ADF: What’s LEFT of the Constitution (March for Life Edition)

24 Jan, 2009 by John Stephenson

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Written by Greg Scott, crossposted from Stop the ACLU:

“What’s Left of the Constitution?” is a periodic news digest featuring Alliance Defense Fund legal analysis of proposals, policies, and trends advanced by the federal government. On a regular basis, this digest specifically highlights policies and actions that move America away from the principles of the U.S. Constitution and closer to the demands of the political Left, especially ones that threaten religious liberty, the sanctity of life, and marriage and the family.

The inaugural parties and celebrations are over, and now the Obama Administration and new Congress will set about governing.

While we are blessed in America to have a peaceful transition of power, the question of many is, “What will that power bring?”

Yesterday, Jan. 22, was the anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Tens of thousands of Americans were in Washington, D.C., but unlike Tuesday, they were there this time to participate in the March for Life, which memorialized the case that led to legalized abortion in the United States. Since then, nearly 50 million pre-born children have been killed in the womb.

So what’s at stake regarding this issue?

President Obama has promised to find “common ground” on abortion. He has said that he “understands that abortion is a divisive issue” and that he “respects those who disagree with him” on the issue.

He has pledged, however, to sign the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), which would, if enacted, potentially strike down all pro-life legislation enacted at the federal and state level over the last several decades.

President Obama’s view, however, is vastly different from the majority of Americans. According to a Harris Poll from December 2008, 82% of Americans agree that there should be restrictions on abortion. Additionally, according to the poll:

:· 95% of Americans favor laws ensuring that only licensed physicians are allowed to perform abortions.

:· 88% favor informed consent laws (laws that require abortion clinics to inform women of the potential risks to their physical/psychological health and about alternatives to abortion).

:· 76% favor laws that protect doctors and nurses from being forced to perform or refer abortions against their will.

:· 73% favor laws that require giving parents the chance to be involved in their minor daughter’s abortion decision.

Thus, if the president is interested in “common ground,” he will consider these Americans as partners in a culture of life, and he will not simply offer rhetoric while fulfilling the desires of Planned Parenthood, NOW, and NARAL. The fact that he has already placed abortion radicals high in his cabinet and among the White House staff does not give us great hope.

What can ADF do? Along with our 1,200 allied attorneys, we stand ready to defend the reasonable restrictions on abortion that have passed since Roe and are ready to prevent an unconstitutional measure like FOCA. We are ready to go to court on behalf of state legislatures and to challenge whether Congress has the constitutional authority to enact such radical legislation. And we are ready to coordinate with our allies to successfully wage this legal battle. The face of an abortion regime imposed by FOCA would be far worse than anything wrought by Roe or cases decided under it.

Additional links:

Think you know Roe? Take the Roe IQ Test here. (Bet you didn’t know it like you thought you did!)

Poll: Plurality of Americans Want All or Most Abortions Illegal, Want Pro-Life Laws

“Life in the Time of Obama” by Anne Conlon

Moral Accountability: An Open Letter

FRC: Change Watch Tom Vilsack

Dakota Voice: 36 Years of Killing

FRC: What Exactly is the Mexico City Policy?

ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.