Denver, Colo., Oct 20, 2020 / 07:01 pm (CNA).- As Colorado voters consider a ballot measure to ban abortion after 22 weeks of pregnancy, pro-life Democrats have been vocal in support, stressing its mainstream appeal and the need to give care to vulnerable human beings who can survive outside of the womb.
“When people realize abortion is allowed up to birth for any reason in Colorado most are shocked. People travel from all over the U.S. and even the world to Colorado to get late-term abortions,” Kristin Vail, vice president of Democrats for Life of Colorado, told CNA Oct. 19. “I don’t think people want our state to be known for that.”
“Every human has value and deserves to live free from violence. Late-term abortions are especially horrific because at 22 weeks fetuses can feel pain and can survive outside the womb with medical support,” Vail said. “Proposition 115 will save lives from abortion.”
Proposition 115 asks voters whether to ban abortion in the state after 22 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases where a mother’s life is threatened.
A 9 News / Colorado Politics survey of 1,021 registered likely voters found 42% of respondents said they are certain to vote yes on Proposition 115, 45% said no, while 13% are uncertain.
63% of Republicans said they would vote in favor of the ban, as did 28% of Democrats and 35% of unaffiliated voters. The survey was conducted by SurveyUSA in early October. It claims a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.9%.
For Vail, it’s an issue of justice. “Abortion is just oppression and violence redistributed to someone more vulnerable,” she told CNA.
“Pre-born children are the most vulnerable and voiceless in our society and they are being killed by the thousands every day. Quality healthcare should be provided for everyone, including both mother and child. When the main objective of a procedure is to end a human life, our healthcare system has failed,” Vail said.
Dr. Tom Perille, a retired physician and president of the Democrats for Life of Colorado, also backs the ballot measure.
“Prop. 115 should pass because it appeals to the moral sensibilities of Coloradans and reflects a popular consensus when abortion restrictions are appropriate,” he told CNA. “If a baby born prematurely at 22 weeks enjoys all the rights and privileges of other Colorado citizens and is protected by state/federal law, a fetus in utero at that exact same gestational age should not be able to be legally and cruelly killed. National and state polling suggests that a majority of people believe that abortion should be restricted after fetal viability.”
“Colorado has a long history of embracing abortion rights,” Perille continued. “However, Coloradans also understand science. Most Coloradans recognize that a 22-week fetus is a fully formed, if immature, human being. They are repulsed by those who refer to this vital human being as ‘pregnancy tissue.’ Coloradans are willing to accept reasonable restrictions on abortion after fetal viability.”
Perille stressed bipartisan support for the measure, saying nearly 19,000 Democrats signed the petition to place it on the state ballot. He suggested that efforts to raise public awareness about abortion after 22 weeks and Proposition 115 could push Democratic support for the measure above 33%.
During his time collecting signatures for the petition, Perille said a number of signers identified as pro-choice but thought abortions past 22 weeks were “simply too extreme.”
“I recall one woman, in particular, who said she was pro-choice, but quickly added that she was born prematurely at 28 weeks gestation. She knew what it was like to be born premature,” he said. “She was emphatic that at 22 weeks ‘It’s a baby’.”
“Democrats have historically championed the rights of the less privileged in society, those that are dehumanized, voiceless and marginalized. The viable fetus fits this description to a T. Democrats have lost their way on this issue, but at their core, they still believe in fighting for the little guy,” said Perille.
If the ballot measure passes, doctors would face a three-year license suspension for performing or attempting to perform an abortion of an unborn child beyond 22 weeks of gestation. Women would not be charged for seeking or obtaining an illegal abortion.
In 1984 Colorado voters passed a constitutional amendment banning public funding of abortions except to prevent the death of the mother. In 1998 they passed an initiative requiring parental consent and a waiting period for minors who seek abortions.
