In This Issue:
- PRI in the Media
- Bookmark Brief
- China & Venezuela
- Deepening Depopulation
- Reasons for No Kids
- Exodus of Families
- Communist China
- Spy in New York
- Lai’s Appeal Rejected
- UN Misdeeds
- Controversial Pact
- Pro-Life Around the World
- Late-Term Abortion in Korea
- Pushback Against the BMA
- An Outstanding Advocate
- Pro-Life on the Home Front
- Abortion Access Amendment
- Baby Bonus Busted
- Exposing Extremism
- Good News
- Priest Band Supports Life
PRI in the Media
Bookmark Brief: PRI President Steven Mosher joined Doug Keck on EWTN’s “Bookmark Brief” earlier this month. The show featured Mr. Mosher’s latest book, The Devil and Communist China, and addressed the reasons for the book’s origin. The book counters the lies of communism and the Chinese Communist Party. In Mr. Mosher’s words, “This book is the antidote” for all those, in the U.S. and abroad, that incorrectly believe communism or socialism is the solution to all of man’s problems. While The Devil and Communist China makes clear that there is absolute evil in the world, it also leads the reader to understand that to counter such evil, there is a compensating, absolute good. Seeking this “absolute good” leads the reader directly to God, whose mercy and light are the opposite of Chinese Communism’s cruelty and darkness.
China & Venezuela: Mr. Mosher exposed China’s ties to the election in Venezuela in his latest piece for the New York Post. While the United States, along with most Latin American countries, rejected Nicolas Maduro’s claim of victory, China congratulated him “on the smooth presidential election” and his “successful” win. Even while the votes were still being counted, China’s Xi Jinping was congratulating Maduro on his so-called “victory.” Why? Some analysts say that China, by endorsing Maduro, just wants to protect its $60 billion investment in Venezuela, as well as guarantee continued access to the country’s oil. However, Mr. Mosher points out the following:
“China is constantly on the hunt for strategic allies—countries run by socialist, communist or authoritarian leaders who will support the CCP on the world stage. And in Venezuela, they have found one.”
Deepening Depopulation
Reasons for No Kids: Two weeks ago, we shared the latest data from the Pew Research Center on why Americans aren’t having more kids. Among Americans between ages 18 and 49, a majority say they don’t have children because they simply “don’t want to.” More than 40% say they “want to focus on other things” and just under 40% cite the “state of the world.” Now, the National Catholic Register has reported on this data and tied in studies from previous years that confirm the results. A similar Pew poll from 2021 found a majority of childless adults saying they would not have children because they “just don’t want to.” In 2022, The Harris Poll found a majority of Americans citing “personal independence” as a driving factor in forgoing childbearing, with 46% citing financial concerns.
“When you talk to people about the real sacrifices that they will have to make in order to have children–giving up a new car or a foreign vacation, they shy away from procreation,” says Mr. Mosher. “But all this basically means is that fertility decisions are being driven by economic concerns, and the way to reduce those concerns is to shelter young couples willing to have children from taxes. J.D.Vance’s suggestion that the Child Tax Credit be increased from $2,000 to $5,000 is a good start, but it doesn’t go far enough. No couple with three or more children should be paying anything in taxes. This and this alone will stave off the demographic decline that America is experiencing.”
Exodus of Families: According to a recent report, families with young children are leaving big U.S. cities at an unprecedented rate. Major urban areas have seen a steep decline in the population aged under-5. Between 2020 and 2023, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and St Louis all experienced a nearly 20% decline in their younger children’s population. What is the reason for this exodus of families with young children? The main reason was theorized to be the urban progressive policies of the cities. Housing affordability has also been cited as problematic in these areas, along with the rising cost of living.
Communist China
Spy in New York: One week ago, a prominent Chinese American scholar based in New York was convicted on charges that he has been living as a spy for communist China for over a decade. Wang Shujun, a 75-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, was initially arrested in March 2022. He had established himself as a critic of the CCP and co-founded a pro-democracy organization in New York. However, recent evidence exposed this work as a cover and excuse to spy on pro-democracy activists. Wang had been sharing information with four officials in China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). In the words of U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York, “The indictment could have been the plot of a spy novel, but the evidence is shockingly real that the defendant was a secret agent for the Chinese government.” Wang is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2025, and faces up to 25 years in prison.
Lai’s Appeal Rejected: This week, Hong Kong’s high court rejected the appeal of Catholic democracy activist Jimmy Lai and six others to overturn their sentences for having participated in protests in 2019. Lai and the six other demonstrators were arrested in 2021 for participation in an “unauthorized assembly” at Victoria Park in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay neighborhood. The defendants were sentenced to varying lengths of time in jail, which they attempted to argue were “disproportionate to their human rights” in their appeal. Unfortunately, the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal said their argument was “unsustainable” and unanimously ruled against them.
UN Misdeeds
Controversial Pact: Next month, UN members will be finalizing and adopting a new agreement called the “Pact for the Future” at the Summit for the Future. But controversy over negotiations has already occurred, as the German Ambassador to the UN added the term “sexual and reproductive health and rights” to the document. The German diplomat added the controversial term over the objections of dozens of African and Asian countries in the latest draft. According to the Center for Family and Human Rights, “The German ambassador likely added the term as a bargaining chip or a distraction from other priorities for Western countries, including new mechanisms to create the building blocks of a global bureaucratic government.” While the term “sexual and reproductive rights” will most likely not make it into the final document, the disagreement over the term may allow cover for other objectionable items, such as giving greater powers to the UN Secretary General to declare global emergencies, digital ID initiatives, and global technology mechanisms, to be included.
