Congressional candidate Bert Copple served as one of six guest speakers at the 4th Annual Reagan Dinner held at the San Marino Club in Troy, Michigan on Tuesday, June 10, 2008.

The keynote speaker was South Carolina Govenor Mark Sanford.  Other speakers included Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, State Senator Michael Bishop, Congressman Joe Knollenberg, and State Representative Jack Hoogendyk.

Copple’s comments came late in the evening, and though it was late, his speech drew two standing ovations and several periods of applause.

“It was a good night for the campaign,” said Copple after the evening.  “I was able to get our message out to a lot of people who really matter within the Republican machine.  Hopefully this will help launch our campaign to new heights and generate more interest with activists.”

Copple’s speech lasted roughly eight minutes.  The scripted version of the speech can be read below.

Good evening, and thank you so much for the opportunity to stand before you this evening as the Republican candidate for Michigan’s 12^th Congressional District.

 

                I hope that none of my fellow conservatives had any problem this evening getting their Bibles and guns past security.  After all, these are very bitter times we live in.  Especially the 12^th district.  Since the year 2000, under the leadership of Sandy Levin, the 12^th’s unemployment rate has doubled to nearly 10.4%.  Since 2000, more than 30,000 people have moved out of our district.  In the same time period, we’ve lost 16,000 manufacturing jobs, and 26,000 total net jobs.  The number of citizens in my district living in poverty has risen 2.5%, and the number of families living in poverty has increased by 2.3%.

 

                I guess you could say we’re a little bitter.  But I wouldn’t say that is the reason why we’re clinging to our guns and Bibles.  If you’re like me, you cling to your freedom.  And if you’re like me, you cling to your faith.  Not because they define who we are, but because freedom and faith are a part of the very fabric of our being.  For most of us in this room tonight, it’s a way of living – not some sort of extreme radicalism.

 

                As a Republican candidate, I want to comment on two topics this evening that are of great importance to both myself, those within my district, and within the Republican party.  First – can someone please take away Uncle Sam’s credit card?  We need to be frank and honest here – when the piggy bank is empty, you stop spending money.  I guess my greatest fear today is that if Barack Obama is elected President, and if House and Senate make more Liberal gains, we’re going to continue to see the greatest tax increases in our country’s history.  We’re going to see spending on social programs go through the roof as the federal government will try to fix local problems, and as usual, fail miserably.

 

                Ronald Reagan said it best.  “Nothing lasts longer than a short term government program.”

 

                Again, we need to be honest with each other – the federal government is really good at doing two things – delivering mail, and fighting wars.  But as the federal government grows without bounds, and responsibility is taken away from state and local governments, we foster a society that is lazy and almost entirely dependent upon elected officials in Washington to make all of our ills go away.  John F. Kennedy encouraged us to ask what we could do for our country, not what our country could do for us.  His words have fallen on the deaf ears of our current generations.

                Let me give you just one example, if I may, of wasteful federal government spending.  The Federal Communications Commission and the television industry came to terms a while back concerning the mandatory switch over to digital broadcasting that because we were making them do the switch, the federal government would help subsidize the costs of consumers having to purchase converter boxes.  On the surface, this sounds like a nice social idea, helping people like my grandmother who religiously watches Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, continue her affair with Pat Sajack and Alex Trabec.    However, can anyone else out there find a better way for $1.5 billion to be spent, especially in our struggling economy?

·     If the money was returned to the American citizens, every tax payer would receive a $12.82 refund.  Those needing converter boxes would have some extra cash towards their $50 purchase, and those not needing converter boxes could spend the money on some movie rentals or a few gallons of gasoline.

·     If the money was returned to the states according to population, Michigan (4.8% of American taxpayers) would receive a lump sum of $70.5 million.  How could this help?  It would pay off roughly 7.6% of Michigan’s $920 million budget deficit.

·     In terms of education, that same $70.5 million could provide each of Michigan’s 838 public schools with  $84,129, enough to fund two additional teachers or the opportunity to purchase new technology for students.

·     Finally, think of the 446,000+ children in Michigan living in poverty.  Could this money help them, feed them, insure them?  By doing so, could this money help reduce the tax payer burden at the same time?

My point here is simple.  There are more important things to fund than digital television converters.  The very fact that people need converters would stimulate spending at Christmas, and perhaps some of the converters could have even be made right here in Michigan, helping to increase the number of jobs we need right now.