“We have had to endure a tidal wave of misinformation from our opposition on social media and TV fueled by millions of dollars from the abortion industry – who stand to lose the most if Prop 115 passes,” said Perille, who made a medical case against late-term abortion.
“If a woman encounters a pregnancy related health issue after 22 weeks, fetal viability, she may need to have her baby urgently or emergently delivered, but there is no reason or rationale to kill the baby,” said Perille. “In fact, a late abortion for an urgent or emergent pregnancy related health issue would be considered medical malpractice. It takes 30 minutes to deliver the baby and 2-4 days to perform a late abortion procedure.”
Prenatal screening for genetic and other fetal abnormalities takes place “well before 22 weeks,” he said. While it is a “very rare situation” where fetal diagnosis is not discovered until 22 weeks into pregnancy, Perille said pre-natal hospice offers “ a compassionate, life-affirming alternative to late abortion” with better outcomes for the woman’s mental health and bereavement.
Kristen Day, president of the Democrats for Life of America, told CNA the group’s Colorado chapter has distributed 15,000 brochures to Democratic voters to make the case for Proposition 115. The chapter organized a rally and phone calls.
Day said opposition to late-term abortion is very much a majority position.
“Even Democrats oppose late-term abortion. 82% of Democrats and 77% of independents and 94% of Republicans oppose third trimester abortions,” she said. “It’s a very mainstream position.”
“It makes a lot of sense, especially from a Democrat perspective. We believe in healthcare for all, and making sure that everybody has the opportunity to receive live-giving care,” Day continued. “When we’re talking about a baby who is 22 weeks and could survive outside of the womb if given appropriate health care, it makes very little sense that we would end that life.”
“We care about the babies but we also care about the mothers as well. Let’s choose both. Protect both,” she said.
Given Colorado’s role as a strongly Democratic state and its role in passing the first law to legalize abortion in 1967, Day said passage of a late-term abortion ban would be “huge.”
“A lot of people will vote for Prop 115 and also vote for Joe Biden,” she said.
Other abortion-related measures have not succeeded. The 2008 and 2010 Colorado ballots included two slightly different personhood initiatives, which tried to define a person under state law to include every human being from the moment of fertilization or “from the beginning of biological development,” respectively. The 2008 proposal won under 27% approval from voters, while the 2010 proposal received under 30% of votes.
Colorado Right to Life opposes Proposition 115 on the grounds it only regulates abortion and implicitly permits most abortions. The group is a former affiliate of National Right to Life, but broke from the national organization in 2007 over philosophical differences and the Colorado group’s criticism of a partial-birth abortion Supreme Court decision.
Backers of Proposition 115 told CNA that the overwhelming majority of pro-life voters are with them.
Some 24 U.S. states limit abortion based on gestational age.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, a Democrat elected to office with strong support from legal abortion advocates, has argued that the ballot measure would be overruled by Supreme Court precedents like Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
“It’s hard to see this ban being upheld,” he told Colorado Public Radio. He argued it would be an undue burden on a woman to carry a child conceived in rape or incest.
Dr. Kristina Tocce, vice president and medical director of abortion provider Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, was also critical of the measure.
“Decisions around pregnancy must be made by a patient, their family, and in consultation with physicians, without political influence, because an all or nothing model of health care is not acceptable and especially not with the complexities of pregnancy,” she said.
Tocce said it is misleading to argue that fetuses are viable at 22 weeks into pregnancy. “There’s not a viability switch, that automatically gets flipped at 22 weeks or any gestational age for that matter because each pregnancy is unique and medical circumstances differ from patient to patient,” she told Colorado Public Radio, which reported 38% of babies born at 22 weeks survive after given intensive care.
The Catholic bishops of Colorado, the Catholic Medical Association, and a group of more than 130 medical professionals and scientists in Colorado have backed Proposition 115.
