Life is filled with opportunities to learn. Journeying through the Special Session, the Fetal Heartbeat Bill, and the week that followed is no different. What were some of the things I learned?
This is an important issue for Iowans and strong disagreement exists.
We often talk past each other, addressing different topics. One side addresses choice, and the other side, valuing and protecting life.
We didn’t spend enough time discussing the most important question – “When do you believe life should be valued and protected and why?” Very few people would answer the question. And yet, it determines where you believe the line should be drawn on abortion.
Too often these important discussions degenerate down to unfair questioning of motives, name-calling, and labeling. We are not very good as a community in discussing hard issues.
I do not use a religious argument for why I believe life should be valued and protected at conception. And yet, many of those who disagree always go after my faith. Strange for several reasons. 1) As I said, I never brought religion into the discussion. 2) Having a religious test for serving in political office is unconstitutional 3) Everyone rightly brings their “beliefs” to their table of decision-making. People get abusive when it comes to faith and religion.
What did I bring to my “table of decision-making”? I brought the following. 1) What science and medicine continue to reveal about the mystery of life. 2) My life experience. 3) My experience as a father, starting with the miracle of my boy’s birth. 4) My discussions with others (community) 5) My beliefs about the uniqueness and mystery of life.
Just like any other disagreement, distortions and misrepresentations flavored many of the discussions. Many people chose not to read the bill but rather took the representations (often distorted or misrepresented) of others.
Much of the discussion surrounded the exceptions and some horrific examples. After trying to address questions or concerns, I would ask the question, “So, if we could fix the exceptions, would you be OK with the bill?” The answer was no.
Many people wrongly assume that Representatives are not listening if they don’t agree with them. We all certainly have perspectives that webring to any issue. But even in this bill compromise exists from listening. The fact that this bill has exceptions and is not a life at conception bill comes from the influence of Iowans through their legislators.
So why did we in essence repass the 2018 Fetal Heartbeat Bill?
We needed to provide a response to the Iowa Supreme Court. Three of the justices specifically called the 2018bill “hypothetical law” and said the current legislature needs to speak as to their intentions.
Much has changed since 2018. The Dobbs Decision overturning Roe V. Wade by the US Supreme Court and the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision that abortion is not a right outlined in the Iowa Constitution creates a new environment.
The 2018 law had previously been legislated and discussed in 2018. A compromise had already been reached in valuing and protecting life at the detection of heart activity and providing for exceptions.
And for me, after all the discussion and debate…She has her own, unique DNA. She has her own heartbeat. She’s not just a clump of cells, she’s a baby. And she deserves to live.
And as a result, the 2023 Fetal Heartbeat Bill passed with a greater margin than it did in 2018.
