Abortion measure moves ahead

[Thom Little]

A controversial initiative to prohibit late-term abortions in Colorado - defeated eight years ago - is moving closer to the November 2006 ballot. The measure would make it a felony if a doctor is convicted of performing an abortion on a "viable fetus."

This month, supporters received the go-ahead to start collecting the 68,000 signatures required to get it on the ballot.

Denver attorney Michael Lawrence is one of the key people behind the measure. "We want to make sure that abortion is not done on fetuses old enough that they are arguably a person at the time of abortion and we want to make sure abortions are not performed on fetuses that are neurologically developed enough to feel the abortion as it occurs," he said.

Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood said the measure is "about politics, not about helping women." "We're very concerned that under this initiative a doctor can be convicted of a felony for acting in the best interests of his or her patient," said spokeswoman Crystal Clinkenbeard.


http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_3259986

[Hawkeye-X]

1. If it comes across my ballot table

I'm voting HELL NO.

[Robb]

2. "Viable?"

Viable means capable of living outside the uterus. At this point in our rapidly advancing scientific development, that sets the bar rather low...

[serryjw]

3. You beat me to this post

I just pulled the actually initiative off the internet.

quote........
12-37.3-101. Legislative Declaration. A VIABLE FETUS MAY BE AN ACTUAL
HUMAN LIFE. THE ONLY EVENT SEPARATING A VIABLE FETUS FROM HAVING THE STATUS OF
PERSONHOOD IS DELIVERY. BECAUSE DELIVERY MAY BE INDUCED EASILY, QUICKLY AND
CERTAINLY, RESULTING IN THE CONFERRING OF PERSONHOOD ON A VIABLE FETUS, A
VIABLE FETUS IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO BEING AN ACTUAL HUMAN LIFE THAT THE PEOPLE OF
THE STATE OF COLORADO CHOOSE TO TREAT A VIABLE FETUS AS A PERSON. THE PEOPLE OF
THE STATE OF COLORADO CHOOSE TO BAN THE ABORTION OF VIABLE FETUSES ALSO
BECAUSE OF EVIDENCE SUGGESTING THAT VIABLE FETUSES HAVE SUFFICIENTLY
DEVELOPED NERVOUS SYSTEMS THAT THEY CAN FEEL PAIN. THE PEOPLE DO NOT WISH TO
PERMIT ABORTIONS ON FETUSES WHO WILL FEEL THE PAIN OF THE ABORTION AS IT HAPPENS
TO THEM, BELIEVING THAT IT IS NOT UNDULY BURDENSOME ON THE MOTHER TO ABORT HER
FETUS IN THE SEVERAL MONTHS OF PREGNANCY PRIOR TO VIABILITY IF SHE CHOOSES TO
ABORT HER FETUS.
end quote......
Oh, Happy days are here again. I'll tell you how we stop this...Contact Virg at King Soopers. She gives permission to stand in front of KS. If there are constant picketing in front of KS, they will stop it which will make it very difficult to collect signatures.

Want to read the entire initiative:
http://www.elections.colorado.gov/DDefault.aspx?tid=175
Colorado General Assembly's Information on Ballot Proposals - Includes "Blue Book" prop 52

[Benjamin]

4. "Viable fetus" is pretty subjective

There are some who would argue that any fetus can feel pain; therefore all abortion should be banned. I think this ballot proposal was intentionally worded vaguely just for that reason. Otherwise they would have specified a certain number of weeks or months.

These damn people just won't quit.