News,

Large posters advertising abortion are being displayed on the London Underground in an attempt by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service to break the perceived taboo of what it calls "the A word". The 59 posters at various stations spell out the word "ABORTION" in large letters, using pictures of women's faces, and underneath is the message, "Last year more than 55,000 women turned to the BPAS." Life, the anti-abortion group, is complaining to the Advertising Standards Authority while the Prolife Alliance hopes the London Underground will allow them to put up posters of an aborted 21 week-old foetus which, they say, would really test how much of a taboo the subject of abortion was. Sarah Macken, director of StudentLife net, claimed that the BPAS, the largest abortion provider in Britain, is simply engaging in a cynical marketing war against its rivals such as Marie Stopes International. [The Sunday Telegraph, 23rd April] The U.S. Supreme Court has begun hearing the Stenberg vs. Carhart case in which Nebraska's partial-birth abortion ban is under scrutiny. Don Stenberg, Nebraska's Attorney General, said, "In all likelihood, the decision in Nebraska will either uphold or lead to the overturning of the laws [banning partial-birth abortions] in virtually every other state." Many pro-life individuals and groups across the United States have expressed their support for the Nebraska ban, with a common thread of argument being that a distinction should be made by the court between the abortion of a foetus inside his/her mother's womb and the killing of a child partially outside the womb. This, they say, should be viewed as infanticide and thus the right to abortion is not at stake in the case. [Various sources contained within Pro-Life Infonet, 26th April] Members and supporters of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children within reach of central London are encouraged to meet at the society's headquarters in Westminster (5-6 St.Matthew St., near St.James's Park Underground Station) at 10.30 am on Saturday 29th April for the London pro-life chain. This will be held in the vicinity from 11.00 am, and participants will line the street in silent witness to their concern for the rights of unborn children. Similar pro-life chains are being planned in many other towns and cities across Great Britain and those interested to know the location of their nearest chain should contact Tony Mullett in Preston on (01772) 883 813 or spucpreston@cwcom.net [This bulletin is privately circulated by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, www.spuc.org.uk, 5/6 St Matthew Street, London, United Kingdom, SW1P 2JT, +44 20 7222 3763. The reliability of the news herein is dependent on that of the cited sources, which are paraphrased rather than quoted. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. Please forward this bulletin to other interested parties. To unsubscribe, send an appropriate email to information@spuc.freeserve.co.uk]