Choose Life License Plates
Survive in the House of Delegates
By Clare MacDonnell
HERALD Staff Writer
RICHMOND — As Del. Richard H. Black, 32nd district, looks at the two-foot-high pile of signatures in support of the bill sitting in his office, he is encouraged and optimistic about the future of pro-life license plates.
Much to the chagrin of its pro-abortion opponents, House Bill 1464, more commonly known as the Choose Life License Plate bill, is still alive in the Virginia House of Delegates.
The bill passed the first reading on Feb. 7, 1999 and was scheduled for its second reading on Feb. 9, 1999. The second reading will bring the bill into debate on the House floor.
Funds raised from the plates, which will cost an additional $25, will help defray the costs of adoptions in Virginia. After an initial 1,000 plates are sold, $15 of each plate will be donated.
Black noted that among the pledges of support for the bill are statements from the Diocese of Arlington and Richmond, Knights of Columbus statewide and numerous pro-life groups.
"It is so encouraging to see the Church standing up with the same courage of the early Church," said Black. "We are not going to be suppressed or driven from the marketplace of ideas."
According to Black, the driving force behind the bill has been American Life League (ALL) in Stafford. Steve Sanborn of ALL said the organization has been working diligently since Black asked them to handle the promotion of the bill.
Since December, ALL has held two press conferences, launched the petition campaign which collected more than 7,000 signatures in three weeks and organized support from pro-life organizations statewide.
The bill’s chief opponents, Planned Parenthood, National Abortion Rights Action League and the American Civil Liberties Union, have been lobbying the bill’s defeat since its introduction. Black said that although these groups claim to be pro-choice, they are against the plates because they encourage women to choose adoption.
"One of the revelations I have had while working on this bill is that people who call themselves pro-choice want to deny expectant mothers any choice but death," said Black.
Sanborn echoed Black’s sentiments saying that the opposition cannot come up with a valid argument against this bill because the license plates are about presenting an option. He said that when the Planned Parenthood spokesperson gave her statement to the House Committee on Feb. 6, she actually helped the license plate cause by saying that "pro-choice does not mean pro-abortion." When Sanborn spoke before the committee he emphasized that statement and said it proved the necessity for the license plate.
"The opposition speakers were doing my work for me," said Sanborn. "All I had to do was reiterate their statements about being pro-choice because we are just trying to make it easy for expectant mothers to choose life."
Andrew Cole, legislative aide for Black, said that this legislation is constructive for Virginia because it promotes adoption, which in turn promotes families.
"Adoption builds families," said Cole. "This
is an opportunity to affect society because families build society."
Copyright ©1999 Arlington Catholic Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
This article was published in the Arlington
Catholic Herald,
200 N. Glebe Rd., Suite 607, Arlington, VA 22203; Vol. 24, No 6;
page 13, dated Feb 11, 1999.
E-mail:
letters@catholicherald.com
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A note from the Web Master:
It is noteworthy and honorable that some folks are willing to stand up for a ban on Partial-Birth Abortion. Let us not forget that ordinary everyday Abortion is also murder. We must understand that murder is murder no matter the method. Because one method of abortion seems to be horrible does not justify the other methods. We should be horrified and sickened by any Abortion regardless of the method. The Fifth Commandment spells it out clearly: "Thou shalt not kill." A fetus is a person, a human being with a God given soul. Imagine the pain the Lord must feel when any Abortion occurs. Please contact both of your Senators and Representative, via letter or phone, to let them know how horrified you are that Abortions are legal and to stop Partial-Birth Abortions and all other Abortions as soon as possible. (It has become apparent that they do not respond to email therefore you will have more of an impact by writing or telephoning.)
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