Have Babies, Save Scotland

LONDON DAILY TELEGRAPH, Jan. 14 — A Scottish think tank is calling on women in its country to forgo their careers and start having babies earlier in their lives — for the sake of the Scottish economy.

Professors Heather Joshi and Robert Wright of the Fraser of Allandar Institute, of the University of Strathclyde, presented the findings of their research in Glasgow on Jan. 13. They said their study found that, without more babies, Scotland faces serious demographic and economic issues as older people outnumber the young by an ever-widening margin.

“Typically, Scottish women, and particularly better-educated women, are choosing to have children much later, in order to develop their careers,” Joshi said. “This ‘gap’ is at the heart of the demographic issue.”

Minding Michigan

LIFENEWS.COM, Jan. 12 — Detroit Cardinal Adam Maida has asked members of his archdiocese to sign a citizen's initiative in support of the Legal Birth Definition Act.

The act, which would outlaw partial-birth abortion in the state, was vetoed by pro-abortion Gov. Jennifer Granholm last fall. The initiative would allow a simple majority vote in the state Legislature for the bill to become law without giving the governor another chance to veto it.

The difference between the Michigan law and the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, the news site noted, is that the federal law specifically bans the partial-birth abortion procedure.

Lone-Star Diligence

FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, Jan. 16 — Women in Texas will soon have to provide identification with proof of their age in order to obtain an abortion.

Measures adopted Jan. 15 by the Texas Board of Health were considered a small victory for pro-life advocates, who say the new rules will protect patients and ensure that minors don't lie about their age to skirt the state's parental-notification law.

If there are potential medical complications for certain patients, noted Allan Parker, chief executive officer of the pro-life Texas Justice Foundation, a doctor needs to know who his patient is.

The rules are scheduled to take effect in early February.

Numbers Talk

MYRTLE BEACH (S.C.) SUN NEWS, Jan. 11 — Approximately 300 people marched to the South Carolina state capitol Jan. 10 to support life.

Among the marchers was 15-year-old Ansely Edwards, who is adopted and said she wanted to support that option for women, the newspaper reported.

“My birth mother had the choice of having an abortion with me or putting me up for adoption,” Edwards said. “When I think about that, I realize a lot of other mothers have the choice of doing that.”

The young marcher said she believed mothers have a responsibility to their unborn children and, she said, “abortion is not an option.”