Whether we fight to pass the Human Life Amendment or localize the battle for the hearts and minds of the American people, one of the most important steps is to elect a president dedicated to the protection of innocent human life.
Short weeks after receiving the endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee, Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson apparently ran afoul of some in the pro-life movement, when, in an interview on Fox News Sunday, he revealed that he does not support a Human Life Amendment (HLA) to the U.S. Constitution.
Can one be pro-life and not in favor of a Constitutional Amendment which seeks a federal ban on abortion? The easy answer is that one can and probably should be both. But at this time in our history, the amendment process is, sadly, a pipe dream. Imagine trying to get two-thirds of both houses of our Democratic Congress to even propose such an amendment. Then further fantasize that three-fourths of the states would ratify it in the present political climate. This is an all-or-nothing approach that in all probability would save no lives.
Thompson correctly points out that working for the repeal of Roe v. Wade, then making the fight a state-by-state process, is a much more realistic and feasible goal. A states-rights argument should not only appeal to federalists, but ought to be seen as the best current solution by all who cherish life. I’m with the folks who say that abortion is murder, and in this country, murder and its consequences have always been defined by each individual state. And this is where the battle lines must be drawn.
One reason is that dealing with state legislators would be easier than battling their federal counterparts who are in the grips of lobbyists and other special interest groups; the locals are closer to the people they represent and therefore more accountable to them. Another, and probably more important, is the fact that the pro-death faction fears this route the most.
They know that, should the question of abortion descend from the dark tower of judicial tyranny and land where it belongs — in the hands of the people — their ‘cause’ is in trouble. Most believe that we are only one pro-life presidential Supreme Court nominee away from this. Planned Parenthood’s Laura Lambert called the Court’s recent decision to uphold the Partial Birth Abortion Act (PBA):
[A] clear signal to those who seek to dismantle the 34-year-old decision that the court will be receptive to ever more intrusive efforts to limit access to abortion . . . This expansive approach to a state’s right to restrict and limit abortion is one of the most disturbing parts of the opinion.
The next logical step is to roll back decades of indoctrination and convince people that abortion is indeed the murder of a human person. Why? The answer lies in the majority opinion in Roe v. Wade. Justice Blackmun wrote, “If this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant's case, of course, collapses, for the fetus' right to life is then guaranteed specifically by the (Fourteenth) Amendment."
After the heinous murder of Laci Peterson and her unborn son, Conner, the U.S. Congress finally passed the Unborn Victims of Violence Act in 2004 which states, “the term ‘unborn child’ . . . means a member of the species homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the womb.” Though this act only covers federal crimes, the wording is crucial as it is now codified in the U.S. Code.
Half of the states in America already recognize unborn children as victims of crime at any stage of pre-natal development, while another ten do so with limitations. And while it’s true that these laws have provisions excepting cases of abortion, the good news is that all legal challenges to the definition of unborn children as ‘persons’ have thus far been defeated.
Someone wise once said that science is God’s way of explaining himself to us. If that is true, then the development of 4D ultrasound technology is a highly instructive and heaven-sent tool for protecting life. So much so, that there are presently ten states with “witness to womb” laws which require doctors to offer ultrasounds to women considering abortions, and another five states are considering similar measures.
Whether we fight to pass the HLA or localize the battle for the hearts and minds of the American people, one of the most important steps is to elect a president dedicated to the protection of innocent human life. For those who say that a president can have no impact on pro-life issues, remember who vetoed the PBA twice before it was signed by George W. Bush. The same President who, in May of this year, sent a letter to the Congressional Democratic leadership:
I am writing to make sure that there is no misunderstanding of my views on these important issues . . . I believe it is the most basic duty of Government to guard the innocent. With that in mind, I will veto any legislation that weakens current Federal policies and laws on abortion, or that encourages the destruction of human life at any stage.
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Read more articles by Lisa Fabrizio
Ron Paul is a much better candidate for the Pro-Life community than is Fred Thompson. Thompson has some shady history lobbying for pro-abortion causes and that, to me, puts into question his determination and absolute commitment to the pro-life cause. Thompson is correct, however, in that we need to return this issue to the states. A Federal Amendment, for reasons you cited, is a much more difficult and dubious path to take to achieve our desired end.
Ron Paul has authored and sponsored the Sanctity of Life Act:
From the link below:
"Accordingly, Ron Paul has introduced and reintroduced the Sanctity of Life Act (including in the current Congress). If passed, this Bill would recognize the personhood of all unborn babies by declaring that "human life shall be deemed to exist from conception." The Bill also recognizes the authority of each State to protect the lives of unborn children. In addition, this Bill would remove abortion from the jurisdiction of the Court, thereby nullifying the Roe v. Wade decision. The Bill would also deny funding for abortion providers. In plain language, the Bill would overturn Roe v. Wade and end abortion-on-demand."
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/baldwin/071201
Ron Paul is the most pro-life of all of the candidates and he has a working knowledge of how Congress works having served in the House spanning 3 decades and 10 terms as a Republican Congressman.
The pro-life community is caught up in celebrityism, just like the couch potato sitting in front of Entertainment Tonight. People no longer want a principled Statesman in the mold of a Thomas Jefferson. They want a Big Government Politician, from whatever party, to tell them how to run their lives.
Ron Paul will bring true conservativism and values back to the White House. I wish more people would recognize that he really is the last hope before America turns into another socialized NAU in the mold of the EU.
Let it not said that we did noththing to stop the inevitable decline into that abyss.
ROn Paul for President in 2008!
Comment by freedom360 | December 4, 2007