The pro-life militia has informed the Republican Party that this coming election will be a one-issue campaign again. Any candidate chosen by the party who does not support an abrupt end to abortion will get no support. Their troops will find an alternate candidate (whose agenda on other issues matters not in the least), or sit this election out!
All other issues of are little or no consequence; not the ongoing bloody war in Iraq, the threat of its expanding with military action against Iran, Syria, Pakistan and even Turkey, health insurance coverage for children, our deteriorating infrastructure, special tax privileges for the very rich, fantastic farm subsidies for huge agro-businesses and landowners who do not even farm the land themselves, the desperate needs of our public schools, and on and on. These deserve scant attention until abortion is dealt with by the next administration.
We all agree that abortion stills a beating heart and that even a fetus can feel pain. The fact that millions of children die of malnutrition and starvation each year does not seem to enter their minds, however. They are also extremely painful ways for children to live and die. I have yet to meet a pro-lifer who insists that we must raise taxes to care for the unborn and the born as well! But then opposing abortion does not cost one cent, but proposing tax increases to care for the vast number of children living in abject poverty apparently is not worth consideration for it tends to flatten pocketbooks.
It seems when personal sacrifice is involved, there is not much enthusiasm for other desperately needed reforms and social action. Except for the one issue of abortion, the consciences of pro-lifers seem to be in complete accord with the Minnesota Taxpayers League's program -- my money for myself! When praying for our troops, let us remember our right-wing radicals as well to help them broaden their humanitarian perspectives on human values.
Lee Paulson
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Glenwood
