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Bush Asked to Continue 'Reagan Doctrine'
Reagan-era policy recognized "the personhood of the unborn."
(FNIF www.family.org/cforum/fnif) One of the great legacies of Ronald Reagan's presidency was his support for the unborn. There are some who want the Bush administration to uphold that heritage by reiterating what has become known as the Reagan Doctrine on the personhood of the preborn.
This doctrine was spelled out by President Reagan on January 14, 1988, when he declared the -- "unalienable personhood of every American from the moment of conception until natural death." He also proclaimed that the U.S. Constitution and our nation's laws would be "faithfully executed for the protection of America's unborn children."
Joe Giganti, of the American Life League, said it is a sentiment Reagan affirmed other times during his presidency.
"He issued a personhood proclamation, not only once, but twice in his presidency that made clear that life begins at fertilization and that every human being's life . . . begins at that moment (and) . . . their civil rights must be protected from fertilization to natural death," Giganti said.
Brad Mattes, of Life Issues Institute, said President Bush should continue this doctrine.
"Ronald Reagan was, of course, very solidly pro-life, and I think it would behoove President Bush to stress to the nation -- especially at such a crucial time as this -- that he shares those solid pro-life convictions," Mattes said.
Giganti says the impact would be enormous.
"We have seen in the past eight years, in the partial-birth abortion debate, that when the President of the United States and key figures are willing to publicly speak out against the atrocity of abortion, it does change the hearts and minds of the average American citizen," Giganti said.
He said pro-life politicians need to be as uncompromising about the unborn as President Reagan was.
Gary Bauer, who was a member of the Reagan White House, said the doctrine is a re-emphasis of the Declaration of Independence, which states: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
By: Keith Peters
Source: Family News in Focus
Publish Date: June 18, 2004
Online at: http://ifrl.org/IFRLDailyNews/040621/3
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