Helvig's Helvitorials

There's plenty at stake on Aug 5

This is the entire version of the article which was submitted to the Holland Sentinel and reduced to be a letter to the editor due to violating the Sentinel's "no by name endorsement for pictured columnists" policy.  Published on July 24th, 2008.

Hello West Michigan, and welcome to month 21 of the 2008 election cycle. Have you had enough yet? Are you tired of the rhetoric and the empty promises yet? Are you still wondering why you aren’t hearing anything about your key issue yet? Don’t walk away now; the real race is just about to begin!

Michigan’s primary is just days away. The absentee voters are already doing their thing. There is a lot at stake for the future of the region, the state, the country and for each of us as individuals. This is not the time to be complacent about politics.

Since elections are the only term limits we have in D.C., now is time to end the 30 year career of another Washington insider. That’s right, Senator Carl Levin is wrapping up his 5th term in the Senate and if West Michigan does our part, we can send Mr. Levin home, once and for all.

State Representative Jack Hoogendyk from Kalamazoo is rallying everyone who is tired of the agenda driven antics of one of Washington’s senior politicians. Levin quit watching out for us a long time ago so it is only appropriate that we quit watching out for him. Thanks for your service Carl, but it’s time for you to fly.

While there are few contested state house seats in the region, two of the most significant campaigns are taking place right here in the 88th and the 90th districts. With Fulton Sheen and Bill Huizenga being termed out, there are a number of candidates vying for the chance to represent you in Lansing.

The 90th should be a no-brainer with Joe Haveman in the race. I have known Joe for a long time and would proudly vote for him, if I only lived in his district. I look forward to seeing him take his stand in Lansing on behalf of the good people of Ottawa County.

The situation in the 88th is another story completely. With eight candidates in the race, the first one to achieve over 20% of the vote will most likely be the winner. Will it be the passionate and assertive Todd Boorsma, the dedicated and effective Jeff Farnsworth, or the focused and energetic Joshua Leatherman? Only you can decide Allegan County, so make your vote count.

There are also a number of local races taking place which could impact your quality of life for some time to come. City and township officials can either help make your life much simpler or more complicated. If you fail to vote in the primary, you will have no one to blame but yourself for the outcome of the elections.

So, don’t let the longest election campaign in the history of the country get you down. Don’t be discouraged because things are not going the way you want them to go. Don’t sit this one out, just because your first choice isn’t in the race or your chief concern isn’t being addressed. On August 5th, do your part; go to the polls; and cast your vote.

Our future depends on it.

McCain VP short list should be minus one

John McCain's short list for VP assumedly still includes one name that should be scrubbed immediately. Florida Governor Charlie Crist is not worthy of the honor and McCain would be wise to drop him hard and fast.

Crist knowingly and deliberately violated the rules and bylaws of both the RNC and the DNC by holding Florida's presidential primary prior to February 5th, 2008. He is guilty of stealing votes from the citizens of Florida and needs to be held accountable, not rewarded.

It should not matter if you are a Republican, a Democrat or an Independent. Americans cannot allow our state legislatures and our governors to conspire to rob us of our electoral voice. Crist knew the party rules, he knew the consequences of his choice and yet, he still signed the bill which cost the Florida Democrats all of their delegates (until recently) and the Republicans one half of theirs. He was even given 30 days to change the date and he still chose to take his stand against the voters.

This act of election manipulation should be considered criminal, not commendable. The fact that he publicly denounced the DNC instead of accepting responsibility for his own failing is sad at best. The citizens of Florida did deserve to have their vote count, until he stole it from them. If he had any integrity, Crist would own up to his mistake and resign his post.

If McCain wants loser governors on his short list, he should add Governor Jennifer Granholm from Michigan. After all, she did the exact same thing to Michiganders that Crist did to Floridians. Like Crist, she conspired with her own legislature to steal the vote from her own people. Like Crist, she has blamed just about everyone but herself for defrauding her own citizens of their vote. If nothing else, she can blame her stupidity on being a liberal from Canada. What is Charlie's excuse?

Although the DNC finally caved and allowed delegates to be seated at the upcoming convention, the citizens of Florida and Michigan still have every right to be angry over losing their respective party delegates. The problem is, they are mad at the wrong people. They need to take this issue directly to the source, their own elected officials. They need to make sure their state governments don't defraud them again. Meanwhile, John McCain needs to make sure Charlie Crist stays in Florida to take his medicine.

