OUR STANCE ON ABORTION
Elective abortion at all stages of development is a human rights violation.
We define abortion as the deliberate and elective early termination of a pregnancy. While other institutions (like the CDC) define abortion as an intervention intended to terminate a pregnancy that does not result in a live birth, we choose to define it in a way that encompasses our beliefs on the elective termination of a pregnancy both pre and post viability, regardless of whether the unborn child lives or dies.
We don’t just think intentionally killing the unborn is wrong, we think electively and purposefully removing the child from its natural environment early and increasing the risks of disability is also immoral. PLAN recognizes the scientific fact that the individual human life cycle begins at fertilization with the union of sperm and egg, and that every individual human deserves to have their inalienable rights recognized from the moment they come into existence. This includes the right to live, grow, and develop in their mothers womb without being subject to the violence of abortive procedures.
All living human organisms are people, no exceptions.
PLAN defines the term “person” as an individual living human organism and accepts the fact that this term ordinarily and historically has included the unborn. We reject modern efforts to redefine "person" to exclude groups of humans on the basis of undesirable traits or stage of development which they cannot control. We commit ourselves to acknowledging the humanity of everyone equally, born or unborn, and refuse to give credence to those who seek to dehumanize individuals for their own gain or ideology. PLAN understands the atrocities that inevitably follow when we deny the personhood of our fellow humans.
Parents have an inherent duty to care for their children.
Parents have obligations to their children both inside and outside of the womb. These obligations include ensuring their children are safe and alive to the best of their ability until that obligation can be safely transferred to another able bodied adult. Society would not permit a parent to neglect or abandon their born child simply because they did not want to care for the child. We understand parents have that same obligation to their child in utero.
Abortion should be criminalized.
PLAN seeks to implement pro-life legislation that prohibits the ability to electively terminate a pregnancy preterm after the moment of fertilization, and establish legal consequences for those who violate these laws.
Elective, lethal abortion is murder. Electively terminating a pregnancy preterm is akin to child abuse. Any person who participates or facilitates either should be criminalized and face legal consequences. We understand the humanity and rights of the unborn to be equal to that of born humans, and we should treat their murder and abuse as such. This includes women who seek out and/or self induce abortions, doctors and other medical staff who perform the procedure and prescribe abortive medication, men who force or coerce women into abortions, and anyone else involved in the murder and abuse of the unborn.