Mike Huckabee Compares Abortion To Slavery

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee compared abortion to slavery while speaking at a fundraiser for an anti-abortion group on Monday night, the University of Tennessee's Daily Beacon reports.

"It was wrong to own a slave in Mississippi and Michigan," explained the potential 2012 presidential contender on the thought of the issue being addressed on the state level. "This is not a states issue."

The remarks from Huckabee came in the event's keynote speech. The fundraiser was held for the Center for Bioethical Reform at the Knoxville Convention Center.

Tennessee-based station WBIR reports that Huckabee described abortion as an issue that "transcends all" political issues." According to the local outlet, he said, "I often said I would gladly lose an election before I would ever yield on the issue of the sanctity of human life."

WBIR reports that protesters demonstrated outside the event because "the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform is known for posting images of aborted fetuses on the UT campus as part of its anti-abortion campaign."

In March of 2009, Huckabee also delivered a speech to an anti-abortion group in which he compared abortion to slavery. The AP reported at the time:

Huckabee said that when it abolished slavery, the U.S. debated and decided it was immoral for one person to have complete, life-or-death power over another. He said that should not change whether the control involves racial bigotry or a pregnant woman making a decision for her unborn child.

"What are we saying to the generation coming after us when we tell them that it is perfectly OK for one person to own another human being?" Huckabee said. "I thought we dealt with that 150 years ago when the issue of slavery was finally settled in this country, and we decided that it no longer was a political issue, it wasn't an issue of geography, it was an issue of morality. That it was either right or it was immoral that one person could own another human being and have full control even to the point of life and death over that other human being."

He said civilization cannot survive if "one group of people have life and death control over another for no particular reason other than their own conveniences and, in that case, prejudices."

Via WBIR comes a clip of Huckabee's more recent remarks.

Comments

[Sardonica]

10:32 AM on 03/05/2011

Note that he describes slavery as the "full control" of another human being. Huckabee is only proposing that the government have "partial control" of women. So stop fretting, ladies.

When the Republicans take power over the reproductive decisions of every American woman, you will still have complete control over the top and lower parts of your body.

The Republicans will only own your middle part. That's it! It's not "total control" at all!

And when you are in the delivery room, and they are forcing you to give birth to a baby that was a result of a horrific rape, you will be free to move your arms and legs as much as you need. But only so long as doing so doesn't injure or harm that precious, precious baby, of course. Better check with a Republican - they know more about these matters than you do.

[NavyVet2008]

09:46 AM on 03/05/2011

I dont see how any women could suppport the GOP these days.

[Marla Turner]

02:14 AM on 03/05/2011

OMG - how many years ago was it that we went through this with VP Quayle and the tv show Murphy Brown??????

[GraniteSkyline]

09:44 PM on 03/04/2011

He only opens his mouth long enough to switch feet.

[DariaBlack]

09:22 PM on 03/04/2011

But isn't he trying to exercise that same control over the woman? In rushing to defend potential life he's forgetting the actual life that is already in existence.

[IllinoisObama]

05:50 PM on 03/04/2011

He is really a st^pid man.

[Kara Kramer]

04:54 PM on 03/04/2011

If Huckabee has a problem with the way pregnancy works he should take it up with mother nature, or with God.
The hard fact is that the woman carries the fetus, so therefore she has complete power over it, end of story.
Now, I understand that to a man like him who can't stand to see women have power over anything, even something that is potentially life threatening, and incredibly painful, it must be hard to accept their limited role in reproduction, but there are experiments in male pregnancy, so there's hope for them yet.
Till then, however, a woman DOES have complete control over EVERYTHING in her body, and neither Huckabee, nor the law can change that.
And what is with the republican obsession with slavery? Are they TRYING to annoy black people?

[e paw]

02:59 AM on 03/05/2011

I don't know but it's annoying the sh*t out of me.

[c m45]

02:54 PM on 03/04/2011

bible thumping should be a crime!

[stehagans]

02:05 PM on 03/04/2011

Huckabee on abortion: "I often said I would gladly lose an election before I would ever yield on the issue of the sanctity of human life."

Huckabee on Wikileaks: "Whoever in our government leaked that information is guilty of treason, and I think anything less than execution is too kind a penalty."

Huckabee on the death penalty: I've actually had to carry it out, more than any governor in my state's history.....I did it because I believed, after reading every page of every transcript and everything in that file, it was the only conclusion we could come to. But I didn't enjoy it.....It's a necessary part of our criminal justice system for those crimes for which there is no other alternative."

Mr. Huckabee maybe you would be more in favor of every female seeking an abortion to in writing request permission with detailed and documented information as to why she feels that it is necessary for her life and perhaps even for the unborn child's. Would that give you the peace of mind required for you to carry your job. As governor you signed orders to kill someone because you felt it was necessary. However you campaign against others laws as a presidential candidate. What a tangled web you weave.

[JD6]

12:27 PM on 03/04/2011

The only one who is enslaved is the pregnant woman who is a person. She may be psychologially impaired, physically, or economically challenged, but because the government dictates it, she must cede her rights as a person to a fetus, which is not a person

[kassias]

04:50 PM on 03/04/2011

I agree completely. Spot on.

[Donnas Discussion]

11:50 AM on 03/04/2011

If a woman doesn't want medical intervention because of her religious beliefs and that shot or vaccine could save her life, I am sure Huckaberry would say, "Well, that is her choice". He probably would stand on the right for her or anyone to make their own choice to do whatver they want for religious reasons.
Somehow, religious reasons are selective.

[Blogvader]

10:22 AM on 03/04/2011

The Republican Party lowers the bar for its candidates every election season. What does it say about your party when you have to subscribe to debunked 'birther' falsehoods to gain support for your campaign?

[IllinoisObama]

05:51 PM on 03/04/2011

says that the gop is back to the n*xon years where it is winning at any costs.
Breaking the law and L^ing is fair game

[darchie]

09:53 AM on 03/04/2011

You can be religious and be pro-choice too....you can choose that abortion is a moral issue for you all the while acknowledging you don't have that right to make that decision for someone else. This argument isn't about pro-killing babies or anti-killing babies but rather how involved do you want your government telling you what you should do with your body.

[Kara Kramer]

04:57 PM on 03/04/2011

Yeah, it's all there in the 'judge not lest ye be judged yourself clause', clearly not one of Huckabee's favourite parts of the good book.
The bible doesn't define abortion as murder anyway, his interpretation of christianity is as inaccurate as the jihadist who blames their behaviour on Allah, and it's effect on women is just as dangerous.
He's already gotten two women killed with his celestial powers of forgiveness.

[Ebony Moore]

09:32 AM on 03/02/2011

I'm so disgusted with this I have to post twice. He is following the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform's lead on this one. They have posters which show a slave being sold right next to picture of tiny parts of an aborted fetus with the message "Tolerance is not always a virtue...Be judgmental, Legislate Morality"

As if conservative right wingers have always been on the side of morality. Has this country forgotten so quickly?

[e paw]

03:02 AM on 03/05/2011

You smelt it you dealt it.

[michael429]

08:00 PM on 02/19/2011

Gee, it looks like ole Mike is losing his battle with the bulge...or maybe he is in his third trimester....

[IllinoisObama]

05:52 PM on 03/04/2011

lol

[GraniteSkyline]

09:50 PM on 03/04/2011

Republican math: Fourth trimester.