Pro-Life Leaders for Personhood
" . . . this is a season , perhaps, like none other, to truly influence the world . . . we must safeguard the Personhood of all human beings, for if we do NOT, then the infant with severe mental retardation will be labeled a "pre-person", and the young man with profound brain injury will be labeled a "non-person", and Mr. and Mrs. Hill (Altzheimer patients), in a few years . . . WILL be labeled "post-persons."
"But because it goes totally against my grain to expend energy undercutting fellow pro-lifers' efforts (aside from flakes), and because it's never wrong to do the right thing, and because a ratified personhood state amendment or statute would be a good problem to have, and because I think public education is critical, I support personhood initiatives."
Jill Stanek, WorldNet Daily
American Life League - "The paramount right to life is vested in each human being from the moment of fertilization without regard to age, health or condition of dependency." Personhood is not only a principle but the cornerstone of efforts to attain justice and equality for all. Americans pursue protection for the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters because it is the right thing to do, and is indeed proper in a nation that recognizes civil rights for all except those who are not yet born. In this quest to recognize human rights for all, from their biological beginning until their natural death, American Life Lobby stands shoulder to shoulder with the Reverend Walter Hoye and his fellow California pro-lifers in the effort to gain support among voters for the California Human Rights Amendment.
American Right to Life- "The Personhood Wing of the Pro-Life Movement"
Colorado Right to Life - Personhood Campaign Statement of Values
Georgia Right to Life - Proud sponsor of Personhood.net
Personhood USA - Coordinating and empowering state Personhood initiatives
Life Coalition International is proud to be a sponsor of Personhood Florida. This is a “fully” pro-life initiative that we can proudly support. PersonhoodFL changes the yardstick that we use to judge “pro-life” from the statement, “I am pro-life because I am against some abortions” to, “am pro-life and I am willing to defend the right to life of all persons not just some!
Flip Benham, National Director, Operation Save America
“I heartily endorse the efforts of the Florida Personhood Campaign to firmly re-establish in law the right to life of the human person from the “beginning of the [individual’s] biological development” to the moment of natural death. As Catholics we cannot have any other stance but this! It is both the message of the Gospel and the message of common sense, and every effort to place this issue on the top of voters' agendas has the support of Human Life International and all our affiliates throughout the world. Our prayers also accompany this work of spiritual battle."
"I will definitely support and be a sponsor of the California Human Rights Amendment."
"We have nibbled around the edges of the abortion holocaust for almost forty years and, during that time, more than 50 million babies have been slaughtered. Somewhere along the way, we lost sight of the fact that our goal is not to regulate abortion, restrict abortion, reduce the numbers of abortions or hammer out some sort of accommodation with the abortion lobby. Today, the most important question for the pro-life movement is: when are we going to return to our roots and drive a stake through the heart of this foul-smelling beast? And that doesn’t mean simply overturning Roe v. Wade. It means passing a constitutional amendment that affirms the personhood of the unborn from the instant of fertilization. Until that happens, this battle cannot end; it can only ebb and flow."
We, the leaders and women of the Jehovah Rophe Ministry for the Post Abortive Women of the Neighborhood Church in Castro Valley, openly declare our support for the California Human Rights Amendment, for Pastor Walter Hoye and the work he is doing on behalf of the unborn babies and our babies who now rest in the arms of our Lord Jesus Christ. Praise His Holy Name!
Any discussion of abortion should begin with acknowledging the personhood of the pre-born child. Human Life Alliance stands in solidarity with Reverend Walter Hoye and fully supports his efforts to put the California Human Rights Amendment on the 2010 California ballot.
"The Human Life Amendment is a strategic, bold, and aggressive move to establish the sanctity of human life in Georgia and initiate a nationwide march toward the right to life for all innocent Americans. Thomas Jefferson said, 'The care of human life and not its destruction is the first and only legitimate object of good government.'"
~ Jenny Hodges
National Director
ProlifeUnity.com
Legal Advocates of Personhood
We are grateful to the following individuals who have consistently promoted and defended Personhood legislation:
- Richard Thompson, Robert Muise and Brian Rooney, Thomas More Law Center
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David Gibbs III, attorney for Terri Schiavo, Christian Law Association
- Barbara Weller, Gibbs Law Firm
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Rita Dunaway, The Rutherford Institute
- Mat Staver, Liberty Counsel
- Jim Sedlak, American Life League
- John Eidsmoe, Professor of Law, Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy
- Walter Weber, American Center for Law and Justice
- James M. Odom, Counsel for Personhood Missouri
The following organizations support a state Human Life Amendment:
"The Human Life Amendment provides Georgia with the best legal means of overturning the central holding of Roe v Wade. At the very least, it ensures that Georgia immediately becomes a pro-life state the moment the shackles of Roe are broken. For too long the pro-life movement has been dominated by a strategy of “wait”-- too fearful of losing to risk winning. The adoption of this amendment will place Georgia at the forefront of the battle to restore the sanctity of innocent human life. I applaud Georgia’s pro-life citizens and their elected representatives for having the courage of their convictions."
