Spring Break
Lawmakers must pay attention to real issues
The Daily Barometer Editorial Board
Issue date: 5/21/09 Section: Forum
One of the most controversial issues of our time has reappeared in the news: abortion.
It's an interesting debate to say the least, and it's a sign of the diverse beliefs of our state and country. But we believe that lawmakers need to leave their influence at home - there are more important things on which they should spend time and energy.
Case in point: last week in Oregon, 22 state Senators and Representatives signed a letter on behalf of Life Support Oregon, a pro-life political organization, asking for the Oregon Legislature to stop using tax dollars to fund abortion services.
Specifically, abortions can be funded under the Oregon Health Plan, a healthcare program that helps the poor.
On the same topic but on the other side of the country in Indiana, President Obama's commencement speech at Notre Dame University last weekend was met with thousands of protestors.
Rather than take issue with more recent controversial issues - the Obama administration's refusal to release photographs of victims tortured by U.S. personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan, or even his recommendation to close Guantanamo Bay - the crowd took offense to his stance on abortion, believing that Obama's being pro-choice as well as supporting stem-cell research are abhorrent principles to the Catholic faith.
Protest is an important part of healthy government - it represents dissent and diverse opinion. But the Oregon lawmakers' form of "protest" by using their status to influence a budget it going too far.
Yes, the state is facing a massive budget crisis. Yes, public university tuition is about to rise dramatically. Yes, it would be nice to make budgets cuts to unnecessary expenditures in order to keep from making cuts elsewhere.
We believe that these Oregon lawmakers can do something more productive with their time.
These legislators need to focus on issues pertinent to living Oregonians, including the poor and disadvantaged who may be in need of such abortions.
The Oregon Health Plan assists poor Oregonians. Wouldn't it be better to spend time and energy working on issues or supporting programs that work to end poverty instead of the issue of whether or not to fund abortion?
Yes, we believe it would be.
Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. We are not telling anyone to be pro-choice or pro-life, but with the real-life issues of today facing us all - in Oregon and across the nation - we think our elected lawmakers can be using their energy more wisely.
Editorials serve as a platform for Barometer editors to offer commentary and opinions on issues both global and local, grand in scale and diminutive. The views expressed here are a reflection of the editorial board majority. Disagree? E-mail a letter to the editor or guest column to editor@dailybarometer.com.
It's an interesting debate to say the least, and it's a sign of the diverse beliefs of our state and country. But we believe that lawmakers need to leave their influence at home - there are more important things on which they should spend time and energy.
Case in point: last week in Oregon, 22 state Senators and Representatives signed a letter on behalf of Life Support Oregon, a pro-life political organization, asking for the Oregon Legislature to stop using tax dollars to fund abortion services.
Specifically, abortions can be funded under the Oregon Health Plan, a healthcare program that helps the poor.
On the same topic but on the other side of the country in Indiana, President Obama's commencement speech at Notre Dame University last weekend was met with thousands of protestors.
Rather than take issue with more recent controversial issues - the Obama administration's refusal to release photographs of victims tortured by U.S. personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan, or even his recommendation to close Guantanamo Bay - the crowd took offense to his stance on abortion, believing that Obama's being pro-choice as well as supporting stem-cell research are abhorrent principles to the Catholic faith.
Protest is an important part of healthy government - it represents dissent and diverse opinion. But the Oregon lawmakers' form of "protest" by using their status to influence a budget it going too far.
Yes, the state is facing a massive budget crisis. Yes, public university tuition is about to rise dramatically. Yes, it would be nice to make budgets cuts to unnecessary expenditures in order to keep from making cuts elsewhere.
We believe that these Oregon lawmakers can do something more productive with their time.
These legislators need to focus on issues pertinent to living Oregonians, including the poor and disadvantaged who may be in need of such abortions.
The Oregon Health Plan assists poor Oregonians. Wouldn't it be better to spend time and energy working on issues or supporting programs that work to end poverty instead of the issue of whether or not to fund abortion?
Yes, we believe it would be.
Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. We are not telling anyone to be pro-choice or pro-life, but with the real-life issues of today facing us all - in Oregon and across the nation - we think our elected lawmakers can be using their energy more wisely.
Editorials serve as a platform for Barometer editors to offer commentary and opinions on issues both global and local, grand in scale and diminutive. The views expressed here are a reflection of the editorial board majority. Disagree? E-mail a letter to the editor or guest column to editor@dailybarometer.com.
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