Ozarks Voices: Pro-legislation
On Wed., Nov. 5, President Bush signed a bill enacting a ban on partial-birth abortions. Before signing the measure into law, Bush called the procedure a terrible form of violence directed at children inches away from birth.
Partial-birth abortion is a procedure in which a late-term baby is killed during the birthing process. To be specific, the baby is brought through the birth canal, as is the case in natural childbirth. But instead of delivering a live baby, the abortionist rams a pair of scissors into the back of the baby’s head and sucks out his or her brain with a high-powered suction tube.
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services reported 9,865 abortions were performed after 21 weeks gestation in 1997, with the vast majority of them performed on healthy babies of healthy mothers. Despite the outcry from abortion advocates, it is evident that partial-birth abortion is completely unnecessary and unjustifiable.
If a child can be forced through the birth canal in the dangerous breech position, killed, and pulled out intact, what possible advantage does his or her death give the mother? None. The procedure is never necessary to preserve the life or the fertility of the mother. In fact, it very well may threaten her health, well-being, and future fertility.
There is much more at stake than physical health concerns with these should-be mothers. With the baby’s body moving, fingers clasping together, and feet kicking, it is easy to understand why many people present during the procedure are scarred for life. But to the abortionist’s advantage, the child’s screams are silenced, with his or her head still inside the mother.
This is the third time both Houses of Congress have come together, passed the legislation, and sent it to the President for enactment. Unlike his predecessor, Bush had the moral clarity to sign the bill into law. Advocates of abortion-on-demand criticized Bush for the move, once again putting a woman’s so-called “right to choose” above the child’s Constitutionally protected “right to life”.
Within an hour of its passage, a federal judge put an injunction on The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. After successfully passing in the House and the Senate – three times, and being signed into law by the President, it is evident that judicial activists will continue making it difficult to protect pre-born children.
The President has vowed to defend the ban against those who would overturn it in the courts. We must do our part to support these efforts. This means signing a petition, calling our Congressmen, praying for our leaders, and voting for candidates who will likely have the opportunity to place judges on the bench.
Partial-birth abortion is an abominable and inhumane procedure. It must be stopped NOW.
- Michael A. Smith is a middle school teacher and pro-life advocate. He lives in Springfield.
This article originally appeared in the Springfield News-Leader in November 2004.
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