President Trump to cut Planned Parenthood funding
The Trump administration is announcing its intentions to cut a significant amount of taxpayer funding from Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses. The proposed regulation will also better protect victims of sexual assault, incest and rape because it will require that any Title X-funded projects document their compliance with state reporting laws when they encounter potential victims.
In 1970, Title X was enacted by Congress to provide federal tax dollars for what is termed family planning — but also explicitly banned funding for abortion, stating, “None of the funds appropriated under this title shall be used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning.” In 1988, the Reagan administration put regulations in place which mandated that “Title X programs may not promote, counsel, or refer clients for abortion or co-locate or combine family planning services with abortion activities.” It also required “not only complete financial separation, but also physical separation of abortion activities from Title X service sites and separate personnel.”
Firefighter with Down syndrome helps protect children from fire
Heroes come in all shapes and sizes and Ryan LaFave is no exception. The 22-year-old is a graduate of Cowlitz 2’s fire science program and is a volunteer with Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue in Kelso, Washington, where his father David is chief. LaFave also happens to have Down syndrome. Last summer, he was at home when two neighbor children came running to his door.
It had happened to a few girls in my high school before me, some of whom quickly had an abortion and moved on with their lives. Except this time it was me. The flood of emotions I experienced upon learning of my pregnancy as I started my senior year of high school was dominated by fear and shame.
Needless to say, this wasn’t the most planned aspect of my life and certainly was not on my regimented timeline for becoming a doctor – or for life in general, for that matter. Many around me said I wouldn’t accomplish my goals and that if I went through with the pregnancy I would not only ruin my life but my child’s as well. I also found myself questioning whether I really could amount to anything, other than being a statistic and ultimately a single parent.
Pastor Ed Boston 