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Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is raising money for an anti-abortion organization that plans to push his plan to end abortion without the need of overturning a Supreme Court decision or a constitutional amendment.
Instead, Paul is arguing for using the words of the Constitution and the very language from the Roe v. Wade decision.
“Now the time to grovel before the Supreme Court is over,” Paul said in the four-page letter sent out by the National Pro-Life Alliance. “Working from what the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade, pro-life lawmakers can pass a ‘Life at Conception Act’ and end abortion using the Constitution instead of amending it.”
The 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling states: “Texas urges that, apart from the Fourteenth Amendment, life begins at conception and is present throughout pregnancy, and that, therefore, the State has a compelling interest in protecting that life from and after conception. We need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins. When those trained in the respective disciplines of medicine, philosophy, and theology are unable to arrive at any consensus, the judiciary, at this point in the development of man’s knowledge, is not in a position to speculate as to the answer.”
It continues, “If this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant’s case, of course, collapses, for the fetus’ right to life would then be guaranteed specifically by the Amendment. The appellant conceded as much on reargument. On the other hand, the appellee conceded on reargument 52 that no case could be cited that holds that a fetus is a person within the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment.”
Personhood laws have been debated in state legislatures across the country. If passed, Paul’s bill would define the unborn as persons protected by the 14th Amendment at the federal level.
Paul argues that the Roe ruling itself opens the door for legislative action if law recognizes the unborn as people, thus protected by the Constitution, because even the ruling did not create the right to an abortion.
“When the Supreme Court handed down its now-infamous Roe v. Wade decision, it did so based on a new, previously undefined ‘right to privacy’ which it ‘discovered’ in so-called ‘emanations’ of ‘penumbrae’ of the Constitution,” Paul wrote. “Of course, as constitutional law, it was a disaster. But never once did the Supreme Court declare abortion itself to be a constitutional right.”
Though he has always taken a pro-life stance on abortion, Paul’s strong libertarianism could potentially prompt social conservatives to be cautious about supporting him. However, with both the legislation – first proposed in 2013 – and now the fundraising letter, Paul is putting himself in a leadership role on the issue.
It’s also a sign he is shoring up traditional Republican voters, even has he has stood out for trying to broaden the GOP base among young voters, minorities and other traditionally Democratic constituencies.
The National Pro-Life Alliance plans to do TV, radio and newspaper ads; lobby key members of Congress; run a series of newspaper columns and “an extensive direct mail and telephone campaign,” Paul said in the letter.
The letter includes petitions to sign to go to House and Senate leaders and the resident’s two U.S. senators and their House member. The organization is trying to get 1 million petitions sent to Congress.
For its part, Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading abortion provider and advocate, has used the proposal to attack Republican candidates in the 2014 midterm elections, such as Rep. Cory Gardner, who is running for U.S. Senate in Colorado.
If Paul succeeds, women will just be incubators entitled to no privacy, no 14th amendment rights, and no right to life.
People like Paul and his ilk place “unborn life” ahead of that of the living woman who is carrying the baby, and is lending her body to preserve it.
There is no way laws against abortion can be enforced without invading the privacy of the pregnant woman and subjecting her to gestapo-like control over every aspect of her life.
Did you hear about the African American woman who got an abortion? Crime stoppers sent her $500!
If we could just put birth control in the water, all this nonsense would stop.
I’d be all for that, PJ. Failing that, I’ll happily pay for birth control and sterilization to the extant of my ability to pay taxes, to put a stop to the incontinent breeding by people who can’t even care for themselves.
I’ll pay for their 1st trimester abortions, too.
For those of you who think you believe that “life begins at conception”… do you SERIOUSLY believe that a fertilized egg is the equivalent of a live baby? I mean, just please.
If you were holding a petri dish containing a fertilized human egg in one hand, and a baby in the other arm, and had to drop one to get your balance, which would you drop? Really?
If you really believe that a fertilized egg or miniscule human zygote is the equivalent of a baby, you will not be able to decide. But I am guessing you would drop that dish in a heartbeat to save the baby.
At least I HOPE.
It’s easy for people to get emotional on any issue where “innocent little babies” are involved. So many think they’re protecting innocent life, when in fact they’re damning children to be born to parents who don’t want them or — even worse — will abuse, perhaps even kill them. Which is better, and who gets to make that decision?
I stand on the ultra-Libertarian side of “no government has a right to tell a person what decisions to make with her/his own body and health.” That’s between a woman and her God, the father, her doctor and others closer to the matter than I.
