Sanctity of Human Life Week Converges with Breaking Abortion News
Abortion doctor charged with murder:
In Philadelphia, the death of a female abortion patient and seven babies who were considered "viable" (alive) during various abortions has resulted in murder charges against the doctor.
Dr. Kermit B. Gosnell, who performs abortions in a West Philadelphia clinic, is charged with third-degree murder for the death of a patient who is thought to have overdosed on anesthetics he prescribed.
As a result of an investigation started last February pursuing many reports and complaints, Gosnell is also charged with the murder of seven babies.
The West Philadelphia District Attorney's office reported to NBC's Philadelphia affiliate that each baby was alive and breathing during various late-term abortions, but Gosnell nevertheless severed their spinal cords with scissors during the abortion procedures, resulting in death. According to the DA, this is considered murder.
Bill to prevent "remote" abortions without seeing a doctor introduced in Nebraska:
In Nebraska, State Sen. Tony Fulton, R-Lincoln, introduced LB521, which proposes to stop "remote" abortions. Remote abortions are a recent creation in which doctors can review a perspective abortion patient's file, talk to the woman online from a remote (different) location while the woman is at a clinic, and trigger a box of pills to open where she is located. From the box, the woman can take a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol. This causes an abortion during the first term.
The woman would have the abortion at home, unmonitored. Since the development of RU486, an abortive drug administered by a doctor with the woman having the abortion at home, there have been at least 12 U.S. deaths with more in Canada and Europe. Death results from unexpelled parts of the fetus which cause septic blood poisoning or other deadly infections.
According to an Omaha World Herald report, Planned Parenthood affiliates in Omaha and Lincoln intend to oppose the bill. Planned Parenthood was recently involved in legal action over this issue in Iowa, where this same "remote" abortion concept is being called "telemed" abortions.
Abortion advocates weigh in on New Congress looking at Health Care Bill's "Rights of Conscience":
Congress re-convened last week with its newly elected members. News reports now verify that the legislators will be reconsidering the Obama administration's intention to rescind President George W. Bush's "Rights of Conscience Act." This was part of President Obama's platform when he took office in 2009.
Since abortion's legalization, various rights of conscience laws have attempted to protect health care workers who have moral and religious objections to abortion from being forced to perform abortions or give out abortive prescription drugs, at the threat of losing their jobs.
Supporters of Bush's Rights of Conscience Act feel its wording has no strength against other abortion measures in the new Health Care Bill.
However, abortion advocates object to the inclusion of far-reaching conscience provisions. Donna Crane of NARAL (National Abortion Rights Action League) told The Hill that she is concerned over attacks on abortion rights by the new Republicans in office, including rights of conscience. Paraphrased, she feels some of the wording would exempt entire medical companies, rather than the individuals with moral or religious concerns - and that this could endanger women's reproductive rights.
Sources:
-Sanctity of Human Life Week website.
-"Abortion Doctor Charged With Murder of Woman, 7 Babies" Teresa Masterson, NBC Philadelphia online, 1/19/11.
-Nebraska Legislature, Bill LB521.
-"Bill targets remote abortions," Martha Stoddard and Paul Hammel, Omaha World Herald, 1/19/11.
-"Iowa Planned Parenthood Backs Off Telemed Abortion Lawsuit," Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com , 1/13/11.
"Healthcare repeal effort will bring abortion debate to the forefront," Julian Pecquet, The Hill Healthwatch, 01/15/11.
-"Health Law looks Shaky: Abortion Fight Renewed," Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, 1/18/11.
-"U.S. moves to rescind healthcare conscience rule," Reuters, 3/6/09.
-RU-486 documentation of complications released by FDA in response to a lawful request for records by Concerned Women for America and Judicial Watch under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. ยง 552, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Posted at Life Issues Institute, Cincinnati OH: "RU-486 has Killed Twelve Women," retrieved 5/06.
Published by Sheryl Young - Featured Contributor in Politics
Freelance writer since 1997; Featured Political Contributor for Yahoo!; Tampa Tribune Community Columnist/Blogger; Chicken Soup for the Soul; Amy Foundation National Writing Award; happy wife, proud step-mom... View profile
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48 Comments
Post a Commentfantastic writing ♥ thank you :) It is hard to write on such a controversial, heartbreaking issue, but you did it!
I'm not opposed to abortion in the first 8 weeks, before the brain stem forms, but after that it is murder in my mind. However, the state is far more liberal and if that doctor has charges of murder, those babies could have made it. Duh, if the mothers were considering abortion, they had ample time before the final trimester.
Thanks for the report. For a good read on the history of abortion..read..Abortion Rites: A Social History of Abortion in America by Marvin Olasky. This fact filled book tells how abortion escalated into the horror it is today.
Excellent article! However, the US Supreme Court would probably rule unconstitutional any attempt to ban abortion during the first trimester. If you are interested in my reasons for stating this, look up the US Supreme Court Case PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF SOUTHEASTERN PA. v. CASEY (1992.)
That Philadelphia doctor story really disturbed me. It was all over the news for a while and I think it went way beyond the pro-life/pro-choice argument.
Excellent work, Sheryl!!! Thank you!
This makes me sick. How can a doctor, anyone do that to an innocent baby?
I really do not understand why anyone would be surprised by this murder. Once you determine that one group of humans does not have any rights, it is only a small step to add another group in with the first. After all, that was the logic that the Nazis' used to bring about the Holocaust. They took away the status of being a human from one group and then expanded it to others. I cannot help but wonder, How long will God continue to bless this nation with the blood of millions of babies on our hands? Thank you for bring this information out into the light, so that it can be exposed.
What a world we live in. If this has come to our attention, imagine what we don't know.
back to visit again!