GOP Candidates Show Support of Right to Life Rally
While the candidates weren't at the rally, many of them sent letters of support and representatives to emphasize their pro-life stance.
Thousands of people gathered in front of the Statehouse in Columbia Saturday to take a stand against abortion.
With the Republican presidential primary only seven days away, this year's rally took on a political tone. While the candidates themselves were at a forum for undecided voters in Charleston, supporters and representatives from their campaigns came out to show their stance on the issue.
Rick Perry's son, Griffin Perry, and Rick Santorum's daughter, Elizabeth Santorum, sat on the steps of the Statehouse during the event, which included singing, words from religious leaders and a keynote speaker.
The emcee of the event read letters from Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, who both expressed their support for the pro-life movement.
Rick Santorum, who has taken a strong stance against abortion, got a loud cheer from the crowd when his letter was introduced.
Members of the Duggar family - an Arkansas family of 19 made famous by the TLC show "19 Kids and Counting" — were also at the rally to support Santorum. The family doesn't believe in birth control. They have been helping him campaign in Iowa and South Carolina, and plan to continue in Florida.
The crowd was also populated with non-celebrity Santorum supporters. Anne Moore, a Lexington County resident, was holding a Rick Santorum sign, as well as anti-abortion signs that read "Stop Abortion Now" and "Defend Life."
"I believe in life from conception to natural death," Moore said. "Every baby deserves the right to life."
Compared to the other candidates running for the Republican presidential nomination, Moore said Santorum was the most qualified to support life.
"I've followed Rick for many, many years. I've seen him at many pro-life conferences," she said. "I believe he's genuine."
Irmo resident Ed Odom called abortion the "moral dilemma" in today's world.
"I'm here because we're slaughtering babies and that's murder," Odom said. "Whether or not it's been defined legally that way."
Odom said he favors Santorum over the other candidates partly because of his stance on abortion, but is unsure about his ability to win in the general election.
"A lot of people feel he doesn't have a chance of beating Obama," Odom said.
While many in the crowd seemed to be Santorum supporters, other candidates were represented as well.
Ron Paul supporters handed out information, greeting people with "Do you know that Ron Paul is pro-life?"
Representatives from Newt Gingrich's campaign stood on the steps holding a "Newt 2012" banner.
"Newt Gingrich is pro-life. He believes in life from conception to death," said Cait Stadler, who works for the Gingrich campaign in Columbia. "We'd just like to emphasize that."
Later in the rally, the crowd heard from Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood employee turned pro-life activist.
Fred Williams of Word of God Church and Ministries in Columbia was wearing a "Thank God My Mom Was Pro-Life" sticker on his jacket. No one from his church was wearing a political sticker or carrying a sign.
"We're here to represent Jesus," Williams said. "Before a fetus ever became a fetus, God knew us. He knew our name."
Pamela Kafir Liner
5:24 pm on Saturday, January 14, 2012
For the LIFE of me I do not know why people think RICK SANTORUM can not beat OBAMA....Santorum can and will..
This is MITT ROMNEYS TIHIRD TRY to be POTUS...and he FAILED to get elected into SENATE....you tell me who is MORE ELECTABLE? Former Senator and COngressman RICK SANTORUM! GO RICK GO!!!
Cornell Davis
9:22 pm on Saturday, January 14, 2012
Pamela, Rick Santorum cannot beat President Obama, nor can any of those other jerks. I am trying to figure out why so many people hate President Obama? I don't know if it race or his policies, which are working. The country is moving in the right direction, instead of the republicans trying to block everything that he proposal's. President Obama has proven that jobs can be created. Has any of these clowns proven that there can create jobs? "NO". Since you have already jumped on the Rick Santorum bandwagon, I just want you to know that Santorum is a liar and a racist. Pamela, I don't know your income bracket, but if you are not a millionaire, neither of these candidates are your friends. There friends are people that have millions of dollars, and these are the people that there want to keep protectng. Don't be a "low information voter". There are too many of them running around.
stanley seigler
7:40 pm on Saturday, January 14, 2012
SANTORUM has the same chance as any GOP candidate to beat BO: slim and none...but do thank them all for insuring a BO landslide...well OK just a convincing win...
