Respect for Life Essay Winners

Today it was announced that Nathaniel, 10th grade, and Elizabeth, 9th grade, were winners at the diocesan level of the Knights of Columbus Respect for Life Essay contest. Their essays will now enter the state level. This year's theme was to reflect on "A Person is a Person No Matter How Small." Kudos to the both of you for your hard work!

A Person Is A Person No Matter How Small
Somewhere a line has to be drawn on efforts to remove God from the minds and lives of mankind. Unborn children were made in Gods image and likeness, and yet, they do not receive any respect or dignity from mankind. A baby is a human being from the moment it is conceived until the day he dies. He should be treated as a temple of the Holy Spirit, not a tiny blob of tissue. However, in order for these children to take back their rights, they need adults to speak out for them that have a say over law and have a high enough position to influence the decisions of congress in moral issues.
Isn’t it amazing how the government has control over our lives? They decide who is allowed to live and who will die. These are not the kind of choices that government should be responsible for making. God is the only One who should have say over our lives. In order to allow unborn children to receive the same rights as we, pro-life officials must be elected. We should not have to go so far as to draw a line on the conduct of our government and the decisions they make. The election of pro-life officials is one major way to secure the rights of our children and their future.
Abortion is wrong no matter what the case is. Just because a person is smaller than the size of your little finger does not mean that he should not receive the rights of a citizen. Just because someone cannot speak for himself does not mean that we should kill him. Because a man cannot yet walk, this gives us the right to take away his life? Where will the line be drawn? Life at any stage of development deserves respect. Because a woman is raped does not give her the right to take away the life of her child. Adoption is not cruel, murder is cruel! It is listed in “The Declaration of Independence,” that “whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.” It is our duty to live up to the declaration of independence onto which our government was based. If our government cannot live up to the pro-life standards by which it was originated, we must do our part to alter it so that it will construct its decisions on the declaration by which it was founded. ~Nathaniel

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All Men Are Created Equal
When, in the Declaration of Independence, it states, “all men are created equal,” surely it must mean that even the tinniest being has a right to life. Life should not be taken from any person no matter how small he/she may be.
The murdering of a baby is called abortion. At the moment of conception, when the sperm fertilizes the egg, the US has a new citizen; but even though “all men are created equal,” this baby, this citizen, is considered nothing unless he is “wanted.” He/she could be killed by abortion, even though the Declaration of Independence makes her equal to all the US citizens, including the abortionist.
Life of even the tiniest being should be considered priceless, not a mere nothing, as it is being treated in the world today. It is illegal, in the United States, to kill a man, but it is legal to kill a child. The baby is more innocent and harmless than the man.
The killing of a child in abortion is completely against the USA’s old laws summarized in the Declaration. No matter the size, if a person is not yet able to speak, or if a child has disabilities, she/he is an equal to everybody. No one has a right to take the life of any human being; that is for God to decide. America should be ashamed of allowing abortion. How could America be so cruel to disobey their “old law” and allow almost 1.3 million abortions a year? The USA needs to abandon abortion and obey their good and old laws in the Declaration of Independence!
In the Declaration of Independence, when it says, “all men are created equal” the US should be capable of comprehending its meaning. Its meaning is this: “a person is a person no matter how small.” ~Elizabeth