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Administration

Founder: Culture of Life (IND)
Viceroy: Aawia (CFP)


Presidential Cabinet

President: Imperii Ecclesia (CFP)
Army: The RCS (CFP)
Foreign: Roman Catholic Federation (RTF)
Interior: Cocles (RTF)


Executive Commissions

Library Commission (dormant)
News Commission (dormant)




REGION OF RIGHT TO LIFE
Established June 1, 2011




Current Population: nations
Record Population: 193 nations
Regional Power Rating:


23rd Senate

Speaker: New Missouri (RTF)
Senator: New Waldensia (CFP)
Senator: Catholic State of Eire (CSP)


High Court

Chief Justice: New Dolgaria (LLC)
Justice: Roman Catholic Federation (RTF)
Justice: Phydios (CFP)


Right to Life Army

Successful Missions: 48
Last Mission: July 11, 2018

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Right to Life Regional Newsletters
Topic Started: Sunday Jun 23 2013, 02:09 AM (770 Views)
Culture of Life
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William F. Buckley

RIGHT TO LIFE NEWSLETTER

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Published June 23, 2013
Regional Main Page | Offsite Regional Forums

On June 1, RTL celebrated the second anniversary of its establishment as a region.

Senate Elections (By Aawia)

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Senate elections took place this month with almost all political parties represented as well as one independent. Elections began on June 1st, right on schedule. When the smoke had cleared and the dust had settled on June 4th, the votes rested at: three for Prussia of the Conservative Federalist Party (elected), three for the independent candidate Lordiguard (elected), three for none of the above, two for Toshmartin8 (Togo Togo) of the Morals of Liberty Party (not elected), and two for Aawia of the Conservative Federalist Party (not elected). Total voter turnout was 57 percent, with 13 out of 23 eligible voters casting ballots. There was a surprisingly high vote for none of the above, but it was excellent to see a good spread of votes. We wish all the best to Prussia and Lordiguard as they strive to improve and preserve this great region while serving in the Senate.

Controversial Repeal Proposal Passes (By Aawia)

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The proposal Repeal "Reduction of Abortion Act" has passed in the World Assembly, stinging the feelings of many, especially players in Right to Life. The bill understandably was viewed with suspicion by many on our forums. Right before it reached the floor, the Senate, acting in its role as the highest court in the region, issued a ruling reluctantly permitting region members to vote as they wished but encouraging them to vote against the repeal. That this bill passed the General Assembly irks many in the NationStates pro-life movement. Hopefully, it will be possible to get a more solid resolution enacted soon to reduce national abortion rates and to ensure that all women have access to the reproductive care they need.

Military Succeeds in Unexpectedly Lengthy Campaign (By Aawia)

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The Right to Life Army was deployed for many days in NATO Resistance Movement. This mission against the pro-Gaddafi and pro-communist region was defined by much waiting and a touch of controversy and not much progress. Early in the campaign the Army did succumb to defenders (FRA and UDL); but, coming back from this, the Army soon retook the region and held it for the rest of the campaign. For more than a week, the Army anxiously waited to gain the right amount of influence and was elated when the hidden password finally was implemented. During the mission, the Army, at various times, received assistance from a number of players acting of their own accord, including members of Church Militant, Freedom and Justice Alliance, the Black Hawks, and the Black Riders.


Right to Life Decides Not to Join the Founderless Regions Alliance (By Aawia)

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Culture of Life (Christian Democrats), the founder of Right to Life, initiated negotiations to join the Founderless Regions Alliance (FRA) at the request of the regional Senate. The idea was made public, and FRA diplomats joined the Right to Life forums. The idea was not initially shot down; many questions were fielded, perhaps showing some apprehension. Eventually, after the question period had ended, a private survey of region members was held; and the proposal to join the FRA was rejected by a majority. Adhering to the result of the regionwide survey, the Senate decided not to apply for FRA membership by a vote of 3 to 0. With the recent raiding activities of the Right to Life Army, which is independent from the elected government, it appears that the decision against FRA membership might have been better for the region. Not being an FRA member region has allowed our military to enjoy a period of heightened raiding activity, as seen in the article above. It remains unclear at the moment what the status of relations is between the FRA and RTL; but the parting words after RTL decided not to join the FRA were nothing but friendly.

