If passed, Colorado’s Amendment 48 will define a fertilized human egg as a person:

Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution defining the term “person” to include any human being from the moment of fertilization as “person” is used in those provisions of the Colorado constitution relating to inalienable rights, equality of justice, and due process of law?
Section 1. Article II of the constitution of the state of Colorado is amended by the addition of a new section to read:
Section 31: Person defined. As used in sections 3, 6, and 25 of Article II of the state constitution, the terms “person” or “persons” shall include any human being from the moment of fertilization.

The amendment is an attempt to outlaw all abortion in CO but it has far-reaching consequences. According to Fofi Mendez of No on 48, the amendment could affect over 20,000 mentions of “person” in CO law and have unseen consequences in health care:

Some of the examples Mendez gives seem a little too rare but NARAL Colorado gives a good rundown of what is likely to be affected—birth control, miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies. What about property rights? Inheritance? And how will the law be enforced? At what point do you determine the time of fertilization? I can see that on the surface, abortion opponents may’ve thought they were on to something. But this is too overarching and, I think, shows all the hands and toes and heads of the whole radical end of pro-life groups.

The Colorado Catholic Conference doesn’t support the amendment, no matter what state pro-life groups say.

This amendment will be on the November ballot.

G Bitch


photo courtesy of draco_cd, used under this Creative Commons license

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G Bitch

a mad black woman in New Orleans

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