Fighting for Life in Mississippi
When a nation no longer values the life of a child in its most vulnerable state, it sits on a very dangerous precipice. If an infant's life ceases to have value in society, the stage is fast being set to devalue others such as the in-firmed, elderly, and special needs. If society can pick and choose what it defines as life (and which life has value), then it will always strip the right to live from the ones who have the least power to speak up and advocate on their own behalf.
It is ironic that there would be headlines and celebrations around the world, if NASA were to find even a single celled organism that were alive in outer space or on another planet. "Life Exists" would be the headlines in the biggest and boldest print that the media could muster. However, here at home in the wake of the pro-choice camp's agenda, a child existing within its mother's womb with both a heartbeat and brain activity has been reduced to nothing more than an inconvenience.
This past year, along with Mississippi, several states have rushed forward to pass legislation valuing life. Many other liberal states have gone the exact opposite direction, continuing in their march to devalue it. Several states have recently passed legislation that allow for a baby to be murdered up to the point at which the mother is actually giving birth. Recently, states like Illinois have gone so far as to strike down many of their own abortion regulations in an attempt to embrace the pro-choice ideology and counter those states who have passed heartbeat bills. Not only will their changes allow an individual to kill a baby that's 9 months old in the womb, but create an environment where a 12 year old girl can get an abortion without ever having to notify a parent or guardian. This begs the question of, "how does a 12 year old even get to an abortion clinic?" This move not only devalues life, but sets up a system for child trafficking to not just continue in their state, but proliferate.
These past four years, I have fought hard to protect life in Mississippi. Every piece of pro-life legislation passed out of the legislature has had my name on it in. In 2016 we passed bills to ban dismemberment abortions, and to ban medicaid tax dollars from being spent on elective abortions. In 2018, we passed (what was at the time) the most restrictive abortion ban in America, lowering the ban after 20 weeks to that of 15. This year, we passed a ban on performing abortions on ANY child with a detected fetal heartbeat. This bill is known as Mississippi's "Heartbeat Bill".
As can be imagined, every piece of pro-life legislation passed has been blocked or shot down by the liberal Obama appointed judge Carlton Reeves. Reeves serves as the United States District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi. For any piece of passed pro-life legislation to stay alive, it has had to be appealed up to the higher courts. It is hoped that Mississippi's "Heartbeat Bill" will be appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In the meantime, what should those of us who value life do? First, we must continue to elect leaders who don't just claim to value life, but have a track record of backing up those claims. We must continue to fight and support those champions, until we see the day where this legal murder comes to an end. Second, we must find and support our pro-life pregnancy centers around the state. These centers are truly at the front lines of this battle, and are often the primary factors between a mother keeping or terminating the life of her baby. Lastly, we must work hard to reform our adoption laws in Mississippi and our nation. Until we decrease the costs and difficulty associated with adoption, we will continue to force some to believe that abortion is their only option.
As a lawmaker who believes that all life has value, especially that life which is made in the image of God, you have my word that I will continue to stand and fight whenever and wherever life hangs in the balance. I am proud to be endorsed by both Mississippi Right to Life, and Personhood Mississippi, and humbly ask for YOUR endorsement on August 6th in the Republican Primary.
Consider reaching out and making a tax deductible donation to the Care Center, DeSoto County's pro-life pregnancy center: Care Center
