house resolution no.23

Reps. Lower, Maddock, Kahle, Green, Frederick, Steven Johnson, Rendon, Hornberger, Bollin, VanSingel, Hoitenga, Lightner, Crawford, Vaupel, Brann, Calley, Hernandez, Eisen, Wendzel, Paquette, Slagh, Albert, Huizenga, Farrington, Alexander, Filler, Schroeder, Wentworth, Sheppard, Leutheuser, Afendoulis, Meerman and Whiteford offered the following resolution:

A resolution to declare this legislative body's policy to protect life by preserving legal protections for unborn children under Michigan law and to recognize that any abortion is a tragic loss of human life.

Whereas, A fundamental role of government is to protect the rights of citizens as articulated by Thomas Jefferson, who declared, "The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction is the first and only legitimate object of good government"; and

Whereas, The state of Michigan retains a compelling interest in protecting the lives of unborn children and has a long and unbroken history of continuously prohibiting abortion since 1846; and

Whereas, Advances in medical knowledge and technology have revealed, to medical professionals and laymen alike, the rapid and intricate development of each human being at the earliest stages. The disciplines of both science and medicine have definitively established that each individual, human life begins when fertilization occurs, which is a factual determination and not a matter of opinion or religious belief; and

Whereas, There is no known medical reason for an unborn baby to be killed in the third trimester of gestation. Circumstances may arise where emergency delivery of the child must take place. However, it is never necessary, medically or otherwise, to kill a viable baby before or during the course of this emergency delivery or after the child is born; and

Whereas, There have been public attempts by members of our society to celebrate the ending of human life in the form of abortions. These celebrations are repugnant to a civilized society and stand in direct conflict with human decency; and

Whereas, The ending of a human life in the form of abortion is not birth control, nor is it health care. No matter the circumstances, when an abortion is performed, a human life has ended who is no different in his or her nature than every born citizen of this state. As such, this occurrence is a cause for sadness and solemn reflection, never celebration; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we declare it is this legislative body's policy, and within the rights of this state and its people, to protect life by preserving legal protection for unborn children under Michigan law; and be it further

Resolved, That this legislative body recognizes abortion as a loss of human life and that such occurrences are never a cause for celebration and are always a cause for sadness and solemn reflection.