Claire McCaskill’s response to my letter
Dear all,
As you know I wrote an open letter to congress and sent it to my congressmen. (letter can be found here if you didn’t read it) Missouri senator a fierce Obama supporter and campaigner wrote me back. I will post her reply below.
John Barker aka Haybark, sent the same letter with his name on it to his Michigan senators. And got a response which he will post.
If you like the letter I wrote I’m asking you readers, to send it to your senators and representatives. You can feel free to put your name on it as if you wrote it, or write your own. But if you have any zeal about the injustice of abortion, then lets blitz those that represent us in congress and demand that they look at this issue through a different lens. That they would consider abortion and how it takes the rights of one life to give freedom to another. It’s an injustice that we often talk about, but lets take action that counts.
Let’s take our stand, start an online initiative to end this injustice by appealing to those who have the ability to change it. This is nothing new, but if we are consistent and many, just maybe a voice will be heard in our nation’s capitol. It can’t hurt to try.
Mrs. McCaskill’s response was wanting. She used some pretty loaded double talk, and in the end really didn’t say much to me at all. I responded to her, and am a waiting her response. Here was her letter to me:
Dear Mr. Hensley:
Thank you for contacting me regarding a women’s right to choose. I appreciate hearing from you, and I welcome the chance to respond.
Abortion should be safe, legal and rare. As your U.S. Senator, I am committed to ensuring that women, especially those victimized by sexual assault or experiencing severe medical complications, have a right to emergency contraception and safe abortions if they so choose.
Instead of criminalizing women and their doctors, we must focus on reducing abortions. I am a strong supporter and co-sponsor of the Prevention First Act (S.21). This legislation seeks to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions by expanding family planning education programs and increasing access to emergency contraception. The bill would also help improve women’s access to preventative health care services.
Again, I appreciate you taking the time to share your views with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future regarding other matters of interest or concern to you.
All best,
Senator Claire McCaskill
i responded… How would you?
-Here is the response that I got from Senator Stabenow, D- Michigan. She rode the fence pretty much, but I believe she was provolked by the letter. Ihad sent Zack’s letter to about 160 of my contacts and asked them to do as I did, and then foward the message to their contacts. Here is a link to a sight that will locate your congressmen and give you thier contact details; it will link you directly to thier message interface. http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/.
Here’s Senator Debbie Stabenow’s letter;
August 1, 2008
Mr. John Barker
Thank you . . .
. . for contacting me to express your views on the issue of abortion.
The issue of abortion is unquestionably the most difficult issue I have had to deal with during my years of service. I have struggled with all sides of the issue to determine not only what I personally believe, but, more important, what I should do as a legislator representing a diverse state of people who hold many different religious, moral and personal beliefs.
Abortion is a serious issue that has divided many sincere and honest people. Many believe that abortion is either absolutely right or absolutely wrong, while others feel it is acceptable only under certain limited conditions. Unfortunately, when the issue of abortion is debated in legislatures and in the Congress, representatives are often forced into choosing an absolute pro-abortion or anti-abortion stand. However, the questions I must decide as your Senator are not whether I am for or against abortion, but rather, what is the appropriate role of the government, and should government be making decisions about this intensely personal family matter.
Because of the diversity of perspectives and the intense personal nature of the abortion issue, I have taken the position that the choice of abortion is not a decision government should make or deny.
I also feel strongly that although it is not the proper role of government to decide whether abortion is right or wrong for individual families, the government does have some critical and important responsibilities as it relates to this issue. As a Senator and a mother, I have a personal and public commitment to those policies that support and sustain children in healthy and loving families.
As a country, we must do everything we can to provide support and encouragement to women who are pregnant and to promote responsible family planning when a woman does not want a child. Support services need to be available for pregnant teenagers and single mothers so they do not feel abortion is their only choice. We also need to provide better prenatal care, nutrition services, childcare, adoption programs, and economic opportunities for women. I believe that many women would not choose abortion if other help was available.
I know that our country will continue to struggle and debate the abortion issue in the years ahead. As this debate goes on, I will continue to listen to and respect the views of others. I am hopeful that those who are divided by this issue can focus on areas of mutual agreement, because only by working together can we effectively strengthen and improve the lives of children and their families.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns with me.
Sincerely,
Debbie Stabenow
United States Senator
DS:dm
Oh Yeah, BTW, I will be responding to her issue of the role of the government in this decision. If that is the position she takes, they should never have granted the “right” in the first place, and then chose to defend & uphold it.
I think this is also interesting. Statistics: Reasons for abortions; Personal choice (unwanted or inconvenient) 98% , Life/Health of Mother or Child 1.7%, Rape/Incest .3% . Senator Claire McCaskill basically says abortion should be legal for the reasons of Life/Health of Mother or Child and Rape/Incest. I mean come on those combined are only 2% of abortions. Looks to me it doesnt even need to be legalized for these reasons.
Well… my “closed door” response wouldn’t be polite dinner conversation. My public response would look something along the lines of…
“Thank you, madame senator, for taking time to respond to my letter. I understand your time is precious, so I will kindly say that you have missed the biggest point in my letter. It is specifically the ‘woman’s right to choose’ that is at stake here. By extending the so-called ‘woman’s right to choose’, we are actually removing the right to life of the unborn. The right to life has been part of our nation’s proud political history for some 200 years… whereas the ‘woman’s right to choose’ has only been a part of our vocabulary since the 1970’s. Based on this, it would seem clear that the right to life carries more weight in the moral fabric of out country.
The desire to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies is noble, but is too fluid of a concept to be practical. Abortion ends an unwanted pregnancy. The real problem is that abortions are available to anyone for any reason, because they are painted under the broad banner of a fictitious “right to privacy” that is not actually found written in the Constitution. The ease of availability means that it becomes an easy out for any kind sexual encounter we so desire. It is because abortions are “legal, safe, and available” that abortions are encouraged by organizations such as Planned Parenthood… and supported by the US taxpayer through Government funds given to such organizations.
On the economic front, we have ended 50 million American lives… about the same population of Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Wyoming put together. Imagine how badly the deficit would look if there were no income taxes taken from those three states. How much more money would the Government have at its disposal with another 20 million people in the income tax system? Of course the possibilities are endless, but we have paid a heavy enough price for the ‘right to choose’ as it is.”
Her letter seems so pre-written… It barely even addressed what you were trying to get across…
Interesting exchanges… Good for you, Zack, for taking a stand.
But I would take Senators’ responses with a grain of salt. The reason why, as Charity Brown mentioned, the Senators’ letters seem “pre-written,” is that, well, they probably are. These politicians likely have canned replies to these sorts of issues that staffers then copy and paste into return emails when their constituents write to them. I don’t mean to be cynical, but we need to realize what we’re dealing with here.
Greg, you are spot on. I asked that a non automated response when i mailed her back. I also plan on going to her office in washington and waiting there until I get a meeting. I have crazy zeal about this recently. Not sure why. I just know that if I can make a difference, I want to at least make a good effort.
I’ve grown so tired of talking about this kind of stuff on blogs, and in conversation. If i can take action, then I will. It’s better then sitting here scoffing from afar.
I say everybody save up, buy a plane ticket to D.C. and go to your senator’s office. They are open to the public, and if many go, eventually someone will listen. I’m saving to go now.
That’s awesome man. You never know what can happen when you take that kind of initiative. I say go for broke.