As a pro-life Tennessean, I celebrate “Dobbs Day,” the overturning of Roe v Wade by the US Supreme Court on June 24, 2022. After two years, Tennessee is leading the nation in protecting the right to life of unborn children. It is estimated that more than 20,000 women and children have been saved from the horror of abortion in our state since then.
In 2021, over 10,000 abortions were done in Tennessee. In 2023, there were no abortions in Tennessee except to save the life of the mother. Per the CDC, we are one of two states in the country with a higher birth rate than we had before the Dobbs decision. This fact tells us that lives are being saved by Tennessee’s Human Life Protection Act.
Pro-life people of Tennessee take seriously the responsibility of protecting the right to life of unborn children and protecting their mothers from an industry that exploits their fears and profits from the deaths of their children. Loving both mother and child is something that all Tennesseans should be able to agree on. Loving and protecting mothers and their babies is not a radical idea. Pregnancy centers across our state do so much to meet the material and emotional needs of pregnant moms so they can choose life for their babies. I am grateful for their work, and the majority of them assist mothers with their babies and families long after birth, disputing the accusation that the pro-life movement is simply pro-baby.
Let’s celebrate Tennessee’s culture of life and continue to strive to be an example for other states so they too will protect and respect the precious gift of life for all of their citizens.
Candy Clepper
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My observations about celebrating “Dobbs Day."
1. This “Dobbs Day” Ms. Clepper “celebrates” occurs only because three Supreme Court Justice nominees lied during each Justice’s confirmation hearing. Each had testified under oath that Roe v Wade was settled law.
Because of Dobbs, we are seeing the effects of SCOTUS having thrown the doctrine of stare decisis out the window. I read today that SCOTUS wiped out an anti-corruption law that bars officials from taking gifts for past favors. (Yahoo.com)
Like abortion, anything can now be overturned to support MAGAWorld, Christian Right and Christian Nationalism agendas.
Watch SCOTUS swing the pendulum away from the separation of Church and State. Favoring MAGAWorld, Christians, Catholics, and Christian Nationalism, penalties for homosexuality will return, and gay marriage will be overturned. Christianity will be favored ahead of the First Amendment.
Expect decisions protecting minorities, such as voting rights protections and race-based protections to be overturned.
Expect decisions unfavorable to big business and the wealthy, such as workers’ rights, pollution and taxes, to be overturned. And don’t forget the NRA and powerful people and politicians, who will continue to get there ways.
2. To say that “protecting the right to life of unborn children and protecting their mothers from an industry that exploits their fears and profits from the deaths of their children” is a ludicrous statement. Where’s any proof of that having occurred? Because of bans and prohibitions, no one should be surprised that illegal abortion clinics will return, if not already, and not always in medically professional settings. That can cause a significant uptick in reproductive injuries, as well as increased profits for funeral providers.
3. Ms. Clepper states that the majority of pregnancy centers that “assist mothers with their babies and families long after birth” disputes the accusation that the pro-life movement is just a pro-baby movement. Really, Ms. Clepper? A majority? How long is long?
A pro-life movement would improve society and not let those babies and toddlers welfare deteriorate.
Do those pregnancy centers act for all children beyond infancy assuring they are well-fed, well-housed, well-clothed, well-educated, and provided health and emotional care to have opportunities and become people of value, not welfare recipients? Or worse?
I suspect these pregnancy centers cease their services as a baby grows beyond a toddler.
4. Ms. Clepper also states “celebrate Tennessee’s culture of life and continue to strive to be an example for other states so they too will protect and respect the precious gift of life for all of their citizens.”
If to “protect and respect the precious gift of life for all of their citizens”, shouldn’t the pro-life movement be working to stop gun violence, and prohibit the death penalty? Why don’t they work for health care for all, not just pregnant women? Why don’t they work toward a goal that no citizen is hungry, especially those children that entered the world because of their pro-life stance? Will they work to achieve a society where those children and their parents are not homeless?
Of course not. Just look to today’s House of Representatives and most state legislatures controlled by Republicans; they haven’t worked for the American people for years, except in a major crisis. They only lower their rich buddies taxes.
Joe Warren