Press Release on Barack Obama Transcript
The following release was sent out earlier this afternoon. You'll find the link to the Barack Obama transcript in the column to the right of this post.
Transcript of Barack Obama's Planned Parenthood Speech Made Available
MEDIA ADVISORY, Feb. 27 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today, a full transcript was made available of Barack Obama's July 17th, 2007 speech before the Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF).
"Many American's see Barack Obama as a kind and compassionate candidate," stated political writer Laura Echevarria, who transcribed the July speech. "However, Mr. Obama's compassion does not extend to our most vulnerable members of society- -unborn children."
A recent Survey USA poll showed that in some key battleground states, some voters who considered themselves pro-life said they would vote for Barack Obama over John McCain if such a match-up occurred in the general election.
In Mr. Obama's July speech, he said,
"There will always be people, many of goodwill, who do not share my view on the issue of choice. On this fundamental issue, I will not yield and Planned Parenthood will not yield."
A link to the completed Obama transcript can be found at www.lauraechevarria.com or it can be e-mailed in response to queries sent to laura@lauraechevarria.com.
Laura Echevarria is the former director of media relations for the National Right to Life Committee (1997-2004). She is currently a writer focusing on opinion and politics as well as a columnist for LifeNews.com, the pro-life internet news source that reaches over 250,000 people through web and e-mail each week. Other opinion can be found at her website at www.lauraechevarria.com.
15 comments:
Thanks Laura for the transcript. I appreciate it. As a conservative, Republican, divorced, single-mom of two, I can say I will vote for Senator Obama.
I am pro-life and also pro-choice. Now if that makes me a fence straddler, I'll have to live with that. As a child I experienced sexual molestation by a family member and never said anything about it till I was in my thirties. Most of my family members did not believe me, but my mother shared she had a similar experience when she was a child (back in the 1920s). I also still under 12 years old, encountered a pedophile stranger who tried to fondle me but I got away. That was over 40 years ago. I thank God I only experienced in both cases only fondling.
Today things have gotten only worse. I have heard many stories from friends and acquaintances of sexual activities between them and uncles, step-fathers, mom's boyfriends and pedophiles in the neighborhood. Boys are also being molested as well but they don't get pregnant although psychologically it mars them and makes them abusers and confused.
In light of this, many teen-agers I know who do get pregnant by a boyfriend mostly have their babies and are supported by their families to keep the child or put it up for adoption. Some teen-agers are not supported by their families and are kicked out of their homes to face a life of poverty and condemnation. In America, there is no one-size fits all solution. There is choice.
So choice to me is acknowledging that there is no one-size fits all solution. However, I do agree with Senator Obama that respect for life, marraige, intimacy needs to be taught as well as prevention. Universal health care should be available to address the mental health issues that arise by sexual abuse to boys and girls, as well as adults. Abortion should be a last resort to protect the mother's health and it should be a choice between a woman and her maker if an unwanted pregnancy is inappropriate to go through.
That is a hard choice. But, until we begin to educate children at school, in churches and at home, to respect God, life and marraige, the public is influenced more by the value systems they see on the sitcoms, in the movies, media and music which glamorizes, unfortunately, immorality more than good morals. The vast proliferation of drug abuse only makes this worse. Look at what happened at Abu Gharib when troops are put in high stress situations. The sex urge is very powerful and many presidents have not all had such a great track record and that goes for CEOs, and quite frankly, men of every race, nation, religious faith and ethnic group, as well. Not that women are all innocent either, female teachers are now seducing students and having babies as a result.
Abortion should not in my view be used as casual sex birth control. But when you legislate, it can become a one-size fits all debate.. all or nothing.
Psalms 1:1-3 sums it all up for me why I support Senator Obama.
God bless you in your work,
Respectfully submitted,
Gail Gainer
Katloverindy:
I'm sorry that you are split on the issue of abortion. I'm also sorry about what happened to both you and your mom. Something very similar happened to my sister and mother.
I think we will have to disagree about how and why one should vote on the issue of abortion.
While less than one percent of all abortions are done for rape and incest cases, it still a sad testament to reality of sexual assault.
But I see this as a human rights issue. Today, we know that we are, without a doubt, dealing with a living, human being in the womb. It is possible for us to see life inside the womb better that ever before. And while the unborn child can inherit property and be treated for medical conditions while in utero, that same child can be aborted just as easily.
This is also a time when unborn children can be targeted through abortion because they can be screened for disabilities or they are aborted because they are the wrong sex.