What was most perplexing to me, however, was this: Why is this even a federal government issues?  Besides, when the music industry yanked vinyl albums from the shelves to make way for CDs, did any of the music labels or record companies help you purchase a CD player? Of course not.  People had to make that purchase on their own, without the government’s help.  As your congressman, I won’t vote in favor of wasteful federal spending like this idea.  We have an obligation to return taxpayer dollars to the public whenever possible.

The final issue I’ll touch on tonight is personal.  Faith is a controversial subject today because of the new world rhetoric about across-the-board tolerance.  While knocking on doors last week, I was confronted by a woman who told me she could never vote for me because I am a pastor.  She told me that religious people don’t belong in public office because decisions should not be based on the Bible, but on the needs of culture.  Whatever that means.

That may sound harsh, but as a pastor, I stand by my beliefs.  The federal government was never given a mandate to care for the poor, the orphaned, and the widowed.  But as I recall from my Sunday School classes as a child, the church was given that mandate.  As a seminarian, I know the church has forgotten that going into the world and preaching the Gospel message should create a Christian culture of helping those in need, feeding the poor, providing shelter for the homeless and standing up for justice.

The church culture in America is suffering because the full power of the Gospel message has been watered down.  The power of salvation comes from a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  The fruit of the transformation should be evident in the lives of every Christian and every church, working as one body, not hundreds of denominations honoring doctrines, but together accomplishing the works of the Gospel, shining a light into a dark world.

Our motto at my church this year is to Participate in 2008, to stop being pew potatoes that do nothing more than self-medicate themselves on Sundays, struggling to get by during the week.  To actually take one’s faith and make it real in their lives and the lives of others.

It doesn’t matter if you’re Jewish, Catholic or Baptist, Pentecostal or Methodist, Presbyterian or Non-Denominational.  America needs our churches and places of worship to work together to fulfill the mandates of their calling.  Feed the poor!  Clothe and shelter the homeless!  Care for the widowed!  Adopt and support the orphaned!  Stop talking about your faith and start doing something with it!

Nearly 80% of Americans claim to be Christians, but I dare say that the majority of these folks don’t practice their faith.  Where is the fruit?

If the church were to start doing what it is supposed to do, taxes would be lowered, federal and state programs would become healthier, church attendance would grow, and giving/tithing for these non-profits would increase.

We must provide our churches with resources and a platform for dialouge to start doing this work, returning credibility to the pulpit and the pew, and accomplishing more to tackle key issues on the social agenda that the federal government cannot fix or control.

On a personal note, I believe that religion is personal, but the practice of one’s faith is not.  Whether you are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or any of the other religions, or non-religions, of the world, one’s faith becomes a part of who you are.  To somehow perceive that faith is something you can turn on or off like a light switch is a mistake.  Religion is something a person does to help grow or maintain a level faith in something.  Faith is what makes us better people, calls us to hope and love, and determines our reaction to situations both within and out of our control.  Faith is part of who we are, and true faith will be shown in our everyday actions.

I’m a Christian.  I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  I can’t stop that relationship because I’m running for office.  In fact, my relationship with Christ is one reason why I’m running for office in the first place.  Because I have a mandate; we have a mandate.  We have a job to do - to love one another.  To care for the widowed and the sick.  To help the needy and the poor.  To set the captives free.

When you elect a person to office, you are voting for their values and their depth and quality of faith as well.  The two cannot be separated as many on the left, and even on the emerging right have suggested.  I am a Christian.  I pray.  I fast.  I worship.  To think that being an elected official - that I would be asked to leave Jesus in the car, or stop operating within the parameters of pray and faith, is absurd.  Because they are part of who I am.

Faith is important, because morals matter.  Faith is important, because character counts.

My name is Bert Copple.  I am a decorated United States Army Veteran.  My pledge to our vetsis that I will not leave any of you behind.  I am a father, a husband, a middleclass worker, a pastor, your neighbor, your friend.  I stand before you today, asking for your vote, and your support.  Together we can leave a legacy of hope, a foundation of faith.  Together we’ll work towards change in 2008!  Thank you.

Oakland County’s Serving Adults Who are Vulnerable and Elderly (S.A.V.E.) Taskforce invites the public to join them in developing awareness and putting a stop to elder abuse in the community by showing support with a Walk in the Park on Friday, June 13, 2008, at the Riverside Park, 3311 Squirrel Court in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

The S.A.V.E. Taskforce is a cross-sectional representation of the community that has come together to bring an awareness of this topic to the public.  Home Instead Senior Careis one of the organizations holding membership on the taskforce.

