by Stuart Hamilton
It’s been nearly three years since the Dobbs supreme court decision placed the legality of abortion in the hands of the states. Since that time, a Kentucky trigger law virtually banned surgical abortions in our state, with the exception of cases in which the life of the mother is at stake. Now, a new case threatens to permanently overturn the trigger law, becoming KY’s Roe. More than ever, Pro-life citizens must unite our voice in meaningful activism, and this is the point of the 2nd annual KY March for Life at our state’s capital.
The ACLU initially brought their lawsuit, called Mary Poe vs. Coleman, et al, against the KY trigger law in November. At the heart of the case is a young woman (anonymously named Mary Poe) who became pregnant as a result of sexual assault and claims that KY’s abortion restrictions have infringed upon her constitutional rights. Since that time, Poe has, unfortunately, aborted her child out of state, but the case is still making it’s way through the 5th circuit court.
A Jan 3rd hearing, set to determine the merits of Poe’s case being made into a class action lawsuit representing all KY citizens seeking abortion, has been postponed until a later date. Regardless of the outcome, it is estimated this case will work its way up to the KY supreme court. In a worst case scenario, if members of the court prove unsympathetic to the cause of unborn human life, their decision could potentially make all abortions permanently legal in the state of Kentucky as a protected constitutional right.
Meanwhile, various pro-choice lobbying groups continue to put enormous political pressure on Frankfort legislators to voluntarily walk back the trigger law by extending exemptions to include rape and fetal anomalies. For Pro-life Christians, such exemptions are morally unacceptable as we believe that all unborn human life, regardless of the circumstance of conception, has intrinsic value and a natural right to life which must be safeguarded.
So what can you do to make your voice heard? Prayer and activism. KY Right to Life is organizing a massive KY March for Life in Frankfort on Wednesday, February 12th, while the KY legislature is still in session. The intention of the march is to unite pro-life Kentuckians in a single public voice to encourage legislators on both sides of the political isle to stay firm in the protection of the dignity of human life.
The day will begin at 9:30am with prayer at a special “Mass for Life” at Good Shepherd Catholic Parish. Citizens will then meet at the Courthouse lawn for a pre-march rally with speakers who will give testimonies about how abortion has negatively impacted their lives, including people who were conceived in rape. At noon we will march through Frankfort, before ending with a special prayer service at the national shrine to the unborn. For a full schedule, see here: https://kyrighttolife.org/gva_event/lets-march-kentucky/
The stakes could not be higher. Now is the time to act. I hope to see you all in Frankfort on February 12th, so together we can make it known that Kentucky is a state that values and protects the dignity of all human life, born and unborn.
Archdiocese Of Louisville Family Ministries 