To Microchip or Not to Microchip

Radio Commentary, WMVV 90.7 New Life FM, September 3, 2010
By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim. In the last five years, four bills have been introduced in Georgia to prohibit mandatory microchip implants in humans. Although other states passed laws requiring personal consent, all four bills were killed in Georgia, leaving the population vulnerable if the governor orders mandatory implants during a declared emergency, during a real or imagined threat.

No one was concerned when trash barrels were microchipped, so waste disposal businesses could tell which barrels were theirs. No one was disturbed when wildlife was tagged to track migration routes. Cattle owners were the only ones affected when herds had to be tagged and pet owners welcomed microchips so they could locate Fido and Fluffy, if they strayed.
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Still At Issue:
Decriminalizing Prostitution for Teens

Radio Commentary, WMVV 90.7 New Life FM, August 27, 2010
By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim. During the past legislative session, we won the first round against juvenile prostitution, but we’ve been promised Round Two for next year. The sponsor of S.B. 304 got similar wording in a bill that passed last session, making it easier for her language to be put into the Code Section that would remove all penalties for minors who work in the sex trade.

When you add to that H.R. 5575 Congress introduced to remove federal penalties for juvenile prostitution, you’ll understand the enormity of the battle. This is their rationale: since minors under 18 cannot legally consent to commercial sexual exploitation, they must be classified as “victims,” regardless of their willingness to work in the sex trade or whether they deliberately chose such a dangerous occupation. Victim compensation money is “the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow” in this attack on hundreds of years of natural law.
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Obamacare: Passed in March, Now in Court

Radio Commentary, WMVV 90.7 New Life FM, August 20, 2010
By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim. Nothing has attacked states’ rights more than the federal effort to force-feed Americans the bitter pill called “national healthcare.” But the states are fighting back. On August 6th, Governor Perdue joined 19 other states in a constitutional challenge to the federal healthcare reform act, after the Department of Justice filed a motion to dismiss the case.

The lawsuit was originally filed in Florida’s Northern District federal court March 23 – just minutes after President Obama signed the healthcare bill into law. Hearings will begin September 14th in Pensacola and there are indications the states will prevail. Earlier this month, a judge in a similar lawsuit in Virginia ruled against still another Department of Justice motion to dismiss and the Virginia lawsuit was allowed to proceed through the courts.
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Judges Matter

Radio Commentary, WMVV 90.7 New Life FM, August 13, 2010
By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim. Since we now know who’ll be on the November ballot, you may want to take a break from politics. But don’t quit now. We’re not out of the woods, yet. The first week in August a federal judge overturned California’s ban on same-sex marriage. By doing that, he went against 52 percent of California voters who passed Proposition 8 in November 2008, just five months after the state Supreme Court had legalized gay marriage in California.

After hearing 13 days of testimony, including 18 witnesses that defended traditional marriage, U.S. District Judge Walker used 136 pages to explain why he thinks banning gay marriage violates the Constitution. Incidentally, Judge Walker is one of only three openly gay federal judges in the country. Since an appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court is imminent, gay marriage will not resume in California right now. Defenders of traditional marriage are expected to take the case to the court of appeals and it could wind up in the U.S. Supreme Court.
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What do you think of the governor’s vetoes?

Radio Commentary, WMVV 90.7 New Life FM, August 6, 2010
By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim. “Before any bill or resolution shall become law, the Governor shall have the right to review … veto, approve, or take no action.” That’s what the State Constitution says. So, the governor can choose to sign a bill, which he does when he wants to show special support for it, or he can let it become law without his signature, which happens most of the time.

On the other hand, the governor has 40 days after the end of the session to veto bills he does not want to become law. This year, by the end of that 40-day period, which was June 8th, the governor had vetoed 23 bills, but I’ll mention only one today.

