The Nightmare Clinic: The Horrifying True Story

AP Images

WARNING: This post contains graphic and disturbing content. Reader discretion is advised.

It's inner-city Philadelphia.  Towering over the narrow streets looms an old brick building with the faded, red letters: "Family Planning."

But what you find inside is far worse than the outside.

You step through the door, and your nose wrinkles from the pungent smell of urine.

Blood is on the floor.

A flea-infested cat brushes by you, defecating as it dashes up the stairs.

If you dare to venture deeper into the eerie clinic, the horrors only increase.

In the recovery room, you find semiconscious women moaning on dirty recliners, wrapped in blood-stained blankets.  Those blankets have only been washed once this week.

You pass the operating rooms housing old, deteriorating, faulty equipment.  The surgical instruments lying in the sink have never been sterilized.

But the worst of all horrors are hidden in the far back room and the dark basement below.  Heart pounding, you cautiously push the door open and, with a wince of dread, flick on the light.  You gasp at the horrid sight of shelves filled with jars of severed baby feet, boxes and bags of infant parts, and mangled aborted fetuses in bottles and in the open.  An unearthly shriek startles you; it's one of the babies, lying on a glass tray; it's eyes and mouth are still not completely formed but it still made a noise. A shiver like cold ice creeps down your spine and your breath becomes short.

You've had enough.

You bolt out of the room, trying to escape this nightmare.  But you are lost.  How do you get out of this place?  You find an emergency exit and slam your body weight against it, but it's padlocked.  Twenty minutes later you find your way to the front and burst out the door, panting.

Is this a scene from a horror movie?

No, this is real life.

This is Dr. Kermit Gosnell's abortion clinic.

Credit Jessica Kourkounis, The New York Times

Before reaching the spotlight today, Dr. Gosnell first received approval to open his clinic in 1979.  However, the Pennsylvania Department of Health was not much in the practice of inspecting facilities like Gosnell's.  It wasn't until ten years later that they reviewed his clinic again.  Already the site had numerous violations, but Gosnell was allowed to continue operating on the promise that he would fix them.  More reviews in 1992 and 1993 again yielded a discovery of violations, and again the department believed Gosnell's promises that would fix them.

After 1993, for political reasons, the department stopped inspecting clinics at all.  Even as disturbing complaints came in — patients leaving with the same venereal disease, illegal abortions on minors and late-term pregnancies, a 41-year old woman dying at Gosnell's hands — the department opted not to investigate the "house of horrors" operating under their noses.

Finally, in 2011, the FBI raided Gosnell's facility on reports of "illegal drug activity".  The uncertified "doctor" had been, in addition to running a grisly abortion mill at night, selling painkillers to drug dealers and addicts from his daytime office.  The FBI, of course, found far more than drugs.  Scattered throughout the nauseating conditions, they found stored body parts and fetuses; some which had been killed after they left the mother, and others far past the 24-week limit for legal abortions.

Dr. Kermit Gosnell (ABC News)

"My grasp of the English language doesn't really allow me to fully describe how horrific this clinic was," said Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams during the recent trial. "Rotting bodies, fetal remains, the smell of urine throughout, blood-stained." (7)

According to the Washington Examiner, Dr. Gosnell was often behind in paying bills, and the disposal provider might delay picking up the dead babies for months.  Sometimes the rotting corpses would be left out overnight.  "You knew about it the next day when you opened the door..." One employee said. "Because you could smell it as soon as you opened the door." (7)

Reports also revealed that Gosnell allowed some of the newborn corpses to fall into the toilets, until it would clog up the plumbing.  According to a handyman for the clinic, "I told the doc I would remove the toilet and lay it on its side, but somebody else would have to clean that out." (7)

But perhaps the most condemning and most news-stirring discovery of all was the shocking claim from a number of Gosnell's employees: His slaughtering of infants was not limited to within the womb.

According to his employees, if a baby was still moving when it left the mother, he would snip the spinal cord with scissors.  "Ensuring fetal demise", as he called it.  The media has been calling it "infant beheading."  He taught many of his uncertified, unqualified employees how to do this.  Several of his former employees have pleaded guilty to this kind of murder.

Dr. Gosnell himself was charged with seven original counts of first-degree murders of infants (although three of those have been thrown out).  In addition, he was charged with third-degree murder of the 41-year-old patient who died in his hands from an overdose of anesthesia and painkillers.

He faces the death penalty if proven guilty.

