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Thursday, January 22, 2015

Roe v Wade and Doe v Bolton 42 Years Later - Day of Prayer for all Human Persons

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Today, January 22, 2015, marks the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade and companion case Doe v. Bolton.  Today marks 42 years of  an estimated  56 million plus legal abortions. Today also marks a day of prayer for the legal protection of preborn children in all dioceses of the United States, a day of prayer for the legal guarantee of the right to life for all human persons. 
On January 22, 1973 when Justice Blackmun wrote the opinion of the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade, he stated in Section IX  Paragraph A, “The appelle and certain amici argue that the fetus is a “person” within the language and meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment.  In support of this, they outline at length and in detail the well known facts of fetal development.  If this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant’s case, of course, collapses, for the fetus’ right to life would then be guaranteed specifically by the Amendment.  The appellant conceded as much on reargument.  On the other hand, the appellee conceded on reargument that no case could be cited that holds that a fetus is a person within the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment.    The Constitution does not define “person” in so many words.  Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment contains three references to “person.” … In nearly all these instances, the use of the word is such that it has application only post-natally.  None indicates, with any assurance, that it has any possible pre-natal application.  All this…persuades us that the word “person,” as used in the Fourteenth Amendment, does not include the unborn."
 
In 1973, science was not prepared to prove (as it is now), that a living, fully human, and unique individual exists at the moment of fertilization and continues to grow through various stages of development in a continuum until death.  *
Today I pray for the Court to consider the humanity of the preborn child and restore legal protection to personhood of the preborn. 
*Please see Condic, Maureen L., When Does Human Life Begin?  A Scientific Perspective.  The Westchester Institute for Ethics & Human Person, White Paper, Volume 1, Number 1, October 2008.  And Pro-Life vs Pro-Choice – Roe v Wade Doe v Bolton 41 Years Later Part III The Science of Life. 

 


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