The Abortion Debate is Only Meant to Divide Us

I don't agree with the title of this post. Those are the words used by a friend of mine following a Facebook discussion about abortion. This is my response.

Debate is not meant to divide us. The nature of debate is not divisive. On the contrary, debate is healthy. It is how we arrive at the truth; not your truth but THE truth. Debate is a conversation.

What is divisive is instituting ridiculous travel bands on states that pass strict abortion laws or those that pass same-sex bathroom restriction laws! What is divisive is kicking people out of your restaurant because of political differences! What is divisive is forcing a baker to bake a cake for a gay couple!

What is divisive is the manner in which people on one side of a debate treat their debate partners. For example: Efforts to stifle debate through straight-up banning of speakers i.e. college campuses or dismissing those with differing opinions by refusing to answer simple questions or stooping to character assassination by disparaging and degrading those with whom you disagree, questioning their intentions with shallow, strawman arguments and name-calling. In my experience, those who end a debate in this manner know in their heart that they cannot win it and rather than be pushed to challenge their beliefs, they in essence, forfeit or surrender in order to avoid the possibility that their world view may need some deeper reflection.

The abortion debate is no different. When someone says, the abortion debate is only meant to divide us, this implies one of two things:

#1 – “You should just shut up and agree with me!” or
#2 - “I cannot win this debate on its merits, therefore, the debate must end.”

Assuming that, “the abortion debate is only meant to divide us” statement was uttered by a pro-abortion advocate, the only alternative is to agree to disagree, remain silent and allow and accept the practice of ending innocent lives to continue and, of course, everything will be hunky-dory because we will no longer be divided.

Or here are some alternatives: How about we continue the conversation? Let’s call it a “conversation” rather than a debate so we won’t be divided. So let’s continue the conversation until the pro-abortion advocates can persuade enough Americans that there is nothing wrong with the practice of ending innocent human life.

Or let’s continue the conversation until pro-abortionists answer the following questions in an intellectually honest, non-filibuster manner.

• Is murder wrong? If yes, what is your definition of murder? 
• Is life worth protecting/preserving? If yes, what is your definition of life? And when does life begin? 
• Are you in favor of partial birth abortion? If no, why? If yes, why? 
• What article and clause in the Constitution grants women the right to an abortion? 
• What article and clause in the Constitution enumerates the federal government the power to dictate abortion laws? 
• Are you opposed to an overturning of Roe v. Wade? If so, why? 
• Are you opposed to each state passing their own abortion laws? 
• And most importantly - What about the baby? 

Let’s discuss morality, not worse case scenarios of rape and incest.

Let’s discuss the baby, not the woman’s right to choose.

Let’s discuss when life begins and whether it is worthy of protection, not throwing platitudes about men trying to control women’s bodies.

Let’s discuss the constitutionality of Roe v. Wade, not make ridiculous arguments claiming that human dignity and human rights are being violated when abortions are restricted.

If the abortion debate makes you anxious or uneasy to the point that your best option is to end the debate, I don’t think it is much of a stretch to assume that you, of all people, should continue your quest for the truth about this life or death issue.

Tale of Two Altars

American liberals continue to win the fight to make killing babies in the womb as easy as possible.

They opposed a Texas law that required abortion clinics to have admitting rights to area hospitals - ostensibly making abortions safer (you know, avoiding back-alley abortions that Nancy Pelosi is always talking about). 

Why did they oppose the law? Because it reduced the number of abortions! 

Why is reducing the number of abortions a bad thing? Because abortion is the altar at which American liberals worship. What about the baby?????

On the other hand, the Pro-Life camp opposes abortion because the altar at which we worship finds that all life is made in the image of God and, therefore, is valuable and worth saving. 

WHOLE WOMAN’S HEALTH ET AL. v. HELLERSTEDT

Obama's Core Principles

“One of my core principles is that I will never engage in a politics in which I’m trying to divide people . . . That’s a core principle — that’s not something I’d violate.” ~ Obama

He left out a few areas where he has repeatedly divided Americans:

If you:

• Are a Christian or 
• A Republican or
• Believe the Constitution should be adhered to (especially the Second Amendment) or
• Oppose gay marriage or 
• Are a member of a Tea Party group or 
• Are Pro-life or
• Are in the military or 
• Oppose his economic policy or  
• Are a police officer or 
• Live in the South or 
• Oppose his use of executive orders or
• Are wealthy or 
• Work on Wall Street or 
• Own a business or 
• Watch Fox News or 
• Oppose his foreign policy or
• Want real investigations into Fast and Furious, Benghazi, and the IRS scandal or 
• Want the borders enforced.

