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.

Discuss this story

Choice

In every thing you do in your life there is a decision to be made. Your mind must choose to do something or not. Choice can be described as True or False.

You have a situation before you where a decision must be made before you can continue life’s journey. Choice is binary. It is either Yes or No, It can also be described as On or Off. If you cannot make that decision it is void or null. You cannot continue until a decision is made. Some will call this free will.

Every individual has been given free will. It is something that has been given to you by grace and you own it. Free will can only be taken away from you if you give it away.

To function you must be pro-choice. If you cannot make a choice you will remain in a state where you are void. Having the desire to function when you are in a null state means you cannot think for yourself. All you can do is be a follower. An individual right is not in your mind-set. You do not understand it because you have never personally experienced it before.

What I have stated above is nature’s law. It is built in to you. It just may be dormant inside you. However, it is part of your basic instinct.

In today’s society religion and politics are mingled. Our forefathers had made the decision to separate religion from politics, which promotes individual rights to choose. Society is change as the law of nature is change.

The best illustration of free will is abortion. You are either for it or against it. If you cannot make a decision on this issue you are in that realm of being void on the subject.

I will respect your decision even though my choice is the opposite of yours. We both have the right of choice, to exercise your free will.

It is my opinion, as society is a natural law of change, that I advocate for Pro-Choice on abortion. In my mindset I cannot comprehend being told what to do as illustrated as Pro-Life. Pro-Life is so distorted and is a contradiction, best illustrated in the Kansas Republican Platform. They say they are pro-life, as in religion, but they are also say they are for individual rights in their politics. Remember that religion and politics are mingled in our society.

Let’s discuss abortion from the law of nature. One of female gender has growing inside her, in time, is a fetus when she has a fertilized egg. Its gestation time varies by what part of nature it is. In human females it takes 9 months for the fetus to develop before it can be born. It is directly connected to its caretaker. During gestation such things as limbs grow and organs are developed. They have kidneys that are functioning; they have motor skills that they developing, they have a heart that is beating. Everything in the gestation process is at work. It is a fully functioning fetus, which is in humans, the unborn young from the end of the eighth week after conception to the moment of birth, as distinguished from the earlier embryo.

The one who made the decision that a beating heart constitutes a child was one who does not understand gestation. Yet take that same person into a museum that displays, in jars, the development stages of a fetus for all to see and learn from. In his mindset would it not be true that, in fact, actual dead babies are on display for all to see. How morbid is that?

Aborting is Termination of pregnancy and expulsion of an embryo or of a fetus. It is not yet a living young.

A baby is not a baby until the following events occur The emergence and separation of offspring from the body of the mother and given the breath of life. Now you have a baby.

What the mother does before her fetus becomes a baby is her individual right. It is not society’s decision. It is her decision.

How can it be perceived any differently? Because you have a choice to make. With what I have stated above has your decision to believe what I have said to be true or false? It is your choice. It is your free will.

After I filed for office and declared myself a Democrat I don’t have enough paper to make a hard copy of everything that I have been called in my district. Letting people vent is good for their soul. It does, however, concern me when their first words out of their mouth call me a baby killer and that I don’t believe in the Bible. It makes me wonder how many more incorrect choices this person has made in their lifetime.

As a final comment in this essay I must state that I am ordained and was an assistant pastor for three years. I have three grown sons in their 20’s and one grandson who turned one on tax day. In each case their mother made the decision to let the fetus fully develop and have it be born. They had made their individual right to choose. In my belief system it does not matter if I say these words from behind the pulpit on Sunday morning or stand behind a podium as a candidate for a public office.