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Another Souper Candidate? [The Kucinich Abortion Flip-Flop]
http://www.catholicity.com/ ^ | February 28, 2003 | Dan Coyne

Posted on 02/28/2003 1:40:17 PM PST by Akron Al

During the Great Irish Potato Famine in the mid-1800's, anti-Catholic zealots would occasionally bring large kettles of soup to Irish villages. The soup was free, but there was a catch. Before a starving Irishman could have even a sip of the soup, he would first have to renounce his Catholic faith.

So strong was the Catholic faith in Ireland at the time that many starved to death rather than selling their souls. However, a few did drink the soup. They became known as "soupers" -- a derisive label that would stick to their families for generations.

Today, we are witnessing a similar real-life morality play. Only this one doesn't involve Irish farmers starving for food. This one involves ambitious politicians starving for power. The soup these politicians are being asked to drink is a concoction of lies and distortions brewed up by the radical feminists and abortion profiteers who now control the Democratic Party. The reward for drinking this soup of death is the right to run for president as a Democrat.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Teddy Kennedy was among those first in line for a taste of the soup. In a 1971 letter, the then pro-life Teddy Kennedy wrote, "The legalization of abortion on demand is not in accordance with the value which our civilization places on human life. Wanted or unwanted, I believe that human life, even at its earliest stages, has certain rights which must be recognized -- the right to be born, the right to love, the right to grow old." By 1980, Teddy had sipped the soup and was running for President as an outspoken supporter of abortion.

Likewise Jesse Jackson, before deciding to run for president, called abortion "black genocide." In 1977, Jackson wrote an article for National Right to Life News that said: "It takes three to make a baby: a man, a woman and the Holy Spirit. What happens to the mind of a person, and the moral fabric of a nation, that accepts the aborting of the life of a baby without a pang of conscience? What kind of a person and what kind of a society will we have 20 years hence if life can be taken so casually?" By 1988, Jackson had also sipped the soup and was running for President as an outspoken supporter of abortion.

Al Gore and Dick Gephardt are two more former pro-lifers who indulged in the soup and discarded their support for the unborn in preparation for a run for the presidency. And of course, few have gulped down the soup of death with the gusto of Bill Clinton, a man well known for his insatiable appetites. In a 1986 letter to Arkansas Right to Life, Clinton wrote: "I am opposed to abortion and to government funding of abortions. We should not spend state funds on abortions because so many people believe abortion is wrong." As we all know, Clinton went on to become the most radically pro-abortion President in our nation's history.

56-year-old Congressman Dennis Kucinich appears to be the latest addition to the Democratic Souper Club. Over a long political career, Kucinich maintained a near perfect pro-life voting record. As recently as last May, Kucinich press secretary, Kathie Scarrah, stated: "He absolutely believes in the sanctity of life and that life begins at conception." Then Kucinich began to think about running for President. It was time for some soup.

Less than a week after announcing his decision to explore the possibility of running for president, Kucinich wrote a letter to his local newspaper, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, wherein he publicly renounced his long held pro-life position: "I don't believe in abortion; few do. I do, however, believe in choice." In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Kucinich goes even further; not ruling out his support for publicly funded free abortions for poor women. "I am going to continue to take a thoughtful approach, and that doesn't preclude the poor from having the government support their right to choose." Amazingly, Kucinich has been trying to make the argument that his position on this fundamental issue has not really changed. "The position I'm taking now is an expansion; it's not a reversal," Kucinich told Tim Russert on Meet the Press.

So let's get this straight. Less than a year ago, Kucinich believed that life begins at conception and that this unborn life is sacred. Now that he is running for president, Kucinich believes that the 51% of Americans who believe that abortion is homicide should be compelled to pay for free abortions for poor women. So much for "choice," Americans, you are going to pay for other people's free abortions even if you think they are committing homicide.

To confound matters further, Kucinich also says he wants to promote policies that will reduce the number of abortions. But of course, free abortions for poor women are not going to decrease the number of abortions. What's next? Free cigarettes for the poor in an effort to reduce smoking? In truth, if Kucinich seriously wanted to promote life while leaving Roe v Wade in place, there is much that could be done. Indeed, what would be necessary is a government funded educational campaign unprecedented in size and scope.

