Federal Legislation for Choice 1993 General Resolution

BECAUSE Unitarian Universalists affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person and the right of individual conscience; and

BECAUSE Unitarian Universalists affirm the value of life and are concerned about the quality of life; and

WHEREAS the 1987 General Resolution "Right to Choose" recognized the morally complex nature of abortion and stressed "tolerance and compassion for persons whose choices may differ from our own";

WHEREAS the Supreme Court of the United States, in recent decisions, has undermined the principle of freedom of choice in reproductive matters recognized in Roe v. Wade (1973);

WHEREAS further erosion or overturning of Roe v. Wade by future decisions of the Supreme Court could leave a woman's right to choose subject to state legislation, which may be unsympathetic or even opposed to choice by creating demeaning and unnecessary barriers to safe, timely, and accessible services; and

WHEREAS recent developments include both the more favorable attitude of the Clinton administration toward a woman's right to choose and a marked increase in violence intended to obstruct access to abortion;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Unitarian Universalists in the United States be urged to promote passage of federal legislation to:

  1. guarantee the fundamental right of individual choice in reproductive matters;
  2. require that counseling agencies receiving federal funds provide information about pregnancy options, including abortions;
  3. provide federal funds to make abortion available to women of low income and to women in the armed services;
  4. ensure the provision of abortion services for all women within a national health program;
  5. protect medical personnel who supply abortion services, and their families, from harassment and intimidation; and
  6. guarantee unrestricted access to counseling and abortion services, regardless of age, class, race, or situation, without curtailing peaceful protest.