Brownback Looks to Movie for Inspiration on Campaign Trail

Sen. Brownback is a fan of late-18th / early-19th Century British lawmaker William Wilberforce, as well as the movie "Amazing Grace", which depicts Wilberforce's efforts to end slavery in the British Empire:

WASHINGTON - Who says Democrats have a lock on Hollywood?

Republican presidential candidate Sam Brownback was in Los Angeles Thursday to attend a screening of the new movie "Amazing Grace," about legendary British lawmaker William Wilberforce, who led the fight to abolish slavery in England in 1807.

Wilberforce happens to be one of the Kansas senator's "personal heroes," said Brownback spokesman Brian Hart. After the movie, Brownback will take part in a panel discussion with the film's producers to discuss human trafficking and slavery.

"He is hopeful that this movie will have a positive impact on the world and shed some light on the tragedy of modern-day slavery and sex trafficking," Hart said.

Brownback's commitment to human rights is bound with his religious faith; he was an evangelical Protestant who converted to Catholicism in 2002. He identifies with Wilberforce, who was a leading evangelical in British Parliament, and has tailored his presidential campaign to appeal to religious conservatives.

Brownback has played a key role in enacting legislation to combat human trafficking, curb disease in Africa and fight genocide in Sudan. He and other anti-abortion activists also see parallels between Wilberforce's fight against slavery and the modern movement to outlaw abortion.

Last week, Brownback introduced a Senate resolution to honor Wilberforce and commemorate 200 years since the end of the slave trade in the British Empire.

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