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Pro-Life Update The Pro-Life movement must always remain pure in our defense of innocent human life. All unborn babies deserve a chance at life, and there really is no “middle ground” when defending the innocent. We must continue to pass Pro-Life legislation that affirms the dignity of the unborn child. Texas’s strong, Pro-Life government and its solid, Pro-Life legislation have yet again proved unpopular with NARAL Pro-Choice America: We received an “F” in their state grade book. In this 80th Texas Legislative Session, we will continue to fight for legislation that will foster a Culture of Life and dishearten pro-abortion groups such as NARAL.
Please read this issue of the Pro-Life Update carefully to understand some of the challenges we now face and how you—an educated Pro-Lifer—can advance the Culture of Life. Please share this information with your family, friends, and church congregations. Make copies. Spread the news.
NARAL Pro-Choice America Fails Texas Again NARAL Pro-Choice America has awarded Texas a failing grade yet again—a wonderful sign for the Pro-Life movement in Texas! NARAL recently released their 16th annual report, Who Decides? The Status of Women’s Reproductive Rights in the United States, which is, according to their words, “the most comprehensive report with analysis and tracking of choice-related legislation.”
NARAL reported that 93 percent of Texas counties have no abortion provider. They also listed the Pro-Life legislation currently in effect, including A Woman’s Right to Know, Physician-Only Restriction, Parental Consent, restrictions on abortions for babies who are viable, and more. Their criticism on post-viability abortion restrictions proves how truly extreme they are. The vast majority of Americans would concur that abortions should not be permitted when a baby is viable. NARAL, however, opposes Texas’s law because “the health exceptions are dangerously narrow.”
According to Texas law, no abortion may be performed in the third trimester on a viable fetus unless necessary to preserve the woman's life, or prevent a “substantial risk of serious impairment” to her physical or mental health, or if the fetus has a severe and irreversible fetal abnormality. Another statute limits the health exception even further, stipulating that no abortion may be performed in the third trimester on a viable fetus unless necessary to preserve the woman's life or prevent “severe, irreversible brain damage” or paralysis or if the fetus has a severe and irreversible “brain impairment.” NARAL prefers legislation similar to that established by Doe v. Bolton in 1973, which defined health as “all factors—physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman’s age—relevant to the well-being of the patient.” This health exception essentially expanded the right to abortion throughout the entire pregnancy for any reason, and the recent changes to Texas statutes have narrowed the unmitigated right to abortion.
Needless to say, Texas Right to Life is proud to be considered a threat to extreme pro-abortion groups such as NARAL Pro-Choice America. We understand the importance of promoting life-affirming legislation and electing government officials who defend innocent human life.
Texas Man Sentenced for Killing Unborn Baby On February 2, Adrian Estrada, 23, was convicted of killing both a pregnant teenager and her unborn baby. In 2003, the Texas legislature passed the Prenatal Protection Act (HB 246 and SB 319), which establishes both the mother and her unborn baby as separate victims in a violent crime committed against a pregnant woman. The bill defined “individual” to include an “unborn child at every stage of gestation from fertilization until birth.”
Stephanie Sanchez was only 17 years old and three months pregnant on December 12, 2005, when her body was found dead at her family’s home. She was choked and stabbed 13 times. DNA evidence from the trial established that Estrada was the baby’s father.
The 2002 case of Laci Peterson and her unborn son, Connor, brought national attention to this issue and confirmed the urgent need to include unborn babies as separate victims of violent crimes. Anyone who commits such an act of violence must be held accountable for both lives.
Politics and the Pro-Life Movement Cokie Roberts, ABC News pundit and author, and her husband, Steven Roberts, write a syndicated column together. One recent headline read “Nation’s Abortion Debate Finally Cooling Off.” They claimed that, since President Bush did not directly address abortion in his State of the Union address, the debate over abortion is coming to a halt. As they stated, “The abortion issue has taken up far more time and energy than it deserves.”
The Pro-Life movement, of course, recognizes that this is far from the truth. First, the abortion debate is so vitally important—with over 1.2 million lives lost each year—that it cannot receive too much attention. Secondly, President Bush has continued to be a strong ally to the Pro-Life movement. He has already vowed to veto anti-Life proposals, including federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.
In their article, the Roberts tout a “third way”—not strictly pro-abortion or Pro-Life (or, as the Roberts claim, the “purists”), but somewhere in the middle. (Note: The majority of people who find themselves “in the middle” only support abortion in instances of rape, incest, or life of the mother—just about 5% of all abortions.) They described this group as “a moderate Democratic group;” however, this group is staffed by veteran pro-abortion activists from groups like Planned Parenthood and the Women’s Law Project. Truly Pro-Life Democrats deserve our support, but the Democratic party is still very much run by the pro-abortionists. As the 2008 elections draw nearer, the Democratic candidates will attempt to make themselves seem more moderate. No current Democratic presidential candidates are Pro-Life. Please be vigilant in learning what politicians believe. [Know that Texas Right to Life will make all candidates’ positions on the Life Issues available to the public prior to the Texas primary election.]
The Pro-Life movement still has much work to ensure that all people throughout the world are welcomed into Life and respected. If you would like any additional information on the topics discussed above, please send me a note or log onto www.TexasRightToLife.com. If you ever have questions about any Pro-Life issues, please be sure to let me know. Yours for Life, Dr. Joseph M. Graham President |