Promotions in the Right to Life Army (By Culture of Life)

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Three players have been elevated in rank for their participation in two recent missions: the mission in NATO Resistance Movement mentioned above and the earlier mission to liberate the South Pacific from its communist dictator Chairman Milo. Prussia has been promoted from captain to colonel, and Aawia and Dallas Unit 9 have been promoted from private to captain.

Right to Life is currently looking from players to help with recruiting new members to the region. If you are interested in helping Right to Life grow its population, please visit the Office of Recruitment on the Right to Life regional forums.
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William F. Buckley

RIGHT TO LIFE NEWSLETTER

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

The RCS Elected President (By Ovybia)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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.
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William F. Buckley

RIGHT TO LIFE NEWSLETTER

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

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

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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.
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William F. Buckley

RIGHT TO LIFE NEWSLETTER

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

Senate Expands to Five Members (By Ovybia)

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After an off-and-on debate spanning several months, the number of Right to Life senators, which was previously three (including the president), was increased to five (including the president and a vice president) by an amendment to the regional constitution. Opponents of the change, most notably Founder Culture of Life (Christian Democrats), argued that there were not yet enough candidates running in regional elections to justify an increase to a five-seat Senate. Proponents of the reform contended that a change in the Senate's size was appropriate for better representation of the region's increasingly large citizenry. The Senate passed the constitutional amendment 3-0 on May 1, and it was signed shortly thereafter by Culture of Life. It took effect on June 4, at the conclusion of Right to Life's June election.

CFP Retains Senate Majority (By Culture of Life)

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Right to Life, on June 1-4, held an election for four seats in its Senate, an increase from two seats in the February senatorial election. The final seat in the Senate of Right to Life is held ex officio by the RCS, the region's president and a member of the center-right Conservative Federalist Party (CFP). Incumbent Senator Imperii Ecclesia (CFP) ran for reelection while Senator Cocles (Life Party) stepped down from her seat. Early challengers for the Senate were Ardaxia (independent), New Missouri (Libertarian Party), Stellonia (Life Party), and United Massachusetts (Liberals for Life Coalition). Due to concerns that the field of candidates was weak, former presidents Aawia (CFP) and Phydios (CFP) threw their hats into the ring at the last minute. Single non-transferable voting was used, and 50% of citizens turned out. The results were as follows:

Imperii Ecclesia (Conservative Federalist) -- 21.05% (elected)
United Massachusetts (Liberals for Life) -- 21.05% (elected)
New Missouri (Libertarian) -- 21.05% (elected)
Phydios (Conservative Federalist) -- 15.79% (elected)
Stellonia (Life Party) -- 10.53%
Aawia (Conservative Federalist) -- 0.00%
Ardaxia (independent) -- 0.00%
Invalid ballots -- 10.53%

Following the Founder's certification of the results, Stellonia voiced his displeasure with the region's electoral system, calling it unrepresentative. He protested the exclusion of his Life Party (right-wing) from the Senate and said that it was unfair that the Conservative Federalists controlled a majority of seats (the RCS, Imperii Ecclesia, and Phydios) with the support of only two-fifths of (valid) voters. Defenders of the status quo countered that a party that garners the backing of only one-tenth of the electorate does not deserve and should not feel entitled to representation in the regional legislature.

President RCS, after the election, appointed New Missouri to serve as vice president. In accordance with recent reforms of the regional constitution, presidential elections (April, August, and December) will select two senators: the president and the vice president. Senatorial elections (February, June, and October) will select three senators (three "regular" seats). Both sorts of elections will continue to employ single non-transferable voting, unless a new constitutional amendment is passed. Efforts by some citizens to restore a three-member Senate (a presidential seat and two "regular" seats) are unlikely to succeed.

SCOTUS Hands Down Pro-Abortion Decision (By Culture of Life)

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The U.S. Supreme Court, on June 27, delivered a 5-3 opinion in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, striking down a Texas law designed to put an end to unsafe abortions. Members of Right to Life immediately voiced their strong disapproval. "Well just another reason to get a conservative president, to appoint conservative justices," said the RCS, Right to Life's president. "So sad," another citizen commented on the regional message board. "We need a pro-lifer (preferably a pro-life liberal) on the Supreme Court." This week's decision in favor of the abortion industry and its lobbyists is the end of a three-year legal battle to improve women's health and cultivate respect for unborn life in the State of Texas.

