Life Dynamics Inc.

Life Dynamics Inc. (LDI) is an anti-abortion organization founded by Mark Crutcher in 1992. It is headquartered in Denton, Texas.

Life Dynamics Inc.
Formation1992
FounderMark Crutcher
TypeAnti-abortion activism
HeadquartersDenton, Texas
Location
Official language
English

Company Profile

Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) lists LDI on its "Profiles of 15 Anti-Choice Organizations".[1] According to Planned Parenthood, LDI's income for fiscal year 2003 was $1,115,258. PPFA notes that LDI is opposed to abortion, fetal tissue and embryonic stem cell research, Planned Parenthood, and the International Planned Parenthood Federation.[1]

In founding Life Dynamics, Crutcher said that he wanted to fill the gaps left by other organizations. One shortcoming he noticed was in what he called "professional counter-intelligence or intelligence-gathering". Thus, Crutcher focuses much of his organization's efforts on operations involving gathering new data on abortion facilities and pro-choice organizations. [2]

LDI is endorsed by Alan Keyes, who referred to LDI as, "a cutting edge approach to spreading the message of the pro-life movement"; Joseph Scheidler of Pro-Life Action League, who says, "I appreciate everything Life Dynamics does"; Judy Brown of American Life League, who praised LDI for "aggressiveness" and "accuracy"; Dr. Jack Willke of Life Institute and International Right to Life Federation, who calls LDI "a spear carrier"; and Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life, who appears regularly on LDI's LifeTalk program.[3]

LDI has been criticized by Dr. Warren Hern, an abortion provider in Boulder, Colorado, who said, "we cannot underestimate the determination of Life Dynamics to destroy us".[3] Vicki Saporta, executive director of the National Abortion Federation, said of LDI in 2000, "This is an organization that should be investigated for some serious illegal activity".[4] Planned Parenthood Federation of America condemns LDI for "harassment and intimidation" and "public misinformation campaigns".[1]

Onging activities

LDI operates a number of simultaneous projects, often with a separate web site targeting that aspect of the group's work.

  • ClinicWorker.com: LDI encourages anti-abortion activists who congregate at abortion facilities to promote ClinicWorker.com, a site urging abortion clinic staff to report wrongdoing, such as statutory rape, income tax evasion, Medicaid fraud, health and safety risks, and insurance fraud to authorities. LDI admits that part of the goal of this project is to sow discord and strife within abortion facilities. ClinicWorker.com is promoted by many anti-abortion web sites, but unlike other LDI projects has not generated much mainstream or pro-choice attention. Vicki Saporta, Executive Director of the National Abortion Federation, called ClinicWorker.com another attempt by Crutcher to drive abortion providers out of business, and said, "His attempts at these methods have not been successful in the past, and we're not concerned about his success in the future."[5]
  • AbortionInjury.com: AbortionInjury.com offers referrals to attorneys to represent women injured by abortion. Critics of this aspect of LDI's mission claim that the lawsuits thus filed are "frivolous".[1]
  • Abortion Malpractice Program ("Ab/Mal"): a collection of services LDI provides to attorneys representing plaintiffs filing suit against abortion providers. The services range from advertising materials for attracting clients to linking with co-counsel.[6] Life Dynamics Inc. launched this program in 1993 by mailing a 72-page booklet on how to pursue suits against abortion providers to 4,000 attorneys in the United States,[7] and followed up with a two-day continuing education conference for attorneys the following year.[7][8] Again, critics assert that the lawsuits in question are "frivolous".[1] Crutcher himself admits that the mission of the Ab/Mal program is not only to provide legal redress, but also "to force abortionists out of business by driving up their insurance rates".[8]

Previous projects

Q. What's the difference between an abortionist and a cat fish?

A. One's an ugly, smelly, garbage-eating bottom feeder, and the other one's a fish.[9]

Bottom Feeder outraged pro-choice activists not only because of the "underlying tone of contempt and hatred for abortion providers", but also because it was mailed out in 1993, the same year abortion provider Dr. David Gunn was murdered.[10] Medical Students for Choice was founded, in part, as a response to Bottom Feeder.[11] Bottom Feeder also angered some pro-life activists who criticized the "distasteful and downright pornographic" nature of the booklet.[12]

  • "Project Choice" was a survey LDI sent to abortion physicians about their experiences.[1] Ostensibly a project by Texas students, the "Project Choice" survey was mailed to approximately 1,000 abortion providers, and with telephone and postcard follow-up, attained a 30% response rate.[9]

References
  1. Weiss, Deborah. (2001). "Profiles of 15 Anti-Choice Organizations Archived 2006-11-30 at the Wayback Machine." Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Retrieved August 23, 2006.
  2. Gosgnach, Tony. (April 2005). "Q & A with: Mark Crutcher Archived 2006-05-21 at the Wayback Machine." The Interim. Retrieved August 23, 2006.
  3. "Endorsements For Life Dynamics Archived 2005-01-23 at the Wayback Machine." (2003). Lorain County Right to Life. Retrieved August 23, 2006.
  4. "Life Dynamics: Antiabortion Group's Tactics Draw Criticism Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine." (March 22, 2000). Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report. Retrieved August 23, 2006.
  5. "Abortion Foes' New Net Strategy", Wired News, May 11, 2001
  6. "Abortion Malpractice Program." (n.d.). Retrieved August 23, 2006.
  7. Rice, Charles. (March 3, 1994). "The Malpractice Option." The Wanderer. Retrieved August 23, 2006.
  8. Lewin, Tamar. (April 5, 1995). "A New Weapon In an Old War." The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2006.
  9. Bower, Anne. (July 1994).Project Choice = Project Hoax." Freedom Writer. Retrieved August 23, 2006.
  10. Bower, Anne. (1996). "Lime 5: Making Mountains Out of a Pebble." Body Politic, 6 (10). Retrieved August 23, 2006.
  11. Edwards, Christy & Buitrago, Karla. (May 1999). "Fighting the Extremists Archived 2006-10-07 at the Wayback Machine." MSFC Update. Retrieved August 23, 2006.
  12. Baker, Janet. (2004). "Deliver Message With Flair, Humor." Defend Life, 15 (6). Retrieved August 23, 2006.
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