Monday, November 14, 2005

Alito Proud To Be Against Women's Health?
Okay, that was a bit over the top. From ABC News comes this:
[snip]...As part of his application, Alito sent in a document saying his work in the solicitor general's office had included helping "to advance legal positions in which I personally believe very strongly."

"I am particularly proud of my contributions in recent cases in which the government argued that racial and ethnic quotas should not be allowed and that the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion," he wrote.

That sentence provides one of the first clear-cut statements attributed to Alito about abortion, which will be one of the main topics of his January confirmation hearing as retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's replacement.

Bush picked Alito after White House counsel Harriet Miers withdrew her Supreme Court nomination because of withering criticism by some conservatives.

"This may explain why the right wing expressed such enthusiastic support for Judge Alito after campaigning against Harriet Miers," said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., one of several senators who will meet with Alito privately on Tuesday. "When he comes before the Senate, Judge Alito faces a heavy burden of demonstrating that he no longer holds these extremely troubling views and would bring an open mind and a real commitment to fundamental rights and freedoms."
(more at link)

I do have a personal view about the abortion debate. I simply do not believe that a panel of predominantly male justices should have any say in what I feel is a private matter between a woman's doctor, and maybe her family. The reason for the qualification is simple. Oft-times when a woman is raped, it is a family member responsible.

To be sure, the Constitution doesn't say a word about abortion. But if you're going to invoke god as the reason, it is surely no revelation(pardon the pun) that god performs the most abortions in the form of miscarriages, and fertilized eggs(blastocysts) that never become implanted in the uterine wall.

The Constitution also says nothing about a great many things that are part of the fabric of society today.

I'm neither for nor against 'selective' abortion. I do not believe that I, as a man, have any right to deny a woman of her right to privacy.

Unfortunately, in America the laws that are meant to protect the weak from the strong, are all too fluid.

It may be true that, "All Men are Created Equal," but if you happen to have a chromosomal pairing of XY, you have traditionally been able to make the rules for the half of the population that happen to be XX. If this is equality, please show me to the door.

No comments :