Right to Life News: Statement on LCN Relations

[Christian Democrats]

<snip>

What does this have to do with Gameplay?

Universal Children's Day is observed in Right to Life, and it relates directly to the region's goal of spreading awareness about prenatal rights. In particular, the declaration above recognizes rights to legal protection, nondiscrimination based on sex and disability, development, nutrition, and medical care, all of which are endorsed by some or all region members.

[Pro-Life]

RIGHT TO LIFE NEWSLETTER



Published August 1, 2015
Regional Main Page | Offsite Regional Forums

Population Boom Continues (By Aawia)



Right to Life continues its staggering population growth as it consistently breaks regional population records. Numbers have slowed lately; but, with some much needed activity being brought to the offsite forums and the regional message board, the future looks bright. Right to Life is currently the 83rd largest region in NationStates with a population of 132 residents, including 26 World Assembly members and 34 citizens. Although these numbers are bound to fluctuate, it appears that Right to Life has secured for itself a place among the top 100 regions for the foreseeable future.

Recent Regional Elections (By Aawia)



In April, regional Founder Culture of Life (Christian Democrats) opened nominations for the regional presidency. During the seven-day nominations period, only Phydios stepped forward to serve. Due to the lack of a second candidate, the victory was granted to Phydios without voting. So far, Phydios's presidency has seen a burst of activity on the offsite forums as well as the regional message board.

Right to Life also held relatively quiet elections in early June. On May 25, Culture of Life opened nominations for two Senate seats and for the region's representative to Pro-Life International (PLI). The number of nominees, again, matched the number of open offices. There was one unusual event however. Culture of Life, as founder, is traditionally a none of the above voter due to his position; but he cast a ballot for Xinxian for Senate, citing that Xinxian had used the regional currency (the lifemark) to purchase eight days of advertising on the offsite forums. Presumably, he wants to encourage more citizens to purchase campaign advertisements in the future to boost revenues for the Right to Life Bank. Senate voting finished with three votes for Xinxian, two votes for Stellonia, and no votes for none of the above. PLI voting ended with five votes for Stellonia and zero for none of the above.

Unfortunately, due to uncommunicated vacation time, Xinxian was later removed from office by President Phydios and replaced with Horatius Cocles shortly before his return. Both Cocles and Xinxian have proven highly capable members of the region, serving in various government positions. Xinxian, after his return, made note of his intentions to better communicate to regional officials planned time away from NationStates in the future.

Life Party Emerges and Becomes Dominant (By Aawia)



Right to Life's newest political party has quickly grown to become the largest in the region. Approved by the government on May 27, the Life Party is a self-described right-wing, national sovereigntist organization. Its early political dominance comes on the back of defections from the formerly hegemonic center-right Conservative Federalist Party and on the joining of regional citizens who were previously registered as independents. The Life Party, which is led by Stellonia, now holds all three seats in the Senate, including the regional presidency. The Conservative Federalists are attempting to make a comeback while the center-left Progressive Party struggles to attract new members in Right to Life's largely conservative culture.

Senate Keeps Legislation Moving (By Aawia and Culture of Life)



Right to Life's government, despite low turnout in elections, has been busy this year. The Senate has considered numerous proposals, and it has enacted three major pieces of legislation.

In January, the Senate unanimously added a direct democracy amendment to the regional constitution, motivated by a regional poll that showed 77% of residents wanted the right to initiate and vote in referendums. The amendment gives citizens the ability to bypass the government by petitioning the Founder to open public votes on their own proposed policies; and it gives citizens the power to recall public servants, including legislative, executive, and judicial officials, who are performing their duties poorly.

On July 1, the Senate updated the region's bill of rights, first enacted in February 2012. The new version of the law gives judges guidelines for interpreting and applying rights; and it clarifies that a regional court has the authority to invalidate a policy that abridges a fundamental right, unless the government "demonstrates that the abridgement significantly promotes an important regional interest." The basic liberties of individuals in Right to Life include freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of contract, freedom from aggression, the right to fair treatment, and freedom from cruel or unusual punishment. There is also a section in the amended law penalizing private citizens who "intimidate or prevent others from freely and peacefully exercising their fundamental rights."

On July 18, the Senate added a new section to the first article of Right to Life's constitution, prompted by a debate on the regional message board. Ovybia, a new resident, claimed that exceptions in regional citizenship requirements constituted an endorsement of legalized abortion in cases of maternal health, sexual assault, and fetal defects (altogether, less than one-tenth of abortion procedures). Others contended that tolerance of such views did not mean that region members necessarily agreed with them. To settle the controversy and clarify the region's official stance, the following text was approved: "Right to Life, as a community, does not advocate induced abortion in any case. Aware of the incalculable worth of each and every human life, the region promotes the abolition of abortion on request, especially abortions that are performed merely or primarily for social or economic reasons, as well as the elimination of the underlying causes of abortion." The three aforementioned exceptions in regional citizenship regulations remain.

Misandry and Nazism: Justice Court Decisions (By Culture of Life)



Right to Life's court of first instance, this year, has seen two major cases so far: Phydios v. Feminepolis (16 April 2015) and Right to Life v. Catholic34 (18 May 2015). Justice of the Peace New Dolgaria, whom the Senate unanimously confirmed in March, presided and delivered decisions in both cases.

In the first case, Phydios, as a private citizen, filed a complaint against Feminepolis, also a citizen, for making "incoherent, illogical, and very questionably pro-life" statements on the regional message board. Feminepolis had condemned the abortion of female children but said that she understood and even tolerated the termination of male fetuses. At the conclusion of a nine-day trial, in which Feminepolis represented herself, the Justice Court ruled in favor of Phydios. New Dolgaria determined that Feminepolis condoned sex selection and, thus, stripped her of citizenship and her 100-lifemark citizen's allowance.

