Perverse Amendment per Craig

Perverse amendment
Voters need to understand some things about Rick Jore and his Constitution Party’s proposed “right to life” constitutional amendment.First, the initiative proposes changing the phrase “All persons are born free…” to “All persons are created free…” — unmistakable language revealing the underlying inspiration. Courts strike down legislation on First Amendment grounds if the intent or effect is to promote religion. The religious intent here is clear. One would think a “Constitution” Party would know this.Further, in declaring that a “person” is “a human being at…fertilization” and “has a paramount…right to life,” this amendment throws privacy into turmoil. Would medical decisions affecting pregnancies be subject to criminal inquiry? Is a pregnant woman drinking wine with dinner serving alcohol to a minor? Could illegals claim citizenship for a child they claim was conceived in Montana? This initiative is a legal can of worms. (Incidentally, Jore’s original bill said “that the ‘right to life’ does not affect the death penalty,” making one wonder what “right to life” really means.)It’s easy to just sign their petition, let them have their vote, then assume they’ll quit after losing. They won’t. When you’re on a mission from God, defeated initiatives and constitutionality are irrelevant.
W. Craig Heymann