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Democrats for Life challenge New York abortion law
cna ^ | January 25, 2013 | Adelaide Darling and Michelle Bauman

Posted on 01/29/2013 3:05:07 PM PST by NYer

Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Credit: Pat Arnow via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Washington D.C., Jan 25, 2013 / 02:05 am (CNA).- A group of pro-life Democrats is protesting radical abortion legislation in New York, as well as assertions that there is no place for them in the Democratic Party.

“New York women do not actually need greater access to abortion, but a more supportive system to allow real choice should they want to bring their pregnancies to term,” said Democrats for Life of America in a Jan. 17 statement.

“Looser abortion restrictions will do nothing to help women who feel financially strapped or who lack family support and often turn to abortion as a last resort,” the group added.

The statements come in response to the reintroduction of New York’s “Reproductive Health Act” to the state senate. Catholic governor Andrew Cuomo has supported the measure as part of a larger plan to advance “women's equality” within the state.

Democrats for Life also voiced strong objections to New York senator Jeff Klein's suggestion that in order to be a true Democrat, one must support the abortion expansion.

“It is clear that Senator Klein does not fully understand the importance of diversity within our party, the strength of a big tent policy, or the real needs of women,” the organization said, noting that “there are 21 million Democrats who self-identify as pro-life.”

The statement pointed to Gallup polls in recent years showing that 84 percent of Democrats support informed consent laws and 61 percent support parental consent requirements for minors seeking abortions.

A majority of Democrats also supported a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion and a ban on partial-birth abortions.

Democrats for Life rejected the proposed “reproductive health” bill, calling it the “most sweeping abortion legislation in the nation.”

The group explained that the bill would allow abortions throughout all nine months of pregnancy for virtually any reason with almost no restrictions.

Many of the potentially far-reaching consequences of the legislation are due to provisions that circumvent abortion limitations when necessary to protect a woman's health.

In the historic Doe v. Bolton case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that “health of the mother” provisions can include nearly any justification for abortion, including stress, morning sickness or a general decrease in quality of life.

Critics of the bill argue that this would result in nearly unrestricted abortions in the state, allowing late-term abortions, permitting non-doctors to perform abortions and rendering abortion limitations meaningless.

Concerns have also been raised over the bill's conscience protections, which may be too narrowly crafted to allow hospitals and clinics to continue receiving state funds if they refuse to perform abortions.

The proposed legislation would also change the state’s definition of manslaughter so that it would no longer apply if a woman was killed from an abortion. 

Democrats for Life criticized these radical aspects of bill, arguing that they are “out of touch with the views of most Americans, out of touch with the views of most Democrats, and could hamper real reform for women's rights.”

“New York City has the highest abortion rate in the nation with 40 percent of pregnancies ending in abortion,” the organization pointed out. “Among non-Hispanic blacks, 60 percent of pregnancies end in abortion, and among non-Hispanic black teens that number grows to 72 percent.”

“Even a majority of pro-choice women believe the abortion rate is too high,” the group said. “How will greater access and less safe abortions help women?”


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Extended News; US: New York
KEYWORDS: abortion; cuomo; democrats

1 posted on 01/29/2013 3:05:15 PM PST by NYer
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To: wagglebee; little jeremiah; narses; Liz; The Mayor; skully

Ping!


2 posted on 01/29/2013 3:06:23 PM PST by NYer ("Before I formed you in the womb I knew you." --Jeremiah 1:5)
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To: NYer
Democrats for Life challenge New York abortion law

Then what the hell are they doing in the democratic party? Are they stupid? The whole party is a godless pile of pro-abort monsters. You gotta' be a dumb-a$$ or totally out of touch to be pro-life and a dummycrat. Shame on them.

3 posted on 01/29/2013 3:09:52 PM PST by laweeks
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To: NYer

The little neo-Nazi punk Cuomo needs to be buried under an avalanche of lawsuits. Bust the system, New York patriots.


4 posted on 01/29/2013 3:12:57 PM PST by sergeantdave (The FBI has declared war on the Marine Corps)
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To: NYer

Pro-life Democrat... WoW... is that anything like an Intellectual Moron?..

“If you believe the lie, its not really a lie”- George Constanza..


5 posted on 01/29/2013 3:13:40 PM PST by hosepipe (This propaganda has been edited to include some fully orbed hyperbole..)
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To: NYer
Democrats for Life are sponsored by the Muslim Pork Producers Association.
6 posted on 01/29/2013 3:28:34 PM PST by SecondAmendment (Restoring our Republic at 9.8357x10^8 FPS)
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To: sergeantdave
The little neo-Nazi punk Cuomo needs to be buried under an avalanche of lawsuits. Bust the system, New York patriots.

I like that idea. Considering how it was done to Sarah Palin, having that same technique come back around a be used against the satanic mafioso Cuomo has a nice biblical sort of justice feel to it, doing unto him as they have been doing unto others. Yep, I like that a lot.

7 posted on 01/29/2013 5:11:04 PM PST by GBA (Here in the Matrix, life is but a dream.)
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