July 12, 2024
The argument about whether abortion is a state or federal issue continues – this time around the Veepstakes, which are hitting a fever pitch with the Republican National Convention (RNC) set to begin on Monday, July 15.
One of the top contenders, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, gave an opinion on the matter that is not only wrong but wholly incoherent. From ABC News: “Republican presidential candidate and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said Thursday that while he backed a strict abortion ban in his own state, he would not support a similar, nationwide law if he is elected to the White House.
“I think the decision that was made returning the power to the states was the right one. And I think we’re going to have — we have a lot of division on this issue in America. And what’s right for North Dakota may not be right for another state … the best decisions are made locally,” Burgum said on ‘CNN This Morning.’”
First things first – credit where it’s due to Gov. Burgum who did indeed sign an excellent pro-life law in his own state. And whether it’s up to the states or not, is a position he’s been on record supporting since Roe was reversed.
But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s the wrong view on the matter.
Consider that in North Dakota, life is protected from the moment of conception, with exceptions for the life of the mother, and rape and incest – but only in the first six weeks. Compare that to Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado, Vermont, New Jersey, Alaska, and Washington DC, where there is NO limit.
In the mind of Gov. Burgum, based upon his interview with CNN, those things weigh out equally – they’re both perfectly valid.
It’s completely nonsensical and ideologically incoherent.
As the potential Vice President (or perhaps President) of ALL Americans one day, how can he argue that life is more valuable in one state over another? There’s no magic line, no mystical powers, that make life worthy of protection under the law when it crosses into another state.
Holding a firm moral standard is not bad – sometimes evil things are just evil. And killing a preborn child, especially without any limits as those states do, is evil. Period.
Thankfully for Gov. Burgum, there’s plenty of scientific basis for the argument that Life is worth protecting from its earliest stages, if the idea of a religions or philosophical argument makes him uncomfortable.
On the question of “when does life begin,” experts in biology asked to provide their view on it. And of over 5,500, biologists from over 1,000 academic institutions around the world, 96% affirmed the fertilization view.
That said, if Gov. Burgum is the Vice-Presidential pick, we plan to hold him to his word. If it’s truly a state issue, then we fully expect the next administration to defund and debar Planned Parenthood and other abortion providing organizations. And they also need to end the weaponization of policy against Pro-Life Americans, from abuse of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act to the EMTALA case, in which a federal policy interpretation change is pushing abortion into hospital emergency rooms.
He cannot have it both ways.