Issue Spotlight: Life

Life is the most fundamental of our God-given rights. It begins at conception and ends at natural death, and no person or government has the right to take it away without just cause and due process (hint: convenience doesn’t count as “just cause.”).

Abortion

How we treat unborn children and seniors tells what kind of society we are. While the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade officially allowed abortion, I believe that decision will be overturned eventually, hopefully in my lifetime.

Until then, we need to do all we can to reduce abortion as much as possible.

Here are some measures South Carolina should take to protect innocent life:

• Do not provide any taxpayer funding to abortion clinics, either directly or indirectly through health insurance coverage
• Hold clinics to ambulatory surgical center standards (as Texas has done)
• Resist Federal intrusion into healthcare
• Prohibit Planned Parenthood from providing sex education in public schools
• Provide faith-based abstinence education in schools

The SC House just passed a bill banning abortion after 20 weeks, the point at which unborn babies are able to feel pain (some believe the ability to feel pain begins earlier). The legislation is  currently before the Senate and will hopefully pass. I would definitely support this and similar measures.

What about rape and incest?

Rape and incest are tragic situations that do sometimes result in pregnancy. However, the child in the womb is an innocent third party and does not deserve to die. The baby isn’t just “a constant reminder” or “a tragic memento.” It’s a life, and deserves protection just as much as yours and mine.

Additionally, abortion often causes severe trauma and depression to the mother that often takes years to recover from. Abortion doesn’t provide healing to a girl struggling with the aftermath of rape; it only makes things worse.

Seniors

As the tragic case of Terri Schiavo showed, it’s not just unborn children who are endangered by a lack of respect for human life.

Seniors, the disabled, and unborn children are our most vulnerable members of society and can be very prone to abuse from neglect, manipulation, or - as in Ms. Schiavo’s situation - outright murder because she had no voice. The state’s job is to protect their right to life, not to allow others to take advantage of their disability.

Sometimes family members do have very difficult decisions to make regarding true life support. But denying the basic necessities of life does not count as “life support” regardless of what the Florida Legislature says, and no family member has the right to deny basic care to a loved one.

The intrusion of the Federal government into our healthcare system has very grave implications for our seniors. When the provisions and mandates in Obamacare fully take effect, seniors and the disabled are likely to be denied the care they need, in favor of more “useful” members of society. This is a travesty we must avoid at all cost.

Rep. Bill Chumley and Sen. Tom Davis led the fight to nullify Obamacare in South Carolina over the last year, but were thwarted at every turn by corrupt politicians. I supported Chumley’s bill and if elected, I will do everything I can to fight the implementation of Obamacare in our state.

Conclusion

In the Declaration of Independence, the founders stated that “...all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…”

The right to life is foundational to all our other freedoms. When that right is trampled on, our freedom is gone. Government’s job is to protect every innocent life, no matter how small or insignificant.