Moral Outcry

I was recently in an airport when I purchased a copy of the NY times best seller “Freakonomics”. This book was written by economist Steven D. Levitt and journalist Stephen J. Dubner. Since its 2005 release it’s sold more than 4 million copies and been published in 35 languages. From Time magazine to the Washington Post this book has gotten rave reviews. The San Francisco Weekly exclaims “I can’t think of a single adult I know who wouldn’t enjoy reading it”.  All this praise seems disturbing in light of the appalling thoughts expressed in its pages. Namely their proposal, that abortion could be considered “one of the greatest crime-lowering factors in American history”.

"We're working very closely with Bart Stupak (D-MIch.) and that coalition of Democrats to write a the bill in a way that makes it absolutely clear that no public dollars can go to funding abortions as part of the health reform bill," Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the assistant to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), said during an appearance on Fox News this morning.

"We're trying to codify the Hyde amendment as part of the health care reform bill," Van Hollen explained.

...Federal numbers show the number of abortions performed in the US is down to a rate not seen since the 70s...but that may be because finding a legal abortion provider is becoming increasingly difficult, especially in the Midwest. Despite the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, the number of doctors qualified to perform the procedure is declining...

 On Monday the Senate Finance Committee’s health care bill was filed in the Senate. Take a look at the 1,502 pages, and it’s what you won’t find that is so unsettling. To date every single attempt by pro-life lawmakers to insert language that guarantees what President Obama promised has been blocked or voted down. That promise from his speech to the joint session of Congress was that there would be:

“No government funding of abortion.”

The Committee’s bill has no language that expressly prevents the inclusion of abortion under government-run health care. Disinformation and confusion persist even as polls show that the overwhelming majority of Americans DO NOT want taxpayer-funded abortion.

When I was a little over 18 weeks pregnant with my now pre-school child, I did a second trimester abortion for a patient who was also a little over 18 weeks pregnant. As I reviewed her chart I realised that I was more interested than usual in seeing the fetal parts when I was done, since they would so closely resemble those of my own fetus.

A judge has released a 17-year-old Vernal girl from jail after ruling she did not commit a crime when she allegedly paid a man to beat her in an attempt to end her late-term pregnancy.

The release, which came after the girl's mother obtained a second opinion on her daughter's no contest plea, has incensed some lawmakers who argue the ruling skirts laws governing legal abortions in Utah.

"The judge is absolutely stretching," said Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman. "There's no way the judge believes the Utah Legislature left open this loophole. I guarantee it will be closed this next session."

Eighth District Juvenile Court Judge Larry Steele sided with attorney Rich King, who argued under Utah law and around the country women are not held criminally liable for soliciting an abortion.

"Women may use any procedure or method of terminating pregnancy, by abortion or by miscarriage, and they cannot be charged with a crime," King said.

Judge Steele called the girl's actions to end her seven-month pregnancy "shocking and crude" in a four-page ruling Thursday, but said her actions "fit the definition for an abortion. As such, she cannot be held criminally liable for her actions pursuant to the Utah abortion statutes."

If the current Health Care legislation is not completely payed for out of these funds, then Hyde does NOT cover it. Again, if the money does not come from the HHS Appropriations Bill, Hyde offers us no protections. Thus tax-payer money CAN and WILL go to paying for abortions. We need legislation that explicitly says federal dollars will not pay for abortions anything less is a blank check from the Treasury Department to the Abortion Industry... of course with yours and my name on it.

Last night CNN ran an extraordinary report called "Abortion support falls sharply, new research finds." In it they cite a new Pew study released yesterday that strongly reinforces research that emerged at the beginning of the summer showing that the majority of Americans have switched from being pro-choice to being pro-life. This dramatic shift in public opinion marks a turning point in the nation and the abortion debate. Intrigued by this unexpected turn, Pew Research conducted a more in-depth study and released a six-page report breaking down the pro-life shift in detail.