Greetings
Friend
--
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court of the United States
granted a petition for certiorari
and decided to hear oral arguments
in Mississippi
vs. Jackson Women's Health, a
case filed by the ACLU challenging a Mississippi law
protecting life at 15 weeks gestation.
The 2018 law prohibits abortion when “the probable gestational age
of the unborn human being” is “greater than” 15 weeks, “except in a
medical emergency or in the case of a severe fetal abnormality…” not
including Down Syndrome.
Supreme Court decisions imposing abortion on the American public
have not settled abortion law, and this case underscores the reality
that science has advanced since the landmark Roe v.
Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood
v. Casey (1992) cases that allow abortion for any
reason up to the point of viability (usually 24 weeks).
While, we firmly believe that abortion at any gestational age is
wrong, at 15 weeks gestation, unborn babies,
- Have fully developed hearts – pumping 26 quarts of blood per
day
- Have arms and legs, fingers and toes with nails and developing
fingerprints
- Have fully formed noses and lips
- Can taste and make facial expressions, yawn, hiccup, swallow, and
suck their thumbs
- Have fully formed eyelids and eyebrows
- Can feel pain
Upholding the Mississippi law also supports pregnant women. There
is a 38% increased mortality risk for women undergoing an abortion for
each week past eight weeks gestation. Limiting abortion at 15 weeks
greatly reduces the medical risks for mothers. It's a reminder that
now is the time to humanize our laws and affirm the pro-life
conclusions of an ever-growing body of scientific witnesses and social
attitudes. In fact, the American people are speaking through their
state legislatures with over 500 pro-life bills introduced in
2021.
Here in North Carolina, there are 4 key bills we are supporting to
advance your pro-life values:
- HB31: Bill to prohibit an abortion when a heartbeat is
detected
- HB158: Bill which seeks a Constitutional Amendment to recognize
life atfertilization
- HB453: The Human Life Nondiscrimination Act to prohibit eugenic
abortions based on race and Down syndrome
- SB405: The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to protect
infants born as a result of a failed abortion.
We have been extremely active fighting for your values by
working with our coalition to advance these bills in the legislature.
The Supreme Court’s decision on the Mississippi case will decide,
“Whether all pre-viability prohibitions on elective abortions are
unconstitutional,” which will impact whether bills like the ones we
are working to pass in North Carolina are Constitutional too. That’s
why this case is SO IMPORTANT!
We recognized almost a year ago that the Mississippi case had the
potential to impact North Carolina and to begin eroding the Supreme
Court’s logic in Roe v. Wade. Therefore, our sister
organization the Institute for Faith & Family
filed an amicus
brief to the Supreme Court (which you can read
here), to
support Mississippi’s law limiting abortion at 15 weeks
gestation.
Science has advanced since Roe and Casey were
decided; now is the time to humanize our laws based on that science.
We will file another Amicus Brief in the Mississippi case to argue
just that, and to protect North Carolina’s right to pass laws like the
bills we’re fighting to pass this year. Our ultimate goal is that
abortion will become both illegal and unthinkable .
I hope you will join us in this fight! Life is winning!
You can take an active role in helping us get these
pro-life bills passed in the General Assembly this year! Join
us for our Legislative Days of Action on June 2nd and June
9th.
Walk the halls of the legislature and advocate for these pro-life
bills to members of the General Assembly by registering here.
If
you support our pro-life work, would you please consider making a
monthly or one-time donation of $5, $10, $25, $50, $75, or $100
towards advancing pro-life legislation and filing
pro-life Amicus Briefs?
Sincerely,
Tami Fitzgerald NC
Values
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