The Constitution of Vermont now enshrines the right to kill unborn babies, as Green Mountain State  citizens recently voted—overwhelmingly-- in favor of a ballot measure affording them that “choice.”

The ghoulish amendment euphemistically read, “An individual’s right to personal reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity to determine one’s own life course and shall not be denied or infringed unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”

Everyone has the right to personal reproductive autonomy. That is inarguable. Period. Full stop. Because everyone can decide whether or not to have sexual intercourse. Period. Full stop. And everyone can decide whether or not to use protection. Period. Full stop. The government can’t (yet) force anyone to have sexual intercourse. Neither can it forcibly prevent anyone from employing the “rhythm method,” prophylactics, or contraception. That’s two full and separate areas in which we all have personal reproductive autonomy. Period. Full stop.

We do not have the “right” to decide to have unprotected intercourse resulting in a baby in a womb…only to kill that baby for our convenience. It may be convenient for us to have sex, and convenient for us not to use protection. But convenient for us to dispense with the consequences of those convenient decisions with no thought about the morality of doing so? That is not a “right,” inalienable or otherwise. It is a wrong. Period. Full stop.

Why? Because we had at least two choices before bringing that baby into the womb, whereas the baby in the womb had no choice whatsoever. We would have denied the baby exactly what we claim to have been seeking: the “liberty and dignity to determine one’s own life course.”

The amendment’s caveat that “an individual’s right” shall not be denied or infringed “unless justified by a compelling State interest” is also disturbing. The United States was founded on the belief that individuals’ rights are inalienable and granted by their Creator, expressly to protect individuals from governments’ attempt to deny or infringe upon them.

Sadly, according to still unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s office, roughly 133,000 Vermonters voted in favor of the measure, while only 42,000 voted against it. And this when abortion was already legal in the state. The approved ballot measure further alters the state’s constitution so that, effectively, no piece of future legislation could restrict abortion up until the moment of birth.

It is interesting, if repulsive, that “progressives” typically don’t believe in the absolute right to free speech, assembly, or religion-- or the right to defend oneself-- despite the existence of the First and Second Amendments to the Constitution. Yet they do fervently believe in a mythical right to extinguish the life they themselves have created through unprincipled lust and carelessness.

So, why didn’t the founders enshrine the right to abortion in the Bill of Rights? Was it an oversight? They probably meant to but fell short on time, right?

For that matter, and inexplicably, none of God’s Ten Commandments mandates the wholesale slaughter of the unborn. Was this a simple oversight by the Big Guy Person? Instead, there is the prohibition against murder, commandment number six.

Maybe God meant to give Moses an Eleventh Commandment, but just got too busy and distracted.

For whatever reason, “Though Shalt Exterminate Your Unborn Baby Anytime It pleases You” just didn’t make the cut.

Photo credit: Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free.org