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Preferences, personhood debated

By Berny Morson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published September 9, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Jessie Ulibarri, left, and Jessica Corry debate Amendment 46.

Photo by Photos By Ken Papaleo / The Rocky

Jessie Ulibarri, left, and Jessica Corry debate Amendment 46.

Fofi Mendez, left, and Kristi Burton debate Amendment 48 on Monday.

Fofi Mendez, left, and Kristi Burton debate Amendment 48 on Monday.

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Backers and opponents of two of the 18 questions on the Nov. 4 ballot debated Monday on KBDI-Channel 12. Here are the key points raised.

Amendment 46 Would prohibit the state from granting preferential treatment to anyone on the basis of race, sex or ethnicity in hiring, education and contracts.

PRO: Jessica Peck Corry is director of the Colorado Civil Rights Initiative, which is sponsoring the proposal.

* Why the amendment is needed: "We believe the time is long overdue for government to treat us all equally regardless of biological characteristics."

* Race is hard to define: "Barack Obama - this is a man whose own sister has a different race than him. She's Asian, she's Indonesian. . . . Barack Obama's sister, who had the same economic opportunities as him, would not qualify (for preference under an affirmative action program), but Barack Obama would."

* Programs based on economic need, rather than race, would continue: "The more important issue here is, what do we gain by diagnosing race vs. economic disadvantage? If we have a poor black kid or a white kid or a poor boy or a poor girl - they're still going to get access to valuable outreach programs if our initiative passes. What our initiative does is ensure that that boy who's the son of the Limon farmer . . . has access to those programs, too. This is about equal opportunity for all."

CON: Jessie Ulibarri is director of the Colorado Progressive Coalition's campaign for economic justice.

* Why the amendment would be harmful: "It erodes civil rights and it actually eliminates equal opportunity . . . initiatives such as mentorship in training programs for young women in math and science or scholarship programs."

* We still need preferences: "When we look nationally both in the Democratic and Republican parties, we have women and people of color who are viable candidates, and they point to proof that equal opportunity initiatives work and that we need to continue equal opportunity measures to ensure that the doors of opportunity are open."

* Preference programs aren't the same as quotas: "That's a great myth. Quotas have been illegal in the United States since 1978. We're not talking about quotas. We're talking about equal opportunity initiatives . . . modest outreach, training and mentorships for women and people of color to open up the door of opportunity so they can compete."

Amendment 48 Would define a fertilized egg as a person.

PRO: Kristi Burton of Colorado for Equal Rights, which is sponsoring the proposal.

* Why this amendment is needed: "It recognizes the advances in modern medical science, which tell us that human life really does begin at the moment of conception. At that moment we have unique DNA that makes this a truly unique individual. Amendment 48 empowers the citizens of Colorado to take this issue into their own hands and to direct the elected officials and judges on how important life decisions should be made."

* Details, such as the legal status of fertilized eggs in test tubes, can be addressed later: "What this amendment does is, it provides a common- sense starting point. Before we can deal with issues like that or the ones that they talk of - birth control and in vitro fertilization - those are issues that will be dealt with later on in the democratic process. Before we can do that, we first of all have to lay a foundation."

* The amendment values life: "We can all agree that life has been cheapened in our society. . . . People, especially in my generation, are tired of that. We want to restore value to human life and say that every person truly counts."

CON: Fofi Mendez of Protect Families Protect Choices.

* Why this amendment is harmful: "By putting the definition of 'person' in our (state) constitution . . . you have now provided legal status for fertilized eggs, the same legal status that you and I would have as walking, breathing human beings. That's going to impact literally thousands of laws in Colorado and bring government, courts and lawyers into our personal private lives."

* The amendment could interfere with medical care: "It has the potential for a doctor to now have to put the rights of the fertilized egg equal to the rights of the individual that they're treating. One of the ways that birth control works is . . . by making the uterine lining not habitable for a fertilized egg. Does that then create a problem for that fertilized egg and would that potentially keep individuals from being able to access birth control?"

* Emergency birth control could be affected: "A rape victim looking at trying to get emergency contraception may no longer be able to get that. Not only would this have the potential to ban all abortions in Colorado, it has the potential to ban those abortions that are for rape, incest or for the life or health of the mother."

