Weekly Opinion Editorial
LIFE BEGINS AT CONCEPTION!by Steve Fair
According to the Guttmacher Institute, nearly one half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended and forty percent of those pregnancies are terminated by abortion. Guttmacher also says over 1.21 million abortions are performed in America each year.
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Last Wednesday, the Oklahoma State Senate passed Senate Bill #1433 known as ‘The Personhood Act.” The Pro-life bill was the first of the 2012 session to pass the upper chamber. The floor vote was 34-8 with several Democrats joining Republicans to define that life begins at conception and to grant the same rights to the unborn as to those outside the womb. The bill now goes to the State House, where it faces almost certain passage.
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Last Wednesday, the Oklahoma State Senate passed Senate Bill #1433 known as ‘The Personhood Act.” The Pro-life bill was the first of the 2012 session to pass the upper chamber. The floor vote was 34-8 with several Democrats joining Republicans to define that life begins at conception and to grant the same rights to the unborn as to those outside the womb. The bill now goes to the State House, where it faces almost certain passage.
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Senator Brian Crain, (R-Tulsa) and author of the bill said, “The unborn have no voice of their own. We must be the voice of the unborn. This bill will take us to the very limit of what the U.S. Supreme Court has deemed to be constitutional.”
Senator Brian Crain, (R-Tulsa) and author of the bill said, “The unborn have no voice of their own. We must be the voice of the unborn. This bill will take us to the very limit of what the U.S. Supreme Court has deemed to be constitutional.”
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Senate Pro Temp Brian Bingman, (R-Sapaula), said "With this vote the Senate made a loud and clear statement—we believe life begins at conception. We believe in protecting the unborn. Oklahoma is a conservative pro-life state—we are proud to stand up for what we know is right. This bill is one of many Senate Republicans have advanced which affirms the right to life and I am proud to support it."
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It is amazing how far Oklahoma has come in just a decade. Ten years ago, the Democrat controlled Senate would not allow any pro-life bill to get past the Health/Human Resources committee and to the floor for a vote. State Senator Bernest Cain, (R-OKC), who served as Chair of the committee, was the point person to block pro-life legislation. Cain was very successful until Republican took over the upper chamber in 2006. After Oklahoma voters imposed term limits on the legislature, Cain, not to be confused with Crain, was termed out and a new day dawned for the unborn in Oklahoma.
Senate Pro Temp Brian Bingman, (R-Sapaula), said "With this vote the Senate made a loud and clear statement—we believe life begins at conception. We believe in protecting the unborn. Oklahoma is a conservative pro-life state—we are proud to stand up for what we know is right. This bill is one of many Senate Republicans have advanced which affirms the right to life and I am proud to support it."
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It is amazing how far Oklahoma has come in just a decade. Ten years ago, the Democrat controlled Senate would not allow any pro-life bill to get past the Health/Human Resources committee and to the floor for a vote. State Senator Bernest Cain, (R-OKC), who served as Chair of the committee, was the point person to block pro-life legislation. Cain was very successful until Republican took over the upper chamber in 2006. After Oklahoma voters imposed term limits on the legislature, Cain, not to be confused with Crain, was termed out and a new day dawned for the unborn in Oklahoma.
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‘Personhood’ amendments are relatively new to the political scene. The one that received the most national press coverage was in Mississippi. SQ #26 would have banned virtually all abortions, including those resulting from rape or incest in Mississippi. It would also have barred some birth control methods, including IUDs and “morning-after pills,” which prevent fertilized eggs from implanting in the uterus. SQ#26 was defeated 58% to 42%.
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Why did a strong conservative, pro-life state like Mississippi vote down the ‘Personhood’ amendment? The primary reason was the pro-choice opposition to the amendment flat out lied about what the amendment did. If one is willing to cheat to win, they have a definitive advantage over principled opposition.
‘Personhood’ amendments are relatively new to the political scene. The one that received the most national press coverage was in Mississippi. SQ #26 would have banned virtually all abortions, including those resulting from rape or incest in Mississippi. It would also have barred some birth control methods, including IUDs and “morning-after pills,” which prevent fertilized eggs from implanting in the uterus. SQ#26 was defeated 58% to 42%.
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Why did a strong conservative, pro-life state like Mississippi vote down the ‘Personhood’ amendment? The primary reason was the pro-choice opposition to the amendment flat out lied about what the amendment did. If one is willing to cheat to win, they have a definitive advantage over principled opposition.
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The second reason was the issue of stem cell research and contraception clouded the overall issue of the ‘Personhood’ amendment. That fuzziness allowed pro-choicers to talk about ‘unintended consequences,’ and planted doubt in voter’s minds.
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Third, the pro-abortion crowd changed their tactics and strategy. Many pro-choicers now condemn the practice of abortion, but say it should be legal because the issue is one of personal choice, constitutional rights and personal liberty. Harnessing themselves to an emerging ‘libertarian’ movement, the pro-choice movement has gotten gained new allies and traction and that was manifest in Mississippi.
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The battle over abortion is one that never ends, mainly because the two major Parties differ greatly on this issue. The national Republican Party platform has this to say about abortion: “As a country, we must keep our pledge to the first guarantee of the Declaration of Independence. That is why we say the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and we endorse legislation to make it clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.”
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The national Democrat platform states: “Because we believe in the privacy and equality of women, we stand proudly for a woman’s right to choose, consistent with Roe v. Wade, and regardless of her ability to pay. We stand firmly against Republican efforts to undermine that right. At the same time, we strongly support family planning and adoption incentives. Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.”
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Note the stark contrast- Republicans are clearly pro-life- Democrats pro-choice. As the battle for the rights of the unborn continues, Oklahoma state legislators are right to legally define when life begins. If they do not stand up for the unborn, who will? Please share these platform planks with your pro-life Democrat friends and family. It's time they aligned with the Party that stands up for the unborn.
The second reason was the issue of stem cell research and contraception clouded the overall issue of the ‘Personhood’ amendment. That fuzziness allowed pro-choicers to talk about ‘unintended consequences,’ and planted doubt in voter’s minds.
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Third, the pro-abortion crowd changed their tactics and strategy. Many pro-choicers now condemn the practice of abortion, but say it should be legal because the issue is one of personal choice, constitutional rights and personal liberty. Harnessing themselves to an emerging ‘libertarian’ movement, the pro-choice movement has gotten gained new allies and traction and that was manifest in Mississippi.
*****
The battle over abortion is one that never ends, mainly because the two major Parties differ greatly on this issue. The national Republican Party platform has this to say about abortion: “As a country, we must keep our pledge to the first guarantee of the Declaration of Independence. That is why we say the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and we endorse legislation to make it clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.”
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The national Democrat platform states: “Because we believe in the privacy and equality of women, we stand proudly for a woman’s right to choose, consistent with Roe v. Wade, and regardless of her ability to pay. We stand firmly against Republican efforts to undermine that right. At the same time, we strongly support family planning and adoption incentives. Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.”
*****
Note the stark contrast- Republicans are clearly pro-life- Democrats pro-choice. As the battle for the rights of the unborn continues, Oklahoma state legislators are right to legally define when life begins. If they do not stand up for the unborn, who will? Please share these platform planks with your pro-life Democrat friends and family. It's time they aligned with the Party that stands up for the unborn.
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