The conservatives talk a lot about freedom, the Constitution (which originally legalized slavery) and the Founding Fathers (some of whom owned slaves and fathered children by them).
I used to be a Republican. Then I woke up and fully realized that life in this country is about live and let live.
The people who first sailed to our shores were seeking freedom from oppressive governments, where their lives were dictated by the beliefs and values of their governments, not by their own. If Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are elected, this country will resemble the countries to flee from to find freedom.
The pro-choice movement is not just about allowing a woman to have a legal, medically safe abortion. It's about the freedom to choose your beliefs and live accordingly while respecting the differing views of your neighbor.
If you don't believe in abortion, don't have one. If you don't believe in contraception, don't use it. If you don't believe in gay marriage, don't marry a gay person. But don't pass laws to force people to live according to your values. That's not what America stands for.
Speaking of abortion, I find it puzzling that Republicans don't want to pay for an abortion, yet they also don't want to pay for 18 years of food, clothing, shelter, housing, education and health care for an unwanted child. They also don't want to pay for expensive hospitalizations for the hemorrhaging and infections caused by botched back-alley abortions. Take your pick.
James White
Kihei
