One thing that I have always said is you truly don't know what it is like until you have experienced it yourself. I listened to a lot of talking.

In the previous blog I stated, sentence after sentence, that I would need to personally do research on what I had been told. I stated what you could consider to be hearsay and because of what I wrote I stated that I would have to personally research what I wrote about.

Let me repeat myself. I knew that I would have to personally research what I had been told, to confirm what had been told to me. Hearing a bad story raises red flags. There can be two sides to every story, especially when it is not a personal testimony of what happened to that individual.

In listening to an individual talk about someone's account of a situation is much different than listening to the one who experienced it.

I received the below e-mail and asked permission to blog it without violating an HIPAA privacy rules. After the e-mail I have additional information that is worth reading as well.

I appreciate that my blog gets read. I love getting e-mail and comments regarding what I blog.

Here is the personal testimony:

First, we visited both a pro- life and pro choice agencies and the pro lifers made us sit and watch a late term abortion on video. Our abortion would not have been a late term,...it was an 11 week abortion. then we were shamed about the thought of aborting vs giving it up for adoption or trying to make a go of the situation. The pro choice gave us un biased info on ALL options and assured us we would not be judged on our decision either way.

Once we were at George Tillers clinic it was surrounded by pro lifers, again trying to shame us. Security had to escort us to the building.
The clinic was very clean. We spent the day going thru "stations" for blood work, counciling, sonogram, and could opt out an any point up until the procedure began. Medications were give to ease the pain and the equiptment was covered when we entered the room. A nurse held the patients hand and the doc was very empathetic. Nobody judged the patient. we went to a recovery room where nurses made sure there was no complications and then were sent home.

Dr. Tiller is a full blown MD and practiced in family medicine...not the crack pot kind of doctor you blogged about. The clinic was as clean as any hospital. It was a very pleasent experience for an unpleasent situation.

I am very grateful that Tiller is there for those that need him.

Do I think abortion is right for everyone? no... nor do I think it should be a form of birth control. But for certain situations, it the right solution. I head one girl crying saying she had been appalled at the suggestion of an abortion until she got pregnant...then she realized that having the baby was not an option and she was so grateful she gets another chance (thus pro choice)...

Just know the pro life people have created horrible images for people to see... how many pro lifers have adopted a baby?? I have not met any.

I could talk for hours on pro choice but I didn't think you had a good impression on what George Tiller did.

Thank you for telling your experience with Dr. Tiller.

I would like to also hear from patients who received treatment from Herbert Hodes, MD, his daughter Traci (Hodes) Nauser, MD and their Nurse Practitioner, Colleen O'Donnell, RN-C. working at Center for Women's Health. This was the only other Abortion Clinic listed in Kansas. If there are more please let me know about them. Personal testimonies are preferred over hearsay. Hearsay means more research time for me.

In my own words, I received a questionnaire from Kansans For Life. I was told if I did not respond by May 16 I would be considered a negative respondent. I certainly did not want that as KFL had no confirmation that I received the letter in the first place.

I went through each question. Many needed clarification as my research left doubt. I was able to arrange a meeting before May 16 that I thank KFL for scheduling with me. Every question that I had was answered. I appreciated that too.

The intent of the questionnaire was to help KFL determine who they would endorse in each district's race. In reading their bylaws in their selection process and in receiving an e-mail it was obvious that they had already made their decision with no regard to me. I was never heard. My questionnaire had not been completed nor did they know who I was. It was a situation where who won the battle had already been decided. Add to that being given an ultimatum in the first communication I ever had with this organization does not make good sense.

I had my opportunity to be heard. I was able to understand the issues and clarify points. Did I turn in the questionnaire? Of course not. What would it profit it me? No endorsement, no contribution to my campaign fund.

So why did I go? Many bills, such as CARA, will be waiting for me in 2009. 2008 has many unresolved issues.

I expect new bills coming in at a steady flow. I look for many to be pre-filed. The more I know today the wiser I will be. I need to pace myself. In 2009 there will be many issues. A new KDOT budget for the next 20 years, implementing Parity in insurance needs to happen right away, fuel prices, economic impact on jobs... The list will be long.

If I truly want to be the change it starts now.

I had the opportunity yesterday to sit down and talk, one on one, with the Director of the organization called Kansans for Life, KFL, based in Wichita Kansas.

Being one whose belief system is Pro-Choice I expected that I would more than likely be in a hostile environment since I was meeting with them at their office.

