DFL of North Carolina

E-Gram for Life

Fall 2004

"I think that the Democratic party nationally is perceived as being out of step with mainstream values," said Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D. "I want our party to do a better job of speaking to matters of faith and family." (AP-Jesse Holland, 11/04/04)

The recipients of this E-Gram will most likely agree. For years, we have watched a steady banking of our party to the left on matters of life and faith with a resulting exodus of Democrats. Other political parties have been all too willing to scoop up our members with promises of moral integrity and consistent values making November's disaster inevitable. I agree with Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn, who said, after winning re-election but watching Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle go down in defeat, "We Democrats better think long and hard about what happened ... and how our party is going to connect with the hopes and aspirations of the people. We have lost the ability to connect with people's value systems and we're going to have to work to get that back." (AP 11/04/04)

This is equally true in North Carolina as the following from the Raleigh News and Observer makes clear, "But what mattered most to nearly a quarter of North Carolina's 3.3 million voters, many of whom also identified themselves as white evangelical Christians, were moral values. They defined those values as putting an end to abortion, restricting research into stem cells from human embryos and reserving the state of marriage for heterosexual couples. And 89 percent of those voters drew the line for Bush? Still, they [liberal Christians] said, the Democratic Party let them down by not engaging the morality of issues such as abortion and stem-cell research. "When we talk about women's right to choose, it appears very flippant," said Richard Cook of Raleigh. "We sound callous, like it's just another form of birth control." (News & Observer 11/7/04)

Are we callous? No, the party that shelters the poor, supports the aged and cherishes our Creator's natural world is not callous. But in the arena of life issues, our leadership is on the wrong side of this issue. The Democratic party can no longer afford to disenfranchise and demean those who hold a pro life ethic if they wish to regain the reigns of power. We simply are not going to win elections if we keep treating pro life Democrats as second class citizens. Democrats who hold a pro life view are 43% of our membership and we are insisting on a place at the table. It is my hope that our party will begin to acknowledge Democrats for Life of America as an important focal organization. We can play a critical part in helping our party define ethical treatment for all life. Our success as an organization will be in direct proportion to each member's contribution. Frankly, this movement in North Carolina has grown to such an extent that I am no longer able to take care of all the details, and that's good news.

You will be interested to know that over the last few weeks, I have received numerous emails from individuals interested in NC DFLA. I have responded to each one and have included them as recipients of this E-Gram For Life. Our email has now grown from single digits to a healthy double digit list. There are now individuals on this pro life list in every region of NC. So, what are our plans?

Happenings.

First, there will be a statewide meeting of NC DFLA at the Democratic Headquarters on Saturday, January 15 from 11-2 p.m. The address is 7 Battleground Ct, Greensboro, N.C. I don't expect a "battleground" but I do expect that we will discuss the following issues:

  1. Web site
  2. Membership : As our numbers grow, the respect we are accorded will also grow which is why it is extremely important that each of you reach out to help us find new members. Every DFLA member is an Ambassador for Life.
  3. Dividing the state into regions. We now have individuals in every region and I would like to suggest that we find host families in each region who might be willing to open their homes to a monthly or every two months dessert and chat. It's encouraging to meet with other like minded pro life Democrats.
  4. Brochure. I have been imposing on the generosity of the national organization for some time now. However, we need to develop our own brochure that speaks to the people of North Carolina.
  5. Establishing a Board of Directors.
  6. Survey of Democrat party state elected officials to determine who are supportive of our pro life views.

There will be more information on this meeting as we get closer to the date. It will be a working lunch meeting. I am asking each of you to please make every effort to attend this meeting so that we can demonstrate to the State Democratic Party that there is real support for life ethics within our party.

More Happenings.

One of our NC members is Christa Carter. She is a member of Carolina Students for Life (CSFL) at UNC-Chapel Hill. Mind you, she is a very minority Democrat in this group but she is determined to valiantly represent the best of our party. Here is her report, "Most of the students are Republicans, but I made it known immediately that I am a Democrat and will work hand-in-hand with the pro-life Republicans to help the cause. Currently, I am involved in a committee to writes speeches and presentations to be performed for various other student organizations on campus. We will be speaking to Young Democrats as well as to the African-American civil rights group on campus. Explicitly, I will help to inform the Democrats on campus of the pro-life cause as well as to inform African-Americans. Additionally, I will be involved in the Genocide Awareness Project, which will plaster a certain section of campus with vivid, disturbing pictures of genocide in our world (including connections to abortion). CSFL is working this year to start a scholarship fund to help a pregnant student at UNC as well as a free child care service for students with children."

And here is her followup report: "Thought I'd tell you about something that made me very happy the other day. I did a speech in my communications class the other day on abortion. A few days later, a classmate came up to me and said that she has always been pro-choice and had never, ever even considered the other side until my speech. I concluded with the general debate of the Feminists for Life, and that seemed to really strike her. She said it was because I was obviously a liberal Democrat that I really got to her."

Christa, we commend you and hope you will continue to help others through words and deeds.

National

Here is the press release from Kristen Day, Director of Democrats for Life of America.

Pro-Life Democrats Urge DNC to Modify Abortion Position

Kerry Loss Highlights Need for Pro-Life Leadership

Washington, DC-Nov 04, 2004-Democrats For Life of America urged the Democratic National Committee to concede it's pro-abortion position today on the heels of one of the worst Election Day performances in recent memory.