Act now to restrain out-of-control judges

Published in the Holland Sentinel on May 19, 2008 -

As I gaze in awe at another beautiful sunset outside my Holland home, my view is darkened by a sad reality that lies way beyond the shores of Lake Michigan.

Approximately 2,200 miles away, on America’s left coast, a great injustice has taken place against millions of American citizens.

On May 15, 2008, the California Supreme Court proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that the judicial branch of American government is out of control and that the will of the people means nothing to rabid judges and justices. In direct opposition to Proposition 22 of 2000, in which the citizens of California voted 61 to 39 percent to define marriage as an exclusive relationship between one man and one woman, California’s highest court voted to legalize gay marriage.

That’s right. The citizens of the state passed the Defense of Marriage Act and their “supreme” court shot it down.

Why did the court do it? Because they could. The only thing that could have prevented the California court from trumping the will of the people would have been an amendment to the state’s constitution. But, since the people of California have not yet established such an amendment, the court was free to contradict the eight-year-old initiative.

Why should we care here in Michigan, or anywhere else in America, what happens in California? Because if the California Extreme Court can get away with overriding the will of their people, you can count on other courts being emboldened to do the same.
Demented judges all across America have decided that they are the lawmakers, not the legislatures. They have given themselves the power to supercede state and federal laws and to overturn majority rule. They are bound by one document and only one document, their respective constitutions. Even then, many of them will issue decisions and offer opinions that are contrary to constitutional law.

While I firmly believe that marriage was established and defined by God as the holy union of one man and one woman, this isn’t an article about gay marriage. This is a warning against the power of the American judicial system. All citizens need to understand the significance of these events and do what they can to prevent similar injustices from taking place at the state and federal levels.

There are only two ways to keep these power-hungry elitists in check. The first is to establish constitutional amendments that cannot be overturned by any jurist. The second is to remove them from power.

Most of these judges and justices cannot be voted off the bench. They are appointed to their post, many of them for life. The only way to get rid of them is to impeach them. The problem is there are not enough people with the guts to take them on or take them down.

As long as we Americans sit back and let these extremists write and rewrite the laws of our land, we will continue to get what we deserve. We must take a stand and we must hold our leaders accountable for their devious actions. If we can’t get our legislators to impeach these fanatics, we will have no choice but to establish constitutional amendments for anything we deem sacred, including the protection of marriage.

Who will pay for this fiasco?

Published in the Holland Sentinel on March 17, 2008 -

Last year, Gov. Granholm and the Michigan Legislature deliberately robbed all Michigan Democrats of their voice in this year's presidential primary election by violating national party rules. Now, they are scrambling to cover their tracks and to make up for their stupidity.

Granholm didn't think the Democratic National Committee (DNC) would stick to the rules of this year's election cycle, and she was wrong. Granholm didn't think her candidate, Hillary Clinton, would need Michigan's delegates in order to win the presidential nomination, and she was wrong. Granholm didn't care what her actions would do to Michigan voters, and once again, she was wrong.

Now, Granholm, the Michigan Democratic Party and the DNC are negotiating to correct the wrong done to Michigan citizens by their own leaders. All they need to do is come up with a plan (agreeable to both Clinton and Barack Obama) to hold a second Democratic presidential primary before June 10, so that Michigan's delegates can be seated and counted at this year's Democratic National Convention.

The big question I have for everyone is,"Who is going to pay for this fiasco?" Every moment spent on this disaster by any state official is costing Michigan taxpayers money we don't have. This "do-over" election will cost more than $10 million that Michigan doesn't have. Who is going to foot these bills? You can bet it won't be those responsible for causing this problem.

Michigan tax payers already paid millions of dollars for a special primary election on Jan. 15 of this year. The result of that "special" election was Michigan Republicans being robbed of one half of their delegates and Michigan Democrats robbed of all of their delegates. How wrong would it be to require the citizens of Michigan to pay for another election just to make up for the irresponsible actions of our governor and Legislature?

The sad reality of this matter is that both Michigan political parties believed this ploy would benefit their respective party. Both political parties cared more about politics than they cared about protecting the very people they are paid to serve; both political parties conspired to steal Michigan's presidential delegates; and both Michigan political parties were wrong.