The program will begin at 10:00 a.m. and will feature S.A.V.E. Taskforce co-founders, Judge Edward Sosnick and Lynn Alexander of Your Aging Well Advisor.  Comments will also be made by Bob Dustman, Oakland County Media & Communications Officer, and Peter Auger, Auburn Hills City Manager.

After the opening comments, attendees are invited to take a brief stroll through the park where statistics concerning elder abuse and exploitation will be displayed.  Upon completing the walk, a concert in the park  will be provided by the City of Auburn Hills.

“S.A.V.E. has continued, since 2005, to draw attention to the serious issue of elder abuse and exploitation.  The boomers are aging, and as they do, the numbers who fall prey to scammers and even family abuses will drastically increase,” says Bert Copple of Home Instead Senior Care.  “This is just one way that we can raise our voices on behalf of the senior population, and by helping to educate the public about what they can do to stop this kind of elder abuse.”

Copple, who is also running for U.S. Congress in Michigan’s 12th district, says this needs to be an issue that is addressed as well as other senior-related topics during this election.  “We’re facing a tsunami of seniors in our country, and in the next decade we’re going to find that we don’t have enough caregivers to provide care, we won’t have enough tax revenue to fund social security and medicaid, and we’re going to be caught between a rock and a hard place when serious issues such as elder abuse and exploitation become more frequent due to new stressors put on our society.  We need to do something, and it needs to be talked about during this election cycle.”  Copple serves on the S.A.V.E. Taskforce. 

More can be learned about Copple’s campaign by clicking here.

 

I found this floating on Saul Anuzis’ blog, That’s Saul, Folks!   The official blog for the Michigan Republican Party is calling for Michiganders to replay the prayer of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on D-Day.  According to the blog post, more than 1,500 radio stations played it last year, on June 6, and hopefully we can encourage more stations to do the same this year as well.  You can hear the entire thing below…

What I find most interesting about this public speech is that FDR, after a mere 41 seconds of introducing the issue at hand, delves into prayer, asking those listening to pray with him.  He is seeking the help and assistance of God in helping our troops not only to win the war, but to defeat the enemy.  If you read some of the writings of King David in the Book of Psalms, he didn’t just pray for peace and love and kindness, but that his enemies would be destroyed and that their names would be erased from existence.

Should we pray this way?  FDR did.  He prayed for his troops, as the Commander and Chief of our nation, knowing that planning and equipment and good leadership will only go so far.  Nothing is more successful than when God is involved in the process, and, as FDR prayed, it lines up with His will.

If our president prayed this way today, there would be outrage.  There would be commentary after commentary on CNN and FoxNews about how the leader of the free world over-stepped his boundaries by invoking the name of God, and that he had somehow alienated the gods of other citizens within our country.

Tolerance has become a huge buzz word when it comes to religion and faith.  It’s like a religious hippie movement where we drug away the power of faith and replace it with a neatly wrapped concept - God in a box.

When I served in Iraq, my Chaplain and I prayed like David prayed.  We didn’t ask for God to have mercy on those who were trying to kill us.  We prayed, in faith, asking that our enemies (insurgents and terrorists) would be defeated.  We prayed that the road-side bombs they planted would kill the very people planting them.  We prayed that angels would surround our troops and protect them.  And we saw answers to our prayers.

What I love about FDR’s prayer is that he asks God to bring the citizens of this country to a point of continuous prayer and supplication, not simply a day of ritual and requests.  I wonder how different our country would be today if we were truly still one nation under God, instead of one nation trying to please and tolerate every god.

As your congressman, I cannot leave my faith at the door.  My faith is part of who I am.  It is part of the very fabric of my being, and I cannot and will not apologize for it.  I will stand up for issues of faith, work to restore influence to the pulpit and the pew, and will work with our religious institutions so that they can better fulfill their Biblical obligation to comfort the widowed, feed the hungry, shelter the poor, and care for the orphaned.  Imagine - if the church was empowered to do its job - the federal government would be smaller, taxes would be lower, and I’m sure church attendance would be up.

Character counts.  Morals matter.  My name is Bert Copple, and I’m ready to be your next Congressman.

