Anti-Choice Groups Raking in Dough by Promoting Civil Rights of Zygotes

If the anti-choice movement has its way, the moment one sperm eats its way through an egg's outer shell would be the last moment in human development that wouldn't be covered by the Constitution. Unsurprisingly, it's a rather lucrative racket.

Wendy Norris at RH Reality Check reports that the various "personhood" amendments popping up around the country -- which would define fertilized eggs as "people" for the purpose of criminalizing abortion -- are a major moneymaker for the anti-choice movement.

In just five short years, the primary movers and shakers in the absolutist anti-abortion/anti-choice movement seeking to promote the "personhood" of zygotes (the single cell that forms after a sperm fertilizes an egg) have amassed nearly $58 million in tax-deductible contributions for their cause.

In fact, that's only the money amassed by five anti-choice, pro-personhood groups: the American Life League, Colorado Right to Life, Human Life International, the Life Legal Defense Fund and Students for Life. There are plenty of other anti-choice groups that continue to raise money to push straight anti-abortion legislation, blockade clinics, harass women's health care providers (as well as their employees and contractors), operate crisis pregnancy centers to guilt women into carrying their pregnancies to term and disseminate misleading information about pregnancy, fetal development and abortion.

And while these organizations continue to rake in the dough -- and, in many cases, spend it on lucrative salary packages for their leaders while decrying the salaries of women's health care providers that perform abortions -- there are no apparent plans to restore to Dr. Leroy Carhart the protection of federal marshalls. With the news that Carhart won't be under federal protection, Operation Rescue will use some of its hard-earned cash to protest at Dr. Carhart's clinic on August 29th, according to Jen Nedeau on Change.org. But I'm sure that timing is just a coincidence.

Originally posted at Air America.

Follow Megan Carpentier on Twitter: www.twitter.com/megancarpentier

Comments

[liberalOrgonian]

This is the BIGGEST republican take over.
This group with their slogans, government take over, then state, then us.
I for one would like to have republicans (or anyone) stay out of Woman's Uterus.
This is the biggest bit of nonsense takeover yet.
Years and years this goes on.
As a woman I am offended this is even a issue for men to decide.
With so many dead beat dad out the, who do you think are raising these children?

[liberalOrgonian]

I find it interesting that the repub say, keep government out,
but want to govern over a woman's uterus.
another example of a repub oxymoron.

[bannorhill]

The ones really raking in the dough are the ones who kill thoses zygotes.

[averygard]

Didn't you know, Every Sperm is Sacred?

[zanzig]

I have no doubt you are right about the extreme views of the anti-choice brigade, but I think you might be a trifle wrong on this statement: "the moment one sperm eats its way through an egg's outer shell would be the last moment in human development that wouldn't be covered by the Constitution."

From what I see on the videos large numbers of the protesters at the town hall meetings about the health care reform, are also anti-choice. They seem adamant, however, that 50 million Americans, alive and breathing unaided, are not covered by the Constitution and therefore do not require any government run medical insurance.

[mcmutter]

Every egg must be assigned a SSN. We have the technology.

[RevBookburn]

The 'personhood' idea is a reminder of how stupid this culture was getting under Bush, in the all-out war against science.

The removal of federal marshalls outside Dr. Carhart's clinic is indefensible. Anti-choice terrorists have long announced their intention to kill even more doctors. Only an idiot would believe the 'pro-life' statements about such actions reflecting a small percentage of their groups. They need to do their jobs and protect Dr. Carhart from terrorists. Rev. Bookburn - Radio Volta

[Maxiesid]

But once these cells become a baby forget it, the useless control freaks that want to have a say over everything a person does in their personal life want to be left alone!! They don't want to support the baby, they don't want it to have healthcare, or food or anything else, Once they have forced the woman to HAVE the baby they figure they are now out of it and she has to figure out how to live, work, take care of the child and figure out how to afford health care for it on her own. Don't ask them, they don't want THEIR taxes to go for anything but their corporate masters. And the really moronic thing about it is they say the women have to be morally responsible, yet they are the party of sex scandals and immoral behavior.

[cckrueger]

I'm assuming that it is simply an oversight that you failed to mention the pro-death group has been making money hand over fist off actual abortions for decades. Either way, it shouldn't be about the money. It should be entirely about the rights of the unborn, the oppressed they would be called if they had actually acheived a birth status. Once a child exits the womb, we make every effort to offer the protection we fail to offer them when they are most vulnerable.

[spmcintyre]

I bet that she thinks animals have more civil rights than unborn humans do.

[Bethab]

Anything born has more rights than anything unborn...as it should :)

[SonofLiberty1]

Megan,

Men and women who lived 2000 years ago knew more about pregnancy than you do.