by Gail Robbins
The reproductive liberty amendment Article 22 states the following:
That an individual’s right to personal reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity to determine one’s own life course and shall not be denied or infringed unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.
Questions:
What if your 11-year-old daughter becomes pregnant. Can she have an abortion without your knowledge? From reading this proposal, she has full rights to have an abortion without the parents’ knowledge. That’s a pretty big decision for a little girl to make on her own. What if she takes the RU 486 pill without your knowledge and starts hemorrhaging at home? As her parent/guardian, with this amendment, you may not even know anything about this. This doesn’t seem right to me.
Or what if a 40-year-old known pedophile begins a relationship with your vulnerable 9 year old girl, can you, a parent, intervene? According to this proposal, I believe this young girl has full reproductive autonomy and therefore the parents are excluded.
At what age does this reproductive liberty amendment begin?
Does a 5-year-old little knobby kneed child who is not yet able to read able to determine that they want to begin to take invasive hormonal therapies that will affect them dramatically? Isn’t that – personal reproductive autonomy? Are these therapies effective? Are people happier and better adjusted? Or are the suicide rates higher for this group? I have read that the suicide rates are significantly higher.
Are schools required to inform parents of things observed in the school as it relates to their child’s gender identity? My understanding is that with this resolution/proposal – the schools will not be telling the parents because it is once again personal reproductive autonomy. Meaning that if a young child prefers different pronouns at school, with this resolution/proposal, the schools will not be advising the parents.
From my perspective, no one loves this child like their parents/guardians. They have regularly sacrificed their sleep, their finances, their time and energy caring for and nurturing their children since the day they were born. Why would we ever remove the parents from any and all decisions when a child is underage. No one else know, loves and cares for that child like their parents.
I vote NO!
The author is a Northfield resident.
Categories: Commentary
An activist trans lawyer, who is married to another trans activist, told me that children are capable of their own decisions.
Children mind you. Euphemistically referred to as “youth”.
According to the law I believe the age of reasoning for children is 7. Based on the evidence displayed by our legislature, the age of reasoning for lawmakers is absent. This article 22 is an abomination of the highest order and proves that people will sell their soles for the purpose of the inconvenient pregnancy. With all of the birth control available to people male and female (and the other 50 genders) we need a death right. Vermont will kill them when they get old and even before they get here. A 7 year old child probably has better reasoning than the adults currently running things.
Thank you Gail for a common sense post.
Article 22 is a holocaust, the destruction of children and families by those who’s agenda far exceeds any semblance of logic.
Far too many are apathetic and have no idea of what Article 22 actually is.
Thank you Gail for speaking out about the very destructive Article 22, Proposal 5 Question on the November 8th Ballot.
It’s clearly about WAY MORE than abortion. If we think Vermont is dark now, if this passes it will unleash many evil, depraved and abhorrent behaviors.
SAVE WHAT IS LEFT OF VERMONT!! VOTE FOR SANE CANDIDATES AND
VOTE NO ON ARTICLE 22, PROPOSAL 5!!
I am no fan of gender clinics but this is the biggest straw man argument i have seen in a long time.
Agree with it or not, clinics do not start hormone therapy on 5 year olds or even blockers.
But they COULD, by law, if this passes.
They could do anything, but even to a person with basic veterinary understanding there is no reason to give a 5 year old hormones or blockers. If you gave them hormones it would stop the growth of their bones. Blockers would have nothing to block. A pre-pubescent child does not have appreciable sex hormones.
Do some deeper research Sarah. There are hospital doctors bragging about how they have learned to turn male penises into vaginas and also do double mastectomies on young girls so they can become males.
Sorry to have to say, this crazy child abuse is REALLY HAPPENING. Where are ALL the Child Advocates and Mandated Reporters Now?
Indeed, consider Vanderbilt University acknowledging gender surgery as a significant revenue stream.
https://tennesseestar.com/2022/09/21/vanderbilts-gender-clinic-doctor-trans-surgeries-make-money-for-the-hospital/
The common sense behind these comments, in this particular culture, seem almost astounding. Is it possible that supporters of article 22 have never thought of these questions, or are they simply plowing ahead regardless of common sense?
