Abigail Spanberger is a Danger to Virginia's Children, Especially Girls!

Abigail Spanberger’s Record of Support for Allowing Males in Girls’ Private Spaces

Former state senator Dick Black and former delegate Bob Marshall, are two Virginia heroes who truly served the state with distinction. They are both zealously pro-life. While they were in the state assembly, they defended Virginians from the first moment of life until natural death. I wish they were both still there. The delegate who replaced Bob ran for office with ads showing how he put on his makeup to play dressup. He won with massive donations coming from outside the state. 

Take Action NOW, Virginia, HJR 1 Attacks our Children!

From Bob Marshall, former member of the VA House of Delegates and often described as the "conscience" of the General Assembly. He continues to advocate for the true the good and the beautiful. Here's the email he sent to me yesterday which calls for immediate action to protect our children. If you love your children and grandchildren, don't wait one minute to contact your senators and delegates! 

Mary Ann, Please share widely.  This Abortion Amendment may come up tomorrow in the VA House of Delegates, or certainly Tuesday or Wednesday.  This will also have to go to the state Senate.  You have a short window to contact delegates senators.

For people who do not know their delegate or senator here is a link.  https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/   

Thanks,  Bob 

Will the Virginia General Assembly become an X-rated body of Deviants?

We already have transgender Dan(ica) Roem who ran with campaign ads about how he puts on his makeup to play dress-up. He beat out long-time pro-life hero Bob Marshall, known as the "conscience of the house." Roem is running for state senate after moving to a home that encompasses both his present legislative district and the new 30th senate district that encompasses Manassas and Manassas Park. The man is flush with cash because he has garnered national support from the trans community and the Democrat party that wants Virginia so badly. God help us, he may win and move up the legislative ladder.

Constitutional Government Begins with the States!

Most Americans don't know or understand the history of the Republic. They are willing to let the federal government usurp the rights of the states despite the fact that it was THE STATES that wrote the Constitution and put into place its amendments to restrict the powers of the federal government. The founders worried about abuse by a strong central government. (Remember, they were fighting the powers of absolute monarchy.) That's why they were so careful to include checks and balances in the Constitution. They would be appalled today at all the huge departments in Washington, D.C. usurping so many states' rights.

In Virginia, a local state senator illustrated recently his flawed understanding of the relationship between Washington, D.C. and the states. Senator Dick Saslaw voted no in committee on the senate version of a bill already passed by the House of Delegates, HB 10, to forbid Congress from mandating that Virginians purchase health insurance. Saslaw in an almost unbelievable witness to his ignorance of the Constitution said, “You’re telling me that we’re going to tell Congress what to do? Congress can do whatever it wants.”

No, Mr. Saslaw, Congress may not do "whatever it wants." The federal government has only the authority to make laws about a limited number of items. The rest are reserved to the states and to the people. Read the doc! Congress, especially under Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, may THINK it can do whatever it wants, but the Constitution specifically forbids it. That's why liberals work so hard to stuff the courts with judicial activists who will run roughshod over the rights of the states and the people protected by the Constitution. And that, Virginia, is why the tea party movement is growing and flourishing. Read more about Saslaw's ignorant outburst here....

Virginia Bishops Help Defeat HB 112, Personhood of Preborn Children

Shame on the two Virginia bishops whose lobby arm was used to help defeat a bill recognizing the personhood of preborn children. These two bishops, Paul S. Loverde of Arlington and Francis DiLorenzo of Richmond, constantly lobby against the death penalty under all circumstances and in favor of more state aid for illegal immigrants, but could not stand up for the fundamental right to life of the innocent baby in the womb. Their support of minor pro-life bills on parental consent and funding issues is all well and good, but abandoning the basic right of the babies is shocking! It is consistent, however, with Bishop DiLorenzo's failure to stop Catholic Charities of Richmond from taking a ward of the state under their care for an abortion in 2008 and then covering it up until it was about to become public. This is what happens when bishops are more tuned into the secular vision of "social justice" than the Catholic view. They make intrinsic moral evils less important than matters of prudential judgment. Bob Marshall and the two delegates voting in favor of the bill, Clay Athey and Jackson Miller, deserve a thank you for their efforts to protect our tiniest and most helpless brothers and sisters.

Why HB 112 Personhood Bill Failed

Despite excellent testimony in favor of HB 112, Delegate Bob Marshall's bill to begin the process of restoring civil rights for preborn children, HB 112 was rejected five to two in the House Courts of Justice Constitutional Laws subcommittee Wednesday, February 10.

Delegates Albo (R-Springfield), Kilgore (R-Wise), Toscano (D-Charlottesville), McClellan (D-Richmond) and Watts (D-Annandale) voted no. Delegates Athey (R-Front Royal) and Jackson Miller (R-Manassas) voted yes. Delegate Miller moved to report HB 112 and Delegate Athey seconded the request. (Please thank them!)

