Abortion
Pro-Life and Politics
01/31/2013 08:09
They Just Do Not Get It
The Internet has made it easy to send messages to our politicians on various issues. The National Committee for a Human Life Amendment is one of those organizations that has taken full advantage of this new technology. By going to their website and providing some simple information, an email can be sent to senators, congressmen, and representatives with the click of a button. Recently they provided such a service for those who wished to send a message for the 40th Anniversary of Roe vs Wade. The website provides a basic message that a user can easily edit or send as is. When I took action recently, I decided to use the standard message. Here is the message sent to Senator Schumer:
Dear Senator Schumer,
I join with all those marching in Washington and around the country in calling for the end of Roe v. Wade as the law of the land. The regime of Roe, imposed on this country for the past 40 years, is opposed by millions of Americans and has been severely criticized by many legal scholars as lacking a basis in the Constitution.
As your constituent, I urge you to work to end Roe. It is imperative to establish in law the protection of unborn children and to restore to citizens and elected officials their proper voice in addressing this issue.
Thank you.
Rev. Peter Dugandzic
Notice the simple message and the request it makes. The message raises constitutional questions, not religious ones, and asks him to work toward ending Roe. Of course, I am sure that his office has received hundreds of thousands of emails with this same message. Thus, the content of the email is no surprise and should allow him to generate a response that addresses the question raised. The following is the standard response that came a day later. N.B., although the message I sent included my title, the response did not include the title. Here is the response:
Dear Mr. Dugandzic:
Thank you for your comments on the difficult issue of abortion. I always appreciate hearing from my constituents.
As the father of two girls, I share your deep respect for the sanctity of life, and I realize the importance of honoring one's moral and religious heritage. But I also value the freedom under the law that all American citizens have to base our personal choices on our own values and moral convictions. I also believe that the decision to have children ought to be a personal one based on a woman's own religious and moral beliefs, not those of the government or outside organizations. Having said that, I support measures that aim to reduce the number of legal abortions, and I believe that education and prevention are critical to achieving that.
The decision to have an abortion will never be an easy one, nor should it be, but I believe that every woman should have the option to make her own determination in counsel with her minister, priest, or rabbi, her physician and her family.
Again, I thank you for voicing your opinion on this issue. If I can be of any further assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me again.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator
I am sure that anyone who sent a message to him has received this response from his office. In looking over his response, I take insult to certain things. 1) He claims to share my deep respect for the sanctity of life… And then proceeds to tell me why he will allow the slaughter to continue. 2) He does not address the constitutional question, i.e., the right to life, and may believe that I am not smart enough to notice. 3) He completely dismisses fatherhood and the place of the father in his response. So I beg the question, Is abortion a woman’s issue only? 4) He contends that the decision to kill an innocent human being is a private matter determined by the woman, who may do so with counsel, if necessary. This last one is the most troubling because he seemingly abdicates the government’s authority over those who are allowed to kill innocent human beings.
Since he invited me to do so, I decided to contact him again. While I would love to say much more to him, I realize that such communication is near impossible in an email. Here is what I sent to him on January 28 and, as of January 31, have not heard back from him.
Praised be Jesus Christ!
Dear Mr. Schumer,
I received your standard response with regard to abortion and I have to admit that I am very disappointed with what you said. You claim to share my deep respect for the sanctity of human life and then proceed to say that such respect is relative to the individual rather than the Truth with regard to Life. Please note, your response betrays the Constitution by trivializing the Right to Life. Once a human being comes into existence at conception, that being has a Right to Life and such must be guaranteed by people like yourself. No relative perspective can change the existence of a human being and such relativism cannot change the objective character of an act that destroys the innocent.
For the record, the decision to have a child is made BEFORE conception. Once conceived, you and I have a duty to uphold the Right to Life and you, who have the power to do so, have abdicated that by saying the decision is personal and relative to the individual. So answer this question, where is the line drawn on the limits for one to make personal decisions to end an innocent human life?
As someone of your stature and brilliance, I again state that you have disappointed me in your response and have made it impossible for me to support you in your endeavors. If you would like to have a more intelligent discussion on this matter, please feel free to contact me by phone or in person.
Peace,
Fr. Peter Dugandzic
So, based on this exchange, I invite Catholics of good conscience to make their voices heard. Let your politicians know that they are missing the mark and it is time for them to come to grips with the reality of abortion. Since they are in office to represent you, even if you did not vote for them, make sure they do not dismiss you. Most especially, do not allow them to mire the conversation in relativistic language, which trivializes the foundations of our Country and our Faith.
