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Steve Strachan took office this week as King County sheriff.
On his first day as sheriff, Strachan attended a news conference with Senators Murray and Cantwell, advocating federal programs to curb violence against women.
But it wasn't violence against women that the press was asking Strachan about---it was about his view on abortion---violence against the unborn of either gender.
It seems that Mr. Strachan, as a Republican Minnesota state legislator back in 2003 and 2004, sponsored 2 pieces of legislation that Publicola writer Erica Barnett calls, "defiantly anti-woman legislation."
The first was the "Women's Right To Know Act" which imposed a 24-hour waiting period on women seeking abortions and required doctors to provide a state-sanctioned list of information, including information about fetal pain, referrals to crisis pregnancy centers and detailed information about fetal information, including pictures.
That's going to go over swell with King County. And the Murray-Cantwell team.
Secondly, he sponsored a bill that banned state family planning grants from funding abortions or referring women to agencies that do provide abortions.
Barnett says that women under Strachan's law, "are directed to crisis pregnancy centers or doctors who provide neonatal or maternal care---but not abortions."
So King County has a pro-life Sheriff.
Well, not exactly. The sheriff says he didn't mention all this to the County because they didn't ask. But not to worry...
Sheriff Strachan, standing with Murray and Cantwell explained, "I've been on a personal journey," he said. "My personal opinion has evolved over time. I consider myself pro-choice."
I once was found, but now I'm lost, could see, but now I'm blind.
He better be convincing. No one has forgotten what happened to Komen For The Cure a month or so ago when they "evolved" to a belief that they would provide no future funding for Planned Parenthood.
It wasn't pretty. In fact, the founder of Komen issued yet another public apology this week.
Evolving values are very convenient. Particularly for politicians. Or people who want a job in King County.
Both Bill Clinton and Al Gore had written letters to National Right To Life affirming their pro-life beliefs before they evolved politically---and morally. I happen to have copies of those letters somewhere in my files.
Vice President Joe Biden has also confessed that once he was pro-life and opposed abortion, but when he became an elected official, he felt it was more "politically acceptable" to be pro-choice.
President Obama has recently signaled that his belief about marriage is "evolving."
Governor Gregoire confessed she was morally conflicted about supporting the movement to redefine marriage in Washington.
G.K. Chesterton once said, "Morality is always dreadfully complicated to a man who has lost his principles." While I do not agree with some of what Chesterton believed, he got this right.
Principles are moral absolutes.
Moral relativism is a philosophy that denies moral absolutes.
Moral relativism is the cause of America's crumbling cultural foundations.
It is said philosophy is just an idea---a thought.
But the thoughts of moral relativism have extinguished the light of excellence in the minds of educators, then their students, and eventually, if not reversed, will extinguish a civilization.
Sow a thought, reap an act.
Sow an act, reap a habit;
Sow a habit, reap character;
Sow character, reap a destiny.
President Lincoln said more than once that the philosophy in the classroom of one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next generation.
I am prayerfully and carefully considering how we can address this issue with this generation in meaningful and measurable ways.
Thank you for standing with us.
Be Vigilant. Be Discerning. Be Prayerful. Be Active. Be Blessed.
