To the editor:
We must respond to a recent letter citing a question from Professor Douglas Kmiec: “How could a Catholic not support Barack Obama?”
We considered Obama’s voting record and publicly stated views and composed a list of over 10 reasons in answer to this question. Obama represents an extreme position of pro-abortion advocacy against the Church’s repeatedly stated teachings. To conserve space, we will only include the first reason in our response. In his vow to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Obama states, “The first thing I will do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act.”
The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) is legislation that Obama has co-sponsored along with 18 other senators that would annihilate every single state law limiting or regulating abortion, including the federal ban on partial birth abortion and taxpayer funding of abortions. FOCA would effectively nullify informed consent laws, waiting periods, health safety regulations for abortion clinics, parental notification, etc. Furthermore, medical professionals and institutions that refused abortions would lose legal protection.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops warns about this alarming and dangerous legislation. Cardinal Justin Rigali wrote to members of Congress on September 19 that under FOCA “abortion on demand would be a national entitlement that government must condone and promote in all public programs affecting pregnant women . . . There is one thing absolutely everyone should be able to agree on: We can’t reduce abortions by promoting abortion . . . No one who sponsors or supports legislation like FOCA can credibly claim to be part of a good-faith discussion on how to reduce abortions.” He urged all members of Congress to “pledge their opposition to FOCA and other legislation designed to promote abortion.”
Barack Obama has pledged to make abortion on demand through FOCA the first priority of his administration. This alone is enough evidence for Catholics not to support him.
Nick and Kay Ringelstetter, Prairie du Sac