New Group Opposes Rape or Incest Abortion Exceptions

Legislation that bars funding for abortions typically includes the rape-incest exception. Some pro-life individuals and groups support these exceptions as well. I take the “extreme” position on abortion: the baby should live even if he was conceived in rape or incest. The baby doesn’t become less human or worthy of life because his mother was raped or impregnated by a close relative.

A new pro-life group that opposes these exceptions has entered onto the national stage. The National Personhood Alliance (NPA), headed by Georgia Right to Life (GRTL), will tackle abortion and other issues, including stem cell research and cloning.

“The pro-life movement is more than 40 years old,” GRTL President Daniel Becker said. “From its inception in the late 1960s, the focus has primarily been on ending abortion. Our concern must be expanded to encompass the dignity and value of each human being at any developmental stage through natural death.”

National Right to Life’s David O’Steen said that supporting the exceptions is a short-term approach to eliminating abortion. The implication is that opposing rape- and incest-based abortion isn’t as effective as compromising. Allowing exceptions might ease the “choice” concerns of pro-abortion lawmakers and lobbyists.

“We must ensure that our strategies are consistent with our policies and objectives,” Becker said. “This is not like roads or highways or agricultural subsidies. When we compromise, someone dies.”

I agree. How can one oppose abortion as murder but believe it becomes acceptable if the woman was forced or if an uncle impregnated his niece? As brutal as rape is, my focus is on the unborn child. Nothing changes as far as I can see. The “extreme” position has gained some traction:

GRTL cites Georgia’s legislative success with the personhood approach as indication that the strategy will succeed nationally. Georgia has passed eight pro-life laws in the past 10 years, and none include exceptions for rape and incest. The emphasis on personhood is starting to catch on nationally. Last year, the North Dakota state legislature passed a personhood amendment, and Michigan has passed pro-life laws without rape and incest exceptions. Wilson also said that 16 states have active personhood organizations. But personhood movements have suffered losses in several states, including Mississippi, Florida, Virginia, and Washington.

Photo credit: J. Paul Zoccali (Creative Commons) – All Rights Reserved