For some strange reason, beyond her control, one of the members of KFL had a water problem at home and was literally up to her ankles in mud. There was simply no way for her to attend the meeting.

What prompted me to ask for a meeting was, as a political candidate, I was sent a questionnaire regarding my stand on 12 questions being asked of me to answer by May 16. In the letter sent to me I was given an ultimatum that if I did not comply within their requested time frame I would be considered a negative respondent.

When I was working in the computer software business it was always my task to do research before I started development of a computer program that would change the way people worked. Without thorough research, as many in the profession do not do, I could not effectively make changes to each department to successfully change everyone’s belief system on how they presently did their job. This practice has carried over to my political career.

There were many questions that I could not answer as I needed additional clarification as my personal research was not sufficient to answer the question to the best of my ability.

The result was a two-hour meeting, which could have been extended if needed. To my surprise the dialog was an extremely productive meeting giving me new insight that I would not have known. I still have more follow-up to do to meet their deadline. I now know where to go so that I can make my final decision.

Answering a questionnaire regarding the A word is political suicide. However, I am the type of person to take on such a risk. I make changes to people’s lives. I better know everything possible since I am making change. I am pleased with myself for doing so.

Who would want to talk about the A word during a campaign? Who would consider saying the A word once you are elected? I do. ABORTION. There, I said it and I do not regret saying this word again, Abortion.

In Kansas the words Pro-Life and Pro-Choice are something you are accustomed to listening to. Those two words in Kansas mean absolutely nothing to me. There is only one statement in Kansas that does, QUALITY OF LIFE.

Yes, you listen to the two words but I say that you do not hear. The words still become part of your belief system because to you Pro-Life means against abortion and Pro-Choice means for abortion. Do you agree with me or not? If you agree with me take the time to read on. You just might find that your belief system will change. Some of you will reject my comments and others will be interested in what I have to say.

Again, the real issue in Kansas is QUALITY OF LIFE. I want every Kansan to have a quality life.

The fact is, at this time, Abortion is legal in Kansas. Both sides of the issue know that.

A woman who lives in or comes to Kansas can have an abortion. It is their individual choice. That is what the law says.

The A word is legal. The A word is not part of any organized religion. Your personal belief system may agree with what your church has to say but religion is not part of the equation.

Your individual right allows you to accept or reject what the law says. What I say to you is the concern of QUALITY OF LIFE. What QUALITY OF LIFE do you expect to have in Kansas?

The story I am about to tell you is appalling. This comes from the Director of KFL and I have, without doing my personal research, no reason to believe that it is not true.

At one of the Kansas abortion clinics money was stolen.

The police were called in to investigate. They asked where the money was kept. They were told it was in the refrigerator.

While investigating the refrigerator they discovered a few things that they felt were inappropriate and reported them as such.

In the refrigerator they found medicines/drugs that should be kept under lock and key as anyone who stole the money could have taken the medicines/drugs as well plus there were people’s lunches found mingled as well. (As a side comment of my own, I have never seen a fridge in a business that did not have lunches in it that needed to be disposed of due to the length of time they were left in it.) With the officers seeing this they were quite concerned.

Continuing investigation of the crime scene the quality of other places within the clinic were also noticed such as blood that had not been cleaned up and other items found common that would shut down any restaurant.

An investigation of the crime and the crime scene were, in their opinion, morally wrong. The expectations for the location of where the service was being performed could be classified as dirty. This type of environment was the last thing the officers expected to see.

I for one have not seen an abortion clinic but now see the importance of going and seeing for myself. I expected that sterile surgical rooms were used in clinics but the reports contradict my assumption.


The QUALITY OF LIFE given to the mother is just as important as the abortion process as well. If the dirty environment is where the procedure is taking place the quality of life is in jeopardy regardless of what your personal belief system is about abortion.

Since these clinics are not licensed the facility has the right to do whatever they choose to do. It appears that quality of the environment promotes disrespect for the mother, the fetus and the baby being aborted as well. This is not QUALITY OF LIFE. States such as New York and Florida have recently been exposed to such situations and are taking action by licensing these clinics.

The second item concerns the quality of the abortionist. I am told that these doctors are not in the specialty of OBGYN nor are they qualified to perform surgery of any other kind. These people still have their license to practice medicine but are of low quality. I plan to investigate that as well.

Again, let me emphasize that I am talking about clinics, not a Doctor’s office.

