LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI

In two weeks, the people of Mississippi will vote on a ballot initiative that would, if it passes, define a fertilized egg as a person. You may not care what constitutes a person in Mississippi, but you can bet the pro-life movement does. Passage of this initiative would signal the charge in other states, could have a dramatic effect on both birth control and artificial insemination, and would be a giant step toward reversing Roe vs. Wade, stripping women of their reproductive rights, and banning all abortions. Attention must be paid.
The initiative in question circles the wagons around the essential flaw in the entire pro-life argument: the assumption, usually unchallenged, that life begins at the moment of conception. That isn't a scientific fact. "When does life begin?" isn't even a scientific question, it's more of a religious question with political overtones. The only honest answer is that no one knows but God and Mel Gibson and they're not talking. And the irony, of course, is that most of the vehemently anti-abortion activists are people who demand a smaller, less intrusive government. How much more intrusive can you be than this?
I'm not quite sure what everyone can do about this initiative in Mississippi, but let us not allow the moment to pass unnoticed.