Patti Maguire Armstrong: Why Measure 1 Is No Threat To End-Of-Life Decisions
Most people cannot be expected to know all about constitutional law and the legal ramifications of constitutional measures. Therefore, it’s easy to scare voters with lies. Not until I started researching the the ramifications of Measure 1 on my own, did I finally understand how to defend it intelligently against the opponents.
North Dakotans Against Measure 1 (NDAM1) are using false end-of-life arguments to scare people. To get the facts, I spoke with Paul Linton, a constitutional attorney and author of Abortion under State Constitutions: A State-by-State Analysis
This is why concern about end-of-life directives is a false argument, according to Linton.
- Advance directives are private legal documents. Measure 1 by it’s own terms does not reach private conduct so the argument that it would interfere with advanced directives is preposterous. Withdrawing or withholding medical treatment is already a Constitutional right.
- M1 is not self-executing. Legislation has to be passed and then the amendment gives constitutional support. Does anyone think our lawmakers are going to try to take away those rights?
Measure 1 will prevent the courts from identifying a state right to abortion and authorize the legislature to pass laws to regulate abortion.
Opponents of Measure 1 want no restrictions on abortion and they don’t want ND lawmakers able legislate on abortion. NDAM1 doesn’t want to admit this because that would be a losing battle in North Dakota. Instead, they make false arguments.
If you want to know who is voting yes on Measure 1, go to NDChooseLife.com and click on “endorsements.” You will see that support is across all denominational lines by hundreds of Christian churches.
If you want to know who is behind NDAM1, go to the Secretary of State’s Campaign Finance Reporting shows that the abortion lobby fuels NDAM1. 95% of their money comes from out-of-state. $1 million is from Planned Parenthood, the #1 abortion provider in the country. Since when are abortion lobbyists involved in end-of-life issues? It’s a smokescreen to dupe people.
