The DFL culture of death
I've never understood how the party that pushes for universal healthcare, an end to global climate change, civil rights and workers rights can so easily reconcile supporting the wholesale slaughter of unborn children as part of its party platform. The voters in District 26 will soon have a very clear choice to make regarding their next State Senator. Do they want to send someone up to the Capitol that believes in the sanctity of life, or send someone who "made no bones about his pro-choice stance."
The labels that we apply to the abortion debate, pro-life or pro-choice, can seem very misleading. The entire argument can be boiled down to one single point, at what point does life begin? For most conservatives that point is conception. For DFL candidate Engbrecht, that point seems to be much further along in the pregnancy cycle. His quote to the Owatonna Peoples Press gives us a little more insight. "I am however unequivocal about being pro-choice,” he said. “I do think we ought to take serious looks at restrictions on late-term abortions, and find a common sense way for us all to get together and talk about what types of late-term abortions we can restrict, and when there should be exceptions for that.”
On the surface it would appear that the common ground for both sides of this issue is to reduce the number of abortions. However, the real debate is not really over abortion, for the DFL it is about power. The DFL will not cede any moral or legal ground on this issue for to do so would diminish their position and could be seen as a blow to the rights of women. But who in the DFL speaks for the rights of the unborn? Is Engbrecht willing to defend those, who cannot speak for themselves, because they have not been born yet? We need to elect a candidate that has a strong pro-life view. By allowing politicians to treat the beginning of life so casually and careless, we slide down the slippery slope that leads to a casual and careless attitude towards the end of life. In short, I believe that it can easily lead to euthanasia.
Abortion has always been a deeply passionate and personal issue. Most folks that feel very strongly on this issue rarely change their minds once their opinion has been formed. There is some common ground for discussion. For example, most reasonable folks can agree, that there should be a ban on partial birth abortions. Also, groups like the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, have an agenda that includes protecting a program called Positive Alternatives. This is a state run program that helps women with unintended pregnancies find alternatives to abortion. The politics of abortion will always remain highly contested, but in strong church based communities such as Faribault, Morristown, Owatonna and Waseca the choice should be very clear.
The labels that we apply to the abortion debate, pro-life or pro-choice, can seem very misleading. The entire argument can be boiled down to one single point, at what point does life begin? For most conservatives that point is conception. For DFL candidate Engbrecht, that point seems to be much further along in the pregnancy cycle. His quote to the Owatonna Peoples Press gives us a little more insight. "I am however unequivocal about being pro-choice,” he said. “I do think we ought to take serious looks at restrictions on late-term abortions, and find a common sense way for us all to get together and talk about what types of late-term abortions we can restrict, and when there should be exceptions for that.”
On the surface it would appear that the common ground for both sides of this issue is to reduce the number of abortions. However, the real debate is not really over abortion, for the DFL it is about power. The DFL will not cede any moral or legal ground on this issue for to do so would diminish their position and could be seen as a blow to the rights of women. But who in the DFL speaks for the rights of the unborn? Is Engbrecht willing to defend those, who cannot speak for themselves, because they have not been born yet? We need to elect a candidate that has a strong pro-life view. By allowing politicians to treat the beginning of life so casually and careless, we slide down the slippery slope that leads to a casual and careless attitude towards the end of life. In short, I believe that it can easily lead to euthanasia.
Abortion has always been a deeply passionate and personal issue. Most folks that feel very strongly on this issue rarely change their minds once their opinion has been formed. There is some common ground for discussion. For example, most reasonable folks can agree, that there should be a ban on partial birth abortions. Also, groups like the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, have an agenda that includes protecting a program called Positive Alternatives. This is a state run program that helps women with unintended pregnancies find alternatives to abortion. The politics of abortion will always remain highly contested, but in strong church based communities such as Faribault, Morristown, Owatonna and Waseca the choice should be very clear.
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