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The news of topsy turvy world economies has kept the media buzzing across the globe. From the little island republic first discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 comes a report that should bolster anyone who believes that all human life is sacred. On April 23, 2009 the Dominican Republic was urged by its President Leonel Fernandez to consider the matter of ending the death penalty for un-born children in that country. In a remarkable vote the lawmakers put down abortion’s blood drain by a whopping 167 to 32. Made up of 31 provinces within an area roughly the size of the State of New Hampshire twice over the Dominican Republic is a Caribbean gem nestled between Haiti, the North Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea. With famous cities and resort areas like Puerto Plata, San Cristobal, and Santiago the capital city of Santo Domingo is by far the most attractive to tourist and visitors. Although Christopher Columbus discovered the island and named it Hispaniola it has a history that pre-dates Columbus by thousands of years. The main inhabitants prior to Columbus were known as the ‘Taino Indians.’ The word ‘Taino’ means noble and in a twist of history the passage of the no-abortion legislation is figuratively a return to the island nation’s namesake in its very aspect. In the ‘noblest’ manner the Dominican lawmakers have taken a solid stand for life even while other nations are crumbling under international pressure to allow abortion under any terms. The Taino were savagely subdued by their conquerors which included the Spanish, French and Americans at various times throughout the history of the Republic. At one time President Grant proposed taking over the government of the island but that suggestion was rejected by the Congress. During the cold war the island was, however, occupied by U.S. Marines. After Columbus’ brother Bartholomew was appointed governor and founded the city of Santo Domingo the nation’s history took a turn for the worst due to the discovery of gold. The easily accessible deposits of gold in many of the Republic’s rivers were extracted at the cost of many lives but especially those of the Dominicans. Neighboring Haiti ruled for 22 years until independence was declared on February 27, 1844 and Hispaniola became the Republica Dominicana or the Dominican Republic as it is known today. With several civil wars yet to follow it wasn’t until the Americans began to train the Dominican army that the infamous dictator ‘Trujillo’ emerged as the islands most ruthless leader. His regime was so oppressive that a national holiday was celebrated every year on the day he was assassinated. The decision to quit abortion was driven wholly by the efforts of the Catholic Church under the guidance of Santo Domingo’s Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez who went on record for saying that pro abortionists were “butchers and merchants.” He emphasized that the interests of the pro-abortionist was largely about profit and had little to do with choices as it is touted in America. Also spearheading the movement against abortion were the groups known as Live Action San Jose, Faithful Soldier School of Evangelism and Personhood USA. Some of these groups worked with local missionary Dr. Gene Antonio to flood Santo Domingo and the surrounding area with 50,000 pieces of hard hitting literature from the organization known as the Human Life Alliance. Christian Newswire reported that Keith Mason from the grassroots Personhood USA said “As we continue to fight for the personhood rights of the Pre-born in America, we celebrate and applaud the protection of Life in the Dominican Republic. The people on the small Caribbean island understand that all life is precious and should be protected! We pray that America catches on soon" The Dominicans took radical steps to show their citizenry what was really involved in an abortion. Even as America’s Director of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has targeted pro-lifers as potentially dangerous people it was the televised and impassioned speeches of Cardinal Lopez among other efforts that won the hearts of the people against abortion. Actual abortion videos were shown as well on national TV that the Dominicans found unbelievable and wholly repugnant. There is little doubt that you will not see such videos on national TV in the United States which leads the way in the effort to strangle reality, truth and compassion under the guise of all that is now held as “politically correct.” America is quite satisfied with the new terms from PC advocates such as “man made disasters” instead of terrorist. A new movement to change the word ‘choice’ is also being suggested among pro-abortionist and using only the word ‘right.’ In the battle of slogans it is said that the idea of dropping the word choice is because the wisdom of the pro-choice slogan “It’s a Child – Not a Choice” was all to appealing to common reason. It is still a source of amazement to many people around the world that Americans who represent the very birth of the freedom movement still can’t see that they are strangling the freedom of the unborn under the passage of a mere judicial ruling that in spite of being an interpretation of law is actually in defiance of all the best laws of our constitution and an offense to common sense and basic human compassion. Although we will always say our children are ours it is impossible upon the most honest reflection to conclude that they are ever our possession. Even while in the mothers womb the ownership of the body of each un-born child is its own. The right, the privilege, the responsibility to carry it until it can assert its own ownership is all any woman can claim. This is why it’s a child and not a choice and that knowledge is far more than a slogan. Now added to the constitution of the Dominican Republic as article 30, the promise of the protection of life from conception to death is a worldwide landmark that should be a lesson in compassion, sound reasoning and national pride to the rest of the world from this remarkable island nation. God bless the Dominican Republic. http://www.americanprophet.org is the place for news, articles, movie and book reviews and other insights for life. Rev Bresciani is a columnist for online and print publications and has over two million readers and counting.
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Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, Santiago, Leonel Fernandex, Colunbus, Taino, Hispaniola, article 30, abortion, pro-life, Cardinal Lopez, Personhood USA, Janet,
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