By: Matt Dotray
Is it constitutional?
Dr. Joe Pojman of Texas Alliance for Life, a statewide non-profit organization of people committed to protecting the fundamental right to life from conception until natural death, according to its website, is a statewide pro-life figure who came out against the ordinance earlier this week.
Pojman applauded the movement and the overall effort. He said he’s vehemently opposed to Planned Parenthood coming to Lubbock and hopes the citizens of Lubbock continue to protest it, and that the protesters are successful in closing Planned Parenthood’s doors. He said the State of Texas provides resources for women’s health services available outside of Planned Parenthood.
Pojman said he strongly respects State Sen. Charles Perry, the Lubbock Republican who’s helping lead the ordinance; Pojman said Perry earned their “Courageous Defense of Life” award.
However, Pojman believes this ordinance will not save a single baby from an abortion, and says there’s a risk this ordinance moves the pro-life cause backwards, not forwards. Pojman said there’s a right way to fight for pro-life causes, and he said that’s done at the federal and state level, not the city.
If this passes, Pojman expects the city to lose money and time defending the ordinance until it gets ruled unconstitutional.
“As someone who has been around on the scene for more than three decades, I do not expect to see any silver bullet that is going to end the practice of abortions,” Pojman said. “A local ordinance or a state law that bans abortions immediately is not going to stop abortions. It has been tried many times and none of those work. We need more votes on the Supreme Court who are willing to take a fresh look at Roe v. Wade.”
Pojman said the courts will not let states or municipalities ban abortions under Roe v. Wade. He said that’s the reality, and he called that reality awful and tragic.