COMMON SENSE: A Matter of Conscience

The Obama administration’s elimination of the conscience clauseas it applies to requiring various forms of birth control andabortion coverage for Catholic institutions is not simply about theeffect it would have on long held Catholic Church principles. It isabout our basic rights as Americans to practice our beliefs free ofgovernment intrusion.

In fact, the Obama administration will be faced with countlesswell-positioned lawsuits if it continues down a path of tramplingon this right.

The operative words in what the Obama administration is doing tothe Catholic Church are force and conscience. In effect, thegovernment will be forcing the Catholic Church to do something thatviolates its teachings, its conscience.

As much as American history is plagued with episodes ofgovernment-supported and even sometimes sponsored prejudice againstcertain religions, until this recent ruling such an action againstthe Catholic Church by the government would have been consideredinconceivable.

Political scientists claim that voters are often motivated moreby what you do to offend them, than what you do to please them. Ifthat is truly the case, politically the Obama administration couldhave woken a sleeping giant of political opposition.

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I found it unusual that State Senator Eric Adams announced forborough president before he was re-elected to the state Senate. Ineffect, the voters of his Senate district are being asked to returnhim to the state Senate so that he can run a year later for anotheroffice.

In most elections, such a revelation would be considered apolitical problem. After all, what Eric Adams is saying is that hedoes not want to complete the term he is being elected to fill.

Given the nature of Brooklyn politics and Adams’ popularity, Ido not doubt that he will be re-elected to the Senate. Boroughpresident is another matter altogether. In fact, Adams is going tohave a Democratic primary against well-known local communityactivist Carlo Scissura.

Carlo, who has served as counsel and chief of staff to BoroughPresident Marty Markowitz, has been raising money and campaigningfor the position for many months. He will be a formidable primaryopponent.

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Prospective United States Senate candidate Wendy Long will bethe guest speaker at the annual Brooklyn Conservative Party Brunchthat is being held on Sunday, March 11 at the Bay Ridge Manor. Thehonoree is Ilene Sacco.

Long is the former law clerk to Supreme Court Judge ClarenceThomas and Appeals Court Judge Winters. She was a founder of theJudicial Confirmation Network which fought for judicial constraintand weighed in on judicial nominations. She also worked for twoUnited States senators in the 1980s.

Tickets to the event, which are priced at $44 per person, can beobtained by contacting the Conservative Party at 718 921-2158.