VHeadline New York-based columnist Mary MacElveen writes: In the United States of America, when a person strikes out in their independent thinking either it is heralded as showing courage or it is struck down with such condemnation.  Just recently, I came to realize, through some soul searching, that I am pro-life.  That is not an easy thing to do when many see you as a progressive writer.

I do not like labels much, but people seem to feel the need to use them.

• Before writing two columns cconveying this stance, I was as nervous as a GAY person coming out of the closet at a Republican convention ... but, I sucked it up and let it rip.

As you will see in my previous column on abortion it was met with such venom.  As a person who is against the war in Iraq and proclaiming my pro-life stance, I saw it as being consistent.  Sadly, others did not see it that way ... but, hey that's freedom and we all have the right to freedom of thought and speech.

In fact in that original column, I included a video feed called The Truth about Abortion which I noticed has been viewed by more than 200 people.  As I am typing this column, the present counter reads 219.  Some of those increased hits came from me as I have been checking to see if that counter has moved much.  Well it hasn't.  Were people afraid to see the horrors of abortion?  Or were they afraid to face the truth?  I do think the latter.  Are they terrified it may turn their belief system upside down?

In previous anti-war columns written for my blog as well as for VHeadline.com and others, I have embedded feeds of the horrors of wars.  I wonder if some are willing to view those since it meshes in with their anti-war status.  But, the minute I throw in a pro-life feed, folks run away as fast as they can.

I've even stated that I do not see the difference of babies killed by DU and white phosphorus to those who are aborted each day.  Yet, many fail to see that similarity.  While some are taken by war, some in the pro-life movement see abortion as a war targeting the unborn.

In any event, you are probably wondering what all this has to do with Venezuela?  Before I do so, I've always noticed pro-Venezuelan and pro-President Chavez pieces being circulated around various progressive lists which are primarily made up of Democrats ... they love his brand of socialism and how he cares for the poor ... I still admire him for doing all of that!  Some have even remarked on various lists or direct to me that they wish they could move to Venezuela, and I have noticed that many will sound the alarm bell if a woman's right to choose is endangered.

So, I did some digging today and came upon this website which clearly states that abortion is illegal in Venezuela unless the mother's life is in danger.  I would say that's consistent thinking especially when Venezuela is a pacifist nation and does not illegally invade other countries namely Iraq causing the deaths of one million Iraqis.