Hope.  Faith.  Change.

www.bertcopple.com

How to deal with $4-a-gallon gas

With gas prices continuing to rise, and no relief in sight, it was refreshing to see the general public rebutting a Sander Levin editorial in the Detroit Free Press about what Congress is doing to help with high gas prices.  I could continue on here with more of my own perspective, but I’ll let some of Levin’s constituents do that for me…

Ethanol is no solution

Will someone tell U.S. Rep. Sander Levin about the world problems that ethanol has caused — such as food shortages (”Congress battles gas prices,” May 26). Also, E-85 costs more to produce and is more expensive at the pump. The Democratic Party has strangled the oil supply to the United States by not allowing exploration and drilling in the Alaska and offshore.

Tom Miller

Davison

Animals get green benefits

Once again, U.S. Senate Democrats have rejected any oil drilling in the east-west coastal area, Gulf of Mexico, federal property and Alaska. Who is going to enjoy the environment? Certainly not the average American with the gasoline prices at record highs. That only leaves the polar bears, wolves and moose to enjoy the flora and fauna. It’s too bad these animals don’t vote.

L. Curley

Dearborn

Try miles per bottle

If the price of gas rises any further, it may become cheaper to start filling my tank with Jack Daniels. As an ethanol-based product, this 80 proof elixir should approach the energy-efficiency of E-85 based fuels. Instead of calculating miles per gallon, I will start determining miles per bottle. At any rate, I know my engine will be happier than it is now.

J. A. McErlean, M.D.

Farmington Hills

Congress is the problem

Gasoline prices are high and are going higher. The reason we have a supply problem is due to Congress, not the oil companies. Congress has blocked every effort to increase our supply.

If you think gasoline is expensive now, wait until China and India have as many cars as Americans do. Alcohol, solar, wind, etc. all sound good but they all cost more than gasoline. Congress is forcing taxpayers to subsidize these alternatives to make it look as if they are doing something besides robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Albert Foster

Dearborn

Ignore false fears

U.S. Rep. Sander Levin and his ilk have fought the drilling for oil in or near (offshore) the United States. There is a false fear that doing so will harm the environment. So Americans will continue to pay high prices for their fuel and will continue to hear the Levins of the country have investigations of the “evil” oil companies.

Frank Mannino

Warren

The answer to our problem is not going to be found in corn.  In fact, we’re seeing more problems across the globe because we have put too much faith in corn for a fuel replacement.

We need to drill for oil here in America.  And we should have started years ago.  We must begin drilling for oil, we must begin nuclear power plant developments, we must aggressivelyencourage the private sector to develop and use green energy sources that have been proved to work (such as wind, solar, and hydro power), and we must lead the world in finding alternative energy options.  More importantly, we need to stop talking about it and start doing it, if not for our generation, for the next.

My name is Bert Copple, and I’m ready to be your next Congressman.

HOPE.  FAITH.  CHANGE.

www.bertcopple.com

A very important amendment was added to the war supplemental bill that passed the Senate last week.  The appropriations amendment, in essence, would allow those who are unemployed to continue receiving unemployment benefits for an additional 13 weeks.  For states where unemployment is through the roof, the benefits were extended an additional 13 weeks - even better for Michigan, and specifically Michigan’s 12^th district which suffers from a very high 10.4% unemployment rate.

 

As a candidate for congress, I would have voted for this legislation as well, because the people in our district are hurting – and the added benefits would help them get back on their feet, and sustain them while people look for new work and develop new skills over the course of a year.  However, I do have a few problems with the legislation and the manner by which the democrats in the House and Senate moved this through.

 

First and foremost, why couldn’t this measure have passed by itself?  Was it necessary to attach it to the war supplemental appropriations bill?  I have a real problem with politicians who are always trying to piggy-back pork and pet projects onto other bills that are necessary and important, lowering the risk that they may be debated and even rejected in debate.  To me, this process is dirty, and it needs to be cleaned up.

 

Why can’t politicians be honest, and simply have up and down votes?  In fact, it is for reasons such as this that I support the line-item veto, because pork and pet-projects should not prevent national security, national defense, or other serious legislative issues from being moved through the political process.  This would force our politicians to be more open and honest with the projects they are supporting, and make their voting and spending habits more transparent.

