By Emmett Smith

On Thursday, the United States Senate passed H.R. 1997, also known as "Laci and Conner's Law" (for Laci Peterson and her unborn child). The official title of the measure was, "To amend title 18, United States Code, and the Uniform Code of Military Justice to protect unborn children from assault and murder, and for other purposes.". The measure passed 61 to 38. How could 38 Senators vote against a bill whose purpose was to "protect unborn children"?

I had intended to post a link to the Senate's official web site where the votes are tabulated, but sometime between now and yesterday morning that link has become inactive. Fortunately, I printed a hard copy yesterday. Those who voted against this bill were:

Akaka, Baucus, Bayh, Biden, Boxer, Byrd, Cantwell, Chafee, Clinton, Corzine, Dodd, Durbin, Edwards, Feingold, Feinstein, Graham, Harkin, Hollings, Inouye, Jeffords, Johnson, Kennedy, Kerry, Kohl, Lautenberg, Leahy, Levin, Lieberman, Lincoln, Mikulski, Murray, Nelson, Reed, Sarbanes, Schumer, Snowe, Stabenow, and Wyden.

Only one Senator, Gregg, did not vote. So if your Senator is not named herein, he or she voted for the bill.

Ms. Feinstein had introduced an alternate bill that would have imposed harsher penalties on criminals whose actions harmed an unborn child, but would not have specifically referred to the fetus as human. She was quoted as follows, "This will be the first strike against all abortion in the United States of America…That's where this debate is taking us…That's the reason for this bill.". May God grant that she was correct about that!

Kate Michelman, president of Naral Pro-Choice America said, "...the president's allies are taking advantage of this issue to further their campaign to oppose a woman's right to choose.". Choose what, Ms. Michelman? The previous name of her group was NARAL - National Abortion Rights Action League. They changed the name a year or two ago because "choice" sounds so much better than "abortion".

Deuteronomy 21 records God's instruction to Israel on being absolved of guilt when someone was found murdered and the killer was unknown. I realize that's not an exact parallel. We know who is killing these unborn children. Just read the passage and tell me you feel innocent thereafter!