Texas' law required abortion clinics to follow the same health and safety standards as other outpatient surgical centers, and it mandated that abortionists maintain admitting privileges at nearby hospitals to which they could send mothers or their children in cases of botched procedures. In enacting its law, Texas relied on the longstanding presupposition that the Supreme Court tolerates such reasonable regulations. After all, in Roe v. Wade (1973) (which invented the so-called "right to abortion" in the United States), the majority of justices said, "Examples of permissible state regulation in this area are requirements as to the qualifications of the person who is to perform the abortion; as to the licensure of that person; as to the facility in which the procedure is to be performed, that is, whether it must be a hospital or may be a clinic or some other place of less-than-hospital status; as to the licensing of the facility; and the like."

The present-day Supreme Court, however, is taking its abortion jurisprudence in a more extreme direction. In the recent decision, Justice Stephen Breyer, writing for the majority, opined that Texas' law imposed an "undue burden" on women of reproductive age by holding abortion providers to requirements that were "not necessary." Too many abortion clinics in Texas have been closing their doors, the Court held, because of supposedly obstructive regulations, such as basic sanitary procedures. Justice Breyer, for instance, ruled that it violates the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause for state legislatures to require abortion clinics, like other medical clinics, to have "scrub facilities" and "soiled utility and sterilization rooms" because the "natural opening" of a woman "is itself not sterile."

Justice Samuel Alito authored the main dissent. He called the majority opinion "indefensible" and predicted that it ultimately "will undermine public confidence in the Court as a fair and neutral arbiter." Justice Alito asserted that Texas, in the aftermath of the 2013 trial and conviction of abortionist Kermit Gosnell for three murders and one manslaughter, had more than enough reason to enact new laws cracking down on the poorly regulated abortion industry. Recent closures of Texas abortion clinics, he observed, had less to do with the challenged Texas law and more to do with more rigorous protocol for administering abortifacients, withdrawal of taxpayer funds from abortion providers, declining national demand for abortions, and physician retirement. Justice Alito also said that the evidence showed that no more than 5.1% of women in Texas, an acceptable number, would be seriously inconvenienced in procuring abortions as a result of the state's health and safety regulations.

A separate, more strongly worded dissenting opinion was written by Justice Clarence Thomas, who accused the Supreme Court of threatening "the promise of a judiciary bound by the rule of law" and of "radically" rewriting its own abortion precedents to fit the justices' personal views. Recognizing that deference is ordinarily given to the states in regulation of the medical profession, Justice Thomas harshly criticized the majority for usurping democratic legislative authority by appointing itself "'the country's ex officio medical board.'" The Court has reached a point, he argued, where "nothing but empty words separates our constitutional decisions from judicial fiat." Based on their own partisan biases, the justices, he said, arbitrarily give "preferential treatment" and "special protection" to rights of their own creation, such as abortion and same-sex marriage, "while disfavoring many of the rights actually enumerated in the Constitution," including free speech and racial neutrality. (In specific, he repeated his criticism of a recent decision that allows public universities to use racial and ethnic preferences in admissions.) In the penultimate section of his dissent, Justice Thomas suggested, "The Court should abandon the pretense that anything other than policy preferences underlies its balancing of constitutional rights and interests in any given case."

Now that a majority of the Supreme Court has chosen to start uprooting all abortion laws that are "not necessary," even if they are reasonable, it is not clear how state governments that are committed to upholding human dignity will proceed. "This is a very bad blow to my home state," one Right to Life citizen lamented. "Texas has been fighting this one for so long." "Children are a gift from God!" exclaimed another resident of the region. "I'm not just pro-life because of the Bible; [abortion is] also just morally wrong." Following the U.S. presidential election in November, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, in all likelihood, will make an appointment to the Supreme Court to fill the seat vacated by pro-life Justice Antonin Scalia, who passed away in February. Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump, in the past, have both expressed support for legalized abortion; however, Mr. Trump says that he has changed his stance on the propriety of the procedure and now identifies as mostly pro-life. In the United States alone, 1.06 million children are aborted every year (Guttmacher Institute 2016).