Both of my sons are autistic which is a condition that does not become apparent until after birth. However, while I was pregnant with our oldest son, he was suspected of having Down syndrome. Amazingly, the perinatologist argued with me about getting an amnio because, in his words, "some couples choose to terminate the pregnancy." And statistically speaking, approximately 90 percent of children diagnosed with Down syndrome while in utero are aborted. So I also see this as a disability rights issue. Even so, less than 10 percent of abortions are done for fetal disability (somewhere around 8 percent).
The vast majority of abortions are done because a woman doesn't want another child, doesn't feel like she can afford another child, her partner has left her, she is in college and can't finish if she has the child, etc. These are all social reasons for abortion and these are the things the pro-life movement has been trying to address for years. Women need a helping hand-- they need to know that there is help to pay for the rent or a place to stay if they're in an abusive relationship. College students need resources that allow them to attend classes even if they are a mom, etc.
I agree that we must educate our children about sexual activities but most abortions occur among college-age women. And half of all abortions are repeat abortions. (You'll find these statistics at the website of the special Planned Parenthood affiliate, The Guttmacher Institute.)
As someone in communications and media, I can honestly say that I admire Barack Obama as a speaker but his stance on issues such as abortion and his proposed policies fill me with dread.
Thank you for commenting and I hope you come back again.
Laura,
I agree with you that abortion as used by many college students, etc. is truly a terrible loss to our nation of the future genius and gifts that are not valued as gifts from God. Adolf Hitler had a twin sister who had Down's Syndrome. She was the one who took care of his elderly mother, helping her at the family store. Yet Hitler adopted a policy of killing the "weak" and so forth.
So many things of God are a mystery. If the Almighty is in the business of recycling souls, than maybe those children may be born elsewhere where they can grow and flourish and be loved, or maybe what which may be closer to reality, they may be in heaven waiting for their parents to join them eventually. However, the world was at a terrible loss because they were unable to live and make a difference.
I am pro-life, but my relationship with Christ makes that easy. For those who don't know Christ, but eventually will, who have made these choices, they are finding mercy, grace, forgiveness and a greater respect for the Right to Life. The law does not make people good, never did, never will. It does give the standard to which we all have strayed or obeyed bringing blessing or curses into our lives. The Lawgiver makes us good when we allow the Holy Spirit to renew our minds. Christ died for every sin done, what we are currently doing, and what we will do. This means that we, (God's people) first must ..."confess, repent, turn away from our wickedness and God will heal our land." II Chron.
It truly takes a lot of wisdom to find that straight and narrow path. Again, Psalms 1:1-3 sums it up for me in how a public leader may have to approach this issue. All I can say, is "As for me and my house.." Joshua 1:8.
Keep your light and love shining,
God bless,
Katloverindy
Greetings, Laura
I arrived at your blog via Katloverindy @ an Obama website. My life's experiences are somewhat similar to hers- except my father was a violent alcoholic and the perp in my life was my mother, who not only violated my body, but made it her goal to destroy my sexuality. "If you hadn't been born a girl, I wouldn't have had to have all them damn babies." always replaced 'happy birthday'. At 59, I continue to wrestle with an array of PTSD symptoms. Sadly, Laura, giving my life over to the Lord and involving myself in church left me feeling far worse than I would ever have imagined possible. Twenty years after leaving organized religion I still cannot understand what happened to the Love that is supposed to be Christ. In church I learned to never tell anyone in any church the details of my life, much less the details of the abortion I had 34 yrs ago.
Until hurting teens, unwed moms, victims of pedophiles, prostitutes, and even pedophiles themselves know beyond a doubt the LOVE and pure forgiveness that is SUPPOSED to be CHRIST, abortions will continue.
I set out once to assist with the establisment of a 'pro life' clinic in a college town. I learned quickly that providing a free pregnancy test entitled these 'Christian' leaders to insist that their young clintel view ghastly pictures of pails filled with aborted fetuses and listen to predictions of eternity in hell. I felt relief when the Center folded within months of its opening. Perhaps the most shocking discovery for me was the strong approval given by Church leaders for this judgmental ministry. It is no wonder most young people today will not choose to share their deepest troubles with church leaders, teachers, etc. There seems to be great interest in cloning the 'nonbeliever/sinner' to an image that self-appointed moralists have chosen as correct and appropriate. What might prove more successful is a sincere focus on bringing Christ's LOVE as reality into the victim's heart.
