The Health Care Vote and The Stupak Amendment - Did We Really Ban Taxpayer-Funded Abortion?

The Health Care Vote and The Stupak Amendment - Did We Really Ban Taxpayer-Funded Abortion?

I know that many of you watched the Health Care Reform vote on Saturday night like I did. I began to see the tweets, facebook updates and press releases going out almost immediately after the vote on the Stupak Amendment passed in the House. I was not quite as ready as many other to celebrate a victory.

Of course it made me happy to see that so many Democrats seemed to be taking a stand against our tax dollars going to fund the killing of innocent human children. I am always pumped when the side of life wins out over death. The problem I have is that it really seems like this amendment is just "empty calories", kind of like a cupcake that tastes good now but has no real benefit to us other than taste.

First I would like to point out that there already are millions and millions of taxpayer dollars funding abortion both here in the States and in other countries. Planned Parenthood, the largest provider of child-killing in the country, gets millions of dollars every year from the government. Now I have heard people try and argue that the government money does not directly pay for abortions, but it is still going to the largest abortion provider in America.

In his first week in office, President Obama reversed the Mexico City policy which opened the floodgates of US taxpayer money into other countries to pay for abortions. I don't know how these congressmen and women can sit there and try and tell us not to worry, that federal funds won't go to abortion, when they already do both here in the US and abroad.

Another problem I have with the Stupak Amendment is that it is full of exceptions, which again open the door for taxpayer money to go for abortions. Additionally, I refuse to praise any legislation which dehumanizes children simply because they may have been conceived in rape or incest. They are still human persons. I have talked about this in many other commentaries; we cannot say that killing children is ok in some circumstances because what we are saying then is that some children in the womb are not as fully human as others. A child in the womb is no less human than anyone at any other stage of their life; that is why we are against abortion in the first place. It is not that we are against a procedure; we are against it because that procedure kills a human person.

Another obvious problem with the Stupak Amendment is that it seems that it was just a smokescreen to get pro-life Democrats to vote for the health care bill; without the amendment the bill probably would not have passed. In my opinion, the amendment will probably be stripped away in committee and will never make it into any final version of the bill.

I just refuse to see this as a great victory, but rather more like a pro-life cupcake. While the cupcake looked good and tasted good at the time, it was just empty calories that pacified the masses and in the end did had no nutritional value at all. Let's remain encouraged by the fact that this amendment was even brought to a vote, but still understand it was simply a feel-good treat.

Just my thoughts.

For Christ I stand,

Bryan Kemper - bryankemper@standtrue.com

An Abortionist Was Aborted Yesterday

An Abortionist Was Aborted Yesterday

Yesterday morning, abortionist George Tiller was aborted as he walked into his church. Someone decided to take the law into their own hands and abort him for what he has done to thousands of innocent little baby boys and girls.

Stand True does not believe in aborting abortionists and denounces this violent act. Answering the violence of abortion with more violence will not serve the babies or help the pro-life movement in any way. We are praying for the family of George Tiller and those in his church while he was shot. We know that healing can come through Jesus and pray those involved in the abortion industry will turn to Christ.

I am sure some of you are trying to figure out why I would be so insensitive as to use the term “aborted” when referring to the murder of George Tiller. I wonder of those who think I am being insensitive are also people who would be mad when I use the term “murdered” when talking about babies who are aborted? In all reality I am being very sensitive to the abortion industry by saying he was aborted, since that is the term they like to use to describe the taking of a life.

While this may sound very sarcastic, I am truly saddened by yesterday's events. However I am also saddened that yesterday, 4,000 babies were also murdered. I am saddened that today, 4,000 babies will be murdered. I am saddened that tomorrow, 4,000 babies will be murdered.

I am saddened that the news media will not be reporting on the horrific fate of those 4,000 innocent babies who are just as human as and deserving of the same protection as George Tiller.

I am saddened that the police who so diligently searched for and apprehended the man who aborted George Tiller; are the same police who protect the men and women who abort little baby boys and girls.

I listened to commentators talking on the news about how we need to “tone down” our rhetoric to avoid violence. What they refuse to see is that our rhetoric is crying out against violence, the violence of child killing. We are the ones who are trying to bring an end to violence and 4,000 murders a day.