The Internet has made it easy to send messages to our politicians on various issues. The National Committee for a Human Life Amendment is one of those organizations that has taken full advantage of this new technology. By going to their website and providing some simple information, an email can be sent to senators, congressmen, and representatives with the click of a button. Recently they provided such a service for those who wished to send a message for the 40th Anniversary of Roe vs Wade. The website provides a basic message that a user can easily edit or send as is. When I took action recently, I decided to use the standard message. Here is the message sent to Senator Schumer:
Dear Senator Schumer,
I join with all those marching in Washington and around the country in calling for the end of Roe v. Wade as the law of the land. The regime of Roe, imposed on this country for the past 40 years, is opposed by millions of Americans and has been severely criticized by many legal scholars as lacking a basis in the Constitution.
As your constituent, I urge you to work to end Roe. It is imperative to establish in law the protection of unborn children and to restore to citizens and elected officials their proper voice in addressing this issue.
Thank you.
Rev. Peter Dugandzic
Notice the simple message and the request it makes. The message raises constitutional questions, not religious ones, and asks him to work toward ending Roe. Of course, I am sure that his office has received hundreds of thousands of emails with this same message. Thus, the content of the email is no surprise and should allow him to generate a response that addresses the question raised. The following is the standard response that came a day later. N.B., although the message I sent included my title, the response did not include the title. Here is the response:
Dear Mr. Dugandzic:
Thank you for your comments on the difficult issue of abortion. I always appreciate hearing from my constituents.
As the father of two girls, I share your deep respect for the sanctity of life, and I realize the importance of honoring one's moral and religious heritage. But I also value the freedom under the law that all American citizens have to base our personal choices on our own values and moral convictions. I also believe that the decision to have children ought to be a personal one based on a woman's own religious and moral beliefs, not those of the government or outside organizations. Having said that, I support measures that aim to reduce the number of legal abortions, and I believe that education and prevention are critical to achieving that.
The decision to have an abortion will never be an easy one, nor should it be, but I believe that every woman should have the option to make her own determination in counsel with her minister, priest, or rabbi, her physician and her family.
Again, I thank you for voicing your opinion on this issue. If I can be of any further assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me again.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator
I am sure that anyone who sent a message to him has received this response from his office. In looking over his response, I take insult to certain things. 1) He claims to share my deep respect for the sanctity of life… And then proceeds to tell me why he will allow the slaughter to continue. 2) He does not address the constitutional question, i.e., the right to life, and may believe that I am not smart enough to notice. 3) He completely dismisses fatherhood and the place of the father in his response. So I beg the question, Is abortion a woman’s issue only? 4) He contends that the decision to kill an innocent human being is a private matter determined by the woman, who may do so with counsel, if necessary. This last one is the most troubling because he seemingly abdicates the government’s authority over those who are allowed to kill innocent human beings.
Since he invited me to do so, I decided to contact him again. While I would love to say much more to him, I realize that such communication is near impossible in an email. Here is what I sent to him on January 28 and, as of January 31, have not heard back from him.
Praised be Jesus Christ!
Dear Mr. Schumer,
I received your standard response with regard to abortion and I have to admit that I am very disappointed with what you said. You claim to share my deep respect for the sanctity of human life and then proceed to say that such respect is relative to the individual rather than the Truth with regard to Life. Please note, your response betrays the Constitution by trivializing the Right to Life. Once a human being comes into existence at conception, that being has a Right to Life and such must be guaranteed by people like yourself. No relative perspective can change the existence of a human being and such relativism cannot change the objective character of an act that destroys the innocent.
For the record, the decision to have a child is made BEFORE conception. Once conceived, you and I have a duty to uphold the Right to Life and you, who have the power to do so, have abdicated that by saying the decision is personal and relative to the individual. So answer this question, where is the line drawn on the limits for one to make personal decisions to end an innocent human life?
As someone of your stature and brilliance, I again state that you have disappointed me in your response and have made it impossible for me to support you in your endeavors. If you would like to have a more intelligent discussion on this matter, please feel free to contact me by phone or in person.
Peace,
Fr. Peter Dugandzic
So, based on this exchange, I invite Catholics of good conscience to make their voices heard. Let your politicians know that they are missing the mark and it is time for them to come to grips with the reality of abortion. Since they are in office to represent you, even if you did not vote for them, make sure they do not dismiss you. Most especially, do not allow them to mire the conversation in relativistic language, which trivializes the foundations of our Country and our Faith.
Excuse Me Mr. President?
12/17/2012 10:17
Are You Listening to Yourself?