Besides that, his core principle, the one that he would not violate, is never to engage in politics "in which I'm trying to divide people."

Another Typical, Flawed, and Intellectually Dishonest Pro-Abortion Op-Ed

Another typical, flawed, and intellectually dishonest pro-abortion op-ed offered by obstetrician-gynecologist, Matthew Zerden, M.D.
 

I am a doctor. I know better than you.
I call this the "Expert Witness Defense." Zerden infers that, since he is an expert (a doctor), his opinion carries more weight than others. Pro-abortion women sometimes invoke this defense in the abortion debate. Since men cannot give birth, their opinion on the subject should be discounted.

Also consider the fact that Zerden makes his living partially off of performing abortions. He has a vested interest in the practice being continued!

Abortion is safe. We must continue to focus on keeping the patient safe.

"As a physician, my No. 1 priority is my patients’ safety. Abortion is already extremely safe."

d more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/12/16/4408254_nc-needs-to-continue-to-let-patient.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

The pro-abortion argument never mentions the baby! How safe is the abortion procedure for the baby whose life is being ended? For their argument to succeed, they must dehumanize or ignore the baby.

You pro-lifers are so insensitive! Did you know that one in three women have an abortion over their lifetime? "That is someone you know and love."
If Zerden were intellectually honest, he would cite where he got this outrageous statistic. But let's play along with him! He infers that because this repulsive act, one that murders babies in the womb is routinely performed, we should sit down and shut up because we may hurt the feelings of a women who had an abortion. Carrying his logic further, we are surrounded by these women; it is impossible not to encounter one of them. One in three! Really?

Using that logic, we should never condemn adultery, pornography, divorce, or having children out of wedlock since these things are so pervasive in our society!

He applauds decisions made based on science and medical evidence rather than politics.

Again, in the interest of intellectual honesty, this argument would be more accurately stated by applauding decisions made based on science and medical evidence ONLY IN REGARDS TO THE MOTHER!

Zerden completely ignores the science and medical evidence related to the baby. Such as: once the egg is fertilized, a life that previously did not exist is formed! Or perhaps Dr. Zerden could walk the reader through the medical evidence of fetal pain and fetal development? Maybe he could share with the reader pictures of an aborted baby or in utero ultrasound pictures so we can scientifically observe the fingers, toes, eyes, and heart of the non-human, clump of cells? Maybe he could show us a video of a partial birth abortion to scientifically demonstrate the lengths to which some in his profession were willing to go to make a buck?

The bottom line in the abortion debate: 
"WHAT ABOUT THE BABY?" is the question we must pose to our pro-choice, pro-abortion friends and family. They must account for the baby in their arguments!

What About the Baby?

In commemoration of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling, President Obama said the following yesterday. 

"Today, as we reflect on the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, we recommit ourselves to the decision's guiding principle: that every woman should be able to make her own choices about her body and her health.  We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to protecting a woman's access to safe, affordable health care and her constitutional right to privacy, including the right to reproductive freedom.  And we resolve to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, support maternal and child health, and continue to build safe and healthy communities for all our children.  Because this is a country where everyone deserves the same freedom and opportunities to fulfill their dreams."

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Something is missing. Did you catch it?

What about the baby’s choices about his/her body?

What about the baby’s access to safe, affordable health care?

What about the baby’s constitutional right to LIFE, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

What about the baby’s right to be born?

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When you read between the lines, what you see is a very sick and twisted perspective on life:

“We resolve to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies”

By killing all unwanted babies?

                                                    

We will “build safe and healthy communities”

By killing off millions of babies and instilling a sense of irresponsibility on the part of sexually active men and woman?

“This is a country where everyone deserves the same freedom and opportunities to fulfill their dreams”

Unless you are an unborn baby in the womb of a women who does not want you!

The fact that these obvious omissions are not even called out in a mainstream manner, says more about the decline of morals in America than anything I can imagine short of executing undesirables – i.e. Nazy Germany.

http://cnsnews.com/mrctv-blog/craig-bannister/obama-we-recommit-ourselves-roe-v-wades-guiding-principle

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

Is it just me or does the Democratic Party seem to stand against every principle that this country was founded upon?