 

Even though the bill and amendment were good for America and Michigan, and quite necessary for the continued war in Iraq, there are two major issues that aren’t being addressed here.  First, how is this being paid for?  Did we discover gold under Capital Hill?  We’re already in a huge deficit, and last time I checked, the budget was still unbalanced.  We need to stop spending money we don’t have.  The surge in Iraq has worked, and the top brass from Iraq have started talking about the very real possibility of being able to begin redeployment of troops after the current pause.  We are beginning to see how the Iraqi government and military are able to stand their ground, and in the case of Sadr City, even recover and stabilize territories which were previously threatened.  Once we begin to pull back in Iraq, we should see a tremendous reduction in the total monthly bill from the Iraq war, and perhaps we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.  But until this happens, the federal government needs to show fiscal prudence and make cuts instead of expanding programs that we can’t afford to fund.  Just as Americans cut back on travel due to high gas prices, the federal government needs to cut back because they have exceeded their credit limit.  Someone needs to take away the national credit card and put Uncle Sam on an envelope budget system.  When the money is gone, you stop indulging.

 

Perhaps the biggest concern I have with the amendment that provides the unemployed with extended benefits is that it isn’t fixing the problem.  Thirteen weeks from now my neighbor who lost his job last week probably won’t be able to secure a new one.  In fact, it may be pretty hard to be retrained or reeducated in a new trade and then secure a new job, probably at a lower starting salary, 52 weeks from now.  In reality, this amendment is like putting a giant bandage on a patch of skin cancer, covering up the disease but not treating it.  Because when the bandage wears out, the cancer will still be there, and will probably be worse.

 

Here’s what we need to do here in Michigan’s 12^th.  The person elected to Congress in our district needs to roll up their sleeves and get to work.  I’m not talking about business as usual.  We need something common in the business world, but severely lacking in Washington.  Recruiting.  Networking.  Introductions.  Generating referrals.  It’s Marketing 101, folks.  A representative in Congress has the unique opportunity to meet and influence people across the country, and around the world.  Besides creating legislation, adding pork, and yelling across the isle at each other, why can’t a Representative serve as an extension of their district’s Chambers of Commerce?  Why can’t a Representative do some networking, bringing business owners to the table, showcasing the thousands of trade workers who are trained and ready to work, and the hundreds of businesses who are geared up and ready to produce and manufacture products in near turn-key fashion?

 

Sander Levin was quoted as saying:

 

“I think it’s time for the minority and the president to get out of the offices they reside in and get into the shoes of typical American families… Opposition to extension of unemployment compensation is unconscionable.”

 

Perhaps it’s time for Sander Levin to get out of Washington for a while and work on bringing some real jobs back to this district.

 

The unemployment and poor business culture in our district is a cancer, and we can’t cover it up by throwing more money at it.  We need to kill the cancer, and the only way we’re going to make that happen is by electing someone to office who has the ability and desire to go above and beyond the call of duty.  They need to be ready to bring jobs to our district.

 

I’m ready to do just that.   I’m an ambassador for a local Chamber of Commerce.  I do marketing for a successful and growing business.  My job is to generate and reciprocate referrals – creating a culture of growth and positive change through networking and building professional relationships.  We don’t need any more run of the mill politicians who are going to simply show up and vote.  We need to elect people of character who will work for the working class.  I’m rolling up my sleeves.  Let’s get to work.

 

My name is Bert Copple, and I’m ready to be your next Congressman.

 

HOPE.  FAITH.  CHANGE.

 

www.bertcopple.com

 

I need your help.  Please visit our website and contribute to our campaign.  Any amount you can give will help, and will be greatly appreciated.

On Saturday, May 10, 2008, Homes for Our Troops, a non-profit organization that supports disbaled veterans and their families remodel or rebuild their homes to help accomodate the soldier’s new activties for daily living, hosted its fifth annual fundraising dinner.  Honored this evening were Army veterans Casimir Werda, Joshua Hoffman, and Robert Bates.

“These soldiers deserve the reognition, not only for their service, but because they paid a great price in protecting our liberty and freedom while deployed in combat,” says U.S. Army veteran Bert Copple, who is also running for U.S. Congress in Michigan’s 12th Congressional District.

Copple served as one of two guest speakers during the event.  A disabled veteran with a minor disability rating for osteoarthritis in his ankle, Copple is unable to run any longer.  “I am, by no means, at a disadvantage like these fine men are here tonight.  But I know what it means to have given up a piece of yourself by serving one’s country.  This program (Home for Our Troops) does a remarkable job helping these veterans put their lives back in order.”

