March 6, 2009

Nothing like abortion to stir things up...

How long has it been since the pot got good and stirred up?
A while? Oh...just yesterday?
Good let's do it some more...

Abortion.
It's murder.
I'm against it.
And this is what I am going to take part in.


Red Envelopes Represent Abortion Deaths

What began as one box of red envelopes has become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon.
Christ Otto has been involved in the pro-life movement for nearly 20 years. As the pro-abortion Barack Obama took office, Otto was rightly concerned and began praying about the situation.
“I believe God gave me an interesting idea,” he says.
Enter the box of red envelopes.
Otto, 37, wants Obama to receive hundreds, thousands, millions, of empty red envelopes, symbolizing the tremendous loss of abortion.
“I wish we could send 50 million red envelopes, one for every child who died before having a chance to live,” he says. “Maybe it will change the heart of the president.”
Otto says it’s a small act that could make a big statement.
“People are not going to get into an argument,” he says. “They’re not going to stand in front of an abortion clinic. But they are going to buy an envelope and cast this vote for life.”
The plan is simple: On March 31, mail an empty red envelope to:
President Barack Obama The White House1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.Washington, D.C. 20500
On the outside of the envelope, write:
“This envelope represents one child who died in abortion. It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world. Responsibility begins with conception.”

Love Note to my Big Shooter: Witnessing you turn from a young adult without a clear opinion on The Right To Choose to a middle-aged man whose eyes, heart and mind have been transformed into a father of four (two here, two waiting for us in Heaven) with a definite opinion, has been quite a journey to witness.

11 comments:

ShEiLa said...

FactCheck: Abortions HAVE gone down under Pres. Bush
Obama, who favors a legal right to abortion, noted that he was trying to “reduce the number of abortions.” But he went too far when he falsely accused President Bush of failing to meet that same goal, saying incorrectly that “over the last eight years, abortions have not gone down.”
This is an erroneous claim that we first tracked down and debunked more than three years ago when it was being repeated by Howard Dean and Hillary Clinton, among others.

The Guttmacher Institute, whose figures are cited regularly by both sides in the abortion debate, say on their Web site, “In 2005, 1.21 million abortions were performed, down from 1.31 million abortions in 2000.”

There’s little to show the decline has come about because of anything President Bush did or didn’t do. In fact, the number of abortions in the U.S. has been falling steadily since the 1980s regardless of whether the person in the White House favored a legal right to abortion or opposed it.

Source: FactCheck.org analysis of 2008 Saddleback joint appearance Aug 16, 2008

Ok for state to restrict late-term partial birth abortion
On an issue like partial birth abortion, I strongly believe that the state can properly restrict late-term abortions. I have said so repeatedly. All I’ve said is we should have a provision to protect the health of the mother, and many of the bills that came before me didn’t have that.
Part of the reason they didn’t have it was purposeful, because those who are opposed to abortion have a moral calling to try to oppose what they think is immoral. Oftentimes what they were trying to do was to polarize the debate and make it more difficult for people, so that they could try to bring an end to abortions overall.

As president, my goal is to bring people together, to listen to them, and I don’t think that’s any Republican out there who I’ve worked with who would say that I don’t listen to them, I don’t respect their ideas, I don’t understand their perspective. And my goal is to get us out of this polarizing debate where we’re always trying to score cheap political points and actually get things done.

Source: 2008 Fox News interview: presidential series Apr 27, 2008

We can find common ground between pro-choice and pro-life
Q: The terms pro-choice and pro-life, do they encapsulate that reality in our 21st Century setting and can we find common ground?
A: I absolutely think we can find common ground. And it requires a couple of things. It requires us to acknowledge that..

There is a moral dimension to abortion, which I think that all too often those of us who are pro-choice have not talked about or tried to tamp down. I think that’s a mistake because I think all of us understand that it is a wrenching choice for anybody to think about.
People of good will can exist on both sides. That nobody wishes to be placed in a circumstance where they are even confronted with the choice of abortion. How we determine what’s right at that moment, I think, people of good will can differ.
And if we can acknowledge that much, then we can certainly agree on the fact that we should be doing everything we can to avoid unwanted pregnancies that might even lead somebody to consider having an abortion.
Source: 2008 Democratic Compassion Forum at Messiah College Apr 13, 2008

Undecided on whether life begins at conception
Q: Do you personally believe that life begins at conception?
A: This is something that I have not come to a firm resolution on. I think it’s very hard to know what that means, when life begins. Is it when a cell separates? Is it when the soul stirs? So I don’t presume to know the answer to that question. What I know is that there is something extraordinarily powerful about potential life and that that has a moral weight to it that we take into consideration when we’re having these debates.