Perhaps the most prominent bill he vetoed is S.B. 291 that allowed individuals to carry licensed firearms into parts of airports that are not regulated by the federal government. It, also, repealed the governor’s emergency power to confiscate guns during a declared emergency. I’m sorry that part of the bill was vetoed, but my problem with S.B. 291 was the politically correct change in the wording on gun-carry licenses.
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Don’t Forget the Judges

Radio Commentary, WMVV 90.7 New Life FM, July 30, 2010
By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim. For the last several weeks I’ve reported on political parties and candidates leading up to the July 20th Primary, because that’s when voters choose candidates who’ll be on the November General Election ballot. But, you might have noticed. Judges are not on the Primary ballot. They don’t run as Republicans or Democrats or Libertarians or Independents. They run as non partisan candidates. That means, voters can’t use party platforms to help decide how to vote.

And another thing: judges won’t tell you where they stand on issues. They’ll explain that they might have to judge a case about that subject and answering the question would be unethical. So, where does that leave us? The first thing we have to do is find out who qualified to run for judge in our districts. That information is on the Secretary of State’s web site, where I got my list. 68 judges will be elected in November and one will be on the Georgia Supreme Court. The three candidates running for the Supreme Court are Tammy Adkins, David Nahmias and Matt Wilson.
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Cast an Informed Vote July 20th

Radio Commentary, WMVV 90.7 New Life FM, July 16, 2010
By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim. This year as never before, we know the importance of elections. We’ve learned NOT to elect candidates just because they speak well or promise great things. We’ve learned to look deeper, to find out where they stand on issues and not assume they agree with us on anything. We must be sure of their loyalty to this country and the free enterprise system.

A most critical fact surfaced early in this campaign period. I began writing about it in December 2008, after learning that a Georgia candidate for governor was promoting a constitutional convention to pass a fair tax amendment. While I support a fair tax, I am absolutely opposed to a constitutional convention for any purpose. A fair tax amendment can be passed the same way the other 27 constitutional amendments passed … without a constitutional convention.
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Radio Commentary, WMVV 90.7 New Life FM, July 9, 2010
By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim. An overwhelming majority of Americans have always agreed that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. But for years, the United States has been aggressively pressured to legalize same sex marriage. In addition to that, in at least one state there’s a movement to legalize “polyamory” for individuals interested in interactive group sex.

Although the term “sexual orientation” is constantly expanding, political party platforms have clear statements about marriage. The Republican Platform position is this, “We support the traditional definition of ‘marriage’ as the legal union of one man and one woman … federal judges and bureaucrats should not force states to recognize other living arrangements as marriages. That belief led Congress to enact the Defense of Marriage Act, which a Republican Department of Justice will energetically defend in the courts…. [W]e do not believe sexual preference should be given special legal protection or standing in law.”
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Having a Hard Time Deciding Which Candidates to Support?

Radio Commentary, WMVV 90.7 New Life FM, July 2, 2010
By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim. In less than three weeks, the Georgia Primary Election will be held and voters will decide which candidates will be on the ballot in November. If you can’t decide which candidates to support, read the party platforms and you’ll learn how the party expects elected officials to vote on issues. If you do that, you’ll soon know which party shares your values and which candidates would best represent you.

For example: a basic concern is abortion. The Republican Party pro-life platform says, “The unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment [and] endorse legislation to make clear that Fourteenth Amendment protections apply to unborn children. We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of innocent human life.”
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Without a “Refusal Document,” You’re An Organ Donor

Radio Commentary, WMVV 90.7 New Life FM, June 25, 2010
By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim. The first time I speak to a new group about political issues in Georgia, I begin by asking whose driver’s license has been renewed, lately. Then, I ask whether they were asked about being an organ donor. When they say no, I explain the reason I’m asking.

Two years ago when S.B. 405 passed, it got no publicity, but totally reversed Georgia’s organ donor law. It amended the Georgia Anatomical Gift Act relating to the “acquisition and loss of property” and defined “anatomical gift” as a donation of all or part of a human body to be taken after the donor’s death and used for transplants, therapy, research or education.
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