I have seen what happens is the past when an abortionist is aborted, the pro-life movement seems to shy away from action. I have seen people drop out of the movement and back away from getting involved.

If anything, we need to step up our fight against violence and the killing of human persons. What yesterday showed us is that hearts have been hardened to life and we must shine the light of Christ and Hope into this dark world even brighter then ever.

I urge all of you who believe in the sanctity of human life to stay focused. Do not let this despicable act of cowardice sway you from standing up and being a voice for the babies. I know things will be tough, as people will judge us just for being associated with pro- life. We must reiterate that the abortion of George Tiller was not a pro-life act, just as the murder of 4,000 children a day are not pro- life acts.

As for using the term “aborted” when referring to the death of George Tiller. I will stop using that term when the pro-abortion industry starts calling abortion “homicide”, which is what it is. I am simply using their own term to describe the taking of a human life; they should have no problem with it.

For Christ I stand,

Bryan Kemper - bryankemper@standtrue.com

Feel free to re-post with credit given to the source.

Any and all comments promoting violence against abortionists will be deleted.

You cannot murder people and call it pro-life – Stand True denounces the murder of abortionist George Tiller

You cannot murder people and call it pro-life – Stand True denounces the murder of abortionist George Tiller

Troy, OH May 31, 2009 – Stand True – Christ Centered Pro-life denounces the murder of abortionist George Tiller this morning in Wichita, KS. “We cannot kill people in the name of pro-life.” said Bryan Kemper, President of Stand True. “Answering the violence of abortion with more violence will not serve the babies or help the pro-life movement in any way”.

While Stand True is committed to ending the killing of innocent children through abortion, we are committed to non-violent, peaceful action. The pro-life movement cannot take the law into their own hands and turn to vigilantly justice.

We are praying for the family of George Tiller and those in his church while he was shot. We know that healing can come through Jesus and pray those involved in the abortion industry will turn to Christ.

Bryan Kemper, President of Stand True is available for comment – 540-538-2581

Stand True is a Christ centered youth pro-life organization committed to educating, activating and equipping this generation to stand for life – www.standtrue.com

Abortion and Common Ground – Stand True's Response to President Obama at Notre Dame

Abortion and Common Ground – Stand True's Response to President Obama at Notre Dame

I am not going to get into all the reasons why or why not President Obama should or shouldn't have been invited to speak at Notre Dame. The fact is, he was and he spoke and that is what I want to address.

I can imagine that for any graduate to have the President of the United States of America come to speak at his or her graduation ceremony would be an amazing experience. Even if you didn't vote for that President, it would be an honor to know he picked your school's invitation to speak. Even though I am adamantly against many of the President Obama's policies, I must still respect the office he holds.

I know many pro-lifers from around the country were at Notre Dame to protest and pray as they felt it was an abomination for such and ardently pro-abortion president to speak at a Catholic University. I was invited to come and speak and join some of the groups in their protests and prayer vigils. The fact that my wife is due in just a few days with our sixth child made the decision to stay home and watch it on TV an easy one.

I was very intrigued to hear what he could possibly have to say about abortion to a Catholic University, as the news mentioned he would speak extensively on this issue. I could not imagine him suddenly taking some kind of pro-life position. What he did was try an pacify pro-lifers with false, fluffy nonsense about common ground and reducing abortions.

Common ground? I am sick and tired of hearing people talk about common ground when it comes to the slaughter of innocent children. Our ground is stained with the blood of over 50,000,000 baby boys and girls whose deaths cry out for justice.

Let me ask you this.

Would you be willing to find common ground with someone advocating for legalized rape?

Would you be willing to find common ground with someone advocating the reinstitution of the Third Reich and Nazi policies?

Of course not, these are ludicrous statements. I would also argue that finding common ground with those who advocate for the killing of fully human pre-born children is a ludicrous idea.

What if Adolf Hitler gave a speech to the Allied Forces asking us to find common ground and just find a way to reduce the number of Jews being killed? We are talking about genocide here; simply reducing it is not an option. In the same way, the abortion holocaust is genocide and simply reducing the killing is not an option.

