Supreme Court May Declare a ‘Right to Abortion.’

PRO-LIFE INFONET, Oct. 6—More than 200 pro-life supporters maintained a prayer vigil on the steps of the Tennessee Supreme Court building on Oct. 5 as the judges heard oral arguments in Planned Parentohood of Middle Tennessee vs. Sundquist.

According to the Infonet's Steve Ertelt, this case provides abortion supporters a vehicle “by which they will argue that the Tennessee Constitution protects a “right to abortion,” adding, “such a ruling could invalidate as unconstitutional most pro-life protections already passed in Tennessee including a 48 hour waiting period, informed consent provisions for women, parental consent for minors and a ban on tax-payer funding of abortion.”

On Oct. 4, Tennessee Right to Life presented more than 42,000 signatures to the Governor's office on petitions in support of the challenged pro-life statutes. At the same time, the organization made public the results of a commissioned state-wide poll which reported strong support among Tennesseans for pro-life policies.

According to Ertelt, the poll indicated that 85 % of respondents supported informed consent for women and 78 % supported a 48 hour waiting period.

Actor Warren Beatty Says He's Pro-Life

THE DRUDGE REPORT, Sept. 30—E-journalist Matt Drudge says he has the scoop on Warren Beatty, the veteran actor who has expressed interest in running for president in recent weeks — he's pro-life.

Drudge said Beatty keeps his pro-life pedigree under his hat to remain credible among Hollywood elites, but that he confessed it openly in an interview with Drudge earlier in the year.

In a Sept. 30 column Drudge wrote, “During a star-studded, media-drenched gathering [last night], Beatty made a passionate political speech that touched on global trade, campaign finance and social justice, accusing Democrats and Republicans of participating in a ‘slow-motion coup d'etat of big money interests over the public interest.’

“But there was one topic that Beatty did not address—a topic that has become dear to his heart since marrying and having children with actress Annette Bening.

“‘Since having children, I am pro-life,’ Beatty told the Drudge report earlier this year.

“When asked why he does not declare his pro-life beliefs publicly, Beatty quietly said: ‘I can't,’ ” Drudge wrote, adding, “Indeed, one can only imagine the chaos that would have erupted inside of the Beverly Hilton Hotel if Beatty would have declared his updated views on abortion. It would have been over even before it began,” wrote Drudge. Beatty and his wife are expecting their fourth baby.

‘Pro-Choice’ Would Never Apply to Killing Abortionist

OUR SUNDAY VISITOR, Oct. 3—Princeton professor Robert George was profiled in the Catholic weekly, which took the opportunity to quote his “barbed satirical wit.” In this quote, George points out why he thinks it doesn't do to be “personally opposed” to abortion, while arguing that it should still be legal.

“I am personally opposed to killing abortionists,” George wrote. “However, inasmuch as my personal opposition to this practice is rooted in a sectarian (Catholic) religious belief in the sanctity of human life, I am unwilling to impose it on others who may, as a matter of conscience, take a different view. Of course, I am entirely in favor of policies aimed at removing the root causes of violence against abortionists. Indeed, I would go so far as to support mandatory one-week waiting periods, and even nonjudgmental counseling, for people who are contemplating the choice of killing an abortionist. I believe in policies that reduce the urgent need some people feel to kill abortionists while, at the same time, respecting the rights of conscience of my fellow citizens who believe that the killing of abortionists is sometimes a tragic necessity — not a good, but a lesser evil. In short, I am moderately ‘pro-choice.’”