Goal of Mississippi amendment? Overturn Roe v. Wade

Goal of Mississippi amendment? Overturn Roe v. Wade

Many pro-life advocates believe that the only way to truly outlaw abortion in America is to avoid lengthy legislative battles and address the real issue -- recognizing that every human life begins at the moment of conception. That is precisely the aim of an initiative that proposes an amendment to the Mississippi constitution.

David Rogers heads the group "The Campaign for the Ultimate Human Life Amendment." The goal of the campaign is simple: change the Mississippi state constitution to recognize that every human life begins at conception -- and hopefully, ultimately overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion on demand in America. Rogers explains how that could happen.

"The simplest way to explain it is, for example, if you are a citizen of Mississippi or citizen of a state, then you're automatically a citizen of the United States," he offers. There is a similar legal linkage concerning personhood, Rogers explains.

"If we declare, or if any state declares an unborn child [to be] a person through their constitutional process, then they're automatically a person of the United States," he says. In effect, then, it "legally maneuvers the Supreme Court into protecting unborn children," Rogers adds.

Supporters of the Ultimate Human Life Amendment are circulating petitions calling for a statewide vote on Initiative 23 in April 2008. According to Initiative23.com, the signatures of 110,000 registered voters are needed for the item to appear on the ballot.