~ Richard Thompson
President & Chief Counsel
Thomas More Law Center
I strongly support a Human Life Amendment. All of our rights and liberties are illusory and meaningless if the right to life is not secure. The Declaration of Independence, which Thomas Jefferson called a “reflection of the American mind,” declares that it is the duty of government to protect the right to life, a right which the Founders considered to be inalienable."
~ Mathew D. Staver
Founder and Chairman, Liberty Counsel
Dean and Professor of Law, Liberty University School of Law
"There is nothing in the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States which conclusively forbids Georgia to define and protect the rights of the unborn child beyond the extent to which those rights are recognized and protected under the United States Constitution. H. R. 536, therefore, cannot be dismissed as a futile exercise. Rather, in my opinion, it is an affirmation not only of the rights of the unborn child under Georgia law but also of the reserved power of the State of Georgia to define, as a matter of state law, the meaning and scope of the Georgia Constitution. It is an affirmation of the federalism embodied in the general structure of the United States Constitution as well as in the Tenth Amendment.
You and the members of Georgia Right to Life deserve the appreciation of all supporters of the right to life for your forthright presentation of the simple truth of this issue. H.R. 536 is an important step forward in the effort to restore legal protection for the right to life of all human beings. And the time is right for such an initiative. The increased public concern about abortion, in light of advancing knowledge, makes this an appropriate time to present to the newly configured Supreme Court a clear and measured enactment, such as H.R. 536, to invite the Court to address the issue. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain by offering such a straightforward presentation of the issue for the consideration of the Supreme Court."
~ Charles E. Rice
Professor Emeritus of Law
"Life Legal Defense Foundation shares the goal of the "personhood" movement, for a renewal of our nation's fundamental commitment to equal justice under the law for all human beings. The California Human Rights initiative will provide voters in this state with the opportunity to stand up for the innocent unborn, who cannot speak for themselves."
Politicians for Personhood
Candidates
Huckabee for President
"In keeping with my consistent support for life, I believe in the 'one exception' clause for the life of the mother and I support the Georgia Personhood Amendment. I also support, and have consistently done so, the Human Life Amendment to the United States Constitution".
~Mike Huckabee
2008 Presindential Candidate
Political Parties
"Saturday, May 16, 2009, at the state Republican Party convention in Savannah, GA the Georgia GOP passed a resolution that called for a Human Life Amendment to establish protection for all Georgians under the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution from the moment of fertilization until natural death.
The resolution stated, "Whereas the Georgia Republican Party has a long tradition of strong support for traditional family values including the Right to Life for all Georgians from fertilization to natural death... Be it therefore resolved this May 16th, 2009 that the Georgia State Republican Party Convention do hereby reaffirm our support for families and values as presented in the National Republican Party Platform and call for support for a human life amendment to the Georgia Constitution and endorsees making clear that the protections under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution apply to unborn children...".
Apoyo totalmente la enmienda de California de los Derechos Humanos. Como una Americana de origen Latino, mi corazon se quiebra al saber de la alta cantidad de ninos que son abortados dia tras dia debido a que el hecho de que cada bebe es una persona, no es defendido. Apoyo todos los derechos de cada persona antes de nacer a tener el derecho de la vida, la libertad y la busqueda de felicidad. Todos los humanos son personas, eso es sentido comun y todos los humanos merecen derechos. Animo a toda la comunidad Latina a votar por la Enmienda a los Derechos Humanos de California para proteger los derechos de los ninos dentro del vientre.
Translation: I totally support the California Human Rights Amendment. As an American of Latin origin, my heart is broken by the knowledge of the high amount of children who are aborted day after day, due to the fact that each baby is a person, is not defended. I support all the rights of each person before being born to have the right of the life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. All humans are persons, that is common sense and all humans deserve rights. I encourage all the Latin community to vote for the California Human Rights Amendment to protect the rights of children in the womb.
Democrats for Life of America stands for the right to life of all who are genetically human, regardless of race, sex or stage of development. We seek legal protection of the right to life from conception to natural death and therefore support all nonviolent efforts to achieve this end - whether through legislation, ballot initiatives or court cases. California Democrats for Life endorses the proposed personhood initiative for California, especially as an educational tool to focus the attention of Californians on the plight of the unborn and women in crisis pregnancies.
Governing Officials
"The protection of innocent, unborn children is a high priority of mine and we must recognize that each child is a miracle of life. I commend Georgia Right to Life for fighting this critical battle on behalf of all Georgians."
~ GA Lt. Governor Casey Cagle
"When the Roe v. Wade decision was made in 1973, we were in technology's Dark Age compared to today. The technology of 2008 shows us unequivocally that there is life at conception and the proper function of government is to protect it."