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli sent his Solicitor General to testify in support of passing HB 112 and to affirm its constitutionality. Attorney Rita Dunaway expertly fielded questions of Committee members. Attorney Pat McSweeney along with Delegate Marshall also testified in favor of HB 112.

The ACLU, Planned Parenthood and NARAL representatives testified against HB 112. Virginia Family Foundation (VFF) representatives were present but did not speak. The Virginia Catholic Conference (VCC) told the Committee that the bill's purpose was acceptable, but they did not support HB 112.

Delegate Dave Albo cited the VCC's position in his explanation for voting against HB 112. “Even the Catholic Church through its legislative affairs representative stated that … the Church does not think this bill is the way to implement it. (See Black Velvet Bruce Lee (BVBL) political Blog (Comment 11 at http:///www.bvbl.net/index.php/2010/02/11/are-albo-and-kilgore-pro-abortion/#comments) Delegate Kilgore in a 2/11/10 email told an HB 112 supporter that "The bill as presented was not even supported by the Catholic Church."

Had delegates Kilgore and Albo voted for HB 112, it would have passed to the full House of Delegates! (The position of the two Virginia Catholic bishops and the Catholic Conference in not supporting HB 112 is in direct opposition to the testimony of four Catholic American Cardinals before the US Senate in 1974. The Cardinals said establishing legal personhood for preborn children was essential to outlawing abortion. For details, contact Del. Bob Marshall.)

Opponents to HB 112 claimed the bill would have adverse consequences, such as counting preborn children in the census, criminalizing miscarriages as homicide, outlawing birth control, taking income tax deductions for children before birth, or closing in vitro clinics, yet in the three states which have laws similar to HB 112, nothing like this has happened. HB 112, though not identical, was modeled after a 1986 Missouri law which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Delegates Albo and Kilgore both told Delegate Marshall and other HB 112 supporters Wednesday night at the hearing and later that had HB 112 contained the original Missouri language they would have supported HB 112. Delegate Marshall therefore had the Missouri language drawn up as an amendment the next day, hoping a Courts Committee member would offer the original Missouri language at the full committee meeting on Friday.

However, on Friday, February 12, no Republican member of the full Courts of Justice Committee brought up HB 112 in order to amend it, apparently because a Republican Caucus policy (applies only to Republican delegates) states that bills failing in Subcommittee should not be taken up by the full committee even though the Rules of the House of Delegates and Parliamentary Rules allow for such actions.

Delegate Albo noted that HB 112 did not stop even one abortion. Delegate Marshall explained that HB 112 was not introduced to outlaw abortion now. However, HB 112 challenged the two legal assumptions of Roe vs. Wade by affirming the humanity and personhood of preborn children, and providing a definition for a human being which the Roe Court said it was unable to do. However, HB 112 would require Virginia Courts to allow “wrongful death” suits for the parents of a preborn child who was killed. HB 112 would also create a public policy tension by questioning why some persons are not protected under Virginia law, and then later offering a direct challenge to the conclusion of Roe and Doe by outlawing abortion and providing for criminal penalties for doctors who perform abortions.

Delegate Albo wrote to a constituent on February 12, that HB 112 "is in violation of Roe vs. Wade." This is not correct as the original Missouri language was upheld in 1989 by the US Supreme Court in Webster vs. Reproductive Health Services, which also affirmed Roe vs. Wade.

This fact was explained to Delegate Albo by attorney Rita Dunaway at a public hearing on February 10 and in a memo from Rita Dunaway sent to Del. Albo several days before the hearing. Del. Albo also wrote that HB 112 would make the Pill and In-Vitro clinics illegal, even though he was told that this has not happened in Missouri, Louisiana or Illinois which have similar laws, and the Dunaway memo pointed out this claim was false. Delegate Marshall also explained that a corpus dilecti, (dead body) is needed for proof of homicide, which would be impossible to produce by use of the Pill.

HB 112 provided rules of legal construction for statutes for Virginia Courts and state agencies to affirm personhood for preborn children. HB 112 could not be applied as a criminal statute because of constitutional due process requirements to clearly specify the elements of a crime.

Attorney Pat McSweeney (former Chair, Republican Party of Virginia) eloquently told the Subcommittee that it was unconscionable for legislators to duck the simple task of affirming personhood for preborn children and that legal definitions matter and have profound personal and social consequences. McSweeney pointed to the practice of German guards, who wrote on box cars containing Jews, the number of "sticke" which meant "pieces," a dehumanizing label which allowed the Nazi’s to rationalize the killings.

Please ask your delegate if they support the original HB 112 or with the modified Missouri language. This personhood fight might not be over for 2010 just yet.

Delegate Bob Marshall,

Office: 804-698-1013, Cell: 703-853-4213, http://www.delegatebob.com/


P.S. Below is the original Missouri personhood language applied to Virginia.

1. The General Assembly of Virginia finds that:

(1) The life of each human being begins at conception;
(2) Unborn children have protectable interests in life, health, and well-being;

(3) The natural parents of unborn children have protectable interests in the life, health, and well-being of their unborn child.

