Two Tennessee lawmakers introduced a controversial bill this week that would give fathers the legal right to protect their unborn children from abortions.
Law & Crime reports state House Bill 1079/Senate Bill 494 is sponsored by Republican state Rep. Jerry Sexton and Sen. Mark Pody. It would allow fathers to request an injunction from a judge to prohibit the mother from aborting their unborn child.
Abortion activists and leftist news outlets quickly blasted the legislation as “dangerous” and “insulting,” but many pro-lifers may disagree with some of the specifics of the legislation as well.
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For example, the Huffington Post noted that the bill does not require the man to prove that he is the father; he only must acknowledge his paternity in writing. According to the report, the bill also would punish women for violating the injunction. The pro-life movement supports punishments for abortionists but not women, who often are second victims of the profit-driven abortion industry.
Leftist news outlets also emphasized that the legislation does not include exceptions for rape or incest.
Here’s more from the report:
The legislation … would require a court hearing to be held within 14 days of a petition being filed by the individual seeking an injunction.
At the hearing, if the man can prove that he is the biological father and that there is a “reasonable probability” that the woman would obtain an abortion, the court shall issue an injunction prohibiting her from terminating the pregnancy. Proof of parenthood requires only that the petitioner acknowledges paternity. A DNA test is not required.
LifeNews could not find the full text of the bill to verify this information.
The essence of the legislation, to provide a father with the legal means to protect his unborn child’s life, is something the pro-life movement has been trying to do for decades. However, the courts repeatedly have struck down these efforts.
Right now in the U.S., fathers do not have any legal rights to protect their unborn children from abortions. Laws requiring that a father be notified or given a say in an abortion have been struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Abortion affects more than just a mother and child. There are countless heartbroken fathers across the country who have to bear a lifetime of grief because their partners chose to abort their unborn children against their will.
The Men and Abortion Network (MAN) is available to help fathers of aborted children. It provides free resources to fathers who tried to stop their unborn baby from being aborted as well as men who agreed with the abortion but now regret it.
