Three Republican presidential candidates have signed a new presidential pledge that has them affirming that unborn children join people after birth in deserving protection of their right to life.
Sponsored by Personhood USA, the pledge says, “I proclaim that every human being is created in the image and likeness of God, and is endowed by our Creator with the unalienable right to life.”
The new pledge already has the support of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. The other Republican candidates have been asked to sign the pledge as well and may do so.
12/15 UPDATE: Rick Perry has also signed him name to the pro-life pledge.
This is the second pro-life pledge following one sponsored by the Susan B. Anthony List this summer that had signed pledge to nominate judges pro-life advocates would appreciate, select pro-life nominees for key administration posts, support de-funding the Planned Parenthood abortion business, and to support a Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to protect unborn children who are capable of feeling pain from abortion.
All of the Republican presidential candidates signed the SBA List pledge except Mitt Romney, who released his own pro-life pledge in response, Jon Huntsman, who is pro-life, and Herman Cain, who has since withdrawn from the race.
Former pro-life Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee talked about the new pledge.
“Believing that every human life, unborn and born, has intrinsic worth and equal value is the underpinning of our nation’s moral core. As one who lived through the Jim Crow laws of the South and saw how people of color were treated as ‘less’ I am encouraged that the personhood movement is reminding us that all people are deserving of the protections afforded us as human beings,” he said. “We should never ask people to determine if one person is ‘more’ valuable than another because of wealth, appearance, IQ, ancestry, ethnic origin, or physical capacity. Attempts to dismiss the concept of Personhood will eventually be met with common sense and common decency. Until then, we must continue to speak out boldly for the rights of all to enjoy ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’”
Iowa conservative radio talk show host Steve Deace also commented on the pledge.
“This pledge is the most basic articulation of the unalienable right to life,” he said. ”Pro-life voters should consider who has a position on the sanctity of life and who has a conviction on the sanctity of life by the way the candidates respond to this pledge. As a pro-life voter, I know that I won’t vote for anyone on January 3rd that hasn’t signed this pledge.”
The sponsors say signers of the pledge also affirm their support for “a human life amendment to the Constitution” and “endorse legislation to make it clear that 14th Amendment protections apply to unborn children.” Both are positions in the current Republican Party platform.
