1:2 babies born in SD go on Medicaid, 600 SD abortions, only 100 adoptions

Here's a letter a friend just sent to Johnson, Thune and Herseth.

Dear Senator/Congresswoman:

In South Dakota last year, 6,000 babies less than one year of age were enrolled in the state's Medicaid system. There were approximately 12,200 live births in South Dakota last year. So that averages out to approximately fifty percent of babies born in South Dakota enrolled as Medicaid beneficiaries.

At the same time, there were fewer than 100 infant adoptions in the entire state of South Dakota last year. Equally important is that there were approximately 600 abortions in South Dakota, with more than two-thirds of the women citing "not wanting the child" as the motivating reason for the abortion. There are literally hundreds of two-parent families in South Dakota that face infertility every year. We need to publicly support adoption and encourage women with unplanned pregnancies to consider adoption as well as abortion and single-parenting. If we do not, our society and the single most important institution we have, the family, will erode into a welfare-dependent culture. This is why abortion is a social issue, and a cultural issue, a religious issue and a civil rights issue, but it is NOT a health care issue and the funding of elective abortions does not belong in federal healthcare legislation.

By the way, do not take my word for it on these statistics. Contact the South Dakota Department of Health, the South Dakota Department of Social Services, and the Unified Judicial System.

During House floor debate on a health care reform bill, Rep. Bart Stupak is prepared to offer an amendment that addresses essential pro-life concerns on abortion funding and conscience rights. Please oppose any Rule that will not allow a vote on the Stupak Amendment. If the serious pro-life concerns on abortion funding and conscience rights are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed.

Genuine health care reform should protect the life and dignity of all people from the moment of conception until natural death.

November is National Adoption Month. More abortions are not the answer.

Federal funding of abortions disguised as Health Care Reform is most certainly not the answer. It sends the wrong message to America's young women and men.

Sincerely, Publius