June Economic Report (By Aawia)

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Aawia is the Director of the Bank of Right to Life. He originally prepared this report on the status of the region's central bank for the Senate, which conducts a mandatory economic review every six months.

When writing this review, I want to do two things: one, I want to be completely honest about how things are doing and what I think the future for the bank looks like. Two, I want to get across a sense of hope, especially considering the future of the bank. I want the region to know that I used to be sympathetic to the voices saying that the bank should be disbanded, but being bank director has changed my perspective. Through my time as bank director I've begun to see a potential in players being able to exchange services for a regional currency.

However, there are some issues. This year, we have experienced more of the same in regards to inactivity. We see the bulk of activity happening around required events: for example, when CoL charges ‎₤50 for an advertising spot during campaign season, we see an influx of activity. Our issue is how to expand activity. Right now, our biggest hope is the implementation of business competitions, which would award no-interest loans to the best ideas. Also, once we have the Bank Officer program in place, the plan is to give them the power to award loans. I know there are good ideas for businesses in the minds of the citizens of Right to Life; we just need to get them out and get people acting on them. Another resource I'd like to see used more is the purchase of private sub-forums; potential fixes I may look into, working with CoL, is lowering the cost of purchasing a sub-forum or an advertisement campaign as to the benefits.

Finally, the state of the currency in the bank. We started the year off with ‎₤2650 and now have ‎₤4936. This has put the bank in a very healthy position, and it has allowed the increase of government wages and the alleviation of pressure so the bank can have proper discussion on the issues at hand. At the end of the summer, I will most likely do another clean-up of old bank accounts.

I think that the regional bank's greatest hope lies in getting the citizens of Right to Life to put their ideas into action. Or working on more events which can utilize the bank until such a time as those ideas come up. Once we get region members thinking about the bank more often, more ideas, I'm sure, can come to light. We have a very bright region, and I believe in our ability for entrepreneurship.

Pro-Life International Grows (By United Massachusetts)

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Pro-Life International (PLI), a multi-regional alliance to protect life on the world stage, has grown and prospered due to active recruitment efforts. PLI recently welcomed a new region, the League of Conservative Nations (TLCN). With a unanimous vote of the representatives of current PLI member regions, TLCN was admitted. The region TLCN has lately since seen a huge spike in membership, going from 9 members when the region was admitted to over 50 nations today. Other applications from the Christian Republic, the Traditional Catholic Empire, and the Conservative Christians are pending votes on membership, while negotiations are under way. Right to Life's Foreign Minister and PLI Representative United Massachusetts has expressed excitement about PLI's growth, calling the acceptance of TCLN "a great step forward."

If your region is interested in joining PLI, or just helping out, please send a telegram to First Secretary Aawia (Right to Life) or Second Secretary Frustrated Franciscans (Catholic). They are happy to work to help new regions join and are pleased to help your region stand up for the cause of life.

Interest Group GOAL Opens (By Ovybia)

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The Governmental Openness and Accountability League (GOAL) is the latest interest group to open in Right to Life's diverse community. GOAL was founded by former Senator Stellonia, and its mission is to lobby "to make the government of Right to Life accountable to the people." It states that this can be accomplished by (1) requiring all governmental agencies to meet in publicly viewable forums, (2) switching the region's voting system to proportional representation, (3) electing regional ministers as opposed to letting the president appoint them, (4) and improving and utilizing the region's public petitions process.
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William F. Buckley

RIGHT TO LIFE NEWSLETTER

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

RTL and TAS Ratify Treaty (By New Dolgaria)

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Right to Life and the Allied States recently ratified a treaty aimed at strengthening their friendship. The treaty requires each region to remain in contact with the other via ambassadors on a monthly basis. It also arranges for an official state visit to each region at least once every six months. Visiting officials may address the other region's legislature on the issues of the day and any developments in their own region.

The treaty was the result of roughly two weeks of negotiation. The Senate of Right to Life passed the treaty on June 21 with all five senators voting in favor. The Senate of the Allied States, on June 22, ratified the treaty on a 3-2 vote with one senator abstaining and three not present. A month later, there was a formal signing ceremony in which the Allied States' Chancellor and Secretary of State and Right to Life's Founder, President, and Minister of Foreign Affairs participated.

