THE NATURE OF PRO-LIFE ISSUES
1. Direct threats to
human life include first of all abortion, which takes
the lives of well over a million US children annually;
embryonic stem cell harvesting; euthanasia; and cloning. Additional
threats to human life include poverty, capital
punishment, racism, war, nuclear arms proliferation and
exploitation. Since
each and every human being is unique and important,
one's personhood or worth should not be arbitrarily
determined by another's choice. No
one exists solely as a means to someone else's
happiness. The
choices we make, as individuals and as a society, must
be weighed in light of their impact on human life and
dignity. Do
you acknowledge both the breadth of pro life issues, and
the primacy of some of those issues, namely abortion,
embryonic stem cell harvesting, euthanasia, and cloning?
I acknowledge these issues. I am a strict
constitutionalist and I do not believe you can truly
protect Constitutional rights unless you can protect the
right to life.
ABORTION
2. Do you believe that a
unique human life begins at conception?
I believe as science has proven that life begins at
conception.
If not,
when? ___ 3
mths ___ 6
mths ___
9 mths ___ 1
yr ___
18 yrs?
3. The 14th Amendment states "nor shall any state
deprive any person of life, liberty or property without
due process of law; nor deny to any person within its
jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." The
Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade, 1973, stated that "if this
suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant's
case, of course, collapses, for the fetus' right to life
would then be guaranteed specifically by the [14th]
Amendment." The Court regrettably concluded though that
"we need not resolve the difficult question of when life
begins. When those trained in the respective disciplines
of medicine, philosophy, and theology are unable to
arrive at any consensus, the judiciary, at this point in
the development of man's knowledge, is not in a position
to speculate as to the answer." Do you believe that the
State has a compelling interest in protecting human life
beginning at conception?
Only God should decide who lives and who dies, not the
state. I disagree with the Roe V Wade ruling and believe
that the extent of mans knowledge HAS proven when life
in fact begins. The State has the most compelling moral
and Constitutional obligation to protect life, that is
one of its most basic and essential mandates.
4. Is taking the life of
a pre-born child through abortion ever morally
permissible? Check
all that apply:
___X__ No, it's never permissible
_____ Yes, to save mother's life
_____ Yes, in cases of rape or incest
____ Yes, for physical deformity
_____ Yes,
for gender
_____ Yes,
for race
_____ Yes,
to punish spouse
_____ Yes, it's always permissible
EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS AND CLONING
5. Do you oppose embryonic stem cell research or human
cloning, whether publically or privately funded?
I
oppose subsidizing cloning or stem cell research.
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN ABORTION
6. Peer reviewed studies
have shown that parental involvement laws reduce the
occurrence of risky sex in teens, and more than 30
states currently have some form of them. Either
the teen refrains from engaging in sex or is more
careful before having sex. These
laws help teen mothers and fathers get the support and
guidance they need from parents in this important
decision. Not
having them risks parental estrangement or alienation
from the child when in the greatest need and denies the
dignity of the family. Minors
already must have parental approval for even the most
minor types of medical procedures or medications and
should also for the complex procedure of abortion. Without
parental involvement, a minor impregnated by an adult
often times is pressured into having an abortion so as
to conceal the fact that the adult is guilty of
statutory rape. Will
you promote/support parental involvement laws (with
judicial override) for minors when seeking an abortion?
I do not think abortions should be able to be performed
period, but to me its pure common sense that a minor
should need parental consent to obtain an abortion and I
would support this kind of legislation.
MEDICAL CONSCIENCE CLAUSES
7. "The trend toward
accepting the termination of some human lives as a
normal part of medicine is accelerating ... Courts,
policymakers, media leaders - even the elites of
organized medicine - increasingly assert that patient
rights and respect for patients’ choices should trump
the consciences of medical professionals. Indeed,
the time may soon arrive when doctors, nurses, and
pharmacists will be compelled to take, or be complicit
in the taking of, human life, regardless of their strong
religious or moral objections thereto." (Westlie J.
Smith, 2009). Should
doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other medical
professionals be granted the right to refuse
participation in the provision of medical services that
violate the person's moral, ethical or religious
beliefs?
Absolutely, no one should be forced to violate their
deeply rooted moral beliefs.
PHYSICIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE
8. Washington State
Initiative 1000 which was passed in 2008, legalized
Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) by allowing doctors to
prescribe lethal doses of barbiturates to certain
patients. An
objection to this sanctioning of suicide is that some
vulnerable persons, such as those who are feeble,
depressed, mentally ill, or handicapped, will likely
experience coercion to end their lives. For
them a right to die, already protected in the Natural
Death Act, (RCW 70.122), may become a duty to die. The
American Medical Association (policy H-140.952) as well
as the Washington State Medical Association (2007
Resolution A-7) oppose PAS. The
AMA stated that "physician assisted suicide is
fundamentally inconsistent with the physician's
professional role." The
initiative uses vague language that enable doctors
"acting in good faith" to assist mentally ill or
depressed patients to commit suicide, while protecting
doctors from civil and criminal lawsuits. Health
care insurers can cut costs by providing prescriptions
for suicide. Will
society's sanction of suicide have unintended
consequences? Sponsor and former governor
Booth Gardner says that this is only a “first step” in
legalizing assisted suicide for anyone who wants it. When
society fails to protect vulnerable people in their
troubles, but instead offers them the violence of
suicide, has not society abandoned them? Do
you oppose physician assisted suicide?
I absolutely oppose it. Not only is it morally bankrupt,
but it sickens me that another human being could think
of creating such laws. Society has not just abandoned
the patient, but the people have abandoned their
humanity when in support of this.
MARRIAGE PRESERVATION
9. Children
develop best within the context of a biologically
related family. This is a scientifically
proven fact which the Washington State Supreme Court
referenced when in 2006, it ruled on the state's 1998
Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The
court determined that the state's limitation of marriage
to heterosexual couples "is constitutional because the
legislature was entitled to believe that limiting
marriage to opposite-sex couples furthers ... the
well-being of children by encouraging families where
children are reared in homes headed by the children’s
biological parents." In concurrence,
Justice James Johnson wrote "The unique and binary
biological nature of marriage and its exclusive link
with procreation and responsible child rearing has
defined the institution [of marriage in law]." In
order to affirm and protect children’s rights and the
primacy of those rights over adults’ aspirations for
novel family forms, do you oppose laws that change the
definition of marriage to include homosexual and
polygamous relationships?
I believe that government should get out of marriage
completely and be put back to the churches, families. I
believe that as long as government has the ability to
legislate its own morality while playing the proverbial
third wheel in the family, which is when problems have
begun to arise. As long as government remains in the
business of marriage it will always be a threat to
liberty.
PUBLIC SCHOOL SEX EDUCATION
10. The Washington State
Legislature in 2007 passed ESSB 5297 requiring school
districts to teach "scientifically accurate" (aka
comprehensive) sex education, if they teach sex ed at
all. The typical comprehensive sex education program
spends as little as 5% of the time teaching abstinence
principles (Zogby 3/27/07), instead spending
significantly more time teaching students how to put
condoms on models of male genitalia and promoting
alternative forms of sexual activity called outercourse,
which may include showering together and mutual
masturbation as effective ways to avoid pregnancy and
disease. In contrast, an emphasis on abstinence means
teaching students about building healthy relationships
and bolstering self worth and self-control. Given
that ESSB 5297 allows school districts a wide range in
how the law is applied, will you work to maximize sex
education that is wholesome, not dehumanizing and truly
safe?
I think that education is best administered on the most
local levels and that sex-education should be discussed
by the family unit instead of a government run public
school. With such a touchy subject to families the law
should be clearly defined and should not coerce children
into sexual activities when there otherwise may have
been none before sex-ed training. Abstinence is sadly no
longer a virtue in society; schools should focus more on
safe sex, STD training, and abstinence in my opinion.
But ultimately I want parents and school districts to
determine what is best for their children.
DEATH PENALTY
11. The death penalty in the United States should:
Too many mistakes are made in the criminal justice
system, which gives me pause about the death penalty and
its economic viability. I am open to debate on this
issue. However Gov. Inslee has promised to not use the
death penalty while Governor.
_____ not be used __x___ be used about the same
_____ be used less _____ be used more
GAMING
12. A proposed casino off
I-5 near Ridgefield is projected to be one of the
largest in the nation. What
is your position on the building of this casino? The
latest news can be found here on the Citizens Against
Reservation Shopping blog.
I have no position
on the building of this casino outside my district other
than it should not be built with public funds and
reservations should not hold a monopoly over gaming in
this state which is something they aggressively lobby
for.
QUALIFICATIONS AND COMMENTS
13. Please state your
qualifications for office such as professional,
educational, family and community accomplishments. You
may also add any any further comments regarding the
relationship of your candidacy to respect life issues.
I am a decorated US Navy
submarine veteran, small business owner, and associate
for Lockheed Martin Corp. I have served as a Precinct
Committee Officer, ran once for Mason County
Commissioner in 2012 and have an AAS Degree in Marine
Engineering. I am dedicated to protecting the right to
life, and both my opponents are on the record supporting
and or voting for Obamacare and Medicaid expansion in WA
State which significantly boosted public funds to
organizations that perform abortions like planned
parenthood. I would have stood firmly against this and
plan to if elected to the state senate.
14.
Do you have a campaign website? What
is the address?
www.traviscouture.com
WEBSITE POSTING PERMISSION
15. May Life Pac post your survey response on its
website?
Yes
