Tap dancing around abortion
LEESBURG, Va. (BP)--Too often, modern political campaigns focus on a candidate's ability to spin words into quick sound bites rather than whether the candidate has a consistent and meaningful worldview.
One small step for mankind
LEESBURG, Va. (BP)--Now that the dust has settled and we have had a chance to absorb the Supreme Court's recent decision in Gonzales v. Carhart, which upheld the facial constitutional validity of the national ban on partial-birth abortion, we can step back and assess the significance of the court's decision.
Abused, neglected and forgotten
What should I do with my aging parents? Baby boomers are beginning to experience sleepless nights as they worry about their mothers and fathers, and legislators should start to worry, too. The fact is that eldercare is already a national problem, and soon will become a national crisis.
FIRST-PERSON: A Humpty Dumpty judicial mentality
LEESBURG, Va. (BP)--Every year since 1973, millions of Americans have paused to remember the day when new words entered the American vocabulary. Words fraught with ambiguity, like "the right of personal privacy". Euphemisms, like "terminate one's pregnancy." Obscure phrases, like "the penumbras of the Bill of Rights." January after January we take time to remember these words and the carnage they have caused.
FIRST-PERSON: Tough questions about Islam and democracy
LEESBURG, Va. (BP)--The reaction of many on the Arab street to Pope Benedict XVI's quotation of a medieval text, which was critical of Islam for its history of violence, has raised new doubts about the compatibility of Islam and democracy.
FIRST-PERSON: Unpacking the stem cell debate
LEESBURG, Va. (BP)--Americans who value human dignity received mixed news in mid-July. There was good news: The Senate passed a bill that bans "fetal farming," a practice in which scientists create human embryos for the purpose of harvesting "spare parts." Then there was bad news: The Senate approved a bill that would allow federal money to support embryonic stem cell research. In other words, scientists could kill "excess" human embryos and use the remains in research funded by taxpayer money.
FIRST-PERSON: God, Gore and global warming
LEESBURG, Va. (BP)--It is pretty rare for a documentary to make a million dollars at the box office, so the fact that Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" has already brought in over $10 million is impressive. Not only that, but Gore's movie will probably be one of the five best selling documentaries of all time by the end of its run. The former vice president clearly sees himself as a prophet, and he is warning Americans that the end is near.
FIRST-PERSON: Ending partial-birth abortion
LEESBURG, Va. (BP)--What does a just society look like? Thoughtful people will answer this question in different ways, and there should be plenty of room for friendly debate and dialogue. One practice that no reasonable person would include in their vision of a just society, however, is partial-birth abortion. Civilized people should deem this barbaric practice an outrage against humanity.
FIRST-PERSON: An embarrassing silence
| Ken Connor |
In the wake of the scandal created by “super lobbyist” Jack Abramoff, Democrats and Republicans alike are rushing to the fore with proposed ethics reforms in an attempt to restore sagging public confidence in Congress. Proposals like bans on gifts and lobbyist-sponsored trips are in the offing. Such reforms are desperately needed to curb the undue influence of money and gratuities on the legislative process.
Search-and-Destroy Technology Threatening the Handicapped
Recently, the national media hailed the advent of "breakthrough" technology that enables women to more readily determine the likelihood that their babies will be born with Down Syndrome. The new technology, which combines the results of an ultrasound test with the results of a blood test, is capable of identifying many unborn children with the […]