Dr. Gosnell's mug shot

Today, the deliberations begin for Dr. Gosnell's trial.  I am praying for justice.  I can't help but think that God gave Gosnell 30 years to change... 30 years since his clinic opened, three warnings from the health department, three chances to cease his sick and twisted practices.  Even for a man like Dr. Gosnell — a man who made jokes as he plunged scissors into moving babies, a man who favored his white patients over his patients of color, a man who treated patients better according to how well they could pay, a man who ate dinner with still-bloody latex gloves while interviewed by the FBI, a man who made millions off of his disrespect for human life, both that of the babies he killed and the mothers he claimed to help — even for a man like this, God would show mercy... God would show grace... God would give him second and third chances to change his ways.

But time's up.

I can't speak for Dr. Gosnell's soul.  But I pray that the courts will decide on the side of truth, and that, at least in this life, Gosnell will receive the punishment he deserves.  People that like him that practice such evil should not be allowed to live in our society, or in any other.

May the truth be revealed and justice be served.


For Comments

Let me hear your thoughts.  Do you think Gosnell deserves the death penalty?  Do you think this story is just a pro-life issue, or is it a human rights issue that all ends of the political spectrum should be concerned with?  How do you think the trial will conclude?

Research and Further Reading

(1) http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/04/12/10-of-the-most-shocking-allegations-in-the-gruesome-house-of-horrors-that-was-dr-kermit-gosnells-abortion-clinic-warning-graphic/

(2) http://www.policymic.com/articles/34339/dr-kermit-gosnell-s-abortion-trial-why-isn-t-the-media-covering-it

(3) http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/abortion-doc-snipped-moving-babies-spines-witness-article-1.1314193

(4) http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/04/26/truth-about-kermit-gosnell-trial/

(5) http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Gosnell-Defense-204050851.html

(6) http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2013/04/12/exp-erin-abortion-doctor-panel.cnn (video)

(7) http://washingtonexaminer.com/58-horrific-details-from-the-gosnell-trial-that-you-do-not-want-to-read/article/2527524

(8) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/us/23doctor.html (article from when story first broke out)

(9) http://www.phila.gov/districtattorney/PDFs/GrandJuryWomensMedical.pdf (full story: Grand Jury report)

(10) http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/30/us/trial-abortion-doctor-kermit-gosnell.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Is Jesus a Socialist?

Do Jesus' words in the gospels promote socialism?  I thought this article dealt with the subject very well... (see the link below)

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/ken-shepherd/2011/04/26/msnbcs-odonnell-slams-limbaugh-biblically-ignorant-goes-contort-script

America's Next President?

Donald Trump (above) is a self-made millionaire who may run for president on the Republican ticket in 2012.  While he has no political background, many people are finding him attractive because of his enormous experience involving money and finances (a worthy presidential quality for attacking the present financial situation in America), and his no-nonsense, assertive personality.  

Just out of curiosity, what do other people think about him?  Do you like him?  Dislike him?  Despise him?  If you're a Republican or conservative, would you vote for him?  Are there other potential Republican candidates that you would rather vote for?  I welcome all honest comments.

Good News About Obamacare

There is a fight going on right now in the legal system to decide whether or not Obama's health care law is constitutional.  Multiple lawsuits have sprung up against the national government, saying that it has gone too far.  The specific portion of the health care bill that has been attacked as unconstitutional is its provision that citizens HAVE to buy the government-run health insurance, or else pay a penalty... in the form of a fine or jail time!

One such lawsuit has been filed in Virginia.  The Virginia attorney general, Kenneth Cuccinelli, is pressing a new state law that would prohibit the government from forcing Viriginian residents to buy the health insurance.  Here's the good news: a federal judge, Henry E. Hudson, recently sided with Cuccinelli, declaring that the health care law is unconstitutional.  He is the first federal judge to strike down the health care law in this way.

Officials in the Obama administration say that this would have no impact on the health care law, because important parts of it don't take effect until 2014.  Other people disagree with the administration's claim, such as Greta Van Susteren from Fox News.

Read more at this link: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/fed-judge-rules-in-favor-of-va-hc-law-challenge/.

Prayer Alert

You all have probably heard that North Korea attacked South Korea a few days ago.  Apparently, North Korea has been doing "little" things like this to South Korea for the last 50 years, but this attack is one of the worst ones they've had so far.  In the recent attack, civilians were actually targeted and two were killed, causing outrage in South Korea.  

There is a fear that this conflict could escalate to the point where other nations would come to either North or South Korea's aid, which would be extremely, extremely dangerous, possibly leading to global war.  If you are a Christian, please pray that this situation will not reach that point, and that this conflict will be resolved peacefully. We are in a delicate situation.

Also, please pray for the Christians in both North and South Korea.  From what I understand, there is a strong presence in South Korea; I've heard that they have the largest Christian church in the world, the largest creation science institute in the world, and a heavy "export" of missionaries, so to speak.  I don't know how strong the Christian presence is in North Korea, but I know that however many Christians are there are persecuted brutally.  I once read a statistic that said North Korea has the worst persecution of Christians in the world.  (What a stark contrast between the two nations of Korea!)  Please pray for their protection, as well.

