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Statement on Alabama’s “Human Life Protection Act”

18 May 2019
Emily
Statements

The American Ethical Union (AEU) condemns the passage and signing into law of the Alabama “Human Life Protection Act.” This law, far from honoring human life, profoundly restricts the bodily autonomy of pregnant people; is a bill of rights for rapists and abusers; puts the lives of pregnant people at risk; upends basic moral principles; and continues an assault on reproductive freedom which has been waged for decades. The bill exists to control and demean women, and the AEU opposes it.

Bodily autonomy is central to human dignity: we all as a matter of right should be able to choose how to control a process occurring within our own bodies. This moral principle is fundamental to any serious ethic, and by criminalizing the provision of abortion the Alabama bill profoundly restricts the autonomy of women and trans men with uteruses, making them second class citizens who cannot decide what their own body does. The freedom to make reproductive choices has wide-ranging positive effects for individuals and for society. When people have access to legal abortions, fewer people die from attempting to end a pregnancy themselves. When families can choose when to start a family they are more economically stable and socially successful.

By offering no exception in the case of rape or incest, the Alabama law is a bill of rights for rapists and abusers: all they must do is impregnate a person—including a child—and that person will effectively be forced by the government to carry their rapist’s child to term. This is both morally grotesque and an extraordinary overreach of governmental power. Government now so big that it reaches into people’s very wombs.

The Alabama bill is yet more wicked in how it targets healthcare providers. By criminalizing the providers of healthcare procedures it severely undermines the essential trust between doctors and their patients, inserting the law into deeply private decisions that should be made only by an individual in consultation with their medical advisers. Doctors will be scared to attempt even legal, life-saving abortions because of potential draconian punishment. This will undoubtedly lead to the death of many women.

The “Alabama Human Life Protection Act” is therefore misnamed: it prioritizes the life of human embryos that are not yet people over the lives of fully developed human persons.

This bill also erodes religious freedom, since it has been promoted consistently by its supporters as the enforcement of sectarian religious convictions on all Alabamians using the power of law. Governor Ivey made the religious nature of the bill clear when signing it, saying: “this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God.” Those Alabamians who hold a different understanding of the commands of God, or who believe in a different God or none at all, are now subject to an essentially theocratic doctrine. This contradicts the Constitution’s insistence on the separation of church and state, threatening many other freedoms in the process.

The bill in Alabama is but the latest and most egregious example of a furious assault on reproductive rights which has been waged across America for decades. The naked ambition of these bills is clear: they seek nothing less than the total eradication of the right of pregnant people to control their own bodies. The American Ethical Union rejects the moral logic of these laws and sees them for what they are: an attempt to control women and to restrict fundamental freedoms which men take for granted. We reassert our total commitment to reproductive freedom, and call upon our member Societies to stand with the AEU and act in support of that commitment.

Actions might include:

  • support of organizations like Planned Parenthood, National Network of Abortion Funds, and the Midwest Access Coalition
  • participation in social witness, even, where appropriate, civil disobedience
  • expressing opinions directly to decision-makers
  • submitting a version of this statement to local media
  • hosting discussions and speakers at your community about sex education, contraception, and reproductive choices
  • partnering with existing organization to support evidence-based sex education in schools, full access to contraception, and a person’s right to choose whether and when to have a child

Relevant links:
AEU Resolution on Reproductive Rights
Planned Parenthood Receives Ethical Humanist Award

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AEU Statement Regarding the Events of January 6thYesterday, we watched in shock and horror as a violent mob attacked the US Capitol, forcing their way inside and occupying areas of the building for hours in an attempt to disrupt the certification of electoral votes submitted by the states. By the end of the day, 4 people were dead, 52 members of the seditious mob were arrested, and 14 police officers were injured. It took the assistance of many additional federal law enforcement personnel and the National Guard to remove the attackers from the Capitol and clear the way for the Joint Congress to resume its work.Fortunately, the Joint Congress was resolute and refused to let the interruption derail our democracy, working through the night to certify the electoral vote counts for all of the states. However, this episode was an attack on democracy itself, instigated by a sitting president whose actions have severely undermined respect for and trust in the very system that put him in office. Mr. Trump has shown only contempt for the democratic process and is a danger to our country. People who are in a position to remove Mr. Trump from office ought to proceed in haste as this president has repeatedly shown readiness to incite violence and mayhem, and also continues to demonstrate an obsession with the electoral results to the seeming exclusion of other national concerns. Our democratic system of government must be protected from his influence.As Ethical Humanists, we are called upon to repudiate the anti-democratic tendencies that have gained an unwelcome foothold in public life. Our country will need us to elicit the best from one another and ourselves in the months and years to come.#Jan6 #ethicalhumanism ow.ly/uxes50D2Gzn ... See MoreSee Less

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Share your voice! The AEU is seeking volunteers to contribute to our World Human Rights Day Project. Learn more here: ow.ly/YGDC50CYYPL ... See MoreSee Less

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Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture's Ethics for Children program is pleased to invite you to our Celebrating Community family event Sunday, January 10th! Join us for a zoom afternoon of interactive fun featuring art, theatre, and games - all with a spotlight on community.ow.ly/Ybtw50D00VQ ... See MoreSee Less

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We invite you to a family event Celebrating Community! Join us for a zoom afternoon of interactive fun featuring art, theatre, and games.

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Tomorrow is the LAST DAY to vote in the Senate Runoff Election in Georgia! Find election resources, answers to common questions and more here: fairfight.com/georgia-resources/ ... See MoreSee Less

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Yesterday, we watched in shock and horror as a vio Yesterday, we watched in shock and horror as a violent mob attacked the US Capitol, forcing their way inside and occupying areas of the building for hours in an attempt to disrupt the certification of electoral votes submitted by the states. By the end of the day, 4 people were dead, 52 members of the seditious mob were arrested, and 14 police officers were injured. It took the assistance of many additional federal law enforcement personnel and the National Guard to remove the attackers from the Capitol and clear the way for the Joint Congress to resume its work.

Fortunately, the Joint Congress was resolute and refused to let the interruption derail our democracy, working through the night to certify the electoral vote counts for all of the states. However, this episode was an attack on democracy itself, instigated by a sitting president whose actions have severely undermined respect for and trust in the very system that put him in office. 

Mr. Trump has shown only contempt for the democratic process and is a danger to our country.  People who are in a position to remove Mr. Trump from office ought to proceed in haste as this president has repeatedly shown readiness to incite violence and mayhem, and also continues to demonstrate an obsession with the electoral results to the seeming exclusion of other national concerns. Our democratic system of government must be protected from his influence.

As Ethical Humanists, we are called upon to repudiate the anti-democratic tendencies that have gained an unwelcome foothold in public life. Our country will need us to elicit the best from one another and ourselves in the months and years to come.

#Jan6 #EthicalHumanists #EthicalHumanism #Democracy
Looking for new ways to get involved in the new ye Looking for new ways to get involved in the new year? The AEU is seeking volunteers to read Articles of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights in their native languages to create a multilingual oratory experience. 
If you are interested, please email communications@aeu.org!
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