Abortion

Melvin Davila-Martinez — Wed, 01 May 2013 00:54:13 +0000

BACKGROUND: The Supreme Court of the United States effectively legalized abortion with its 1973 Roe v Wade ruling.[1] But it did not state when life begins.[2] Rather, Roe set the deadline for when abortions could occur: only prior to a child’s viability period (when it is able to live outside the womb).[3] Viability can be as early as 24 weeks.[4][5] Both the 14th Amendment and SCOTUS precedence allow the federal government and local governments to define “personhood.”[6] But in 2012, the SCOTUS refused to examine whether the Oklahoma Supreme Court was justified in striking down a proposed “personhood” amendment.[7][8] Fortunately, North Dakota became the first state to pass a fetal personhood amendment, this March.[9] The amendment will be put on the ballot in 2014.[10]

OPINION: We believe that the federal government should, in absence of and in conjunction with further protections afforded by local governments, outlaw all abortions, with exceptions for cases of rape, incest, and when the mother’s life is threatened. Every American citizen is entitled to “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” And our Founding Fathers intended for these traits to be utilized responsibly. Local governments should articulate morality; the federal government should be the baseline. If a state or municipal legislature wants to ban abortions altogether, they should be free to do so, as long as it is the will of their constituents. Such a ban would be wholly supported by the MEMO-BEACON.

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THIS IS NOT A FINAL COPY

The Memo-Beacon of Public Policy by Melvin Davila-Martinez

Abortion