If you want to read more about the situation in Korea, see these links:

http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/south-korea-buries-dead-vows-revenge-on-north/19734839

http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/china-calls-for-emergency-meeting-on-korea-tensions/19735284

The FBI and 9/11: Could It Have Been Prevented?

The FBI seal

“The very heart of FBI operations lies in our investigations – which serve, as our mission states, 'to protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats and to enforce the criminal laws of the United States.' ”¹ This quote is from the FBI's website; it expresses the FBI's mission, to “protect and defend” us against terrorism and foreign threats, and to enforce the laws at home. These are their responsibilities. But how well are they carrying them out? In the years and months leading up to 9/11, the largest terrorist attack on American soil, the FBI missed many clues that may have helped prevent the attack. Could 9/11 have been prevented? And are we protected from events like 9/11 happening in the future? 

 

One of the first missed clues by the FBI was more than ten years before 9/11. As described by the National Geographic TV special, “Inside 9/11,” a reporter witnessed a radical Islamic meeting taking place here in the United States. Shocked, he called the authorities, but they told him, “We don't know what you've been drinking.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation, or the FBI, completely ignored his tip. 

 

Later, in 1990, there was another instance of the FBI's negligence. A Jihadist terrorist shot a Jew in the first successful attack of al Queda, Sudam Hussein's organization that would later be responsible for 9/11. The FBI and other investigative groups examined the terrorist's home, but overlooked many papers that contained information about al Queda, including future targets of the organization.

While the future hijackers of 9/11 lived in the United States for years, preparing for the meticulously planned-out attack, the FBI did not seem to notice them. Only months before the attack in 2001, the FBI received information about potential terrorists enrolled in flight schools, but they did not act on it in time. The information did not reach higher-level FBI agents until after 9/11.

 The four hijacker-pilots of 9/11

Only ninety-one days before the attack, Special Agent Robert G. Wright Jr., a member of the FBI, criticized the FBI in a memo, saying that American lives would be lost because of the FBI's failure to investigate terrorists living in the U.S. Months later, he charged that corruption inside the organization was responsible for the FBI's failure to stop 9/11. “The FBI is not protecting the American people,” he said.² Although Wright was threatened by the FBI Director with criminal prosecution if he went public about the bureau's misdeeds, he defied his boss and spoke about them at a press conference in Washington, DC. 

 Robert Wright at the conference in D.C.

 

At the conference, Wright brought information about a Muslim FBI agent who had refused to record a telephone conversation with a suspect terrorist. The agent is quoted in two sworn statements as saying, “a Muslim does not record another Muslim.”³ One of the statements was from Wright, and the other was from a retired agent named Barry Carmody, who wrote, “I informed FBI headquarters twice about this incident in 1998 and again in 2000, but I am aware of no disciplinary action being taken against him in this matter.”⁴

Wright was not the only FBI member to criticize the bureau as it related to the 9/11 attacks. FBI legal counsel, Coleen Rowley, claimed in a memo that 9/11 could have been prevented, and that the FBI Director, Robert Mueller, covered up for senior FBI officials. Also, according to Wright's lawyers, the FBI had evidence that the World Trade Center was a possible target of terrorists. 

 

“I love America,” Wright told reporters at the conference. “and likewise I love the FBI, particularly its purpose and mission. However, the mission has been seriously jeopardized to the point where American lives have been needlessly lost.”⁵

Wright also stated that the responsibility of handling terrorism should be moved from the hands of the FBI. “Knowing what I know,” he said. “I can confidently say that until the investigative responsibilities for terrorism are transferred from the FBI, I will not feel safe.”⁶

So, why exactly is the FBI incompetent with handling terrorism affairs? Is it a lack of efficiency? Is it a failure to learn from past mistakes? According to Reason Magazine, “It was bureaucratic hubris, not a lack of actionable intelligence, that allowed 9/11 to happen.”⁷ The FBI and other branches of government had all the evidence that an attack like 9/11 was coming, but they were too slow to respond, did not connect the dots, and in many cases, simply did not take the threats seriously. 

 

You may ask, what should have been done to prevent 9/11? One thing is that the FBI should have assumed the worst, and paid more attention to evidence of potential attacks. They should have taken every threat seriously, and kept a close eye on details. Also, according to the FBI agent Robert Wright, there was – and still is – corruption and inefficiency in the bureau that needs to be cut out for it to work the way it should. 

