Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar Take a Stand Against Abortion in Tennessee
Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar of the popular TLC program 19 Kids and Counting are taking a stand against Tennessee’s abortion policy.
The fruitful parents are publicly campaigning for the Tennessee Abortion Amendment, also known as Amendment 1, which will be voted on during the November 2014 general election. Their first stop will be the “Heartbeats for Life” event on Monday, Nov. 4, exactly one year before the vote, at Cornerstone Church in Madison, Tenn. The Duggars, known for their pro-life stance, will be keynote speakers at the fundraiser sponsored by Heartbeat Haven Pregnancy Center on Nov. 4.
“We are so excited to be coming to help kick off the push to get Amendment 1 passed,” Michelle Duggar says. “Since the extremely liberal state Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that the state of Tennessee cannot put any regulations on abortion, Tennessee has become an abortion procedure destination.” A Tennessee Supreme Court ruling in 2000 interpreted the state constitution to include greater protections for abortion than the United States Constitution. The proposed amendment would allow lawmakers to require a waiting period prior to an abortion, place greater restrictions on later-term abortions and draft rules on what doctors are required to tell women prior to an abortion.
“Most states acknowledge the need to give women vital information about the seriousness of their decision before they take the life of their baby,” Michelle Duggar says. “Tennessee does not even require parental consent, counseling beforehand, having a waiting period to think about it, or have minimal clinical standards. Veterinarian clinics for animals in Tennessee have higher standards in health and safety laws than there are for the abortion clinics involving human life. We must join together and end the baby holocaust that is taking place right here in Tennessee.”
The evening will also include speaker Dr. Alveda King, niece of the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; a musical performance by the Duggar family; a Duggar family book signing; and a live auction.
“We are asking the people of Tennessee to get behind and pass Amendment 1, which will allow the Tennessee state representatives and senators to establish basic laws to help protect women and their unborn babies,” says former Arkansas Rep. Jim Bob Duggar. “All proceeds raised at this event will be donated to Heartbeat Haven Pregnancy Center, located in Lafayette, Tenn., home of the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the state.”