Wednesday, December 8, 2004
It's sad really
The Ohio House has a bill which will allow people to purchase Pro-Life specialty license plates. The plates would have the slogan "Choose Life" and cost $30 more than regular plates. (With $10 going towards administrative fees and $20 going to private, non-profits organizations that promote adoption.
This of course has NARAL and the ACLU up in arms.
"This is sending money into organizations that aren't talking to women about all their choices, that aren't prepared to answer medical questions about birth control and about pregnancy," said Kellie Copeland, executive director for NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio...
Perhaps so, but that isn't the key issue here. The key is, the money being sent isn't Copeland's money. And it isn't the government's money. This isn't money given for other reasons being diverted. This isn't the government deciding to take tax money and give it to a cause some don't support. It's money being given specifically to go to organizations like that. If people want to do so they should have that opportunity.
Copeland said organizations that counsel women on a range of pregnancy options, including abortion, should not be denied funding, adding that groups such as Planned Parenthood do not qualify because they answer questions about abortion.
That's right. NARAL wants money from Pro-Life license plates to go towards funding abortion. ARE THEY INSANE?! If people wanted their money to go to abortion clinics they aren't going to buy these plates. You want a "Choose Death" license plate? Go for it. But to suggest that money raised from Pro-Life plates for the benefit of organizations that provide alternatives to abortion should go towards organizations that provide abortions... COME ON!!!
The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio said specialty plates with a political message are a violation of the First Amendment.
The ACLU actually thinks the First Amendment is meant to limit political speech. Want to say you like Lake Erie on your license plate? No problemo, that's just fine and dandy. No problems with the First Amendment there. Want to say something "political"? Whoa, whoa, WHOA!! You can't do that; the First Amendment apparently only outlaws political speech on license plates. I'm sorry, did Nicholas Cage pour some lemon juice on the Bill of Rights and discover it actually said "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech - unless that speech is political"?
The point of the entire bleeping Amendment was to protect the right of the citizens to express themselves, especially in regards to politics and the government. And now the ACLU has such a twisted view of the intent of the Founders that they actually think it's meant to limit the ability of people to speak politically.
It's sad... just... SAD.
