While in the state Senate in 2007, Cuccinelli co-sponsored a bill to add a line to the Virginia Constitution declaring that “life begins at the moment of fertilization and the right to enjoyment of life . . . is vested in each born and preborn human being from the moment of fertilization.”
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has warned that such a law might “deny women access to the full spectrum of preventive health care including contraception.”
At Cuccinelli’s lone debate against McAuliffe — last month in Hot Springs — the Republican similarly denied that he had sought to ban contraception.
The Washington Post’s Fact Checker blog concluded that although Cuccinelli “might not have specifically sought to ban contraception, that likely would have been the practical effect of the bill he co-sponsored.”
Ignorance is no excuse. However, I seriously doubt if it is truly ignorance. Notice that the bill stated that life begins at the moment of fertilization. Medically, scientifically, and biologically, ‘fertilization’ is defined as the moment of union between sperm and egg. Conception, on the other hand, is when a fertilized ovum implants on the uterine wall. Since many chemical forms of birth control prevent implantation, any form of birth control that prevents implantation of a fertilized ovum would be considered illegal, if Cuccinelli’s 2007 bill.
He can deny all he wants. Biology is what it is. Cuccinelli’s bill would have outlawed most contraception other than barrier methods.
Be very careful of any bills that attempt to define ‘personhood.’ Most such bills are designed to limit access to not only abortion but also to contraception.
Apparently Cuccinelli has a locally made video celebrating the MLK50 I have a Dream Day.
He uses the Dream Speech to prop up his charter school initiative where he wants to funnel money from school districts to charter schools.
The irony! In 1963, Virginia had a similar program. It was called the tuition grant system. parents could elect to have state money diverted to private foundation schools that were racially segregated. Tuition grants were declared illegal in 1964.
Want to know more?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segregation_academies
http://www.readthehook.com/94922/cover-long-and-winding-road-city-residents-recall-integration-battles
http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/saxon/servlet/SaxonServlet?source=/xml_docs/modernva/modernva_transcripts.xml&style=/xml_docs/modernva/interview_modernva.xsl&level=single&id=Barry_Marshall
It is surprising how little is on the internet about tuition grants or education between Brown vs Board of Education and when the adademies finally closed. It is a giant desert of information.