The second case was initiated by the regional government. In the course of doing a background check on citizen and army applicant Catholic34, regional Founder Culture of Life (Christian Democrats) discovered that Catholic34 was concealing membership in the region Nazi Europa. While the government was preparing its case against Catholic34 for lying on an official application, he was permanently deleted from NationStates (delete on sight). Culture of Life then requested an immediate court order to ban him from the regional forums, and the order was granted without a trial. The Justice Court ruled that regional law implicitly incorporates the rules of NationStates. "When members violate game rules," New Dolgaria wrote, "they are also violating Right to Life law." Nobody who is permanently banned from NationStates is permitted to hold forum membership in Right to Life.

[Pro-Life]

RIGHT TO LIFE NEWSLETTER



Published October 30, 2015
Regional Main Page | Offsite Regional Forums

August Presidential Election (By Ovybia)



Right to Life held its election for president, or WA delegate, on August 1-4. Phydios, nominated by the right-wing Life Party, ran for a second term against then Senator Stellonia, an independent candidate who failed to win the Life Party's nomination, and former President Texoma, the candidate of the center-right Conservative Federalist Party. Ovybia hosted a debate on the regional forums for Stellonia and Texoma. Phydios declined to participate. The main difference between the two candidates in the debate was Texoma's support for and Stellonia's opposition to an expansion of the regional Senate, which currently has three members (the president, a senior senator, and a junior senator).

In a Right to Life presidential election, voting is open to all WA residents in a three-day poll on the region's main page. As voting opened, Phydios and Texoma immediately took the lead, vying for the top position, while Stellonia was left behind. However, the tides quickly turned with Stellonia gaining in support on the second day of voting and passing up the other two candidates. Texoma, after falling to third place, decided to drop out on the third and final day, encouraging his supporters to switch their votes to Phydios. In the end, Phydios edged out Stellonia by a single vote, 7-6. After the election, Phydios thanked the region's voters and expressed respect for his opponents.

Founder Opens Office of Labor (By Texoma)



Regional Founder Culture of Life (Christian Democrats) opened a new forum on the region's offsite board on July 31: an Office of Labor, where citizens of Right to Life can apply for jobs in the Right to Life Army, the Regional News Bureau, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Justice Court, the Bank of Right to Life, and the Recruitment Office. Many citizens have already applied for jobs through this new Office, making it an overall success for streamlining the further integration of citizens, new and old alike, into the regional community. The Ministry of Internal Affairs oversees the Office of Labor.

Religious Interest Group Founded (By Ovybia)



On August 20, the Thomas Aquinas Society was officially formed as Right to Life's first religious interest group. Established for Right to Life's Catholic citizens, the group holds informal Wednesday meetings open to Catholics as well as interested non-Catholics at 7 PM ET (6 PM CT) in the regional chatroom. The group's purpose is the explanation and discussion of Catholic doctrine and how Catholic social teaching applies in the context of the pro-life movement. Non-Catholics who are interested in Catholicism are allowed to be a part of the group through a guest membership program.

Regional Government Wins Controversial Court Case (By Texoma)



In a high-profile court case, Ovybia sued the government of Right to Life after the regional Senate terminated his employment as Director of the Bank of Right to Life. There were four causes of action, including a claim that the dismissal from office was illegally discriminatory. After a nine-day trial, Justice of the Peace New Dolgaria ruled that the government, represented by regional Founder Culture of Life (Christian Democrats), had not violated any of Ovybia's legal rights. "The Senate's reasons for removing Ovybia," New Dolgaria wrote, "rely on the controversy surrounding his performance as Bank Director." Ovybia appealed the ruling but lost 3-0 with summary affirmation of the lower court's decision.

October Senatorial Election (By Texoma)



A regional senatorial election was held on October 1-4. There were five candidates: Xinxian (Life Party), Horatius Cocles (Life Party), the Rouge Christmas State (Conservative Federalist Party), Texoma (Libertarian Party), and No Serfdom (Libertarian Party). There was heavy campaigning before voting opened. During the election, Xinxian and Texoma both withdrew and endorsed the RCS. The final results were:

* The RCS: 9 votes (elected)
* Cocles: 7 votes (elected)
* Texoma: 3 votes
* Xinxian: 1 vote
* No Serfdom: 0 votes
* None of the Above: 0 votes

The turnout was 20 out of 34 citizens. The RCS is serving as a senator for the first time while Cocles is returning to the Senate for a full four-month term after President Phydios appointed her to fill a vacancy in July.

[PrussianEmpire]

Great news update. Keep up the good work!

[Pro-Life]

RIGHT TO LIFE NEWSLETTER



Published March 31, 2016
Regional Main Page | Offsite Regional Forums

February Senatorial Election (By United Massachusetts)



From February 1-4, Right to Life held an election for two seats in the regional Senate, in which 22 citizens voted. The election was very close, and Founder Culture of Life (Christian Democrats) had to break a tie for second place between Imperii Ecclesia and United Massachusetts.

Cocles (Life Party) -- 36.36%
Imperii Ecclesia (Conservative Federalist) -- 27.27%
United Massachusetts (Liberals for Life) -- 27.27%
Ardaxia (Independent) -- 4.55%
Phydios (Conservative Federalist) -- 4.55%
Stellonia (Life Party) -- 0.00%
Texoma (Libertarian) -- 0.00%

Culture of Life broke the tie in favor of Imperii Ecclesia after consulting President Pan-Celtic Nation, who said that he thought he could work better with IE.

The election was notable for a number of reasons. It was competitive all throughout, and there were more votes cast in this election than in October's midterm election. The open forum for the candidates sparked intense debate about the issues, which allowed the general public to be informed. It was one of the most publicized and closest elections in modern regional history.