~ U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston (GA 1)
"Protecting the rights of the innocent is one of the most fundamental duties of any government. A respect for human life - from the moment of conception until natural death - lies at the heart of civilization. We should be judged as a society not by how we honor the mighty but by how we honor the meek. I fully support efforts on the state and national level to protect human life at all stages."
~ U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (GA 3)
"As a pro-life OB-GYN physician, I have seen the sanctity and inherent dignity of human life that begins at conception. A compassionate society must value human life, especially the weakest and most defenseless among us."
~ U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey (GA 11)
"Having practiced for almost 30 years as a pro-life OB-GYN, I am once again proud to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 618, the Right to Life Act in the 110th Congress. Now more than ever, we must all rally around this legislation and stand up in the fight to protect the sanctity of human life at every stage-especially life at its most vulnerable. With the new majority in Congress, we will undoubtedly face many more legislative challenges, but we must never give up defending those who cannot defend themselves."
~ U.S. Rep. Tom Price (GA 6)
"God will not and cannot bless America while we are killing 4,000 babies every day. We must legally define life and personhood beginning at fertilization. I applaud all efforts in doing so."
~ U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, Jr. MD (GA 10)
Wendy Warburton, Montana State Representative
Don Dwyer, Maryland State Representative
Michael Coffman, Colorado U.S. Representative
Judge Roy Moore, Alabama former Chief Justice
Georgia State House Representatives
Representative Martin Scott
Representative Tom Graves (R - Ranger)
Representative Melvin Everson (R - Snellville)
Representative Rick Crawford (D - Cedartown)
Representative Hardie Davis (D - Gracewood)
Representative Bobby Franklin (R - Marietta)
Representative Allen Freeman (R - Macon)
Representative Mike Glanton (D - Ellenwood)
Representative Mark Hamilton (R - Cumming)
Representative Mark Hatfield (R - Waycross)
Representative John Heard (R - Lawrenceville)
Representative Bill Hembree (R - Winston)
Representative Calvin Hill (R - Canton)
Representative Doug Holt (R - Social Circle)
Representative Billy Horne (R - Newnan)
Representative Charles Jenkins (D - Blairsville)
Representative Sean Jerguson (R - Canton)
Representative Jerry Keen (R - Saint. Simons)
Representative Mike Keown (R - Coolidge)
Representative David Knight (R - Griffin)
Representative Tom Knox (R - Cumming)
Representative Roger Lane (R - Darien)
Representative Jeff Lewis (R - White)
Representative Barry Loudermilk (R - Cassville)
Representative John Lunsford (R - McDonough)
Representative Billy Maddox (R - )
Representative Gene Maddox (R - Cairo)
Representative Howard Maxwell (R - Dallas)
Representative Jeff May (R - Monroe)
Representative John Meadows (R - Calhoun)
Representative James Mills (R - Gainesville)
Representative Greg Morris (R - Vidalia)
Representative Jay Neal (R - LaFayette)
Representative Randy Nix (R - LaGrange)
Representative Larry O'Neal (R - Bonaire)
Representative Allen Peake (R - Macon)
Representative Jimmy Pruett (R - Eastman)
Representative Bobby Reese (R - Sugar Hill)
Representative Tom Rice (R - Norcross)
Representative Jay Roberts (R - Ocilla)
Representative Richard Royal (R - Camilla)
Representative Tony Sellier (R - Fort Valley)
Representative Ed Setzler (R - Acworth)
Representative Donna Sheldon (R - Dacula)
Representative Richard Smith (R - Columbus)
Representative Tommy Smith (R - Nicholls)
Representative Ron Stephens (R - Savannah)
Representative Willie Talton (R - Warner Robins)
Representative Steve Tumlin (R - Marietta)
Representative Len Walker (R - Loganville)
Representative Mark Williams (R - Jesup)
Representative Roger Williams (R - Dalton)
Representative John Yates (R - Griffin)
Medical and Scientific Endorsements
Dr. Dianne Irving, Georgetown University medical ethicist
Pro-Family Leaders for Personhood
"I commend Georgia's legislators as they seek a constitutional amendment that not only establishes the 'personhood' of the fetus, but more importantly speaks to all areas of the sanctity of life cause. This vehicle could set the stage for the nationwide recognition of the unborn as legal "persons" deserving of constitutional protection and thereby provide a direct challenge to the central holding of Roe v. Wade."
~ Donald Wildmon
President & Founder
American Family Association
In property, wills, and estates, the unborn is considered to have rights and may have a guardian appointed. In most states, including California, a tort committed against a child in the womb is actional in civil and an injury is actionable in both civil and criminal law. The only exception to this standard is when the woman choses to abort. This is ridiculous and out of sync with all other law. Even as Dred Scott was considered less than fully human, such is the case for the pre-born babies in the womb. A woman has a right to choose what she does with her body. The baby is not her body. Where is the lawyer for the baby? This is why I support the California Human Rights Amendment.
