An unborn baby at 8 weeks gestation looks a bit like an alien? Image: Lunar caustic.
The City of Roswell passes a pro-life motion
What's the connection between unborn babies and aliens? Perhaps that very young babies look a little alien? Or that many who would consider a single celled organism life if it was found on Mars, don't consider a life a life if it's in the womb?
The connection this week is that the City of Roswell, New Mexico, made famous by the alleged UFO incident of 1947, and the setting of many alien-related TV shows, just did something very much concerned with human life, and passed a motion in defence of the unborn. Local pro-life activists said the result makes Roswell "a sanctuary for the unborn".
Life must always be protected
Resolution 19-28 or "A Resolution in Support of the Unborn," was passed by the City Council of Roswell by seven votes to one.
The resolution declares that "each and every innocent human life is unique and precious to God" and that "innocent human life must always be protected and preserved." It also states that the protection of "all human life is important to the people of the City of Roswell."
It says that "life" is the "first declared right" in the Declaration of Independence, and supports "adoption as an alternative to abortion," as well as resources to "ease the burden of adoption."
Promoting adoption
One councillor said that her own experience of choosing to give up her twins for adoption rather than have an abortion motivated her to speak out in favour of the motion. "And was it difficult?" Councillor Moore asked. "Yes, but my point about this is that you have the option … this is a sad situation, that we’ve come to a place where they don’t think a life is a life... And until someone gave me a choice, an option, I thought that [abortion] was my only option and so this is an important situation for me..."
The vote came as the state of New Mexico considered a bill to keep abortions legal for basically any reason up until birth, even if Roe v. Wade (the Supreme Court decision that ushered in widespread abortion) is overturned. The bill passed the State House by 40 votes to 29, but then, in a stunning victory for pro-lifers, was defeated in the Senate by 18 votes to 24.
The action by Roswell City Council echoes that of Verona, which last year declared itself officially pro-life. In a world where more and more extreme abortion legislation is being passed, these cities are examples of how people can come together to stand for (human!) life at the local level.
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