Region Reacts to Scalia's Sudden Death (By Culture of Life)



U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died unexpectedly on February 13 of natural causes at the age of 79. Right to Life residents, most of whom are Americans, expressed mixed but mostly favorable feelings toward the late Justice. "I didn't particularly like him," opined one region member, "but he was an intelligent man. RIP." Other region members lauded him as "the best justice on the Court" and "truly a zealous defender of constitutional government." "While I disagree with many of Justice Scalia's ideas," said another, "he is an honorable man, and my condolences go out to his family."

Some Right to Life residents were quick to make posts, which received numerous likes, praising Justice Scalia's constitutional stances on marriage, firearms, and property rights. During his 30-year tenure, Scalia notably authored decisions affirming an individual right to bear arms against unreasonable restrictions and the right to property against regulatory seizure. He also, in recent years, dissented from the federal judiciary's resolve to uproot the conjugal understanding of marriage that the federal government and two-thirds of states had elected to retain.

The late Justice, most importantly, was a staunch defender of the right of voters to adopt legislation protective of an unborn child's right to life. To find in the U.S. Constitution a "right to destroy human fetuses," Scalia famously wrote, "is to rattle off a collection of adjectives that simply decorate a value judgment and conceal a political choice." By declaring abortion a fundamental right, he added, American judges "created a vast new class of abortion consumers and abortion proponents by eliminating the moral opprobrium that had attached to the act." In the United States, hundreds of thousands of unborn children continue to be terminated every year, primarily for social or economic reasons in more than 90% of cases.

Rise, Election, and Fall of Saint Peter (By Ovybia)



Right to Life has had all kinds, from staunch conservatives to strong liberals, all united under the common pro-life cause. But there is one that makes the RTL history books, a nation by the name of the Patrimony of Saint Peter, a friendly and likable fellow who quickly captured the interests of Right to Life through his straightforward and frank manner. After only residing in RTL for only a few months, he won the regional presidency. Peter was a strong believer in the free market and worked hard to deregulate the RTL economy. Many in the region took a liking to him, even those who had fundamental disagreements with his ideas. Unfortunately shortly, after the 2015 Christmas holiday, it became evident that Peter's nation would cease to exist. After waiting many days past the official deadline for removing inactive government officials, the Founder remorsefully decided that he could wait no longer and needed to remove Peter as president. Soon thereafter, the Patrimony of Saint Peter ceased to exist.

After Peter went inactive as president, the RTL constitution placed the Founder in charge of choosing a replacement. It has been common tradition to allow the senior senator the option of taking the presidency, in this case Senator RCS. However, RCS declined. As he explained, "I was offered the Presidential position by Culture of Life, but I declined the offer due to being too busy to fulfill the position's duties." After a long deliberation, the Founder decided to appoint the second-place finisher of the previous presidential election, Pan-Celtic Nation. PCN accepted the position and is now currently serving as RTL president.

Stipend Reinstatement (By United Massachusetts)



The Senate of Right to Life recently reinstated the stipend for citizens repealed by the fourteenth Senate. There had been much discussion about the stipend, with many agreeing that the applicant should apply rather than receive it automatically, with the reasoning being that the Bank of Right to Life might lose money by providing citizens with a stipend about which they didn't care or even know they had. Some responded that the Bank Director should telegram them should they show any interest in greater forum participation. Ultimately, however, the new Senate quickly approved the reinstatement, with new regulations regrading its reception. The text of the bill, passed 3-0, is as follows:

Any citizen may apply for and, afterwards, shall receive a one-time payment from the Bank of ₤100 as long as both of the following conditions are satisfied:

* Membership on the regional forums for at least seven days; and
* At least five forum posts, excluding prohibited content as defined by ZetaBoards.

Nobody who has received a citizen's payment in the past shall receive one again upon returning to the region.

Pro-Life Parliament Talk (By United Massachusetts)



In a poll in October 2015, the vast majority of Right to Life citizens said they were supportive of a roleplay legislature for the region's shared nation, Pro-Life. However, not much had been done after this except determining that it would be called a "Parliament." Recently, however, when several nations stepped up potentially to lead the Parliament, the majority of citizens said that the Parliament should be opened, once and for all. Three candidates emerged: Enoch M. Rahn (Ransomed Individuals), Jeffery Pearce (United Massachusetts), and Dennis Rupert (Stellonia); and the former two, in a short election, won speaker and deputy speaker respectively.

Pay Raises Coming? (By United Massachusetts)



Aawia, our regional Bank Director, has recently opened a topic in the Lifemarket forum to discuss a possible increase in the region's pay for government workers. This attention comes after the regional founder, Culture of Life (Christian Democrats), made the following post on the regional message board:

"I just paid out monthly governmental salaries in accordance with the region's economic rules: ₤55 for seven offices, or less than ₤8 per office per month. Again, I just want to express my opinion that these salaries are absurdly low. One official receives ₤0 per month; and, on the current pay scale, a governmental minister would have to work for almost five and a half years just to start his own business with a private subforum."

Several questions were raised in the discussion, among which included whether lower-level officials should be paid, how to cover the costs of a potential increase in pay, and to whom payment priority should be given.

The current government pay scale is:

Founder -- ₤10 per month
President -- ₤15 per month
Senator (x2) -- ₤10 per month
Foreign Minister -- ₤5 per month
Interior Minister -- ₤5 per month
Bank Director -- ₤0 per month
News Director -- ₤10 for each newsletter published
Justice of the Peace -- ₤10 for each case
Army member -- ₤10 for each successful mission

The discussion topic is located here:
http://w11.zetaboards.com/NS_Right_to_Life/topic/11533129/1/

Controversial Case in the Justice Court (By United Massachusetts)



The trial recently concluded in the well-publicized Stellonia v. Texasa case. Texasa, represented by Franz Republic, was accused of spam and generally disruptive content-posting on the regional message board and the offsite forums. The defense and a private prosecution, led by Stellonia, argued over whether Texasa's posts fell under "free speech" or "spam." Another question was the relevance of the precedent of RTL v. Catholic34, which established that nations in violation of NationStates' rules are in violation of Right to Life law. The Justice of the Peace ruled in favor of Stellonia, determining that Texasa spammed the regional message board and forums and also violated court procedures by making threats and attacking Stellonia based on an earlier, irrelevant case, Phydios v. Stellonia.

