Hello? Is anyone out there? It's me, Colorado.
You might have heard about me lately. I've been in the news from time to time. Did you know you can buy legal weed out here? Folks seem to like that. And we have a pretty good football team with a pretty good quarterback -- the Denver Broncos and that guy Peyton Manning. Except when we play Seattle. They just have our number.
There's something big going on here that no one seems to be talking about. This has me a little worried. OK, to be honest, it has me more than a little worried. I'm Colorado. I have this cool, funky, fun, wild west reputation -- I'm pretty and smart and fit and people like me. It's fun to be me.
Here's the thing. I'm afraid no one will like me much after the election this November.
Why? Because half of my population (that's over 2.6 million people, for those of you who like numbers) might lose a whole lot of their basic rights this November. That's when Coloradans will vote on something called Amendment 67, aka "Personhood." If the election were held today, some polls show it would pass. That's why I'm so scared.
Amendment 67 is what's also known as "Personhood".
Personhood, if you've never heard of it before, is the movement to give fertilized eggs all the same rights as people -- two cells would have the same rights as you or your best friend. The group behind this movement, Personhood USA, is based right here in Denver. Every couple of years they try and write their fertilized egg = person ideas into my Constitution. The last couple of times most Coloradans have voted "NO" on these amendments and they've failed. But this year things are different.
This year, the Personhood USA folks are more deceptive.They've disguised "personhood" as something else. This year, they say they simply want to "protect pregnant women." Which is why when people read the language on their ballots, they think it sounds like a good idea. But it's not.
- Outlaw all abortion in Colorado, even in cases of rape and incest.
- Ban some of the most common and effective forms of birth control, including the Pill and IUDs.
- Make it illegal for a pregnant women with cancer to choose treatment that could save her life.
- Restrict options for women wanting in vitro fertilization.
- Any birth that isn't a live-birth -- so miscarriages and still births -- could be deemed suspicious deaths and would be investigated by police.
If Amendment 67 were to pass, Colorado's 2.6 million women would face the harshest restrictions on their rights anywhere in the country. I'm afraid this could happen. Because no one is really talking much about Amendment 67, either here in Colorado or anywhere else in the country. I don't understand why not. If "personhood" could pass here, it could pass anywhere.
So America, I'm asking for a little help. Help to get the word out about "personhood" and the terrifying attacks on women's rights happening right here in Colorado. Truth is, I really need your help.
Here's what you can do:
Help Defeat Colorado's Amendment 67, the Ban on All Abortion
Go here and learn more. Maybe give a couple bucks to help stop Colorado's Amendment 67. Then share the link of that page with everyone you know.
That would mean a lot to me. I'll be sure to repay the favor and invite you out in a couple months for some great skiing and beautiful scenery and amazing weed. Hey, it's the least I can do.
Sincerely yours,
Colorado
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