This week, Alabama laid a foundational precedent that starkly undermines Roe v. Wade.  In a unanimous decision, the state’s Supreme Court ruled that a mother may pursue a wrongful death claim on behalf of her pre-viable unborn child and provided a solid rejection of Roe‘s so-called “viability” argument, which claims that life is only valuable if able to survive outside of the womb.

In the Alabama Supreme Court case Hamilton v. Scott, the justices ruled in favor of Amy Hamilton, who argued that a doctor’s negligence resulted in the death of her unborn baby.  Fox News reported that beginning in early January 2005, Hamilton sought an ultrasound to monitor her baby after she contracted human parvovirus, an infection known to cause serious health risks for pregnant women.  When the ultrasound was finally administered in late February, it revealed the baby had developed life-threatening complications. Sadly, two weeks later, Hamilton’s son was stillborn.

This ruling has major implications for the pro-life movement.  First, it clearly mirrors the growing sentiments of a majority of Americans who are pro-life, especially our younger generation.  Second, Alabama has set a clear precedent that more states are expected to emulate.  Finally, as state laws continue to represent Americans’ growing pro-life attitude, the U.S. Supreme Court will be called upon to reconsider and, ultimately, repeal Roe.

Unveiling the deception of Roe shouldn’t be a difficult task.  Mario Diaz, Esq., Legal Counsel for Concerned Women for America, explains, “Legally speaking, Roe v. Wade is simply indefensible.  It rests on the false premise that the ‘fetus’ is not a ‘person’ because the Justices say so.  The scientific bases for that claim simply were not there in 1973, and they are not there now.  In fact, Justice Blackmun acknowledged that ‘[i]f this suggestion of personhood is established, [Roe's] case, of course, collapses, for the fetus’ right to life would then be guaranteed specifically by the [Fourteenth] Amendment.’  Advances in science have been proving just that: we are dealing with a baby, not a blob of tissue as some conveniently tried to tell us.  This decision by the Alabama Supreme Court is another indication that Roe‘s house of cards is slowly tumbling down.”

Pro-life conservatives can only hope that the Supreme Court revisits the abortion question sooner rather than later.  With a few more decisions like the one in Alabama, we may just hold the legal trump card when that time comes.

UPDATE: Susan G. Komen stunned the nation again by seemingly flip-flopping on a previous decision to pull Planned Parenthood’s funding.  Details of their previous move below.  The statement of CWA CEO and President Penny Nance can be found here.

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This week Concerned Women for America (CWA) achieved a great pro-life victory!  The Susan G. Komen Foundation has stopped all grants to Planned Parenthood – more than half a million dollars annually – because Planned Parenthood is under investigation.  Komen will no longer fund organizations that refer clients elsewhere for mammograms, and while Planned Parenthood likes to pretend they do mammograms-they don’t.

Now Komen is under attack from pro-abortion activists, who are accusing the cancer awareness foundation of cowering to the pro-life initiative.  Komen admits that the withholding of grants is due to the pending congressional investigation against Planned Parenthood, an investigation CWA helped usher in.

CWA is very pleased to be at the forefront providing solid information and support to Congressman Cliff Stearns (R-Florida), who is responsible for launching the investigation into Planned Parenthood.  We have worked closely with Rep. Stearns, and we gave him, along with numerous others in the battle for life, a copy of our research report “Cutting the Cord: The Case for De-Funding Planned Parenthood,” which reveals the numerous financial and ethical problems regarding Planned Parenthood – including the fact that they do not typically offer mammograms.  We also distributed a paper specifically identifying the link between Komen and Planned Parenthood.

Rep. Stearns thanked CWA in a recent letter to our constituents, reminding them that “CWA has been a beacon on Capitol Hill, effectively fighting to keep issues of faith and family front-and-center in our national debate.  Given the climate on Capitol Hill these days, this is becoming an increasingly difficult challenge, but one that CWA is uniquely prepared and qualified to answer.”

We’re proud to stand with Rep. Stearns and our pro-life friends against Planned Parenthood, which now performs 1 in 4 abortions in this country.  With this decision to cut their financial partnership, Susan G. Komen has chosen to benefit women’s health care, while Planned Parenthood continues to leave hurting women in its wake.

So, before you move on to all the other important tasks facing you today, please take a few minutes to take the following three action steps:

1. Offer a prayer of thanksgiving that the work of CWA, and our colleagues in the battle for life, has resulted in this victory for millions of unborn babies.

2. Send an email to Komen:  news@Komen.org and write “Thank you, Komen” in the subject line and include a brief personal note of appreciation for their decision to protect life.

3. Phone Congressman Stearns’ office at 202-225-5744 to express your appreciation for the investigation that prompted Komen’s decision, and mention that you have read CWA’s “Cutting the Cord” paper.

With your help, CWA is winning the pro-life fight!