The final judgment may be read here:
http://w11.zetaboards.com/NS_Right_to_Life/single/?p=8573799&t=11522812

Senate Interviews (By United Massachusetts)


Interview with Imperii Ecclesia:

Q. What ideas are you planning to implement in the coming months?
A. I cannot answer that question. Just know me and the other Senate members are working together currently to find solutions to several issues.

Q. Would you support a reform in wages? If so, would you lower or raise them? Would you support wages for lower level employees?
A. Yes. I have already voiced my opinion in increasing the wages. I think your idea for wages is excellent and only needs one change: you should get paid because your position is important.

See the full discussion at http://w11.zetaboards.com/NS_Right_to_Life/topic/11533129/1/.

Q. Would you support any types of reforms in anti-discrimination policy?
A. Yes. The anti-discrimination should follow ZetaBoards' terms of service, no more no less.

Q. Do you believe the Senate should be expanded?
A. It is fine the way it is. Maybe having more members would make it more active. However I think it is unnecessary and currently am opposed to it. I believe it is fine the way it is.

Q. Any other comments?
A. None at the moment. Thank you for the interview, and God Bless! Thank you!

Interview with Pan-Celtic Nation:

Q. What ideas are you planning to implement in the coming months?
A. I am hoping to restart the regional economy through encouragement. I also wish to create a sort of "Education Army", headed by the Foreign Minister, tasked with going out into NationStates and educating people on the value of life and our cause.

Q. Would you support a reform in wages? If so, would you lower or raise them? Would you support wages for lower level employees?
A. I would support a wage increase because the employees are not being paid wages in which they can create businesses and buy goods in the regional economy.

Q. Would you support any types of reforms in anti-discrimination policy?
A. No. The change for race/ethnicity was right.

Q. Do you believe the Senate should be expanded?
A. I would support it being expanded, yes. I think we have enough active members to expand it.

Q. Any other comments?
A. Tiocfaidh ár lá

Interview with Cocles:

Q. Would you support a reform in wages? If so, would you lower or raise them? Would you support wages for lower level employees?
A. Yes, the wages should be increased. It makes no sense for a person to work two jobs and only receive pay for one of them. I would support wages for lower level employees.

Q. Do you believe the Senate should be expanded?
A. That is a tricky question. When I first came to RTL, I said no. Now, I'm thinking that it might not be a bad idea. When I first campaigned for the Senate, the election prior to the recent one we just had, I wanted the Senate to be expanded. While I am all for more representation, there is a lingering doubt that we just don't have the number of active nations needed for this change to occur. RTL has over 100 nations, and only a dozen are active on the rmb. They are the same people who are active on the Forums. We need more activity before the expansion can occur and actually be worthwhile.

[RiderSyl]

I wasn't actually aware this region existed.

Good work on the publication.

[The Silver Sentinel]

I wasn't actually aware this region existed.

You were probably better off before you found out....

[Christian Democrats]

Good work on the publication.

Thank you.

[Pro-Life]

RIGHT TO LIFE NEWSLETTER



Published April 30, 2016
Regional Main Page | Offsite Regional Forums

The RCS Elected President (By Ovybia)



There was another packed political season this April, full of debate and zeal for the pro-life cause. Four candidates faced off in the RTL presidential election, where the region's WA members voted for their WA delegate.

The candidates were:
The Rouge Christmas State (The RCS) from the Conservative Federalist Party
The United Empire of New Missouri from the Libertarian Party
United Massachusetts (UM) from the Liberals for Life Coalition
Stellonia from the Life Party

The important issues this presidential election included increasing activity in the region, managing the regional bank, and striking the proper balance between anti-discrimination laws and the freedom of regional business owners. The main disagreements were on economic policies. An RTL citizen, Ovybia, held a candidate questionnaire, where each candidate shared his views on the important issues. To see more information on the candidates' views, the questionnaire can be found here:

http://www.nationstates.net/nation=ovybia/detail=factbook/id=602096

As the voting began, New Missouri started off in the lead with UM and the RCS tied for second place with almost half of the remaining votes apiece. Voting ran for three days as usual. On the last day, UM dropped out and endorsed the RCS. The voting closed that day with a surprising 7-7 tie between the RCS and New Missouri. The RTL constitution tasks the founder, Culture of Life (COL), with breaking such ties.

After deliberation, COL decided on the RCS to succeed then-president Pan-Celtic Nation of the Libertarian Party. He made this decision based on the fact that more RTL citizens voted for the RCS over New Missouri. (Non-citizen WA nations are allowed to vote in presidential/delegacy elections.) The RCS responded to his victory with this statement: "You ran a great campaign New Missouri, you have a bright political future ahead of you here in Right to Life. To CoL thank you for bestowing upon me this tremendous honor, so thank you and too all of the people who supported me."

Right to Life Olympics (By United Massachusetts)



As one of the goals for his presidency, the RCS proposed an Olympics in Right to Life. The idea was discussed in the past with little action since Right to Life has not traditionally been involved in sports roleplays and Founder Culture of Life (Christian Democrats) has no experience in roleplay sports. However, several nations stepped forward as potential host cities. First to propose was Stellonia, for the cities of Banemaville and Redport. Then, New Missouri proposed the small town of St. Genevieve. This was soon followed by Texasa, who proposed the city of Los Angeles, California, Texasa. Finally, United Massachusetts brought forward a bid for the city of New Boston. After a lively discussion and poll, it was determined that the Olympics will be hosted by New Boston, United Massachusetts.

