Abortions in Arkansas Drop by Over 500 in 2015

Abortion, , ,

On Friday, June 3, the Arkansas Department of Health released a report on the number of abortions performed in the state in 2015. According to the Health Department, the number of abortions in Arkansas fell to 3,771 in 2015—502 fewer abortions than in 2014, and the second-lowest year on record since 1977.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement, saying, “Abortion has been on the decline since the mid-1990’s. Abortion in Arkansas is near historic-lows. This is proof positive the demand for abortion is going down.”

Cox attributed the decline in abortion in part to state laws passed in recent years. “The Arkansas Legislature has consistently passed sound, pro-life legislation. Our lawmakers have worked to make Arkansas a state where innocent, human life is respected from conception until natural death. These declining abortion numbers are the fruits of that labor.”

Cox also credited pregnancy resource centers in Arkansas as contributing to the decline. “Pregnancy resource centers and adoption services help women with unplanned pregnancies choose an option besides abortion. These are excellent organizations providing valuable services to women all over Arkansas, and these numbers show they are having a positive impact on our state.”

Cox said he believes abortion will continue to decline in coming years. “The Arkansas Legislature passed pro-life legislation in 2015 that did not take effect until late last summer. We’re seeing a steady stream of people stepping up to the plate, wanting to do their part to end abortion in Arkansas. Abortion has been following a downward trend for the past twenty years, and I expect that trend to continue.”

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WA Schools to Teach Gender Identity Curriculum to Kindergarteners

3 CommentsTransgender

Starting in 2017, public schools in Washington State will have to teach children about gender identity beginning in kindergarten.

Our friends at the Family Policy Institute of Washington write,

The newly-minted health and physical education standards, released by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), will be implemented in schools across the state for the 2017-2018 school year.

As reported by The Daily Caller, the new standards require students to learn about gender identity and expression beginning in kindergarten.

  • Beginning in Kindergarten, students will be taught about the many ways to express gender.  Gender expression education will include information about the manifestations of traits that are typically associated with one gender. Crossdressing is one form of gender expression.
  • Third graders will be introduced to the concept of gender identity.  These children will be taught that they can choose their own gender.
  • Fourth graders will be expected to “define sexual orientation,” which refers to whether a person identifies as heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual; they’ll also be taught about HIV prevention.  Children in fourth grade will be told that they can choose their sexual orientation.
  • Fourth and fifth graders will learn about the relativity of gender roles and why such roles are social constructs that are not inherent to who we are as male or female human beings.
  • Seventh graders will be expected to “distinguish between biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.”
  • High school students will critically “evaluate how culture, media, society, and other people influence our perceptions of gender roles, sexuality, relationships, and sexual orientation.”

These changes to education standards will transform public schools into a conduit for promoting the latest gender theories plaguing universities across the country.

You can read more here.

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Churchgoers Accidentally Eat Marijuana-Laced Cookies After Service

Marijuana

Kush_closeSix churchgoers in Indiana went the to ER on May 22 after eating cookies laced with marijuana following church services.

According to various news reports, the individuals experienced symptoms including high blood pressure, anxiety, lethargy, and paranoia. All six tested positive for THC–the active ingredient in marijuana.

Unfortunately, accidental ingestion of marijuana and marijuana-laced foods is becoming increasingly common–especially among children.

For example:

  1. April, 2016: A Georgia woman was arrested after her five year old said he ate a marijuana cake for breakfast. The child was taken to the hospital for treatment following the incident; according to officials, his pulse was measured at over 200 beats per minute. According to the child’s mother, the cake laced with marijuana was given to her by another person.
  2. February, 2016: An eight-year-old Oregon boy was taken to the hospital after eating a marijuana-infused cookie he found. The cookie was sealed and labeled that it contained approximately 50 milligrams of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.
  3. March, 2015: Four high school students were hospitalized after eating brownies laced with marijuana hash oil. One student was actually found unresponsive in a school bathroom after eating a marijuana-laced brownie.
  4. February, 2015: A 20-month-old Canadian toddler overdosed after eating a marijuana-laced cookie authorities say his father baked. The child survived, but suffered seizures and had to be admitted to a hospital.
  5. December, 2014: A high school teacher in Maryland was hospitalized after a student gave her a brownie containing marijuana.
  6. December, 2014: Two middle school students in Oklahoma were rushed to the hospital after one of them reportedly passed out following marijuana-use at school.
  7. November, 2014: A Connecticut teen was taken to the hospital from school after she started having difficulty breathing following ingestion of a marijuana-laced gummy bear.
  8. June, 2014: According to The Aspen Times, a seven-year-old girl was taken to the hospital after eating marijuana-laced candy her mother brought home from work at an area hotel. The candy was left by a hotel guest–presumably as a tip.
  9. December, 2013: A two-year-old in Colorado overdosed and was hospitalized after eating a cookie laced with marijuana.News outlet indicate the girl found the cookie in the yard of an apartment complex.

These examples underscore what we have said time and time again: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

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