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

LIFE
Rather than taking a Judeo-Christian approach to life, the Democratic Party is obsessed with death. Clearly abortion is a pillar of their agenda. Add to that their support of doctor-assisted suicide and the inevitable rationing and/or withholding of care for the very sick and the elderly that occurs under all socialized medicine schemes and the culture of death is complete.

• The advocate strongly for abortion on demand preferably paid for with tax-payer dollars. Consider the continuous glorification of Planned Parenthood by Democrats. Consider the forcing of religious employers to offer abortifacients in their health insurance plans. Consider their preference for minimal, if any, parental notification for abortion. Consider the systematic demonization of anyone who speaks about Pro-Life. Consider their opposition to all efforts to teach abstinence in the public schools. Consider applauding of the FDA's approval of over-the-counter morning-after pills. Consider Barack Obama's own words: "I don't want my daughters punished with a baby."
  
  Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Democrat from New York, in reference to the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 1797) which will ban abortions after five months of pregnancy exemplifies the Democrats decades-long, pro-abortion stance when he said, “Every single year we have to go through the same nonsense with the same morally presumptuous, morally arrogant attitude that we know better. ‘We know better than women and their doctors. We know better about their health care. We know better about their moral choices in very personal decisions.’” Notice there is no mention of the baby that is being killed! I bet Congressman Nadler is glad his mother “choose” to give birth to him!

• Partial birth abortion - Obama argued against a bill to ban partial birth abortions while in the Illinois State Senate. The mainstream media ignored the recent murder trail of the abortionist monster Dr. Gosnell in Philadelphia.
• Death panels in Obamacare - All socialized medicine plans ration care. Obamacare is no different. In order to keep costs under control, the Obamacare law has in it a panel which will make healthcare decisions on behalf of the government who, under a single-payer system, has a vested interest in how the dollars are spent. Obama himself said this during a town hall meeting when asked how his healthcare plan would evaluate a 105-year old mother who was facing a need for a pacemaker. Obama considerately said, "Maybe your better off not having the surgery. Maybe your better off taking a pain pill." Consider how HHS Secretary Sebellus callously responded to the 10-year Philadelphia girl who needed a lung transplant, "some people live and some people die." 
• Obama's home town of Chicago is the murder capital of the country. Not much concern over life there!
• The four people killed in the consulate attack in Benghazi, Libya. The Obama Administration and the Democratic Party have done nothing but blame an obscure video for the attack and hamper all efforts to investigate. No consideration for the loss of life.
• The Fast and Furious debacle resulted in the death of a border patrol agent and hundreds of Mexican citizens. What was Obama and the Democratic Party's response? Delay, divert and demonize those who wish to get to the bottom of the scandal. 
• Margaret Sanger - Founder of Planned Parenthood and proponent of eugenics is a named hero of Leftists like Hillary Clinton.
• The DDT ban has resulted in the deaths of millions of people based on junk science presented by Rachel Carson in 1962. The EPA banned the life-saving chemical for decades. All in the name of the junk science known as "environmentalism". Again, no consideration for the loss of life that resulted from their baseless ban.
• CAFÉ standards have resulted in lighter vehicles, which results in more vehicular deaths.
• In the wake of the Zimmerman trial, we are now being told by The Left that we have a duty to retreat in the face of an attack. 

