Democrat Nelson embraces black pro-life leaders
by Jim Brown
February 13, 2007
(OneNewsNow.com) - - Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson was among a bipartisan group of lawmakers who recently addressed the National Black Pro-Life Union at the Capitol building. Nelson told those in attendance that protecting the sanctity of human life does not just involve overturning Roe V. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that legalized abortion on demand in the U.S. "Being pro-life is not just about protecting the unborn," he explained; "it's about protecting those who are born throughout all phases of their lives, all through the journey that we all hope to be able to persevere, on behalf of ourselves and on behalf of our families and our friends."
Nelson said during his experience as a youth pastor in Lincoln, Nebraska, he learned that when it comes to helping those in need to get back on their feet, America's churches and people of faith are better than government programs.
"I'm not only a pro-life person ... I'm an adoptive parent," the former Nebraska governor shared. "I committed myself to my loving children unconditionally at their birth because I know that every child is created in God's image, and we must protect our children and help families create a loving home in which to live, grow, and prosper."
The Democratic lawmaker said he has put those beliefs into practice in his public life, noting as governor he signed Nebraska's partial-birth abortion ban into law and was the first governor in the country to sign into law mandatory waiting periods and parental consent laws for minors. Since coming to the Senate in 2001, Nelson has been a leader in passing the federal partial-birth abortion ban, and is a co-sponsor of the Child Custody Protection Act, which would prohibit adults from taking minors across state lines for abortions without notifying their parents.
