Coloradoans say NO again!

So far, with 23% of precincts reporting, Coloradoans are saying NO to the personhood amendment, 73% NO, 27% yes.

Thank you sensible Coloradoans!!!

Attention Colorado Citizens

If you are approached to sign the petition to get the personhood amendment on the ballot this fall, I ask you to think twice before signing.

The anti-abortion movement would like you to believe that by having an embryo considered a person and giving that embryo the same rights as you and me, will in essence outlaw abortion. However, this ballot initiative does much more than this. It could prevent a couple, such as my Hubby and I, from being able to have children using in vitro fertilization.

You see, contrary to what the media would lead you to believe, embryos aren't "implanted" in a woman's uterus where they will always successfully grow into a baby that will be delivered full term. Sometimes these embryos, which are actually transferred to the uterus from the dish where they were lovingly grown by the embryologist, just languish in a woman's uterus, not getting the chance to implant before the woman's period starts. Sometimes a fibroid may prevent the embryos from implanting, sometimes it could be that the embryos don't have normal chromosomes. Sometimes the embryos just die before getting a chance to implant.

But if you sign this personhood ballot initiate, and it passes in the November election, you basically have said that the woman, whose uterus the embryos died in, could be held liable for the death of the "person."

Another scenario is what if after the two week wait the woman takes her pregnancy test and it shows positive! The excitement though quickly dims when the searing pain in the abdomen indicates something is amiss. After a thorough exam from her OB/GYN or Reproductive Endocrinologist, it is determined that the embryo has taken hold in the fallopian tube and is now threatening the life of the mother. If the doctor and mom take actions to save her life, which in essence will kill the embryo, will the doctor or mom be charged with murder?

This ballot initiative is so full of unintended consequences. And the bad part about it is that it is being presented in such a way that many don't even realise what it is that they are signing. Or what would happen if it passes.

If you have a problem with abortions, go after Roe v. Wade. Don't you dare trample on the reproductive rights of those of us who are trying so desperately to have children. Because that is what you would be doing.

In fact, ask yourself if I, Miss Tori, had any say so in whether you had children or not. The answer would be no. So why should you have a say so in whether I have children or not. Please do not sign this ballot initiative to define an embryo as a person. Because by doing so, you've just stepped into the bedroom with my husband and I. And personally, I'd prefer you stay out of our sex lives and reproductive options.

The petitioners were out at the state fair gathering signatures for the parenthood amendment. My MIL signed it! Ugh. Thanks.

ETA: Here is the link to my original post about these yahoos.

What part of "NO" don't they understand?

The idiots who tried to pass this bill last year are up to their old tricks again. What part of the almost 73% NO votes didn't they understand? I want to take these people out behind the barn and knock some sense into them. Ugh.

Coloradoans, if you get approached to sign a petition for this, please tell them HELL NO!

Common Sense Prevails!

We were successful in defeating Amendment 48 in Colorado! See the tally in the Denver Post. It is reassuring to see that so many Coloradoans thought that this amendment took the issue just too far.

Vote NO on Amendment 48!

If you live in Colorado, and are planning on voting, please, please, please vote NO on Amendment 48!

I understand if you are against abortion. I can appreciate your stance. And if you want to try to outlaw abortion, then go after Roe v. Wade on a federal level. But damn it, don't you dare try to say that personhood should be defined at conception. Do you realize what this does? Have you any idea of the unintended consequences this amendment would have on people like me?

You see, I'm trying to have a baby. That's right, we're trying to conceive. You may be thinking that I should like this proposed amendment, but I don't. I'll tell you why.

This proposed amendment will prohibit some of the in vitro fertilization treatments that I will be going through to become pregnant. You see, the old fashioned way of my husband and I having sex just doesn't lead to us being able to conceive. I have what is called ovarian reserve failure, or in simple terms, my eggs are old, and therefore, will not allow me to be able to have a child of my own. In order for me to carry a child, I will have to have a woman donate her eggs to me.

When her eggs are harvested, they will be inseminated with my husband's sperm. Our hope is that all of the eggs will fertilize and that we will be able to transfer an appropriate number into my uterus, where the ultimate goal is to become pregnant with a singleton, or a single baby.

You may be thinking "That's great!" However, if this bill passes, we have at least two conundrums we'll be facing. If the doctors do transfer more than one embryo into my uterus, but I only become pregnant with one baby, my doctors and I could be held civilly (and possibly criminally) liable for the embryos that didn't survive.

Also, if we have extra embryos that we don't transfer the first time and we are able to freeze for future use, if they do not survive the thaw, we'd be in trouble as well. Or, if we get all the babies we want and still have extra embryos left over, we couldn't just let them go naturally. We'd be in violation of the law.

Now is this what you would want to happen? Would you want a couple who so desperately want to have a child to be held liable for an embryo that doesn't actually grow into a live human being? Or say that, God forbid, we do get pregnant, but I have a miscarriage. Should I be held liable for the death of that child? That's what Amendment 48 would do.

I am a Christian, and while I do not think that abortion should be used as a form of birth control, I do think that it should be available for use when a woman is raped, a victim of incest, or when the woman's health is at stake if she should continue the pregnancy. But I am also an American, and I firmly believe that each person has the freedom to choose their own religion, and if a woman does not think or feel that abortion is wrong, who am I to tell her differently? I certainly don't want someone else telling me what I can and cannot do regarding my health or medical procedures I may have.

So please, I ask that you vote NO on Amendment 48 in the upcoming general election on November 4, 2008, in Colorado. By doing so, you are helping to ensure that I can continue my pursuit of trying to have a child using in vitro fertilization.