The tragedy that occurred on Friday is without question the worst in American history. The senseless killing of innocent children is horrific and it is impossible for any human being to remain unmoved by it. Yes, this tragedy should make every American citizen, and every person around the world, stop for just a moment and ask how something like this could happen. There is no psychological profile of a killer that can explain this madness. There is no circumstance that one could list that will put this act in context. The actions of this individual are pure evil and nothing can justify them or even make sense of them. It is truly senseless. Because Man is tainted by original sin, we must always be working as families and communities to form consciences according to the Will of God. And most especially, we must go out of our way to ensure we are working toward a culture of Life.
I have to admit, however, that President Obama has succeeded in demonstrating to me that he speaks out of both sides of his mouth. First, he sheds tears in front of cameras and waxes philosophical on the lives shortened by a maniac. I am sure he is bothered by this tragedy like any human being would be. No one can question the sincerity of his emotions or that this tragedy has deeply effected him. Then he stands in front of those directly devastated by this tragedy and says that protecting our children is “our first job… If we don’t get that right, then we won’t get anything right. That is how we will be judged… Can we honestly say we are doing enough to keep our children safe from harm?” So from which side of your mouth are these words coming?
These words have a great truth to them and yet the messenger makes them suspect. Lest we forget, this president has been responsible for the deaths of millions of innocent American children and countless more worldwide through his national and international policies on abortion. Yes, his radical pro-abortion policies and financial support of the abortion industry has repeatedly ended the lives of innocent children. So I agree Mr. President, if we don’t get this right and put an end to the culture of death, then we won’t get anything right. This is not about gun laws or putting new locks on school buildings. It is about having a consistent ethic of Life. On this, we will be judged! Yes, there is a subversive “conspiracy against life” and the president and his closest advisors are all conspirators. So, Mr. President, before you even dare to suggest we need legislation to protect our most innocent citizens from madmen, which would be a good thing, you should work on legislation that protects the most vulnerable children from yourself. As long as you continue to feed the culture of death and remain a conspirator against life, it is hard to accept your sincerity.
Ironically, on Friday the president said of these children, “They had their entire lives ahead of them -- birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own…” These are beautiful words and are the exact same words I said about the lives of babies in the womb on the day Mr. Obama was elected.
May God shed His Love on those poor families who lost a child last Friday and may He sustain them by the grace of the Holy Spirit now and for many years to come.
The tragedy that occurred on Friday is without question the worst in American history. The senseless killing of innocent children is horrific and it is impossible for any human being to remain unmoved by it. Yes, this tragedy should make every American citizen, and every person around the world, stop for just a moment and ask how something like this could happen. There is no psychological profile of a killer that can explain this madness. There is no circumstance that one could list that will put this act in context. The actions of this individual are pure evil and nothing can justify them or even make sense of them. It is truly senseless. Because Man is tainted by original sin, we must always be working as families and communities to form consciences according to the Will of God. And most especially, we must go out of our way to ensure we are working toward a culture of Life.
I have to admit, however, that President Obama has succeeded in demonstrating to me that he speaks out of both sides of his mouth. First, he sheds tears in front of cameras and waxes philosophical on the lives shortened by a maniac. I am sure he is bothered by this tragedy like any human being would be. No one can question the sincerity of his emotions or that this tragedy has deeply effected him. Then he stands in front of those directly devastated by this tragedy and says that protecting our children is “our first job… If we don’t get that right, then we won’t get anything right. That is how we will be judged… Can we honestly say we are doing enough to keep our children safe from harm?” So from which side of your mouth are these words coming?
These words have a great truth to them and yet the messenger makes them suspect. Lest we forget, this president has been responsible for the deaths of millions of innocent American children and countless more worldwide through his national and international policies on abortion. Yes, his radical pro-abortion policies and financial support of the abortion industry has repeatedly ended the lives of innocent children. So I agree Mr. President, if we don’t get this right and put an end to the culture of death, then we won’t get anything right. This is not about gun laws or putting new locks on school buildings. It is about having a consistent ethic of Life. On this, we will be judged! Yes, there is a subversive “conspiracy against life” and the president and his closest advisors are all conspirators. So, Mr. President, before you even dare to suggest we need legislation to protect our most innocent citizens from madmen, which would be a good thing, you should work on legislation that protects the most vulnerable children from yourself. As long as you continue to feed the culture of death and remain a conspirator against life, it is hard to accept your sincerity.
Ironically, on Friday the president said of these children, “They had their entire lives ahead of them -- birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own…” These are beautiful words and are the exact same words I said about the lives of babies in the womb on the day Mr. Obama was elected.
May God shed His Love on those poor families who lost a child last Friday and may He sustain them by the grace of the Holy Spirit now and for many years to come.