Comments

  • September 9, 2008

    9:55 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    yaakovwatkins writes:

    If a fetus is a person, can the womb-owner charge the fetus rent and evict for non-payment?

  • September 9, 2008

    2:57 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    TheGraphite writes:

    Yaakov, can the mother of a 1-year old do that to her infant?

    No? Really? I think you just answered your own question.

    God bless Kristi Burton! We are seeing a whole vanguard of young pro-lifers stepping up to take the mantle of this, the greatest cultural battle of our generation, to defend the lives of the most helpless innocents among us.

    God save America.

  • September 9, 2008

    3:03 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    HopiMedicineMan writes:

    If a fetus is not a person, with human DNA, human organs, little hands and feet, what can it possibly be, a toaster?

    We enrolled my grandson as a Comanche thinking he could use the scholarship. Then it occurred to me. It's like telling my grandson he's inferior to white people. How could he retain his self esteem? I know my professors were easy on me. I'd get an A when I deserved a B. Some A's I thought I deserved, but I'll never know. That messes with your head.

    Affirmative Action is a disservice to all. Now we're about to elect the first Affirmative Action president. There will always be doubts.

  • September 9, 2008

    3:18 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    TheGraphite writes:

    Amen, Hopi. I am descended from the Tuscarora, of the Iroquois nation, but I would never think of using that for any kind of special treatment. I have always believed what the Bible says - we are all "one blood." One race: human! Racism is destestible, but so are racial preferences in the misguided attempt to right a wrong by creating yet another wrong.

    May we stand on our own feet and be the men and women we can be, held responsible for ourselves rather than being patronized by a government that treats us with "kid gloves," as if we can't stand up for ourselves.

    There will always be racism in this world, but we are in a nation brimming full of opportunity for all, right down to the homeless, themselves, as evidenced by the fact that America has millionaires who used to be homeless and alcoholic. (I can name at least one here in Denver.) I refuse to take another's rightly-earned place in the world. I will make my own place in this world, and it will be mine.

  • September 9, 2008

    3:31 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    TheGraphite writes:

    I would just like to add that affirmative action is of the factors in helping keep alive what racism exists in America.

    When you teach an entire society that Blacks, or Hispanics, or indigenous peoples, or whomever, cannot succeed on their own... then you are making a blanket statement, from the government level on down, saying that these people of color are lesser, that they are unable, that they can't do this or that without patronizing help from "the Man."

    This is exactly why affirmative action disgusts me so much. As long as you treat adults like children, you will continue to see people who will not take responsibility for their own lives. We must end this cycle of self-destruction, keeping people addicted to the government dole. Self-sufficiency was a virtue in this country from the beginning, but hardly today.

    Stop treating us like children. Hold people responsible and accountable, and treat people equally, and you will see more and more people of color stand on their own and even step into greatness. And then you will see racism wither away more than ever before, unable to hold up its claims in the face of incontrovertible evidence that we are all truly equal and able to stand without being treated like babies.

  • September 10, 2008

    4:37 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    RainbowWarrior writes:

    We should be made equal by the conservative concept of you are on your own? Pull yourself up by the boot straps, only babies need help... right?

    And you watch with your own eyes a republican convention of an amost exclusive group of rich white people, and are willing to be fooled once more... and vote against your own economic well being. You deserve what you will get if Bush is allowed 4 more years!

    I hope someday you are forced to exchange your false reality for the one the rest of us struggle with everyday.

    AHO!

  • September 10, 2008

    9:03 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    HopiMedicineMan writes:

    Oh, yes, the rich white Republicans, the usual cliche.

  • September 11, 2008

    1:40 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Doneuron writes:

    As far as embryo personhood goes I think it is helpful to consider that up to half of conceived embryos fail to implant in the uterine wall, which is a necessary step in human development. I don't think it is useful to discuss the concept of personhood until the embryo has implanted and begun development-- an event that occurs during the week after conception. There are countless "natural" failures to implant leading to arrested embryonic development. I don't think anyone is losing sleep over the loss of these embryos. This embedding/nonembedding is a normal process that increases the likelihood of successful development by screening out unfit embryos.
    When politicians discuss this topic we might as well be arguing about how many angels can fit on the head of a pin. There needs to be less emotion on the subject and more intelligent discourse and understanding of the process of human development. Maybe then we can reach a reasonable compromise.