January 2008
Inside the Culture of Death
ANDREW SMITH
I have been very involved with the pro-life movement for over 10 years and I was excited when asked to attend the first Marie Stopes International [MSI] Conference, held in London last November. In accepting the mission I did not wish to go there simply to ask questions which would be dismissed with trite responses. I wanted to capture and expose what MSI was really up to.
Into the lion's den
Although initially anxious about recording the event, I nonetheless decided to take a good quality camera and as a fallback had an associate waiting outside among the silent protesters with a tiny camera. The plan was that if I was denied access with the camera I'd pop out and swap them over. It proved unnecessary. Once I was passed through the airport style security I was given a pass which allowed me to take my equipment upstairs.
I felt very uncomfortable among the hundreds of middle aged, if not elderly, very jolly and chatty women delegates. I must admit I had never appreciated the importance of make-up until this moment (it really does cover a multitude of sins!). Anyway, after a shiver or two I caught sight of a familiar face - from my first encounter with a feminist diehard on the day the morning after pill was announced and launched at the Houses of Parliament. With the most contrived smile I could manage I said, "Anne Furedi may I interview you?"
The wife of Revolutionary Communist Party founder Frank Furedi and associated with his extreme libertarian-left LM (Living Marxism) network, Anne is Director of Communications at the so-called British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Britain's largest abortion franchise). She was as excited as I was nervous. I could hardly hold the camera still and did not even consider putting it on the tripod. I was a wreck. But the interview settled me and gave me confidence.
I soon saw some other familiar faces: they were men, pro-life men. Sighing with relief that I was not alone, I approached them as a nomad would an oasis. I whispered how good it was to see them but quickly finished with the warning that, "we should not stay together as it may attract suspicion."
Contempt for law and life
I gained sufficient confidence to set up my camera alongside the official recording system. The cameraman, despite his strong resemblance to Alice Cooper, was as helpful to me as he was cheerful. After recording the opening session I moved to various syndicate rooms for the breakout sessions, where I heard Paul Cornellisson, Programme Director of MSI, say, "We do ILLEGAL abortions all over the world."
I could not believe it! I remained focused on him even after he had finished speaking in the hope of capturing a pang of guilt for either breaking the local laws or for the injured mothers or for the children he has condemned to death. But all I could capture was utter contempt for the law and for life. This clip is now on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Cf7Rg8zxds.
I continued videoing different talks which, though just as chilling, were not so incriminating. I ate their food with an uneasy stomach and a forced smile as I collected documentation from various stands. The afternoon disclosed much the same creepy, macabre stuff until I reached a session called 'Abortion & the Media'.
An independent company reviewed how the issue is portrayed in the media and concluded that the portrayal was fair, justifying it with the claim that pro-life groups had big guns.
"What?!" you might righteously exclaim. "But they are the ones awash with government funds and money from multinational companies! They are the ones who have the entertainment industry, politicians, the legal system et.al. rooting for them!"
Graphic challenge
Despite such pro-abort rationalising and distortion, in one respect they are right. They do not believe in God, especially a God of justice, but we do and He is our "big gun." And He has provided us with something they cannot defeat, steal, counter or deny: namely, the truth. And, occasionally, a bishop who will proclaim it unequivocally, unapologetically, unadorned and graphically.
Last May, Cardinal O'Brien delivered a body blow to them with his Dunblane comparison, declaring in a sermon at St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh: "We are killing in our country the equivalent of a classroom of kids every single day. Can you imagine that? Two Dunblane massacres a day in our country going on and on. And when is it going to stop?"
Apart from the laughably ennobled David Steel, the architect of Britain's Abortion Act, who took "strong exception" to the Cardinal's comments, the pro-aborts could not and did not counter him. They took the blow with gritted teeth hoping that the pain would pass quickly. And, sadly, it did. Simply because Cardinal O'Brien's initiative was not publicly supported by his brother bishops or other influential members of the clergy, thus giving comfort to the agents of the father of lies. We need to keep praying that our shepherds, even notorious Modernists like Cardinal O'Brien, will stand up more frequently.
Effective strategy
I continued recording and videoed the death-peddlers lamenting what they called the deceitful 'Putting the Woman Centre Strategy' of pro-lifers. They have been devastated by the Crisis Pregnancy Centres offer of pre- and post-abortion counselling, financial and practical support for babies, friendship and the fact they present themselves as pro-abortion or neutral on abortion and use names that do not give away their position. They bemoaned that this strategy was the height of deceit but was proving to be very effective.