TVP: Texasa vs. Predator (By The RCS)

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Predator, or the Update Tool, was a script used by military gameplayers to calculate regions' update times. Earlier this year, the NationStates moderators determined that it was illegal and deleted the raider region DEN for its use. On May 31, Texasa, a Right to Life citizen and former DEN member, became involved in the Predator scandal when he confessed to having the script on his computer. As a consequence, he was temporarily banned from the World Assembly and had his main nation deleted.

Afterwards, Texasa attempted to withdraw his confession, pleading innocence as well as ignorance of the details of Predator. Many prominent military gameplayers, including several other former DEN members, immediately rushed to Texasa's defense. Gest II, for example, called the punishment of Texasa "a miscarriage of justice" and commented that "there is no way this guy is guilty."

Following an extended inquiry by the Right to Life government, Texasa, with the assistance of fellow regional citizens, filed an appeal. Considering the merits of the appeal and in light of numerous comments refuting Texasa's earlier confession, the NationStates moderators lifted their punishment on July 1. Moderator Sedgistan wrote, "Texasa finally managed to submit a coherent appeal a few days ago; this has been granted - his WA ban has been removed, and his main nation can be restored."

U.S. Young Adults Reject Abortion (By Culture of Life)

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A new survey conducted by the University of Chicago and the Associated Press finds that most young adults (ages 18-30) in the United States reject the so-called "right to abortion." Only 45% of American young adults hold the opinion that abortion is "a matter of personal choice." On the other hand, 49% affirm the principle that the law should protect children by limiting abortion to rare circumstances.

Pro-life young people, however, disagree about the particulars of an abortion ban. The average respondent to the survey said that abortions should be permitted "only after the need for the abortion has been clearly established," especially referring to cases when maternal life is endangered or after the crime of rape or incest. In the United States, such extreme cases account for less than one-tenth of abortion procedures.

The survey also shows that Hispanic and African-American young adults are stronger supporters of the right to life than their peers. Whites (non-Hispanic) slightly favor greater legal protections for unborn children, and Asian Americans are the only racial/ethnic group who fail to recognize prenatal rights.

Residents of Right to Life greeted news of the survey with enthusiasm. A large majority of region members are adolescents or young adults themselves, and most live in the United States. (Players from six countries on four continents voted in the region's June election.) Since its establishment, Right to Life has embraced a "big tent" model. Regional law defines the pro-life position as opposition to induced abortion while allowing individual citizens to tolerate exceptions for maternal health, rape, incest, and severe fetal defects.

The University of Chicago and Associated Press's survey can be viewed here (see Question 30):

http://genforwardsurvey.com/assets/uploads/2016/07/GenForward-June-2016-Toplines-1.pdf
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William F. Buckley

RIGHT TO LIFE NEWSLETTER

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

Regional Politics Synopsis (By Culture of Life)

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Since Right to Life's last newsletter on July 31, there have been three regional elections and one constitutional amendment.

At the beginning of August, the RCS was reelected president (WA delegate) for a second four-month term. He ran as a member of the Conservative Federalist Party and received 75% of the vote, defeating two independent candidates. There was 52% turnout among the region's WA members.

As school restarted for many citizens, activity in Right to Life (the News Bureau included) fell sharply. The Senate subsequently voted 4-1 to reduce its own size from five members (the president + four senators) to three members (the president + two senators), reversing a constitutional amendment that it had passed in May, during an extraordinary spike in the region's political activity.

The October senatorial election was rather quiet as three candidates ran for two seats (under single non-transferable voting). Former President Phydios (Conservative Federalist) and the Roman Catholic Federation (Conservative Federalist) each won 43% of the vote and handily defeated the CSNA (Independent), who won only 14%. There was 45% turnout among the region's citizens, many of whom abstained due to the limited number of options.

In late November and early December, regional activity began to pick up again as former citizens, including Dallas Unit 9, Saint Peter, and United Massachusetts, returned to the region. The RCS (Conservative Federalist) announced that he would not seek a third term as president. Two veterans of regional politics, Former Senator New Missouri (Libertarian) and Former Senator and Foreign Minister Stellonia (Independent), ran to replace him. Including spoiled ballots, turnout for the December presidential election topped 50% in a hard-fought contest. Stellonia shot out of the gate with an early lead on the first day of voting. Then, New Missouri made a comeback during the second and third days, ultimately winning 50% of the vote to Stellonia's 36%. New Missouri ran under the banner "Experience, Values, Change" and pledged to revitalize the region, especially its army.

