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By David Secor, candidate, 50th Congressional District
October 12, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--For women, and men who love them, their choice for Congress in District 50 could not be more important. Our Congressman, Duncan D. Hunter, is committed to denying basic rights to women, our daughters and granddaughters. Rights won after over a century of struggle.
This “Duncan Hunter” is the son of Duncan Hunter, well-known former Congressman. Unlike his father, this Duncan Hunter is not a real Republican, but an extremist ideologue bent on making his very personal religious views into federal law.
He’s the author who introduced HR374, the “Life at Conception Act.” (Todd “Legitimate Rape” Akin is a co-sponsor.) For women, its passage would legislatively end their right to choice. The act would, at the very moment of fertilization, grant “personhood” and full 14th amendment protections to any fertilized egg. Pregnancies due to rape, incest, ectopic pregnancy or any other threat to the woman or girl’s life can’t be terminated under Hunter’s law. (To try to get the act passed, some falsely claim that exceptions are possible. Read the act itself. There are no exceptions. None.)
Listen: Reason must prevail over ideology. Women who would never end a pregnancy even due to rape or incest should make that personal choice for themselves. It is right. It is not right to demand that all rape victims must by law do the same.
Duncan Hunter’s ideology would move women and girls toward their biblical status as property. Consider the following:
He voted against equal pay for equal work, the Lily Ledbetter Act.
He voted against the “Violence Against Women Act.”
He would outlaw in vitro fertilization needed by couples who can’t conceive.
He would outlaw use of the “morning after” pill for rape victims.
He wants to end Pell Grants, essentially closing the college door to most middle class and low-income women.
He voted to let a woman’s boss decide according to his religion or “sense of morals” what if any healthcare coverage she may have.
He supports ending Social Security, although half of elderly single women rely on it for 80% or more of their income.
In the same week, he voted to increase funds for the Air National Guard and cut funding for “Meals-On-Wheels.”
He supports cuts to Medicaid for the elderly and disabled.
In the pocket of for-profit-school pushers, he joins others’ attempts to dismantle public education, instead of making our public education once again the best in the world. There’s more.
This election is not about who you are voting for. It’s more about what you are voting for. If you vote “Duncan Hunter,” you also vote for making women and girls once again second-class citizens, for denying them equal pay, domestic violence protections, control of their own bodies, access to quality public education, a more secure retirement.
Hunter agreed to only one debate. He’d compromise on nothing, setting the date Oct 23rd, the place, the time, the format, insisted his friend moderate and select questions. I made him an offer he could not refuse. I agreed to everything. Then last Monday, this Duncan Hunter for no valid reason walked away from the debate, just picked up the ball and went home. It seems facing even one voter, me, was too much for him.
Note: After reapportionment, Hunter’s district still includes most of East County and more. In addition, If you live in Escondido, Fallbrook, San Marcos or Temecula, you will have Duncan Hunter (not Brian Bilbray) as the Republican Party’s candidate on Nov.6.
The views in this editorial reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. To submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.
Comments
Agreed!
Always nice to read such a well written article from such an open-minded MAN!
You elegantly stated what every woman, and every man who has women in his life he cares about, should know and understand about the new GOP and many of their narrow minded followers.
Thank you!