Friday, September 25, 2009

'Personhood' amendments being pushed in some states  

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The Florida Secretary of State's office approved the language this week for a "personhood initiative" proposed by Personhood Florida and the American Life League. The ballot measure would amend the state constitution to say that:

The word 'person' and 'natural person' apply to all human beings, irrespective of age, race, health, function, condition of physical and/or mental dependency and/or disability, or method of reproduction, from the beginning of biological development of that human being.

The amendment seeks to outlaw ALL abortions, even in cases of rape and incest, and criminalizes most forms of birth control and well as emergency contraceptives.

In order to be on the 2010 ballot, supporters must gather over 675,000 signatures by February. From there, it requires 60% approval from voters to amend the state constitution.

Personhood intiatives have been pushed by anti-choice activists in several states (all failed in the 2008 election). They are dangerous measures, and similar amendments are currently being pushed in Colorado and Montana.

This isn't just defining a fetus as a "person," this is giving a fetus more rights than a grown woman. You would think that if both woman and a fetus are defined as a "person," they would have equal rights... but that's hardly what anti-choicers are seeking to do. Their plan is to take bodily rights away from women altogether.

What next?

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