“Rest assured that your ‘Yes’ to Proposition 115 will have innumerable consequences for the lives of many children who, within their mother’s womb, count on you for life,” Archbishop Samuel Aquila and Bishop Jorge Rodriguez said in a Sept. 27 letter to Hispanics in the Archdiocese of Denver.
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[Sen Roger] Marshall said in a statement that he didn’t think we would need legislation to tell us that there are only two sexes, male and female, but here we are’. Law has a foundation, in its barest but required sense is Natural Law. Natural Law is not discovered in books, it’s arrived at by common sense and right reason conviction in the observation of human acts, whether conscience tells us they are good or evil, right or wrong.
Law cannot be beholden to scattered whims, individual desires counter to what has been recognized clearly indicated biologically in the human form. There is no right for a man to decide to be a woman and invade women’s locker rooms and bathrooms, and participate in women’s sports. They have the unfortunate right to adapt themselves to disordered behavior, they have no right whatsoever to impose their perverted predilections on an ordered society.
Law references justice, what is just and right. What is just and good is common to our human nature because of that intelligible law within us.
There are sports where men and women compete together. The best example I can think of is figure skating.
There are various sexualities competing at all levels of the sport, especially in the Adult level, which generally consists of adults who were never close to being “champions” on the National, International, and World stages of the sport, but enjoyed the sport and even passed the most advanced figure skating tests to achieve a high level (e.g., Junior, Senior) in the sport, and as adults, wish to continue the sport they love.
My late husband participated in Adult figure skating in the ice dance discipline for many years, and he knew and was friends with quite a few “trans” skaters. But these folks did not compete on a public stage where they were seen on TV or other media–they do the sport because they love the sport, and if they win a medal, every other adult is happy for them. No money or endorsement deals are at stake–it’s just grown-ups having fun with a sport that they love and working on their skills with other adults.
At the “elite” levels of figure skating that we see on TV- it is rare for trans people to compete in the demanding sport of figure skating and advance in the sport. Our current U.S. champion, Amber Glenn, identifies as “pansexual”, which means romantic or other attraction to all genders. But biologically, she is a woman and competes against other biological women, and she doesn’t always win. (Most figure skaters don’t always win!)
At this time in U.S. history, figure skating does not enjoy the tremendous popularity that it used to benefit from. I think the current judging system has confused and alienated many fans, who loved the “6.0” system. It’s really hard to chant, “210.46, 210.46!! (the score that Ms. Glenn earned to win the National Championship last season!
But my two adult daughters still compete in the discipline of synchronized skating, and this discipline allows men and women of all sexualities to compete on teams TOGETHER. For the most part, synchro teams are mainly female, but our National Champions, the Haydenettes, have enjoyed having men on their teams for decades now. There’s no advantage to having men on a synchro team.
I wish the sport could become popular again. The loss of sponsors (and their funding) is hurting the sport. Please give it a chance!
Certainly correct regards sports in which a man and woman are a team in which mutual talent is enhanced. It’s when men and women are pitted physically against eachother that’s at issue.
Figure skating, especially male female pairs is a favorite. The male and the female compliment the uniqueness of their opposite gifts.
Mrs. Sharon, with respect do we need to adopt newspeak verbiage like “sexuality”? We’re either male or female. I’m uninterested in what anyone is attracted to romantically whether it’s animal, vegetable, or mineral. If folks are suffering from sexual confusion then that’s a private conversation between them & their therapist or spiritual advisor.
Yes, mrscracker, it’s not incumbent upon the rest of us to accommodate aberrant behavior or lifestyles.
Thank you Tyler for highlighting this legislation in a very well written article. I hope I’m wrong but I’m thinking the dems will opose this bill.