Every red-blooded American should be outraged at the way Michigan's leaders defrauded their own citizens of their vote. Every red-blooded American should take a real hard look at Michigan's leadership to make sure they don't have their votes stolen from them by their respective state governments. And, every red-blooded American should stand with the citizens of Michigan in protest against our state government for the way they abused the national election process.

I have said this before about Washington, D.C., and I will now say this about Michigan: It's time to flush the toilet of political corruption in Lansing.

What did we get for voting early? Nothing

Published in the Holland Sentinel on January 21, 2008 -

If there are any legislators or executives in Lansing patting themselves on the back for bumping Michigan's presidential primary up to Jan. 15, they should simply resign their office, effective immediately.

Our elected officials in Lansing went out of their way to violate national party rules and in effect, stole the voice of every Michigander who wanted to vote for a Democratic candidate. They also stole one-half of the voice of every Michigan resident who voted for a Republican in this year's presidential primary. They have effectively contaminated the entire election process and for what, 15 minutes of fame in the national news? Give me a break.

First off, anyone following the national news since Michigan's vain decision to go against the Republican and the Democratic national committees knows that Michigan did not get the coverage our so-called leaders had hoped to receive. In fact, the bulk of the hype was still on Iowa and New Hampshire, leading up to their respective contests, and on the rare occasions Michigan was mentioned, it was usually in a bad light.

Secondly, the national media have moved on to other states, where they will stay until after the national conventions take place this summer.

In the meantime, Michigan is still stuck in the same rut we were in before our one week of "glory." We continue to set national standards in unemployment, job losses, foreclosures and, of course, resident departures. If things don't start getting better real soon, Michigan is going to lose a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2010 census is complete. Then we will get to enjoy the agony of redistricting the entire state.

While there are some who would argue that Michigan's economic plight being brought to the forefront of the presidential race was a good thing, I would ask you to consider the cost. Whether they voted or not, the state's Democrats have been robbed of their right to have their votes count in this year's presidential primary election. Meanwhile, the Republican voters lost half of their delegates. Can you imagine what kind of national news coverage Michigan is going to get if after all the states have voted, Mitt Romney comes up 30 votes short of the number needed to win the nomination? Surely there was a better way to grab the national spotlight.

Is there a bright side to all of this? Absolutely! Every red-blooded citizen who managed to go to the polls on Jan. 15 gets to look forward to receiving tons of junk mail from either Michigan's Democratic Party or Republican party.

After all, aside from Mitt Romney winning the GOP primary, the state's political parties were the only true winners in all of this. If you voted, they get to know exactly who you are, where you live and which party ballot you requested. What a comforting thought!

So, what positive, tangible results have come to the citizens of this state because our primary was moved up? How is this going to stop the exodus of jobs and citizens? What long-lasting financial boost did our state economy receive from this venture? How was bumping up our primary in the best interest of all Michiganders?

At this point, one can only ask those in Lansing, "Just who are you really working for?"

McCain NOT this Veteran's Candidate

The following is a letter from my father regarding Senator John McCain's lack of care, concern and assistance for an Air Force Veteran dealing with America's Veterans' Administration. I don't know about the rest of the Veteran's in this country, but John McCain is not this Veteran's candidate.

I am a United States Air Force Viet Nam Vet that suffered a service connected back injury due to a fall while servicing an airplane in July of 1966. This injury damaged, nerve roots and permanently crushed the left gluteal muscle. After hospitalization and extensive physical therapy I was able to continue my service to my country and served in Viet Nam in 1967. I continued to suffer from chronic lower back pain, but the warm SE Asia climate helped diminish the pain. In early 1968 I left the Air Force and entered the private sector.

One month after discharge I was at a Veterans Hospital suffering from sever back pain. The environment toward returning Viet Nam military by the people at the VA was spiteful to say the least. I was x-rayed and then with no examination asked by a doctor if I could touch my toes. Since after a few painful minutes of bending down I was able to accomplish this he informed me that if I could do that I could not have a bad back, then he summarily sent packing as he walked away. I was so infuriated I walked out of the hospital

Without pulling up or reviewing any military medical records the VA due to this visit claimed that my injury was not service connected. This started a 40 year battle that still goes on to this day.