President Obama's saying he wants to reduce abortions is also a out-and-out lie as he released millions of our taxpayer dollars to pay for overseas abortion within three days of taking office. He also vowed to sign the so called “Freedom of Choice Act” which would completely deregulate the abortion industry and wipe out what few restrictions there are in place now.

While I do believe we must reach out in love to women who are seeking abortions and offer them an alternative and the hope we have in Christ, I will not meet the abortion issue with the hospitality President Obama spoke of.

The reason his words sounded to elegant and tickled so many ears as he spoke of such nonsense is because people have been blinded by the pro-abortion rhetoric beginning with the belief that it is about choice. There are certain things in life that cannot be left to someone's personal choice and killing a baby is one of those.

President Obama is an amazing orator was able to make people think that he is truly concerned about abortion and pro-life issues, I can't tell you how many people I know who think he is pro-life. The professor that was interviewed outside the graduation ceremony was trying to say that President Obama is the best thing for the pro-life movement because he wants to reduce abortions instead of wanting to end abortion.

I am sorry but I must reiterate that simply reducing the number of babies being killed is not what I and Stand True and the pro-life movement are fighting for. We want every single human person from the moment of fertilization to be fully protected.

The problem is we are allowing abortion to fall in a different category than every other act of homicide. But abortion is not a different act; it is a different method of the act of homicide. It is still one person killing another person.

One of the things the news kept repeating during their coverage of the whole Notre Dame scandal was a new Zogby Poll in which they declare the a majority of Americans now call themselves pro-life. As someone who travels the country for much of the year for the past 18 years, I already knew this. The majority of the people I meet in my travels identify themselves as pro-life, whether it is on an airplane, in a store or anywhere else I go.

So the next step is to get that majority to not only call themselves pro-life, but act like they believe abortion is an act of homicide. We need to activate this generation to be a voice so loud and so clear that we have no choice but to protect the lives of the innocent, fully human, pre-born children who are being killed almost 4,000 times a day.

Mr. President. I will offer NO hospitality to the killing of innocent children; there is NO common ground when it comes to ground that is stained with the blood of millions of innocent children.

For Christ I stand,

Bryan Kemper bryankemper@standtrue.com

Can you hear the silence? - A commentary by Bryan Kemper

Can you hear the silence? - A commentary by Bryan Kemper

One hundred and fifty-two years ago, nine men sat upon a bench that was designed to bring equal justice under law to all Americans and disgraced their office. They lifted themselves above God Almighty and declared that Black people were not fully human. This atrocity is something we teach in our schools as one of the darkest moments in American history.

Thirty- six years ago, nine men sat upon a bench that was designed to bring equal justice under law to all Americans and disgraced their office. They lifted themselves above God Almighty and declared that pre-born babies were not fully human. This atrocity is something we teach in our schools as one of the greatest moments in American history.

These two devastating acts ushered in two very dark and tragic chapters of American history. These decisions have been responsible for the death of millions of Americans and have brought shame on our nation. One of these chapters was brought to a close long ago, while the other is still open and still stains our nation's streets with the blood of innocents.

So here we are thirty- six years later and still almost 4,000 babies are killed every day in our country. That is 1,200,000 little baby boys and girls taken from the safety of their mother's womb every year in the name of choice.

It is hard to imagine these numbers sometimes. They just seem so unreal. Let's look at a recent event that has caused the whole world to react. A few years ago the tsunamis in southern Asia claimed over 140,000 lives in one day. The devastation there has brought an outpouring of humanitarian relief and aid that is unlike anything this world has probably ever seen.

140,000 lives lost. That is equal to about 35 days of abortion. That would be about 11 tsunamis hitting America with equal loss of life every year. We would have had to have over 396 tsunamis hit our shores since January 22, 1973, all with equal loss of life to match how many children have been killed by surgical abortion alone.

Where is the outpouring of humanitarian aid for this loss of life? Where are all the news stories about people who are trying to figure out ways to avoid this holocaust? Where are God's people 36 years later? What are we waiting for?

As the people in Southern Asia fled from the tsunami and were rescued, as they clung to floating objects and trees, they were able to cry out for help. The children that will die today from abortion are not able to cry out. They need a voice. They need action.