Absolutely astounding we have come to the point of needing to define male and female legally. Akin to coming to the point of having to define cat and dog legally. We can treat both cats and dogs with compassion and love, regardless of the personalities they have, but somehow need a law to make sure that cats are not allowed in dog shows and vice versa, and people are not forced to pay for veterinarian care to convert a cat to a dog and vice versa. I mean, for heavens sake, I have to go in via the dog door with my dog to the Vet, and stay on the dog side, so as not to upset the cat side, and vice versa. I know we are talking about humans, and mean no disrespect at all, but I am just making the point that we, as humans, can treat everyone with the love and compassion they are born deserving as children of God, and have grown ill from trying to distort that love and compassion into being forced to accept cats into dog shows and dogs onto cat litter areas etc. All because a cat insists on being called a dog and a dog insists on being called a cat.
The sea saw whimsinesss of gender legislation is the product of a society without a common morality. A win today is a loss tomorrow. The only way out is for the Church to teach the truth and for the Holy Spirit to open minds and hearts to be receptive to the truth , and to apply it to their lives. Changing laws is only a temporary quick fix. Changing the signs on bathroom doors does not change the people who use them.
Necessary, but a sad day when “man and woman” are objectified as “male and female”…
Adam named everything, except God–the unspoken Word. And, about the woman Eve, Genesis gives us two different stories, one where she is created after Adam, and one where they are created simultaneously. About the “Original Unity of [binary and complementary] Man and Woman,” we have the opening sessions of St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body; Catechesis on the Book of Genesis” (1979-1980).
In a footnote, about simultaneity, partly this: “The original text states: ‘God created man (ha-adam–a collective noun: ‘humanity’?), in his own image: in the image of God he created him (zakar–masculine) and female (uneqebah–feminine) he created them’ [Gn. 1:27].”
In a later footnote, this: “It is interesting to note that for the ancient Sumerians the cuneiform sign to indicate the noun ‘rib’ coincided with the one used to indicate the word life’. As for the Yahwist narrative, according to a certain interpretation of Genesis 2:21, God rather covers the rib with flesh (instead of closing up its place with flesh) and in this way ‘makes’ the woman, who comes from the ‘flesh and bones’ of the first man (male).” Following comes a discussion of both original sin and original innocence, and nuptiality.
But, hey, if a member of the United States Supreme Court cannot define a “woman” at all, then maybe in our brainstem culture we have to start with clarity about markings on bathroom doors and membership on athletic teams (our new religion). A sad day in all of human history, possibly even dwarfing the political events of January 6, 2021.
I pray that this bill becomes law. May the Holy Spirit awaken the hearts and minds of legislators to return to common sense and normalcy. Gender self-identity is ludicrous. Mother nature has given us our gender identity. To deny that, is to deny the workings of God and his established gender identities. To think otherwise is foolish.
The debate about such a bill ought to be . . . interesting. Assuming it ever gets out of committee, it may force legislators to take a stand. If it passes, let’s hope the Supreme Court upholds it, despite one Justice having declared that she can’t define “woman.”
God’s laws like “love your neighbor” never change, but man’s laws need to change to correct chaos in the land. It is the responsibility of Congress to write laws to correct chaos—like chaos at the southern border. But remember human biology can be complicated—-there are documented cases of little girls developing a penis at the age of 6 years old. Let us always treat everyone with love and compassion.
Biology regarding male and female is not complicated. And your “documented cases” is just another hoax. Treating others with love and compassion must always include honesty. Lying to people about biological reality is neither loving nor compassionate.
The bill proposed by Senator Marshall, MD, is written with superb clarity on the topic. Many people, including leaders in the Church, could gain much needed wisdom from thoughtfully reading the bill that lucidly promotes the fundamental God-provided biological reality of 2 and only 2 sexes of male and female.
The Senator’s excellent bill can be found at https://www.marshall.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/KIN2463023.pdf
Make a copy and share it with priests, relatives, friends, colleagues, and others.
Not a hoax, Tom
Not at all convincing, Gerald.
