This is Pastor Tim’s article which appeared in the Evening Leader on Tuesday, July 5
I hope that your 4th of July included some fireworks, a campfire, and some wonderful time with your family. It is the 246th birthday of the United States, and this is the still the greatest country on Earth. We are not perfect, but we do have something to offer to the world: the value of the individual.
Here is how much we value the individual in this country. We value you enough to give you freedom. There are soldiers who did not get to see their children grow up because they laid down their lives to give you this incredible gift. That is the value and the privilege of growing up in these United States. We are the Land of the Free because we are the Home of the Brave.
One of the great examples of how our system of government works is the recent overturning of Roe vs Wade, the decision the Supreme Court reached in 1973 that made abortion a federal right. According to this decision, the right to an abortion was implied in the Constitution, and so in 1973 the Supreme Court set a mandate of abortion on demand.
That means that for close to 50 years, because of this decision, abortion was legal for any reason. I was born in 1975 and I guess I have to say that I was fortunate to be born at all because my parents could have had me legally executed in the womb. It is estimated that over 60,000,000 babies have been aborted since 1973. These are people who would today be my age and younger, who are not here at all. Friends I could have had, and people I could have had relationships with, who literally never saw the light of day because of this right that the Supreme Court found in the constitution.
Obviously, I disagree with the Roe v Wade decision itself, so no matter how it was decided, to end a pregnancy for the sake of convenience is wrong. My life could have just as easily never happened. The lives of my friends and family who are close to my age and younger could have never happened, and none of us would have ever had any idea what we missed. I just can’t bring myself to agree that is ok.
However, the overturning of Roe v Wade is based on the decision itself. Something this controversial should be put in the hands of the voters. The Supreme Court is not an elected position, and I do not think it should be. For something this controversial however, I believe the voice of the people should be heard and the ballot box is the only way that can happen.
What this recent Supreme Court decision did was it took the decision on abortion away from unelected positions and put it in the hands of voters, which is where it belonged. Now you are going to have the chance to be heard at the ballot box. The rule on abortion in all 50 states will revert to the abortion law that existed prior to Row v Wade, and if we want to change that, then there will be a chance to cast your vote on what the rule on abortion will be in Ohio.
That is a democracy. This is not a perfect system of government, but it is the one where the most people get heard. When the time comes to cast a ballot, make sure you get out and cast one because if you don’t, then you have nothing to say about how things are. You had a chance to speak and you didn’t take it.
The Federal government’s power is reserved to what is in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Outside of those stipulations, the Federal government has no power. I know this seems strange because we hear from President Joe Biden so much more often than we hear from Governor Mike DeWine. But this has been a great reminder that your voice matters. You have a responsibility to make your voice heard by stepping in the ballot box and casting a ballot.
The overturning of Roe v Wade has given you a chance to have your voice heard. Get informed and no matter what side of the issue you come down on, make sure you cast a ballot when time comes.