Posted 6/6/01 Questions Sen. Ringís positions To the editor: A writer of a recent letter to the editor mentioned both abortion and guns, calling both issues controversial. If one dares to build upon this linkage, itís rather easy to see how the arguments liberals use are shaped to suit their own views, depending on the issue being addressed. Letís start with a quote that the St. Paul Pioneer Press attributed to our Sen. Twyla Ring regarding the Minnesota Personal Protection Act: ìI do believe we do have a right to carry. I just donít believe that everybody in the state has a need to carry.î If that is true, lets try this following scenario using the same logic...ìI believe we have the right to abortions. I just donít believe that everyone has the need for abortion?î Liberal extremists like Sen. Ring would argue that the individuals need is absolutely determined by the individual in question. However, when the issue is switched to personal protection with guns somehow then conversely, the government is the absolute superior authority of the individuals need. Are you starting to see the inconsistency? One of the excuses that Sen. Ring gave for hiding out in a colleagueís office instead of attending and voting in the committee meeting, on the day the Minnesota Personal Protection Act was to be heard, and acted upon, was that ìThere is a 72 hour rule to put things on agendas around here.î (Thus by lack of a quorum, successfully blocking the bill from even coming to the floor for discussion). This statement is from a senator who has voted at least twice against a simple 24 hour waiting period for abortions. (Note, this legislation is considered by the majority of people in Minnesota to be reasonable.) Pro-abortion extremists in the legislature nicknamed this 24-hour waiting period ìThe Women are Stupid Bill.î With this in mind, it seems only fair that one could then be justified in then nicknaming the 72-hour waiting rule to schedule things on committee agendas, ìThe legislators are stupid rule.î Another quote attributed to Sen. Ring in the Pioneer Press was ìEverybody who is in office, you just have to take a tough vote now and then,î The irony to this statement is, that if she runs for re-election next year, she can then tell constituents who support the Minnesota Personal Protection Act that she never voted on the actual bill, and be technically correct. Her inconsistency here is that with her every action, she was in reality avoiding having to vote on the MPPA legislation. A true Statesman will take a stand on a controversial issue, using only consistent core principles from issue to issue. Political heat will never waver a true Statesman. On the other hand, if a person is just a Politician they will avoid taking a position on the tough issues as long as possible, and then will be inconsistent in arguments from issue to issue. Iím afraid that our Senator Ring has left us little doubt as to which one of these definitions truly fits her. Bruce Nelson Pine City ©Post Review