Source: 2008 Democratic Compassion Forum at Messiah College Apr 13, 2008

OBAMA’S PLAN
Protecting a Women’s Right to Choose: Obama will make safeguarding women’s rights under Roe v. Wade a priority. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn that decision.
Reducing Unintended Pregnancy: Obama will work to reduce unintended pregnancy by guaranteeing equity in contraceptive coverage, providing sex education, and offering rape victims accurate information about emergency contraception.

OBAMA RECORD
Throughout his career, in both the Illinois Senate & the US Senate, Obama has stood up for a women’s right to choose, consistently earning 100% ratings from pro-choice groups.

Voted against banning partial birth abortion
Obama’s record in Illinois represents that of a pragmatic progressive, who pushed for moderate reforms and opposed right-wing legislation. In the IL legislature, voting “present” is the equivalent of voting “no” because a majority of “yes” votes are required for passage. Many IL legislators use the “present” vote as an evasion on an unpopular choice, so that they can avoid being targeted for voting “no.” During the 2004 Democratic primary, an opponent mocked Obama’s “present” vote on abortion bills with flyers portraying a rubber duck and the words, “He ducked!”.
In 1997, Obama voted against SB 230, which would have turned doctors into felons by banning so-called partial-birth abortion, & against a 2000 bill banning state funding. Although these bills included an exception to save the life of the mother, they didn’t include anything about abortions necessary to protect the health of the mother. The legislation defined a fetus as a person, & could have criminalized virtually all abortion.

Source: The Improbable Quest, by John K. Wilson, p.147-148 Oct 30, 2007
Trust women to make own decisions on partial-birth abortion
Q: What us your view on the decision on partial-birth abortion and your reaction to most of the public agreeing with the court’s holding?
A: I think that most Americans recognize that this is a profoundly difficult issue for the women and families who make these decisions. They don’t make them casually. And I trust women to make these decisions in conjunction with their doctors and their families and their clergy. And I think that’s where most Americans are. Now, when you describe a specific procedure that accounts for less than 1% of the abortions that take place, then naturally, people get concerned, and I think legitimately so. But the broader issue here is: Do women have the right to make these profoundly difficult decisions? And I trust them to do it. There is a broader issue: Can we move past some of the debates around which we disagree and can we start talking about the things we do agree on? Reducing teen pregnancy; making it less likely for women to find themselves in these circumstances.

Source: 2007 South Carolina Democratic primary debate, on MSNBC Apr 26, 2007

Extend presumption of good faith to abortion protesters
[An abortion protester at a campaign event] handed me a pamphlet. “Mr. Obama, I know you’re a Christian, with a family of your own. So how can you support murdering babies?”
I told him I understood his position but had to disagree with it. I explained my belief that few women made the decision to terminate a pregnancy casually; that any pregnant woman felt the full force of the moral issues involved when making that decision; that I feared a ban on abortion would force women to seek unsafe abortions, as they had once done in this country. I suggested that perhaps we could agree on ways to reduce the number of women who felt the need to have abortions in the first place.

“I will pray for you,” the protester said. “I pray that you have a change of heart.” Neither my mind nor my heart changed that day, nor did they in the days to come. But that night, before I went to bed, I said a prayer of my own-that I might extend the same presumption of good faith to others that had been extended to me.

Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p.197-8 Oct 1, 2006

Moral accusations from pro-lifers are counterproductive
Q: [to Keyes]: Doesn’t your pro-life stance conflict with your support of the death penaty?
KEYES: It doesn’t conflict at all. Abortion and capital punishment are at different level of moral concern. Abortion is intrinsically, objectively wrong and sinful whereas capital punishment is a matter of judgment, which is not in and of itself a violation of moral right. The question of whether or not you should apply capital punishment depends on circumstances and it’s an area where Catholics have a right to debate and disagree.

OBAMA: Now I agree with Mr. Keyes that the death penalty and abortion are separate cases. It’s unfortunate that with the death penalty Mr. Keyes respects that people may have a different point of view but with the issue of abortion he has labeled people everything as terrorists to slaveholders to being consistent with Nazism for holding an opposing point of view. That kind of rhetoric is not helpful in resolving a deeply emotional subject.

