Warning - strong opinions expressed below

Recently the following opinion was published in our local newspaper.

If you don't want to know where I stand on issues like religion and abortion, then do not read on.

Below is my response to the above opinion, 

I submitted my letter to the Rice Lake Chronotype today.

2014.04.14

I am a long time reader; first time writer.  Stating my opinions publicly doesn't come very natural to me.

I can understand that we don’t all have the same political party affiliations, not to worry, it’s your choice.  And freedom of choice is very important to me.

I guess I’d say that I am a tight-lipped left wing liberal.  I've always felt that family relationships and personal friendships are more important to me than discussing and/or arguing my value system to the detriment of those important ties to the people in my life.   So, most of the time, I avoid discussing politics or my personal liberal viewpoints with those whom I know have strong feelings to the contrary.   I tend to agree-to-disagree.   It’s simply not worth it to me to jeopardize relationships.  I’d rather use my vote to voice my opinions & to support those who I feel will fairly represent me in government.

Having said all that, a “Sound Off’ letter accusing supporters of Steve Smith to be the “Lunatic Leftist Fringe”, who believe in infanticide because a room is painted pink instead of blue, forced me to sit at the keyboard and try to express my feelings.

I’m not a particularly religious person, however, I am supportive of the church in my community and I feel strongly about the part that the congregation can play in the lives of children and adults.   I highly value that I have a constitutional choice in my desire to practice religion if I choose it.

I do understand that religious beliefs may give people strong justification to oppose abortion.   And, I hope that if this is how you feel, that you will never be forced to have to take part in something that violates your personal beliefs and that no one tries to make a decision for you regarding your personal health.

I do wonder if many people are really seriously pro-abortion.  I wouldn't say that I am interested in promoting abortion, but I am very interested in promoting & ensuring that each of us in this country has the right to decide.  We all deserve the right to decide to use and have access to affordable birth control if we choose it; and we all deserve the right to decide and have access to legal medical procedures if we choose them.  We all deserve to know that we will never be forced to have to take part in something that violates our personal beliefs & values and that no one will try to make a decision for us regarding our personal health. 

So, finally back to legislation and abortion & Steve Smith’s vote.  I believe that passing any legislation that prohibits abortion, for any reason, violates my personal right to chose.  Is Assembly bill 217 a bill to protect infants?  I don’t think so, instead it is designed as a toe-hold to begin to pass bills that prohibit my right to choose; my right to choose abortion and my right to choose my religious belief.  It is a bill disguised as being necessary by suggesting a very shocking idea that any person would chose abortion based on the preferred sex of a fetus.  I am not fooled; this bill is aimed at restricting my personal choice and my personal freedom, it forces on me the religious beliefs of others.  I am glad that it was defeated.

As a young girl, I learned an important rule “Do unto others as you would want others to do unto you”.  I’m happy to let you choose your way in life, but that means you have to let me choose mine as well.

My complete article was printed in the Rice Lake Chrontype on Wednesday, April 23, 2014.  It was also published in their online version of the paper.  On the evening of 4/24/2014, I received a phone call from a man in Cameron who I do not know, who wanted to tell me that he thought I wrote a really good article and wanted to tell me.  Small town reactions are sometimes surprising.