I know this generation is capable of action as they have embraced the social justice movement. We have recognized so much suffering in the world and are crying out for justice. With all of the outpouring of love and humanity; why have we still forgotten the most vulnerable of all human life? We must take this social justice passion to the next level; we must recognize that social justice begins in the womb.

Listen carefully. Can you hear it? Can you hear the deafening silence of 1/3 of this generation is about to die? Will you be a voice for the voiceless? Will you break the silence? Will you take action?

For Christ I stand,
Bryan Kemper

Abortion Terminology and Hate Speech

Abortion Terminology and Hate Speech

I find it fascinating how many people think that by simply saying, “abortion is the killing of a human person,” I am somehow practicing hate speech. It seems like even those who are opposed to the killing of innocent human persons are reluctant to call it just that: killing. Some have even told me not to use the word abortion because it might offend someone who has had one if they have to think about what they have done. The crazy part about this is that these statements often come from those who call themselves Christian and pro-life.

I recently got an e-mail from a Christian who was furious at me for using the term "abortionist". He was appalled that I would refer to someone who performs abortions as an abortionist because that is saying he wants to commit abortions.  Are you confused? I was when I read his e-mail; I actually had to read it a couple of times through just to make sure I was not mis-reading it.

I explained to him that “abortionist” was simply a technical term such as therapist, anesthesiologist or scientist. He claimed that no one wants to perform abortions and using a term like that was hateful. I actually think that using the term is too kind; abortionists don't deserve professional titles.

In almost any genre, field, clique, movement or belief system you will find terminology that is unique and not often know outside of that group. You will find that inside the pro-life movement people often refuse to call the building is which abortions are performed, “clinics,” but rather “abortion mills.” The fact is a clinic is a place where people go for healing, not to have someone else killed. The term "abortion mill" comes from the fact that most of these places cycle through large groups of mothers in short periods of time and will kill the largest quantity of babies in the shortest periods of time; therefore, we call it a mill.

Another term often used is "pro-abortion" instead of the inaccurate term coined by the abortion industry, “pro-choice.” Before you rant at me about this one please read my commentary about this particular subject as it is too much to cover inside this commentary - Tough Questions - Pro-choice or Pro-abortion; is There a Difference? http://www.standtrue.com/pages/commentaries/choiceabortion.htm . The simple answer to this is that if someone is "pro" the right to abortion then they are pro-abortion; this is just basic logic here.

Most pro-lifers will also refuse to say "terminate a pregnancy"; we would call it what it really is: child-killing. I refuse to refer to a child in the womb as a "pregnancy". Why do we feel the need to sanitize abortion and not call it what it really is, the killing of a human person? Why do we have to change everything to not hurt people's feelings by using correct and proper terms?

I understand that there have been some harsh aspects of the pro-life movement and people that have no business being involved in the movement. I know that a few idiots have done some inexcusable things in the name of pro-life and that is wrong.

I believe we need to love those who have been hurt by abortion and be compassionate in our work. I don't think we need to scream and yell at people but rather love them and offer hope.

In the same manner I refuse to dishonor the over 50,000,000 full human persons who have been killed by abortion by referring to them as "terminated pregnancies". I will never afford the term "doctor" to a man who uses his God-given talents to rip babies limb from limb and leave mothers hurting for the rest of their lives.

Why is it that we only want to tip toe around the atrocities of abortion and not other heinous crimes? Imagine if someone started calling rapists "involuntary sex partners" just to soften the term so there is not as much stigma in the name? What if we called murder "post-pregnancy termination" so it would not make the person who committed the murder feel bad for what they had done?  Maybe we could call people who believe it is ok to molest little children "pro-choice" because they should have the choice to do what they believe?

I hope you find these examples ludicrous; I do. What I find more ludicrous is when I am told I am using hate speech for call the killing of an innocent human person “homicide.” I find it unthinkable to reduce the lives of precious babies to simply "choices"; that to me is the real hate speech.

Bryan Kemper bryankemper@standtrue.com

Valentine's Day, Sex and Chastity

With Valentine's Day around the corner, I decided to republish something we put out last year as it is so appropriate for this time of year. Chastity so key to the pro-life movement and needs to be discussed by parents and churches.

