Posted on 07/19/2005 5:25:35 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
SAINT PAUL, July 19, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, last Thursday, signed a bill that will require doctors to tell women seeking abortion after 20 weeks gestation that fetuses might feel pain during the procedure and offer them the option of fetal anesthesia. The "Unborn Child Pain Prevention Act," was supported by the group, Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, (MCCL) an affiliate of National Right to Life.
MCCL's Laura Gese, told LifeSiteNews.com that the passage of the legislation was being seen as a victory by pro-lifers there. "It's a compassionate bill, wherein, if we have decided that the child has to die, at least he won't suffer horribly from a brutal death."
The bill was not directly opposed by the National Abortion Rights Action League, since fetal pain is considered a side issue. Most Minnesota abortions are committed in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy and so the law does not affect them. Medical association opposition was dropped when the bill's language was changed to preclude felony charges for doctors who failed to comply.
The real value of the legislation is in the message it sends to those engaged in the debate. Gese said that MCCL hopes the bill will have an effect similar to the partial birth abortion bans in raising the awareness in the public of the humanity of the unborn child. Gese said, "It strengthens the Woman's Right to Know bill," that required women be given accurate information about abortion and fetal development before abortion.
"It also brings to light the humanity of the unborn child and opens the discussion. It helps people to understand that this is a human being that we are talking about."
Jim Hughes, National President of Canada's pro-life lobby, Campaign Life Coalition, echoed this when he told LifeSiteNews.com, "If there's anything positive it is to show that there is a human being present that does feel pain. And people who haven't entered the debate yet will come into the discussion and be shown the humanity of the unborn."
"By the same token," said Hughes, "it's certainly not a victory. It's definitely an admission that these things are going to go on anyway and we can't stop them yet. It's a very, very small step forward, but it might cause some younger people to give the issue a second look, and in the end, gain their support for the life of the child."
I think a few will think twice and choose life. Not many perhaps but each one is a life saved.
States should require those seeking abortions to "name" their babies before the abortion regardless of the trimester the mother is in. For the death certificate. If they want pregnant women to understand it is a human they are killing, it should at least have a name
Remember, they take great pleasure in their work.
That's an extremely good idea. You should put it to your local legislator.
How many times has something like this happened? And how many men have been denied children because nine old men decided 30 years ago that it is only a child if the woman wants it ,and the man's only function is to pay the bills?
I'm surprised at NARAL; they even oppose health standards for abortion clinics. Like using sterile technique,allowing inspections, etc. They claim it is an undue burden "forced" on abortionists to "interfere" with choice.
I'd be curious to know the number of late term abortions performed. I imagine it is quite small. Furthermore, I'd bet that the majority of late term abortions are performed on expectant mothers who wanted nothing more than to give birth to a child but due to catastrophic medical complications are forced to make a painful decision and abort the child that they wished to give birth to.
And now a legislation is being enacted to force doctors to tell these women that the baby they hoped to bring into the world is going to die a horrible, painful death.
Classy.
Not to be cynical (which of course, I am being quite cynical), if a state were simply to totally privatize abortion, and deregulate it as a medical practice as Roe v. Wade says it can, the practice of abortion in that state would disappear, totally, within days.
The risk would rise so high, no person but the brain dead would dare seek an abortion in such a place.
That is just terrible. I'm pregnant now at 38 (39 on Friday :-) and my husband is 42. We'll be pretty old when Baby Whosis leaves home, but if anyone tells me we shouldn't be having a baby, I'll kick them in the knee!
They do have an ultrasound probe that's used for detecting an embryo in very early pregnancy, before an external monitor can see anything. I went through this in my second pregnancy, because of concern that it could be ectopic (wasn't - now she plans to be the next Ann Coulter.) I understand it's commonly used in "assisted fertility" situations.
I'm sure millions of men have had children they wanted, aborted. What's amazing is that so many are still so careless about where they deposit their sperm, as it were. Maggie Gallagher wrote an article about this recently, addressed to her teenage son. I'll hunt for the link.
Catholic Ping
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Bump!
http://www.ncregister.com/current/0612lead1.htm
Here you go. Took some searching!
"that fetuses might feel pain".....MIGHT???
So it's better for the baby to be dismembered without anesthesia, than for the mother to acknowledge the fact that he can feel pain? Humane.
Still so sad.
Really sick. Convoluted to say the least.
Terrible way to start a day knowing this bill exists.
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