Good evening District 27. As I was driving along the southern scenic route across the state this past weekend, I noticed these billboards along the way to my mom’s home. It gives me great pride and joy to know that South Dakota promotes a culture of life. This past weekend, I encountered a toddler wandering onto US Highway 18 while driving through the Rosebud Indian Reservation. I could see the toddler in the distance. The toddler was wearing nothing but a diaper and was barefooted.
I slowed down to protect the child from being hit by any oncoming vehicle. Another vehicle (A black SUV with US Government tags mind you) immediately passed me around a curve in the road as I slowed down. While I approached the child from my vehicle the other vehicle that had just passed me slammed on its brakes, put on its police strobe lights, turned around, and drove toward the toddler that had started to back away from the fast-moving traffic. The driver of the other vehicle, I assumed a BIA law enforcement officer, put the toddler in his vehicle. I asked the undercover officer if he needed any help and I gave him a thumbs up to see if everything was okay. He nodded yes, and I continued on my journey.
I share this quick story with you because I am 100% Pro-Baby, Pro-Woman, and Pro-Life from womb to tomb. Oftentimes, men like me get accused of not supporting life once a baby is born. Nothing could be further from the truth. Every year Catholics across the Rapid City Diocese donate on Ash Wednesday to support the good works that Catholic Social Services Rapid City performs in Western South Dakota. I proudly support Catholic Social Services’ Uplifting Parents Program (UP Program).
This program was created to empower single-parent families by providing resources to support their advancement in education. The goal is to assist single parents in acquiring the education or certification needed to become financially sustainable and thereby provide stability and opportunity to their children. More information can be found here: https://www.cssrapidcity.com/what-we.../uplifting-parents/
Catholic Social Services also provides “triad” adoption services in reference “to the three parties involved in an adoption. This includes the adoptive parents, the adopted child, and the birth parents” (1). More information can be found here: https://trinityadoption.org/
I am also a proud supporter of Rachel’s Vineyard. This organization provides “a safe place to renew, rebuild and redeem hearts broken by abortion. Weekend retreats offer you a supportive, confidential and non-judgmental environment where women and men can express, release and reconcile painful post-abortive emotions to begin the process of restoration, renewal and healing” (2).
More local information can be found here: https://www.rapidcitydiocese.org/.../Rachels-Vineyard...
I also help out my nieces and nephews when they have a new baby by providing them with a gift card to purchase baby products such as diapers, food, formula, clothing, and so forth because raising a child in this economy is not easy.
For five years, I have also taught as a substitute teacher in the local school district where I have lived. As a substitute teacher, I learned that children simply want affection (a hug), love, and attention. They also want to be fed as I discovered when working in the lunchroom. Finally, I learned that children need discipline - a structured working environment.
Every eight or sixteen weeks, I donate whole blood or make a power red donation that collects a concentration of red cells from my blood which helps twice as many patients in need of blood transfusions.
As a commissioned lay minister, I have distributed communion to residents in the now-closed Bennett County Nursing Home. I have provided spiritual nourishment and words of encouragement to residents throughout the years who were left alone with no one to visit them. I have prayed with them at their bedside and have had wonderful conversations with them. I have visited the homebound and prayed many rosaries with deceased loved ones before being called home to their Creator. I likewise brought communion to the infirm in our local hospital when a family member requested it.
As one can see, I actively promote and preserve a culture of life within our state at all stages of human development. This November life will be on the ballot in the State of South Dakota. You will have a choice as to whether or not you want to continue to promote a culture of life within our state. I have learned that Planned Parenthood will be targeting 6 out of 10 Catholics who will vote to enshrine the initiated amendment establishing a right to abortion in the State Constitution.
They did this in the State of Kansas and they will be doing it again here in the State of South Dakota. Make no bones about the seriousness of the matter; the forces of evil will throw as much out-of-state money toward this initiated amendment as they can to destroy the culture of life that we cherish in this state. I will be voting “NO” on this initiated amendment. Without going into greater detail about the language the proponents used within the initiated amendment measure, of which I will address for another day, I leave you with these two scripture passages to meditate on:
Before each person are life and death, and whichever one chooses will be given (Sirach 15:17).
I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life! (Deuteronomy 30:19).
God bless.
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