On June 8, we learned that the Colorado secretary of state admitted that Initiative 120 had garnered 153,204 verified signatures, more than enough from ordinary citizens throughout Colorado to validate an issue to ban late-term abortions for the Nov. 3 ballot.
Currently, late-term abortions are permitted on nearly 400 viable babies in the womb annually in our state. Colorado is only one of seven states in which this extreme life-denying procedure is performed. One question each of us must ponder is, “When does human live begin in the womb?”
We can seek an answer to this vital ethical question from:
- Science: Life begins at conception or gestation, when a unique entity from the mother and father is formed, when the entity attains its human genome. From then on, it is a matter of growth with the entity’s identification in scientific terms such as zygote, fetus, infant, toddler, adolescent and adult.
- Philosophy and opinion: Life begins when the person reasons, thinks or believes it begins. At heartbeat, at pain reaction, when able to continue to grow outside the womb (viable), at first breath or when delivered.
- Emotion: Life begins when the questioner “feels at the moment” of “emotional truth.”
- Politically: Life begins when my political party determines.
Each responsible voter will answer in conscience by her/his vote to the basic question.
Initiative 120 relies on 22 weeks from gestation or viability to be the point when an intentional abortion may no longer be performed, except to save the life of the mother. There are no criminal penalties for the mother under the statutory law proposed, but the abortionist will suffer suspension of a medical license and fines.
Ponder this question carefully with reason and then vote.