Source: Illinois Senate Debate #3: Barack Obama vs. Alan Keyes Oct 21, 2004

Barack Obama on Voting Record
Opposed born-alive treatment law because it was already law
McCAIN: Sen. Obama, as a member of the Illinois State Senate, voted against a law that would provide immediate medical attention to a child born of a failed abortion. He voted against that. Then there was another bill before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the state of Illinois not that long ago, where he voted against a ban on partial-birth abortion. That’s a matter of his record.
OBAMA: If it sounds incredible that I would vote to withhold lifesaving treatment from an infant, that’s because it’s not true. There was a bill that said you have to provide lifesaving treatment. The fact is that there was already a law on the books in Illinois that required providing lifesaving treatment, which is why not only myself but pro-choice Republicans and Democrats voted against it. With respect to partial-birth abortion, I am completely supportive of a ban on late-term abortions, as long as there’s an exception for the mother’s health and life, and this bill did not contain that exception

Source: 2008 third presidential debate against John McCain Oct 15, 2008

Protect a woman’s right to choose
For almost a decade, Obama has been a leader in the Illinois legislature in the battle to protect a woman’s right to choose and promote equal economic rights and opportunities.
Source: Campaign website, Obama ForIllinois.com May 2, 2004

Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance.
Obama scores 0% by the NRLC on abortion issues
OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2006 NRLC scores as follows:

0% - 15%: pro-choice stance (approx. 174 members)
16%- 84%: mixed record on abortion (approx. 101 members)
85%-100%: pro-life stance (approx. 190 members)
About the NRLC (from their website, www.nrlc.org):
The ultimate goal of the National Right to Life Committee is to restore legal protection to innocent human life. The primary interest of the National Right to Life Committee and its members has been the abortion controversy; however, it is also concerned with related matters of medical ethics which relate to the right to life issues of euthanasia and infanticide. The Committee does not have a position on issues such as contraception, sex education, capital punishment, and national defense. The National Right to Life Committee was founded in 1973 in response to the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision, legalizing the practice of human abortion in all 50 states, throughout the entire nine months of pregnancy.

The NRLC has been instrumental in achieving a number of legislative reforms at the national level, including a ban on non-therapeutic experimentation of unborn and newborn babies, a federal conscience clause guaranteeing medical personnel the right to refuse to participate in abortion procedures, and various amendments to appropriations bills which prohibit (or limit) the use of federal funds to subsidize or promote abortions in the United States and overseas.

In addition to maintaining a lobbying presence at the federal level, NRLC serves as a clearinghouse of information for its state affiliates and local chapters, its individual members, the press, and the public.

Source: NRLC website 06n-NRLC on Dec 31, 2006

ShEiLa said...

oK.

I just commented by posting alot of reading material for those who believe Pres. Obama is a murderer.

I am pro-choice.

Would I myself have an abortion? NO. Even if I was raped. I had a friend that was raped and she kept her baby.

However,
a decision of this magnitude should be made by the individual.

I believe in honoring, obeying, and sustaining the law of the land. Roe vs. Wade.

A woman has a constitutional right to privacy. Most laws related to abortion violate those constitutional rights.

I believe as a human being. YOU and YOU alone can decide what is best for YOU. If you choose to do something that is against the [Laws of God] then you shall be judged by GOD, not man.

When President Obama takes the position... a woman has the right to choose... he is very wise.

There is in this country a separation between church and state. Let's leave it that way.

ToOdLeS.ShEiLa

~ Straight Shooter ~ said...

Love stirring up the pot!
Couldn't disagree with you more on this one my friend.

I will always choose to honor, obey and sustain the law of God over government. Politicians have no bearing on my moral conscience.

I don't think President Obama is a murderer. I am not doing this for his sake. I would take part in it no matter who is office because I flat out think abortion is wrong.

I will never agree a woman should have the choice to kill or not kill a baby because she now finds herself in an undesirable situation.

Does she/should she have the right to do with her body whatever she wants? Absolutely.
...until it is no longer just HER.

I do not understand the school of thought that because someone made some choices and ended up in a situation that is not desired, that now somehow it is their RIGHT to kill another so THEIR world will be righted once again.

I truly believe the convenience and ease of being able to "get rid of the problem" has contributed greatly to the overall selfish and egocentric society we now see in America. I believe the me,me,me, mine,mine,mine, now,now,now mentality most of us abhor, gets fed, fueled and set aflame by pro-choicers.
Me,me,me finds themselves not liking the results of their rightfully-given actions and free choices so they want their mine,mine,mine lives back the way they were before their "choices are known, cause embarrassment, ridicule, hardship, etc., etc.". Abortion allows now,now,now to not have to take ANY responsibility for their choices. Thus feeding the frenzy of selfishness already rampant.

I am sure we will have much discussion about this today.
Some will wholeheartedly agree with you and some with me. That's what makes America, America.

