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Australian Father of Seven to Spend 8 months in Jail for Protecting Unborn

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/australian-father-of-seven-to-spen...

A father of seven children will spend 8 months in jail starting Wednesday as a result of his efforts to the defend the unborn.

It is the longest jail-term ever received by an Australian pro-life activist.

Graham Preston, 56, was called by police last week to arrange a time for his arrest. He negotiated to move it back from 8am to 9am this coming Wednesday, May 2, so he would have enough time to get his children to school.

Mr. Preston will serve 232 days in prison - seeing him out just in time for Christmas - for refusing to pay roughly $8000 in fines that have accumulated after ten years of non-violently blocking the entrances of four abortion clinics around Brisbane.

Since beginning non-violent direct action with the group Protect Life almost exactly ten years ago (April 16, 2002), Mr. Preston has endured more than ten months in jail over five separate jail-terms - mostly in Brisbane’s maximum security Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre.

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Permalink Reply by Rory Donnellan on July 2, 2012 at 8:57am

Why does the UN (and like-minded groups including a few individuals at this site) look to abort/contracept/eliminate millions of poor Africans suffering under despots, rather than spending minimal resources in replacing the despots themselves???

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on July 2, 2012 at 9:51am

Good question Rory ?????

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Permalink Reply by Phillip Watson on July 2, 2012 at 9:53am

Stephen:

Sorry, but I don't subscribe to the NWO/UN/Rockefeller/Rothschild (now with added Gates and Monsanto) etc conspiracy theories.

Stephen/Rory:

I'm not obsessed with population control. But logic and common sense tells me that population growth cannot continue indefinitely.

Neither of you answered my questions. If I may, I'll repeat them and add another:

1. Do you believe the World's population can continue to grow at the present rate indefinitely?

2. If not, what do you think is a sustainable population for the planet?

3. What measures would you advocate to try to keep the planet at or below that population?

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Permalink Reply by Phillip Watson on July 2, 2012 at 9:54am

Rory Donnellan said:

Why does the UN (and like-minded groups including a few individuals at this site) look to abort/contracept/eliminate millions of poor Africans suffering under despots, rather than spending minimal resources in replacing the despots themselves???

I think we've tried to replace despots before. Didn't work out too well.

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Permalink Reply by Rory Donnellan on July 2, 2012 at 3:02pm

In short, yes. I think people are a wonderful resource - not a problem to be eliminated or reduced. Like money in the bank - the more the merrier! By the way, my good wife and I have our 6th youngster due in a couple of months. One of my wife's friends here in Queensland, has 13 children. I worked with a pathologist from the Phillipines who was the oldest of 21 children. Let a thousand flowers bloom!

Phillip Watson said:

1. Do you believe the World's population can continue to grow at the present rate indefinitely?

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Permalink Reply by Phillip Watson on July 2, 2012 at 3:50pm

Rory Donnellan said:

In short, yes. I think people are a wonderful resource - not a problem to be eliminated or reduced. Like money in the bank - the more the merrier! By the way, my good wife and I have our 6th youngster due in a couple of months. One of my wife's friends here in Queensland, has 13 children. I worked with a pathologist from the Phillipines who was the oldest of 21 children. Let a thousand flowers bloom!

I think people are great too, so long as there are a manageable number!

So you think the earth is capable of growing enough food for 20 billion people? 50? 100? A trillion?

I just don't understand how you think this would be possible. Or maybe I'm just misinterpreting you? Do you think there will be some sort of natural occurrence that will keep the population at a sustainable level, and therefore it's not our place to try and stop it through contraception etc?

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Permalink Reply by Jeff Hutcho on July 2, 2012 at 4:59pm

Just a "little" question -

Isn't population increase inversely connected to standard of living?

Interesting reading is the CIA factbook that shows as the standard of living goes up, the reproduction rate declines.

Probably on Wikipedia as well. Some countries are below population maintenance rate.

Living in a mud hut, burning dung for cooking and heating, doesn't make for longevity, and consequently people under these conditions tend to reproduce more.

Just my response to the Malthusians among us.

Jeff

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Permalink Reply by Phillip Watson on July 2, 2012 at 5:21pm

Jeff Hutcho said:

Just a "little" question -

Isn't population increase inversely connected to standard of living?

Interesting reading is the CIA factbook that shows as the standard of living goes up, the reproduction rate declines.

Probably on Wikipedia as well. Some countries are below population maintenance rate.

