Washington, D.C. (5 November 2008) - The following is a statement from Judie Brown, president of American Life League.
In a night overshadowed by pro-abortion victories, one bright light shone for the pro-life movement, and it came from Colorado.
The vote on Amendment 48, the "personhood initiative," marked the first round of the civil rights movement's final battle. Colorado voters were asked to define all human beings, from the moment of fertilization, as "persons."
Amendment 48 made history as the first ballot initiative of its kind. It attempted to answer the question, when is a human being a person deserving of human rights?
The personhood movement defied the odds to blossom in hostile territory - traditionally liberal Colorado. A small group of inspired and passionate people, led by 21-year-old law student Kristi Burton, dedicated themselves to the glorious principles our nation was founded upon and spearheaded a movement that mobilized half a million people.
The word "personhood" made national news and headlines around the country. The abortion debate began anew: "We want to grant rights to all human beings - including those most vulnerable - preborn children." The personhood fire began in Colorado and has now ignited personhood campaigns in 16 states.
God often picks the least likely to move mountains, and so it seems with the personhood movement. Kristi Burton is a brave and courageous young woman who has already inspired an entire pro-life movement with her tireless fight in Colorado.
Amendment 48 gained 27 percent of the vote in one of the most pro-abortion states in the Union. Amendment 48 introduced the idea of personhood for the preborn to the nation. Planned Parenthood found it necessary to earmark an immense sum - $3 million - to defeat Amendment 48. Why? Because Planned Parenthood knows that personhood will be its death knell and the death knell of the entire American pro-abortion movement.
We are inspired by Kristi Burton's efforts in Colorado and plan to champion personhood movements at both the state and federal levels. Indeed, for the babies, personhood is the only defense against the dual threats posed by the Freedom of Choice Act, which President-elect Barack Obama has pledged to sign into law, and the Prevention First Act, which he cosponsored.
These acts would eliminate the possibility of any incremental restrictions on abortion and leave us only one viable option to end the assault on human life: a personhood amendment to the United States Constitution.
American Life League was co-founded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death. For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
American Life League:
http://www.all.org/
Colorado for Equal Rights:
http://www.coloradoforequalrights.com/
Christian News Wire: Colorado Personhood Movement Expands to the National Scene (5 November 2008)
http://www.earnedmedia.org/pusa1105.htm
Personhood is not the future of the movement, as this vote demonstated it to be an abject failure as a concept. Any attempts at such Personhood measures in the future will also be abject failures, based not only on the results of the Colorado bill, but the fact that out of the three or four states to try one of these, only one made it to a ballot, plus all the other varied abortion restriction bills in other states also failed.
People are moving past this issue, much as they are moving past race. I hope that President Elect Obama will move to reinforce a woman's right to chose by improving the law within Roe v Wade. One thing I do know is that my right to chose will be protected while he is in office.
Personhood is definitely not the way to go, but neither is abortionist drivel and doublespeak. If you really believe in a "right" to destroy ALL human beings (including yourself) in the first nine months of our lives and you believe in depriving ALL human beings (including yourself) of our entire human lifespans, why not come out and say it? Why hide behind doublespeak like "choose"? Are you afraid of facing the horror and the brutality of your abortionist position?
You are like a large percentage of the human race throughout history, you do not respond to logic or to moral arguments, you only respond to incentives. Since you consider it to be in your self interest to support unlimited violence against unborn children, you do so, even though you are supporting the worst crimes in human history, crimes which have destroyed BILLIONS of human beings down through the years.
The abortionist mentality suffers from two fatal weaknesses. One, it is contrary to natural law. By that I mean that we have a fundamental natural right to live according to our nature as placental mammmals. We have a right to live through both the unborn and born stages of our lives because both are intrinsic and necessary aspects of our nature without which humans cannot even exist as living beings.
Two, it is contrary to itself. If we do not have a right to a human lifespan, as abortionists must maintain, since they would deprive every human being of every minute of life, and since all other rights flow from that right, if we do not have that basic right, we do not have ANY human rights. Therefore, we CANNOT have a "right" to commit acts of lethal violence against our unborn children. The abortionist mentality leads to a contradiction, a paradox, and by asserting that mentality you destroy it.
Barack Obama is not going to protect anybody's "rights"? He is a corrupt and dishonest politician who will do whatever is in his personal interest regardless of what effect it has on anyone else. His anti free market economic and social agenda is very damaging and unsound and when put into effect will very likely lead to huge Republican and pro-life gains in the 2010 midterm elections (remember 1994 in reaction to Bill Clinton?). You abortionists have hitched your wagon to a fundamentally unsound and corrupt political party and this is why you can never achieve the final victory that you seek.
Also, there is a lawsuit at the Supreme Court in which a Democratic lawyer named Phil Berg is trying to have Obama declared constitutionally ineligible to be President because he is very likely NOT a natural born citizen. He will try to avoid dealing with this, but before he takes power, if he does, there will be a bloody political fight to keep him out. He is a complete fraud who has been dishonest with the people about his origins and his citizenship. He has allowed this case to go to the Supreme Court rather than simply release his birth certificate! Why would he do that unless he had something he was desperately trying to hide?
For more information, go to:
WWW.OBAMACRIMES.COM
to find out more about this case.
The personhood iniative simply recognizes/reflects reality.
In response to Rachel's comment "people are moving pass this issue". In 1973 I had an abortion,I thought this is my body, my business; besides it's "legal".In 1977 I was admitted to a mental institution, I lied to myself,had dreams of a little girl asking why I gave her up. I cried a lot. It is now 2008 I still cry when I tell others about it.It is only by the grace of God I have survived and able to talk about it. Yes this is a issue and it will not and cannot be swept under the rug. Abortion is murder.
Brenna,
Thank God for your courage to speak out. If you have asked for forgiveness, you have been given it. Praise God that you can use your horrible experience for the good of other people and save lives. God Bless You.
Brenna, thank you for talking about your grief with us a little. I've been there too. The only way I can do any of what I do is by God's grace. I was just wondering, have you ever been able to attend any of the wonderful post-abortion recovery services? I went on a Rachel's Vineyard retreat a few years ago, and it helped me begin the healing and dealing-with process. If it weren't for that, I would still be crying every time I talked about it too. Drop me an email or go visit our blog that lists all the PA recovery groups in our sidebar, www.afterabortion.blogspot.com , if you have any questions.
You aren't alone. And lots of folks are around nowadays to help us through the rest of our lives, living with this pain we can't outlive...