One of the main arguments people give to support the pushing of contraception and sex education on kids is the lack of knowledge teens have today. I have to agree that too many parents and churches are afraid to talk about sex and treat it like it is some sort of evil taboo they never want their kids to know about.

I believe that sex is a beautiful gift from God and we need to teach our children that information , as well as what it is intended for and how to respect that gift. I believe if we can accomplish this, we could drastically reduce abortion rates.

Chastity is for Lovers

We are often asked why we use the word chastity over the word abstinence. Isn't it the same thing? Why would you tell married people to practice chastity? Are you saying that sex is bad even if you're married?

Most people think that abstinence and chastity are the same thing. Far from it: abstinence is simply abstaining from sex, but with some people that definition becomes very fuzzy. Some would say that remaining abstinent means refraining from all sexual activity, while others would say it simply refers to sexual intercourse and nothing else. 

Chastity, on the other hand, is not just about abstaining from sexual behavior; it's a lifestyle that we choose to live. While chastity does include refraining from sexual activity before marriage, it also encompasses much more. 

Chastity is not just for non-married people; it's something for everyone to embrace and practice. As a married man I must live a chaste life in my marriage and remain chaste to my wife. That does not mean that I abstain from sex with my wife; it means that I abstain from outside sexual behavior. A married couple enters into a bond and covenant with God to remain faithful to each other and to keep their marriage bed sacred.

Outside of the marriage covenant, sexual behavior is simply an act of lust. While many may say that they love each other and that it's entered into in love, it really cannot be defined as love. God is the creator of sex and He made us sexual beings. However, He did set guidelines for sex and created it for a purpose. 

Sex is not simply about physical pleasure, as today's society may teach. If you were to look at what the media, educational system, Planned Parenthood, MTV and most of popular culture push onto the youth, you would think that humans were simply wild animals with no self-control. 

Sex is so much more than just physical pleasure. It was created for two main purposes: reproduction and unity between man and wife. We, of course, know that there is physical pleasure involved, but that does not mean it's good for all occasions. 

There is a popular saying: "If it feels good, it must be OK." We know that it would be ridiculous to apply that to everything in life. I know that drugs feel good, but does that make them OK? When someone commits a crime they may get a rush of adrenaline that feels good, but does that make it OK? There are many things in life that are fun and give us pleasure. That does not necessarily make them right. 

Many also teach that sex is a taboo or dirty thing. While outside of the marriage covenant sex is forbidden by God, it i s not in and of itself dirty or taboo. Sex is a beautiful act that God created for man and wife to enjoy and to bring them closer together as one. Sex brings a unity and bond to a man and a woman that God intended for us to share in a loving relationship. 

The word love is so misused in today's society; it has almost no meaning in most instances. God created love and gave us the ability to love. Lust, which is what takes place when we abuse sex and ignore its purpose, can very often be mistaken for love.

When people enter into a sexual relationship outside of the bonds of marriage it is simply to fulfill their own selfish desires for physical pleasure. When a man pressures a woman into sex and tells her, "You would if you loved me," he is simply coercing her for his own selfish desire. Lust becomes the driving factor, not love.

When young people start to date and become physically involved certain things happen inside their bodies. It's how we are created. Physical activity will trigger our bodies to react in ways that God intended, but He intended those reactions for marriage. 

So, where do we draw the line? What is appropriate behavior for a man and woman who are not married? The question should not be, "How far can we go before it's a sin?" The question should be, "Are we acting in lust or in love?"

It seems so often that we just want to fulfill our own desires instead of wanting to honor God and our bodies in the way God intended. We look at sex and physical pleasure as simply that : pleasure.

Many groups teach that it's unhealthy to restrain ourselves and deny the sexual desires that we have for each other. This comes from the mindset that we should indulge in what feels good and live our lives for ourselves. This is contrary to all that God teaches us about life. The scripture teaches us in Galatians 2:20 , " I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

We must live our lives for Christ and not for ourselves or for our selfish desires. Many of us forget this principle when it comes to our physical relationships, but truly unhealthy behavior is living our lives for ourselves, including engaging in sexual activity outside of the covenant of marriage. We all know that there are so many pitfalls to promiscuous sexual behavior such as STDs, unwed pregnancies, heartbreak and brokenness. The world seems to try so hard to come up with false hope and protection from these dangers, but the answer is simple. 

