FIC Blog

On Friday the news broke that pro-abortionists are trying to censor a pro-life state license plate. On Saturday one commenter at Connecticut Local Politics noted that the license plate “has the potential” to become a campaign issue while another wondered if my criticism of a “Trainspotting” quote meant that I was “saying pro-choice people are heroin addicts.” Sigh.

On Sunday Don Pesci, who writes one of the best conservative blogs in Connecticut, commented on the role of Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, “who lately has done a great deal of yeomanry work for the anti-anti-abortion lobby”:

The attorney general has been content to play the unbending, perfectly proper aunt at the supper table. “There will be no talk about politics or religion here,” says the aunt, and all tongues fall silent…

It is a perfection of irony that Blumenthal, so like a carefully tended English garden himself, now has put his foot down on a license plate that has offended some dusty aunts so severely that they have issued a complaint through their state representative to the Department of Motor Vehicles. According to the complaint, the plate…which sports two smiling cartoon faces of children beneath which is scrawled the message “choose life” in a child’s hand — carries an insidious message. Are not the words “choose life” the slogan of the anti-abortion crowd?
Maybe so, maybe not — but should we not be erring on the side of the First Amendment?
The pro-abortion community and the adoption community certainly do have interests that clash. By definition, abortion is the termination of an unwanted birth, resulting of course in the termination of an unwanted child. Abortion therefore limits adoption, because adoption involves the care of an unwanted child. If all unwanted children are aborted, there will be no adoptees for couples who may choose to care for them. All vanity plates are advertisements, and in this one the antagonists have touched gloves, as the fighters say.

In order for this liberal effort at censorship to become a campaign issue, the state GOP would have to demonstrate a willingness to stand up for the moral convictions of most state residents and against the anti-family elites that are a constant presence at our state capitol.

I know what you’re thinking, and no, I’m not holding my breath either. Still, state Republicans—from Gov. Rell on down—held the line this year when pro-abortionists attacked the religious freedom of Catholic hospitals. It was an honorable and popular position and one they should trumpet in the fall elections. And the license plate issue would fit right in.

Whether or not the state GOP has the courage and common sense to pursue a winning pro-family strategy will become clear as we move closer to November. In the meantime, Connecticut Right to Life isn’t holding its breath either. Here is an excerpt from their action alert from last weekend:

If you have not already purchased your "Choose Life"

CT motor vehicle license plate - now is your chance -

hopefully, not your last chance!!!

Pro-lifers in other states have had to fight tooth and

nail to get pro-life license plates. In CT, it was no

big deal - until now!

Pro-lifers are repeatedly accused of caring only for

the unborn - here, the funds support adoption, and

"safe havens" - so newborns are not dumped into trash

cans. But apparently the pro-aborts, like St. Rep.

Willis (D-Salisbury), don't want funding for adoption

or to keep babies out of the trashcan.

CT Atty General Dick Blumenthal has started an

investigation and the CT DMV has suspended sale of the

CT DMV's "Choose Life" plate until the investigation

is completed in a few weeks...

This is the third time the Children First Foundation

has been investigated by the state, and found in full

compliance each time, most recently, just last month!

When the state of New York tried to stop the plate

there, the Children's First Foundation sued NY Atty

General Elliot Spitzer, and won, twice, including in

the Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which covers

CT as well as NY (the NY case is still going back for

trial there - but the courts ruled the plates' sales

can't be stopped in advance of the trial - but that's

exactly what the DMV is doing here!)...

Please...go to the Children First Foundation's web site at

fund-adoption.org where you can read the glowing

tributes from CT officials, including yours truly -

Atty General Blumenthal.

On the fund-adoption.org website, click on

"Connecticut" and print out and complete the

application form for a CT "Choose Life" license plate,

which must be mailed to the Children First Foundation

- you cannot purchase the plate online nor directly

from the DMV. The best way to fight this is by

ordering your plate today! (Though, if a few of you

write a letter to the editor of the Hartford Courant,

that wouldn't hurt either! Nor would calls to the DMV

(1-800-842-8222) and your state senator (Democrats

1-800-249-8600; Republicans 1-800-240-8800) and state

representative (Democrats 1-800-240-8500; Republicans

1-800-240-8700) and Governor Rell's office

1-800-406-1527).

Please forward this to everyone on your pro-life

e-mail list!