By Sen. Chip Pearson
ATLANTA (April 1, 2010) – A quick glance outside proves that springtime is finally upon us. After one of the coldest winters Georgia has seen in years, the sun is shining, flowers are blooming, and birds are chirping. These are beautiful symbols of the rebirth and renewal of life that we celebrate each spring, particularly on the Easter holiday.
While we mourn Jesus’ crucifixion, we also rejoice in his everlasting life when he rose from the dead on the third day. The message of Easter teaches us to recognize the profound dignity of every human life. I have authored a bill to preserve this guiding principle in our state, which the Senate recently passed. Across the globe, too many lives are lost to gender and race selection, while other mothers are forced and coerced into terminating their pregnancy. Senate Bill 529 prohibits aborting a child based on its race or gender, and also prevents women from being coerced into having an abortion. This is a simple measure with a powerful message: that we will protect the next generation of Georgians by ensuring that abortions are rare, un-coerced, and not targeted at race or gender.
Sadly, in countries around the world and including ours, the sanctity of life is under attack. A recent edition of The Economist magazine dedicated four articles to the rise of gender imbalance, coining the term “gendercide.” This despicable practice that targets females is estimated to have wiped out over 100 million girls across the globe. In China, it is estimated that there are 32 million more boys than girls under the age of 20. Georgia is experiencing its own crisis of imbalance, as the state Department of Community Health estimates that 59 percent of abortions in Georgia are performed on African-American women. The societal impacts of gender or racial imbalance carry grave consequences for the future, an issue we must head off at the pass.
The bill also ensures that Georgia has the proper protections in place for women who are in danger of being coerced into having an abortion. This problem is more rampant than one might expect; 64 percent of abortions involve coercion. There are harrowing stories of women being beaten or forced at gunpoint to have an abortion. Considering that murder is the number one cause of death among pregnant women, it is crucial that they have the ability to protect their personal decisions. This measure allows women to bring suit against a health care provider who knowingly performs an abortion when coercion is involved.
How can we say that we are a nation committed to women’s equality when we allow such atrocities against females to happen on a daily basis? Should this bill be signed into law, Georgia will be a state that values life and provides protections against criminal abortions. According to Americans United for Life, nine states currently have some form of coercive abuse prevention laws and three states have sex-selection abortion laws. Atlantic Magazine notes that Georgia is joining seven other states in its effort to prevent sex or race-selection abortions.
Of every bill that I’ve authored during my six years as a legislator, this is one that I wish was not necessary. I have struggled with these issues as a father, as a Christian, and as someone who represents newborns in the 51st Senate District and in this great state. I firmly believe that as a civil society, we cannot allow God’s greatest creation to be selectively eradicated or our fellow citizens to be beaten into submission over a personal choice.
This bill holds the value of life at its core, an important principle to remember as we celebrate the everlasting life of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His resurrection reminds us that God’s love is more powerful than death, and in return we celebrate his most precious gift, human life. May you and your family have a very happy and blessed Easter.
Sen. Chip Pearson serves as chairman of the Economic Development Committee. He represents the 51st Senate District, which includes Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Pickens, and Union counties and portions of Forsyth and White counties. He may be reached at 404.656.9221 or via e-mail at chip.pearson@senate.ga.gov.
COLUMN
For Immediate Release:
April 2, 2010
For Information Contact:
Raegan Weber, Director
Kallarin Richards, Senior Communications Specialist
kallarin.richards@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028