"Georgia has the chance to affirm what the good people in our state believe by passing the Human Life Amendment. For the sake of babies of all color, we should make the passage of this amendment the top priority in churches and communities. If we talk about this, our legislature will pass it."
~ Tim Echols
Founder and CEO
TeenPact
Georgia stands on the brink of being the first in the nation to recognize the personhood of the unborn. This is an exciting moment for our state! I encourage all Georgians to join in and support this important amendment."
~ Sadie Fields
State Chairman
Georgia Christian Alliance
"The human dignity question is central. Human dignity is indivisible; any assault on anyone's dignity around the world is an assault upon mine. These are assumptions which most of us share and hold very dear. The essence of human dignity lies in our being persons, not things."
~ Nigel Cameron
Dean of Charles Colson's Wilberforce Forum in an interview on PBS Frontline
"GOD has put in place the leaders both inside and outside the Gold Dome to restore respect for all life - we cannot lose the momentum that has been achieved in Georgia."
~ Jim Beck
Director
Georgia Christian Coalition
"Thank you for the opportunity to review the proposed Human Life Amendment. As a result of an overview of the language proposed by the Thomas More Law Center, it can be concluded that everything appears to be well formulated."
~ Jonathan Scruggs
Litigation Counsel
Alliance Defense Fund
We publicly declare our admiration and total support for Rev. Walter Hoye and the California Human Rights Amendment. Our prayer is that personhood would be restored to its proper place in the minds, hearts and legislation of America.
Pastors for Personhood
" . . . the reason we are a pro-life church is because God is a pro-life God . . . I don't know how you can get a stronger case for Personhood . . . "
Pastor Mark Driscoll
"Speaking for the elder board and membership of Denver Bible Church, we endorse the personhood movement as we advocate enforcement of the God-given right to life including for the unborn. The government must acknowledge, if not willingly than through the social turmoil that results from peaceful protest against widespread injustice and grassroots political activism, that each human being is a person from the beginning of the biological development of that human being, regardless of the sexual or asexual method of reproduction."
"The Paramount Human Life Amendment acknowledges the fundamental truth that man is made in the likeness and image of God and that all life belongs to God. Any procedures designed to take life, such as abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide, and any attempt to alter human life, such as may be accomplished through genetic engineering or artificial intelligence, are an affront to God's sovereignty. Our society must not regard human life as disposable or something to be altered, but something that is sacred and which ought to be celebrated, nurtured and protected from fertilization to natural death. By getting the PHLA on the ballot in November of 2008 Georgia could become the nation's pacesetter in the fight for human dignity and the sanctity of life."
~ Dr. Gerald Harris, Editor of The Christian Index
Is it not amazing that we are forced, in our so-called advanced society, to defend the notion of personhood? Is it not shocking that supposedly bright people will not protect the most innocent and helpless person the one in the womb? Have we not learned from slavery how to properly define a person? Have we learned nothing from Hitler's Reich regarding the definition of personhood?
The “Personhood Test” puts the onus on those who favor the mutilation of a baby in his or her mother’s womb. This test places the burden of proof exactly where it should be, on those who say they are so-called “pro- choice” (though the baby never has a choice). Those who say, “I am personally against abortion, but ...” need to be exposed for what they are: fundamentally unwilling to defend “persons.” Those who respond in a quasi-chameleon fashion with: “ I defend abortion but the number of abortions should be reduced ...” must be exposed for what they are, persons against persons, persons against people. That is why every caring, compassionate, thinking, rational human would and must support a Personhood Amendment.
Personhood Initatives
Federal Personhood Amendment (ongoing)
State Legislative Initiatives for a Paramount Human Life Amendment
Georgia Human Life Amendment (2007-ongoing)
Maryland Personhood Amendment (2009)
Michigan (2010)
State Ballot Initiatives for a Paramount Human Life Amendment
California Human Life Amendment (2010)
Colorado Personhood Amendment (2008-2010)
Florida (2010)
Missouri (2010)
Missippippi (2010)
Montana (2010)
Nevada (2010)
State Personhood Bills
Alabama
South Carolina
Virginia
Quotes from the Other Side
"If it passes, Georgia's "personhood amendment" could provide anti-choice advocates legal language that could ultimately make abortion at any gestational age tantamount to murder..."
~ Kay Scott
President
Planned Parenthood of Georgia
"I think it raises a lot of questions that will garner more opposition."
~ Leola Reis
Spokeswoman
Planned Parenthood of Georgia
"They do have the votes to vote anti-choice legislation into place. They have the votes to do what they want."
~ Paris Hatcher
Co-Executive Director
Georgians for Choice