Veazey, closing speaker at a “Stop Stupak” rally on Capitol Hill staged by major pro-abortion groups such as Planned Parenthood, NARAL-Pro Choice, and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) told the crowd that not only did they have a constitutional right to abortion, but that they had a god-given one as well.
“But sadly, the Conference of Catholic Bishops had other ideas,” said DeLauro. “They chose to hold comprehensive health care reform hostage to the abortion issue. In doing so, they not only used a dubious rationale that puts even their own federal funding at risk. They failed their fundamental obligation to help the poor and heal the sick.”
Veazy was even more direct, saying that protesters were there to “take on” the USCCB.
“We are also here to call out the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, because no one religion, no theological perspective should get the kind of weight that they can (-to-) put pressure on the Congress,” he said.
“Hold the whole Congress up and say, ‘If we don’t get our way, we will work against health reform,’” said Veazy. “We in the religious community resent that. We believe that no religion should carry that kind of weight in legislation.”
Why Is Abortion So Important In 'Their Religion'?
It serves always to distract the public councils and feeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions.
It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration to confine themselves with in their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach upon another. The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all departments in one and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism.
If in the opinion of the people the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which the Constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpation; for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed."
…George Washington’s Farewell Address…
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