Last week, after hundreds of grassroots pro-life activists flooded the Capitol urging GA Representatives to finally abolish abortion, the controlled-opposition “pro-life” establishment organization, Georgia Life Alliance (GLA) sent a letter to the committee in an effort to kill the pro-life bill, HB 441. Astoundingly, the letter urges legislators to not pass this bill out of committee even though it would save tens of thousands of babies in our state each year! GLA urged the legislators to not even hold a hearing on it! A shocking step from an organization that claims to work to end abortion. The letter does not offer suggestions for amending the legislation, but only requests legislators stop the bill — abort it, you might say.
The letter was signed by Claire Bartlett, Executive Director, and Bryan Tyson, Chairman of the Board of GLA. This is the same attorney Bryan Tyson who you might remember has been representing Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Steven Henry, the RINO Commissioner suing the Catoosa GOP.
“When I saw Georgia Life Alliance actively fighting against ending baby murder in Georgia my heart felt sick!” said Fulton GRA member Sarah Pedro. “Making something against the law does not criminalize any person or group of people, it deters the action. It’s why we have laws in the first place – to deter harmful actions perpetrated against innocent citizens.”
Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, grassroots pro-life activists have longingly worked toward the day a bill to finally end abortion would get traction under the Gold Dome.
According to the GA Dept. of Public Health, more than 30,000 babies were murdered by abortion in Georgia in 2023. HB 441 would finally establish justice and equal protection for abortion victims.
“Abortion will never be ‘unthinkable’ while it remains legal,” said GRA President Nathaniel Darnell. “It was disturbing to see fellow Republicans and even professing ‘pro-life’ Christians taking action alongside pro-abortion Democrats to oppose the protection of innocent pre-born children.”
The letter from Georgia Life Alliance discouraging legislators from supporting HB 441, falsely claimed that: “HB 441 changes long-standing Georgia protections for women and does not address or hold accountable the abortionist, the pimp, the sex trafficker, and the irresponsible man who will face no consequence and continue to prey on women and girls for their own selfish gain.”
This characterization is demonstrably untrue! If HB 441 were enacted, any man who pressured a woman to have an abortion, paid for the abortion, or committed the abortion would be party to a homicide. Being investigated for homicide is far from “no consequence” as GLA claimed. Any pimp who was party to a homicide could be investigated and the woman protected from consequences when a jury examines the evidence and testimony and it was proven that she did not have intent to kill.
Expectant mothers who want to do what is right and keep their baby would be better protected by HB441 than they are now. Lets be clear. Any jury will readily see that a human trafficking victim is not the guilty party in her abortion. Similarly, any pregnant minor whose parents forced an illegal abortion on her would not be the guilty party.
By providing equal protection and making abortion homicide, those trying to pressure an expectant mother to commit an illegal abortion would themselves be guilty of a crime, since it is criminal to coerce someone to commit a crime. This would give vulnerable pregnant women the opportunity to report the pimp or the irresponsible man to the police.
HB 441 would expand legal protection for Georgia mothers who are committed to protecting their child. HB 441 would provide a strong legal detterent to committing an abortion. It would also provide helpful counter pressure so a woman who wants to birth her baby is not swayed by those who might attempt to persuade her to have an illegal abortion.
Elizabeth Edmonds, a former pro-life lobbyist, testified before the House Judiciary Non-civil Committee last week in opposition to the Prenatal Equal Protection Act (see video timecode 1:10:51). Elizabeth shared her story of choosing life for her baby after rape, but shockingly suggested she wanted abortion to be legal for women like her. A strange conclusion for someone who considers herself to be pro-life. This is disturbing since all children are worthy of life, dignity and legal protection, regardless of their manner of conception.
“Determining that the baby in the womb does not deserve the same rights and protections as born humans is a progressive leftist viewpoint,” said Sarah Pedro. “GLA, you have now officially joined the the fight alongside the leftists to preserve abortion! It’s a shame so many Georgians have been duped by your grift.”