In January of 1984 the pain in my lower back was different and my right leg went dead. No movement and I suffered drop foot. The VA in Seattle tried to diagnose the condition and at first recommended surgery, but after six months the leg recovered 85% and the prognosis was that the siadic nerve coming from the lumbar section was compressed. Also at this time the condition was determined to be service connected and a new VA ID Card was issued reflecting this change.   

However no compensation was provided. The lower back has remained a chronic problem from 1966 to this date.

In late 2004 the pain in my lower back changed again with sharp shooting pains radiating down through my thighs buckling my legs and causing me to fall. I went back to the VA in Seattle where they did an immediate MRI and then prescribed Physical Therapy. The condition continued to deteriorate causing both legs to weaken with pain and limit my ability to walk or function. I did not and to this day have not been seen by a VA doctor with the exception of a doctor at the VA in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 2006 when the pain got so bad I could barely walk and I required an injection into my right hip. This relieved the pain in the hip only.

During these several months we moved from Washington state to Gilbert, AZ, while remaining in communication with the VA and trying to receive treatment. This has remained to no avail.

With total frustration I contacted the office of  Senator John Mc Cain in the Phoenix office and talked to a Mr. Tom Mc Camma. Tom after reading the history of this condition and the years of failing to get any medical help from the VA committed his office to assist me in any way they could. I was asked to come to the office where I talked to Tom on this matter and we established a strategy.

However last Fall I had another letter and several more documents that I was sending to the VA and wanted to send Tom copies. I called Tom to inform him that this was my intention and that he didn't have to do anything with them except to file them if he wanted. However Tom informed me that he didn't want them at all and I needed to be aware that they were in the middle of an election campaign and were to busy to assist me. When I reminded him he only needed to file them he sharply stated that I needed to be aware of the fact that the VA has a 400,000 back log of Vet's needing one thing or another and I shouldn't expect them to be able to help me.

I was sharply taken back by this statement and replied that a backlog of that magnitude was disgraceful and didn't happen over night and maybe the Senator should have been on top of this problem as he claimed to be one of us. Point blank I informed Tom Mc Camma that If John Mc Cain had been doing his job in the Senate and spending more time fixing the VA to insure proper and expedient receipt of medical treatment and education assistance that the veterans wouldn't be part of a 400,000 back log and being denied their benefits. I further informed Mr. Mc Camma that it could not be a funding issue as Senator Mc Cain like many others voted billions of dollars to criminals invading our country, so they can have free unearned medical and education benefits.

How ironic that those that served, suffered and died are denied earned benefits while those breaking the laws and costing our economy billions of dollars get a free ride. Like Hillary Clinton, John Mc Cain hasn't done the job we have been paying him for over the past several years and now he wants us to elect him to a higher post. Not on my watch! John Mc Cain is not one of US!

My back condition deteriorated to the point where it required major surgery and I could no longer put it off so in October of 2007 my L-4 and L-5 vertebrae were fused bringing L-4 back into place and the nerve canal was opened as well to relieve the nerve compression. This has provided some relief and allowed me to function better than before the surgery, however I will have major life long restrictions that affect my life and that of my family.

No one's perfect, so we have to choose the best

Published in the Holland Sentinel on October 15, 2007 -

James Dobson is a courageous leader and a battle-scarred warrior. He has gone head to head with the best of them and has done a wonderful job of defending Christian values in the political arena. He has earned our respect and deserves our prayers.

However, just as John Kerry's war record didn't make him a good president, Jim Dobson's record does not make him right about the 2008 presidential race.

Dobson has allowed his pride to cause him to publicly vow "never for the rest of my life to vote for anyone who would kill innocent babies." Making this a personal vow is not the problem. The problem is that he has tied his position to the front-runners for the 2008 presidential election and is publicly encouraging millions to follow his lead. If that happens, Hillary Clinton will most certainly be the next president.

According to most major polls, if the general election were held today, Rudy Giuliani would face Hillary Clinton for president. If this scenario becomes a reality, pro-lifers will be forced to choose which pro-choice candidate would be the best of the two to defend the sanctity of life. According to the Dobson plan, pro-lifers should not vote for either candidate.

Promoting our values can never be accomplished by refusing to vote. A non-vote for Rudy would be the same as casting two votes for Hillary.

American citizens not only have the right to vote, but the responsibility to vote. We have a duty to ourselves, our children and our country to make sure that the best candidates are elected. We never have the luxury of having "ideal candidates," who meet 100 percent of our expectations. In every election, we must choose the best person for the job, from the field of available candidates.