In his speech, Copple referred back to the confidence course all basic trainees are required to progress through in their efforts of training.  He commented about one element of the course that challenged him the most, and even defined his own perception of his identity as a soldier.

“We had to go over these five walls, our entire team, in fifteen minutes.  We grumbled and complained over the first four-foot wall, and continued to struggle over the 6-foot, 8-foot, and 10-foot walls.  But something amazing happened at the fifth wall.  We stopped seeing the wall and started working together as a team.  On the other side of that wall, looking up, I knew I was a soldier.”

Copple continued by saying that soldiers who are honorably discharged from the military with disabilities face a sixth wall when they come home.  “It is the responsibility of our country, our states, and our communities to serve as their new battle buddies, helping them to stop seeing the wall, and to simply overcome it.  Tonight, you have done just that by filling these seats, by paying for your tickets, and helping these fine young men overcome their walls.  Together, we can do even more.”

HOPE.  FAITH.  CHANGE in 2008!

www.bertcopple.com

 

Suction Aspiration

While I was out knocking on doors this evening to finish up the collection of petition signatures for our campaign, I met a woman in Warren who asked me what my stance was on abortion.  I told her that I was pro-life, and she hesitated to continue signing her name.  Looking at me, with anger rising in her voice, she said, “So you must hate me for having an abortion.”

 

Needless to say, I wasn’t expecting that kind of response.  I paused briefly before explaining that I didn’t hate her, but wanted to prevent more babies being aborted in our country.  She didn’t seem convinced of my sincerity.  I told her the story of how I was deployed to Iraq when my first son, Noah, was born.  I didn’t have the chance to witness his birth, and didn’t even get to meet him in person until he was nearly two-months old.  And then I explained to her how my son, Brady, was born on April 26, and I was in the delivery room and was able to see my new son arrive into the world.  I explained to her what a miracle life is, and how blessed we each are to have experienced it.  And then I said these words to her:

 

“I don’t hate you.  I hate abortion.”

 

If we forget, for just one minute, the religious, social, and even moral implications of abortion, and look only at the medical aspect of abortion, I can’t fathom how anyone can consider abortion anything but the literal killing of a human being.  I have pulled some quotes from a handbook published by National Right to Life that only looks at the medical aspects of abortion.  You can read the full document by clicking here.

 

Suction aspiration, or “vacuum curettage,” is the abortion technique used in most first trimester abortions.  A powerful suction tube with a sharp cutting edge is inserted into the womb through the dilated cervix. The suction dismembers the body of the developing baby and tears the placenta from the wall of the uterus, sucking blood, amniotic fluid, placental tissue, and fetal parts into a collection bottle.

Great care must be taken to prevent the uterus from being punctured during this procedure, which may cause hemorrhage and necessitate further surgery.  Also, infection can easily develop if any fetal or placental tissue is left behind in the uterus. This is the most frequent post-abortion complication.

Dilatation (Dilation) and Curettage (D&C)

In this technique, the cervix is dilated or stretched to permit the insertion of a loop shaped steel knife. The body of the baby is cut into pieces and removed and the placenta is scraped off the uterine wall.  Blood loss from D & C, or “mechanical” curettage is greater than for suction aspiration, as is the likelihood of uterine perforation and infection.

Dilatation (Dilation) and Evacuation (D&E)

Used to abort unborn children as old as 24 weeks, this method is similar to the D&C. The difference is that forceps with sharp metal jaws are used to grasp parts of the developing baby, which are then twisted and torn away. This continues until the child’s entire body is removed from the womb. Because the baby’s skull has often hardened to bone by this time, the skull must sometimes be compressed or crushed to facilitate removal. If not carefully removed, sharp edges of the bones may cause cervical laceration. Bleeding from the procedure may be profuse.

Partial-Birth Abortion

This procedure is used to abort women who are 20 to 32 weeks pregnant — or even later into pregnancy.  Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist reaches into the uterus, grabs the unborn baby’s leg with forceps, and pulls the baby into the birth canal, except for the head, which is deliberately kept just inside the womb. (At this point in a partial-birth abortion, the baby is alive.) Then the abortionist jams scissors into the back of the baby’s skull and spreads the tips of the scissors apart to enlarge the wound. After removing the scissors, a suction catheter is inserted into the skull and the baby’s brains are sucked out. The collapsed head is then removed from the uterus.

