I had the honor of serving on the Board of Georgia Right to Life during the beginning stages of this wonderful pro-life efforts. It’s a great victory for the pro-life movement and the the state of Georgia!
GRTL President Dan Becker today expressed thanks to Governor Nathan Deal for signing a law that protects preborn children capable of feeling pain.
“I am deeply grateful that Governor Deal has demonstrated his commitment to protecting the preborn,” Becker said, “by signing this measure, at least 1,500 babies a year will no longer be killed.”
Previously, Georgia allowed abortions for almost any reason throughout all nine months of pregnancy.
The new law, HB 954 sponsored by Rep. Doug McKillip (District 115), will take effect on January 1, 2013. It clearly establishes that Georgia has a “compelling state interest in protecting the lives of unborn children from the stage at which they are capable of feeling pain.”
That stage is now set at 20 weeks after gestation, which means no abortions can be performed after that, except in cases where it’s necessary to save the life of the mother, or to end a “medically futile” pregnancy.
“While this new law represents significant progress in saving lives, a last-minute amendment that allows doctors to end so-called futile pregnancies is a first step to establishing a eugenic policy in Georgia,” Becker said, “It opens the door to destroying babies doctors think may be less than perfect.”
Noting that the proposal prompted a heated and emotional debate, Becker added “I commend those legislators who honored the sanctity of life and did not abandon their principles.”
Georgia now joins six other states that have passed similar laws.
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Georgia Right to Life Hails Assisted Suicide Ban Signing
GRTL President Dan Becker today praised Governor Nathan Deal for signing the state’s new assisted suicide law.
“Stopping the immoral and barbaric practice of killing in the name of compassion is the right thing to do,” Becker said, “Governor Deal deserves credit for endorsing this measure.”
The bill, HB 1114 sponsored by Rep. Ed Setzler (District 35), was passed in response to last February’s decision by the Georgia Supreme Court that struck down the state’s previous weak and ineffective law.
The law becomes effective immediately.
The old law only prevented advertising assisted suicide services, but did not prohibit the procedure itself.
“Any society that claims to value life cannot justify taking a life lest we risk establishing a public policy with its attendant expectation of a ‘duty to die’,” Becker said, “The Hippocratic Oath says, ‘I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel …’ “
“We should instead devote our knowledge and resources to helping people in desperate situations.”
I told you about ‘Doonby’ back in February when I blogged a review of the movie. Since then I’ve watched an advance screening of the movie and I can say that this movie is target at a larger audience htan just the pro-lifers. Peter Mackenzie, director, recently emailed me to report that ‘Doonby’ had just won The Frank Capra Award in LA’s Life Fest Awards. As he puts it, “Of course, this isn’t the Oscars but a Capra Award sounds pretty cool to me and we are all delighted. Congratulations Peter!
