Pro-Life
"We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..." From the Declaration of Independence
About the issue:
Since the ruling issued in Roe v. Wade, the infamous case that legalized abortion, the lives of the most delicate in our society have been in jeopardy. From partial-birth abortion bans to parental notification, policies have been put in place to partially protect the unborn. However, it's not enough.
Zachary Klopfenstein was literally a miracle baby: a survivor of a late-term abortion. When Zachary was in his biological mother's (a drug addict) womb, he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus and minimal cortex and he was condemned to die by the medical experts. So, on February 28, 1997, at 39 weeks gestation, little Zachary's skull was punctured and the fluid was drained, a late-term abortion procedure the doctors presumed would result in Zachary's death.
The doctors placed "comfort care only" orders for Zachary, meaning no one was allowed to assist in reviving him: no oxygen, no respiratory assistance ? they were ordered to just let him to die. The doctors did not even aspirate him after delivery, a standard practice for all newborns. Zachary refused to die. He survived that Friday night. He survived Saturday. He survived Sunday. Today, Zachary lives life to the fullest like every other twelve-year-old boy, and his adoptive parents, brothers, and sisters share in the joy of his story of survival and the beauty of human life.
What We're Doing:
Liberty Institute believes that every life is valuable, and that life begins at conception. Liberty Institute works to ensure that what happened to Zachary never happens again.
Liberty Institute filed a brief on behalf of Zachary and fellow abortion survivor Gianna Jessen in the partial-birth abortion case of Alberto R. Gonzales v. Leroy Carhart, et al., before the U.S. Supreme Court, advocating a ban of this horrible procedure. Thankfully, The Supreme Court upheld the Congressional ban on partial-birth abortion, but it was a close 5 to 4 win.
Liberty Institute also has helped pass parent consent laws and has also worked in Texas to pass the an informed consent bill that would require that all pregnant women seeking an abortion are given the chance to see the ultrasound image and hear the heartbeat of their growing child. We also successfully helped pass the Woman's Right To Know Act, putting major informed consent provisions into law. We have also worked to pass legislation to offer the Choose Life license plate as an optional license plate in the state of Texas, the proceeds of which would be given to groups advocating adoption. We have also helped secured funding for Alternatives to Abortion efforts. We also have been successful at helping to deny certain government funding to Planned Parenthood, the largest provider of abortions in the U.S.
However, the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), which President Obama has promised to push through, would allow all forms of abortion, including partial-birth and other heinous procedures. It would strike down all state laws restricting abortion, and could impact parental rights and informed consent laws. FOCA would force abortion-on-demand onto the American public as never before, and would require that it be given the same deference as our most revered and fundamental rights.
Liberty Institute is working to protect the lives of the unborn, and will work to defeat FOCA and other life-threatening legislation as it comes up in Congress.