WA Proposal: Child Destruction Ban (By United Massachusetts)



Right to Life citizen Ovybia recently proposed to the World Assembly (WA), with the help of United Massachusetts and Culture of Life (Christian Democrats), a resolution called the Child Destruction Ban, which would criminalize the practice sometimes known as partial-birth abortion in WA member states. With the support of many delegates, the bill successfully reached quorum despite hostility from several veteran nations in the WA forums. The bill, which technically would not prevent any abortions from occurring, would nonetheless be a step for prenatal rights and equality on NationStates. However, it was taken down for contradicting Reproductive Freedoms, a WA resolution legalizing abortion on demand. Ovybia is currently working on refining the proposal to make it legal in the hope of resubmitting it.

United Massachusetts Appointed Foreign Minister (By Ovybia)



After being elected president, The Rouge Christmas State (The RCS) resigned his position as foreign minister to allow another person a chance in the government. He appointed United Massachusetts (UM), who was then required to resign from his position as News Director since regional law mandates that the News Bureau be unbiased and mostly uninvolved in other governmental agencies. Since becoming foreign minister, UM has been quite active, having established embassies with several prominent regions, including Lazarus. UM says that he is uniquely qualified for leading the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since he is a liberal pro-lifer and, therefore, shares many of the views of the majority of NS regions. To fill the vacated News Director position, Founder Culture of Life (Christian Democrats) appointed Ovybia.

Residents React to Trump's Abortion Comments (By United Massachusetts)



United States presidential candidate Donald Trump's comments that women should be imprisoned for having abortions sparked an intense debate in Right to Life. Several region members came out against Trump, saying that the mother who has an abortion shouldn't be punished for it. "It would, maybe, be best to treat illegal abortion like (other) illegal drug use. Punish the dealers severely, and let the users go or slap them on the wrists depending on the circumstances (age, criminal history, etc.)," said one Right to Life member. Another countered, saying that women who obtain abortions should be punished for the crime. "This is one of the only reasonable things Trump has said in his entire life. He basically said that women who commit abortion, when it is illegal, should receive some kind of punishment. That's just basic common sense. You break the law, you pay a punishment, especially in something like murder. If a mother murders someone, whether it be her own child or someone else's child, she has to face the penalties." Some members talked about how it seems to show a media bias against the pro-life movement. "I don't agree," said one, "with Donald Trump's statement on abortion, but today's negative press coverage clearly shows the bias of the media against the right to life. Nobody makes it the headline when Hillary Clinton says that she supports abortion until birth or when any politician says that he would force taxpayers to fund this backwards practice." Several nations pointed out the deep pain that many mothers feel after an abortion and said that we must show "love and compassion to post-abortive women" rather than penalize them.

[Pro-Life]

RIGHT TO LIFE NEWSLETTER



Published May 31, 2016
Regional Main Page | Offsite Regional Forums

Prop 1 Fails at the Polls (By Culture of Life)



On May 1-8, Right to Life citizens went to the polls and voted down Proposition 1: Freedom from Discrimination. The first formal referendum in regional history, Prop 1 utilized Article 7 of the Constitution of Right to Life, granting citizens the right, by petition, to bypass the Senate and initiate direct public votes to recall regional officials or to amend regional law. Prop 1 sought to augment RTL Code 9:13, which bans private discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, or sex. New protected classifications would have been religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and political affiliation.

Supporters of the bill argued that Prop 1 was desirable because it would prevent region members from treating one another unreasonably, especially in the regional marketplace, and because it would show the world that Right to Life is an open, tolerant society. Opponents contended that the bill was unnecessary because there is no history of private discrimination or prejudice in Right to Life and because regional law already protects citizens from unjust discrimination by the government.

Both sides of the debate appealed to the region's bill of rights. Supporters said that there is an "important regional interest" in forbidding private discrimination and that the regional judiciary would read the legislation, if passed, narrowly. Opponents said that Prop 1 would violate the fundamental rights of conscience, religion, expression, association, and contract, all of which the region's bill of rights guarantees.

Although none of the region's political parties took an official position on Prop 1, the bill's main supporters were members of the Liberals for Life Coalition (the region's center-left party). Its main opponents were members of the Libertarian Party (libertarian) and the Life Party (right-wing). Conservative Federalists (center-right) and independents were largely divided.

There was 55% citizen turnout in the election. Among voters, 52% were against Prop 1 while 33% were in favor. "The people have spoken," proclaimed Stellonia, the co-leader of the "say NO to 1" campaign, following the defeat of the proposition. United Massachusetts, the leader of the "Yes On One" campaign, commented, "I just want to say thank you so much for the tremendous support in opening up the Big Tent to all pro-lifers. I promise you, our time will come." In the near future, anti-discrimination will remain a salient political and legal issue in Right to Life as candidates stake out positions ahead of the June senatorial election.

Appellate Court Decides Spam Case (By Ovybia)



In an unusually long court case, the defendant and now regional citizen Texasa was accused of posting "a large quantity of intentionally disruptive, spammy content" by regional citizen and former senator Stellonia. Texasa admitted that some of his posts were unnecessary, apologized, and claimed that his motives had not been malicious. Justice of the Peace New Dolgaria ruled against Texasa, explaining that spam is spam regardless of the motives behind it, and then sentenced him to a temporary forum ban.

Texasa appealed the case to the Senate, which is not only Right to Life's legislature but also its court of appeals. After written arguments by both sides and multiple posts by amici curiae, including the region's founder, Culture of Life (Christian Democrats), Senator Imperii Ecclesia delivered a unanimous opinion partially reversing the lower court's ruling. In its decision, the Senate said, "Spam is the sending of 'disruptive online messages.' Texasa did commit it, but his intent was not malicious. Therefore, he does not have the same culpability as someone who intends to spam. . . . We [the Senate] think that even though he is guilty, he has since bettered his ways and has tried not to commit spam and should not be banned."