Dear Ingud,
Did you forget: Common sense, reason and critical thinking are absent from the Marxist and Progressive Vermont Legislators? They came up with the vague and undefined language of this irresponsible Ballot Question seeking to change our State Constitution.
The blatant disrespect shown to Vermont Voters is obvious. Let’s hope the strongest advocate for this Proposal 5/Article 22 Mess Ms. Becca Balint, doesn’t get elected in another position to wreak further havoc on the “People of Vermont.”
VOTE OUT THE MARXISTS AND PROGRESSIVES!
BRING SANITY AND COMMON SENSE BACK TO OUR GOVERNMENT!!
Lets not forget that we have a republican governor who supports this and signed the law for this to happen. We also have a republican running for Lt. governor who also supported and voted for this insanity. These are two high profile politicians who put politics above the lives of living children and those not yet born. These are dark days for Vermont with progressive, political women on TV expressing their support for an undefined constitutional right for the potential serialization of children and the continued ability to kill an unborn baby up until birth. All of this is some kind of revenge for the supreme court decision that doesn’t affect Vermont because the dark forces allowed this prior to Roe vs Wade. The legislature approved abortion all the way to birth and the governor signed it. Two other deaths have cursed Vermont, common sense and critical thinking died here some time ago. The voters are as responsible as the politicians who put them in office to destroy the dignity and morals of our state. I’m not a religious man but I say, God help us through this dark time.
Very well said Dano!!
Maybe we can have a chance to put some sane, thinking people into the Vermont Legislature in a few weeks as a start. There are conservative candidates running in many races. Please pay attention and vote them in.
Also, we have an honorable and quality conservative candidate running for the US Senate, Gerald Malloy. Wouldn’t it be something if he won over crooked, self-serving Peter Welch.
There is always hope. Be a part of the solution.
VOTE IN SANITY AND COMMON SENSE!!
Yes, already there! But, voting for Kevin Hoyt and writing in Greg Thayer and Ericka Redic. I can’t support people who would vote for this and other nonsense. I used to vote for Phil until he got lost in La La Land.
Gerald Malloy is an election denier. He is not lived in Vermont for very long and he woukd vote to take alot of or rights away.
Gerald Malloy is an honest, ethical, moral, upstanding Senate Candidate who believes human life has great value.
Is Anonymous really Peter Welch in disguise lying about his opponent? You know the unethical politician Peter Welch who is running for the US Senate Seat for Vermont and pretends that he has served Vermonters in Congress. His congressional salary is about $175,000.00 a year, but somehow while in office he has become a millionaire.
I’ll bet Peter Welch is glad his mother was Pro-life.
Thank you for this commentary! If Article 22 was designed only to guarantee abortion rights for Vermont women, the law would have been written; “The right of an adult individual to have an abortion shall not be infringed.”
Democrats Mantra: “We believe reproductive care is health care….” God help us…mask it with every euphemism the liberals can conjure up, including Hillary Clinton who once referred to this ‘right’ as part of her and every woman’s “religion,” but what it comes down to is wanton ” Abortion” and killing of a helpless embryo, fetus, child…ask those who have had one about the consequences they have suffered in their lives…regrettable, grievous depressed, and scarred.
Thank you, Gail for your article and presenting deeper scenarios if this ugly bill is passed…
I would hope that all professing Christians would vote against Article 22 as the Scriptures so perfectly speak to us. Any wavering Christian, atheist, and agnostic alike would do well to read to see what words Our Creator has given to all past, present, and future generations on the matter of life: Please pass along these passages and the many others in the Bible which speak to our friends, community, legislators, and civic leaders before this important vote next week…
Psalm 139:13-16
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth
Psalm 139:16
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them
Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.
Job 3:16
“Or like a miscarriage which is discarded, I would not be,
As infants that never saw light.
Psalm 127:3
Behold, children are a gift of the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Romans 1:28-29
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips.
Proverbs 6:16-17
There are six things which the Lord hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood.
Ecclesiastes 11:5
Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things.