A Libertarian Opinion about Abortion in these United States in 2018.

What is it to be Pro-life? The founders of our country described it as an Unalienable Right. “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Life is the paramount human right because without it, a man can exercise no other right. Government has an obligation to protect people from others that would do them harm. This include unborn babies. I am on record signing "The Declaration" with the Human Coalition Pro Life Organization. And I have been involved with the Gabriel Project which aids mothers in need including unwed and abandoned mothers. I have participated in the March for Life to Austin a few times over the last 12 years, the first time with my then teenage daughter, to hear the niece of Martin Luther King Jr. speak on the subject and her revelation that abortion terminates a human being. Below is an op ed I wrote in January about this. I hope that it helps you to understand my strong desire to see abortion eliminated in my lifetimes. -May God Bless you. 5/23/18 an-opinion-about-abortion-in.html

Libertarian Opinion about Abortion in these United States in 2018.

– Phil Kurtz, Candidate for US House of Representatives Texas District 9. 1-23-18. Edited: 9/9/2019.

Today, my son turned 21 and for some reason, perhaps the opportunity to join the “Texas Rally for Life” this coming Saturday in Austin has me thinking about being just a few hours away from him at college and it has me thinking about Abortion.  Talk about Weird mixed emotions….

I don’t know why but this subject is one I have not revisited in depth since I made commentary on it in 2006 with reference to the then topical Stem Cell Research Funding….

Many believe that Libertarians are “pro-abortion” and there are some, I am sure, that are. But as a Party, and personally, we are both pro-life and pro-choice. …. Now How can that be? In this letter I will explain using the Libertarian Party platform how I justify being both Pro-Life and Pro-choice, but anti - abortion.

First the easy one… Pro Life. What is it to be Pro-life? The founders of our country described it as an Unalienable Right. “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

This is reiterated in the 5^th amendment "No person shall be... deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

Life is the paramount human right because without it, a man can exercise no other right.

And in the amendment 14^th: … No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." As the Libertarian Platform Statement of Principles outlines it: “…where governments exist, they must not violate the rights of any individual: namely, (1) the right to life—accordingly we support the prohibition of the initiation of physical force against others;”

The Constitution recognizes that we are endowed with this right at creation. The amendments also prevent the government from violating that right. This is my Pro-life belief. There is more, but let’s move on.

Pro Choice: The basic premise of this term is also mentioned in the Libertarian Platform…. “We hold that all individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner they choose.” 

And “Individuals own their bodies and have rights over them that other individuals, groups, and governments may not violate. Individuals have the freedom and responsibility to decide what they knowingly and voluntarily consume, and what risks they accept to their own health, finances, safety, or life.” 

Also: “Individuals should be free to make choices for themselves and must accept responsibility for the consequences of the choices they make. Our support of an individual’s right to make choices in life does not mean that we necessarily approve or disapprove of those choices. No individual, group, or government may initiate force against any other individual, group, or government.”

I think there are many that agree with both beliefs. On the subject of abortion, is where it gets more complicated. And the key to my stance on this is based on the writings of our Founders, my Catholic Christian faith and Libertarian principles.

The Libertarian Platform addresses. Abortion as such: “Recognizing that abortion is a sensitive issue and that people can hold good-faith views on all sides, we believe that government should be kept out of the matter, leaving the question to each person for their conscientious consideration.”

I am unquestionably anti-abortion. For these reasons. I believe, as stated in our Constitution that we are bestowed with a right to life at our creation. I interpret that to be the moment when my unique DNA first combined from the DNA strands of both my parents. In Texas, this is recognized and is the reason why you can be tried for taking 2 lives, if you kill a pregnant woman, but I digress.

As a Libertarian, I believe as stated in our platform that: “The prescribed role of government is to protect the rights of every individual including the right to life, liberty and property.” Therefore, it is appropriate for government to make laws protecting the right to life of an unborn child.

“Individuals should be free to make choices for themselves and must accept responsibility for the consequences of the choices they make. Our support of an individual’s right to make choices in life does not mean that we necessarily approve or disapprove of those choices. No individual, group, or government may initiate force against any other individual, group, or government” I believe that abortion is an aggressive use of force against another person, which no one has the right to. 

Furthermore, the Platform states that… “The only legitimate use of force is in defense of individual rights—life, liberty, and justly acquired property.” Recognizing the government’s role in enforcing such laws.

(Edit:9/9/2019) TODAY'S Science lesson: One of the arguments, I often encounter when discussing abortion with pro abortion supporters is that "it" is not a baby yet in the first trimester. I will not argue that point because technically, they are absolutely correct. "It" is however Human Life. That is science, not opinion.

Human development is the process of growth to maturity. The process begins with fertilisation, where an egg released from the ovary of a female is penetrated by a sperm cell from a male. The egg then lodges in the uterus, where an embryo and later fetus develop until birth.

The first cell called a zygote is a eukaryotic cell formed by a fertilization event between two gametes. The zygote's genome is a combination of the DNA in each gamete, and contains all of the genetic information necessary to form a new individual. In multicellular organisms, the zygote is the earliest developmental stage. In single-celled organisms, the zygote can divide asexually by mitosis to produce identical offspring.

An embryo is an early stage of development of a multicellular diploid eukaryotic organism. In general, in organisms that reproduce sexually, an embryo develops from a zygote, the single cell resulting from the fertilization of the female egg cell by the male sperm cell.

The zygote possesses half the DNA from each of its two parents. In plants, animals, and some protists, the zygote will begin to divide by mitosis to produce a multicellular organism. The result of this process is an embryo.

In human pregnancy, a developing fetus is considered as an embryo until the ninth week, fertilization age, or eleventh-week gestational age. After this time the embryo is referred to as a fetus.

A fetus is the unborn offspring of an animal that develops from an embryo. Following embryonic development the fetal stage of development takes place. In human prenatal development, fetal development begins from the ninth week after fertilisation (or eleventh week gestational age) and continues until birth. Prenatal development is a continuum, with no clear defining feature distinguishing an embryo from a fetus. However, a fetus is characterized by the presence of all the major body organs, though they will not yet be fully developed and functional and some not yet situated in their final anatomical location.

The remaining stage of the Human Life cycle after birth are: Infant, Toddler, Child, Pre Adolescent, Adolescent, Young Adult, Adult, Middle age, and Old age.

So there is no question about abortion stopping a human life. That is science and amazingly, when left alone the gestation of a zygote into a fully developed human being has an amazing success rate. Depending on who's research you read and the extent of their data, from 90 -98%.

So if someone chooses abortion they are terminating a human life at an early point in the human life cycle.

So if you are OK with terminating Human Life, the only questions left are:  At What Point in the life cycle and for What Reasons.... THAT is the real discussion isn't it.

Because the Human Life Cycle... is Science, not opinion. 

That being said, I can't support abortion for any reason, since it violates my libertarian, and religious beliefs. I find it appropriate for Government to protect the lives of the unborn.

That being said, I do not believe punishing individuals for having an abortion is the right tack to take. Rather I think that State should regulate the medical industry, and if the Governance of an individual State chooses to Ban abortion within their State, that would not interfere with an individual's right to make decisions about thier own body. There are many medical procedure that are illegal in the US. This does not prevent people from seeking these procedures in other places.

(End of Edit)

And finally, “….individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live….” Abortion, most definitely “forcibly interferes with” (understated) the right of another to live.

So, I am Pro Life, Pro Choice and Anti – Abortion.

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