Illinois Right to Life Committee
Cross Burning and Babies
Cross burning and babies Tuesday, April 08, 2003 Yesterday
the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a West Virginia law which outlaws cross burning. The Court
cited that "the connotation of racial prejudice historically associated with cross
burning outweighed the constitutional right to free speech." If the
Court could use such logic in that case, then why in a civilized society, shouldn't the
basic protection of an individual's life, as provided for in the constitution, far
outweigh another's right to privacy (as is the basis of the Roe v. Wade decision)? One
person's life versus another's privacy... hmm, which priority outweighs the other? (My
five-year-old who has no knowledge of the abortion issue knew the answer without any
coaching!) Oh, but the operative word here is "person" isn't it? In our
sick and twisted legal system, if an attacker batters a pregnant woman and she loses her
baby, the attacker can be charged with murder, or at least manslaughter. In such a case
the unborn infant is a "person" in the eyes of the law. But, if that mother pays
a medical doctor to kill her child, our legal system says that infant is not a
"person" under the law and has no rights. How can we have it both ways?! Elective
abortion is the ultimate expression of selfishness. America's "sacred cow" of
abortion is so jealously guarded by those in its favor that it has caused a judicial
schizophrenia which leads otherwise intelligent judges to ignore the obvious priority of
human life over privacy and convenience. Why?
Because those in favor of abortion seem to hold political clout (i.e., the AMA, NOW,
Planned Parenthood, and a host of other self serving groups). They seem to hold sway over
the political future of those with the power to change the law. But political futures are
ultimately determined at the ballot box in this country. The
Supreme Court's logic in handing down yesterday's ruling in the West Virginia cross
burning case should incite all decent and moral Americans to consider the basis of the Roe
v. Wade decision and then demand of their elected officials the same logic to end this
insanity. We must demand an end to the atrocities perpetrated against humanity every day
in this country's abortion clinics under the protection of bad law. The moral, ethical and
legal logic against abortion should be a "no brainer" but judges and lawmakers
in both parties only understand one language: Votes. If enough
registered voters repeatedly speak up on this issue, lawmakers and judges will listen. We
must appear to be the ones holding sway over their political futures. When we do, things
will change. James A.
Vesely
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