This campaign would use the latest and best medical evidence and technological advancements to call for tolerance, compassion, and mercy toward the least of our brothers and sisters, the unborn. Focused on fetology and the humanity of the unborn, such a campaign would include public service announcements on television and radio as well as billboards throughout the country with a particular focus on inner city neighborhoods where the abortion rate is at epidemic proportions. This information would also be brought into classrooms across the country.

We know that up to ninety percent of women considering abortion choose life if they are permitted to view the child on an ultrasound. Bring these ultrasound videos into our public schools and make our unborn children the stars of scientific and factual public service announcements.

An ambitious public education campaign focused on the humanity of the unborn child is the least we should expect from a committed progressive like Kucinich, who has not yet renounced his belief that life begins at conception. But sadly, Kucinich is no longer permitted to promote life. Instead, he strictly abides by Democratic protocol and uses the callous euphemism "choice" to describe the mass destruction of what he believes to be sacred human lives. He has suddenly and not unexpectedly stopped mentioning that life is sacred and begins at conception.

There will come a day in history when our society as a whole awakens and unanimously recognizes the horror of abortion. When that day comes, historians will look back at our time trying to figure out how such a national tragedy could have occurred. These historians will read our newspapers, pour over our correspondence, view our news programs, and examine our voting records. And just as today's historians look back at Nazi Germany concerned solely as to whether or not individuals bravely fought for life or silently consented to a regime of death, historians in the future will be solely concerned with whether or not we spoke up for our unborn brothers and sisters or silently consented to a Culture of Death.

As life-affirming generations in the future look back at us, few will be treated more harshly than the modern soupers. Highly educated, outspoken, and passionate, they could have made a difference. They knew the truth. And, for a short time, they were willing to speak out for the unborn. But then the price got too high. They became cowards. Starved for power, they each drank the soup of death. May God have mercy on their souls.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Ohio
KEYWORDS: abortion; abortionlist; catholiclist; christianlist; flipflop; kucinich; nhs; prolife
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This writer's article, "Vegetarians for a Free Choice," is also on target given the fact that Dennis is a Vegan himself.

Link:

http://www.catholicity.com/commentary/coyne/vfc.html

1 posted on 02/28/2003 1:40:17 PM PST by Akron Al
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To: Akron Al; rhema; MHGinTN; BibChr; frogsong; tatterdemalion
PING
2 posted on 02/28/2003 1:47:25 PM PST by Caleb1411
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To: Siobhan; Polycarp; Notwithstanding; Salvation; NYer; Cap'n Crunch; Maximilian
Today, we are witnessing a similar real-life morality play. Only this one doesn't involve Irish farmers starving for food. This one involves ambitious politicians starving for power. The soup these politicians are being asked to drink is a concoction of lies and distortions brewed up by the radical feminists and abortion profiteers who now control the Democratic Party. The reward for drinking this soup of death is the right to run for president as a Democrat.
3 posted on 02/28/2003 1:47:56 PM PST by Akron Al
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To: Akron Al
Bookmarked. Thanks for posting this.
4 posted on 02/28/2003 1:50:53 PM PST by syriacus (Chuck Schumer. ALL the Senators will learn you have ignored your constituents.)
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To: Akron Al
So many far-out leftists running on the Dem side, but this one takes the cake for the fringe nutcases. Kucinich is a loon.
5 posted on 02/28/2003 1:52:49 PM PST by anniegetyourgun
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To: Akron Al
The 'souper' story reminds me of Jonathan Swift's 'Modest Proposal' -- where he proposed that the problem of the starving poor of Ireland be solved by ... eating them.

Kucinich is Swift without the irony or the intelligence.

6 posted on 02/28/2003 1:58:09 PM PST by shhrubbery!
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To: anniegetyourgun
To Clueless Joe, Johnny Fifty-Seven Varieties, The Man With No Eyebrows and Howard the Duck, we can now add Dennis The Menace.
7 posted on 02/28/2003 2:00:35 PM PST by Argus
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To: ProtectRUnborn; Mother of Eight; victim soul; Dr. Good Will Hunting; Notwithstanding; JMJ333; ...
bump

As recently as last May, Kucinich press secretary, Kathie Scarrah, stated: "He absolutely believes in the sanctity of life and that life begins at conception." Then Kucinich began to think about running for President. It was time for some soup.

