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John Buckley on Abortion |
A: Oppose. I respect the sincere differences of opinion on the difficult issue of abortion. I find that there is another human being, the unborn child, from the moment of conception. Accordingly, I believe government has an obligation to the extent the protections of the law to the unborn child and I do not favor the legalization of abortion. It is not because I want to impose my "values" on anyone, but rather because every person deserves the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
As a Libertarian, I believe that the role of government is to protect our inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that government is not the grantor of our rights, but rather is to be the protector of rights and liberties with which we are endowed by our Creator.
Thus, where our actions infringe on the rights of another person, government has a proper role to mediate the dispute and to protect the oppressed.
Consistent with the above principles, I believe the issue of abortion turns on one fundamental inquiry: when does human life begin? I find that the answer to this question has been established beyond reasonable dispute. Basic biology demonstrates that an individual human being is created at the moment of conception. Therefore, the act of abortion is the taking of the life of another human being.