By AlaskaWatchman.com

Why didn’t the Alaska representatives in the State House who killed Rep. David Eastman’s amendment to prohibit state funding of abortion introduce one of their own instead? Why didn’t a single GOP legislator other than him do so in the first place? Roe has fallen, and they sit on their hands.

Even more crucially, if the Democrats strike such an amendment down, why aren’t all GOP “pro-lifers” prepared to stand up together, and hold up the budget process as long as necessary to remove state funding of abortions? Protecting the life and liberty of our citizens is the ultimate goal of government; passing a budget should be the means to that end.

The state does not report the number of babies killed by abortion outside of Alaska – but they do collect that data, and Alaska Right to Life estimates that for every 10 babies aborted in the first trimester in Alaska, four more are carried to Washington and Oregon to be aborted in late-term abortions.

In 2019, for instance, the total number of Alaskan babies killed with taxpayer money was 758; which means we paid for roughly 216 late-term abortions that year. How many this year? Whether they live or die a brutal death depends partly on how many of our legislators are Pontius Pilate pro-lifers. They recognize the innocence of the unborn, and are willing to make limited calculated-risk efforts to protect them, but instead cave to Democrats and those who are more concerned about a full PFD than funding murder. We need to contact these legislators now, and track their failures during the next election cycle.

More importantly, we need to contact our pro-life GOP senators now to demand that they introduce, as a united body, a pro-life amendment when the budget reaches the Senate, enlisting the help of the Alaska Family Council etc. Otherwise, we all become complicit in an unsuccessful attempt to wash our hands of the blood of innocents, of whom Christ said, “What you do to the least of these little ones, you do to Me.”

The views expressed here are those of the author.

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OPINION: Why do Alaska ‘pro-life’ lawmakers sit on their hands?

Therese Syren
Therese Syren is a long-time pro-life advocate in Alaska who helped found a local sidewalk counseling outreach outside an Anchorage abortion clinic. She holds a Master's Degree in Catholic Theology and a Pontifical Catechetical Diploma.


15 Comments

  • Lucinda says:

    Christian nationalists are attempting (and in some cases, succeeding) to take away freedom and liberty. Where is the opposition to federal overreach and big government?

    • Lobo says:

      Looks like you have gotten it bass-akwards .. as usual.

    • Friend of Humanity says:

      Lucinda, I see those “buzz” words you are labeling Conservatives with. It’s all a part of the left’s narrative nationwide and some of the buzz words they use. I see what you are doing and I am not falling for it. I hope that others reading this understand that you are a troll that has to follow the left’s narrative. In the end truth will win.

      • Lucinda says:

        Friend: Am I wrong? Would you consider yourself a Christian nationalist? Am I wrong about conservatives yapping about freedom, liberty, federal overreach and big government for the last 75 years?

    • Toovin says:

      Why just Christians? Atheists/Agnostics don’t want state sponsored abortions either – you should be more inclusive! This seems like is it opposition to big government – like, literally it would prevent the government from getting involved via money (perhaps except in cases where the Mother and Childs life is in danger, but ill leave that to medical professionals and patients), and the population would get a boost helping us become more diverse!

  • David Eastman says:

    When I arrive in Juneau after Election Day and say “I’m here to protect the unborn”, the response I get is “you, and what army?”
    The legislature’s hostility to the unborn goes deeper than a politician’s position on the issue. In fact, how legislators feel personally has nothing to do with it. It may sound incredible to say it that way, but it really doesn’t. Republican politicians have been told year after year that if they make the unborn a priority they will lose political power. Many have believed it, some without questioning it. This is why they had to politically crucify Rep. Kurka and I last year by forbidding both of us from participating in budget negotiations and declaring us persona non grata, and blaming our insistence on including abortion funding in the budget discussions. In doing so, we represented an existential threat to the power structure in Juneau, which requires that all policies (including the right of children to live) be set aside “for the greater good” (which inevitably means more political power to a select group of Republican and Democrat legislators). That they had to resort to mischaracterizing our positions on abortion and other issues in order to justify their attacks only further proves the point. If they give an inch on abortion and allow legislators to vote their conscience on abortion, they fear that the legislators opposed to COVID vaccines will then want to stop the funding of COVID vaccine marketing, and any number of other policy changes that conservatives have been asking for, and then those in Juneau will have lost control.
    So instead, they circle the wagons and declare conservative legislators the enemy, with no less contempt for conservatives than the Babylonian leaders had for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-stories/shadrach-meshach-and-abednego-bible-story-verses-meaning.html).

    They sit on their hands because they’ve been told to. They sit on their hands because they’ve been told they will be punished if they don’t. They sit on their hands because they have told themselves they are powerless, and because they have already taken part in punishing others for speaking up, and cannot now lose face by admitting they were wrong. They sit on their hands because conservatives allow Republicans to abandon their principles in ways that the Left would never permit a Democrat politician to. In Juneau, “pro-life” means nothing. It literally is a term without specific meaning, and now includes everything from government funding for daycare to bringing more living workers to Alaska to increase the population. If conservative voters tolerate inaction on the part of Republican politicians, and progressive voters do not tolerate pro-life action from Democrat politicians, a status quo where the state pays to slaughter innocents by the hundreds is guaranteed.