Less than a week after announcing his decision to explore the possibility of running for president, Kucinich wrote a letter to his local newspaper, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, wherein he publicly renounced his long held pro-life position: "I don't believe in abortion; few do. I do, however, believe in choice." In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Kucinich goes even further; not ruling out his support for publicly funded free abortions for poor women. "I am going to continue to take a thoughtful approach, and that doesn't preclude the poor from having the government support their right to choose." Amazingly, Kucinich has been trying to make the argument that his position on this fundamental issue has not really changed. "The position I'm taking now is an expansion; it's not a reversal," Kucinich told Tim Russert on Meet the Press.

This man has the makings to be the next Clinton.

8 posted on 02/28/2003 2:12:12 PM PST by Diago
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To: Akron Al
There will come a day in history when our society as a whole awakens and unanimously recognizes the horror of abortion. Sadly, that may be only wishful thinking, for we are degenerating even further, into cannibalism, as we slide further down the slippery slope.

But just in case it could help even one person to repudiate the killing, here's a little 4D video of an alive, 22 week aged individual human being:

And here's the URL, if you can use it with friends or relatives contemplating hiring a serial killer:
http://www.gemedicalsystems.com/rad/us/4d/images/thennow/picture.gif

9 posted on 02/28/2003 2:14:25 PM PST by MHGinTN (If you can read this, you've had life support from someone. Promote Life Support for others.)
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To: blam; Alamo-Girl; backhoe; Woahhs; Victoria Delsoul; William Wallace; f.Christian; Bryan; ...
(((PING))))))
10 posted on 02/28/2003 2:15:47 PM PST by MHGinTN (If you can read this, you've had life support from someone. Promote Life Support for others.)
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To: Diago
Thank you Diago, bump to read later....
11 posted on 02/28/2003 2:17:26 PM PST by firewalk
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To: Diago
He's too weird....more like Gore....who was also once pro-life.
12 posted on 02/28/2003 2:18:27 PM PST by anniegetyourgun
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To: Akron Al; MHGinTN
Good article!

Mat 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

13 posted on 02/28/2003 2:35:33 PM PST by Aquamarine
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To: Akron Al
In a 1971 letter, the then pro-life Teddy Kennedy wrote, "The legalization of abortion on demand is not in accordance with the value which our civilization places on human life. Wanted or unwanted, I believe that human life, even at its earliest stages, has certain rights which must be recognized -- the right to be born, the right to love, the right to grow old."

Holy moly!! Ted Kennedy wrote that??

It's true what the Catholic Church says about the spiritual life. Nobody stands still. You're either moving towards God or you're moving away from him.

Just as there are those who like Mary Magdalen, abandoned their sinful ways and became saints, so there are those who were once followers of Jesus but abandoned him when things became tough, like those disciples who ceased to follow Jesus because of his "hard sayings".

14 posted on 02/28/2003 2:39:45 PM PST by marshmallow
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To: marshmallow
I doubt whether Al Gore ever knew the difference between right and wrong, because he was raised by a corrupt traitor, his father. But Teddy Kennedy knew the difference, because he had a Catholic upbringing. He had the Pearl of Great Price in his possession but sold it for good times, political power, a younger wife, and a bulging stomach.
15 posted on 02/28/2003 2:44:57 PM PST by Cicero
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To: MHGinTN
BTTT!!!!!
16 posted on 02/28/2003 2:46:13 PM PST by E.G.C.
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To: marshmallow
BTTT.

I've got a guy in the local K of C who worked for Kucinich, on his first congressional campaign. Wonder how he feels now?

Betrayed, I'm thinking.
17 posted on 02/28/2003 2:50:43 PM PST by Mr. Thorne (Where's the global warming?! I'm cold NOW!)
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To: anniegetyourgun
"So many far-out leftists running on the Dem side, but this one takes the cake for the fringe nutcases. Kucinich is a loon."

Is it just me, or does Dennis Kucinich bear a striking resemblence to Elliot Carlin, one of the resident loons on "The Bob Newhart Show"?

18 posted on 02/28/2003 3:05:01 PM PST by GreenHornet
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To: Mr. Thorne
I think I'll forward a copy of this article to the local Knights of Columbus leaders and to the leaders of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. I would love to figure out how to get it in their newsletters.
19 posted on 02/28/2003 3:07:45 PM PST by Diago
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To: GreenHornet
THAT'S IT! And Bob was one of my favorite comedians of all time....
20 posted on 02/28/2003 3:07:53 PM PST by anniegetyourgun
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