Malpractice Insurance is very low for these clinics as filing for malpractice on an abortion of an under aged woman is not a standard protocol. Abortions of this kind want to be kept private. In fact, most abortions want to be kept private. The clinic is also a very lucrative business being on the terms of cash before service provided.

There are a myriad of other issues concerning QUALITY OF LIFE that I do not have to go into as my examples are plenty to see why Pro-Life has many more concerns than just aborting a fetus/baby.

Personally, I have experienced a doctor who was actually an anesthesiologist working as a general practitioner in a small town. My wife liked this doctor and choose him to continue as her doctor for her pregnancy even though we had moved to a large city in Kansas. What I believe to be false labor pains, the doctor induced labor resulting in my son being born premature where his lungs were not fully developed. He spent the first part of his life in neo-natal care in a hospital in Wichita. Again, I questioned the quality of the doctor working outside his specialty. I contribute my premature induced labor son to a doctor who was working outside of his realm of competency.

I hope that you can tell that this article of QUALITY replaces what is commonly known as Pro-Life or Pro-Choice. This is why I believe that these words are meaningless in Kansas as both sides of the issue expect Quality of Life.

I plan on writing more articles about the A word as this topic is the greatest concern of young adults in my district.

Politically, the A word means trouble. Possibly a winless subject. However, of those who have responded either by e-mail or as comments to my blog this is the highest issue within my district. I represent the needs and concerns of my district regardless of how it could effect my political life. The people come first and so does their QUALITY OF LIFE.

The NAMI walk is over. However, I am constantly reminded of it as my feet have started their healing process.

After removing the small rocks, pebbles and small pieces of glass; treating with peroxide, removing the dead skin from the blisters and cleaning the dirt and grime from the bottom of my feet, I felt it was prudent to take a dosage ib to help with the dull pain.

Similar to when a sunburn starts to hurt, Saturday night was very uncomfortable as the night went on. I found it much easier to sleep in my recliner.

My report as of Sunday night is good. The healing process is going as expected. Pain killers were not needed today and the prognosis is full recovery, no more medication.

It’s almost bedtime which means it is meds time. I usually start my day at daylight donuts and in the evening think of where I am at in the donut-hole. Let’s see, here’s the one I now take because my carrier denies the name brand that I really need, the one my carrier denies and the one on pharmaceutical grant since my out of pocket expenses have already gone over the minimum requirements. I’m not complaining, just reviewing what I do and have done my entire adult life.

Life is good, no excuses.

NAMI Walk

Rivals will go shoe-to-toe in walk for mental illness
By Mary Clarkin - The Hutchinson News - mclarkin@hutchnews.com

Kansas House of Representatives candidate Randy Conyers will bare his sole to make a statement.

Conyers plans to walk barefoot in this morning's two-mile fundraising NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Kansas "Walk for the Mind of America" in Topeka.

Conyers, a McPherson Democrat running in the 73rd House District, laid down a challenge to incumbent Rep. Clark Shultz, R-Lindsborg:

If Shultz was at the walk, Conyers would walk the two miles in his bare feet.

Conyers was delighted when he learned Shultz would be at the event.

Until now, no state legislator has attended the NAMI Kansas walk, Conyers said.

Shultz said that in mid-March he received an invitation to participate from another McPherson resident.

The event fit into his calendar this year, and he expects to walk with a team from Mc-Pherson County.

He also has agreed to be a judge in a contest at the walk.

"I'm not looking for publicity," Shultz said.

"It's pretty serious stuff," he said.

To prepare for his barefoot walk on pavement, Conyers trained sans shoes.

In the process, though, he picked up blisters.

Nevertheless, he still intended to fulfill his promise.

"It's not a stunt, it's a statement," he said in a phone interview.

"No matter what happens to my feet, my feet will heal," he said.

"But when it comes to mental illness, we don't see 'healness.' We see those who are on medications, those who can become part of their local community even though they do have a mental illness."

Many people have mental illness, he said, and a number of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are experience post-traumatic stress.

Conyers, whose résumé includes extensive computer software design work, noted that Shultz is chairman of the Kansas House Insurance and Financial Institutions Committee and insurance is one of the issues for mental health care advocates.

Conyers hoped to raise $150 through his walk to benefit the organization, and as of Friday morning, sponsors had pledged a total of $125 - including $25 from Shultz.

An estimated 500 to 700 people will be at Washburn University for the walk, Conyers said, and the route will cover a sidewalk and the more-harsh-to-the-feet asphalt.

"I may have to do a little walking in the grass beside the walkway," he said.

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