Those who remember almost any recent election will likely stop to read that headline again. After all, isn’t it the Democrats who have been making the claim every other year that their voters have been disenfranchised? Isn’t it the other guys that do that sort of thing? The answers are yes and no. ‘Yes’, it’s the Democrats that claim it but, ‘No’, it’s not the other guys that do it. Hypocritically, it is Democrats that claim it and the Democrats that do it. One need look no further than Tennessee SJR 127 for proof.

In 2000, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that common sense legislation pertaining to abortion in Tennessee be struck down. Things like a 48 hour waiting period and full disclosure of the impact of having an abortion to any woman seeking one were thrown out. It is vital to note that none of this legislation prevented, in any way, a woman’s access to abortion. Just the opposite. How is it possible that more information and consideration of such a decision would be bad for a woman considering such a medical procedure? The Court, as courts often do, ruled otherwise. Once again, a small group of appointed individuals, set aside the will of the people as expressed through their duly elected representatives.

Since 2004, SJR 127 has been introduced into the Tennessee Senate and passed by a wide majority each time. Each time it has gone to the Tennessee House where it has died in Committee, the Public Health and Family Assistance Subcommittee of Health and Human Resources Committee to be precise. It was the same earlier this year. On a party line vote, the Subcommittee refused to allow SJR 127 to come out of committee to the full House where it would pass and then be put on the ballot in 2010 for all Tennesseans to vote on. Six committee members, all Democrats, are preventing six million Tennesseans from having their say. Talk about disenfranchising voters!

The resolution these six anti-democracy Democrats are keeping from appearing on the ballot is as follows:

Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion. The people retain the right through their elected state representatives and state senators to enact, amend, or repeal statutes regarding abortion, including circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest or when necessary to save the life of the mother.

That’s it. It’s a simple, factual declaration the truth. There is no language in the Tennessee Constitution that secures the right to an abortion or funding for the same. Instead, it is up to the people of the state of Tennessee to decide!. Who could be against that? In 2008, in the United States of America, who could oppose letting the people vote on such an important issue and have a say in the way things are done in their state?

Who, indeed? It is the Democrats who oppose such a thing! It is the Democrats who insist the people be forbidden from voting on the matter! It is the Democrats who say there’s no need to put such a matter on the ballot for the people to decide. One has to wonder why. Isn’t it the Democrats who loudly and continually tell us that the people overwhelmingly support abortion on demand? Isn’t it the Democrats who proclaim themselves the champions of choice? Isn’t it the Democrats who are first to rush to the microphones and reporters with charges of voters being disenfranchised? Yes. It is.

But when it comes to actually having to support such a concept as opposed to merely talking about it, it is also the Democrats who are saying one thing and doing another. It is the Democrats who won’t allow the people to actually have a say on abortion. It is the Democrats that refuse to allow the people to choose. It is the Democrats who sit in Committee and refuse to speak when the voters of Tennessee are disenfranchised. It’s the way they want it.

Tennessee House members Lois DeBerry, Joanne Favors, Sherry Jones, Mary Pruitt, Jeanne Richardson - all Democrats, along with the chair of the full Health and Human Resources Committee Joe Armstrong, also a Democrat - all voted to deny Tennesseans the ability to exercise their right to govern themselves via the vote. It’s six against six million!

Once again I find myself wondering why so many good people with solid values continue to support the Democratic Party when the Party repudiates everything they stand for time and time again. I think it’s time for those folks to rethink supporting Democrats. I think it’s time for Tennessee to be governed by Tennesseans and not by out of touch, out of the mainstream Democrats who don’t even understand enough about our government to know that it’s government of, by and for “the people”, not “the powerful”. Email or call these Representatives. Let them know you’ll be thinking of their vote as you cast your vote in November! At least the Democrats haven’t found a way to take that vote away from you … yet …

Blue

Armstrong - rep.joe.armstrong@legislature.state.tn.us - 741-0768
DeBerry - rep.lois.deberry@legislature.state.tn.us - 741-3830
Favors - rep.joanne.favors@legislature.state.tn.us - 741-2702
Jones - rep.sherry.jones@legislature.state.tn.us - 741-2035
Pruitt - rep.mary.pruitt@legislature.state.tn.us - 741-3853
Richardson - rep.jeanne.richardson@legislature.state.tn.us - 741-2010