DONALD COLE: Rep. Sanford Bishop’s recent vote was not pro-life

On Oct. 3, Congress overwhelmingly passed HR 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. Sanford Bishop, along with every other Georgia Democrat in the Congressional Black Caucus, voted “no.”

HR 36 is based on medical evidence that an unborn child can experience pain at least by 20 weeks. There is a compelling government interest in protecting the life of unborn children who can experience pain.

Sanford Bishop routinely claims to be pro-life. His vote against this bill displays a glaring inconsistency. If he persists in his claims to be pro-life, he is lying.

Sanford Bishop’s vote did not represent the strongly held values of African-American, Hispanic, and white voters in his district. His vote followed the wishes of Washington big money such as Planned Parenthood. His vote is especially a slap in the face of African-Americans who traditionally are pro-life and vote Democrat.

This vote is proof positive that Sanford Bishop takes the African-American voter for granted. The history of racial targeting and bigotry of the abortion industry is reason enough for the Congressional Black Caucus to stand for life. If you are African-American, consider what Sanford Bishop does when in Washington versus what the politician says when campaigning.

DONALD COLE

Cordele

EDITOR’S NOTE: Donald Cole is a former chairman of the Republic Party for the 2nd Congressional District of Georgia.