 

Am I blaming the FBI for 9/11? No, I am not; if 9/11 could possibly be blamed on any aspect of the U.S. government, it would not be exclusively on the FBI, but on many different government agencies and departments that all failed to detect the tremors signaling the coming attack. But the FBI should have learned from their mistakes; they messed up, and the right thing to do would be to recognize their wrongdoings and adjust their focus accordingly to prevent these mistakes from happening again. Unfortunately, they have not done this.

The recent Fort Hood shootings are a perfect example of how the FBI and other investigative groups still seem to be unable to prevent acts of terrorism in our country. There was evidence before the shootings that Nidal Hasan, the shooter, might carry out an act of violent terrorism, but people in authority who could have taken action against him were too afraid of being “politically incorrect.” A CBS poll in November 2009 showed that 51% of Americans believed that the Fort Hood shootings could have been prevented.

 Nidal Hasan, the shooter at Fort Hood

Agent Robert Wright warned ninety-one days before 9/11 that American lives would be lost because of the FBI's failures to investigate terrorists in our country. I hope and pray that his next warning will not also ring true: “...more terrorist attacks against the American interests, coupled with the loss of American lives, will have to occur before those in power give this matter the urgent attention it deserves.”⁸

Footnotes  

1"What We Investigate." http://ww.fbi.gov/hq.htm

2 Vernon, Wes. "Agent: FBI Could Have Prevented 9-11." 31 May 2002. http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/5/30/161204.sht

ml

3Ibid.

4Ibid.

5Ibid.

6Ibid.

7 Taylor, Jeff. "Rant: Unconnected Dots: Why the FBI Failed to Stop 9/11." 22 November 2007.

http://reason.com/archives/2007/11/22/rant-unconnected-dots

8 Vernon, Wes. "Agent: FBI Could Have Prevented 9-11." 31 May 2002.

http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/5/30/161204.shtml

 

Other Sources

“Inside 9/11.” National Geographic.  

Montopoli, Brian. “Poll: 51% Say Fort Hood Could Have Been Prevented.” 17 November 2009. 

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162- 5687337-503544.html

 

Wong, Alex. 30 May 2002. “FBI Special Agent Disclosed Failures.”   http://www.life.com/image/1545936

Should Terry Jones Be Billed?

A few weeks ago, ABC news announced that Terry Jones, the controversial Florida pastor who was going to burn copies of the Koran on 9/11 (he called off his plans after pressure from the government and beyond) is now going to be billed at least $200,000.  The ABC news article did not explain specifically why his city, Gainesville, is billing him, except that it's "for costs associated with the stunt".  This brings to question, should Pastor Jones be billed for threatening to burn Muslim "holy books"?

Without question, it would have been wrong for Jones to burn the books, for both security reasons and spiritual reasons.  First, had Jones burned the Korans, it would have been very dangerous for our nation, especially for our troops.  President Obama, for once, was right in one thing: the burning would have been a great recruitment aid for al Qaida members, and it would have endangered our troops overseas.  Even without Jones actually doing the burning, his promise to do so triggered riots throughout the world, which even caused the loss of lives!  Never, ever could something like that be worth someone's life. 


Second, on a spiritual note, what Jones wanted to do was wrong.  He is preaching a message of hatred against Muslims.  The Bible says to love our enemies.  Take these verses, for an example: 


1 Peter 2:15-16
"For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.  Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God."


Matthew 5:38-47
"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'  But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person.  If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.  And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.  If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.  Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.  He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  If you love those you love you, what reward will you get?  Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others?  Do not even pagans do that?"


Galatians 5:22-23
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law." 

Ephesians 4:15
"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."


Ephesians 4: 31-32
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you."


Ephesians 6:12
"FOR OUR STRUGGLE IS NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST THE RULERS, AGAINST THE AUTHORITIES, AGAINST THE POWERS OF THIS DARK WORLD AND AGAINST THE SPIRITUAL FORCES OF EVIL IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS."


1 Timothy 2:1-4
"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."  ("All men" includes Muslims!)


So, you get the picture.  What Terry Jones wanted to do was wrong, for multiple reasons.  However... what did he do, LEGALLY, that was wrong?  The answer is... nothing.  It would not have been wise, it would not have been right, but it was LEGAL.  Jones had every right, legally, to burn a bunch of books on private property, regardless of what those books are.  He has the freedom of speech, and if he wants to make a hateful, anti-Muslim statement like that, he has just as much a right as someone who wants to make a loving, peaceful, pro-Muslim statement.  The message of your statement doesn't change how much you have the right to say it.  


What if Terry Jones had been burning Bibles?  Would there have been as much of an outrage?  Would he still have been billed, even if he really burned them?  Would anyone ever be billed for simply planning to burn Bibles and not actually doing it? 


I think it's pretty clear whether or not Jones should be billed.  What about you?