| Topic: |
Science > Abortion |
| User: |
"Papa Jack" |
| Date: |
19 Feb 2004 10:21:12 AM |
| Object: |
Unborn Victims Act Pending |
On February 19, 2004, Seattlepi.com posted a commentary
by Douglas Johnson titled: "Bill Would Give Rights to
Unborn Victims." Go to:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/161116_righttolife19.html
__________________________________________________________________
Excerpts:
"If a criminal kills an unborn member of the species homo
sapiens, has he committed a homicide?
"Yes, at least in some circumstances, in 28 states. In
Washington state, whoever 'intentionally and unlawfully
kills an unborn quick child' commits first-degree man-
slaughter. Quick child refers to the point that the mother
can feel the movements of the fetus.
"But in federal prosecutions for acts of violence -- inclu-
ding crimes in military, tribal and other federal juris-
dictions and others related to such specific activities as
terrorism and interstate stalking -- the unborn child is
never recognized as a victim.
"That would change under the Unborn Victims of Violence Act,
on which Congress will vote soon. Under the bill, if a
criminal injures or kills an unborn child while committing
a federal crime, the prosecutors could bring a second charge
on behalf of the second victim. The bill explicitly excludes
abortion and all acts of the pregnant woman herself.
[...]
"However, abortion-rights advocacy groups argue that
crimes such as the Peterson case have only a single victim
-- the pregnant woman. They insist that recognizing fetal
homicide conflicts with Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme
Court decision that legalized abortion....
"But in Roe the court created a right for a woman to have
her own fetus aborted. It did not say legislatures couldn't
protect members of the human species who are alive but
not yet born. Consider:
* The 28 state fetal homicide laws have had no effect on
abortion.
* Across the nation, federal and state courts have rejected
every legal challenge to fetal homicide laws....
[...]
* In three national polls last year, about 80 percent of
the public favored fetal homicide laws, including 69
percent of the "pro-choice" adults.
[...]
__________________________________________________________________
Papa Jack comments:
The only real problem Pro-Aborts have with the proposed
federal Unborn Victims of Violence Act is that it recognizes
a fetus as a human being with some limited rights not to be
killed in a criminal act.
Since the proposed act specifically exempts abortions, there
is no immediate direct threat to the legality of abortion.
But, the Pro-Aborts know their whole logical house of cards
starts to wobble as soon as folks think about a fetus as
something other than a meaningless blob of cells.
It's sad the Pro-Aborts are so willing to paint themselves
into this logical corner by continuing to pretend fetuses
aren't really human beings with human rights. This sort of
emotional blather works only so long as large numbers of
folks avoid really thinking about abortion except in the most
general of terms -- like "choice."
Thanks for considering my point of view.
.
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| User: "Papa Jack" |
|
| Title: Re: Unborn Victims Act Pending |
22 Feb 2004 02:11:09 PM |
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On Feb.22, 2004, the AP posted an article by Jim Abrams
titled: "Abortion Battle Shifts to Bill for Unborn." Go to:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040222/ap_on_go_co/rights_of_the_unborn_1
_________________________________________________________________________
Excerpts:
"Expanding rights for the unborn without limiting mothers'
reproductive rights is an issue that confronts lawmakers
this week when the House takes up a bill that would
make it separate federal crimes to injure or kill both a
woman and her fetus.
"The Unborn Victims of Violence Act is regarded by con-
servative groups as one of the most important social
policy measures that could come before Congress this
year.
"'It's a step in the right direction, toward recognizing
the humanity of the unborn,' said Genevieve Wood, spokes-
woman for the Family Research Council.
"The National Right to Life Committee cites polls showing
80 percent of the public believes there should be a law
recognizing the killing of a fetus as a homicide.
[...]
"The legislation would allow prosecutors to charge a person
with two murders for killing a woman and her fetus, or with
murder for an attack that kills the fetus but the mother
survives. The proposal would apply only to federal crimes,
such as terror attacks, interstate stalking or cases that
occur on military bases or federal land.
"The bill specifically precludes from prosecution those
who carry out legal abortions.
"Already passed twice by the House, in 1999 and 2001,
the measure is expected to win approval again when it
comes up Wednesday or Thursday.
"The Senate, with its stronger abortion rights forces,
effectively ignored the proposal in the past. This time,
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., has pro-
mised to take it up soon.
