Clarifications of facts concerning Amendment 1 are important. Hopefully these statements will be helpful.
Amendment 1 will not change a woman's choice. The state of Tennessee cannot override a woman's decision to have an abortion due to rape or incest due to Roe v. Wade.
Aendment 1 has been 13 years in the making. It has gone through much scrutiny from state legislators and others, those for and against.
Amendment 1 will return the state constitution back to its original form, which had worked from 1870-2000. The legislators and citizens provided proper oversight through the committee process and citizen voting.
Government makes many decisions for our bodies. The government decides which medications are safe for us to take, what surgical procedures are safe and what restaurants we can eat in based on health regulations.
Amendment 1 would allow “the legislature to address issues such as the licensure and inspection of physician operated abortion clinics.” The 2002 case of State v. Boyle made it unconstitutional for this process to take place. There are more restrictions on tattoo parlors and ear piercing than some of these abortion facilities. The state needs to remain involved in these decisions concerning the choice a woman makes about her body.
Amendment 1 would give the opportunity to have a 48 hour window provided for this major health decision for a woman and to have late term abortions conducted in a hospital instead of a physician operated abortion clinic.
Bill Mason, Senior Pastor
Morris Hill Baptist Church
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No, you are wrong in what you deem as clarifications on Amendment 1 and the current situation in Tennessee regarding abortions. You make several incorrect comments. However, I will only focus on one. The public can find links to factual, non-biased websites regarding Amendment 1 and abortions in Tennessee below.
Facts regarding Amendment 1:http://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_Legislative_Powers_Regarding_Abortion,_Amendment_1_(2014)
Facts regarding abortions in TN:http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/sfaa/tennessee.html
Amendment 1 reads:
Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion. The people retain the right through their elected state representatives and state senators to enact, amend, or repeal statutes regarding abortion, including, but not limited to, circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest or when necessary to save the life of the mother.”
You’re very first statement is clearly wrong. You write, “Amendment 1 will not change a woman's choice. The state of Tennessee cannot override a woman's decision to have an abortion due to rape or incest due to Roe v. Wade.” Because even in the language of the amendment it states, “Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to an abortion. The people retain the right through their elected state representatives and state senators to enact, amend, or repeal statutes regarding abortion, including, but not limited to, circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest or when necessary to save the life of the mother.”
It clearly states that my right to do what I must with my body is not secure or protected.
Furthermore me, myself, and I is in no way the same as elected state representatives and state senators.
I would like to believe that you were in true in wanting to provide facts regarding Amendment 1. However, you were either ill informed or very ill prepared in doing so.
Sarah Stocker