Scott Tibbs
The case for a national abortion ban
By Scott Tibbs, August 9, 2023
It was a great moment in history when the Supreme Court finally struck down the constitutionally illiterate
Roe v. Wade decision, and the fact that a number of states immediately passed anti-abortion legislation has saved lives. This, however, should only be the beginning. We need a national abortion ban. We should not have a patchwork of laws where we allow the most innocent and defenseless lives to be murdered if they happen to live in the wrong state. Just as the nation needed to abolish slavery nationwide, we need to abolish abortion nationwide.
The political situation we face may require a constitutional amendment, but legally that is not needed. The Fourteenth Amendment makes it illegal for any state to deny "any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." The first step would be to recognize unborn babies as persons, granting them equal protection under existing laws against murder. This would criminalize surgical abortions, of course, but would also either criminalize or heavily regulate the drugs used to induce chemical abortions.
What about the Tenth Amendment? When it comes to basic human rights, state sovereignty is a far lesser value. No serious person today would tolerate a state passing a law that said it was legal to beat or kill Blacks, Hispanics or Jews. States should not be permitted to allow killing a human being based on his age or stage of development.
Some have fretted that a national abortion ban would harm Republican chances of expanding their slim majority in Congress, winning the Senate or winning the Presidency. Let me be very clear:
I do not care if a national abortion ban harms the Republican Party politically. Banning abortion is the right thing to do. Saving lives comes before saving seats in Congress, in vulnerable "purple" districts. Republican members of Congress should be willing to sacrifice their seats to save lives.
What is the point of winning elections if the party that wins does not implement its campaign platform? If a party is only about winning elections and gaining political power, then the party is a social club. Why should I care whether the right social club gains power? Political parties should be about the advancement of a particular agenda, not about power and prestige for its own sake.
The Republican Party has been claiming to be the pro-life party since Ronald Reagan was the party's nominee in 1980. That was an easier stance to take when the Supreme Court stood in the way of a full ban, and Republicans took seven years to even ban partial-birth abortion. Now that obstacle is gone, and it is time for Republicans to press their advantage. After fifty years and over sixty-three million babies murdered, it is time to end this barbaric practice once and for all.
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