Arizona is one of the 10 states where residents have the opportunity to protect life by voting against Proposition 139: the “Right to Abortion Initiative.”
If it passes, some of what Proposition 139 would do is enshrine abortion “for any reason” in the state’s constitution, remove safety precautions and parental consent laws, pave the way for increased abortion trafficking and taxpayer-funded abortions, and more. According to Cathi Herrod, president of the Center for Arizona Policy, the language of Proposition 139 characterizes abortion as “a fundamental right,” as she shared on Monday’s episode of “Washington Watch.”
Herrod explained that this ballot measure not only makes it so that “government cannot deny, restrict, or interfere” with abortion matters, but also that it would “wipe out any laws that provide for women’s health and safety, that allow parental consent, that require that a doctor oversees the health care of the woman, or even give her information about whether or not to have the abortion.” It’s nothing short of “radical,” she insisted, which is why she warned a vote for Proposition 139 would be a vote for “unrestricted, unregulated abortion in Arizona.”
“It’s so important that you vote against these measures,” Family Research Council President Tony Perkins added. Not only because it would harm children in the womb, he continued, but because it would also “lead to the exploitation of women.” Herrod agreed, stating that “one of the … most troubling features of the [ballot initiative’s] language is that government could not punish anyone who aids or assists the [woman] in getting the abortion,” which in many cases refers to “the sex abuser.”
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In other words, “The human trafficker who’s going to coerce the woman into having an abortion” is free from punishment, Herrod stated. “[I]t totally lets men off the hook.” However, this is “really outrageous when you stop and think about it,” she added, because one of the top reasons women seek abortion is “because they don’t have the support system. … [T]he father of the child is not there to help.”
Additionally, Perkins highlighted how Proposition 139 “shuts out moms and dads when their minor daughter needs them most.” It “drives a wedge between parent and child,” which is much of “what we see on the Left.” However, he asked, “This is … out of step with the voters in Arizona, is it not?” Herrod believes it is.
“[I]n Arizona,” she said, “it gets overlooked that our current law is that abortion is legal up until 15 weeks.” After that timeframe, “the woman can still get the abortion for [a] medical emergency,” which “is defined very broadly in our law.” And “while that may not be where we’d like the law to be, that is where the law is, and that’s where we are at in Arizona.” Currently, there are protections in place for the unborn, but a vote for Proposition 139 makes it “unrestricted, unregulated abortion that doesn’t provide for women or girls.”
Perkins also pointed out how “90% of Arizona voters support limits on abortion at 15 weeks or earlier.” And yet, a “New York Times poll showed support for [Proposition] 189 at 58% of likely voters. What’s going on?” According to Herrod, it’s important to remember that “polls can be all over the place” producing a variety of differing results. However, she contended, “once voters understand and see what’s” included in the measure, “they vote no.”
This is why spreading the truth about what these initiatives entail is crucial, both agreed. Moving forward, Perkins asked, “What is your encouragement to [people] in Arizona?” Herrod replied, “[W]e have over 800 pastors that have signed a pro-life declaration” and numerous “reports every weekend of pastors who are speaking out strongly against [Proposition] 139.” But for “these next two weeks,” Herrod said that Christians need to “pray, first of all, but also talk to your neighbors. Talk to your friends. … Spread the word that it’s a no vote and that we can defeat this thing by God’s grace and mercy.”
This initiative, she predicted, “can go down in Arizona.”
LifeNews Note: Sarah Holliday is a reporter at The Washington Stand, where this originally appeared.