LIBERTY

• The Democratic Party is the Party of higher taxes. Every tax dollar out of your pocket restricts your liberty because you are no longer at liberty to spend those dollars as you see fit. 
• The Democratic Party is constantly trying to dismantle the 2nd Amendment: Every shooting comes with cries for gun control restrictions.
• Obamacare is the ultimate liberty-limiting tool as you hand over your healthcare decision making to the government.
• Civil Rights – Which political party opposed civil rights legislation? Which political party imposed Jim Crow laws?
• Thousands of regulations are created and enforced by unelected bureaucrats – IRS, EPA, FDA, NLRB, HHS - all of which are tools used by the Democratic Party to punish their political opponents.
• The Democratic Party is opposed to every effort to institute school choice and/or school vouchers. This is done so the teacher unions can continue to prosper and donate to Democrat candidates. One of Obama's first acts as president was to abolish a successful voucher program in Washington, D.C.'s public school system.
• Global warming’s junk science comes with the requirement that we abandon many of the creature comforts of modern society and pay carbon taxes (see high taxes above).
• Failure to prosecute blatant voter intimidation case in 2010 in Philadelphia. The liberty of legitimate voters was violated that day!
• Liberty is restricted when risk is transferred from the private sector to the tax-payer – FDIC, national flood insurance, Fannie and Freddie bailouts, etc.
• IRS targeting groups with political differences than the Democratic Party.
• Restrictions on domestic drilling for oil unnecessarily raises the cost of gas, taking dollars out of our pockets (same as a tax increase - see above).
• Employee Free Choice Act (Card Check) – Why would you need the liberty of a secret ballot?
• Freedom of Speech: Consider Chick-fil-A and the gay marriage controversy. Consider the Fairness Doctrine, which is proposed to reign in conservative talk radio.
• Freedom of Religion: Today’s liberals argue for freedom FROM religion. They believe religion in general (Christianity specifically) must be banned from the public square lest someone become offended.
• Freedom of Association: As long as you are not a gun owner, an NRA member, a donor to a Republican candidate, or a Tea Party organization trying to secure non-profit status, you should have no problems. Otherwise, newspapers will publish your address, the media and members of the Democratic Party will denigrate you, SWAT teams will swarm your workplace (Gibson Guitar), and the IRS will target and harass you.

PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
In the Declaration of Independence, the pursuit of happiness refers to citizens' right to private property, which is a pillar of our society. Here again, the Left is not a big fan because it means the people are in control; not the government. For the purposes of this essay, I am broadening the definition of pursuit of happiness as outlined below.

The only consistent definition of pursuit of happiness that I have found in the liberal dogma is sex. They oppose abstinence education. They want to teach our kids sex education at ridiculously early ages. They want everyone, including our kids, to have access to "free" contraception and, of course, if you do get pregnant, they want "free" abortions. Finally, they continually excuse perverted actions and repeated adultery by Democrat politicians and left-wing nutjobs (see Bill Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Anthony Weiner, Senator Bob Menendez, Jesse Jackson, Idiot Spitzer, and Al Sharpton).

The way the Democratic Party has inflicted the most damage on the United States in regards to the pursuit of happiness is by constantly segmenting the populace into competing groups. Franklin Roosevelt mastered the art of segmentation only to be perfected over the ensuing decades by each new generation of Democrat candidates. Liberal / Progressive doctrine argues that you cannot be happy if someone else has more than you. When they do not have the law or the people on their side, they turn to the courts to implement and enforce their agenda.

• Debt and deficits: Debt is the biggest roadblock to our nations future pursuit of happiness. It forces us to pay more in taxes, limits our upward mobility, and enslaves future generations. 
• Perpetually high unemployment - What is more restricting of the pursuit of personal happiness than being unemployed for a long period of time? Whose policies have resulted in more prolonged periods of unemployment, lower standards of living, and malaise? Think FDR. Think Jimmy Carter. Think Obama.
• The welfare state. The third pillar of the Democratic Party after abortion-on-demand and tax hikes is an ever-expanding welfare state. Their theory is the more people who are on welfare and, thus, dependent on the government, the more likely they will be to vote for Democrats who promise more of the same. 
• Amnesty for illegal immigrants directly impacts the pursuit of happiness of LEGAL citizens by stealing jobs, stealing our tax dollars, etc. There are some short-sighted and misguided Republicans who support amnesty but this is a liberal/progressive policy as its aim is to put more voters on the public dole.
• Spread the wealth around. On its face, this policy stifles the pursuit of happiness of the person from whom wealth is being confiscated from. 
• Free market capitalism is the nature order. It is based on natural law where each individual pursues their interests by serving others and, therefore, getting paid to do such. Which political party consistently advocates for the building of barriers through regulations, bureaucracies, and new agencies that subdue or kill an individual’s ability to pursue happiness.

Religion in America

While church attendance in America may be on the decline, religion in America flourishes! Consider the following religions:

• Global Warming
• Abortion
• Environmentalism
• Progressivism
• Liberalism
• Keeping-Up-With-The-Joneses
• In the case of members of Congress, the religion of Remaining-Relevant or Maintaining-My-Popularity-for-the-Georgetown-Cocktail-Party-Circuit
• The most damaging religion in America is that of Party-Above-Reason. This is the religion that worships a political party above all else. Despite evidence of looming bankruptcy, debt and deficits at record highs, record levels of high unemployment, record low levels of labor force participation, dismal economic statistics, perpetual $3.50 gallon of gas, lower levels of income, record levels of food stamp recipients, willful misrepresentation of legislation, lies, deception, cover-ups, cronyism, lack of accountability, record levels of people on disability, and a dead American Ambassador, many Americans refuse to hold the government accountable for its complete ineptitude because their religion precludes them from such.

