Eileen Haupt: Proposal 5 red herrings

By Eileen Haupt

In his recent commentary, Sen. Joe Benning explains that one of the reasons he voted for Proposal 5 was because it is “gender neutral.” In a VT Digger article he is quoted as saying that the proposal is not just about abortion, but “includes the question of whether or not I should be entitled to a vasectomy.”

This is a big red herring and needs to be challenged.

Benning already has the right to a vasectomy. He has the right to a reversal, as well. Nothing is threatening his right to make these personal decisions.

At a press conference after the Proposal 5 vote, Sen. Ginny Lyons — who is convinced that Roe v. Wade is tenuous and that it is only a matter of time before it is overturned and Vermonters lose their “reproductive liberty” — explains that Proposal 5 would enshrine it in the Vermont Constitution.

Sen. Lyons’ comments also contain the same red herrings, only in female form. In demonstrating that this proposal is in sync with “Vermont values,” she explains that we have no restrictions to reproductive rights: “On the right to choose, the right to be pregnant, the right to have an abortion, the right to sterilization, the right to contraception.“

Like Sen. Benning, she also includes “reproductive rights” that are in no way being threatened — pregnancy, sterilization and contraception.

So, when we peel away the layers of the things these senators tell us are protected under the umbrella of Proposal 5 and we examine what is actually threatened and would be in need of constitutional protection, we are left with only one, and that is “the constitutional right that shall not be named.”

We are left with abortion. That’s it, nothing else.

So why not just be upfront and say it? Why doesn’t Proposal 5 just say, “A woman’s right to an abortion is central” instead of burying it by leaving it unmentioned, using undefined language, such as “personal reproductive autonomy,” and pretending it is also about men’s vasectomies?

What is it about abortion that is so controversial anyway?

The reason that abortion, 46 years after the Roe v. Wade decision, continues to be so controversial is because, unlike the red herrings put before us by our senators, abortion takes the life of a separate, living human being. It is a violent act against a defenseless baby in the womb.

That the unborn child is indeed a person is even more obvious now then in 1973, because of so much more knowledge about prenatal development, crystal clear images of 3D and 4D ultrasound, and even the ability to perform life-saving surgeries on the unborn child while in utero. More and more Americans are coming to this realization, and at the very minimum, support restrictions to abortion.

Perhaps if Vermonters are fooled into thinking the amendment demonstrates, as Benning says, “That the right to privacy is not limited to just one issue,” then we won’t focus on abortion too much.

Pretending that vasectomies, pregnancy, sterilization and contraception need extra constitutional protection — and omitting any mention of abortion, which is really at the heart of Proposal 5 —  is cowardly cover, and is deceitful.

Eileen Haupt, of Jericho, is a board member of the Vermont Right to Life Committee.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

6 thoughts on “Eileen Haupt: Proposal 5 red herrings

  1. Vermont views its “compelling interest” as solely that of protecting a woman’s absolute “right” to commit late-term infanticide. The joke of Proposition 5 is that it nods at a “compelling state interest” as limitation, knowing full well that Vermont has no intention of exerting any government authority in the protection of the unborn. This state is even willing to deny women the legal protection of criminal charges against a man who kills their baby by criminal action — because that might hinder its rabidly compelling interest to “preserve” the “right” to kill babies hours before birth. Perhaps Vermont will grant asylum status to North Korean women who seek to come here to obtain the third-trimester abortions that are illegal there….

  2. Abortion is not a Vermont value. People will vote against Prop 5 because it is totally deceitful and it does not belong in The Vermont Constitution.

  3. I’ve said all along, VT is an experimental state with policies pushed by outside forces ie Soros, New World Order, Bilderbergs, anti gun groups. For evidence look at the number of legislative bills introduced this year (660) of which these people will hope some will stick and in the upcoming years re-introduce and perhaps some of the “tabled” will also stick.

    What other explanation can be realized as to what’s happening in a small virtually isolated state far up in the Northeast area of the country? The Bern is putting VT on the map as to the mentality here. VT is the CA of the east for policies. As a group these Flatlanders invaded VT to take over a once what was a nice state with many historical and human values and converted it into a cess pool of crap.

    Either go with the punches or transform it “BACK”

  4. “personal reproductive autonomy,”

    Flatlander talk is like putting lipstick on a pig and calling it a legislator..(actually I think we’d be better off with the pig)

    IT’s CALLED INFANTICIDE after a heart beat, OR MORE TO THE POINT KILLING A HUMAN BEING that can’t defend itself.

    The flatlander lyins like all Chittenden reps are the most repulsive excuses for humans..

  5. Eileen,
    Great article, but you know it has fallen on deaf ears when it comes to common sense from our
    elected officials in Montpelier……..shameless. The more they talk, the dumber their answers
    are for there justification.

    Here is your closing statement…….., you nailed it !!
    Pretending that vasectomies, pregnancy, sterilization, and contraception need extra constitutional protection and omitting any mention of abortion, which is really at the heart of Proposal 5.

    Is a cowardly cover, and is deceitful and as far as I’m concerned Appalling ………………….

  6. Thank you for demonstrating the power of propaganda and how people argue for what they want rather than arguing for the truth.

    Of course they have go put in all these other items, even when not threatened, because their real argument has no merit. Vermont will be the state that not only overturns Roe v. Wade, it will end up ending all abortions, and exposing the truth.

    Great commentary, really, really sad that no reporters call these people our, question them. They just regurgitate what ever they are told. Great break down of propaganda.

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