November 02, 2012
Friday PM

The Obama administration's approach to resource development in Alaska is harmful to the State and to the nation. The Outside urban liberal environmentalist agenda is driving Forest Service and Interior Department policies. But despite my wish to see a change in direction of those agencies, there are some more fundamental threats to us all than economic issues. Individual and religious freedom is being threatened and that makes it impossible for me to support Republicans in this election.

The Roman Catholic Church, for its own religious reasons, has decreed contraception to be sinful, and tells its members not to practice it. Nevertheless, many of them do. Because individual and religious freedom is protected in the United States, the Church may sanction them spiritually but cannot force them to obey its religious laws. The same is true with abortion, which is considered a sin by Catholics and by a few other religious beliefs. But now we have the Republican presidential and Vice-presidential candidate, as well as the Republican Party Platform, declaring their intent to work for the abolition of abortion in all circumstances and also the prohibition of contraception.

It is incredible that the Party complaining about government over-regulation is actually willing to use the police powers of government to force the preferred practices of some religions onto the entire nation. These people want to protect the religious freedom of some believers by denying those freedoms to everyone else. Electing a Republican legislature, congress and administration will lead to exactly that eventual result, so I am voting for Democrats or Libertarians this time around.

Eric Muench
Ketchikan, AK

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