Say "NO" to the Reversal of Roe v. Wade

This petition is written and signed by those who are against the reversal of the 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade making abortion legal. We believe that laws, like making abortion illegal, should not be created or reversed on the grounds of a religious belief.

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For many familiar with the news and of President Bush's plans for his second term of office, they know of his desire to reverse the three-decade long decision of Roe v. Wade, legalizing abortion. The reason for this is that Bush is himself, a pro-lifer and a religious man.

While many would say that the United States was formed with the Christian morals and we became a "Nation Under God," the United States has since grown into the "melding pot of the world." We house many different beliefs, political standpoints, and ethnicities. We are one of the leaders in the world's scientific research, advancement of women in education and career paths, future for developing children, and rights for its citizens. To attempt, now, to keep religion as the basis for our law-making is absurd.

It is irresponsible to attempt to reverse this law under the assumption that religion places on fetal development. As a member of the scientific community, I understand the debate of whether or not a fetus can feel pain. While many scientists believe that a fetus is unable to feel pain until approximately 20 weeks after conception, many pro-lifers are taking the findings that fetuses respond to stimuli as early as 7-8 weeks after conception as proof that they feel pain much sooner. This is based on the research that fetuses will draw away from a stimulus of pain. However, it is important to note that, while there are pain responses, the fetus will not feel pain until complete connections are made in the cerebral cortex and thalamus in the brain. For example, a prick of the finger on an adult elicits a draw-back response because the spinal cord delivers this command before (nanoseconds) we even feel the pain from the needle. This is hot-wired into our bodies as a time-saver when the body comes across something of danger to the bodys well-being. If you touched a hot stove, your hand pulls away because of the spinal cords response to the nocireceptors (pain receptors) in the hand before your brain is even notified of the danger and pain. Another example is that frogs, after they are killed, will still draw their legs up in the typical self-preserving reflex when a stimulus is introduced to the abdominal region.

I believe that religion should not dictate law. Our politicians did not go to medical school. This decision should be left to the medical professionals. If you outright make abortion illegal, you will tie the hands of a physician who may be confronted with a situation in which a woman may become sterile or die if the pregnancy is continued.

Outlawing abortion will not end the problem. If the fetus is unwanted, the pregnant woman will find a way to rid herself of it. Stories of babies found in dumpsters are still surfacing, even with abortions being legal. Striving for illegalizing abortion mixed with the push of groups throughout the nation for Abstinence Only sexual education (and the $170 million funding from Bushs Administration for such programs), will cause an avalanche of consequences. Many studies into the Abstinence Only programs have shown that teenagers are no less likely to abstain from sexual activity than those who are educated on safe sex techniques. The only difference is when they do become sexually active, they will make poor decisions based on little to no accurate information.

While adoption is a wonderful idea, the truth is as the children waiting to be adopted get older, the less likely their chances of being adopted become. This goes for handicapped (both physically and mentally) children and those with other developmental or behavioral problems (see: http://www.legal-forms-kit.com/freelegaladvice/marriage-divorce/1.html).

The Bush Administration is pushing for family values. These are important; but lets not forget that ignoring the problem and outlawing it will not make it go away! Lying to our children about sexual development and then condemning them for making the wrong decisions makes no sense! Send a message to the politicians and President Bush about keeping abortion legal and not basing laws and Constitutional amendments on the religious beliefs of one group. Please sign this petition not only for keeping abortion legal but the overall effort to keep Church and State separate!