What about my right to life?
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You could care less.
LIFE, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
1. I’m an adoptee.
2. I’d have PAID a girl to have a grandchild of mine had one of my sons sired one.
3. My 3rd son, while in utero, yielded a low AFP, which had a low but noticeable correlation to a genetic defect (Downs or something similar.) If anyone wants to TELL me what I am to be COMPELLED to do when confronted with something like this, I’ve a razor-sharp edge in need of skin contact.
I think abortion as birth control is a tragedy.
I think empowering women to abort even if the father wishes otherwise, or bear the child and grab the father by his balls to wring his $$$ into her hands for the next 18-22 years is bullshit.
I don’t think she should be able to be forced to bear the child, but neither should she be empowered to be the sole “decider” on who gets to pay for the kid’s formative years. She can ALWAYS adopt out to someone who will willingly pay to raise Junior.
Bottom line: Get the Damn Government OUT OF PERSONAL DECISIONS.
PS: If life begins at conception, then are we to have funerals for the 30-50% or more of zygotes (fertilized eggs) that do not implant and are thus flushed out with the woman’s menstrual cycle with her being none the wiser? If life begins at conception, then oral contraceptives, which primarily prevent ovulation but as a back-up also discourage implantation, are abortifacient drugs and would have to be outlawed.
Rand Paul is trying via legislation to fix a problem that cannot be fixed with politics. It is a moral and ethical quandary for which One Size Fits All solutions are disasters all.
I say again:
If life begins at conception, “the pill” is an abortion drug and has to be outlawed.
Anyone thinking THAT will work is a lunatic.
Does life begin at fertilization? At implantation? At the blastula stage? Let’s see, “life begins at the 64 cell stage….”
Give me a break. When politicians already decide for us all how much water a flush toilet can use, we’re already down the rabbit hole and stuck in something other than Wonderland.
It has been my experience that life begins at the age of 40.
I must be one of the few who supports abolishing abortion. I agree the life of a fetus should be protected under the 14 amendment.
I agree completely Stephanie.
Question: is your belief religious based? Do you think there will be a significant Minnie prolife movement?
“is your belief religious based”
Not really. It is a personal decision that I find it morally wrong for me to terminate a pregnancy. If I were pregnant it would mean I took part in creating a life. If I had an abortion I would be terminating a life I helped create and was solely responsible for carrying. To me, ending a life at anytime is morally wrong. I am also not a hypocrite in this issue. I also disagree with the death penalty, murder of an innocent, suicide or assisted suicide.
“Do you think there will be a significant Minnie prolife movement?”
I’m not sure. But statistic point towards an overall decline of abortion rates and birth rates. Either my generation is wise about birth control or they aren’t having much sex.
Killing is killing – whether euthanasia, capital punishment , war or abortion.
So – either there are times people need killing – or there isn’t – but it’s probably best to be consistent and not cherry pick.
The question of where life begin and a Woman’s right to decide how to manage her body is has no “good” answer. But for Rand Paul to “Bible Thump” on such a wedge issue greatly disappoints me and voids my vote in his column. Too bad, because I respect and support his p.o.v. on much else.
Pirate Jo says:
It has been my experience that life begins at the age of 40.
Yeah but studies show most folks have shot their wad by 45. After that, they become repetitive, regurgitating old ideas. According to the boffins, the brain loses ‘plasticity’, all synapses have formed their permanent connections and after 45, are beginning to disconnect the lines as old talents and habits are dropped and forgotten.
@El Com: You have your head up your ass.
@PJ: Maybe a little maturity works its’ way in around 40. (I’d love to see 60 again!). But I’m almost 77 and still have original thoughts now and then and go to the gym three times a week.
Knowing that I’m 2 years older than when Obamacare wishes I’d die really bothers me (/sarc off/)
As far as my personal opinion is concerned, until a fetus has matured to the extent that it can survive out of utero, it’s a parasite on the female’s body. If you don’t own your own body (male or female) you own nothing nor control anything. The state (at any and all levels) does not control nor should it control any actions of any sort between two consenting adults so long as the action does not adversely affect anyone one else. That’s why drug use and prostitution should not be a concern of the government beyond taxing it and punishing those who abuse the right and injure someone else through their use of whatever product it may be.
(now let the shit throwers line up and – all together — throw!
MA
Unless when Rand Paul’s wife gets knocked up, HE has a chance of dying giving birth, then he – and all like him – should shut up.
