Abortion in Hawaiʻi: What Can We Do?
March for Life Hawai’i. Epic Ministry Hawai’i. Instagram. 2023.
In 2020, a pledge was created and signed by 47 politicians in Hawaiʻi, including our Democrat Governor Josh Green, to ‘protect’ the “right to abortion in Hawaiʻi,” deceptively titled “Stand with Our Wahine Pledge”. The pledge broadly states, “I pledge to carry on the legacy of women’s rights forged by our ancestors, by Patsy Mink, and countless women leaders. I pledge to protect and strengthen a woman’s right to her body.”
The corrupt politicians who signed this pledge vow to expand abortion no matter what.
How does this affect Hawaiʻi? To put it plain and simple, they are using this pledge as justification for publicly funded abortions. That means that your hard-earned tax dollars are used to terminate human life, and the liberal politicians in office want to keep it that way.
Unfortunately, Hawaiʻi does not have an abortion ban and has not had one since it became the first state to make abortion legal on March 11, 1970. Even though abortion may currently be “restricted” in Hawaiʻi, abortion is still legal between 0-24 weeks of pregnancy. By 24 weeks, a human fetus already has a brain, organs, a detectable heartbeat, and the ability to feel pain.
March for Life Hawai’i. Epic Ministry Hawai’i. Instagram. 2023.
Looking at recent data, 2020 was a tragic year for abortion in Hawaiʻi. An estimated 3,130 abortions were performed in Hawaiʻi in 2020! That is about 16.6% of all Hawaiʻi pregnancies. 3,130 keiki; daughters, sons, and grandkids that never got to experience life outside of the womb. And that doesn’t even include most chemical abortions using prescription drugs.
Just this week, on Wednesday, February 1st, 2023, the State Senate held a joint committee hearing to expand abortion access by reducing requirements to perform abortions in SB1 and to create an abortion haven in SB896. Unfortunately, both of these bills were recommended by the committee to pass with only one vote against them made by Republican Senator Brenton Awa. Consequently, the changes in SB1 have now also made abortion less safe for the women that these liberal politicians claim to protect – while SB896 takes valuable energy away from Hawaiʻi’s people and onto performing and protecting abortions for the Mainland. This was yet another move to do whatever it takes to end more lives in Hawaiʻi, whatever the cost to its people.
Liberal politicians in Hawaiʻi are hell-bent on undermining the principles instilled in the US Constitution to protect life. This can be made clear by the first paragraph of SB896 which takes our culture out of context to justify their legislation, deceptively stating, “The legislature finds that the people of Hawaiʻi have a long tradition of protecting an individual's right to privacy and bodily autonomy independently of, and more broadly than, the federal constitution.”
As we all know, “abortion” is never mentioned in the US Constitution. In fact, abortion violates the 14th Amendment which clearly states, “...nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property.” The Declaration of Independence also states that all Americans have the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Without the right to life, all other rights are obsolete. If life begins at conception, a fetus’ Rights also begin at conception. By any definition, the “unborn” are very much alive.
We can turn the tide. Let’s get politicians into office who are willing to fight for the Rights of our unborn keiki. It starts with us. Run for office or donate to Hawaiʻi Conservatives today!
Note on the author: Rocklin Youngstrom joins Hawaiʻi Conservatives as Communications Coordinator; responsible for social media and communications with Conservatives across the State. She lives in Rep. Diamond Garcia’s district in Kapolei, a growing Conservative stronghold in Hawaiʻi.
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