Sunday, March 29, 2009
THE FACE BILL
The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act of 1994 (commonly called the FACE law) protects *crisis pregnancy centers,
*abortion clinics,
*physicians' offices,
*other reproductive health clinics,
*churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and other religious buildings.
"by establishing Federal criminal penalties and civil remedies for certain violent, threatening, obstructive and destructive conduct that is intended to injure, intimidate or interfere with persons." [from Section 2]
It is not generally realized that the FACE law protects both pro-choice abortion clinics, and pro-life crisis pregnancy centers. It also assures people access to worship in religious buildings without harassment. Section 3 (a) of the law prohibits persons using force or physical obstruction to:
- intentionally injure, intimidate or interfere with:
*A person seeking access to a reproductive health service,
*A person providing a reproductive health service, or
*A person attempting to access a religious service
Threats to do any of the above are also prohibited by the law. The FACE law also applies to a person who intentionally damages or destroys property at a reproductive health services clinic or religious building. The FACE law does not "prohibit any expressive conduct (including peaceful picketing or other peaceful demonstration)". [Section 3 (d)(1)].
In May of 1994, the FACE bill was signed into law by President Clinton. First-time offenders can receive a sentence of up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Subsequent offenses can increase the penalties to 3 years and $250,000. The FACE law has often been associated with the judicial banning of picketing within a certain number of feet of an abortion clinic. This concept of providing "buffer zones" is unrelated to the FACE law. They have been created by judges who have used such zones when granting injunctions. Since being signed into law, FACE has survived a number of challenges on the basis of first amendment rights (freedom of speech). It seems to have significantly reduced the number of blockades of abortion clinics.
REFERENCE:
1. The "Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) FAQ" website contains the full text of the law at: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/law/clinic-access/
*abortion clinics,
*physicians' offices,
*other reproductive health clinics,
*churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and other religious buildings.
"by establishing Federal criminal penalties and civil remedies for certain violent, threatening, obstructive and destructive conduct that is intended to injure, intimidate or interfere with persons." [from Section 2]
It is not generally realized that the FACE law protects both pro-choice abortion clinics, and pro-life crisis pregnancy centers. It also assures people access to worship in religious buildings without harassment. Section 3 (a) of the law prohibits persons using force or physical obstruction to:
- intentionally injure, intimidate or interfere with:
*A person seeking access to a reproductive health service,
*A person providing a reproductive health service, or
*A person attempting to access a religious service
Threats to do any of the above are also prohibited by the law. The FACE law also applies to a person who intentionally damages or destroys property at a reproductive health services clinic or religious building. The FACE law does not "prohibit any expressive conduct (including peaceful picketing or other peaceful demonstration)". [Section 3 (d)(1)].
In May of 1994, the FACE bill was signed into law by President Clinton. First-time offenders can receive a sentence of up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Subsequent offenses can increase the penalties to 3 years and $250,000. The FACE law has often been associated with the judicial banning of picketing within a certain number of feet of an abortion clinic. This concept of providing "buffer zones" is unrelated to the FACE law. They have been created by judges who have used such zones when granting injunctions. Since being signed into law, FACE has survived a number of challenges on the basis of first amendment rights (freedom of speech). It seems to have significantly reduced the number of blockades of abortion clinics.
REFERENCE:
1. The "Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) FAQ" website contains the full text of the law at: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/law/clinic-access/
Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2003
The original event which led to the writing of this bill was the killing of Tracy Marciniak's unborn fetus, and her unsuccessful quest for justice in Wisconsin. She was allegedly assaulted by her estranged husband, Glenndale Black, on February of 1992. Mr. Black was reported to have hit his wife's abdomen twice while she was 4 or 5 days away from full term pregnancy. He initially refused to call 911 or allowed her to call. So, thus the fetus, who was a boy planned to be named Zachariah, unfortunately died in the womb. Tracy wasn't expected to survive either but she did, only to find that, in her state of Wisconsin, a fetus is not considered a human person until it is born. So thus, the husband was charged with first degree reckless injury and false imprisonment but never charged with homicide for causing the death of the fetus. Tracy spearheaded a movement which changed the Wisconsin legal code in 1998. However, there is a gap in the state legislation. It does not apply to crimes committed on federal property. So, she and others promoted a federal Unborn Victims of Violence law to close this loophole. In 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002, the House passed these bills, but the Senate killed them. On January of 2003, Mike DeWine (R-OH) introduced Bill S. 146 in the U.S. Senate to "protect unborn victims of violence." On April of 2003, President George W. Bush urged passage of the bill because he thought it "would recognize a fetus as an independent [human] being if killed or injured during the commission of a federal crime." If the bill is signed into law, it would allow a person convicted of injuring or killing a fetus during the commission of certain federal crimes to be charged with a second, separate offense. Punishment would be that same as if similar injury or death had occurred to the woman carrying the fetus, except that the death penalty could not be imposed. The prosecution would not have to prove that the perpetrator was aware that the woman was pregnant, or that the perpetrator intended to cause the death or injury to the fetus.
