March madness is more than about basketball.
It also marks the beginning of the annual March of Dimes (MOD) fund raising campaign—deceptively claiming “every baby deserves the best possible start.”
Some may think that this is a noble and moral goal, but there is nothing noble or moral about what they mean when they say this or about the MOD.
Preventing Birth Defects Can Mean Killing the Child
One of strategies MOD encourages is called “secondary prevention,” which “aims to reduce the number of children born with birth defects.”
Far too often “prevention” means killing the child.
In her article, “March of Dimes: A Time for Reassessment,” Randy Engel explains, “On December 10-11, 1977, the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare’s President’s Committee on Mental Retardation held an International Summit on Prevention of Mental Retardation from Biomedical Causes, at Wingspread, the headquarters of the Johnson Foundation in Racine, Wisconsin. I quote the final paragraph of the conference report given by Dr. Richard Koch of Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles titled Potential Danger of the Right to Life Movement.
“The recent coalescence of the Right to Life Movement into a national force of significant proportions, I believe, has been a surprise to all of us. To some, this has become an unwelcome development. If we do not meet this force head-on, it could become a threat to the science of genetics, to amniocentesis programs, to sex education in public schools, and to help with the problem of teenage pregnancy, and it could seriously diminish our effort to prevent mental retardation.
MOD is an Avid Supporter of Planned Parenthood
“I am suggesting that we confront this force by linking up with other organizations such as the National Organization for Women, the AMA, Planned Parenthood . . . and abortion rights organizations . . . We must emphasize the importance of the protection of equal rights——the right of the child to be well born and the right of the mother to have healthy children (emphasis added).”
As evidence of this coming to fruition, MOD has a documented history of supporting Planned Parenthood—the nation’s largest abortion provider—as well as research organizations that use body parts from aborted babies.
In defense of contributions to Planned Parenthood by some of its chapters, MOD claims its funds do not directly support abortion. However, the abortion giant is expert in mixing revenue streams, making it impossible to verify how funds are used.
Engel continues, “The MOD began its “Screening to Kill program” or “Search and Destroy” operations with the creation of so-called “genetic hygiene” or “genetic counseling” centers at major medical institutions throughout the United States. Here, pregnant women thought to be at risk for certain genetic disorders such as Down syndrome or Tay Sachs disease could undergo prenatal diagnosis via mid-trimester amniocentesis, abort any suspected “defective” fetuses, and carry to term only “normal” progeny. Such eugenic-based programs presupposed the existence of liberal abortion laws permitting abortion well into the second and if necessary third trimester of pregnancy.”
The truth about MOD became mor public in 1972 when a boycott was launched to protest its promotion of the use of “amniocentesis” to diagnose babies in the womb with potential disabilities and anomalies.
MOD Advisory Member Admit to Performing Nearly 700 Abortions
When a pre-born child may have a so-called problem, 90 to 95 percent of those children are aborted. For example, Henry Foster, a former member of MOD’s Advisory Committee, has admitted to performing nearly 700 abortions following an amniocentesis test.
In 1995 MOD sent records of all the grants it made for research in the previous two years to Rev. Robert Fleischmann, national director of WELS Lutherans for Life, in an effort to lift the boycott.
The review showed that several projects used fetal tissue from aborted babies. As a result, Rev. Fleischmann asked MOD to adopt a policy refusing to issue grants for projects that use fetal tissue. MOD refused.
MOD is also involved with Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD).
Before human embryos are implanted into a womb using in-vitro fertilization, they are first screened for genetic “imperfections” and diseases. In most cases, embryos (pre-born children) that don’t meet the desired criteria are killed.
Because of its anti-Personhood practices, pro-life supporters are strongly encouraged not to financially support MOD.
Please pray that MOD would have a change of heart, and when asked to contribute to the March of Dimes be sure to say “no” and then explain why!
Source: liveaction.org; christianliferecources.com; marchofdimes.org; catholicculture.org
By Wayne DuBois
Georgia Right to Life
Media Relations Advisor