Council 112 Respect Life Report November 2006

Tony Marino is an Air Force veteran who later received a degree in English Literature at Long Island University. For more than 30 years, he was an insurance agent for Aetna before eventually becoming a private insurance consultant. Since his retirement in 2003, he has devoted himself to the service of St. Peter's Parish in Concord and the Right to Life movement in New Hampshire. Tony has been married to his wife, Annette for more than 40 years. They have ten children and 22 grandchildren.

Many of the readers of this newsletter know that I campaigned for State Representative as a Republican. I did not get elected, but the campaign reinforced matters which I believed, and taught me some things about which I had limited understanding. I entered the campaign knowing that our society is involved in a “culture war”, and our participation in that war, willingly or unwillingly, is taking place right here in New Hampshire. The war is not between Democrats and Republicans, nor is it a matter of right and left, or liberal and conservative. The war is between those who seek a society governed by a “culture of death” and those who follow the teachings of Almighty God, and seek a “culture of life”. Religious denominations do not necessarily denote or predict the side chosen by the participant. And make no mistake, we are all participants.

The question asked by many pro-lifers is: what happens in New Hampshire now that the Democrats are in control of both the executive office and the legislature. My response, based on revelations learned during my campaign, is that little has changed. The political disposition to defend life is essentially the same now as it was before the election. Some pro-lifers are making the argument that now that Democrats hold the legislature, they will repeal “parental notification”. That is true, but let’s look at the New Hampshire legislation that has been passed while the Republicans held the majority: no time limit on when an abortion can take place, i.e. an abortion can take place in New Hampshire right up to the moment of birth; any person can open a clinic and perform an abortion (medical doctors need not apply); virtually anyone can purchase an abortificant over the counter; plan B abortificants can be purchased by a sixteen year old, without a prescription or parental consent; pharmacists can lose their license if they refuse to sell these drugs, even if the sale is against their religious beliefs. Then there is a record of what the Republican legislature failed to do: there is no law regulating abortion clinics; there is no law to ascertain the qualifications of abortion practitioners; and there is no law requiring that only a doctor can perform an abortion. The reasonable conclusion is that the people of New Hampshire are not being, and have not been protected by their law givers. Can it get worse? We all know about movements to institute euthanasia, destruction of children in a process called fetal stem cell research, and cloning.

Yet, there is more, and it can get worse: In Europe, a once Catholic country has passed a law, providing that children born prematurely, i.e. before the twenty fifth month, can receive no medical treatment. The baby is simply left to die, unattended. In another western country, the elderly, and premature babies are being called “bed blockers”, by treating physicians, and there is a movement to eliminate them to save bed space and revenue. Is this where we are headed? The answer is very likely, unless we resolve to value life, and begin that value by restoring legal protection to the unborn. If I have learned anything from my brief sojourn into the political world, it is that we can not rely on politicians or political parties. We must rely on our Faith, and on people of faith. Know your values, and know that the candidates you support, also support your values.

	COUNCIL #112 • 52 Bradley Street • Concord NH 03301 • (603) 228-8927 •

RETURN TO RESPECT LIFE PAGE AWARDS AND HONORS BIRTHDAYS CHURCH PROGRAMS COMMUNITY PROGRAMS COUNCIL NEWS FAMILY PROGRAMS FIRST DEGREE TEAM GOOD OF THE ORDER INSURANCE KNIGHT OF THE MONTH LINKS OUR GRAND KNIGHT PHOTOS VIDEO OF THE MONTH YOUTH PROGRAMS CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO VISIT OUR FATHER McGIVNEY SITE	Tony Marino is an Air Force veteran who later received a degree in English Literature at Long Island University. For more than 30 years, he was an insurance agent for Aetna before eventually becoming a private insurance consultant. Since his retirement in 2003, he has devoted himself to the service of St. Peter's Parish in Concord and the Right to Life movement in New Hampshire. Tony has been married to his wife, Annette for more than 40 years. They have ten children and 22 grandchildren. Council 112 Respect Life Report November 2006 Many of the readers of this newsletter know that I campaigned for State Representative as a Republican. I did not get elected, but the campaign reinforced matters which I believed, and taught me some things about which I had limited understanding. I entered the campaign knowing that our society is involved in a “culture war”, and our participation in that war, willingly or unwillingly, is taking place right here in New Hampshire. The war is not between Democrats and Republicans, nor is it a matter of right and left, or liberal and conservative. The war is between those who seek a society governed by a “culture of death” and those who follow the teachings of Almighty God, and seek a “culture of life”. Religious denominations do not necessarily denote or predict the side chosen by the participant. And make no mistake, we are all participants. The question asked by many pro-lifers is: what happens in New Hampshire now that the Democrats are in control of both the executive office and the legislature. My response, based on revelations learned during my campaign, is that little has changed. The political disposition to defend life is essentially the same now as it was before the election. Some pro-lifers are making the argument that now that Democrats hold the legislature, they will repeal “parental notification”. That is true, but let’s look at the New Hampshire legislation that has been passed while the Republicans held the majority: no time limit on when an abortion can take place, i.e. an abortion can take place in New Hampshire right up to the moment of birth; any person can open a clinic and perform an abortion (medical doctors need not apply); virtually anyone can purchase an abortificant over the counter; plan B abortificants can be purchased by a sixteen year old, without a prescription or parental consent; pharmacists can lose their license if they refuse to sell these drugs, even if the sale is against their religious beliefs. Then there is a record of what the Republican legislature failed to do: there is no law regulating abortion clinics; there is no law to ascertain the qualifications of abortion practitioners; and there is no law requiring that only a doctor can perform an abortion. The reasonable conclusion is that the people of New Hampshire are not being, and have not been protected by their law givers. Can it get worse? We all know about movements to institute euthanasia, destruction of children in a process called fetal stem cell research, and cloning. Yet, there is more, and it can get worse: In Europe, a once Catholic country has passed a law, providing that children born prematurely, i.e. before the twenty fifth month, can receive no medical treatment. The baby is simply left to die, unattended. In another western country, the elderly, and premature babies are being called “bed blockers”, by treating physicians, and there is a movement to eliminate them to save bed space and revenue. Is this where we are headed? The answer is very likely, unless we resolve to value life, and begin that value by restoring legal protection to the unborn. If I have learned anything from my brief sojourn into the political world, it is that we can not rely on politicians or political parties. We must rely on our Faith, and on people of faith. Know your values, and know that the candidates you support, also support your values. Next Article -->
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