That being said women should not have the sole right to both terminate or get 18 years of child support. Which is how it stands now.
I don’t want to pay to raise other people’s kids to 18 – or for life.
I don’t want to pay to protect myself from those kids that become parasites on society due to ineffective parenting (and overreaching government).
And I most certainly do not want to risk my own life because other sheeple and our government tells me I have to.
Personal choice and others should really think about what the words “don’t judge” mean. Not my freaking business what someone else does to their fetus.
As for drugging the water supply, you two are a cancer doctor’s wet dream.
At least it would really help the overpopulation problem in America at least. Cancer for us all and no new babies. This place will be empty in no time.
Planned parenthood says since 1973 55 millions abortions (murders )have occurred just in this nation.
You belong to your father , the devil , and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning , not holding to the truth , for there is no truth in him.He is a liar and the father of lies.John 8:44-46
You all know abortion is murder for purely selfish reasons and if you say it’s not then you are a liar .You agree with murder you are agreeing with Satan. Who says so …..GOD .I refer you to psalm 1:39 : 13 -16.This what GOD says about the unborn.
And —- NOT-surprise! — up pops bb spouting religious quotes.
If could just evolve a smidgen more so that religion is no longer a tail that wags the human race, the entire world would be a far better place.
But, for some reason, religion, like singing and music and dancing, tribalism and doing battle over lost causes and never learning squat from our mistakes, all of these things seems to be a required necessity for members members of our poor ragtag race (the human race – that is)..
And quoting from religious text, (all written by men), regardless of which book it is or what its’ basis, may be looked upon as a simple waste of time and a path to barbarity as believers slaughter non-believers or those who believe their own fairy tales and (if they are lucky to have an Uncle Sam to send them the means!) slaughter right back.
I will grant there are a few homilies within most religious guidebooks but all of them are nested in prose so they me be taken in a number of different ways.
Then throw in resource depletion, global warming, population pressure in all the worst places and the mix is flammable in the extreme.
True, To balance it out, here are a number of really good, “Everything I learned, I learned from ‘what ever the fuck it may be’ and most of these self-help guides are far more productive than any religious tripe with their wisdom and life experience spelled out plainly to enable people to get along. How many read this stuff I have no clue.
With the experience of years, I am quite content that 90% of humanity is basically good at heart when reared from birth by a Mom and Dad who know what their doing and teach those kids the value of simple responsibility, pride in accomplishment, compromise, respect for others and their possessions, and if nothing else, encourage in them a good sense of humor so smooth out the bumps in the road.
Teach them to laugh at themselves, not bully others and say, “Yes Ma’am!” and “Yes Sir!”, open doors and hold chairs for their elders (or any female for that matter).
Love the kids dearly, never lie to them or even smooth out the lumps in the truth and they will respect you greatly in the years that follow and probably be willing to share with you or ask questions of you knowing they ”get the straight scoop” in return.
Take the time and effort (and it can be an effort) so that whenever your middle schooler hauls home religious literature, you spend as much time as is required (over time – doesn’t have to be at once) to make it clear that it is all a fairy tale designed to hopefully ‘Make you feel better about yourself” while forcing you to blindly accept whatever is on the man written paper he/she is reading. If it’s promoted to you kid as “homework’, just write a note from the teacher and decline to participate. Invite the teacher for a chat if you’re willing. 9 out of 10 will agree with you and fall back on “The State is making me do it!.”
Since a well balanced kid usually feels pretty good about him/herself (accepting outside influences can unbalance the formula a bit), He/she is just as open to accept the real reasons for pride, be it in a job well done, helping someone else by jumping in and giving them a hand and all the other positive and unfailing ways of making yourself valuable to yourself and the kids and people around you. And being happy in doing so.
Religion is very much like weeds. Kill it off in one place and up it sprouts in another. An intellectually prepared kid works like a weed killer. Tell him/her there’s plenty of time to watch and learn and at a more mature point in life, then make the decision whether or not to consider religion as something he wants in his life or does not want.
Don’t brainwash your kid on any subject before the child has matured enough to understand what is going on and why and then let the kid make up his own mind as to whether to participate or not.
MA
Hugs Muck.
Love your thought processes and your conclusions.
You are right about the kids. My son is my shining example and I hope (pray 🙂 ) my daughter will be too.
Love to see you posting!
What this tells me is he is too chickenshit to deal with any of the REAL problems facing this county; like JOBS, immigration, corporate corruption, and the red tape that is killing small businesses.