Personhood Colorado Director Gualberto Garcia Jones Tuesday told the Colorado Independent that his organization did not agree with a Facebook page portraying No on 62 campaign members as Nazis. However, he said the dehumanizing thought process that allowed the planned extermination of 5.9 million Jews during the Nazi regime bears similarities to what he sees as the misinformed perception that zygotes are not human.
Jones, who is also a co-founder of Personhood USA, said it was the first time he had seen the site. He said that despite the fact the info page provides links implicating his organizations, he does not know who created it. He said that it could possibly be a volunteer or other individual involved in the campaign.
At least two members integral to the personhood campaign appear to have been aware of the site’s existence. Jennifer Mason, communications director for Personhood USA, “liked” comments posted by the site’s administrators as early as Oct. 8, the first day the page began posting. While Leslie Hanks, vice-president of Colorado Right to Life and co-sponsor of the Personhood Amendment, similarly ‘liked’ a variety of comments on the site, he said he does not agree with the main theme of the site.
“I don’t agree that the people on the No on 62 campaign are like Nazis,” Jones told the Colorado Independent. He said they, like some members of his own family, are just misinformed.
Still, while not seeing pro-choice advocates as Nazis, Jones said the comparison between abortion and the Nazi plan to commit genocide was apt in one way. He said that, like the thought process used by those involved in the plan to exterminate the Jewish population, individuals who support abortion must dehumanize a human life to view the procedure as ethically permissible. “I would say the disregard for human life is necessary,” Jones concluded.
Cara DeGette, spokeswoman for the No on 62 campaign, said Jones’ comments were “preposterous.”
“[The Holocaust] is not what we are talking about here,” DeGette said. “It has no relevance.”
DeGette said that while the No on 62 campaign was shocked upon to see the Facebook page, the campaign was focused on educating and ensuring that voters make it to the polls to vote against Amendment 62 — the so-called “Personhood Amendment.”
On Oct.8, the “End infant genocide page” posted this opening note:
“WELCOME PERSONHOOD ADVOCATES – LET’S EXPOSE THE TRUTH BEHIND THE “NO on 62” FEMI-NAZI’S AGENDA => DENYING THE PERSONHOOD OF THE UNBORN SO THEY CAN KEEP KILLING KIDS LEGALLY! PLEASE PASS IT ALONG & SUGGEST THIS PAGE TO ALL YOUR FB FRIENDS!”
“Were we shocked? Absolutely. Were we revolted? Absolutely,” DeGette said. “But in the end we just want to make sure people get out and vote against Amendment 62.”
If passed by voters, Amendment 62 will change the definition of person in the Colorado Constitution by providing the full range of constitutional rights to a zygote. Among other changes, the amendment would outlaw abortion, numerous forms of birth control and embryonic stem cell research in the state.
Jones said that if the argument was about name calling, “the other side routinely says we are like the Taliban.”
A Google search found that supporters of personhood across the country are often pejoratively referred to as “the Taliban” by some comment posters.
DeGette said her own organization has steered clear of name calling. She said such behavior has no place in the political debate.
“We have been as respectful as possible. There is no reason to get in the gutter and name call,” DeGette said. “We don’t engage in those types of name calling.”
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