Yet another state capitol overwhelmed — this time by peaceful pro-lifers

Phil Hirschkorn of WMTW-TV known as it “essentially the most well-attended public listening to of the 12 months” after greater than 1,000 individuals met on the State Home in Augusta, Maine, on Monday and Tuesday to protest a brand new proposal which might vastly increase abortion entry within the state.

Earlier this 12 months, Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, launched a bill which might permit girls to abort their unborn youngsters legally, maybe till moments earlier than beginning, as long as a medical skilled thought-about such an abortion “vital.” Abortion is presently unlawful in Maine after a lady’s being pregnant has gone 24 weeks.

On Monday, pro-lifers swarmed the capitol constructing to display peacefully on behalf of the unborn. LifeNews.com estimated that as many as 1,500 pro-lifers gathered on the Maine State Home, and almost 700 denounced the invoice through the listening to, vastly outnumbering the 65 individuals who spoke in favor of it.

“If a child can survive exterior its mom, that signifies that it’s alive. It has a life,” Audrey Wimmer stated through the listening to. “By terminating viable pregnancies, we’re being proven that lives don’t matter, and that isn’t necessary.”

“I believe it’s incorrect to be killing our infants once they may very well be residing,” stated Ann Dowdy, who introduced her daughter, Rejoice, along with her. “My daughter was born at 24 weeks gestation right here in Augusta nearly two years in the past.”

“We’re not speaking about one thing performed to some helpless tissue,” added Eric Winter. “It is a physique with legs and arms and a heartbeat and face that’s uncovered to abortion by this invoice.”

Some girls who spoke in favor of the invoice made emotion-based arguments to defend earlier selections to have a late-term abortion. “This was the toughest, most heartbreaking, gut-wrenching scenario anybody might ever face,” stated Zoe Reich, who finally had a late-term abortion in Colorado. She added, “I used to be denied essential abortion care once I wanted it essentially the most due to a merciless and arbitrary timeline set by politicians and never medical doctors.”

Dana Peirce justified her late-term abortion by claiming that her unborn son — identified with a deadly, uncommon genetic mutation — “confronted dying by suffocation if he survived supply.”

The marathon listening to relating to the invoice continued for almost 19 hours, from midday on Monday till 7 a.m. on Tuesday. Regardless of the overwhelmingly pro-life presence, the Democrat-controlled legislature in Maine is predicted to move the governor’s invoice.

Nonetheless, these in favor of life stay hopeful. “Many voters have deep, deep convictions about this situation,” stated Carroll Conley, the chief director of the Christian Civic League of Maine. “I hope and pray that our sheer numbers provides you with affirmation that almost all of Mainers don’t help the governor’s invoice to kill our newborns,” added Andy Levesque, a board member of Maine Proper to Life.

This week, Maine legislators mentioned 4 different abortion-related payments, all of which might seemingly restrict the variety of abortions carried out within the state. One invoice would finish MaineCare funding of abortion, one other would ban abortion by mail or telehealth, a 3rd would require girls to attend 48 hours earlier than having an abortion, and a fourth would outlaw coercing a lady into an abortion. There may be additionally a listening to scheduled for Might 12 to debate making abortion a state constitutional proper.

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