Living in a mud hut, burning dung for cooking and heating, doesn't make for longevity, and consequently people under these conditions tend to reproduce more.

Just my response to the Malthusians among us.

Jeff

That pretty much sums up what I learned in Geography 25-odd years ago!

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Permalink Reply by Jeff Hutcho on July 2, 2012 at 5:44pm

Hi Rory D.

I do feel for Mr Preston, as Pro-life and abortion are in this country at least, are personal choices.

I specify this country, as you can take the extreme of China, with their one child policy, forced abortions and penalties for reproducing.

There was the alternative, which during my time, the illegal abortionists, the backyard butchers mutilated and killed via sepsis, blood loss and organ damage, women who wanted to voluntarily have their pregnancies terminated, for whatever reasons, as I said above, personal choices.

Women should have a choice, and if it is via a medical centre, or abortion clinic, it should be allowed. The alternative is not an option, but councilling should also be part of the procedure.

As you would be aware, in the US, where they like to do things extreme, there have been murders and bombings associated with clinics, committed by pro-lifers.

This is not a subject I would normally comment on, being an emotional and extremely personal subject.

It is also a procedure, particularly at late term that I find confronting, but I also have no respect for the Malthusians and eugenicists that pop up all too often.

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Permalink Reply by Barbara lee on July 4, 2012 at 1:02pm

I had answered to this awhile back, but will refresh it again, as its probable well forgotten.

It is a women’s choice as they are the ones who have to nurture and once the umbilical cord is cut, its never really, you never stop the caring or loving no matter what. But if you have been violated in any way by someone you really don't know, who could be the most harden criminal, by gosh who would want to carry full term, gens are gens can't change them, and can have to most horrendous in pack on family life, and the ones around you get really affected, especial if their always getting into trouble in and out of prison law courts, who wants that to happen. That's just one scenario, another is, if you have just found out, that caring a baby full term you were going to lose your your life, and have other children at home who depend upon you, well wouldn't they be your first priority. I just think a bit of common sense and given different situations and putting them into prospective here. No one has the right to judge a person or to stop a person from not having an abortion. You need to walk 100k's in that same person shoes to know where she is coming from before judging her. Every situation is so different to the next, in some cases yes shouldn't not have an abortion as some would make excellent parents with a bit of backup. Every case is so different to the next. "Australian Father of Seven to Spend 8 months in Jail for Protecting Unborn”. Well Ok yes you could say he is fighting for a wonderful course even very gallant of him, and obviously hasn’t never been affected or had not a bad situation of any dealings to deal with, obviously loves all his eight children, that’s fine and dandy and very courageous of him, but there are some pretty horrible situations out there. An abortion sometimes would have been much kinder to the mum and the said child caring a potential bad gen or these days disease as well that might prove fatal. Whether it be from rape or whatever, but really I think that’s so not fair to all those women who were trap in having had to go through the 9 months of hell maybe, or the mere fact could have meant their very life’s were at stake also. And some should not be even parents at all but would be passing the same gen along to the next.

I do argue that some should not have an abortion just the same as all they need is a reassurance and backup given the right situation, and the biggest hug and love for support, as their is nothing like a new born in the family, it can be such a wonderful bonding time brings the best out of everyone, brings family together with the love they share for a new babe. After talking like that, Hmm wouldn’t mind another grandchild, their so precious.

It’s an individual’s choice for sure. And thank goodness there are clinics out there to do it safely. Right to life, yes everyone has a right for life, but only if their hasn’t been any major tampering and no threat to life itself.

Barb

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Permalink Reply by Jan Courtney on July 4, 2012 at 4:29pm

One of the issues about abortion that is rarely publicised is the damage it does to women , let alone to the fathers and indeed other family members. It is surely a woman's right to be FULLY INFORMED about what the outcomes of an abortion will be apart from the ending of a human life. I have searched for a NON-RELIGIOUS comment on the matter, and the following cites both Australia and the U.S. studies and cases

A Review of Medical Standards in Abortion services and some Resulting Problems

Charles Francis Q.C.

In the past, in most countries the medical profession was held (and rightly) in very high esteem. The majority of medical practitioners have always derived considerable personal satisfaction from the benefits they are able to achieve for their patients. What was in the patient’s best interests was
invariably the guiding principle, and that was the essence of any decision made by a medical practitioner in determining what medical treatment the patient should receive.