I have not hidden my animus for our state’s governor. Virtually every decision, every policy, and every signed law is a reminder that the man who lives in the governor’s mansion is a snake. If I needed any more confirmation (which I did not), it came down yesterday in his latest press release.
For those who may not have heard, Texas recently passed a law that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, the time the tiny baby’s heart can be detected. The law went into effect September 1. Planned Parenthood and their ilk petitioned the United States Supreme Court to stop the new law from going into effect. Yesterday, the Supreme Court declined to do so meaning the law is now on the books. There will be more court challenges but for now babies in the great state of Texas are safe beyond six weeks.
If one needs a gruesome reminder of the work still needed to be done, 27 women crammed the waiting room of one Texas abortion provider in the late hours of August 31. They wanted to end their baby’s life prior to midnight, before the new law went into effect. The babies didn’t make it to September. They all died.
Back to our governor. Here are the opening two paragraphs from his five-paragraph press release:
“Today’s lack of leadership from the U.S. Supreme Court will having [sic] chilling effects on reproductive rights in this country far beyond Texas. Now that the Supreme Court has allowed Texas’ extreme anti-abortion law to stand, it won’t be long until many Republican-controlled legislatures in other states use it as a template to deepen disparities in abortion access between states.
“We are fortunate that this has no impact on people seeking an abortion in Washington. We deeply value maintaining strong access to reproductive health and abortion services. We have strengthened our laws around preserving access to reproductive services in recent years and we will continue to protect people’s rights.”
Here is the last sentence from his abominable statement, “Americans have been failed by this series of decisions, and Republicans must be held accountable for them.”
If I may, sir, you will be held responsible for your decisions. And everything from your banning of churches to meet, sing, and commune; to your goal of making the religious exemption for vaccinations as difficult and narrow as possible; and to your love affair with the abortion industry.
Is the pastor getting too political? No. But if you are uncomfortable, I will end by getting theological.
One day, sir, you will discover that Republicans were not your enemy. Far from it. God was. It will not end well for you. It is time for you to repent.
Pastor Rich Hamlin
September 2, 2021