By Martin Scott
When the Founding Fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence more than 200 years ago, they clearly spelled out that all persons have the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” and that these inalienable rights come from our “Creator.”
They would be shocked to see how a series of rogue Supreme Court Justices trampled the Constitution and divided our nation over one word: life.
A bipartisan coalition of the Georgia General Assembly adopted several life saving laws for unborn babies over the past three years, and now is the time to clearly define who has the right to life.
Article one of the Georgia Constitution states, “No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property….” The Human Life Amendment (H.R. 536) declares the dignity of human life from the mother’s womb throughout all phases of life, without regard to age or race.
In an era where human life has become cheapened and people seem to be more concerned about mistreatment of animals than humans, it is time to evaluate our core principles. It is time to take a stand and defend innocent human life.
Throughout the world we are seeing challenges to the dignity of human life, and it’s not just the brutal, gruesome, secret surgical procedure of abortion. We live in an age where bio-technical advancements outpace the political will for ethical restraint.
Oregon has legalized suicide. Cloning, genetic engineering, and trans-humanism are turning fictional Franken-science into reality. Margaret Sanger’s eugenics philosophy runs rampant as Planned Parenthood annually snuffs out the lives of millions of future artists, entrepreneurs, scientists, doctors, nurses, teachers, and even lawyers.
Georgia must protect the human rights of unborn babies, elderly retirees, disabled children and adults, as well as sick patients who simply need a caring heart and helping hand.
The Human Life Amendment, in and of itself, does not specifically criminalize any act. Its enactment would not automatically overturn Roe v. Wade. It would, however, proclaim the dignity of all human beings within the confines of our state constitution.
The amendment could provide a platform for future legislative, executive, or judicial action on behalf of innocent persons.
Since 1980, the Republican Party platform has called for a Human Life Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It comes as no surprise that Washington politicians could not get it done.
The year 2007 marked the 200-year anniversary of the beginning of the end of slavery in Great Britain. Perhaps our young nation could have used a diplomatic, yet uncompromising voice akin to that of William Wilberforce, but Providence granted us Webster, Clay, and Calhoun.
The antebellum triumvirate kept us out of war for a time with continuous compromise and regulation of slavery, but both sides largely avoided the obvious question: the personhood of the African.
Our nation struggled for nearly 100 years over the matter of the personhood of the African-American slave before our most tragic war. Today, after 35 years of Roe, and nearly 50 million unborn American lives lost, we should take our lesson from history. We should glean from the example of peaceful Wilberforce.
We must provide constitutional protection for all persons, including unborn children.
The bi-partisan pro-life coalition in the Georgia House made history by introducing a Human Life Amendment to the state constitution in 2007, progressing out of the abortion-regulating strategy of the past. Now, other states have followed.
And, while the amendment begins in the legislature, ultimately, the people of Georgia will decide via referendum whether to acknowledge the personhood of all human beings.
Georgia House Rep. James Mills says, “All babies have a right to a birthday.” And no matter what Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, or other left-wing outfits may claim, this amendment is not about restricting family planning.
This is a peaceful and positive movement to restore respect for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all Americans, starting right here in Georgia.
www.personhood.net
Martin Scott, a state representative from Rossville, is the chief sponsor of the Human Life Amendment in the Georgia House.
