No. 26

I don't like to write about Politic to much, but this legitimately scares me.

If you don't know what Amendment/Constitutional Initiative #26, it state:

Initiative #26 would amend the Mississippi Constitution to define the word “person” or “persons”, as those terms are used in Article III of the state constitution, to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the functional equivalent thereof.

Now, just for the record, I must state that I am against abortion as a form of birth control. But, one of the most important things to me, are my rights and freedoms. I can't stand by while any social, religious, or governmental body dictates to me what I can or can't do with my body. That probably sounds strange coming from a guy, but to limit my choices and/or my doctors choices is just stupid. That is why it is call "pro-choice" and not "pro-abortion".

While this law might be meant as an anti-abortion law, it isn't. As I read it, anything that would hurt a fetus would be criminal. That is one of the BIG problems with this law. It is vague and open for interpretation. Birth control pills, life saving surgeries, fertilization practices could become a crime or at least open to criminal investigation. A miscarriage might be seen as murder and the law also make no provision for the welfare of the mother.

There is also a serious flaw in the logic of the conservative right that is backing this law. This will not end abortion. Abortion did not magicial appear because of Roe vs Wade. Records of abortion go back at least as far as ancient Greece. All the end of medical abortions will do is drive it underground. The rise of unsafe and unsanitary abortion practices will take their place. Everything from wire hangs into the uterus, to needles full of salt water directly to the fetus have been used in the past. They will be used again. This will not only endanger the fetus but the mother as well.

Another factor, and this one just pisses my off, is Personhood USA isn't from Mississippi. They are from Colorado. Where this law was defeated twice. So they moved the fight here. Why? We are last in education & health care, but lead the nation in poverty, teen pregnancy & infant mortality. We are also a highly conservative state with a large religious base. They came here because they think we are uneducated religious fanatics. Except many religious (Catholics, Episcopalians) and conservative group (Like the State Republican Governor) have come out against this law, as has every major medical group. But there is a very real chance this could pass.

That lead to my next problem, Who will care for all these new children? Conservatives in general are for smaller government. Yet, the passage of this law will see the need to double or triple the size of social services in Mississippi. Who will pay for all of this? You and Me. The tax payers of this state. I wish that everyone who votes Yes on this, became legally responsible for taking in and raising all the new children. I think they might be less inclined to vote for it, if they had to be held directly accountable for it.

So, if the newly fertilized eggs are now people, do they count on the census? Can we included them on our taxes? Would we grant citizenship to a fetus, if born from illegal immigrant parents? Will it effect the tax base? Will people want to move to or stay in a state that limits their health options?

There are to many, "ifs", "maybes" and "could bes" in this law. It is any attempt to legislate morality, based on small, narrow minded, but vocal group. Historical speaking that has always turned out well *cough* Nazi Germany.

All this law will do is limit the rights of women in Mississippi. If you are going to take rights away from women, how long is it till they legalize lynch of African Americans again? Or the public beating of Homosexuals? When you start removing rights of one group, how long will it be before they remove the rights of all groups.