The Most Transparent Administration in History

“This is the most transparent administration in history” ~ Obama in February.

Let's count the ways:

1. Obamacare – No debate on C-SPAN as promised, the bill was not put online for five days as promised, no one read the bill, it passed the House using budget reconciliation, and bribed senators.
2. Benghazi
3. IRS scandal
4. His college records
5. Fast and Furious
6. Drone attacks

On the other hand, he has been very transparent in regards to his ideological motivations:

1. "I want to spread the wealth around"
2. "Punish your enemies"
3. "I don’t want them punished with a baby" speaking about one of his daughters getting pregnant. 
4. "God bless you” addressing Planned Parenthood
5. "I believe in American Exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism."
6. “You didn’t build that!”
7. “It's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion . . ."
8. “Under my plan of cap and trade, electricity prices will necessarily skyrocket”
9. "We can't -- drive our SUVs and you know, eat as much as we want and keep our homes on you know, 72 degrees at all times . . .”
10. "Maybe you're better off not having the surgery, but taking the painkiller."
11. “I do think at a certain point you’ve made enough money”

The Silent Majority No More

America is a country run by a group of minorities. The cycle goes something like this: the majority voices their opinion through legislation, public policy or through tradition and the minority runs to the court system in search of the most activist jurist to ram their policies down the throat of the majority. The majority never takes a strong stand on any one issue and we end up with a fractured society ruled by laws that no longer reflect the views of the majority of Americans.

Below are a few examples:

• The majority of Americans believe in God, yet atheists and apathetic bureaucrats block the inclusion of God in public at every turn.
• The majority believe in limited government and maximum freedom, yet we now live in a society where the federal government dictates everything from the food and drugs we can consume, the kind of cars we drive, how fast we can drive them, the light bulbs we can buy, and the drinking age. If you really want to see how grotesque the federal government is, read about the "Federal Registry" or the "IRS tax code". Guess how large those two documents are!!!!
• The majority is pro-life, yet the Supreme Court found an “right to privacy” in the Constitution and then applied this previously unmentioned right to a woman’s right to terminate the life of their unborn child. Fast forward 40 years and we have now terminated over 30 million lives. That’s 10% of our current population!!!! Depending on what state you live in, you can abort late into a pregnancy even via the Obama-supported procedure known as partial birth abortion. Federal dollars flow to Planned Parenthood to pay for the infanticide of our next generation. All efforts to slow down this trend – sonograms, adoption, education, are squashed by, what can only be described as a pro-murder industry and the Democratic Party.
• The majority believe in traditional definition of marriage as evidenced by the over 30+ states that have passed laws clearly defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Gay rights activists are not content with pursuing tax policy and public policy changes to give them the “rights’ they desire. They feel compelled to change the thousands-of-years-old definition of marriage via activist judges.
• The majority is opposed to Obamacare. Prior to its passage, the disapproval rate was over 50% and, now that the lies regarding the law have been exposed, the impact on our pocketbooks is clear, and the crushing impact on the economy is evident, the percentage is even higher. No wonder they had to pass the bill by bribing Senators and using a budget reconciliation procedural vote to pass it.
• The majority of Americans believe in the power of prayer, yet the Left has purposefully removed it from the public square because it "might offend someone".
• The majority believe in balancing the federal budget, yet under President Bush the national debt and the annual budget deficit grew by 294% and 73% respectively. So far under Obama those figures are 200% and over 60%. How is this sustainable? 
• The majority support school vouchers and school choice, yet the Democratic Party (local, state and national) squash all efforts to implement such programs due to the influence of teachers unions on that party. One of President Obama’s first acts as President was to kill an extremely popular and successful school voucher program in a poor area of Washington, D.C.
• The majority of Americans believe in freedom of religion, yet activist atheists and agnostics want "freedom from religion".
• The majority believes in voter ID laws, yet activists and liars squash most efforts to implement them.