State and U.S. representatives visited Warsaw Saturday to provide an update on abortion-related issues at the statehouse and federal level.
Approximately 100 people attended a legislative action forum sponsored by the Kosciusko County Right To Life at First Christian Church, Warsaw.
Third District Congressman Mark Souder gave an update on pro-life issues at the federal level.
"There are ups and downs in this movement and this isn't one of the up periods in Washington," Souder said. "Elections have consequences and the fact is Democrats got the votes."Souder said Republicans need to be the voice of Democrat's guilty conscience as it relates to pro-life issues. He encouraged people to send letters to their legislators and representatives to express their opposition toward abortion.
"I believe President Obama's goals are to reduce abortions," Souder said.
Souder said the question is, do Republicans cooperate to save lives - at the cost of the moral principle of participating with people who believe the babies are human - or allow babies to be slaughtered?
Souder said the focus at the federal level is on the Freedom of Choice Act that President Barack Obama supports. The act would eliminate all of the federal and state laws passed in the past 35 years that restrict abortion and protect women and unborn babies.
If the act becomes law, taxpayers would pay for abortions; partial-birth abortions would be legal again; and there would be secret abortions for minor daughters with no parental involvement, Souder said.
The bill also states there would be no required information or waiting periods for women seeking abortions; and medical professionals and facilities would be allowed to perform abortions.
He said it is essential to hold a moral high ground.
Souder said if the act is approved, it would undermine everything that pro-life lobbyists are trying to do in the state legislature.
"It would undermine some of the fundamental things we are trying to do. If we don't fight and make pro-life issues clear and continue to keep it in the forefront at the state level than we can be faced with trouble," Souder said.
He said policies that reduce abortion, but not at the risk of losing fundamental principles, should be supported.
Indiana State Representative Jackie Walorski spoke about current issues involving Planned Parenthood. Walorski represents St. Joe and Elkhart county.
Walorski said, in 2007, Planned Parenthood served 95,000 adult women in Indiana and served 11,300 girls under the age of 17 in those same clinics.
"I will guarantee you if we had a pie chart and could show how many of those girls were from Kosciusko County, there were some," Walorski said.
"We are in a war. Planned Parenthood is taking tax dollars and willing to overlook laws in Indiana that ensure our kids are safe when these kind of situations happen," Walorski said.
Walorski said she has been fighting to de-fund Planned Parenthood.
"Some of you have been in this fight for years because you have the passion to say this is wrong, we need to stand up. If there was ever a time to engage in this issue it's now," Walorski said.
Indiana State Senator Marlin Stutzman spoke about pro-life efforts at the State House.
"We need to continue fighting to keep Planned Parenthood on the ropes," Stutzman said.
"Our children are our future, and as they see the policies we set, that will create a path and guide them in a direction that will take them throughout their lives," he said.
He said there is legislation moving through the Senate that should allow a person to be charged with murder if a fetus is viable and a pregnant women is killed.
Sue Swayze, Indiana Right to Life lobbyist, Indianapolis, gave an update on legislation being considered at the state level. She said there are several bills in the house relating to right to life issues.
One of the bills that is awaiting second reading is a hospital admitting privileges bill that would require a physician who performs an abortion to have admitting privileges at a hospital in the county or in a county adjacent to the county where the abortion is performed.
The bill also states that a patient would be required to be notified of the hospital location where the patient can receive follow-up care by the physician.
For more information about Kosciusko Right To Life, visit www.kcrtl.org
