On the PATRIOT Act...

As you hopefully know, this past week the US House of Representatives voted on whether or not to extend three controversial provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act. The vote failed due to some legislative maneuvering that required a 2/3rds majority for passage.

Here is some information for those of you who want to know more about the PATRIOT Act.

First, we have Wikipedia.

Next, a 3 part article written in October 2009. Some of the info is a little outdated, but most of it is still relevant.

And here is a video from Senator Rand Paul regarding the PATRIOT Act. It expresses the feelings of many people in the most eloquent way I have seen thus far. Please take a few minutes to watch it.



The act extending the provisions is expected to go through legislative channels and be voted on again. This time, it will only require a simple majority to pass. If you do not want your liberties and 4th Amendment rights threatened, I urge you to call your Congressperson. They need to know how you feel, and how you would like them to vote.

Please ask your representative to vote "NO" on H.R. 514

Perhaps we can get enough reps to listen to their constituents and not allow this bill to pass.

Abortion update: Thornberry responds.

Back in January I posted about abortion. I was greatly concerned that my elected representative, Mac Thornberry, had not cosponsored H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.
I posted on Mr. Thornberry's Facebook page regarding this, and I am excited to report that I eventually got a response!

Me: Congressman Thornberry, why have you not co-sponsored H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act?
Mac Thornberry: I co-sponsored this bill in the last Congress, and have signed on to do so again this session. Since I came to Congress , I have consistently voted to oppose funding abortion and will continue to support such efforts.

So, I double checked, and sure enough, on February 8, 2011, my Congressperson became a co-sponsor of the bill. There are now 200 co-sponsors to this important piece of legislation.

I hope those of you who read this blog consider contacting your Congressional Representatives when you would like them to vote a certain way on an item of legislation. Remember, you have to make your voice heard!

On abortion

abor·tion (ə-bôr'shən) noun
The termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus; especially: the medical procedure of inducing expulsion of a human fetus to terminate a pregnancy.(Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.)

This is the 38th anniversary of the Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision. Since then, there has been a holocaust of approximately 50 million unborn babies legally killed.

Recently, Rick Santorum made headlines with his statements relating this genocide to the civil rights movement. He followed up with the following:

"For decades, certain human beings were wrongly treated as property and denied liberty in America because they were not considered persons under the Constitution. Today, other human beings, the unborn of all races, are also wrongly treated as property and denied the right to life for the same reason; because they are not considered persons under the Constitution."

I believe this is a tragedy. The only valid reason I see for voluntarily ending a pregnancy is if the mother's life is in danger. All people have a right to self-defense.

Here are some abortion related websites you should check out.

ABORT 73

CareNet

Something else you can do is urge your Congressional representative to support and co-sponsor H.R. 3
More info, including current co-sponsors, can be found here
No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act

I am sad to say that I do not see my Congressional rep listed here. Mac Thornberry, please co-sponsor the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act !