    • Friend of Humanity says:

      Thank you Rep. Eastman. I agree. These guys do not want to rock the boat. We are being sold out at a time when all of our reps need to unite for what is right and stand strong in their conviction to truly vote the way their voters want them to vote. This goes for all of the topics! Look at Sumner the sell out. I wonder what he gets out of all this when he votes with the demonrats instead of voting like his voters wanted? Is he going to get to move up in the political world, or get some more business deals on the side or some extra cash here or there or are the globalists promising him a more luxurious life then us minions? Look at Dunleavy who keeps teeter-tottering. He passes things or suggests things that the People want and then turns around and wants to pass things to protect the globalist agenda. Where will this all end? May Our Heavenly Father’s Grace be with the Humanity-loving People of the World during these times!!!

    • Doc Joe C says:

      The gaslighting and dishonesty in your response is incredible. No one prevented you and Kurka from participating in budget negotiations. And I have been told that you were counseled many times over the last 6 years that what you were trying to do in a budget bill was a cop out, was not going to be effective in the long term, and would likely by unconsititutional. Where is your pro-life bill? I see Vance has one, McCabe has one, Rauscher has one. Yet you have no bills filed. Why not? You are the least pro-life politician I have seen in decades. you want everyone to do it for you and you want to grandstand for the theatre. The single bill you filed was designed to hold other politicians accountable not to advance the pro-life cause. The attempts you and the Right to LIfe group in Alaska have made to protect life are not working and have not worked for almost a decade. So find another way. You talk a good game and your video clips make you look real good. But what have you actually done? I urge you do go on record as a true pro-life politician and tell the other side that the opposite of pro-life is pro-death, not pro-choice. I urge you to put in a bill that protects the un-born in any manner. Any Bill. I urge you to sign up for every pro-life bill even if the process is not your process. Have you ever gone to another pro-life senator and talked to them about your ideas? Have you ever tried to explain why you believe what you believe to another senator? I have heard the answer to that is a big fat no. Have you ever put in a pro-life amendment designed to actually pass even if it only incrementally moved the pro-life needle? You and Alaska Right To Life have done more harm to the pro-life movement in Alaska than the democrats. Get on board with the rest of the senators and politicians and hammer out of strategy. your trying to be the hero. why don’t you try to save babies

      • Friend of Humanity says:

        “Doc,” who is this really? Your wording and knowledge makes me wonder if you are not one of the ones that has been fighting tooth and nail against Rep Eastman in session. Is this McCabe maybe? About saving babies – this fight against abortion has been going on for longer than a decade. If his fight does not seem to have made progress, maybe it is because the evil has been ramping up exponentially since Obama got in office in 2008 and the Affordable Care Act was passed. Has anyone been saving babies at this point? No. You just had to get on here and spill a whole bunch of negative about Eastman. Who is Doc Joe C really?

      • Doc Joe C says:

        F.O.H.
        You first.
        Therer are 59 other legislators, 200 plus staffers in the capitol. Also a half dozen news people and many lobbiest and trade association folks in and out every day. everyone of them are tired of Neastman and his narcissistic theatre. I suspect there are also many who watch gavel to gavel who are coming to the realization that eastman does nothing but talk. people do care. people want action of some sort.

      • Friend of Humanity says:

        Doc, IF you are a doc, why would you use a title? Do you feel that it going to lend some weight to your statement? IF you are a doctor, maybe you are one of the ones that will have something to lose if reps like Eastman keep pushing and start winning their fights for humanity. There are a lot of healthcare folks that are going to have a lot to answer for when trials start happening to get justice for all of the victims of the plandemic. Personally, I know of lot of medical doctors and nurses who treated many people like they were peons who should not be treated respectfully…kind like the globalist attitudes. Your comments to Rep Eastman on this board are merely attempted attacks on his character. God wins in the end Doc and the truth will come out.

  • Neil A DeWitt says:

    Thanks for repeating what I said on this topic a few days ago. As for sitting on your hand. it time to grow a pair and become real legislators not sheep. Men in real.life stand up and fight for the underlings. What kind of men(cowards) are you? So what if you get voted out. You should for being worthless amebas. I don’t want you in Juneau representing me if you don’t have guts enough to take a stand and do the right thing. I for one will vote against you come next election. You don’t deserve a seat in Juneau. Yes I said it! I have guts enough to call it like it is. No sugar coating. Grow up and grow a pair!

  • mhs says:

    I have a hard time understanding anyone who could kill their own child regardless of the circumstances of how/when it was conceived. I can understand the motives of the spineless, greedy law makers who allow this to happen at tax payer expense. I consider it a violation of my religious beliefs to force me to help pay for the murder of children. God will get them. In the meanwhile I’ll send a few paper letters. I have read a written letter mailed to them carries a bit more weight then a phone call or email.

  • Marlin Savage says:

    According to the Declaration of Independence, All, including Babies, have the Right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happinesss….