I don't think churches and Christians in them will ever erradicate abortion through political avenues. It is not a political issue. Unless one plans to have Senators Obama and Clinton parent their child, then quite frankly, it is nobody's business how either of these poiticians view abortion. If the Christian community truly cares about the effects of abortions, its members need to focus on nurturing Christ's LOVE within themselves and those who so desperately need it in order to WANT LIFE that Christ intended.
katloverindy: Thank you for your comments.
As I mentioned previously, abortion is a human rights issue. It's not confined to religion. It's not just a Catholic issue or an issue for evangelical Christian's. We each come to the issue with a certain viewpoint and belief based on our own moral code or religious background. However, this issue goes beyond the whether something is personally right or wrong.
In history, we have seen how one race or group of people have targeted another group of people for destruction or slavery. Time has shown us that these issues weren't a matter of personal right or wrong but a universal issue of human rights.
Thanks for stopping by and please come back and visit. I've enjoyed talking (writing) to you.
Human rights can be defined in many ways. The right of a potential mother's rights, the right of the unborn to pre-empt the mother's right to live... everyone has rights and now we are debating whose rights are more important. I don't feel I can judge that for anyone else but myself. I do think education is in order on the value and sanctity of life, sexuality and marraige. Until that is done seriously, people will be too casual about abortion whether it is legal or not.
Anonymous:
I am so sorry about your childhood. I can only say that it sounds like it was rotten and I'm very sorry for that.
I think if abortion were simply a matter of personal belief then it would be something one could consider a religious issue. But, as I mentioned to katloverindy, this is a human rights issue. It extends past faith and politics.
Please don't give up on God. I've known many women who have had abortions. One woman I worked with at National Right to Life had two. I think the hardest thing is forgiving yourself. God forgives. He's gracious and loving. Sometimes we are harder on ourselves.
I have not had an abortion but I had a miscarriage. I cannot say that I even remotely understand what you went through, for the longest time I blamed myself for the miscarriage. I didn't do so intentionally. Rationally, I knew there was nothing I could have done to stop it but still I would wonder if I hadn't eaten the pizza or if I had switched to non-caffeinated cola, etc. could I have prevented it? It's easy to blame ourselves-- it's much harder to forgive.
I'm not sure what group the crisis pregnancy center you worked at was affiliated with but know that there are thousands committed to loving both mother and child. They do it as volunteers on shoe strings budget and they can't save everyone but they do it out of love.
If you would like to talk to someone about your experiences, please e-mail me privately (laura@lauraechevarria.com) and I can put you in touch with a couple of people who have a better idea of what you may be going through.
Thank you for stopping by and I hope just telling someone what you've been through helps.
Katloverindy:
I was on the debate team in college and what we did was referred to as value debate. One team would try to prove that with the status quo, or without it, something would be harmed or lost. Of course, human life was the highest value. It trumped all others and if you could prove that, let's say-- dust mops can kill people-- you had a greater chance of winning the round.
I spent nearly three years as a biology major before switching to communications so I tend to look at this issue not just from a religious viewpoint but rationally from a medical/biological viewpoint:
An unborn child is genetically a human being and, by scientific definition, is a living organism. That child is a living human being. Abortion is a violent means of taking the life of that child. Human life is of paramount importance which is why, for example, the penalties for murder or manslaughter are much higher than those for lesser crimes against others.
Human life should always be the highest value.
This does not mean that the mother of that child is unimportant or that her lifestyle is meaningless. It does mean that we, as a society, should place a greater emphasis on welcoming that child and doing everything we can to help her mother succeed in life than by focusing on abortion as the answer--which is what we do now.
Abortion is considered a fundamental link in the rights of women by groups such as the National Organization for Women.
Why?
Why are we trying to undermine the one big thing that makes us stronger than men, that makes of unique and powerful.
So we can be like men?
Why can't we make society more accepting and compassionate instead?
When we show compassion toward others in these situations, I think that's when we see that change you mentioned. Education is key but I think that for women who have experienced a crisis pregnancy or abortion, they need to see that we care.
Thanks so much for making this transcript available.
I am not American, I live in the UK but I follow your election race with interest.
It is amazing to see why the largely liberal-leaning press is so enamoured with Sen. Obama. But to hear him say what is presidency is REALLY going to be about is slightly frightening - Change indeed!
