The tides appear to be turning on radical left-wingers who insist on attacking children from the moment they are conceived.
The culture war, which Republicans typically lose out on, is changing courses after conservative governors – and even America First lawmakers in Washington – score major wins that have a serious impact on the American people.
The latest battle is over abortion after a leaked SCOTUS draft signaled a glorious end to 1973’s Roe v. Wade decision. If struck down, states will be left to decide on abortion laws.
Oklahoma’s HB 4327, signed into law Wednesday, exceeds the Texas heartbeat bill in its protection of pre-born babies. It bans abortion from conception, rather than from detection of a heartbeat, in all cases except for incest, rape, sexual assault, or saving the mother’s life.
It does use a similar enforcement mechanism as the Texas bill, authorizing private civil action against abortion providers and those who aid them. A separate bill passed earlier this year in Oklahoma also makes performing an abortion a felony offense carrying up to $100,000 in fines and 10 years in prison.
“From the moment life begins at conception is when we have a responsibility as human beings to do everything we can to protect that baby’s life and the life of the mother,” Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said.
“No matter what happens with the Supreme Court ruling, no matter who you are or where you come from, no matter the color of your skin or your socioeconomic status, I want everyone to know that you are welcome in the City of San Diego to exercise your reproductive rights,” he said in a release.
I promised Oklahomans that as governor I would sign every piece of pro-life legislation that came across my desk and I am proud to keep that promise. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/vQJdwkDJZN
— Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) May 26, 2022
Meanwhile, states like California are going the opposite route.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his plans to make the entire state of California an abortion “sanctuary.” Newsom has since proposed a number of programs aimed at solidifying abortion access in California, including scholarships for healthcare workers who commit to providing abortions and a $57 million “reproductive health package” to “help prepare for the influx of people seeking reproductive health care from other states.”
Seems pretty morbid, doesn’t it?
Oklahoma’s bill provides a model for what every state should implement. Life, scientifically, begins at conception. The American College of Pediatricians recognizes this as the point when a human is “a genetically distinct” individual and “needing only the proper environment in order to grow and develop.”
Texas’s heartbeat bill, which has been estimated to save 100 lives each day, was a step in the right direction. But if life begins at conception, permitting abortion in the early weeks is morally inconsistent. States need to follow Oklahoma’s lead in defending human life at every stage.
Author: Elizabeth Tierney