Texasa and one of his lawyers, United Massachusetts, expressed their joy at winning the case, which spanned several months. Texasa reapplied for regional citizenship shortly afterwards and was accepted.

Citizens Debate Private Senate Forum (By Ovybia)



The issue of whether the Right to Life government should maintain a Private Senate Forum, where senators can discuss their duties in secret and where other senators (in some cases) can face legal penalties if they publicly disclose such discussions, has raised accountability concerns among a number of regional citizens.

Founder Culture of Life (Christian Democrats), Senator Imperii Ecclesia, and former President Aawia have been the most vocal defenders of the private forum, arguing that it is useful for regional governance for senators to have a place to discuss their ideas without worrying about partisan grandstanding, external interference, or security leaks. Imperii Ecclesia compares it to the NationStates telegram system, saying that if you'd like to see the Private Senate Forum eliminated, "I think you should also [write] to NationStates to ban telegrams, [and have] Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, etc. ban email, and Verizon, AT&T, etc. ban phones."

Citizens who support abolition of the Private Senate Forum argue that senators shouldn't be entitled to special privacy privileges and that they should perform their functions in the public square. News Director Ovybia, who along with former Senator Stellonia has been pushing for abolition, compares the legal penalty facing senators if they disclose certain private information to a gag order. "A gag order is an order preventing someone from talking about something. In this case, [the government is] forcing permanent gag orders on people who may not want them and never asked for them."

RTL Reaches Out to Liberal and LGBT Regions (By United Massachusetts)



Under the leadership of President RCS (Conservative Federalist Party) and Foreign Minister United Massachusetts (Liberals for Life Coalition), Right to Life's embassy program has taken a bold new turn. Right to Life traditionally has had a more difficult time reaching out to liberal and LGBT regions but recently began exchanging embassies with, among other regions, the Place That Has No Big Banks (the world's largest region of Bernie Sanders supporters), the Transgender Region, and Gay Equality.

United Massachusetts is elated about the new embassy projects. As he put it on the regional message board (RMB), "expanding embassies, especially with regions typically shut out of the pro-life message, is a very good thing. There are pro-life gays, and we need to reach out to them. We are pro-life, not socially conservative. Improving dialogue will be a positive step for both regions." Right to Life has since adopted an informal policy regarding said regions, outlined by Culture of Life (Christian Democrats): that Right to Life residents discuss life issues on others' RMBs while letting other regions use Right to Life's RMB to talk about gay and trans issues.

While Right to Life's response to liberal and LGBT outreach has generally been positive, several citizens wished to clarify that the region doesn't necessarily endorse liberal positions, homosexuality, or transgender identification. Several residents have said that embassy construction should follow a careful route. One citizen opined, "Since we are starting to get embassies with more immoral regions, I think we should exercise caution. Although I have stated that embassies are not endorsements, I do think we should not establish embassies with grossly offensive region names (such as "Hell") or regions with grossly offensive World Factbook Entries." This belief was broadly affirmed by both the Founder and the Foreign Minister, who added that there is much to be gained from reaching out to gay pro-lifers and liberal pro-lifers, many of whom sometimes find themselves feeling excluded within the pro-life movement.

Regional Labor Union Opens (By United Massachusetts)



Foreign Minister United Massachusetts recently founded the first labor union for Right to Life's governmental employees, dubbed RAGE (the Regional Association of Governmental Employees). The union has expressed the desires to negotiate higher wages and to expand workers' rights. Two people have signed up; however, many citizens are skeptical. One Right to Lifer urged governmental employees to "abstain from wasting their time on this." Others asked whether Right to Life really needs a union. In response, proponents argue that unionization will help balance the regional government's fiscally austere tendencies. At present, the Bank of Right to Life holds almost 50% of the region's capital.

UMC Withdraws Abortion Support (By Culture of Life)



On May 19, the General Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC) voted 425-268 (61%) "to withdraw immediately from membership in the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC)." The RCRC, originally the Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights (RCAR), is a faith-based association of Christians, Jews, and Unitarian Universalists that promotes the legality and availability of elective abortions and contraceptives in the United States. Under the guidance of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, the RCAR/RCRC was established in 1973 to oppose Catholic social teaching on abortion and to counter efforts to restore human rights following the U.S. Supreme Court's infamous Roe v. Wade decision.

In its recent legislation, the UMC denounces the RCRC as "a one-sided political lobby" whose "advocacy often directly contradicts our Social Principles." For the pro-life movement, the UMC's turnabout in its abortion stance is a welcome change. With 3.6% of American adults identifying as United Methodists (Pew Research Center 2015), the UMC is the third largest religious denomination in the United States. Already, the two largest denominations -- the Catholic Church (20.8%) and the Southern Baptist Convention (5.3%) (Pew Research Center 2015) -- explicitly uphold the dignity of unborn persons. It is not yet clear how the RCRC, having lost its earliest and chief benefactor, plans to continue its anti-child, anti-mother activism.

[Lord Ravenclaw]

I confess, I have rarely seen a group take such pride in voting down anti-discrimination legislation. It is disturbing and a bitter reminder of the dangers of organised religion in my mind, speaking as a Catholic, it also serves as a reminder of the hypocrisy of those who claim to follow biblical teachings while blatantly ignoring others in favour of their own warped point of view. I was heartened by the arguments in favour of the legislation and by the amount of people who supported it, a number larger than I expected.

One person may view things as freedom. Another may view those same things as a sign of oppression.

A 'good' Christian would love their neighbours equally, and treat them fairly regardless of any other criteria. Hate the sin but love the sinner, I believe is a phrase I heard repeated often by my Parish Priest when I was a regular churchgoer.

