{"id":256237,"date":"2021-10-31T09:20:23","date_gmt":"2021-10-31T14:20:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=256237"},"modified":"2021-10-30T11:35:40","modified_gmt":"2021-10-30T16:35:40","slug":"tallahassee-officials-personally-pro-life-support-abortion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/tallahassee-officials-personally-pro-life-support-abortion\/","title":{"rendered":"Tallahassee officials point to ‘personally pro-life’ and Christian views… while supporting abortion"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This week, the City of Tallahassee Commission held a meeting where they voted in favor of a pro-abortion resolution. Only two of the commissioners voted against it, even though both made sure to express their support for abortion, even as self-described Christians.<\/p>\n

According to Tallahassee Reports<\/a>, the resolution passed 3-2. It states that the mayor and the commissioners support \u201caccess to comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including abortion, contraception, prenatal care, labor and delivery services, and postpartum care. It defines the necessity for people\u2019s overall health and healthcare as a fundamental human right.” The resolution also reportedly criticized “state funding for ‘anti-abortion pregnancy centers’ and of the Florida law that requires parental consent for [a] minor to get an abortion.”<\/p>\n

Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox voted against the resolution \u2014 not because she is pro-life, but because she said the commission didn’t have the authority to make such a ruling. Williams-Cox made sure to point out that she supports abortion, but added, \u201cWe are out of our lane here, we should not be dealing with this issue. This is an issue for the legislature.\u201d<\/p>\n

Commissioner Curtis Richardson, who claimed he is a Christian who supports abortion, agreed. \u201cMy history in the support of women\u2019s rights is well documented. I believe in a woman\u2019s right to choose. It is a personal choice,” he said. “But this is an issue for the Florida Legislature; what we have to say won\u2019t be heard there.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the commissioners who voted in favor of the resolution, one of them, Jacqueline Porter, referenced her own personal views \u2014 but said she believes other women should be able to choose differently. “This is not an easy topic for me,” she began. “I was raised in a family with very strong views opposed to a woman’s right to choose and abortion.” She continued by saying she struggles with the issue and that it’s a topic that has divided their community, but hopes they can work together regardless.<\/p>\n

READ:<\/strong>\u00a0New pro-life documentary \u2018The Matter of Life\u2019 exposes the truth of abortion<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

“I do believe this is a public health issue,” she continued<\/a>. “I do believe that in the language of the resolution, this is not ordinarily an issue we see coming before local governments, coming before our government. But I do believe that this is a legal and safe procedure, one that has been upheld by the Supreme Court, and one that is being threatened by our state legislature and others, which I believe has the direct impact on health of women and others. For those reasons, I do think it’s important that we take a position on this. And despite the opposition, there are plenty of people, and a majority of people, who do support a woman’s right to choose, regardless of their own personal beliefs about the morality, the legality, of having an abortion.”<\/p>\n

It’s not unusual to find people who, like Porter, may consider themselves to be “personally pro-life,” but still support abortion for other women. This topic was addressed by Live Action founder and president Lila Rose in the “Pro-Life Replies” video series.<\/p>\n

The “personally pro-life” position doesn’t make logical sense if people acknowledge what abortion is. \u201cThe reality is, if we acknowledge that abortion takes the life of a human being, then we should be opposed to all abortions,\u201d Rose said. \u201cEvery innocent human being has a right to not be killed, and that\u2019s why we can\u2019t just be \u2018personally pro-life\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n