Mark Shepard: Reaching again toward America’s mission

This commentary is by Mark Shepard, a former Vermont state senator (2003-2006) in the Bennington District. He owns and operates an engineering business specializing in industrial control and test systems.

Following the overturn of Roe, a young woman protesting in Lynchburg held a sign saying, “I’d have more Rights if my Vagina shot Bullets” (exact quote). How sad that any woman would try to portray her reproductive organs, which are to bring new life into the world, as a weapon to end life.

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What an incredible opportunity we have to move our nation toward its 1776 mission statement: that all people are created equal, with eternal value.

Ironically, her sign aligns best with the pro-life goal of applying the same high value of human life, which necessitates the right to bear arms, to the child in the womb. Like with guns, innocent human life should be worth defending and illegal to take.

Thankfully, 50 years of shutting down this important and consequential conversation has ended. We as neighbors can finally work together to address the tragedy of unwanted pregnancies in a humane, and more effective, way. Clearly, laws that eliminate personal responsibility failed. Character has weakened and unwanted pregnancies have become a crisis with people rising to the streets begging for the right to kill the unwanted.

Rebuilding a society that affirms human dignity and the human capacity to self-govern, by exercising and strengthening internal laws, is what empowers and liberates people. When human weakness or evil prevails, surely no child should be forced to pay the ultimate price for these failures or crimes of adults.

What an incredible opportunity we have to move our nation toward its 1776 mission statement: that all people are created equal, with eternal value. We must undo the caste-type mindset that embraces inequality and instead love our neighbor as we love ourselves, in all areas of life. Societies fail when people have low concern for the welfare of others. That is why our free-market capitalist system requires a culture where people seek good for others for it to reach its great potential to empower and enrich the common person.

Eighteenth century Americans defeated the tyranny of a king. Nineteenth century Americans defeated the tyranny of slavery. Twentieth century Americans shamefully and cowardly allowed a nine-member court to unconstitutionally enact tyranny over the weakest. Let us, 21st century Americans, commit to defeating tyranny against the child in the womb.

Success requires we reject that which dragged Americans backward into a caste mindset of inequality. Just as the First Amendment prohibits government control of religion, we should not give education control to the government. A government of the people is impossible when government shapes the thinking of the people.

People who reject human equality and live in fear are easily ruled over. For decades government education has pushed, as fact, theories of imminent calamity along with evolution, which, by definition, is anti-equality and strips humanity of value. Meanwhile, the great ideas that form the basis for human equality, value and hope have been suppressed. Lost is the wonder of being made in the image of God, male and female, with attributes of creativity, conscience, intellect, emotion and the ability to self-govern and forgive, which are uniquely human and do indeed portray an image of the Creator.

Can we, especially churches, embrace God’s call to Israel in 2 Chronicles 7:14 and humble ourselves, turn from wicked ways, including giving discipleship of children to the secular state. God promised forgiveness and healing of the land.

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2 thoughts on “Mark Shepard: Reaching again toward America’s mission

  1. This is the mindset, “I’d have more Rights if my Vagina shot Bullets” (exact quote) that says
    it all…….A sign should have read ” If you can read this, then your Mother didn’t abort you “,
    in today’s world, people have no moral compass…………………

    These idiots don’t understand that abortion is not in the Constitution but owning a firearm is,
    and in a state like Vermont, you can kill your unborn anytime you decide……pretty pathetic,
    so nothing has changed over the ROE v Wade decision, so if you don’t want to get pregnant
    keep your pants up, or use a contraceptive, it is your body, but use your mind what’s left of it.

    I’m no bible totter, and if there is a “Hell ” it’s going to be a busy place, just saying !!

  2. You’ve definitely struck a nerve.

    Our schools are teaching the opposite of the 10 commandments….

    Thou shall not steal
    Thou shall not commit adultery….

    They teach and promote coveting. Which is the start of sin. It begins with the have’s and have not’s .

    They promote selfish interests. We don’t need any help making money our main objective in life. We don’t need any help in pleasuring ourselves. We don’t need any help in the enjoyment of sex.

    Our great nation was founded by those who wanted out of a corrupt church, out of a corrupt government….and wanted to live close to God’s rule. There is only one perfect person to be on this planet, there was only one way to save ourselves from the hot mess we are naturally inclined and that is Jesus Christ.

    Yet here we are stuffing our pockets with illegal gains from taxpayer money, seeking power, money, fame…..we are so self-involved as a society it’s a regular occurrence that somebody if falling to their death from taking selfies in precariously high positions.

    We are so filled with pride as a state that we declare ourselves “Vermont Strong!”…..sadly no we are woefully ignorant, we are completely lost, yet our pride is so strong we think we are leading the nation, no we are not, we are being led by those who have no clue and are controlled by outside forces who wish to our state and country evil.

    It would do us all good to open up a book with Chronicles in it…..with Amos….with Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

    This book has the foundation of western civilization in its pages. It’s the most read book, most published. It’s considered great literature.

    And these are but the most minor things about the book. It’s a good book for sure.

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