2. The laws of Virginia shall be interpreted and construed to acknowledge on behalf of the unborn child at every stage of development, all the rights, privileges, and immunities available to other persons, citizens, and residents of this state, subject only to the Constitution of the United States, and decisional interpretations thereof by the United States Supreme Court and specific provisions to the contrary in the statutes and Constitution of Virginia.

3. As used in this section, the term "unborn children" or "unborn child" shall include all unborn child or children or the offspring of human beings from the moment of conception until birth at every stage of biological development.

4. Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as creating a cause of action against a woman for indirectly harming her unborn child by failing to properly care for herself or by failing to follow any particular program of prenatal care.

HB 112 provides that:

1. § 1. That a human being is any organism, including an embryo, who possesses a genome specific for and consistent with a member of the species Homo sapiens. For the purposes of certain inherent and constitutionally guaranteed rights, every human being is deemed a legal person in the Commonwealth.
§ 2. Unborn children have protectable interests in life, health, and well-being, and the natural parents of unborn children have protectable interests in the life, health, and well-being of their unborn children.

§ 3. Subject to the United States Constitution and the Constitution of Virginia, the laws of the Commonwealth shall be interpreted and construed to acknowledge on behalf of all human beings, including unborn children at every stage of development, the equality and inherent rights guaranteed by Article I, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia and the right to due process guaranteed by Article I, Section 11 of the Constitution of Virginia.

§4. Nothing herein shall be construed to expand, limit, or otherwise modify any determination of law regarding what constitutes appropriate medical services for pregnant women.

Personhood for the Unborn

The personhood movement is advancing all over the country. To see what's happening in your state go to Personhood USA. Here in Virginia, Delegate Bob Marshall has introduced HB 112 which recognizes all unborn children as persons with constitutional rights.  Unfortunately, the bill is not being supported by the Virginia Catholic Conference or the Virginia Family Foundation, presumably because they believe a court test would not be upheld. But the fact is, that there could not be a better time for personhood bills. Chief Justice John Roberts made it clear in the recent decision on campaign financing that the court is not a slave to precedents based on flawed interpretations. Roe v. Wade is a perfect example of a court legislating rather than interpreting the Constitution.

We've been using the incremental approach now for almost 40 years. It isn't working as the video below argues. It's time for personhood! If you live in Virginia contact the members of the Courts of Justice subcommittee and ask them to support HB 112. If you go to the subcommittee page you can get their contact information by clicking on their names. Please help get this bill out of subcommittee. It's time for  personhood for our unborn brothers and sisters. Don't let them continue to be our 21st century Dred Scotts, considered less than persons and suction fodder for the abortionists. If you live in another state visit the personhood website linked at my blog and check out what's happening in your state. If nothing is, maybe you can be the catalyst to start something. Remember, all politics is local and we can be salt, light and yeast in our state and county governments.

Good News in Virginia

Several pro-life bills were voted out of committees to the full committees yesterday, something that has been all too rare in Virginia in recent years. One, HB 1042, requires abortion mills to let women view ultrasounds of their babies. It's funny to see Planned Parenthood and NARAL's local affiliate wax eloquent about the exorbitant cost of this technology which many women have done for the fun of it! Delegate Kathy Byron stays on message asking what's wrong with giving women an opportunity to make an informed choice. As for cost, crisis pregnancy centers often offer ultrasounds for free. The word for the day for PP and NARAL is desperation. Pray that all pro-life bills introduced this year pass, especially Bob Marshall's personhood bill, HB 112, which has been referred to the Committee for Courts of Justice. It doesn't appear to have been discussed yet. Keep up with the status here. Just fill in the bill number, HB 112. To keep up with pro-life legislation in Virginia visit The Family Foundation.

Good News on Real ID in Virginia

Thanks to the House of Delegates, Governor Kaine's stealth ploy to pass Real ID by amendments (after signing the law against it) failed. The Governor's amendments were defeated 67 to 32. The Senators aren't so smart apparently. They passed the amendments 21 to 19 with all the Republicans voting no and all the Democrats voting yes. Maybe this will help folks in Virginia see that voting Democrat puts you in the fast lane heading for tyranny. Of course the Republicans are often going in the same direction, just at a slower pace. We need to keep 'em honest by being ever vigilant.

My friend Mike McHugh of the Virginia Gun Owners Coalition watched the debate and sent along this analysis:

"The House debate was intense. Even Bill Janis, who was an early opponent of our effort to Stop Dangerous ID, saw the danger. He argued brilliantly that agreeing to the Governor's amendments would cede all authority on the matter to the federal government in the future.

"Why? Because the amendments said that whatever the Feds did in the future would automatically become Virginia law.

"The House voted down the Governor's amendments 32 to 67. 67 delegates said no to Governor Kaine's slavish support of federal control.

"Clearly, the House of Delegates is our only line of defense in the future against federal tyranny.

"Your emails and phone calls had an impact."

So pat yourselves on the back, lovers of liberty. At least in Virginia we are holding the line on this particular assault on privacy.