Bush's Latest Masquerade Exposed as Attack on Women's Reproductive Health

NOW Urges Supporters to March on April 25

April 1, 2004

"George W. Bush and his anti-abortion allies are gloating today because they have exploited the devastating murder of a woman to attack the reproductive rights of all women," said NOW President Kim Gandy, in response to the signing of the Unborn Victims of Violence Act (UVVA). "Giving a fetus—even an embryo—the same legal rights as the pregnant woman will undermine the right to abortion as guaranteed under Roe v. Wade."

"We must address the problem of violence against women with increased funding for education and for enforcement," said Gandy. "Any injury inflicted on a woman, pregnant or not, should be prosecuted as a crime against the woman."

The sponsors of this cynical bill have devised a strategy to redefine the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees equal protection of the law to "persons," which has never been defined to include fetuses. The inventive language of this bill covers "a member of the species homo sapiens at any stage of development." Such a definition of "person" could entitle fertilized eggs, embryos and fetuses to legal rights—ultimately, setting the stage to legally reverse Roe.

"This is a deceptive ploy that does nothing to increase protections for pregnant women, who are at increased risk of domestic violence," said Gandy. "At the same time, abortion rights are under attack and it is time for us to fight back. I urge every person in this country who cares about women's reproductive rights and health, and decries these attacks, to march with NOW on April 25."

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