Unborn babies in the womb lost to abortion extremists in four separate ballot initiatives last night.
In California, Michigan, and Vermont, voters approved amendments that create new constitutional rights to abortion and a host of other undefined “reproductive freedoms.” Kentucky voters rejected a ballot measure that would have amended the state constitution to say that it does not include the right to abortion, which opens the door for a possible abortion amendment in the future.
Unfortunately, many people, including conservatives, do not fully appreciate the implications of enshrining expansive and nebulous rights in their state constitutions — in part because abortion extremists frame baby killing as “care.” Fox Los Angeles’ graphic (see above) on the passage of California’s Proposition 1 reads: “California voters vote in favor of preserving reproductive health care as a constitutional right…” This is complete disinformation. First, Prop 1 does not preserve the so-called right to abortion in California, as abortion is already legal throughout pregnancy. The anemic statute that limited abortion after viability prior to Prop 1 included a gaping exception for the “health” of the mother, which encompassed any physical, social, financial, emotional, mental, familial, educational. (here fill in adjectives at random) reason to obtain a late-term abortion.
And euphemizing abortion as “reproductive health care” is incoherent. Reproductive health care means care in furtherance of reproduction — i.e., pregnancy/prenatal care. Abortion is anti-reproduction. Moreover, you cannot define a procedure that is intended to result in the death of one of the individuals involved as “health care.” We need to call pro-aborts out on their abuse of language instead of reinforcing the idea that abortion has anything to do with the legitimate practice of medicine.
As far as I am aware, very few pastors openly encouraged their congregations to oppose state abortion amendments. For example, I could not find a single mention about Prop 1 from Rick Warren, who until recently was lead pastor of the largest Christian congregation in California. Life Legal worked with Warren to raise awareness about the problems inherent in legalizing assisted suicide, but on the killing of children in the womb, he has been inexplicably silent.
Please be clear that the amendments passed in California, Michigan, and Vermont are intended to do much more than expand abortion. Although the full panoply of “reproductive freedoms” now enshrined in these state constitutions have yet to be determined, the amendments will almost certainly include the right of minors to obtain sex change drugs and procedures that could leave them permanently sterile — a right they can assert against their parents. For anyone who thinks children, teens, or young adults should be allowed to undergo gender transition procedures, I highly recommend our friend Jennifer Lahl’s most recent film The Detransition Diaries.
Aside from mourning these devastating temporary losses for the sanctity of life, what is Life Legal doing to protect children going forward?
- We have adopted California Right to Life into the Life Legal family! CA Right to Life is a non-profit organization that educates the public about the sanctity and intrinsic value of each human life, especially children in the womb. CA Right to Life teams actively engage with Millennials and Gen Z on school campuses, at health fairs, outside abortion clinics, and on social media. We recently mailed over 100,000 educational magazines to homes in communities targeted by Planned Parenthood for new or expanded abortion mills to help people fight back against pro-abortion propaganda.
- We are challenging a number of recent state laws sponsored by Planned Parenthood and other abortionists, including a law that would have criminalized most sidewalk counseling outside abortion facilities and a law that forces insurance companies to subsidize abortions but not pregnancy.
- We are working with pregnancy centers across the country in strategic marketing initiatives to educate abortion-minded women regarding the facts about abortion that abortionists hide from them. We are connecting women with pro-life resources and we are providing legal counsel to women who have been injured by abortion.
We will be sharing more about these measures in the coming weeks — along with other new initiatives Life Legal is taking to secure a pro-life future.