[...]
"The bill's House sponsor, Rep. Melissa Hart, R-Pa., said
she is trying to bring federal law in line with the 28
states that have laws covering the unborn.
[...]
"Opponents said it would be the first federal law to
recognize a fetus at any stage of development as
an independent being. Hart argued that fetal rights,
such as inheritance rights, have plenty of precedent
in law.
"The Bush administration, which supports the unborn
victims bill, took its own initiative on fetal rights
in 2002 when it ruled that "unborn children" were eli-
gible for health care from the moment of conception
under the State Children's Health Insurance Program."
[...]
_________________________________________________________________________
Papa Jack comments:
The House will pass this, but the real battle will be
in the Senate.
This continued battle clearly shows the twisted pri-
orities of the Pro-Aborts. They are far more inter-
ested in denying the humanity of the unborn child
than they are in protecting pregnant women from
criminal attacks.
The fact that 28 states already have enacted similar
laws shoud give the Senate a clue. Folks are tired
of seeing the innocent sacrificed on the altars of
the Culture of Death.
Thanks for considering my point of view.
.
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| User: "Lawrence E. McKnight" |
|
| Title: Re: Unborn Victims Act Pending |
22 Feb 2004 03:39:13 PM |
|
|
On 22 Feb 2004 12:11:09 -0800, (Papa Jack) wrote:
On Feb.22, 2004, the AP posted an article by Jim Abrams
titled: "Abortion Battle Shifts to Bill for Unborn." Go to:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040222/ap_on_go_co/rights_of_the_unborn_1
_________________________________________________________________________
Excerpts:
"Expanding rights for the unborn without limiting mothers'
reproductive rights is an issue that confronts lawmakers
this week when the House takes up a bill that would
make it separate federal crimes to injure or kill both a
woman and her fetus.
"The Unborn Victims of Violence Act is regarded by con-
servative groups as one of the most important social
policy measures that could come before Congress this
year.
"'It's a step in the right direction, toward recognizing
the humanity of the unborn,' said Genevieve Wood, spokes-
woman for the Family Research Council.
"The National Right to Life Committee cites polls showing
80 percent of the public believes there should be a law
recognizing the killing of a fetus as a homicide.
[...]
"The legislation would allow prosecutors to charge a person
with two murders for killing a woman and her fetus, or with
murder for an attack that kills the fetus but the mother
survives. The proposal would apply only to federal crimes,
such as terror attacks, interstate stalking or cases that
occur on military bases or federal land.
"The bill specifically precludes from prosecution those
who carry out legal abortions.
"Already passed twice by the House, in 1999 and 2001,
the measure is expected to win approval again when it
comes up Wednesday or Thursday.
"The Senate, with its stronger abortion rights forces,
effectively ignored the proposal in the past. This time,
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., has pro-
mised to take it up soon.
[...]
"The bill's House sponsor, Rep. Melissa Hart, R-Pa., said
she is trying to bring federal law in line with the 28
states that have laws covering the unborn.
[...]
"Opponents said it would be the first federal law to
recognize a fetus at any stage of development as
an independent being. Hart argued that fetal rights,
such as inheritance rights, have plenty of precedent
in law.
"The Bush administration, which supports the unborn
victims bill, took its own initiative on fetal rights
in 2002 when it ruled that "unborn children" were eli-
gible for health care from the moment of conception
under the State Children's Health Insurance Program."
[...]
_________________________________________________________________________
Papa Jack comments:
The House will pass this, but the real battle will be
in the Senate.
This continued battle clearly shows the twisted pri-
orities of the Pro-Aborts. They are far more inter-
ested in denying the humanity of the unborn child
than they are in protecting pregnant women from
criminal attacks.
Are you trying to tell us that the anti-abortionists are not trying to
'back-door' fetal personhood. I'll tell you what - propose a law
which makes the death of a fetus an enhancement to assault or homicide
statutes, and you probably will have whole-hearted support from
everyone. (Except the rabid anti-abortionists- they are more
interested in scoring points that they are in the welfare of people.)
The fact that 28 states already have enacted similar
laws shoud give the Senate a clue. Folks are tired
of seeing the innocent sacrificed on the altars of
the Culture of Death.
Thanks for considering my point of view.
-
Larry
(this space unintentionally left blank .....
make obvious deletion for email
.
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