The media recently reported that the fringe Constitution Party of Montana is organizing around a constitutional amendment mandating that a fertilized egg has a right to life.

This measure follows failed legislation carried by Constitution Party Rep. Rick Jore during the 2007 legislative session. The bill couldn’t even make it out of the ultra-conservative Montana House of Representatives. During the floor debate, Jore admitted his proposal would be used to investigate the private activities of women who had miscarriages, a mean-spirited sentiment that reveals only the tip of his party’s extreme ideology.

Jore and his party like to wrap themselves in God, country, and flag while framing themselves as the pillars of conservatism. Its brand of conservatism seeks to base civil law on right-wing biblical doctrine, while also pandering to the militia movement’s hatred of established government. The party’s ideology obliterates the political mainstream’s notion of “conservative.”

The party’s platform supports “The Unorganized Militia.” This term is used by anti-government militia groups wanting both legitimacy and a way to distance themselves from the types of activists they create. That’s understandable. After all, they create activists like Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber. The party’s platform is also full of references to militia conspiracy theories, especially relating to the creation of a one-world government. Jore carried this paranoia as legislation during the 2007 session with a bill outlawing the flying of the United Nations flag on public buildings. It also failed to become law.

The party also advocates an extreme fundamentalist brand of Christianity. This follows the tradition of Howard Phillips, who founded the national Constitution Party (originally called the U.S. Taxpayers Party) in 1992. He combined militia themes with Christian Reconstructionism. Reconstructionists believe civil law should mirror Old Testament biblical law, meaning capital punishment could be extended to gays, lesbians, blasphemers, and adulterers. According to Reconstructionists, those who are not “Christian enough” could be denied citizenship or even be executed. Alarmingly, the Constitution Party of Montana disaffiliated from its national party in 2006, because it felt the national party was becoming too moderate.

The party’s proposed constitutional amendment reveals inconsistencies within its own doctrine. While Jore and company promote the sanctity of so-called “unborn life,” they have little positive to offer when a child is born. The party calls for “abolishing” the 14th Amendment, which grants equal protection under the law to all citizens. While Jore wants to give due process rights to the fetus, he and his party want to take it away from other Americans. The party also seeks to dismantle public education and keep the government from offering social services. Finally, the party pays lip service to keeping the government out of the lives of its citizens at the same time its proposed amendment guarantees the state will have an intrusive role in every decision a pregnant woman makes.

The party’s rhetoric concerning “life” is shallow. The proposed constitutional amendment is about one thing — advancing the party’s fanatical interpretation of the Bible. We encourage you to read our in-depth report on the Constitution Party of Montana at http://mhrn.org/special

resrpt.html. Montanans need to understand they are encouraging the growth of a fringe political party if they support the proposed constitutional amendment.

Travis McAdam is the Research Director for the Montana Human Rights Network. The Network can be contacted at P.O. Box 1222, Helena, MT 59624.