If you wish to demonstrate that your claim is not another hoax (or just absurd) as I believe it is, and that I and others should accept your claim, all you need do is provide specific references to the documented evidence you claim exists so I and others can check the documented evidence, or you can reference specific reports or articles about the claim and the evidence supporting it that also feature checkable references. Otherwise, it remains just a nonsense claim you made up that disrespects the truth.
And for your own sake, it’s time to put up or shut up to avoid making sinfully false claims.
Gerald, there are all sorts of complicated anomalies & birth defects, but at the end of the day biological human gender is binary. Period.
About “specific references to the documented evidence,” take the complicated science of human exposure to Endocrine Disruptive Compounds (EDCs) and the effects on human health and even fetal development.
The emerging science of EDCs leads to the question whether fetal exposure can even disrupt what happens (or doesn’t happen) when the fetal brain develops sexually while bodily development of the fetus/child is normally delayed two months, but then is maybe chemically disrupted. From the science, here are two reader-friendly links:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7073082/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4762757/
Think the deformed Thalidamide Babies of the late 1960s, caused by the actual marketing of a tranquilizer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thalidomide_scandal
Regarding the more unknowing and indeliberate exposure to a very wide range of ubiquitous EDCs, the correct and moral response for the birth-victims of such chemical poisoning is environmental prevention, and corrective therapy if possible, but not further surgical and chemical mutilation. As an industrial culture are we possibly poisoning our children without even knowing it? The marketing of Mifepristone might be only the tip of the iceberg.
In any event, the binary (and un-disrupted) sexuality of the human person should not be further deformed by a radically secularist and morals-challenged medical-industrial complex. And, here, let’s tread lightly when tempted to counsel readers to “shut up to avoid making sinfully false claims.”
My advice is to help people avoid sin when they are seriously misleading people, especially when they double down, because unlike softer-minded people, I care about the harm that can be done by such serious misleading to both the person doing the misleading and others who may be led astray. Another version of fraternal correction is to advise to “tread lightly” in more snowflake fashion when pointing out such things, but only after rambling on about other things completely off point as if the rambling adds weight to the snowflake admonition.
Lastly, let’s tread lightly when leaving out essential elements (“time to put up or….”) of what someone has written in order to purposely mischaracterize what was written as that is also quite sinful.
Tom Flounders.
Appreciate you sharing this Bill information, author Mr. Tyler Arnold, and the discussion following. Appreciate Fr/Dr Peter M’s Reason of Natural Law and its sanity as it’s God’s perfect Order.
Motives I’m always looking for in dissension. Lending credibility to Our Lady of Fatima’s prophecies: Russia spread its errors of atheistic Communism to China-and now obvious are their motives destroying arch rivals (non-threatening) Putin’s Russia (via NATO alliances) &the free world (esp. the United States of America).
Heard a recent article that men (our future soldiers) have 50 percent less testosterone now than men had a few decades ago ( resulting from toxins/chemicals, etc.). Poisoning our food supply; putting lead in manufactured goods shipped here, etc.; remaking/approving even fake Catholic Clergy!- allowed by liberal Francis 🙁 ; Covid Hoax to tank our Capitalism and “needed” paper ballot hoax to elect Biden (paid off millions $ by whom? o, right, China)!
Then there are movements-‘wrongs which will appear right’ in end times: Feminism; Black Lives Matter, Gender fluidity, etc. to divide (& then conquer).We’ve been targeted (but so are Israel and holy people).
Seems end times New Testament last few Books our reality today. (As a persecuted Catholic from within, [I believe] Cardinal Burke asserted something to the effect of ‘that we’re in end times now’ also within the last couple of years). Impetus for Advent penances for conversion/reversion, 🙏Rosaries and Divine Mercy Chaplets
Heard Planned Parenthood (aka “Banned Parenthood”- another author’s term) is-not only butchering our BABIES once conceived. Their dens of death are making “filthy lucre” from transgendering/carving up our YOUTH- sterilizing them before they conceive! 🙁 and all the while FUNDING DEMONCRATS’ coffers! 🙁