I am an American, raised in the beauty of the Rocky Mountains, by parents who taught me to love and respect the beauty of nature. We celebrated the Fourth of July with great aplomb every year, remembering what the forefathers accomplished in allowing a country to be ruled by the people, for the people. Recalling how fellow citizens had given their lives that we could celebrate in freedom.

I am opposed to this healthcare reform. I am not opposed to all healthcare reform, but this is not the time or the place to delineate my views. The passing of this bill is enough to cause someone to mourn, to wonder at the democratic process, or lack thereof. Perhaps, force you to marvel at the complete idiocy of the representatives while pondering the future of the Constitution.  It is not only the passing of the bill to which I want to refer. It is the ability of this government to cause me to go against my conscience, the conscience that has driven me since early childhood.

When I was fifteen my dear friend had an abortion. I spent hours trying to talk her out of it, trying to make my views, her views.  I wrote her a four page letter begging her not to go through with it. On the day of the abortion, she had the nerve to ask me to help her pay for her ‘procedure'.  I let her know in no uncertain terms that no money of mine would EVER go to paying for the murder of another human being.

Move forward to this week. My husband and I have been dreaming of expanding our own family, (we have one darling son) which appeared to be about to happen. At eight weeks into my pregnancy the Dr. informed me the baby wasn't going to make it. Miscarrying has been tremendously difficult and after a week the Dr. suggested we proceed with a D and C, and "Don't worry," he said, "it's the same procedure we do for an abortion."

He couldn't have spoken more poorly for my already broken heart, but I understood the medical necessity of it in my case, and have just recovered from this operation.  As they put me under the general anesthetic I wondered why a miscarrying woman would be put to sleep but a woman having an abortion is fully awake for the same procedure? Is it purely because the one woman wants this child and the procedure is a painful reminder emotionally of something she isn't going to have?

Mr. Obama, Mrs. Pelosi and the rest of these minions are asking us to stay awake while they steal our money to pay for abortions. In my case, as in the case of many of you, there is no general anesthetic to numb the pain of taking our moral objection away and make it ‘medically necessary'.

Since I was fifteen, I have known I could never give money to fund abortions. It is against everything I believe. Now, in the very week that I have said good bye to my own child, the government that I have loved and celebrated is forcing this on me with as much venom and vitriol as they can manage.

I am an American. I come from a long line of independents. I will not forget what they have done.

I will not allow them to forget it either.

Marsha Burke