James Kerian, Grafton
Measure 3 will not legalize child abuse or spousal abuse, or sharia law, or the withholding of medical care or have any of the other disastrous or crazy consequences that its opponents have been screeching about in television advertisements and letters to the editor. It is not a secret plot to allow Catholic bishops to take over your medical care. Measure 3 is not poorly worded nor is it some radical idea that has never been tried before.
Measure 3 was crafted with the help of some of the best legal minds in the country including Robert George, the McCormick Professor Jurisprudence at Princeton University. Its purpose and effect is to restore to North Dakota law the exact same level of protection for freedom of conscience and religious liberty that had existed everywhere in this country prior to a 1990 Supreme Court decision. Measure 3 will preemptively protect North Dakotans by prohibiting the state government from making the types of attacks on religious liberty that have recently been made by the Obama administration. Identical language to that used in Measure 3 has been implemented in other states and it has accomplished exactly this goal where it has been implemented. No, in case you're wondering, it hasn't legalized child abuse or brought about sharia law in any of those states.
So why are all these lies being spread about Measure 3? Let's follow the money. Financial disclosure reports were just released by the secretary of state and it turns out that the "North Dakotans Against Measure 3" campaign isn't funded by North Dakotans at all. Over 98 percent of the money that this organization has received is directly from Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider. In fact the disclosure reports show that Planned Parenthood, which performs more than 300,000 abortion every year, has now committed $500,000 to defeating Measure 3. This money will allow the opponents of Measure 3 to outspend supporters by a ratio of about 7 to 1.
These disclosure reports have presented North Dakotans with a very clear choice. Will we allow an out-of-state abortion business to buy our votes with scare tactics and keep us from joining the list of states that have restored protection for freedom of conscience and religious freedom? Or will we affirm our commitment to our nation's founding principles and restore our treasured first freedom. Vote "yes" on 3.