There are also times where we may have to set aside our pride in order to make sure the wrong person does not get elected. The 2008 election could present such an opportunity for the pro-life citizens of this country.

If Dobson wants to take a biblical approach to this situation, he should go back and study the books of Daniel and Esther in the Old Testament.

Daniel was taken captive to Babylon and forced into slavery as an assistant to some very evil kings. He did not refuse to work for them because their pagan practices clashed with his religion. Instead, Daniel held true to his faith and honored God as he worked directly with and for the evil kings.

Esther was chosen to be the queen of a pagan king. She could have gone out of her way to avoid selection, but instead, she gave her best for the sake of her Lord. In doing so, God used her to save his people from complete annihilation by having her convince the pagan king to change his position.

Neither of these Old Testament heroes wanted the task appointed them. Surely they would have preferred to remain with other godly people. However, when the time came, they did what they had to do for the sake of God's plan.

If God gives us a choice between candidates A and B, we do not have the option of choosing D, none of the above.

I would never vote for Rudy, or any other pro-choice candidate, in a primary election. However, once the lots have been cast and I am forced to choose between bad or worse, I will prayerfully make the godly choice.

Dobson's Option C is the promotion of a conservative third-party candidate. Unfortunately, there is not enough time to establish a viable third-party candidate for the 2008 election. First, we need to keep Hillary from becoming president. Then Dobson and company can focus on building a third party.

The solution to the Dobson problem is simple. Americans need to make sure that we don't have two pro-choice candidates on the presidential ballot next November. That battle can only be won in the primaries.

Republicans, Start paying attention

Published in the Holland Sentinel on September 17, 2007

Wake up, Michigan Republicans! We are now 10 months into the 2008 presidential campaign cycle and it is time to start paying attention to the candidates and their positions If you haven't been following the race, it's time to get caught up.

Thanks to the big brains in Lansing, Michigan's presidential primary is just four months away. In spite of threats from the Republican National Committee (RNC) to chop the number of delegates for the national convention in half, our GOP leaders voted to bump Michigan's primary up to Jan. 15, 2008.

In their infinite wisdom, our legislators and the governor decided that neither the RNC nor the Democratic National Committee (DNC) would actually enforce the election rules approved during the 2004 conventions. I guess the new Super Tuesday of Feb. 5 wasn't good enough for Michigan to make a big enough splash in the national pond.

Meanwhile, candidates from both parties have stated that they will not be campaigning in Michigan. And why would they? If the Dems lose all of their delegates and the GOP loses half of theirs, just how big of an impact is Michigan even capable of making on the national level?

As for the candidates, Rudy Giuliani, the only pro-choice candidate in the GOP race, is leading in the polls, as he has been since the beginning. Although Fred Thompson just recently put his hat in the ring, he is securely in second place. Mitt Romney and John McCain have swapped third for fourth positions, with McCain presently ahead of Romney. Meanwhile, Mike Huckabee has crawled out of the gutter of the second-tier candidates and is now polling in fifth place.

While Rudy is doing well nationally, I cannot imagine a pro-choice candidate winning enough states to take the nomination. McCain may be celebrating a bounce in the polls following the recent New Hampshire debate, but his "pro-citizenship for illegal aliens" position will keep him from ever regaining the trust of the conservative base. That leaves us with Thompson and Romney.

Mitt has a ton of GOP support here in Michigan and is also doing well in both New Hampshire and Iowa. However, voters still seem to have issues with his faith. While I personally believe voters should be looking at a candidate's core values as opposed to their religious denomination, I don't know if Mitt will be able to win over enough conservative Christians in time to take the key states.

So far, Thompson seems to be the answer that the GOP base has been waiting for. His second-place position in the national polls has been solid since mid-June, almost three months before he officially entered the race. The question is: Will we have a short-lived honeymoon with the actor-turned-politician or is he the real deal? Can Fred (or Mitt for that matter) step out of the pack and become the new trendsetter for the GOP?

Although there is a secondary tier of candidates, this will soon be a three-way contest, barring of course some major upset in the race. Michigan Republicans are going to have to decide whether they want half of their delegate votes to go to Giuliani, Thompson or Romney. If you are not already on board with one of these camps, now is the time to do your research, make your choice and get involved.

