My dear friends,
My deep reservations about abortion and the death penalty grow out of my abiding belief in the sanctity of human life and the arbitrary nature of these actions. I am not, however, a pacifist in regards to war. I do believe that some very serious moral decisions are not simply choices between good and evil, but rather in the case of two evils, choices between the lesser of two evils. Such is the complexity of human moral decision-making in a fallen world.
I appreciate the intentions of those who have supported Proposition 26, what has been called the Personhood Amendment. I share their passion for the sanctity of human life. However, I am gravely concerned about the unintended consequences of this legislation. The moral nightmares of doctors no longer able to give preference to saving the life of the mother in such cases as an ectopic pregnancy and the uncertain impact on in-vitro fertilization are real. Thus, the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Medical Association has announced that it cannot support this legislation.
The legal nightmares arising from this legislation are also very real. The word “person” is used over 9,400 times in the Mississippi Annotated Code and the implications for mass confusion and decades of legal challenges over every use of the term are staggering.
For their own reasons, Roman Catholic bishops in several states, including Mississippi, have said they could not support this particular legislation.
While I recognize the complexities of such moral decisions and the need for each of us to make our own informed and prayerful choices, you need to know that I share the aforementioned concerns about the unintended consequences of this legislation. Thus, I cannot support Proposition 26 on the November 8th ballot in Mississippi.
Please feel free to share this letter with whomever you wish.
Faithfully,
The Rt. Rev. Duncan M. Gray III
The open letter from Bishop Gray concerns his opposition to Proposition 26, a proposed amendment to The Constitution of the State of Mississippi, which will appear on the ballot of the November 8, 2011 General Election.
I decided, along with other bloggers, Andrew Gerns at The Lead and Ormonde Plater at Through the Dust, that the letter is so very good and wise that it warrants posting in its entirety and the widest circulation possible. More and more often on the political scene, I see a lamentable disregard for considering the possible and grave consequences of policies we propose and subsequentially enshrine into law. Thank you, Bishop Gray, for your excellent reminder.
Text of measure
Title
The proposed measure, also known as Initiative 26, reads:
Should the term 'person' be defined to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the equivalent thereof?
Summary
The official ballot summary of the measure reads:
"Initiative #26 would amend the Mississippi Constitution to define the word 'person' or 'persons', as those terms are used in Article III of the state constitution, to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the functional equivalent thereof."
Fiscal note
According to the Mississippi Legislative Budget Office's fiscal analysis:
There is no determinable cost or revenue impact associated with this initiative.
Constitutional changes
The measure would amend Article III of the Mississippi Constitution by adding a new Section 32 to read:
SECTION 33. Person defined. As used in this Article III of the state constitution, “The term ‘person’ or ‘persons’ shall include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the functional equivalent thereof.
Text of the amendment from Ballotpedia.