If we truly act in love and treat sex as it was intended, then we can avoid these dangers along with a need for false safety nets. If we truly act in love we can experience sex in the way God intended it, which is the most beautiful expression of our love to each other.

If we are acting in lust, not love, then we are robbing ourselves of the true purpose of an amazing gift God gave to us. If we are acting in love, than we are honoring God and each other. If we are acting in love we are living a chaste life both before and in our marriage. 

Chastity is for lovers.

Bryan Kemper bryankemper@standtrue.com

Stand True's March for Life and Inauguration Recap and Slide Show

Stand True's March for Life and Inauguration Recap and Slide Show

If you can't see the slide show here - Go here: http://www.slide.com/r/HavAxZjJ7D9owzT68KbJkvuYw-92z-hq?previous_view=lt_embedded_url

You can also see the pictures on Facebook here:

Part 1- http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=57009&id=501983555

Part 2 - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=57014&id=501983555

This is probably one of the most depressing parts of my job: writing the recap for yet another March for Life which starts another year of decriminalized child killing in America. While I know that we had some amazing ministry, fellowship and outreach in Washington D.C. last week, I am saddened that another year of the American Holocaust has begun.

Our week started out with the drive to Washington D.C. on Monday, January 19th, the day before the Inauguration. We gathered with friends from Survivors, Christian Defense Coalition and other to prepare for Inauguration. At least 20 of us squeezed into two small rooms and attempted to sleep on hardwood floors for about 3 hours before our adventure began.

At 3:30 we started to wake up and pile on the layers of clothing as we prepared to make our way towards the Inauguration parade route. I have never seen so many people up and walking at 4:30 in the morning in my life; it was a very strange morning to say the least. As we met with the Secret Service to be escorted to our permitted spot, we were ushered by thousands of people who had been waiting in line for hours. We were not that surprised by the booing we got from the crowd as we were taken right to the front of everyone.

I can honestly say that I have never been as cold in my life as I was that morning.  By the time the sun came out I could not really feel the big toe on my left foot. By 7:30 AM we were in our spot for the parade and now it was just a matter of waiting several hours for President Obama to pass by. We spent time in prayer and talked to people around us about why we were there. When President Obama passed us he was seen reading the banner, "53,000,000 lives lost through abortion, President Obama end the violence".

We know that his first week in office was spent doing the opposite of what our banners pleaded but that will not deter our determination to stand for our brothers and sisters who need a voice. President Obama has already opened the floodgates for funding of embryonic stem cell research and funding abortion overseas and he has not even been in office for a month. We must continue to pray for and admonish him to stand for life and live out the faith he claims to believe in.

The Inauguration may have been over, but our week was just beginning. We were up bright and early the next morning to set up the Stand True booth at the March for Life convention. We welcomed in the rest of the Stand True team as we prepared for the March and other events we had planned.

Thursday morning we got up early and headed out to the White House to pray for our new President on the anniversary of Roe vs Wade. We prayed for him to embrace life and the sanctity of all human life from the moment of fertilization to natural death. Later we met up with many of the other organizations from the Youth Life Alliance and marched together as a unified youth pro-life movement. We were excited to see over 300,000 people gather in Washington for the March for Life, the biggest I can remember since 1994 when I started coming.

Friday morning we were up bright and early again as we met at an abortion mill near George Washington University for the start of our prayer walk. We were so blessed to have over 350 people join us for this event. We prayed at the first abortion mill for about 45 minutes before walking to the Planned Parenthood a couple of miles away. After a time of prayer and singing at Planned Parenthood we walked to the White House for a time of prayer and a talk from Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  I was honored by the chance to speak and pray next to Dr. King and join her as we laid down 1,400 flowers at the White House, commemorating the number of African-American babies that die each day through legal abortion.

Later that day we finished up our activism with a display of Life Development signs near Union Station in the heart of D.C. We ended the afternoon with prayer and then got some much-needed rest before the Students for Life Conference the next day.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early again to set up our booth at the Students for Life conference. I was speaking at the conference that afternoon and was excited to see the place so full. It turned out to be a great conference and we talked to hundreds of students who were excited to be more active in pro-life and get involved with Stand True.