The voting thread, if anyone is interested. It actually hurt my heart to read everything attached to it, which takes a fair bit these days.

[Cormactopia II]

Prop 1 sought to augment RTL Code 9:13, which bans private discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, or sex. New protected classifications would have been religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and political affiliation. [...]

Opponents contended that the bill was unnecessary because there is no history of private discrimination or prejudice in Right to Life and because regional law already protects citizens from unjust discrimination by the government.

Ah, so there was a regional history of private discrimination or prejudice on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, or sex, which necessitated RTL Code 9:13? Or not?

[Christian Democrats]

I confess, I have rarely seen a group take such pride in voting down anti-discrimination legislation. It is disturbing and a bitter reminder of the dangers of organised religion in my mind, speaking as a Catholic, it also serves as a reminder of the hypocrisy of those who claim to follow biblical teachings while blatantly ignoring others in favour of their own warped point of view. I was heartened by the arguments in favour of the legislation and by the amount of people who supported it, a number larger than I expected.

One person may view things as freedom. Another may view those same things as a sign of oppression.

A 'good' Christian would love their neighbours equally, and treat them fairly regardless of any other criteria. Hate the sin but love the sinner, I believe is a phrase I heard repeated often by my Parish Priest when I was a regular churchgoer.

The voting thread, if anyone is interested. It actually hurt my heart to read everything attached to it, which takes a fair bit these days.

Unless I'm missing something, Right to Life has a stronger anti-discrimination policy than the North Pacific. The only thing that I can find in TNP law after doing a quick search is this (TNP Bill of Rights §9):

No action by the governmental authorities of the region shall deny to any Nation of The North Pacific, due process of law, including prior notice and the opportunity to be heard, nor deny to any Nation of The North Pacific the equal and fair treatment and protection of the provisions of the Constitution.

In TNP, private discrimination is allowed. Governmental discrimination is limited to "equal and fair treatment" under the region's constitution; the legal code isn't even mentioned.

Prop 1 sought to augment RTL Code 9:13, which bans private discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, or sex. New protected classifications would have been religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and political affiliation. [...]

Opponents contended that the bill was unnecessary because there is no history of private discrimination or prejudice in Right to Life and because regional law already protects citizens from unjust discrimination by the government.

Ah, so there was a regional history of private discrimination or prejudice on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, or sex, which necessitated RTL Code 9:13? Or not?

Nope, that's not what the article says. If you read ZetaBoards' terms, they prohibit only racist content. In the past, the Senate of Right to Life felt that the word "racism" should be read broadly as discrimination based on race or ethnicity. Furthermore, it decided to supplement ZB's terms by adding nationality and sex. Why nationality and sex? In their forum profiles, most citizens list four pieces of information: their sex (so people know what gender pronouns to use), their home country (real world), their RTL nation (residence is a condition of citizenship), and their regional political affiliation (RTL currently has four parties). As you can surmise from the above article, several region members wanted to add further protections. The majority decided that they were unnecessary.

[Phydios]

I confess, I have rarely seen a group take such pride in voting down anti-discrimination legislation. It is disturbing and a bitter reminder of the dangers of organised religion in my mind, speaking as a Catholic, it also serves as a reminder of the hypocrisy of those who claim to follow biblical teachings while blatantly ignoring others in favour of their own warped point of view. I was heartened by the arguments in favour of the legislation and by the amount of people who supported it, a number larger than I expected.

One person may view things as freedom. Another may view those same things as a sign of oppression.

A 'good' Christian would love their neighbours equally, and treat them fairly regardless of any other criteria. Hate the sin but love the sinner, I believe is a phrase I heard repeated often by my Parish Priest when I was a regular churchgoer.

The voting thread, if anyone is interested. It actually hurt my heart to read everything attached to it, which takes a fair bit these days.

"Hate the sin but love the sinner" is a perfect summary of the beliefs of many in RTL. We're accepting of everyone (in fact, we've been establishing alliances with pro-homosexual, pro-transgender, and pro-Sanders regions recently, as the newsletter states), but that does not mean we all believe all behaviors are right. It is possible to love someone while believing that they are engaging in sinful behavior. Many people have not seen this and cannot imagine it, because there are so many people that claim to be Christian but are hateful and judgmental towards non-Christians. (Or, on the other hand, so much like a non-Christian that people around them see Christians as no different from non-Christians.) But it does exist. The proposition failed because, among other things, it would potentially allow a person to force a religious business to violate their beliefs. For example, a homosexual couple could force a bakery with religious owners to bake a cake for a homosexual "wedding" ceremony. Common sense says that if a business does not want to serve you, you go to one that does. Service done willingly will always be better than service done forcibly. But no, many people want to make an example out of that business rather than tolerate their differing beliefs. Prop 1 would have enabled such intolerance, and thus it was struck down.

[Christian Democrats]

I don't think that's the best example, Phydios. NS businesses are different from RL businesses.

At present, our economy is mostly limited to a law firm, a flag shop, and some gambling (with fake currency!).

[Phydios]

I don't think that's the best example, Phydios. NS businesses are different from RL businesses.

At present, our economy is mostly limited to a law firm, a flag shop, and some gambling (with fake currency!).

Hm. Well, I stand corrected. It's still my argument for why such legislation shouldn't be supported, whether here or in real life.

[Glen-Rhodes]

And on the eve of LGBT Pride Month, smh....

I can't fathom why a region that apparently wants to be on the stage would even consider delving into issues like these. That it can't even agree to not discriminate against queer players is ridiculous. No region should discriminate against anybody based on their social or economic status. That's just... I really don't understand why such a law should even be necessary. We're talking about NS. Bigotry or bullying based on people's RL personal lives has no place in the game, period.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Christian Democrats]

And on the eve of LGBT Pride Month, smh....

