Protecting the Unborn

I believe strongly in protecting the unborn.  Thomas Jefferson once said, “The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government.”  I have consistently supported pro-life measures to reduce the frequency of abortion and to inform mothers considering abortion about alternatives like adoption.  I also signed the petition in 2008 to place the “abortion ban” initiative on the ballot, so that our state could lead the fight to overturn Roe v. Wade.

In my work at Children’s Home Society, I have seen many children who were subjected to shocking abuse and neglect.  These children were unloved and unwanted, and it’s fair to say that their parents saw them as an inconvenience.  Children’s Home’s mission is based on the strong belief that every child has value, and we work hard to place these children with “forever families” that will give them the love they deserve.  My pro-life position is an extension of these same values – that no child is an “inconvenience” and that every child, born or unborn, deserves the opportunity to live and to have a family that loves them.

I support our state's ban on embryonic stem cell research. Even if this research could potentially improve some lives, it should not be conducted at the expense of other lives. I am hopeful that advances in the use of adult stem cells will make embryonic stem cell research a thing of the past.

Protecting Traditional Marriage

I supported and voted for the constitutional amendment in 2006 that defined marriage in South Dakota as being between one man and one woman.  The traditional family is the foundation of our society, and it should be protected.  Although I do not support discrimination against any class of people, I also do not think that individual groups should be given special privileges or be allowed to redefine the centuries-old institution of marriage.