In addition to election results, Democrats For Life of America point to a poll that shows that Democratic Party insiders are out of touch with the rank-in-file Democratic voter across America. A CBS News poll showed that delegates to the DNC convention were twice as likely as Democratic voters to support abortions in all cases.

"The good news is pro-life democrats are winning campaigns. Pro-life Democrats win because they withstand the pressure of the national party and represent the values of their local communities. Evidence of this is in West Virginia. We won the governor's race in West Virginia despite the fact that President Bush carried the state. We also won legislative races in states all over the country including Iowa, Missouri, Michigan and made the run- off in two separate congressional contests in Louisiana. When Democrats take a stand and protect the rights of the unborn, we win elections. When Democrats campaign on a pro-abortion platform, they lose," said Kristen Day, Executive Director of Democrats For Life of America.

"We are hopeful the national Party will reassess its pro-abortion stance after the disastrous results of Tuesday night. They are costing us elections and abandoning our founding values of protecting and advocating for those who need a helping hand. At the top of that list should be helping protect the rights of the unborn."

Learn more...

Democrats For Life of America was founded in 1999 to mobilize Democrats at the local, state, and national levels. Their primary mission has been to elect pro-life Democrats, support pro-life elected officials, promote a pro-life plank in the Democratic Party platform and achieve legislation that fosters respect for human life.

Democrats For Life of America currently has 32 state chapters with plans to expand the group into additional states by the end of they year. In addition to the grassroots support across America, the group has several Members of Congress who are actively promoting the group's mission.

Put on your walking shoes, there will be a march for life in Washington next year and Democrats for Life will be there. I would love to see a NC contingent there and more information on date and event will be forthcoming.

Point/Counterpoint.

Recently, a display of the graphic carnage involved in abortions was set up at a local university in Asheville, N.C. This traveling display is a presentation by Justice For All, a nonprofit group founded by former minister David Lee of Wichita, Kansas. The display uses 20 ft high pictures of aborted babies to convey the violence of abortion. Understandably, the display has elicited reactions ranging from "obscene", "sick", "offensive", and "insensitive" to "helpful," "enlightening" and "necessary shock." Quoting from an article written by Tom Hess for Heartlink magazine (this article was sent to me by a pro life group in Asheville promoting the event), "We're not trying to win an argument," says Scott Klusendorf, the pro-life author and speaker who helped train the student volunteers at the exhibit. We're trying to get them to think. And it takes time to think it through."

My question to you is, "Is this the best way to make people think"? Should Democrats for Life take this confrontational approach to win the argument? Does it take this approach to reestablish a life ethic in our country? What are the best practices for encouraging a culture of life in our country?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts at our meeting in Greensboro. You can access the entire article at jfaweb.org.

Parting thought.

Reader's side may have lost, but pride in choice remains

Nov. 16, 2004, Asheville Citizen Times

No, I won't be taking my "Kerry/Edwards for a stronger America" bumper sticker off my car. Nor will I remove my "Proud Democrat" bumper sticker. I'm leaving them on as reminders of what Kerry/Edwards supporters stood for and will always stand for ... people with true moral values. Moral values that come from a heartfelt desire to help all people reach their fullest potentials. Moral convictions of knowing it is our duty to make this world a better place. I'm leaving my bumper stickers on as reminders that it was Kerry/Edwards supporters who fought to unite this country.

Kathie Tresenrider,

Arden, NC

Kathy, I won't be leaving the Democratic party either. I will stay and fight for the pro life ethic I believe in because,like you, I share the belief that it is the Democratic party that has the "heartfelt desire to help all people reach their fullest potentials."

I wish each of you a Thankful Day and a life of joy. (Remind the kids that the "giving" part means they do the dishes.)

Yours for life,

Eva Ritchey, Coordinator

NC Democrats for Life

Legislative Alert

NC Pro-Life Democrats support HB 263, Victims of Unborn Violence Act

We ask that every pro-life Democrat please contact your representative. For more information:

Contact your representative
LifeNews: North Carolina Needs Unborn Victims Law...

Please call the speaker of the NC House, Joe Hackney, at (919) 733-3451 and the President Pro-Tempore of the NC Senate, Marc Basnight at (919) 733 6854 to ask them to allow the citizens of our state the opportunity to purchase a "Choose Life" license plate. The money raised by the sale of the plate would help fund crisis pregnancy centers.

Upcoming Events

Event: North Carolina Right to Life 35th Anniversary Dinner
Date: Saturday, April 26, 2008
Time: 6:30pm
Place: Greensboro, NC
Note: Please join NC Pro-Life Democrats at the NCRTL's 35th Anniversary Dinner. Special Guests: Wanda Franz, Ph. D and Sentor Elizabeth Dole. For more info, visit: http://ncrtl.org

Past Events

Thanks for joining us at...

Event: State Executive Committee Meeting
Date: Saturday, January 26, 2008
Time: 10:00pm
Place: Hamlet, NC
Note: We will be petitioning for the passage of HB 263, Victims of Unborn Violence Act and the "Choose Life" license plate. For more info, visit: http://ncdp.org

 

DFLA national

North Carolina Pro-Life Democrats is just one chapter in a large collective of pro-life Democrats.

We are proud affiliates with the national Democrats for Life effort. Find out more about the nationwide effort by going to democratsforlife.org.