Pro-Life Around the World
Late-Term Abortion in Korea: Police in South Korea are investigating a woman in her 20s who received an abortion at 36 weeks of pregnancy. The doctor who performed the abortion could be convicted of murdering the unborn child—but only if the police find evidence that the baby was killed outside of the womb, according to medical and legal experts contacted by The Korea Times. The Korean Medical Association released a statement condemning the doctor responsible for the abortion. “A 36-week-old fetus can live (independently). Aborting it would be tantamount to an act of murder,” the organization stated. The investigation highlights the social and political controversy over abortion in South Korea, specifically regarding how late a woman can undergo an abortion. Abortion laws in South Korea remain largely a gray area, as three government departments are reportedly drafting an abortion bill to propose by the end of this year.
Pushback Against the BMA: The British Medical Association (BMA) recently proposed that the UK government repeal the ban on the use of puberty blockers in minors. The BMA also recommended halting the implementation of the Cass Review’s recommendations, which advocate for a more cautious reevaluation of the current approach to treating gender dysphoria in young people. Both of these suggestions were met with great opposition. The UK’s Department of Health and Social Care defended the Cass Review and offered no support for the BMA’s proposals. The BMA’s move also drew sharp criticism from a wide array of healthcare practitioners. An open letter to Professor Philip Banfield, chairman of the BMA, signed by 1,000 senior doctors across the UK, robustly criticized the BMA’s critique of the Cass Review.
An Outstanding Advocate: Recently, Dame Colleen Bayer stepped down from her role as the Chief Executive Officer of Family Life International NZ. Since founding FLI NZ in 1992, Dame Bayer has spent the last 32 years defending life, being a voice for God’s precious unborn children, and opposing the violence of abortion and the war against women. Dame Bayer also founded Gianna’s Choice Pregnancy Options and Support, which includes Saint Gianna’s Home for Mothers and Babies, and the Mobile Life Centre. In 2013, Pope Benedict XVI recognized Dame Bayer’s outstanding pro-life apostolate, by bestowing on Colleen a Papal Knighthood, Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great. Dame Bayer and her devoted husband Terry Bayer had five children, four of them adopted and three of them with special needs. Over the years, they also fostered 27 children who had special needs.
“Colleen Bayer has been on the front lines of fighting for life in New Zealand for decades,” says Mr. Mosher. “Her lifetime of selfless service on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves is laudable.”
Pro-Life on the Home Front
Abortion Access Amendment: Missouri was the first state to pass an abortion ban after Dobbs v. Jackson, but the state may overturn that restriction this fall with a proposed constitutional amendment. State officials approved a petition that allows Missouri citizens to vote on adding a right to abortion to their state constitution. The amendment would prevent the state from regulating abortion and permit abortion up to the point of fetal viability. This would eradicate Missouri’s current ban on abortion, which only allows abortion in the case of medical emergencies. The proposed amendment would reverse the progress made by the abortion ban, which led to very few clinician-provided abortions in the state in the last two years.
Baby Bonus Busted: A Baltimore City Court judge ruled that a proposed “baby bonus” measure was unconstitutional, preventing it from appearing on the ballot this November. The “baby bonus” would have given parents $1,000 upon the birth or adoption of a child, encouraging people to have more children in a city where about 31% of school-aged children experience poverty. The Baltimore City Board of Elections previously approved the proposal to appear on the ballot, but Mayor Brandon Scott requested for the question to be removed. The Baltimore judge later ruled that the “baby bonus” would enact a policy that falls under the authority of the city council rather than the citizenry. The Maryland Child Alliance, an advocacy organization that sponsored the measure, plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Maryland.
Exposing Extremism: CBS News reported a “fact check” on a claim made by J.D. Vance that exposed Kamala Harris’ extremist views on abortion. In an interview on CBS, Vance stated that Democrats support abortion up to the moment of birth and beyond that. He inaccurately added that Democrats, including Harris, formerly supported the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would have protected infants born alive after botched abortions if passed. Whether Vance misspoke or made a political move, the false statement proved to work in his favor. CBS journalist Margaret Brennan clarified Vance’s claim in the aired segment, stating that Harris voted against the legislation that would save newborn infants—a move that essentially endorses infanticide.
“We want to clarify what Senator Vance said about the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and his claim that Vice President Harris supported the legislation,” said Brennan. “A CBS News fact check finds Harris voted against advancing the bill twice when she was a senator and has previously called it ‘extreme’ and a setback to reproductive rights in America. We found no evidence that anyone who currently serves in the Biden administration voted for it either.”
Good News
Priest Band Supports Life: Six Catholic priests performed in a three-day concert event to raise money for pregnancy centers in Texas. Now an annual event attended by thousands, the concerts have reportedly raised over $800,000 collectively to help pregnant women in crisis. The band was started by Father David Michael Moses, known for his popular videos about Catholicism on social media. The band now includes five other priests from across the U.S. who come together once a year to perform in Texas. One of the priests, Father Kevin Lenius, told Catholic News Agency that the concert “offers a vision of life that is full and vibrant.”
“People get to see that we as Catholics are more than anti-abortion; we believe in life—abundant life,” said Fr. Lenius.
Quote of the Week
“Life can be hard and we need to remind people that God gave purpose to each and every individual no matter in the womb or outside the womb. Everyone has to have the chance to live life.”
~ Carolyn Martinez, Director of Christina’s House, source
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