More from the Kansas Mainstream Coalition

I was doing some more reading on the website of the group that the South Dakota Mainstream Coalition based their movement on, namely the Kansas/Missouri Mainstream Coalition.

As mentioned many times before, there's several in the South Dakota group who I admire the heck out of. But I really have to question it when they form a group whose out-of-state counterpart seems a bit... Well, for lack of a better term, it doesn't seem quite mainstream with South Dakota values.

Just a few planks from the Kansas/Missouri Mainstream Coalition's mainfesto:

Gun Control

The MAINstream Coalition believes all current laws restricting the carrying and use of weapons should be strictly enforced.

We support any measure that will curb the proliferation of personal firearms in America. We oppose the concealed carrying of weapons by the general population.

We support legislation to provide for safety locks on all firearms.

Human Cloning

The MAINstream Coalition believes that governments should not ban cloning without an understanding of its scientific value.

The therapeutic potential of stem cells should be pursued in order to determine its benefits and limitations.

Guidelines should be established and monitored jointly by the scientific community, bioethical organizations and appropriate governmental agencies. We believe that the cloning of human embryos should be conducted only with the highest regard and respect for human life.

We support the use of human stem cells, derived either from adult, embryonic, or other tissues and used for therapeutic purposes. These tissues should be made available with consent, rather than discarded.

We oppose cloning for the purpose of human reproduction.

Display of Religious Symbols

The MAINstream Coalition believes that displays of specific religious beliefs/symbols, or specific religious tradition within such beliefs, on government property negates the doctrine of church and state separation. We support the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which binds states to the constitutional separation of church and state.

We support the hearing of all litigation regarding separation of church and state at the federal level.

Reproductive Choice

The MAINstream Coalition believes all children should be born wanted, loved and nurtured.

We support the U.S. Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, that recognizes a woman's constitutional right to privacy in deciding whether to continue a pregnancy.

We support confidentiality in health care professional/patient decisions concerning sexual relations, a possible pregnancy, or the continuation of a pregnancy.

We support late-term termination of a pregnancy if a woman's mental and/or physical health is endangered.

We support comprehensive sexuality education in public schools, including knowledge of contraception, as the best deterrent of unplanned, unwanted pregnancies.

We support a woman's ready access to abortion at the state and federal level.

Now, understand that I have no idea whether or not the South Dakota Mainstream Coalition concurs with any of those planks because they haven't come out with a platform of specifics yet. But it's entirely possible that the South Dakota group might reject them in their entirety. Why?

Consider the Kansas/Missouri platform plank of belief that "displays of specific religious beliefs/symbols, or specific religious tradition within such beliefs, on government property negates the doctrine of church and state separation." Well I don't believe that Senator Adelstein, the main backer of the coalition is going to say he believes that.

I don't believe Senator Ed Olson is going to agree to "curb the proliferation of personal firearms" which is a fancy way of saying gun control. In fact, he recognized the contributions of Gun Shows in SD in 2004 as a sponsor of a concurent resolution noting that fact. And gun shows are a constant target of the gun control advocates.

The Kansas/Missouri Mainstream Coalition supports human cloning? This vote says that in 2004 every single senator who helped form the Mainstream Coalition in South Dakota said no to it. And here's the House Counterpart. It was unanimous.

And I doubt that any of them are going to stand up and state they support late-term abortions and reject the ability of citizens to carry a concealed weapon. I don't know if any of them would support the teaching of comprehensive sex in schools after the debacle in Sioux Falls where the school wanted to teach fellatio and masturbation to young kids.

So, I'm hoping the Mainstream coalition comes out with a platform of specifics soon. Because if they want to show they are in the Mainstream, they're going to need to distance themselves from the group they are based on.