The staff and I probably got about 10 total hours of sleep the whole week, but it was so worth it. We know that God was glorified, His word was proclaimed in love on throughout the streets and His people came together for the voiceless.

My prayer is that we do not have to return next year for the 37th March for Life (I refuse to say annual, because it must end). While I don't want to come back, I will if necessary and I hope you will join us.

Bryan Kemper bryankemper@standtrue.com

They, Too, Are America - A Commentary by Bryan Kemper

They, Too, Are America - A Commentary by Bryan Kemper

Langston Hughes wrote a poem entitled, "I, Too" in which he dreamed of a day when African Americans would not be shunned. This simple poem speaks volumes about personhood and the struggle to attain equality.

Corrie Ten Boom wrote a book entitled, "The Hiding Place" in which she talked about her days in a concentration camp. She was not Jewish; she was imprisoned and tortured for hiding Jews in her home because she believed they were equal human persons.

Rosa Parks sat down and refused to get up from a seat she was told she had no right to sit in. She decided that she was no longer going to be told that she was less human than anyone else on that bus.

Anne Frank wrote in her diary, "I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains" – this coming from a young woman having to live in a hidden apartment for two years because she was declared a non - human person.

Martin Luther King, Jr. cried out, "I have a dream." He believed in a world where men were not looked at as black or white, but as men. He believed we could live as equal human persons and destroy the prejudices that plagued mankind.

What do all these people have in common?

Some may say oppression. Oppression is certainly a word that can be used to describe all of their lives. Can you imagine yourself as young girl like Anne Frank living in a small hidden apartment for two years, never allowed to leave for fear of certain death?

Some may say determination. Langston Hughes was determined to see a day when our African American brothers would not be seen as less than any other American.

Some may say courage. I can't imagine the courage it took for Corrie Ten Boom to risk her own life and freedom for total strangers. She endured years of torture and even found a way to thank God for her bunk being infested with fleas, knowing it saved her from abuse.

Some may say resolve. Oh, to see the resolve in the face of Rosa Parks on the bus that day! To see her claim her spot as an equal human person and refuse to be dehumanized.

Some may say passion. Passion is one of the best words you can use to describe Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. When you hear his speech you can't help but be moved.

While all of these words are truly things these great humans had in common, there is one other thing that makes them stand out from others who have been dehumanized: their voice. They all had a voice and were able to use that voice to cry out for their lives, their freedom and their humanity. A voice is something that thousands of innocent people every day in America will never have.

Can you imagine if a child in the womb could write a poem about how one day he too would be called an American?

Can you imagine if babies that were not going to be killed by abortion could hide others that were scheduled for death?

Can you imagine if when the abortionist tried to kill a young little girl she was able to sit down in the womb with resolve and say, “I will not be killed”?

Can you imagine the speech a young child would give proclaiming the day all innocent pre-born children are counted as human?

While we know these things are impossible for the children in the womb to accomplish, they are not impossible for us. We do have a voice; we now need to find the courage, determination, resolve and passion to fight against the oppression of innocent children.

Some may say, "How dare you compare abortion with the holocaust or oppression of African Americans!" I say how dare we not. How dare we look back at some of the most brutal, inhumane and dehumanizing acts in history and not also include the killing of innocent babies?

We are ushering in a new era in America this year. With the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency, we are seeing something many people believed would not happen in their lifetime. We are witnessing something that we should all be proud of regardless of our political views. America has taken one more step towards equality and wiping out racial prejudices.

So many people do not believe they will see the killing of innocent children stop in their lifetime either. So many people have accepted the abortion holocaust as status quo. I refuse to accept or believe that we cannot defeat this evil.

It is time, my friends, to adopt the words that describe these great humans I wrote about. It is time to believe that we will usher in an era where pre-born children are considered full human persons. It is time to use our voices to proclaim life and freedom for the thousands of our brothers and sisters who die needlessly every day.

It is time to say: They, Too, America.

Bryan Kemper bryankemper@standtrue.com