Letters to My Congressman (14)

What words a legislator says are important, but what is more important is how a legislator votes. This week I question a vote you recently cast that cruelly denies funds to worthwhile humanitarian organizations simply because they do not espouse your patriarchal ideology concerning women’s reproductive freedom. Below is a summary of the poor vote you cast which, in my opinion, not only fails to represent the democratic and moral values of your constituents, but also is profoundly inconsistent with traditional Republican principles. Which leads me to ask yet again: what do you and your current Republican Party stand for? Sadly, your vote leads me to believe that you and your Party stand for the despotic imposition of patriarchal ideology on women’s freedom in direct contradiction to our fundamental American and constitutional values.

I used to think that your Republican Party espoused the principle of individual liberty and fought vigorously for the thesis that “Big Government” should not interfere with the rights and freedoms of individuals. But evidently when it comes to the issue of women’s individual liberty with respect to reproductive rights, suddenly there is amnesia in you and your Party about the dogged fight for individual liberty. Or does your Party fight for only the individual liberty of men?

I also used to think that your Republican Party was the Party of preserving the values of the Founding Fathers. Of course,one such fundamental value, so crucial in the formation of our democracy, was the principle of the strict separation of Church and State. One powerful reason why people came to the shores of the New World to colonize our country was to escape from religious persecution. This principle has allowed religious freedom to flourish in our country. The right of any citizen to worship in whatever manner he or she sees fit is a right that should be fiercely protected. After the 9/11 attack, there was sadly some hysteria in your Party against the Muslim religion as practiced in this country and unfounded absurd fears arose that in some communities Sharia Law would be imposed on our nation if we were not vigilant. Of course both Parties agreed that religious law should not be imposed in our American communities and both Parties agreed to the fundamental principle that Church and State should be separated.

I do not believe that my religious beliefs should be imposed on any unwilling citizen of our country. Yet I also do respect your right to hold a religious belief that a woman in your religious community should not choose to have an abortion. But I question why you are voting on secular matters guided by such an un-American principle of forcing your religious ideology on others who do not share your views. You voted to deny federal aid to non-profit organizations who do good work to heal the sick simply because they do not adhere to your religious conviction on abortion. That to me is fundamentally inconsistent with the principles of our Founding Fathers. Furthermore, it is immoral to me to not help the sick when it is within our power to do so simply because of a patriarchal religious ideology.

And of course, your views on abortion are totally inconsistent with the Republican conservative principle of limited government. If you want to advocate against abortion in your religious community, I will defend that right vigorously. But in my opinion, you have no right whatsoever to impose your religious ideology on the many free and equal women in our democratic America that is not, last time I checked, under any kind of Papal, Sharia, Orcan or whatever kind of religious rule. You simply have no right whatsoever to impose your religious ideology on free American women.

I hope you reconsider casting such un-American patriarchal ideological votes in the future and think more wisely before you use the power all American people (both men and women) gave you to lead our country, not according to your religious beliefs, but instead, consistent with the laws, values and principles of our Founding Fathers and constitution. Please defend the freedoms of all men, all women, and all religions that are independent of our wonderful secular state.