Friday, January 18, 2013

Friday, January 18, 2013

To: Friends & Supporters

From: Gary L. Bauer 

State Court Declares Unborn Child A Person With Rights 

Last week the Alabama State Supreme Court issued a ruling that has not gotten the attention it deserves, especially as the nation prepares to mark the tragedy of 40 years of abortion on demand. The Alabama Supreme Court was considering two tragic cases of children born to mothers who were drug addicts. In one case, a baby boy, Timmy, died 19 minutes after birth due to "acute methamphetamine intoxication." 

The mothers were charged under a "chemical endangerment" law written to crack down on parents who expose children to illegal drugs and to dangerous chemicals in meth labs. The mothers were convicted but later appealed contending that the law to protect children did not apply to unborn fetuses. 

In a 6-to-2 decision, the Alabama Supreme Court upheld the convictions. Here is an excerpt of the majority's opinion: 

"The decision of this Court today is in keeping with the widespread legal recognition that unborn children are persons with rights that should be protected by law. Today, the only major area in which unborn children are denied legal protection is abortion, and that denial is only because of the dictates of Roe." 

"Furthermore, the decision in the present cases is consistent with the Declaration of Rights in the Alabama Constitution, which states that 'all men are equally free and independent; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

While the ruling applies only to Alabama, it is another important pro-life victory that clearly recognizes the humanity of the unborn child. 

The More The Merrier? 

A federal court yesterday heard arguments in a case seeking to strike down Utah's ban on polygamy. The law is being challenged by Kody Brown of the reality show "Sister Wives." 

No decision was issued. But based on news reports, the line of questioning from the bench seemed hostile to the law. According to the Associated Press the judge "peppered a state lawyer on why he shouldn't throw out Utah's bigamy law." The judge also asked whether the state was persecuting one particular religion. 

Conservatives have warned for years that polygamy would be the logical extension of the militant homosexual movement's efforts to alter the definition of marriage. Our warnings were mocked as hyperbole. 

If society can no longer define marriage as the union of one man and one woman, on what legal or moral basis can it be limited to just two individuals? If everyone has a "right" to love and marry whomever they choose, what difference does the number of "spouses" make? 

Well, here we are. Utah's ban on polygamy may be the next casualty in the culture war. 

The Audacity Of Obama 

President Barack Obama issued a proclamation declaring Wednesday, January 16th as "Religious Freedom Day" in honor of our First Amendment guarantee of religious liberty. I'm not surprised if you didn't hear about it. 

There was no press conference about religious liberty, and the proclamation never made headlines or the nightly news. Nobody knew Obama issued the proclamation because he chose Wednesday to make his nationally televised speech proposing new legislation to limit Second Amendment liberties. 

But the day before Obama issued his proclamation on religious liberty, his administration filed an appeal in a case seeking to force Tyndale House Publishers, one of the country's leading Bible publishing companies, to comply with Obamacare's contraception mandate. So far the administration has lost 9 out of 14 cases involving the contraception mandate. Perhaps the president needs to read his own proclamation. 

Demonizing Conservatives 

Here we go again. Yet another study from a government bureaucracy claiming that conservatives are dangerous and a threat to the country. Sadly, this one comes from West Point's Combating Terrorism Center. 

While the study purports to focus on the "violent far-right," the Washington Times reports that the studies defines some on the "far right" as those who "espouse strong convictions regarding the federal government, believing it to be corrupt and tyrannical, with a natural tendency to intrude on individuals' civil and constitutional rights. Finally, they support civil activism, individual freedoms, and self government." 

That definition would include virtually every self-identified conservative and Tea Party member! 

I am eagerly waiting for the West Point report on the Occupy Wall Street crowd. 

Out-Of-Touch Elites 

Folks, I know many of you have been frustrated by recent events and headlines. But let me remind you that the talking heads and left-wing elites who spin the news don't represent the vast majority of Americans. Keep these facts in mind: 
 

  • Guards in schools: The Left scoffed at the NRA's suggestion to post guards in schools. But a recent Pew poll found that the public supports it by an overwhelming margin of 64%-to-32%.
     
  • The Second Amendment: While liberals seem to think the Second Amendment is only about hunting, a new Rasmussen poll finds that 65% of Americans believe "purpose of the Second Amendment is to make sure that people are able to protect themselves from tyranny. Only 17% disagree." 
     
  • NRA vs. The Left: A recent Gallup poll found that the NRA had a slightly higher favorability rating than Barack Obama, while a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found that the NRA had a higher approval rating than Hollywood.

NOTE: Due to inaugural events and the Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday, our offices will be closed Monday, January 21st. The End of Day report will resume Tuesday, January 22nd.