Goodbye Mr. Kline

Once again boys and girls, Phill Kline is on the trail of the dastardly Overland Park clinic known as Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri. What is this clinic doing that 107 charges have been drawn up against it by Kline? Doing exactly what it has a right to do: counseling pregnant women, providing contraceptive information and abortion services as allowed under the standards mandated by the law.

Kline and his pal Troy Newman, just can’t stomach these clinics to operate and thus conspire together to close them down for their buddy, God. The formula is simple: use taxpayer money to harrass clinics with grand jury investigations, file numerous criminal charges that carry heavy fines and prison terms, use intimidation tactics with nutty groups like Operation Rescue, and then hold press conferences on the taxpayers dime to pontificate about “doing one’s duty” until the clinics are bled dry with legal expenses and are forced to close their doors.

Peter Brownlie, president of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, is not about to let these two charlatans get away with their manipulation of the law and the system to deny women their right to privacy as afforded under the constitution. Closing these clinics is not an option and the people of Kansas are beyond tired of Kline’s efforts.

A stranger to Kansas would have to wonder why in the world this District Attorney of Johnson County, is not summarily tossed out on his glutius maximus for abusing his important public office. Courageous Kansans fighting to uphold a woman’s right to privacy know the answer to this conundrum: the Kansas electorate was fed up with Kline in 2006, and soundly voted him out of the State Attorney General office only to see the anti-abortion republican hacks snub the will of the people, and hand Kline his current job to continue his assault on women seeking important medical services

Kline is a man obsessed with forcing his religious beliefs on all Kansans. It might even be suggested he has a bit of a “Messiah” complex as he fights for his male, Christian, fundamentalist God who abhors abortions. Of course, Kline’s God doesn’t seem very angry about Iraqis being killed, but is livid that women have the right in America to decide their own reproductive choices. One would think God could take care of this Himself instead of sending the Phill Kline or Troy Newman to do the dirty work. (Frankly, I think God is hanging with the wrong crowd.)

It seems clear now that we need the Kansas State Legislature to pass a law prohibiting ideological/hate groups from harassing businesses and private citizens with their nuisance petitions to convene grand juries in Kansas. It is a gross manipulation of a democratic tool in the interest of one narrow group and mocks the entire system of justice.

One of the most fundamental right citizens have is to make medical decisions they deem best for their physical welfare. No person is truly free without this most basic right, and Kline knows this is true, but that is exactly the point; Kline doesn’t believe women should be “that” free. They must atone for Eve’s sin and forcing women to give birth is God’s command, right? God didn’t say, “Enjoy your apple, and control your pregnancies”. Kline won’t say this in so many words but it is what he believes. He is working for God to save babies because women are not to get off scott-free from having sex and for sinning first!

From a legal basis, Kline’s attempt to shred a citizen’s right to privacy is certainly in violation of Griswold v Connecticut, 1965 and Roe v.Wade,1973. His actions make the Supreme Court’s bland phrase regarding restrictions that should not cause “an undue burden” ring even more hollow for women who now face the undue burden of an out of control District Attorney in Johnson County.

Kline is not only violating the constitution with his actions, but in violation of the most important principles the founders bequeathed to future generations: a secular government allowing all people to freely worship their God, but also a government which bars religion from making laws based upon their doctrines. Kline flunked this most basic civic lesson.

Let me state this one more time: Upholding reproductive choice for women might offend someone’s religious beliefs, but the American government is not based upon writing laws that support a religious viewpoint. Good government must pass laws based upon the rights of the citizenry, and this may come as a shock to Kline and others, but women are citizens who have autonomy over their own bodies. To do anything less is to make a mockery of our own democratic republic, free of religious entanglements. The world is scarred and damaged enough by religious dogma dictating public policy without doing the same in America.

Kline should resign if he cannot curb his addiction to upholding the bible instead of the law. We all know the answer to that dilemma. Goodbye Mr. Kline.


Vickie Sandell Stangl