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Pro-Life Update The past couple months have brought great victories for the Pro-Life movement. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the Partial-Birth Abortion (PBA) Ban Act. A PBA ban had been passed twice and vetoed twice by President Clinton. In 2003, the measure was again passed and signed into law by President Bush but was held up in the courts until the Supreme Court definitively spoke. Then, in the wake of this monumental ruling, President Bush reaffirmed his commitment to a Culture of Life by sending a letter to both the House and Senate stating that he would veto any bills that would weaken current Pro-Life policies. We must celebrate these victories as we steadfastly advance the Culture of Life.
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.
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Upheld On April 18, the U.S. Supreme Court (by a 5-4 decision) upheld the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, outlawing this barbaric procedure. The decision marks the first restriction on a particular abortion procedure since the 1973 Roe v. Wade court abomination legalizing this practice in the United States.
Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst shared his thoughts on this decision: “I applaud the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Congress’ prohibition on the awful procedure of partial-birth abortion. This decision is important on two separate fronts. First, it affirms that we have a responsibility to protect innocent human life. Second, it reminds us that we are a nation with laws written and enacted by representatives elected by the people. Our laws are not to be written and enacted by judges unaccountable to the people.”
Justice Anthony Kennedy, in the majority opinion, wrote, “The Act proscribes a method of abortion in which a fetus is killed just inches before completion of the birth process... Congress determined that the abortion methods it proscribed had a ‘disturbing similarity to the killing of a newborn infant.’” The majority ruled that a general ban on the method is permissible and does not violate the general “abortion right” enunciated in past decisions such as Roe v. Wade (1973) and Casey v. Planned Parenthood (1992).
As Chuck Colson of BreakPoint commented, “It took thirty-four years to get from Roe v. Wade to the first significant restriction of so-called ‘abortion rights.’ It’s a reminder that when it comes to eradicating social ills, we must never give up.” Colson compared this victory with British Parliamentarian William Wilberforce’s victory in slowing the British slave trade. Wilberforce’s victory came when he was able to pass legislation in 1788 that restricted the number of slaves that a ship was allowed to carry based on the ship’s tonnage. This victory, although small, proved that the slave trade was vulnerable, just as our victory against partial-birth abortion proves that the abortion industry is vulnerable. Mr. Wilberforce, after almost 20 years of fighting, was eventually successful in abolishing the slave trade. Twenty-five years after that, slavery was abolished all together. We too—with patience, hard work, and diligence—eventually will be successful in abolishing the scourge of abortion.
President Bush Reaffirms Sanctity of Life On May 3, President George W. Bush sent letters to the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate stating that he would “veto any legislation that weakens current Federal policies and laws on abortion, or that encourages the destruction of human life at any stage.”
President Bush’s letter is particularly important as the congressional appropriations committees are considering funding bills for the fiscal year starting October 1. As National Right to Life explained, many important Pro-Life policies are kept in place by provisions of such appropriations bills (“riders”), including the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding for abortion (except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest).
President Bush’s words speak for themselves:
Our Nation was founded on the belief that every human being has rights, dignity, and matchless value. Every child should be welcomed into life and protected in law. The advancement of science and medicine need not conflict with the ethical imperative to cherish and protect every life. In fact, advances in science have made it possible to see life developing at earlier stages and underscore Americans’ obligation to protect helpless and innocent life from destruction, whether it is in the womb or elsewhere.
Such strong words for Life from our President reassure us; he has already made significant strides in building a strong Culture of Life and will continue to ensure that the innocent are protected.
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 |