New Missouri's victory is a major accomplishment and could signal the start of a "realignment" in the region's party system. During the past five years, the center-right, largely secular Conservative Federalist Party has controlled the presidency and WA delegacy of Right to Life for all but two terms (247 days). Shortly after New Missouri won, his Libertarian Party, on December 17, merged into the newly established and rapidly growing Reactionary Traditionalist Front, which touts an anti-communist, pro-military platform and seeks to challenge the historically dominant Conservative Federalists.

Texasa, Treason, and Plot (By Dallas Unit 9)

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Texasa had already been convicted of chronic spamming and also unofficially warned for other obnoxious behavior. On September 5, he outdid himself when he carelessly used his limited moderation powers to combine all of the threads in Right to Life's subforum for parliamentary roleplay into a single megathread. To prevent similar misconduct in the future, Culture of Life (Christian Democrats) (the region's founder and its root administrator) made the executive decision permanently to revoke Texasa's moderation privileges and to ban him from the offsite forums for a week.

Texasa took issue with these penalties and sued in the Justice Court. After a laborious trial, Justice of the Peace New Dolgaria, on September 24, ruled against Texasa. Founder Culture of Life, wrote New Dolgaria, "is given the ultimate say on forum management by the Constitution. What he did was entirely in line with his prescribed duties."

Enraged by the regional court's decision, Texasa made attempts to hack into the nation accounts Culture of Life and Christian Democrats. Consequently, the NationStates moderators, also considering previous infractions, terminated all of Texasa's nations and, subsequently, declared him delete-on-sight (DOS). Right to Life's common law holds that DOS players must be permanently banned from the offsite forums and have their assets seized; this was promptly carried out.

Texasa displayed incredibly poor judgement on multiple occasions, abused the powers with which he had been trusted, and instead of reforming his behavior after multiple warnings and second chances, tried to use illegal methods to gain control of Right to Life out of malice. Fortunately, he was unsuccessful and suffered the negative consequences of his actions.

All Aboard the Trump Train, or Not? (By The RCS)

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Like many regions throughout NationStates, Right to Life saw the 2016 U.S. presidential election at the forefront of conversation in October and early November. The all-anticipated election night arrived with region members, especially Americans, on both sides of the political aisle anxiously awaiting the results. To the surprise of many, the underdog, Donald Trump, won in the Electoral College.

This stunning upset of Hillary Clinton was welcomed by many players in Right to Life, who believe that Trump, as a political newcomer and experienced businessman, will get the United States back on the right track. New Missouri, a Trump supporter, exclaimed, "I think Trump is right for America because he is an outsider, look at what politicians have done in the last 8 years. I think Trump can clean up Washington and Drain the Swamp!"

Not everyone in Right to Life was thrilled with the Trump victory. When reached for comment, New Dolgaria, the leader of the region's Liberals for Life Coalition, said, "Well, I think everyone knows [Trump] said some really disgusting things on the campaign and generally behaved very immaturely, and he appealed to various forms of bigotry. Since the election, he's continued to behave immaturely and has lined up people with questionable qualifications, murky histories, and shadowy motives for his cabinet - a far cry from 'draining the swamp.' At the same time, he seems to be backing off the promises he made to his base during his campaign (such as the infamous 'wall'), showing how little he actually cares about what he said to get votes. He's even called his supporters 'crazy' and 'vicious.'"

For better or worse, Trump will be America's next president. The fact that he has often avoided the issue of unborn rights or made contradictory comments is worrying. In an interview in 1999, Trump said that he was "pro-choice in every respect" and that a President Trump administration would not work to criminalize partial-birth abortions. More recently, he has said that he'll stop taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood (the United States' largest abortion provider) and that he'll appoint federal judges who will overturn the notorious Roe v. Wade decision, thus returning the abortion question to elected state legislators.
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William F. Buckley

Semi-official newsletter published on March 18, 2017, during the Founder's temporary absence:

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William F. Buckley

RIGHT TO LIFE NEWSLETTER
Speaking Up. Defending Life.

