dr. Franks discusses the eugenic philosophy behind the rhetoric that guided Planned Parenthood’s founder and still guides many advocates of abortion, embryonic stem cell research, euthanasia, and assisted suicide ($15). Switching to end-of-life issues, the Trust Fund offers both a video and a book titled Death as a Salesman: What’s Wrong with Assisted Suicide, authored by Brian Johnston, NRLC’s Western Regional Director and an international speaker on euthanasia and assisted suicide. Both discuss the dangers posed by the growing acceptance of death as a “solution” to life that lacks “quality,” especially when fears of dying in pain, losing perfect control over one’s mental or physical capacities, or becoming a financial or emotional “burden” come into play. These can be an excellent resources for debate classes, as well as current events sections in government courses, as hospitals, nursing homes, legislatures, and courts continue to wrestle with this issue ($10 each; book and video together $15). From books and videos, let’s move on to booklets and factsheets. As always, we have a baby’s first months, with lovely pictures of babies in utero at various stages of development. Brief descriptions tell the reader what’s new at each developmental stage, but the pictures do most of the talking. These are small booklets, about the size of a CD, and would be great additions to high school biology classes dealing with human development (45 cents each, with quantity discounts). An excellent resource librarians and educators might wish to consider is the Research Bulletin of the Association for Interdisciplinary Research in Values and Social Change. The Bulletin provides information from top researchers in their fields on the medical, psychological, and sociological aspects of abortion. The most recent issue, authored by Dr. Priscilla Coleman, deals with the adverse effects of abortion on the woman’s relationship with the child’s father. This is significant, given that some women may hope that an abortion will actually help save a relationship. (Faithful readers of NRL News may already be familiar with Dr. Coleman’s considerable contributions in the area of women suffering from post-abortion complications.) Past issues of The Bulletin deal with such topics as the considerable body of evidence showing a link between abortion and breast cancer and the sociological factors that have led to the suppression of this information; the effects of abortion on the family; the increase in self-destructive behaviors following abortion; and the perinatal hospice option for families whose unborn children will either not survive birth or live only a very brief while. The range of topics makes this an excellent resource for a number of classroom discussions or essay assignments. The Bulletin is generally published four times a year, and a complete list of titles is available. A number of past issues are available at www.abortionresearch.us, with more to come. (Membership in the Association is $25 annually. A single copy of back issues is $1.) Finally, we have our factsheets—one-, two-, or four-page descriptions of a particular topic. (These are also available on our web page at www.nrlc.org/factsheets/index.html.) The newest addition to that factsheet line-up addresses “Abortion’s Psycho-Social Con-sequences.” The factsheet is a concise one page, but the extensive, up-to-date references provide the details any presenter needs to back up his or her claims. This is a great companion to the next on the list, “Abortion’s Physical Complications,” also a one-pager with detailed references. Other factsheet titles include “Teens and Abortion: What Parents Should Know,” “Abortion Statistics,” “Planned Parenthood,” “Pain of the Unborn,” “Deaths Associated with RU486,” “Supreme Court Decisions—Abortion,” “Abortion’s Impact on Minorities,” “Stem Cell Research: Facts and Fallacies,” and “Reasons for Abortion … and a Few Responses.” These can be great introductions to different aspects of abortion, and will jump start a class discussion. (Single copies of each are free, and you are welcome to make copies or download from our web page.) As always, students dealing with the current events sections in government or civics classes need to check our web page frequently. They should also be reading NRL News, as well as checking the web page or newsletter of their state affiliate, to monitor the latest research and any legislative or political events impacting the cause of innocent human life. If your are interested in obtaining any of the above materials, or for information on quantity discounts, contact the NRLC Educational Trust Fund at education@nrlc.org; (202) 626-8829; or write to 512 10th St., NW, Washington, DC 20004. Unless otherwise noted, add $3.95 shipping for orders under $20, or 20% for orders of $20 and over. |