The age old question

No, I'm not talking about the "meaning of life" however we do come to the answer in the same way, through self reflection. I'm talking about the question of when life begins.

Some folks in Colorado think that this is a question that the state should answer for everyone, I disagree. Considering that philosophers, scientists, clergy, and religions throughout time have never been able to come up with a definitive agreement, it's appalling to me that the anti-choice folks of Colorado think that they should.

Colorado is facing a ballot initiative this year that if passed, would establish that life begins the moment a sperm meets an egg, resulting in a zygote with the full legal rights (independent of the woman) that all (well most) Americans hold. In my opinion, if you believe that a zygote is a full citizen, then that is your right, but it is not your right to push this belief on everyone else in your state. Simple.

But if this ballot initiative were to pass (fingers are crossed for the negative) the consequences are outrageous. This is some of what would be a stake:

• Access to emergency contraception and IUD's for birth control could be illegal.
• Women who have illegal abortions could be charged with murder, and in pro-death penalty states, face the prospect of execution.
• Women wishing to become pregnant using in vitro fertilization could face major barriers, since the process of storing a fertilized egg would be in jeopardy.
• Enactment in Colorado could open flood gates for other states to follow suit.

I'm hoping that this initiative in Colorado is a long shot. Even if it isn't, I would hope that if adopted it wouldn't pass as constitutional in the Supreme Court. But I think we need to be aware of what the anti-choice groups are doing and what they are capable of - and fight back! Because in the face of increasing anti-choice attacks everywhere, your reproductive freedom is at stake.