 

I want to repeat what I said to that woman I met today who confessed to me that she had an abortion.  I don’t hate people who have abortions.  I hate abortion.  Reading these medical terms, it reminded me about how frail life really is.  And more importantly, how precious a gift like life should be treated.

 

A picture of my son and I are posted on my campaign website.  It is hard to believe that my son could have been killed, if we wanted to do so.  The miracle of life is amazing, and we have an obligation in our country to protect life.  Here is what I wrote on the issues page of the campaign website concerning my position on abortion:

 

Sanctity of Life 

I am pro-life. 

So what exactly does that mean?  To put it bluntly, I believe that life is precious and we have an obligation to support life, to do all we can to reduce and eliminate abortions, and to respect life to the point that we do not create human forms of life for the sake of destroying it.Since 1973, more than 48 million Americans have been killed via abortion.  This isn’t about having a choice.  This is about giving unborn children the right to experience life and to make a difference in the world.  If a woman or couple desires to not have a child, they have a choice to have the baby and raise it, or to give that baby up for adoption.

On the same issue, there are millions of women and men who suffer the consequences of having an abortion, knowing that after the procedure, they have killed a baby and will suffer emotional distress for the rest of their lives.  We must provide them with care and support options to move them in the direction of healing.

We have an obligation to make the alternative to abortion - life - the only choice that makes sense.

 

 

 

 

 

The woman stood behind her screen door, signing my petition.  When she handed it back to me, she smiled and said, “I may not vote for you, but thanks for not judging me.”

 

Morals matter.  Character counts.

 

My name is Bert Copple, and I’m ready to be your next congressman.  But I need your help.  Please, make a contribution at our campaign website and follow the contribute link.

 

HOPE.  FAITH.  CHANGE in 2008!

 

www.bertcopple.com

 

I’m not the biggest fan of church denominations.  Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying here - denominations have their benefits.  However, I was raised both Catholic and Pentecostal by my divorced parents - the two most opposite extremes of the spectrum.  Through this I gained a deep appreciation for tradition and the free movement of Spirit.  Add to this my time in the military as a Chaplain’s Assistant - having to minister to people of all faiths - and you may arrive at my deep apprecaition for the unified Body of Christ actually living out their faith and making a difference in the world.  When Pope Benedict announced he was coming to America, I watched with cautious anticipation.  But I have been most impressed with his messages of hope and unification.  I was even more impressed in the manner by which he apologized to those who were harmed from priest sexual assaults.

As a pastor myself, I was very impressed by Pope Benedict’s words at Sunday Mass at Yankee Stadium, according to The New York Times:

“Here we are reminded of a fundamental truth: that the church’s unity has no other basis than the word of God, made flesh in Christ Jesus our Lord,” the pope said. “All external signs of identity, all structures, associations and programs, valuable or even essential as they may be, ultimately exist only to support and foster the deeper unity which, in Christ, is God’s indefectible gift to his church.”

The pope said American Catholics needed to unite behind church teachings and resist the challenges of living in a society that increasingly values secularism, a theme he has repeated throughout his six-day visit.

“It means overcoming every separation between faith and life, and countering false gospels of freedom and happiness,” he said. “It also means rejecting a false dichotomy between faith and political life.”

I want to take a look at these words for just a minute.  The Pope spoke the truth and shamed the devil when he said that the church’s unity has no other basis than the Word of God made flesh in Christ.  This is the desperate truth that many church folk have forgotten about in our country today.  The primary purpose of the church is to serve as Christ’s ambassador on Earth, to proclaim the Gospel message, and to live out the power of the Gospel - Christ in us.

Just as the apostles warned the early church - the modern church needs to avoid and resist modernity so that the truth not only matters, but is not lost in the social agendas of the media, the political realm, and our colleges and universities.  By holding fast to the truth, the words and teachings found within the Word of God, we can continue to live moral lives that are pleasing to God, and help to exhort and build-up the body of believers.

Overcoming every separation between faith and life is a deeply profound statement for this day in this country.  When the far left is crying separation of church and state to the point that our nation’s faith roots have no say or impact on government or how we are to live and act as people, there is a problem.  What I appreciate about Benedict’s comments are that they are rooted in scripture - in the Gospel, in the Epistles from Paul, even in the Old Testament: we are to live a life that is pleasing to God, not to man or the lowly standards of man.

