Posted on 11/01/2012 12:03:46 AM PDT by GonzoII
by Becky Bowers-Greene | LifeNews.com | 10/31/12 5:02 PM
With obvious public outcries against forced abortions in China and forced sterilizations of mentally handicapped individuals in Nazi Germany, one might assume the United States knows better.
However, today, in Nevada, the life of an 11-week-old unborn baby and the future of his or her 32-year-old mother hang in the balance as a judge considers whether or not to order the woman to undergo an abortion and sterilization against her will.
Elisa Bauer, who suffers from severe mental and physical disabilities attributed to fetal alcohol syndrome, is currently in the final weeks of her first trimester. The second-oldest of six children adopted by William and Amy Bauer in 1992, Elisa has epilepsy and is said to have the mental and social capacity of a 6-year-old.
The circumstances surrounding her pregnancy are unknown. Her family suspects she may have been raped, but its possible the sexual encounter that led to her pregnancy was consensual. On several occasions, Elisa has left her group home for hours or days at a time to engage in sexual activity with men at a local truck stop.
Legal guardianship
Since turning 18 in 1998, she has continued to remain under court-approved guardianship of her parents, who were given legal authority to make final decisions regarding her health and welfare, even as she lived in a group home.
While Elisa has maintained that she wants to carry out her pregnancy, she knows she will be unable to care for the child. The Bauers support her decision, are following all the prenatal protocol for high-risk pregnancies, and have already lined up six qualified couples who are eager to adopt Elisas child once he or she is born.
However, when Washoe County Social Services became aware of Elisas pregnancy, the department issued an informal report requesting that the Court set a status hearing to address the potential health effects Elisas pregnancy could have on her and her unborn child, and possibly override the mutual decision made between Elisa and her parents to have her baby.
Jason Guinsasso, the attorney for the Bauers, says that the court has no jurisdiction to intervene in any health-related decisions regarding Elisa pregnancy included because Elisas parents are the legal guardians. He adds that Washoe County Social Services Department must submit a formal petition based on substantial grounds to usurp guardianship before the County Court can get involved.
There are no statutes that give this Court or Washoe County the authority to compel Elisa to have an abortion. Such decisions are left to the sound discretion of the duly appointed guardian(s) To date, Washoe County has utterly failed to provide clear and convincing evidence that Mr. and Mrs. Bauer’s decision to support Elisas efforts to carry her child to term is unlawful or that they are not acting in a manner consistent with the best interests of Elisa’s health and welfare.
Medical insight
The Bauers have also consulted a number of doctors in an effort to provide the best care to their daughter and obtain expert opinion that debunks the notion that abortion and sterilization are the appropriate and only measures recommended in Elisas case.
Dr. Michael Czerkes, an OB/GYN at St. Marys Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine reviewed all the medical facts and concluded that abortion was neither necessary nor prudent.
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Monitoring and screening in pregnancy is the recommended course of treatment in pregnancy for a baby who has been exposed to an anti-epileptic medication, not abortion. The risk of having a congenital abnormality is increased when taking these medications; however the risk is not great enough to recommend the ending of the pregnancy.
A Facebook support page has been created on behalf of the family to help get the word out about Elisa. Visit www.facebook.com/SaveElisasBaby to learn more.
LifeNews Note: Becky Bowers-Greene is a graduate of the University of Arizona and convert to the Catholic faith. A writer and speaker, Becky has published works in the areas of health and wellness, religion, parenting, and aviation. Her musings on family, life, marriage, and authentic feminism can be found at her blog site www.reclaimingthewomb.com. Becky lives in Chandler, Ariz. with her husband and three children, and is expecting her fourth child this spring.
Sounds like something out of China or North Korea
This is a very sad tale indeed :-(
What have we come to? Where are we going to wind up if our moral compass continues to spin out of control?
God help us.
I watched “Judgement At Nuremberg” a few nights ago. It would seem that what we have come to is 1933 Germany. Perhaps they would prefer to take this poor woman out and shoot her, instead? God help us, indeed.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:13-16).
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked (Psalm 82:3-4).
Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done? (Proverbs 24:11-12).
Heavenly Father,
Please forgive the wickedness of our country. Bring us in line to Your Word, Your Will. Cause a stirring of hearts and minds to vote for the Sanctity of Life and God-fearing leaders who will stand for truth and justice.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
They could always starve and dehydrate her to death. Precedent has been set.
****On several occasions, Elisa has left her group home for hours or days at a time to engage in sexual activity with men at a local truck stop.***
Who knew this and when? If true, this is just one more example of how we are a demoralized and immoral people. God forgive us.
Amen
Who are they to decide?
Buck v. Bell 2
America, 1927. Margret Singer ascendant. "Three generations of imbeciles are enough"
Amen.
Now the government is stepping in determining whether or not a woman should have an abortion against the wishes of her family and herself? Frightening.
I concur. Why was she permitted to leave her group home if they knew she was doing that? Based on the article, it doesn’t sound like she has the mental ability to be entering into sexual relationships, and it seems she is having them with multiple men. What is the matter with these men as well? It’s shameful taking advantage of a mentally disabled young woman like that.
The American Abortion Regime really has little standing to point fingers at Communist China, Communist Russia, or National Socialist Germany.
After killing 55,000,000 'unpersons' ... with no sign of stopping, with one major political party avidly supporting the slaughter and the other offering only the most tepid and insipid resistance ... the guards in the gulags and death camps would rightly point their fingers and laugh at America.
America must simply repent, and change her ways ... or America will be destroyed.
Some years ago we met a young family with two daughters, one was normal, while the other was severely mentally retarded like that. She had the mind of a small child, but was a maturing young woman.
The problem was, she was gorgeous and with a perfect developing figure. You couldn’t tell by merely looking at her.
Her mother said that she wished she at least looked retarded or something so that people would know.
I saw a sad future for her when her parents are gone.
A department is made up of individuals and individuals wrote and filed this report. Individuals want to have this baby killed. Name them. Don't let them hide behind the anonymity provided by layers of bureaucracy. Name the judge that would even hear this petition rather than immediately dismiss it with prejudice.
Maybe Kevin Schiller the director of "social services" for Washoe country could be asked what his departments compelling interest is in this case. Maybe Terri Humes the Fiscal Director for social services could be asked if their budget is expansive enough to cover a court case not clearly in their mandate.
Their mailing address is:
Washoe County Department of Social Services
P.O. Box 11130
Reno, NV 89520-0027
Their general information number is:
775.785.8600
Their general information email is:
socialsvs@washoecounty.us
In the past, her parents would have found somebody willing to have her as a wife, and support her.
Isn't Judge Walker also taking advantage of a mentally disabled woman as well - using her as a "test case" to further his own radical liberal Nazi-style agenda which calls for the elimination of "useless eaters" vis a vis abortion and sterilization?
What are these swine going to do if his honor orders an abortion and sterilization.....put the poor woman in a straight jacket and drag her kicking and screaming to the abortuary - just like they do in China????
No "choice" here. We are talking about FORCE!!!
Where is the outrage?
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