A Secular Pro-Life member recently brought 31 States to my attention. This documentary film, which is still in production, tells the stories of courageous women who refused to abort their children who were conceived in rape—only to learn that the laws of their states effectively punished them for choosing life:
If you can’t watch the video, the issue here is that in 31 states, a rapist can sue to obtain custody or visitation rights for the child conceived by his violence against the mother.
I have to believe that these laws are simply the result of oversight. Perhaps these laws were written decades ago, when rape was a taboo topic and DNA testing was unknown, and legislators at the time simply didn’t think to write in any particular provisions concerning rapists. As a result, rapists have the same rights as any other biological fathers. Once legislation is enacted, political inertia comes into play, and no reform comes until people start making real noise.
CLICK LIKE IF YOU’RE PRO-LIFE!
The time to make that noise is now. If there is any common ground between pro-lifers and pro-choicers, this is it! These outdated policies encourage abortion, threaten women’s safety and sanity, expose children to needless instability and stress, and are just plain outrageous.
By telling women’s stories, 31 States will encourage the sociopolitical momentum necessary to close this loophole, in all 50 states, once and for all. If you’d like to support the production, you can buy a bracelet or make a straight-up donation on their website.
LifeNews Note: Kelsey Hazzard is the head of Secular Pro-Life.
