DFL of North Carolina

E-Gram for Life

Winter 2006

"It is a mistake to wed the Democratic Party to freedom of choice and abortion."

Former President James Carter, Washington Post November 4, 2005

It is traditional among news organizations to write a rear view mirror article as one year closes and another opens. As we look back at this past year, "momentous" is the only word that seems appropriate to describe our achievements. At the beginning of 2005, there wasn't an organization named NC Pro-Life Democrats. However, as the year closed, we created that new name, a dynamic board of directors, incorporation, a website and most importantly, recognition of our existence within the North Carolina Democratic Party. That's a pretty daunting record to try and top in the coming year. But let's try.

With the foundation organization in place, there are two main goals for 2006:

  1. Remove abortion language from our state party platform and
  2. Increase membership.

These achievable goals shift the focus from the leaders of NC Pro-Life Democrats to the members. This is appropriate because it is only by all members working shoulder to shoulder that we are going to accomplish these goals. How can they be reached?

  1. Remove abortion language. The inclusion of abortion language on our party platform is both divisive and destructive. Why would we include abortion language on our platform when 43% or more Democrats in North Carolina are pro-life? The Executive Committee of the NC Democratic Party will meet in Raleigh on January 28th. At that time they will appoint a Platform Committee. The nominations for the committee will come from the district chairs. For example, in the 11th District where I live, Bruce Peterson is our chair. These chairs also receive nominations from the county chairs in their district. In order to effect the platform, we need pro-life Democrats and/or those sympathetic to pro-life Democrats to be a part of this committee. Would you be able to apply for this position? Do you know someone who might? Additionally, when this platform committee is installed, it will take numerous emails/and or letters to convince these members that we are serious and insistent about being respected within our party. Which brings us to the second goal—
  2. Increasing members. We can double our membership if each of us will commit to finding one new member for NC Pro-Life Democrats by the end of this year. Can we do it? I believe we can. Of course we hope to do more than double our membership and one way will be by raising our visibility at events. There will be an opportunity to do that at the January Executive Committee Meeting in Raleigh. Chairman Meek is making tables available for Democratic groups for a fee of $100 each. A pro-life display will help us connect with other Democrats as well as establish our serious intent. Board Member Ray McKinnon has offered to organize this event and he has a message for you:

Table for Life Fundraiser

Fellow Pro-Life Democrats: We want our presence to be known within our party. We have decided to dedicate our first fundraiser to a Table for Life at the Executive Meeting. Could you share at our Table for Life by sending $10? If you can help us, please send whatever amount you decide to our Treasurer, David Six, 6512 Caverstone Lane, Durham, NC 28205 (Yes, we are a tax deductible 501(C)(3))

Yours for Life,
Ray McKinnon

Happenings

January is a busy month for the pro-life community. The March for Life in Washington is preceded by the March for Life in North Carolina. The following is a list of events. While we are making the Table for Life our focus for January, I am hopeful that some of our members will be able to represent us at these events.

Rally and March for Life
Nash Square, Raleigh, NC
January 14, 2006 1:00 PM
http://www.ncrtl.org/rally2006.htm
This event also includes a breakfast. Tickets and reservations are required.

Candlelight Prayer Vigil
January 22, 2006 4:30-5:00 PM
Old Henderson County Courthouse Hendersonville, N.C.
(Any clergy on this list that would like to participate are asked to contact Joanne Gregory at 828-696-8082)

DFLA Pre March for Life Breakfast
Featured Speaker: Dr. Alveda B. King Monday, January 23 9:30-11:30 AM
Sky Room, Hotel Washington
Tickets and reservations required. For More information and an interesting biography on Dr. King, please go to http://www.democratsforlife.org.

Banner

Second on our wish list for the coming year is a banner that we can use for our tabling events as well as marches. It is easier to have one made than to make one, but I like the idea of making our own. (Or at least starting out with the idea that we will make our own.) If you have special skills in making banners and/or just ideas, please let me know. I want to start gathering ideas for our banner so that by March we can begin the task of creating one. It may be that we will have it professionally done, but that does not mean that it can't or shouldn't contain your unique fingerprint. Please don't be shy-This is your organization and everyone on this list is an important part of it. So, send in your ideas and I will put them in a folder until we are ready to start stitching…or phoning.

National

As many of you know, our national focus is on our 95/10 legislation. (Info on 95/10 is available on our website, http://northcarolina.democratsforlife.org) The sponsors of this bill have run into unexpected problems with the contraception equity provision due to the newly available Plan B contraception medication. There is still controversy as to whether Plan B is an abortifacent or a contraceptive. The decision was made by our National Board to drop the contraceptive equity piece in order not to endanger the fragile alliances that always exist in guiding controversial legislation through Congress. Our DFLA National Board has been very clear in saying that they still support contraception equity (minus Plan B) and are encouraging the states to pursue it. Since this will no doubt be met with disappointment on the part of some of you, I wish to put this subject on the agenda for discussion at our next meeting. I welcome any comments you wish to make on this at anytime.

Other Voices

"'As I say in this book, [Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis] I have never believed that Jesus Christ would approve abortions unless the mother's life or health was in danger or perhaps the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest, for those very few exceptions,' Carter said. 'And when I was president I had to live under Roe v. Wade, it was my duty as a president. I did everything I could to minimize the need for abortions…Another mistake by the party,' Carter said, 'is its detachment from religious people. I really believe that our nominees were uncomfortable in dealing with the deeply religious people in our country. I don't mean the right-wing Christians. I think there was a sense among many devout people in my own church, my fellow church members, that John Kerry didn't quite relate to us,' he said of last year's Democratic presidential candidate. 'The next successful candidate has got to have some means to say, OK, we believe and we worship the prince of peace, not pre-emptive war, or we're moderate on the abortion issue, or we believe marriage by definition in our church ought to be between a man and a woman, but we believe in full civil rights for gays who want to be partners,' he said… 'I think that for the Democratic Party to get identified as being completely pro-choice, with no attention given to the rights of the fetus, is very self-defeating policy,' he said. 'And I hope we will get away from that. I don't know if it's possible. I hope we will.' (AP, WP 11/4/05)

I know it's possible.

I know we will.

Yours for Life,

Eva

What's New!

NCDFL Bumpersticker—Show your pride as a North Carolina Pro-Life Democrat. Our new NCPLD bumpersticker is now available. We are requesting $10.00 for one as a means of raising funds to take our message of life across North Carolina. Additional stickers can be bought for $5 each. This price includes all mailing charges. Send your checks/money orders to North Carolina Pro Life Democrats, 1928 Brevard Road, Hendersonville, NC 28791. They are beautiful and durable.

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: Raleigh Right to Life Breakfast and March
Date: Saturday, January 17, 2009
Time: TBD
Place: Raleigh, NC

Event: 36th Annual March for Life
Date: Thursday, Janurary 22, 2009
Time: TBD
Place: Washington, DC

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.