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Published June 30, 2017
Regional Main Page | Offsite Regional Forums

A Note from United Massachusetts, Director of News: As I'm sure you've noticed, we haven't been too active lately. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. We had a long stretch: finals for students, a leave of absence by our Founder, and a general decline in governmental activity. However, I'm proud to say that we're back up and running, providing you the news you need to know and keeping you up-to-date on the Right to Life region and the worldwide movement to abolish abortion.

In case you missed it, we published a semi-official newsletter on March 18, 2017:

http://w11.zetaboards.com/NS_Right_to_Life/single/?p=10066557&t=8914497


Record-Setting Spring Lifts Spirits (By United Massachusetts)

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This winter, Right to Life suffered an unfortunate population loss as, for the first time in two years, it fell out of the top 100 regions. At one point, it dropped as low as 122 nations; however, this did not dishearten citizens, who thereafter witnessed a stunning springtime boom. In May, Right to Life shattered its 2015 population record of 169 nations and soared to a new record of 193 nations, becoming the 64th largest region in the world.

Right to Life's population has since declined as many players leave for summer vacation or other real-world activities. Endorsements for the President/Delegate, New Missouri, have increased to nearly 40. Despite what some people, especially in the World Assembly, would have you think, the movement for life on NationStates remains strong and vibrant.

June 2017 Senatorial Election (By United Massachusetts)

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The race for the 19th Senate was one of the most thrilling elections in Right to Life history. Saint Peter (Reactionary Traditionalist Front), United Massachusetts (Liberals for Life Coalition), the RCS (Conservative Federalist Party), the Roman Catholic Federation (Reactionary Traditionalist Front), and Stellonia (independent) ran for two seats; and issues such as constitutional reform, Pro-Life International, regional wages, anti-communism, and anti-discrimination dominated the campaign.

Incumbent Senator United Massachusetts' low numbers on the first day of voting (out of three days) forced him to withdraw from the race. Seeking to keep the incumbent Senator Roman Catholic Federation from succeeding in his own reelection bid, United Massachusetts endorsed the RCS and Stellonia based on their pledges to consider United Massachusetts' proposals for expanding the region's policy against private discrimination (which currently covers race, ethnicity, nationality, and sex) and for increasing wages and salaries for governmental employees.

Each citizen was permitted to vote for one candidate. The RCS and Stellonia were both elected with seven votes apiece. Failing to defend his senatorial seat, the Roman Catholic Federation was third place with five votes. Following the election, an exit tally showed that Stellonia swept the Liberal vote and that the RCS secured his Conservative Federalist base. The Roman Catholic Federation won majority support from his own Reactionary Traditionalist Front, the most right-wing party in Right to Life.

The June election resulted in a hung Senate with President New Missouri (Reactionary Traditionalist Front) (ex officio senator), Senator and Former President RCS (Conservative Federalist Party), and Senator Stellonia (independent) filling the three seats. Notably, Stellonia is only the second person in Right to Life history (the first person was Wugafarian) to win election to the Senate while being an open atheist. In the past, Stellonia won election to the Senate before he "came out" as atheist.

United Empire of Islam Joins PLI (By United Massachusetts)

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Pro-Life International (PLI) recently welcomed the United Empire of Islam as its newest and first Islamic member with PLI representatives voting unanimously in favor. The United Empire of Islam joins the regions Catholic, the Coalition of Catholic States, the International Republican Union, the League of Christian Nations, Right to Life, and the League of Conservative Nations in the alliance.

Far too often, people associate the pro-life movement with the Christian religion, mischaracterizing opposition to abortion as a purely theological or merely sectarian stance. However, Christianity is not the only faith that affirms the inherent value of unborn life -- or non-faith, counting numerous pro-life atheists and agnostics. In the Quran, God commands humanity to "not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Indeed, their killing is ever a great sin" (Quran 17.31).

Founder Decrees New Holiday (By Culture of Life)

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Founder Culture of Life (Christian Democrats) has added the International Day of the Unborn Child (March 25) to the official list of regional holidays and days of remembrance. Distributist Republics first mentioned the holiday on the regional message board, prompting the creation of a regionwide poll. The poll showed that 36 residents (95%) wanted the Founder to add the holiday and that only two residents (5%) were opposed.