Activist, and former candidate for Governor, Catherine Davis testified against the bill (see video timecode 1:08:20) suggesting that expectant mothers in Georgia are so deceived by pro-abortion propaganda that they are not ready for Georgia to pass a law that would outlaw all abortion. This argument is flawed because the best way to educate people that an action is immoral and criminal, is to pass a law against it and let every newspaper in the nation report about it. Furthermore, when every abortion facility is closed down and medical professionals refuse to offer abortion because it is not legal, it will quickly become common knowledge. Passing a law that provides consequences for an action is the normal means of communicating publicly that that action is immoral.
Davis’ argument is similar to someone suggesting in the 1860s that we should not outlaw slavery because some people have so thoroughly bought into Darwinian evolutionism and the racist idea that black people are not persons, someone might continue to oppress an African American without knowing they are human, and thereby break the law unknowingly. Abolishing slavery not only protected the victims of the slave trade, it publicly informed the nation that African Americans are indeed fully persons.
Self-Managed Abortion
The GLA letter incorrectly states: “Imposing criminal penalties on women could lead to unsafe, unregulated abortions, increased health risks, and discourage women from seeking post-abortion medical or mental health care due to fear of prosecution.”
This is absurd, since laws deter crime. If you pass a law against medical professionals committing abortions, that law deters medical professionals. If you pass a law against self-managed home abortions, that law deters self-managed home abortions. HB 441 would deter both by protecting pre-born children with the same homicide laws that protect toddlers and born people.
HB 441 will likely diminish the number of dangerous self-managed abortions, because that type of abortion would also be illegal. It is unfounded and absurd to suggest that a law that criminalizes an action would lead to more of that action.
It is making abortion illegal for medical professionals, but perfectly legal for mothers that would encourage a higher incidence of self-managed DIY home abortions. Laws that give legal immunity to all mothers essentially gives a legal permission for dangerous self-managed abortions that harm women as illustrated by the tragic Amber Thurman story.
HB 441 would provide the counter pressure necessary to deter women from attempting a self-managed abortion and save them from the trauma and guilt commonly associated with home abortions. Many post-abortive women have acknowledged that if abortion had been illegal for them, they wouldn’t have done it. So, if we truly care about the mental health of post-abortive women, why wouldn’t GLA want to try and spare them the guilt of abortion to begin with?
Wealth Redistribution for Pregnancy Centers?
In February 2024 GLA reported on a meeting they had with Governor Kemp. Their email stated their primary agenda item was “to increase funding for Georgia’s pregnancy resource centers.”
Many pro-life activists who support the Republican Party platform positions on limited government take issue with anyone who wants to do charity with taxpayer dollars, instead of doing justice. While GRA members strongly support giving voluntary private charity to the important work of pregnancy resource centers, many call tax dollar funding of pregnancy centers socialistic stealing and wealth redistribution. The same God who said “Thou shalt not murder” in the Bible also said “Thou shalt not steal.”
Justice is one of the few legitimate (and most important) functions of government. Government shouldn’t be attempting to do charity with stolen taxpayer dollars and especially not as a substitute for justice.
“God cares about justice for the weak and defenseless, and Christians should be united in fighting to protect preborn children in the same way we protect toddlers,” said Darnell.
Georgia Life Alliance isn’t the only professing pro-life group that has disappointed pro-life activists by their loyalty to the Republican establishment. The Georgia Baptist Mission Board, was recently called out by Brian Gunter (see video timecode 32:49) at a pro-life rally for the Prenatal Equal Protection Act back in March. Gunter is himself a Baptist pastor who was a former lobbyist for Louisiana Right to Life before the controlled opposition Establishment in his state killed a similar pro-life bill.
“The primary opposition to this legislation is not coming from Democrats, but it’s been the RINO Republicans and controlled opposition the whole time,” said Darnell. “We would love to see Frontline Policy Council, Georgia Faith & Freedom Coalition, and the Georgia Baptist Mission Board all unite around Equal Protection for all pre-born children in Georgia and support HB 441.”
We are glad, however, that we have other real pro-life organizations to partner with at the state capitol on this issue such as Georgia Right to Life, G3 Ministries, End Abortion Now, Operation Save America, Operation Gospel , and Foundation to Abolish Abortion. If you are pro-life, we would recommend your support for these organizations.
Note: Nothing in this blog should be considered medical or legal advice.