That evening I showed some of the footage to a close friend and gave him my conference pass to enable him to attend the next day, a bit like a relay race handover. He was very surprised and buoyed at how easily and freely I was able to film. The morning brought a welcome opportunity as our second camera would be put to use, my friend having copied the pass, twice! So this gave three of us access, whereon we conducted more interviews and recorded seminars and talks - almost 14 hours of footage.
Jon O'Brien, president for Catholics for a Free Choice, was spouting off about Priests for Life, claiming that 'they think they matter while doing nothing and having no effect'. I would have liked to asked him 'if they don't matter and are having no effect why even talk about them?' Alas, the circumstances compelled me to remain focused and quiet.
Demonstrating murder
On one of the stands a demonstration of an MVA (Manual Vacuum Aspirator), an abortion device, was being conducted. The salesman was obviously rather excited about his product as he demonstrated entering, dismembering and dragging the model baby out from the transparent model womb with his all new improved MVA. He proceeded to describe the gritty feel of the excavated uterus, even encouraging us all to handle the scraping device and experience for ourselves the feel of the desolate uterus and a job well done.
Although horrifying, I still captured some of it on video. My discomfort and the noise from other stands, however, did not permit me to capture his discourse, which was delivered with the casualness of a cake-making instruction.
The demonstrator suggested that we go into a private room off the reception area. I went to investigate and check that the lighting etc. was suitable. On opening the door a member of the conference staff said, "You cannot go in there!" I told her that I was conducting an interview (as you can see by this time I was getting confident and even bold). She replied, "If you are interviewing Lord Steel he is in there already". I immediately pulled the door closed and let go of the handle as if it was on fire, only to be confronted by an angry six foot six man who was twice as broad as I am, sporting a freshly shaved and shiny bald head. He demanded to know who had gone into the room. I muttered I was looking for a room to conduct an interview. But he was not interested in what I had to say and while trying to put myself beyond his reach he continued, "No one is permitted to enter that room". He took up sentry duty, arms folded, and, frowning, appeared to scan for any potential terrorists or assassins. He was clearly oblivious to the fact that there were probably a hundred assassins in the hall and 700 supporters and backers. All of them assassins of the unborn or terrorists to their mothers and fathers: in fact, terrorists to the whole of society since they probably kill more people in one day than the terrorists have done in the past 10 years.
Slightly shaken, I went into the last talk to hear David Steel and others boast of further horrors.
Nefarious intentions
Be warned God-fearing readers, we are facing an ever more emboldened and demonically ingenious attack on the family. We cannot be complacent and we must take them at their word when they speak of their intentions. This last talk was full of them.
They will be promoting the idea that 'abortion is good for women'. This is not an empty boast. They justify it by claiming that since the body can naturally abort pregnancies for its own good then artificial abortion is no different. To this end, they are in the process of launching a new MVA which a mother can use in the privacy of her home.
Now, as you are doubtless aware, an abortion done at home is not registered. Moreover, one that is started at home and goes wrong is registered as a miscarriage. This is how they intend to reduce the number of recorded abortions: simply by re-labelling them as miscarriages. If the mother dies and it is registered as an abortion it is then recorded as an illegal or unsafe abortion and used to strengthen the need for making abortion more widely and freely available.
Finally, they intend to "make abortion sexy." You had better believe it! They mean it. They did not declare how and I cannot begin to imagine how, but we need only consider that they have already made single motherhood totally acceptable, if not sexy and desirable.
Again, these people cannot be accused of making empty gestures or threats, promises or declarations. And nor must we. This is a fight to the death. Are you ready to defend the family and fight for truth, love and all God has given you?
Vital information
All my footage is available on CDs to those organisations doing battle with the "culture of death."* I have already sent copies to EWTN (ewtn.com), Population Research Institute (pop.org), HLI (hli.org) and other groups, who have told me that the recordings are fantastic as they reveal the pro-abort strategies for training, undermining local laws and positioning their policies in the politics and legislation of many countries. So please make use of this information to assist your activities and prayers.
*There is a small fee to cover costs. Enquiries to Christian Order.