So what's it going to be, Michigan? America's future may rest in your hands.

Congress, Voters on Different Planets

Published in the Holland Sentinel on August 20, 2007

The U.S. Congress is doing a real crappy job of serving the citizens of this country.

According to Real Clear Politics, the latest poll average puts the job approval rating of Congress at just 24.7 percent. Americans are obviously not happy with the current performance of our so-called leaders in Washington, D.C.

Among other things, the left is upset with the Democrats for failing to end the war in Iraq. Liberals actually believed last year's campaign promises and have been once again duped by those who simply tell them what they want to hear in order to get elected or re-elected.

Meanwhile, the right is still ticked off about the repeated attempts to grant citizenship to illegal aliens. Not only did a number of Republican senators spit in the face of their base, but the president himself went out of his way to belittle and berate the most loyal of his supporters.

Let's not forget about the independents. Those in the middle would give just about anything to see something positive get done on Capitol Hill for a change. Their No. 1 question has got to be, "Whatever happened to common sense?"

It is obvious that our senators and representatives have forgotten just who they work for and what their job is. Maybe they all need to go on a leaders' retreat to re-evaluate their pitiful existence and re-educate themselves about the U.S. Constitution. They all seem to know what the document is, but they are obviously not living up to what it says.

The biggest problem I see today with our Capitol Hill cronies is power. There are those who have it, those who think they have it, those who want it and those who will do anything to get it. Having and wielding power has become more important than doing what is right for the sake of this nation.

I must have missed the paragraph in the U.S. Constitution that places an emphasis on attaining power while in office. Silly me, I thought these leaders were in Washington to serve their constituency. Somewhere in my twisted past I learned that our government was supposed to be of the people, by the people and for the people.

One of the fixable keys to attaining power is longevity. The longer we leave elected officials in office, the more they strive for and typically acquire power.

If you had to name the five most powerful people on Capitol Hill, would they not be those with the most tenure? How much better would your life be if those five individuals were no longer eligible to serve in the U.S. Congress?

The ultimate solution to the power problem is term limits. The absence of term limits has created a false sense of invincibility and immortality in too many of our legislators. If we would simply restrict our elected officials to 20 years on the Hill, we would not have to deal with the insanity that seems to settle in on our career politicians.

Once the term limits are in place and the toilet of corruption has been flushed, the American Congress can get down to business and get back to work for the American people. Then and only then will the congressional approval ratings get back above 50 percent. Then and only then will our national legislature be truly effective.

Then and only then will Congress be what it was originally intended to be.

Abortion is not an 'Option'

Published in the Holland Sentinel on July 16, 2007

Back in January, I introduced you to my niece while she was still in her mommy's tummy. If you caught the Jan. 15 Sentinel article, "Right to choose is wrong," you saw an ultrasound photo of what appeared to be a smiling baby in the womb.

Well, I am most pleased to provide you with an updated photo of the latest addition to the Helvig clan.

Cassidy is now about a month and a half old and is doing great. Her sister graduated from high school just days before she was born, and her brother will be a freshman this fall. This means my sister and her husband are starting the parent track all over again, just as it seemed they were ready to move toward the empty nest stage of life.

It would have been so easy to say "oops" and go to the doctor for a quick fix. After all, they had paid their parental dues and now should have been a time for them to enjoy each other more.

And what about the money? It would have been much cheaper to get an abortion than it will be to raise this child. These arguments are sadly commonplace in our society.

I praise God that my sister does not think the way too many Americans think. I am so pleased that abortion was not an option when she received word that she was pregnant. I am also very happy to have this opportunity to introduce you to my niece.

Cassidy has already brought great joy into the hearts of many people. She is a blessing to her parents, her siblings and all who have had the opportunity to hold her. She is a beautiful baby who is just beginning to experience what is sure to be a wonderful life.

Cassidy is also the same human being she was back in January, when she was but a few months along in the womb.

As I stated back in January: "Although the topic of abortion is highly debated in religious and political circles, I submit this article in the interest of human decency. The value of the life of a child should not be used as political fodder, nor should it be used to divide a society. Abortion should simply be outlawed because it is wrong to take the life of an innocent human being."

Considering this picture and the ultrasound photo from January, how could anyone say that it would have been OK to kill my niece before she was born? What in the world is going on in the hearts and minds of the pro-choice crowd?