When I was waiting to see my state senator, I saw a round basket with “Treat People Like People” buttons. We both endorse the message on the button, but we differ in our precise definition of people. I would say that my interpretation is more inclusive.
My main motivation for meeting with the senator was to discuss what I refer to as the proposed “Eliminate Rights Amendment,” which its supporters refer to deceptively as the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). Last legislative session, the State Legislature codified abortion with no restrictions, specifically stating in the new law that, “every individual has a fundamental right to make autonomous decisions about the individual’s own reproductive health.” Minnesota became the 8th state with legalized abortion without restrictions.[i] If the ERA is passed, unrestricted abortion would also be added to the State Constitution. In order to establish common-sense limits on abortion, another constitutional amendment would then be necessary.
After exchanging pleasantries with the senator, our conversation was brief as I was joined by another constituent, and the senator’s previous guests—local city politicians—were invited to stay for our meeting.
We agreed on our opposition to assisted suicide. The senator spoke eloquently about the reasons why assisted suicide should remain illegal. We were both in agreement that suicidal people should be treated like people.
We didn’t have time to talk in-depth about my concerns with the proposed ERA. If we had more time, here are some of the questions I would have liked to have asked him:
- Do you trust sex traffickers not to take advantage of unrestricted abortion without parental consent?
- Crisis pregnancy centers can help save women from trafficking.[ii] Why were they defunded?
- What will stop men from pressuring women who want to keep their preborn children?
- How are women helped when they are not given informed consent?
- Are you fine with a mother aborting her baby girl because her husband wants a boy?
- What is your thought on abortion for a healthy baby that has a cleft lip?
- Should we have unrestricted abortion for any type of disability?
- Would you still say, “All are Welcome” with unrestricted killing of nascent children?
- Do you support a healthy mother aborting a healthy baby after the baby can feel pain?
- Does the shedding of blood from another human being bother you?
- Why can a two-week-old baby born prematurely have protective rights but not a baby still in the womb at the same age?
- Would you agree that a viable unwanted child in the womb, who is the same age as a child outside of the womb born prematurely, has no rights? Do you agree that someone who is in this country illegally has more rights than an unwanted child in the womb? Can we agree that we should treat them both with respect and dignity—in other words, treat them like people?
On my way out, I showed the senator the “Treat People Like People” button and said that babies in the womb right before birth are people and should be treated like people. I’m not sure that he heard me, but his nonresponse didn’t surprise me.
The website for “Treat People Like People” is excellent in that it helps people understand that people with disabilities are people like us.[iii] There is a phone number listed to call when there is an instance of abuse. If I knew that calling this number would stop the abusive amendment politicians are proposing, I would immediately call.
The older I get, the more I realize that life is short and soon, I believe, we will all meet our Creator. When that time comes, can we attest that during our life we chose to Treat People Like People?
[i] https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/a-guide-to-abortion-laws-by-state
[ii] https://thehill.com/opinion/criminal-justice/4137894-a-pro-life-pregnancy-help-center-saved-me-from-a-life-of-human-trafficking
[iii] www. https://treatpeoplelikepeople.org
Image Source: Treat People Like People – Abuse Stops with Us Campaign / Minnesota.gov (mn.gov)