Life Dynamics Inc.
{{Short description|Anti-abortion organization}}
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| formation = 1992
| founder = Mark Crutcher
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| type = Anti-abortion activism
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| headquarters = Denton, Texas
| location = United States
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| language = English
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Life Dynamics Inc. (LDI) is an anti-abortion organization founded by Mark Crutcher in 1992. It is headquartered in Denton, Texas.
Company profile
Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) lists LDI on its "Profiles of 15 Anti-Choice Organizations".Weiss, Deborah. (2001). "[http://www.plannedparenthood.org/news-articles-press/politics-policy-issues/abortion-access/antichoice-organizations-6127.htm Profiles of 15 Anti-Choice Organizations] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061130222902/http://www.plannedparenthood.org/news-articles-press/politics-policy-issues/abortion-access/antichoice-organizations-6127.htm |date=2006-11-30 }}." Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Retrieved August 23, 2006. PPFA says that LDI is opposed to abortion, as well as research using fetal tissue or embryonic stem cells.
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 his organization's efforts on operations involving gathering new data on abortion facilities and organizations which support abortion rights.{{Clarify|date=February 2010}} Gosgnach, Tony. (April 2005). "[http://www.theinterim.com/2005/apr/14qanda.html Q & A with: Mark Crutcher] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060521182022/http://www.theinterim.com/2005/apr/14qanda.html |date=2006-05-21 }}." The Interim. Retrieved August 23, 2006.
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."[http://www.loraincountyrighttolife.org/plannedparenthood.htm Endorsements For Life Dynamics] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050123201710/http://www.loraincountyrighttolife.org/plannedparenthood.htm |date=2005-01-23 }}." (2003). Lorain County Right to Life. Retrieved August 23, 2006.
Dr. Warren Hern, an abortion provider in Boulder, Colorado, said, "we cannot underestimate the determination of Life Dynamics to destroy us".
Ongoing 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.""Abortion Foes' New Net Strategy", Wired News, May 11, 2001
- AbortionInjury.com: AbortionInjury.com offers referrals to attorneys to represent women injured by abortion.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}
- 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."[http://www.lifedynamics.com/Abortion_Information/Malpractice/ Abortion Malpractice Program]." (n.d.). Retrieved August 23, 2006. 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,Rice, Charles. (March 3, 1994). "[http://www.priestsforlife.org/articles/malpractice.html The Malpractice Option]." The Wanderer. Retrieved August 23, 2006. and followed up with a two-day continuing education conference for attorneys the following year.Lewin, Tamar. (April 5, 1995). "[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=990CE0D91130F93AA35757C0A963958260 A New Weapon In an Old War]." The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2006. Crutcher says 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".
Previous projects
- Bottom Feeder was a 16-page cartoon tract filled with humor about abortion practitioners which LDI mailed to 30,000 medical students. Abortion rights activists criticized Bottom Feeder because of its tone, and also because it was mailed out in 1993, the same year abortion provider Dr. David Gunn was murdered.{{Cite web |title=Body Politic Article V06 N010, P06 |url=http://www.publiceye.org/body_politic/mag/back/art/0610pg06.htm |access-date=2022-07-06 |website=www.publiceye.org}} Medical Students for Choice was founded, in part, as a response to Bottom Feeder.Edwards, Christy & Buitrago, Karla. (May 1999). "[http://ms4c.org/update/599lead.htm Fighting the Extremists] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061007111016/http://www.ms4c.org/update/599lead.htm |date=2006-10-07 }}." MSFC Update. Retrieved August 23, 2006. Bottom Feeder also angered anti-abortion activists who criticized what they perceived as the "distasteful and ... pornographic" nature of the booklet.{{Cite web |title=Defend Life Newsletter December 2003 |url=http://defendlife.org/newsletters/Dec2004/training.shtml |access-date=2022-07-06 |website=defendlife.org}}
- "Project Choice" was a survey LDI sent to abortion physicians about their experiences.{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable (WP:NOTRS).|date=July 2022}} The "Project Choice" survey was mailed to approximately 1,000 abortion providers, and with telephone and postcard follow-up, attained a 30% response rate.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}