From Knox NewsFriday, June 26, 2009
For those concerned about the right to life, the just-completed session of the Tennessee General Assembly was monumental. Major pro-life laws were enacted, facilitated by the change of leadership from Democratic to Republican, that more accurately reflect the views of the majority of Tennesseans. In fact, the liberal, pro-abortion hegemony appears to be breaking all across the United States.
A Gallup poll released in May documents the societal shift. For the first time since Gallup started asking about abortion, a majority of Americans surveyed were pro-life. Some 51 percent said they were pro-life compared to 42 percent identifying as pro-choice. Only 22 percent said abortion should always be legal, the lowest number since the mid-1980s.
Even Joe Klein, the left of center — some would say far left — columnist for Time, almost admits some abortion procedures are heinous and acknowledges the shift.
After the senseless murder of late-term abortionist George Tiller, Klein wrote, 'In truth, Tiller was practicing a form of medicine most Americans find abhorrent. … It's possible that abortion has become less acceptable because of the remarkable advances in sonogram technology. We now can see, in perfect detail, the exquisite humanity that exists within the womb, especially in the later stages of pregnancy.'
In Tennessee, the Legislature passed SJR 127, a constitutional amendment that states, in part, 'The people retain the right through their elected state representatives and state senators to enact, amend, or repeal statutes regarding abortion.' A vote on the amendment could come in 2014 if the next session of the General Assembly passes SJR 127 a second time.
In another development, a measure to strip Planned Parenthood of preferential treatment for state funding of women's health services passed the Senate by 25-7 and the House by 69-22. The bill requires the commissioner of health to give funding priority to local health departments. 'This has been a pro-life priority for many years,' said Brian Harris, president of Tennessee Right to Life.
The defunding of Planned Parenthood was likely aided by an undercover investigation by Lila Rose, president of Live Action, a right to life advocacy group. Rose posed as a 14-year-old who had been impregnated by her 31-year-old boyfriend.
A clinic worker in Memphis told Rose how to circumvent statutory rape charges as Rose captured the encounter on video.
Finally, a less obvious action gives pro-life advocates hope. The Legislature reformed Tennessee's judicial selection process. Tennessee appellate judges are recommended to the governor by a Judicial Selection Commission.
A compromise kept the selection commission intact, but left-leaning legal special-interest groups were removed from the process. Tennessee is a conservative state, and this change could lead to a more conservative judiciary.
Interestingly, though pro-choice activists often decry the influence of men in the abortion debate, SJR 127 was sponsored by Sen. Diane Black with Sen. Dolores Gresham, Sen. Jamie Woodson and Sen. Mae Beavers co-sponsoring. Beavers and Gresham also co-sponsored the Planned Parenthood defunding bill. Nationally, Gallup found that 49 percent of women said they are pro-life while 44 percent self-identified as pro-choice, another first for a Gallup survey.
Sentiment is shifting on abortion. Tennessee's Legislature just completed its most pro-life session on record. Right to life advocate Harris put it perfectly; 'Tennessee is a strongly pro-life state, and with new legislative leadership, the General Assembly's actions are finally beginning to mirror the majority's life-affirming views.'
Greg Johnson's columns appear on Wednesdays, Fridays and the second Sunday of each month. Read more on his blog at http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/johnson/. E-mail him at jgregjohnson@hotmail.com.
For those concerned about the right to life, the just-completed session of the Tennessee General Assembly was monumental. Major pro-life laws were enacted, facilitated by the change of leadership from Democratic to Republican, that more accurately reflect the views of the majority of Tennesseans. In fact, the liberal, pro-abortion hegemony appears to be breaking all across the United States.
A Gallup poll released in May documents the societal shift. For the first time since Gallup started asking about abortion, a majority of Americans surveyed were pro-life. Some 51 percent said they were pro-life compared to 42 percent identifying as pro-choice. Only 22 percent said abortion should always be legal, the lowest number since the mid-1980s.
Even Joe Klein, the left of center — some would say far left — columnist for Time, almost admits some abortion procedures are heinous and acknowledges the shift.
After the senseless murder of late-term abortionist George Tiller, Klein wrote, 'In truth, Tiller was practicing a form of medicine most Americans find abhorrent. … It's possible that abortion has become less acceptable because of the remarkable advances in sonogram technology. We now can see, in perfect detail, the exquisite humanity that exists within the womb, especially in the later stages of pregnancy.'
In Tennessee, the Legislature passed SJR 127, a constitutional amendment that states, in part, 'The people retain the right through their elected state representatives and state senators to enact, amend, or repeal statutes regarding abortion.' A vote on the amendment could come in 2014 if the next session of the General Assembly passes SJR 127 a second time.
In another development, a measure to strip Planned Parenthood of preferential treatment for state funding of women's health services passed the Senate by 25-7 and the House by 69-22. The bill requires the commissioner of health to give funding priority to local health departments. 'This has been a pro-life priority for many years,' said Brian Harris, president of Tennessee Right to Life.
The defunding of Planned Parenthood was likely aided by an undercover investigation by Lila Rose, president of Live Action, a right to life advocacy group. Rose posed as a 14-year-old who had been impregnated by her 31-year-old boyfriend.
A clinic worker in Memphis told Rose how to circumvent statutory rape charges as Rose captured the encounter on video.
Finally, a less obvious action gives pro-life advocates hope. The Legislature reformed Tennessee's judicial selection process. Tennessee appellate judges are recommended to the governor by a Judicial Selection Commission.
A compromise kept the selection commission intact, but left-leaning legal special-interest groups were removed from the process. Tennessee is a conservative state, and this change could lead to a more conservative judiciary.
Interestingly, though pro-choice activists often decry the influence of men in the abortion debate, SJR 127 was sponsored by Sen. Diane Black with Sen. Dolores Gresham, Sen. Jamie Woodson and Sen. Mae Beavers co-sponsoring. Beavers and Gresham also co-sponsored the Planned Parenthood defunding bill. Nationally, Gallup found that 49 percent of women said they are pro-life while 44 percent self-identified as pro-choice, another first for a Gallup survey.
Sentiment is shifting on abortion. Tennessee's Legislature just completed its most pro-life session on record. Right to life advocate Harris put it perfectly; 'Tennessee is a strongly pro-life state, and with new legislative leadership, the General Assembly's actions are finally beginning to mirror the majority's life-affirming views.'
Greg Johnson's columns appear on Wednesdays, Fridays and the second Sunday of each month. Read more on his blog at http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/johnson/. E-mail him at jgregjohnson@hotmail.com.
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