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A Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in KS currently assigned as the Associate Pastor of Prince of Peace parish in Olathe, KS.
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FOCA revisited
In a blog post on December 8, 2008 I blogged on the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) and how destructive it could be to the cause of pro-life. If passed, it would wipe out all laws, statutes and restrictions at the federal and state level that have been passed since the Supreme Court decision of Roe vs. Wade. In essence, it would take us back to January 23, 1973 - the day after the Supreme Court decision. It would further block and ban any and all future legislation attempting to restrict abortions. I am not giong to repeat the many laws and statutes if would repeal (you can read my Dec. 8th post for that information) but I wanted to blog about the postcard drive being sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)and another real danger to the pro-life movement that may be more destructive that FOCA. First, the USCCB is sponsoring a postcard drive to make Congress aware that hundred of thousands of Americans oppose FOCA. The USCCB's web site makes the following statement regarding the postcard drive: The "Fight FOCA Postcard Campaign" sends the message to Congress that the radical policies of FOCA are out of step with the most basic values of the American people and should not become a part of our nation’s laws in any way. The postcard signing event gives parishioners, as individuals and as a body, an opportunity to give public witness to their belief in the sanctity of human life. People remember signing the cards, and public officials understand that the postcards represent concerned constituents. In addition to the postcard: • An educational flier is available, "FOCA: A Radical Threat to Human Life." This piece contains a brief statement on the threat FOCA represents and lists in concise form actions a person can take. • Parishioners are also encouraged to visit the special e-mail action page on nchla.org, where they can send e-mail messages to their federal elected officials in Congress and to the President. The text of the postcard states that as a citizen (these card can be signed by anyone not just Catholics or those of voting age) I am opposed to legislation that would eliminate restrictions on abortion. The text of the postcards says: Dear Senator, At this time of serious national challenges, Americans should unite to serve the good of all, born and unborn. The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), the most radical and divisive pro-abortion bill ever introduced in Congress, would create a "fundamental right" to abortion that government could not limit but would have to support. FOCA would overturn many existing widelysupported policies, including laws protecting parental involvement and conscience rights and those preventing partial-birth abortion and taxpayer funding of abortion. Please oppose FOCA or any similar measure, and retain laws against federal funding and promotion of abortion. As your constituent, I would appreciate a written response telling me how you would vote on these matters. The postcard drive actually goes beyond FOCA, which is my second point. The FOCA legislation has been submitted in Congress in one form or another since 1989. Currently, it would seem that it does not have enough votes to pass should it come before the Senate or House. However, it is extremely important that we send these postcards for two reasons: 1) We want our political leaders to know we are opposed to FOCA should it come before them for a vote. 2) If you read the wording of the postcard above you will notice it states that we are opposed to ANY legislation that may reduce or eliminate current restrictions on abortion. Because of the strong possibility that this bill will not pass, a much more real danger exists. While Congress may not pass FOCA, the President, Barack Obama, CAN issue Executive Orders that would enact parts of FOCA and eliminate various restrictions. This very real possibility would allow him to very subtly eliminate or suspend laws restriction abortion one law at a time and would be very much less noticable. We want Congress to know that we are opposed to ANY attempts to reduce or eliminate restrictions on abortions, be whether that be legislation introduced in Congress or unilateral action by the President. That is why it is vital that you sign these postcards and mail them to Congress. If you do not have access to a postcard you can print your own postcard by downloading it at: http://www.nchla.org/datasource/idocuments/Postcards.Eng&Sp.pdf You are also encouraged to e-mail your representative and the Natl. Committee for a Human Life Amendment (NCHLA) has a place on its web site in which you can send an email to your representative: http://www.nchla.org/actiondisplay.asp I would strongly encourage you to help us to inform our federal government that you, as a U.S. citizen, oppose the elimination of abortion restrictions and that you support dignity and respect for all human life from the moment of conception until death. Until next time...God bless.
posted by: crossman at 09:09 |
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