In terms of the false dichotomy between faith and political life, the Pope is right, again.  It is impossible to elect a leader and not his or her faith.  Faith is not something that can be turned on or off like a light switch.  It is part of who a person is.  When you elect a person to office, you are voting for their values and their depth and quality of faith as well.  The two cannot be separated as many on the left, and even on the emerging right have suggested.  I am a Christian.  I pray.  I fast.  I worship God and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  To think that being an elected official, that I would be asked to leave Jesus in the car, or stop operating within the parameters of pray and faith, is absurd.  Because they are part of who I am.

The Pope’s visit was refreshing and it was great to hear what he had to say as one of God’s representatives on earth.  The question is, will we internalize his words and the Gospel message and begin to live our faith out loud?

My name is Bert Copple, and I’m ready to be your next Congressman.

HOPE.  FAITH.  CHANGE in 2008!

www.bertcopple.com

Retired U.S. Army Chaplain Lieutenant Colonel and current Academic Dean of Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois, Karen Diefendorf, was the guest speaker.  Her topic was, Voting for Values, and she introduced Bert Copple.  Her speech can be heard in the three videos below.

The fundraiser was held at the VFW Post in Roseville, Michigan.  Bert, a U.S. Army veteran and VFW member, gave a speech on the Army acronym, L.D.R.S.H.I.P.  The entire speech can be heard in the three video slips below.

America is facing a new kind of epidemic, one that will rattle our nation to the core over the next twenty-to-thirty years, unless we spend more money on research and treatment.  Dementias and Alzheimer’s Disease will cause for many dramatic changes in that we’ll need more facilities, better training and education, and a new generation of caregivers who are willing to risk their own health in caring for those with dementia.

Remember, those who care for a loved one with dementia will struggle with health and emotional distress for up to three years after the person they were caring for has passed away.  This is serious business, and we need to take a more serious look at what we can do to develop medications and even a preventative shot or series of treatments for this trend.  Here’s a snip from a story on the Caregiver’s Home Companion website.

As many as 10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer’s disease during their lifetime, making the incurable and fatal condition one of the biggest threats to this large and fast-aging segment of the US population, according to new research released by the Alzheimer’s Association.

Today, as many as 5.2 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, which includes between 200,000-500,000 people under age 65 with young-onset Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.

Experts predict by 2010, there will be almost a half million new cases of Alzheimer’s disease each year; and by 2050, there will be almost a million new cases each year. Eventually, the report says, the disease will strike one out of every eight baby boomers.

Alzheimer’s disease is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and the fifth leading cause of death for those over age 65. The Alzheimer’s Association report offers numerous statistics that convey the burden Alzheimer’s imposes on individuals, caregiving families, government, business, and the nation’s health care and long-term care systems. For example:

• Every 71 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer’s disease; by mid-century someone will develop Alzheimer’s every 33 seconds.
• Women are nearly twice as likely as men to develop Alzheimer’s disease (17% vs. 9%). One in every six women and one in 10 men age 55 and older can expect to develop Alzheimer’s disease in their remaining lifetime. Although it may appear that being female is a risk factor, more women will develop Alzheimer’s because, on average, women live longer than men, thereby having more time to develop the disease.
• With respect to family caregiving, in 2007, there were nearly 10 million Americans age 18 and over providing 8.4 billion hours of unpaid caregiving to people with Alzheimer’s disease. The value of this caregiving was $89 billion, four times more than what Medicaid pays for nursing home care for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
• In addition, a quarter million American children ages 8 to 18 years old are providing care to loved ones with Alzheimer’s.
• There are between 1 and 1.4 million long-distance caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients in the United States. About 1 million live more than two hours or more away from a diagnosed loved one and 400,000 others live at least an hour away from their loved ones. Many of these long distance caregivers also incur higher caregiving-related expenses compared to other caregivers.
• Seventy percent of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias live at home where friends and family take care of them.

The facts above can also be found on the Alzheimer’s Association website.

As your next Congressman, we’ll focus more on some of these terrible diseases that will dramatically affect the next generation of Americans.  We need to invest in this kind of research.  Michigan’s 12trh District has one of the best Alzheimer Association chapters in the nation, and we need to do everything we can to support their mission in fighting this disease.

We need to aggressively fight Alzheimer’s Disease and other health concerns including, but not limited to, cancer, Parkinson’s, heart disease, and diabetes.  Together, we’ll strive to be healthier and live longer.

My name is Bert Copple, and I’m ready to be your next Congressman.

HOPE. FAITH. CHANGE in 2008!