All life is sacred in my humble opinion, and to dismiss the rights of the unborn is so tragic, almost murderous. I elaborate on the inconsistencies of the "progressive" position on abortion/choice at:
http://uk.messages.news.yahoo.com/Health
/threadview?m=tm&bn=UKN-HEA&tid=1540
&mid=1540&tof=2&frt=2
May the American people make the right choice in '08!
Thanks so much for making this transcript available.
I am not American, I live in the UK but I follow your election race with interest.
It is amazing to see why the largely liberal-leaning press is so enamoured with Sen. Obama. But to hear him say what is presidency is REALLY going to be about is slightly frightening - Change indeed!
All life is sacred in my humble opinion, and to dismiss the rights of the unborn is so tragic, almost murderous. I elaborate on the inconsistencies of the "progressive" position on abortion/choice at:
http://uk.messages.news.yahoo.com/Health/threadview?m=tm&bn=UKN-HEA&tid=1540&mid=1540&tof=2&frt=2
May the American people make the right choice in '08!
Laura,
Please delete 10:35 post - the link doesn't work! I re-posted @ 10:48. Thanks.
Hi Laura,
The thought of abortion done because a child is the wrong sex, etc. is not one I have ever entertained. Your point is well made that abortion can become abused and way over-used. Many of us probably wouldn't be here today if this was an option 100 years ago. I only was thinking in terms of the mother's health being endangered or rape, incest. In other situations, adoption is an option. Now a severely malformed child may be naturally miscarried at some point in a pregnancy, but making that decision must be very difficult and a family would have to have resources to deal with that situation. We have so much technology to save lives that before may never have made it and then we also have the ability to take lives that may have made it but would have been very difficult. The sword of Damocles swings both ways and we are learning the consequences of these decisions and power to heal or harm.
It seems that doctors who take the Hippocratic Oath should be wrestling with this issue and be the frontline advocates for the right to life or guidelines of when abortion is inappropriate.
I agree with Sen. Obama that there has to be some guidelines other than all abortions are okay or it is never okay - all or nothing legislation is lacking balance and temperance. However, the Supreme Court has handed down a decision which lawmakers must abide by unless society as a whole demands a change to the law. Eight straight years of Republicans in office has not made a dent in changing this issue.
The Church has taken its stand to advocate for the unborn, and has to minister to those with compassion who may have regrets about the loss of their unborn children. For those who believe in eternal life, this is not a casual decision at all. We have to face the giver of life someday.
Psychologists can document the after effects emotionally to women. Sociologists can track how our attitudes about this issue affects our quality of life as a result.
All together, we can make a more informed society and your column is helping to promote progress in helping us have a better understanding so our consciences and hearts do not become hardened. If we have to change course, that may be a reasonable consideration that a secular society will accept as they see this as a detrimental behavior based on inputs from all segments of our society including pro-life artists who create films, music, poetry, paintings and sculptures.
Best regards,
Katloverindy
Thank you Anonymous for your post. I'll be sure to visit the link you left. I apologize for not replying sooner. My e-mail has been uncooperative lately so today I've been playing catch-up.
katloverlindy:
Thank you for stopping by again. I appreciate your thoughtful comments.
I think the big question we have to ask ourselves is whether an unborn child is a human being and if so, do we have the right to take that life? If yes, under what circumstances and can those circumstances be strigently defined?
I don't believe we have that right. I know there are many Americans who hesitate to say that but I don't think they always think it through. The average American knows that he is uncomfortable with abortion but I don't think he has asked himself under what circumstances does he think it's okay and why. The media doesn't help when they misreport facts about abortion or abortion law.
I haven't been impressed with Democratic solutions and while we didn't get far under the Republican controlled Congress, we did make progress. This cannot be said of the current Democrat-controlled Congress.
I may be a little jaded (oh, that life didn't have such harsh realities!) but I am distrustful of anyone who claims to have my interest in mind but fights tooth and nail to keep abortion on demand available throughout pregnancy. I think it's safe to say that I am an idealist despite the harsh realities of life. I believe that it is how we treat the weak among us that tells us the most about a man's character. No candidate is going to measure up perfectly but I think how he (or she) responds to the weak and vulnerable is a good indicator of how that candidate's character would hold up in other circumstances.
I apologize for not responding sooner. As I mentioned to Anonymous in the previous post, I've had some trouble with e-mail and didn't see your comments until today.
Thank you for the compliment about the columns. I think we would all be better off if we could discuss these issues rationally and without fear of ad hominem attacks and I hope to encourage that.
Thank you for making such well-written contributions and please visit again.
All the best to you.
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