Thanks for all the light reading my friend. ;0)

Anonymous said...

But DID you participate in something like this when Bush was in office?

Abortion was just as legal 2 months and even 8 years ago as it is now.

It just makes me crazy. It seems like Republicans spend so much time and energy trying to find a reason to hate Obama. Time and energy that could be spent trying to support his efforts to turn our country around.

Did you send red envelopes for each person who was put to death for capital punishment? It's a death too. No, not an innocent death, but a death.

I oppose abortion too, but each person who chooses it will be judged by God and not me.

I prayed long and hard and talked long and hard to stop my sister from having an abortion. To this day, my bi-racial neice who's Grandfather wanted to have her aborted is a huge part of our lives because my sister chose not to abort her. That's an effort that made a differance, I don't think red envelopes make a difference, just a statement of pig-headedness toward someone you didn't vote for.

Yep, my pot is stirred.

Anonymous said...

And to be clear, I'm not even pro-choice. But this isn't about abortion, it's about hating Obama.

Anonymous said...

Sheila... no offense, but if you have THAT much to say about any subject you should think of buying your own web space. The only thing I remember about my college stat class is never trust a statistic. Especially not ones reported by "The Guttmacher Institute." Guttmacher? That sounds German to me. I'm thinking Nazi. And Nazis simply do NOT make reliable sources. Please tell me you used the cut & paste feature on your computer. If not, call the orthopedic surgeon NOW and book your carpal tunnel surgery.

I don't hate Pres. Obama, but one mustn't look far to find reasons to question his qualifications, judgment, honor, integrity and character.

Have a great week-end all :)

FerLee said...

SS...You put that better than I ever could.

As far as capital punishment goes, that is VERY Biblical while abortion goes against the very fabric of the Word.

For referrences on Capital Punishment in the Bible...go to Deuteronomy 19 "11 But if a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him, assaults and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities, 12 the elders of his town shall send for him, bring him back from the city, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die. 13 Show him no pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you."

As far as abortion in the Bible, let's first look at how God views babies...even in the womb. Psalm 139 says "13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Any mom who's had an early ultrasound will tell you that there is form in that small "fetus" as so many refer to "it", and God says He ordained each of our days and wrote them down even before we had a form. That would suggest that it's way before we even know we're pregnant.

Then there's the issue of shedding innocent blood. I've found multiple references in Deuteronomy on how the Israelites were to cleanse the land that had innocent blood shed on it. Why would God give them these instructions if He didn't take shedding of innocent blood very seriously? The shedding of innocent blood curses the ground. That started with Abel and it continues today. We just don't get it.

Whether you believe the Word or not it will be proven true in the end. Whether it's a democrate or republican it doesn't matter. We didn't have to flood President Bush with letters because he already proved himself in this area. Our current President has not. Like him, don't like him...that's irrelevant...as Christians we stand for what we know is right and I applaude our friend for doing just that!!!

Thank you, SS, for taking a strong stance over such a controversial issue!!! You do NOT stand alone!!!

~ Straight Shooter ~ said...

To be PERFECTLY clear Nobody:
As a matter of fact, I did take part in many anti-abortion campaigns like this under Bush...and Clinton. Like I said previously, I don't give a rat's ass who is in office. I don't agree with it, therefore I will gladly take part in any non-confrontational campaign against it.

Like you, we too have had the stone-age, bi-racial abortion discussion in our family. And like yours, lots of love, prayer and counseling went into it as well. And it too turned out with a happy ending.
However, we have also had the opposite ending in our family. We have a sister that chose the path of abortion twice. She now cannot have any babies. She now yearns for those she was blessed with. She still grieves for them almost 15 and 18 years later. It is a sad task to try and convince her she is not being punished.

In the same spirit your insinuating question to me was presented, I have one for you as well: How many girlfriends have you had a heart to heart with who have had an abortion or two?
I can tell you exactly how many I have had. Five. And all five have been forever scarred. All five left unforgettable impressions on my heart.
In fact, as I typed that statement, I realized those five conversations are the fans that flame the fire for me. I so desperately want to spare the heartache, grief, guilt and REGRET that comes in waves after most procedures when it is too late. These girls deserve better.

And the snarky pigheaded comment...laughable...and just that, snarky and uncalled for.

Pigheadedness defined by me, Straight Shooter: A repeated behavior, belief and/or action that crowds out common sense and clear thoughts. As in: This post is NOT about Obama. It is about abortion. TRY to hurdle the I Gotta Defend Obama Where Ever His Name is Mentioned in a Republincan or Conservative Blog Because They All Hate Him and Therefore Are Out to Get Him stance and see the post for what it is. Not what you are trying with all you're worth to make it into.