GOPs keep on eating yo own...and stick with yo JOB#1 (make BO an one termer)...continue to forget about any programs to create job for the 99%.
BO gave the GOP enough rope to hang themselves and thet took it...:) :)
Cold War Vet
4:46 pm on Sunday, January 15, 2012
It's not the government's job to create jobs, despite your political affiliation. Government has an important role to play. Our Constitution did not set up a Soviet-style government with a centrally planned economy where it assigns jobs to people. The government is supposed to run the posts, protect the coasts and arbitrate arguments between the states and the states and foreign nations. Government should only employ people to fulfill its basic functions and shouldn't attempt to create jobs. Every dollar government spends comes, from taxation (taxpayers and tourists). When the government takes more, the rest of us have less. As George Mason University economics professor Dr. Richard Wagner wrote recently, "Whether government finances its added spending by increasing taxes, by borrowing, or by inflating the currency, the added spending will be offset by reduced private spending. Furthermore, private spending is generally more efficient than the government spending that would replace it because people act more carefully when they spend their own money than when they spend other people's money." Job creation should not be treated as a goal on its own. When the government tries to take on the role of private industry, confusion ensues and poor decisions often get made, just like when a backseat driver shouts directions. We should keep government in the background where it belongs, and let private individuals and businesses, the drivers of our free-market economy, create jobs.
stanley seigler
6:11 pm on Sunday, January 15, 2012
@:cwv ""It's not the government's job to create jobs...
it not either/or...bain capital and the gummit both create jobs...eg;
government built hoover dam, the vast interstate hiways, created CCC and WPA jobs...sent a man to the moon...created NASA...oh/and support the military industrial complex....and the medicare system...
will try to find facts...but my sense is all the above listed projects...gov spending (investment)...increased jobs...
BTW like the way government create jobs (saved GM) better than the bain way. the wall street greedy bastards' way.
re: let private individuals and businesses, the drivers of our free-market economy, create jobs.
they did a great job in 1929 and 2008. GOP philosophy...the unregulated free market...has not...DOES NOT WORK. want further proof...the 1% and 99% income gap the GOPs created...
the GOPs created the myth that the economy is better under GOPs...and their sheep believe the myth.
Cornell Davis
9:23 pm on Saturday, January 14, 2012
Amen.
Cold War Vet
6:46 pm on Sunday, January 15, 2012
@Stanley: Forget your Dem vs. GOP rhetoric. The top 2% in America pay more than 95% of America's taxes. Everyone that works hard should be rewarded for their efforts. Taxing the rich because they're rich is not the answer. The rich are rich because they work hard for their money and invest in themselves and their businesses. Making the rich pay more taxes will never work. It's the government's job to ensure all people are treated fairly and justly (judicial branch), to monitor and regulate the behaviors of the people (legislative branch), and to be lead by a person who looks out for the interests of ALL Americans and not just their own personal interests or those of special interest groups (executive branch). All 3 branches work together to make certain that the freedoms provided by our Constitution are protected and available to all of our citizens. (BTW, IMO, Non-Americans do not deserve the same rights as American citizens because they are NOT American citizens.)
Cold War Vet
6:49 pm on Sunday, January 15, 2012
And let me add the government's responsibility is to support the economy (through low taxation) and let the economy create its own jobs. I support what Margaret Thatcher did when the market decided England was no longer a place where it was economical to manufacture steel and coal. Margaret Thatcher simply brought about the inevitable and released England from the strangleholds of socialism. People keep talking about how she ruined livelihoods etc, but why is it my responsibility to pay for your job to be kept if the market doesn't want it? I hate taxpayers money wasted on creating jobs. I'd rather see the government put more effort into lowering corporation tax so that companies can afford to hire more workers.