Vote for McFadden, Stransky

Last spring, state Sen. Steve Vick and Rep. Vito Barbieri co-sponsored SB 1387, the bill that would force women who seek abortions to submit to an invasive obstetric (vaginal) ultrasound procedure.

It was mentioned in the media (The Spokesman-Review, March 28) that “this bill made no exception for victims of rape or incest.”

The same article stated, and I am quoting, “Barbieri, who is chairman of the board of a crisis pregnancy center in Coeur d’Alene, said that didn’t concern him. ‘My perspective is that it’s a life,’ he said. ‘It doesn’t matter to me how the baby was conceived.’ ”

This is outrageous. How can they sponsor as Republicans, and by definition opponents to government regulations, such an intrusion into the private lives of others? This is utter hypocrisy.

By being co-sponsors of SB 1387, Barbieri and Vick were not representing the majority of their constituency, but their own personal beliefs. We see no problem if they live by their personal beliefs, as long as they do not force them unto others.

With that in mind, we are hoping the electorate will vote for their opponents: Shirley McFadden and Cheryl Stransky are definitely the better-qualified candidates.

Juergen Nolthenius

Coeur d’Alene