Stop personal attacks

Last week, the state Senate voted in favor of SB134, which will ban abortion after the point when a heartbeat can be detected, around the sixth to eighth week of pregnancy. The bill recognizes exceptions for rape, incest, to save the life of the mother or lifethreatening emergencies.

Opponents on the far left dredged up video of a speech I delivered at a Tea Party rally in 2011, and edited my nearly 20-minute talk down to

1 1 ⁄ minutes, taking statements about

2 “minorities” out of context and labeling me a racist—a description with which I would have never ever conceived being tagged. Standing alone, the comments could very well appear to be racist. In the entire context of my speech, however, it is very evident that I was referring to the minority of political interests not aligned with the views of the majority of Arkansans. My comments had nothing to do with anyone’s ethnic background, and I believe the attacks on my character are not really about me at all. I believe this situation is about the rage of the liberal left because people are standing up for life in Arkansas.

The dissenters have every right to disagree, to express their disagreement and to fight the Heartbeat Bill. However, the problem arises when they lose all perspective of the actual issue and begin to hurl personal attacks. I will continue to proudly support pro-life legislation and be vocal in defense of the unborn. When there is a heartbeat, there is life. JASON RAPERT

Bigelow State Sen. Jason Rapert represents District 35.