I can't fathom why a region that apparently wants to be on the stage would even consider delving into issues like these. That it can't even agree to not discriminate against queer players is ridiculous. No region should discriminate against anybody based on their social or economic status. That's just... I really don't understand why such a law should even be necessary. We're talking about NS. Bigotry or bullying based on people's RL personal lives has no place in the game, period.

1. Governmental discrimination is already banned by RTL law.

2. "I really don't understand why such a law should even be necessary. We're talking about NS" was an argument that Prop 1 opponents made.

3. According to the OED, bigotry is "intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself." By this definition, RTL citizens are free to be bigots; they're free to be intolerant toward others' opinions. On the other hand, cyberbullying in any form is prohibited by the region's bill of rights, which empowers the regional judiciary to "penalize individuals who intimidate or prevent others from freely and peacefully exercising their fundamental rights," including the right to "freedom from aggression."

These rules closely follow NationStates' rules, and they conform to ZetaBoards' terms. What the region was debating was the implementation of a stronger policy -- a law that would afford Right to Life residents greater protections than NS or ZB affords.

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

<snip>

...it would potentially allow a person to force a religious business to violate their beliefs ..... Common sense says that if a business does not want to serve you, you go to one that does. ... many people want to make an example out of that business rather than tolerate their differing beliefs. Prop 1 would have enabled such intolerance, and thus it was struck down.

Hey everyone, I'd like you to meet Reverse Discrimination's cousin, Reverse Intolerance! Say hi! Unless you're not a straight christian, then you're not welcome at this party, sorry...

[Tano]

<snip>

...it would potentially allow a person to force a religious business to violate their beliefs ..... Common sense says that if a business does not want to serve you, you go to one that does. ... many people want to make an example out of that business rather than tolerate their differing beliefs. Prop 1 would have enabled such intolerance, and thus it was struck down.

Hey everyone, I'd like you to meet Reverse Discrimination's cousin, Reverse Intolerance! Say hi! Unless you're not a straight christian, then you're not welcome at this party, sorry...

Is this a BYOB party?

Bring Your Own Bible?

[Phydios]

<snip>

...it would potentially allow a person to force a religious business to violate their beliefs ..... Common sense says that if a business does not want to serve you, you go to one that does. ... many people want to make an example out of that business rather than tolerate their differing beliefs. Prop 1 would have enabled such intolerance, and thus it was struck down.

Hey everyone, I'd like you to meet Reverse Discrimination's cousin, Reverse Intolerance! Say hi! Unless you're not a straight christian, then you're not welcome at this party, sorry...

To everyone reading this post by EWS, I'd like to point you towards the article "RTL Reaches Out to Liberal and LGBT Regions" in our most recent newsletter, which ought to strike down any notions of bigotry in RTL. This discussion topic may also be illuminating, especially the (current) top comment, made by MaroonSaints.

[Ever-Wandering Souls]

Hey everyone, I'd like you to meet Reverse Discrimination's cousin, Reverse Intolerance! Say hi! Unless you're not a straight christian, then you're not welcome at this party, sorry...

To everyone reading this post by EWS, I'd like to point you towards the article "RTL Reaches Out to Liberal and LGBT Regions" in our most recent newsletter, which ought to strike down any notions of bigotry in RTL. This discussion topic may also be illuminating, especially the (current) top comment, made by MaroonSaints.

I checked my list of "Valid Sources for Discussions on Race" and for some reason a Reddit thread titled "White people are allowed to complain about racism" by a poster who's other threads include "Who's the pretty girl?" from the Runescape Membership Benefits Page and a top comment by a guy who, glancing at his other comments, would be long banned from NS for blatant trolling, doesn't rank all that high on my list.

[Solorni]

Many members of RTL appear to love using the nasty phrase "religious freedom" as a right. They should call it as it is which is the right to religious discrimination. Religious freedom to me should be about the right to practice your faith, not discriminating against minorities. Although I think we forget the region is called Right to Life and not Right to Human Decency or Right to Freedom.

Certainly it goes beyond simply this vote. I just read a thread where people praised Scalia's stance against "sodomy". In another thread, members discussed how the Canadian political parties stood on homosexuality and how approving of such rights was a major turnoff for them. In neither thread was there a single dissenting voice. Evidently the bigotry runs far deeper than simply a failed vote. Such regions should expect to be criticized.

[Christian Democrats]

Many members of RTL appear to love using the nasty phrase "religious freedom" as a right. They should call it as it is which is the right to religious discrimination. Religious freedom to me should be about the right to practice your faith, not discriminating against minorities. Although I think we forget the region is called Right to Life and not Right to Human Decency or Right to Freedom.

Certainly it goes beyond simply this vote. I just read a thread where people praised Scalia's stance against "sodomy". In another thread, members discussed how the Canadian political parties stood on homosexuality and how approving of such rights was a major turnoff for them. In neither thread was there a single dissenting voice. Evidently the bigotry runs far deeper than simply a failed vote. Such regions should expect to be criticized.

I voted for Prop 1, but I don't think RTL is "bigoted" by any means. In fact, I've seen more bigotry on the other side.

Bigotry: n. intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself.

Essentially, you're saying that RTL is "bigoted" because its members largely hold different opinions from yours.

Next, you have a cramped view of rights. People who make religious liberty claims or conscientious objection claims are simply asking for the "right to be let alone" (as Louis Brandeis famously called it). Rights are supposed to protect people from doing things to which they do not consent or with which they fundamentally disagree. Compulsory worship: a violation of rights, forced marriage: a violation of rights, and so on.

[Orostan]

You people have no right to tell a Woman what do do with her body.
If she cannot support a child, she can get an abortion
If she cannot raise a child at the time,
Or the baby has a severe genetic disease,
Or it hurts to live for the baby,
The mother needs to be able to make the decision if she should have the baby.

Abortion is a right. Not a drug.