The International Day of the Unborn Child was started in the real world by St. John Paul (pictured above). A number of pro-life nations have officially observed it, including Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, and the Philippines.

Subversive Organizations Act Becomes Law (By United Massachusetts)

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Following a leak of the Red Fleet's clandestine plans to overthrow the Right to Life government, acknowledged by communist totalitarian board member Caelapes, the 18th Senate of Right to Life took sweeping action, passing the Subversive Organizations Act. The new legislation requires Right to Life citizens who have connections to subversive organizations -- only the Red Fleet at this time -- to register with the regional government in a program overseen by the Right to Life Army.

An important provision in the new law specifies that regions and groups that are associates or allies of subversive organizations are to be held blameless for the actions of subversive organizations. This provision was included, in large part, as a reaction against the CAIN model. (In the past, the so-called Coalition Against the Ideology of Nazism, a multi-regional alliance, has infamously blacklisted and defamed regions with the loosest of ties to far-right politics as "Nazi collaborators.")

In the Subversive Organizations Act, the Senate decided not to include a proposed ban on the display of subversive-organization flags. United Massachusetts, then a senator, argued that such a prohibition would infringe too heavily on the right to free expression and that it would be alarmingly similar to the red flag law struck down in the real world by the United States Supreme Court in Stromberg v. California (1931).

Real World: Lucky Number Nine? (By The RCS)

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After the death of the conservative intellectual Antonin Scalia in February 2016, the Supreme Court of the United States was left with only eight of nine justices. Seeing an opportunity to push the Supreme Court to the left, then President Barack Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to fill the vacancy. This nomination came in the middle of 2016; but the Republican-controlled Senate refused to hold a vote on Garland, upholding the custom ("the Biden Rule"), created by Obama's own vice president, that justices are not to be appointed during presidential election years.

Donald Trump succeeded Obama as president in January and subsequently nominated Dr. Neil Gorsuch. Judge Gorsuch is a graduate of Columbia, Harvard, and Oxford universities. The Republican Senate confirmed Gorsuch in April, filling the seat vacated by Scalia more than a year after his death.

Gorsuch's appointment to the Supreme Court came with some jubilation on both sides of the aisle in Right to Life, thanks to his presumptive position on the constitutional issue of unborn life. New Dolgaria, the leader of Right to Life's Liberals for Life Coalition, commented: "As far as conservative judges go, I don't see anything particularly wrong with him. One of Trump's saner appointments."

For the right-leaning nations of Right to Life, the appointment came with much praise. Former President Phydios of the Conservative Federalist Party had this to say on the appointment: "In an age where the Supreme Court is given more legislative power than Congress, Justice Gorsuch is a wonderful man to have on it. I fully trust him to protect states' rights, fight against judicial overreach, and interpret the Constitution according to the original intent of its authors. He is a worthy replacement for Justice Scalia."

Only time will tell if Justice Gorsuch is the true, pro-life conservative who many think he is or if he will turn out to be a more centrist justice, such as Anthony Kennedy, who has endorsed legalized but regulated abortion. In early cases, Gorsuch has gravitated toward Justice Clarence Thomas, who is generally considered by the press and many legal experts to be the Supreme Court's most right-wing member.

Contests in the Lifemarket (By Culture of Life)

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Two contests were held in the regional marketplace, or Lifemarket, in June.

In the first contest, five Right to Life citizens placed bets on the outcome of the United Kingdom general election. The RCS won the 30-lifemark jackpot. Two days before the election, he predicted that the Conservative Party would win 320 seats and form a coalition or minority government. In reality, the Conservatives won 318 of 650 seats, barely keeping Prime Minister Theresa May in power.

The second contest was to predict the outcome of the NBA Finals in the United States. Four citizens entered, and the Imperial States of Maryland won the jackpot of 48 lifemarks. He correctly predicted that the Golden State Warriors would defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers in game five of the best-of-seven series.

Adopted in August 2014, the lifemark is the official currency of Right to Life. At present, more than 7500 lifemarks are in circulation with each new citizen receiving 100 lifemarks from the Bank of Right to Life upon applying for them. Lifemarks can be used to purchase private goods and services as well as certain public services, and they are often used for wagers in the Lifemarket.
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