In practice, the law would have little impact, since it would only apply to crimes committed in such places as a military base, a post office, bank, or a Native reservation. It would not apply generally throughout the U.S.
In practice, the law would have little impact, since it would only apply to crimes committed in such places as a military base, a post office, bank, or a Native reservation. It would not apply generally throughout the U.S.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
The Fetal Pain Bill
In May, anti-choice legislators - Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) and Rep. Christopher Smith (R-New Jersey)- introduced the Fetal Pain Bill, commonly known as the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act, that had doctors read a statement informing women of the pain an unborn child feels during an abortion and would give her the opportunity to provide that child with anesthesia. The bill stated, "If Congress finds that there is substantial evidence that the process of being killed in an abortion will cause the unborn child pain," a doctor must tell his patient, "even though you receive a pain-reducing drug." Doctors who failed to read the statement could be fined $100,000 to $250,000.States are also required to revoke or suspend their medical licenses, or face the loss of Medicaid funding. Now, even though the bill was rejected by the House because there was evidence that the anesthesia caused fetal pain, some doctors still favor it . Anand, a pediatrician and professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, believes that a fetus experiences pain after 20 weeks gestation and that drugs provided to a pregnant woman do not anesthetize the fetus. He based his analysis on fetal response to external stimuli such as needling or moving away from a sharp object and concluded that is not possible to measure whether a fetus experiences pain. Anti- choice groups also favored the proposed bill such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Concerned Women for America, Family Research Council and the National Right to Life Committee. Even some of the Republicans favored it because they thought that the bill was intended to allow women make informed choices when considering an abortion. "This legislation is very, very badly needed," Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) said (New York Times, 12/7). But on the other hand, some abortion rights supporters said they were pleased the bill failed to pass. "This sham bill is yet another partisan political ploy that misguidedly attempts to insert the government into private medical conversations between women and their doctors," Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.), who helped lead the opposition to the measure, said (Levey, Los Angeles Times, 12/7). She added, "We are wasting time today on a bill that is laden with rhetoric but very little science."
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Is an Unborn Baby a Person?
This question is very debatable in the sense that many individuals answer yes or no. But, under the Constitution, it is not viewed as one because it just a fetus in the uterus. Some tend to disagree like in the similar situation that happened back then with the blacks. Black people where not counted as individuals, but where known as slaves because of their status in life. Those who disagreed where called anti-abolitionists because they believed that everyone was counted as a person no matter their rank or position. Later on, they were counted as 3/5 of a person and now: they have a full individual status. So, if this happened to them, then is just a matter of time before unborn babies can be people, too. I mean, seriously, what to the government are the requirements to be a person? A full gasp of air, a complete body image, a beating heart, etc. That is just nonsense because a life is counted as a life from beginning till the end no matter what. Express your thoughts on the issue.
Do people have the right to kill?
Abortion is seen as a legal practice today in society, but is it right? When a cold-hearted killer murders a young innocent girl, we call that homocide; but when a woman decides to terminate the life of a fetus, that is not murder. She is allowed to kill this fetus on the account of it not being a real person. That is ridiculous! Regardless of what stage of pregnancy you are in, abortion should not be allowed. Not only are you murdering when you abort, what is worse is that you are aborting you're own child....a little "piece" of you. Shouldn't YOUR baby have the right to at least be born.....at least do that for your kid....Abortion is not the only way out...its just the easy (coward) way out. What do you believe? Give your opinion.
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