Cause honestly, that kinda pigheadedness makes me crazy.

FIL said...

After reading the blog this morning
I did a little research on partial birth
abortion. I'm one that has to see for
myself... Don't just take someone's
word for it. Check it out.

PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTION
The baby is pulled into the birth canal.
Then is delivered, all but the head.
( Most are kicking and moving the arms )
A pair of scissors is run up the baby's
spine and into the brain. The scissors are
opened to enlarge the hole so a tube can
be inserted to suck out the baby's brains.One more little tug and it would have born alive.

Watch a video of it if you want to lose your
lunch.
PRO CHOICE.... a word that makes us all
fuzzy and warm inside. Who had the choice?
The baby? The Father? Nope... Just the mother.
Its her body. Lets just call it like it is.
PRO ABORTION
P_ss poor way for birth control.

Now before any of you get on me because
I'm a man and don't understand. I've been
on this earth a spell and been around the block
a time or two. Probably seen more hurt, pain
and evil things than most of you. And this
partial birth abortion is about as bad as it gets.

FIL

~ Straight Shooter ~ said...

Oh!!! Almost forgot...

That whole arguement I just made about this post not being about our president...it's true. THIS one is not.

Every president has to feel there way the first little bit. They all make the huge mistake of not realizing how NOT private their every move, thought, utterance, blunder, etc. is to the rest of the world.

I, contrary to some's belief, really DO want our new man of the hour to succeed. He is the POTUS after all. I really, really, REALLY wanted to steer clear of any posts directed specifically at HIM for several months. Hoped beyond hope there would be nothing to light my fire. Actually wanted more than anything to be able to title a post "WooHoo! Love the Change!" Wasn't happening like that way though. But still, I wasn't blogging. I wasn't even talking to anyone but Big Shooter about my concerns. I just bit my tongue, stayed my fingers, closed my eyes, prayed like the dickens for him the past few weeks...
Come Monday,different story.

I am beyond embarrassed. I am (was) speechless. Dumbfounded with disappointment.

CanNOT for the life of me keep my trap shut on this one.

I am especially curious to hear the Obama Defenders thoughts. Count this as your special invite for Monday.

I'll give you a head start: google the outcome of our greatest ally's (Great Britian) first diplomatic visit to our president's home.

(Yeah, you'll have to google it cause mainstream media is trying with everything they have to bury this colossal snub.)

Anonymous said...

Let the "Queen of Bloviating" bloviate:

1. A woman's body is hers and hers alone UNTIL she becomes pregnant, at which time her body becomes not only her body, but also the life source and host for another human being.

2. It's a shocking concept, I know, but at the moment of conception, a woman (like it or not), is no longer all alone. There is a new cell inside of her that contains LIFE.

3. Sex is how human beings pro-create. It's a true gift from God. I love sex. Hot, kinky, sweaty, "Give it to me now for the love of Christ! sex." However, the purpose of sex is to reproduce. So, how can any rational person be surprised when sex leads to pregnancy? Of course it leads to pregnancy... that's the whole point!

4. I totally agree with SS that women have a "choice." The choice is to have sex or not to have sex. Where we're going wrong is thinking the choice still exists after the woman becomes pregnant, because it doesn't. Regardless of Roe v. Wade or popular opinion or selfish "convenience"... once you're pregnant, the choice no longer exists. Life is growing inside your body and you have no right to snuff it out.

5. NOBODY YOU KNOW... How exactly is Obama's decision to spend MY hard-earned tax dollars to fund overseas abortions an attempt to turn this country around? And his decision to close Gitmo? That's helpful. Let the world's most dangerous American-hating terrorists out so they can re-stock their weapon supply and wipe out more hard-working Americans. The people in the WTC were working on 9/11... not sitting in their tax-payer paid for apartment procreating and eating their government cheese.

I just *love* when liberals start name-calling when they lack the intellect to debate logically. PIG-HEADED. Reminds of the playground in pre-school. "You... You.... You.... Big Dummy!"

Here's a newsflash you won't hear from Chris Matthews: no one has to stand in Obama's way... his lack of uhhh... everything (except drug use, lunatic friends, etc...) will ensure his failure. He's not capable of turning this country around. And neither are his NON tay-paying appointments to cabinet positions.

Last, let me help you see the fallacy of your abortion argument:

You: I don't personally believe in abortion, but I believe women should have the choice."

Me: I don't personally believe in incest, but I believe fathers should have the choice to rape their daughters."

Not pretty, is it?