Choosing Life over Convenience

As the debate examining prohibiting late term abortions has unfolded, I can’t help but think of my youngest grandson who was born a few years ago, weighing only 2 lbs 5 oz at 28 weeks. After his birth, I spent a lot of time with him in the neonatal intensive care unit, watching him grow stronger every day until he was able to finally go home with his family.

Witnessing the miracle of his birth and the struggle he had in those early weeks, it breaks my heart that anyone would have a problem with limiting late term abortions and abortions after 20 weeks.

Every child should have the opportunity at life, like my grandson did.

When did we become a country that celebrated abortion on demand and convenience over life?

Conservatives have been fighting for life since Roe v. Wade was handed down, and although we have been able to chip away at that life destroying decision, the battle will continue until every unborn life is protected.

My opponent in the Louisiana Senate election, Mary Landrieu, calls herself pro-life “with exceptions.” She is going to have to explain this concept to me because there is no exception when it comes to life. You either believe in saving it or not.

It’s troubling to me that a candidate would run for re-election as a pro-life advocate with a record that doesn’t match this claim. The Louisiana Right to Life Federation gives Landrieu only a 27 percent score while she has a 100% pro-abortion record according to National Right to Life. She has also voted for a resolution that supports Roe v. Wade, the decision that made abortion in the United States legal.

So where does she really stand? Her record does not line up with her rhetoric.

Recently, Rasmussen found that more and more voters are identifying themselves as pro-life instead of pro-choice. This shows, that yet again, Landrieu’s priorities are not in line with the voters. Or even worse, she’s deliberately choosing to use a pro-life vocabulary to pander to pro-life voters, hoping no one will notice that her record doesn’t add up with her promises.

As a Senator, I will support our values, our families, and more importantly life. Without life we have no liberty. Life is our most basic right, the right from which all our other rights derive. Everyone has not only the right to life, but a responsibility to protect it, especially for those that can’t protect themselves.

Rob Maness is a retired Air Force colonel, running for U.S. Senate in Louisiana. He was a commander in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, and his combat decorations include the Bronze Star and Air Medal.