North Dakota appears intent on triggering another round of litigation in the hopes of overturning Roe v. Wade. North Dakota’s House of Representatives has voted 51-41 to declare that a fertilized egg has all the rights of any person. The vote would make abortion murder.
Minot Republican Dan Ruby previously sponsored other bills banning abortion but they all failed. Strangely , Ruby argues that the bill is compatible with Roe v. Wade: “This is the exact language that’s required by Roe v. Wade. It stipulated that before a challenge can be made, we have to identify when life begins, and that’s what this does.” That is a pretty convenient reading of the case and its progeny of cases. It misses the repeated holdings that states cannot deny a woman the right to choose in such cases.
With Democrats in control, some activists may view this Supreme Court as the best they are going to get for some time. Before any further changes occur, they may want to try one more time to further narrow or outright overturn Roe.
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George Carlin said it best: “Not every ejaculation deserves a name!”
Im unsure on this so maybe someone can better inform me. If someone kills a pregnant woman, isnt he prosecuted for the murder of both lives.
As I’ve said before this shouldn’t be a religious debate. Period. We’re not a Christian nation, we’re a secular nation full of Christians. Our laws shouldn’t be based on religious beliefs, no matter how large of a percentage of the population holds those beliefs. That’s why most Blue laws were repealed or found unconstitutional. If you think that abortion is a sin, don’t get one. Just because something is legal doesn’t make it required. Keep your religion out of my politics and I promise to keep my politics out of your religion.
So then we have a debate about when a fertilized egg becomes a human. I don’t think there’s a simple answer, and I think the ideal is a graduated approach, like Roe V Wade sets forth.
Mespo,
Just a quick little quibble A Fertilized egg isn’t a fetus yet. Patty could clarify, but I think it’s after about 2 months (in humans) that something becomes a fetus.
Clint:
“Should premature babies remain “unassisted”?”
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Not to answer for Buddha, but I suspect his answer will be “Of course, not.” Babies born prematurely are still “born” and entitled to all of our efforts to keep them alive. We’re talking about non-viable fetuses here. Even if we accept your Biblically-inspired world view, you must admit that the greatest abortionist of all is the creator of the universe who decrees that about 25%-50% of all pregnancies ends in spontaneous abortions depending on which study you accept.
Buddha,
“For the largest part of human history, it wasn’t a person until it could survive UNASSISTED outside the womb.”
Is that what you believe also? Should premature babies remain “unassisted”?
Bob,Esq.,
Thanks for the quote from Blackstone. These so-called Christians have a very quick temper. Buddha,Amen to your comments about the Pope. As a lifelong Catholic who survived the wrath of the Nuns, the Pope is indeed only a man. And as Brother Buddha pointed out, not a very good man. I have to admit that I have always had a problem with the ring kissing stuff. I can’t even bow my head for a prayer because I am always expecting the Nuns to be swinging a yardstick at me when I am not looking! North Dakota is just one more place that I need to avoid. It can get in line behind Texas and Florida. Jill, I agree that the Priests who were “diddling about” may have indeed spilled some seeds that could be worth some money in North Dakota.
Christian to the end
“The wrath of God shall know no bounds for sinners and blasphemers, the eye of the storm is at hand and all that enter be wary. Rise up you wrecthed cur so I can smite thee from above with lightning and sulphur. Lay no hand on those that rest peacefully in the womb or suffer as they do.”
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Wasn’t there something in your magic book about not judging lest you be judged; about the foolishness, pretentiousness, and insincerity of posturing about religion in public; about professing yourself wise only to become a fool. Maybe I mis-read it.
Joe Gallagher:
“Could the “person” occupying a woman’s womb be charged with trespassing?”
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LOL.
Lindy Lou:
Right you are about the liability, inheritance, and criminal aspects of this foolish legislation.
Christian to the end:
And not for nothing, but your endorsement of my post equates to assenting to the argument that Blackstone’s words fail to contradict the notion that the common law did not recognize any fetus during the first trimester.
Christian to the end:
“Bobesq, you are a man of mature thought”
Sometimes I enjoy singing the lines “My name is Luca” over and over again just for the sheer schadenfreude of it all.
“and one of our own although not to the point of “I knew you before you were born” i see.”
Speaking of ‘seeing’, see C.G. Jung, “Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious” & “Aion” Collected Works Volume 9.
“But alas I can suffer the fool Buddha for men such as yourself.”
Oh Socrates, when will you ever learn that I make fools like Buddha look like Jiminy Cricket.
BTW, this hopeless case does in fact wear a St. Jude medal.
SIYOM,
Bob
Let’s be clear. The Pope is a MAN. And this Pope, unlike John Paul II – a man I greatly respected even when I disagreed, isn’t even a particularly good man. cough cough Hitler Youth cough cough unwilling to excommunicate Holocaust deniers cough cough . . . His pronouncements mean exactly squat – his opinion based in belief no more valid than any man’s belief based assertions. The day Christianity starting going wrong was the day Peter said “Kiss my ring.” MY ring. Human ego. The Pope no more has the 411 on salvation than Robert Tilton does. That’s why your institution of choice is becoming as irrelevant as Fundamentalism. Look at your dwindling numbers. Look at the sexual abuse scandals – a REAL Christian would have those priests in prison, not shuffle them off to another parish full of potential victims. And please, if he thinks Pelosi would DARE to piss off her district by jumping on the anti-abortion wagon, then he’s got crap for political and psychological profiling skills. She’s a POLITICIAN. She’ll do whatever it takes to retain her illusion of power (that includes not pissing off the very liberal voters of San Francisco). Just like the Pope will do whatever he can to retain the illusion of power. But just like Pelosi, it’s all about HIM. And I don’t mean God or Jesus. Organized religion is failing globally because in the information age the FACT that the organizations 99% of the time exists to only further the organization and the MEN who run it is easier and easier to see. And when people in poverty are told how to act by a man who lives in ridiculous opulence, well, the hypocrisy is tangible. Is it any wonder most Americans describe themselves as spiritual but not religious?
No. Not really.
Pious,
When the Pope stop un-excommunicating holocaust deniers, owns up to his own Hitler Youth Membership and reaffirms Vatican II, perhaps then I’ll take him more seriously.
Christian:
You make a valid point and I think the ones commenting so harshly need to do careful examination of their stances. The Pope has addressed this issue so there can be no discussion.
For your transgressors I recommend 5 hail Marys and an Our Father and I will consider them cleansed.
Another quandary:
North Dakota’s own Safe Haven law appears to apply to children “under 1 year of age.”
Will that now apply to “children” occupying the womb?
Joe,
Now THAT is an interesting avenue for legal exploration. Good show!
Could the “person” occupying a woman’s womb be charged with trespassing?
Bron,
It has been my experience that Mike S. is always a gentleman.
Buddha:
I think Christian to the end needs to end it (all). Not one to promote suicide or euthenasia I might be able to make an exception in his case.
He must have been joking around, although I suppose he could be a lunatic.
I would hate to be one of his children, I think in that case I would probably thank God he could not reproduce and I was just adopted and not the “fruit of his loins”.
MikeS was a gentleman to just call him a fool.