715 - Peace & Life: Final Full Referendums - September 13, 2024
After petition drives, legislature actions and court cases, this November’s referendums are now (mainly) settled. There are none on the death penalty.
Abortion
Amending state constitutions is the big trend this year, with measures in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota.
For Nebraska, there are two referendums, one for abortion and one stopping them after the first trimester (as is current law). Since they contradict, if they both get majorities, the one with the most votes wins. There will still be a final state supreme court decision, deadline September 13; see the page for updates.
In Arkansas, the court ruled the paperwork on the petition drive was insufficient, so it won’t be on the ballot this year.
Euthanasia
West Virginia takes an interesting approach to prevention, with Amendment 1: Protection of Persons against Medically-Assisted Suicide.
Discriminatory Practices
Covering racism, misogyny, people with disabilities, and all marginalized:
Finally abolishing all slavery – this recent trend has one more state, Nevada, with a referendum to remove the exception for those convicted of a crime from their state constitution.
The states with November referendums to update language in their constitutions to be more humanizing: Nevada, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Poverty
Measures on minimums wage and/or paid family leave appear in on ballots in Alaska, California, Missouri and Nebraska. Grocery tax relief is in South Dakota.
War
War isn’t covered much in referendums, and this one could have just as easily gone under poverty or discriminatory practices, but Arizona has a referendum causing more problems for immigrants (who are often fleeing war).
Presidential Debate September 10
As usual, euthanasia never came up. The death penalty had a case mentioned where Trump promoted it, but otherwise no discussion of the general principle.
Both were, as is custom, belligerent on war. Trump did speak of ending the war in Ukraine and Harris spoke of ending the war in Gaza. Neither specified how.
On abortion, both candidates are in deep need of some straightening out on facts and principles.
Kamala Harris asserted that “nowhere in America is a woman carrying a pregnancy to term and asking for an abortion.” See Sarah Terzo’s recent substack article on this. See also this screenshot from the home page of Warren Hearn’s facility in Boulder, Colorado:
It’s good that public debate regards the idea that this could happen as so ludicrous that it fits in with Donald Trump’s many other falsehoods. But how are we supposed to stop it if people don’t know it’s happening?
It’s disheartening that the media keeps emphasizing how few late cases happen compared to other abortions, “only” about 1%, as if brutally killing third trimester babies is less a concern because a hundred times as many younger children are also brutally killed.
Our Latest Blog Posts
1. John Whitehead has noticed media coverage of the idea that antiwar protesters are only protesting Israel/Palestine and not other horrific wars: The Problem of Selective Concern about Injustice.
2. Given that consistent lifers have normally had problems with both major candidates, Rachel MacNair notes: Oh My, How the Election Conundrum Has Changed! - https://consistent-life.org/blog/index.php/2024/09/10/election-conundrum-changed/
Quotation of the Week
Lisa Stiller
Email, September 4, 2024
I am so disgusted with the Dems. Yes, they are going to be pro-choice. And mention it a lot. But the fact they are making this such a centerpiece of their campaign, to have a bus tour devoted to abortion, is terrible. Why not make access to healthcare, living wages, affordable child care and housing. – as well as peace and an effort to end conflict – a focus? Things that give life, not take it away.
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