OFFENDING HUMAN DIGNITY The Partial-Birth Horror(Breakpoint Commentary by Charles Colson)

Breakpoint ^ | 03/12/2003 | Charles Colson

[mollynme]

BreakPoint with Charles Colson Commentary #030312 - 03/12/2003

Offending Human Dignity The Partial-Birth Horror

The leaked memo was not meant to be seen outside of a small group of pro-abortion congressmen. It was advice from a pollster on how to spin voter concerns about partial-birth abortion—advice that told them, in effect, to lie.

"Voters believe that this procedure … kills an infant," the memo warned. But to get around this difficulty, congressmen should use the language of "severely deformed fetuses." Second, congressmen should describe partial-birth abortion as "medically necessary," performed only in the most "dire" medical circumstances. They should say, "We wish this procedure was NEVER necessary," but it is necessary "to save the life and health of the mother."

None of these assertions is true. But the memo—which came out the last time Congress voted on this issue—shows how far pro-abortion forces will go to keep Congress from passing the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.

The U.S. Senate began debating this bill this week. If passed, it would ban the most horrific of all abortion procedures. The abortionist pulls the living baby out the mother's body feet first. He then punctures the baby's skull and suctions out the baby's brain, collapsing the skull. Then the abortionist finishes delivery of the now-dead baby. The procedure is excruciatingly painful for the baby.

A Gallup poll recently found that 70 percent of Americans oppose this legalized butchery. But pro-abortion forces are fighting hard to keep it legal, and they are doing what they have always done when it comes to abortion: lie, obfuscate, and deceive.

The abortion lobby claims the procedure is extremely rare, that it is needed to save the life and health of the mother, or for when a fetus is deformed—wrong on all counts. Abortionists perform thousands—almost all of them on healthy mothers carrying healthy, viable fetuses. And the American Medical Association has testified that the procedure is never medically indicated. Pro-life groups have circulated this testimony to major news outlets, but many reporters choose to ignore it. Instead, they repeat the claims of the abortion industry—even though the head of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers, Ron Fitzsimmons, acknowledged a few years ago that he "lied through my teeth" about partial-birth abortion.

You and I must educate the public about the reality of this horror. Congress passed a ban on partial-birth abortion a few years ago, only to have then-President Clinton veto it—twice. President Bush has promised to sign a bill outlawing what he calls "an abhorrent procedure that offends human dignity."

But beware: Sen. Dick Durbin from Illinois has offered an amendment to the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act calling for an exception for the mother's mental health. But "mental health," under current case law, can be interpreted so broadly that it would make the ban meaningless, and the killings would continue.

The minute you finish reading this commentary, please call or e-mail your two senators. Ask them to vote in favor of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (S. 3), sponsored by Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA). Tell them to vote against the Durbin amendment that would gut the bill. You can learn more about this issue by visiting the BreakPoint website.

Our laws forbid the torture of even the most heinous criminals. Should we do less for the most helpless—and innocent—among us?

[mollynme]

The Senate is expected to vote on the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 (S. 3) TOMORROW! Please call your two senators now and urge them to vote for this important bill—and against the Durbin amendment excepting the "mental health" of the mother. The Capitol switchboard is 202-224-3121. Visit www.congress.org for e-mail addresses. And encourage your friends to do the same!

[MEG33]

Frist destroyed this myth . There isn't a reason ever for this procedure.

[jwalsh07]

Rick Snatorum on the floor of the senate exposing the lies of the "kill'em on the way outers".

[Remember Ruby Ridge]

Barbara Boxer is an idiot! MAN.......SHE MAKES ME CRAZY!

[History is truth]

I am puzzled about why this law is even needed. My wife is an RN and has more than 35 years experience in labor and delivery. Yes, she assisted in abortions in extremely unusual circumstances, almost always involving extemely danger to the mother or a fetus so severly deformed that it would be incapable of independent life. (She does not believe that abortion should be a matter of choice, but a matter of medical necessity).

She said that she has never seen a "partial birth" abortion, nor has she ever met any medical personnel who has ever participated in one.

Who has any statistics as to the occurrence of this procedure? Is it just a political ploy over something that just doesn't happen?

Thank You.....

[mollynme]

Read this.

[mollynme]

Also - from this web site

The exact number of D&Xs (medical term for PBA) performed is impossible to estimate with accuracy. Many states do not have strict reporting regulations.

• One often quoted figure was that over 1000 D&Xs had been performed annually in New Jersey. From this number, many inflated national totals were estimated. But the New Jersey figure appears to be an anomaly. A single physician in a single NJ hospital had been ignoring the regulations of the state medical association and performing D&Xs in cases not involving the potential death or serious disability of the woman.
• Ron Fitzsimmons, executive director of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers, estimated (Nightline program, 1997-FEB-26) a total of 3,000 to 4,000 annually in the US -- about ten a day.
• Pro-life groups uncovered an internal memo by Planned Parenthood which estimated that up to 60 (0.24%) of the more than 25,000 abortions performed annually in Virginia were D&Xs. 1 If this figure is accurate nationally, then there would be up to 2,880 D&X procedures per year in the U.S.

Even 1 is too many.

[HumanaeVitae]

Frist destroyed this myth . There isn't a reason ever for this procedure.

Exactly. "Would you like your baby dead or alive?" That's the question. Who could do such a thing?

[buffyt]

Check out http://www.AbortionIsMurder.com If you haven't already.

It is not a CHOICE,
IT IS A CHILD!!!!!

I just saw the ultrasound photo of my friend's first grandchild, 7 week 3 day old unborn child, this morning. I went to their wedding about a year ago in La. It is SO exciting. And at 7 weeks 3 days IT LOOKS LIKE A BABY TO ME!!!!!!

The US Constitution promises LIFE, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. First and foremost of these is LIFE!!!!

[Aquinasfan]

But pro-abortion forces are fighting hard to keep it legal, and they are doing what they have always done when it comes to abortion: lie, obfuscate, and deceive.

Nothing new here.

[buffyt]

You know, I was just thinkging, partial birth abortion is just plain evil. And the person who wrote to the elected pro baby killers trying to give them talking points FOR the evil procedure, is just plain EVIL. There is EVIL in the world and some of it is right here, in the USA, in the form of Infanticide Supporters.

[Aquinasfan]

Who has any statistics as to the occurrence of this procedure? Is it just a political ploy over something that just doesn't happen?

A ghoul named Tiller operates an abortuary which specializes in third trimester infanticide. It's a niche market which he has practically cornered. He has an attractive website.

Why any woman would kill a child in the third trimester of development, when she could easily give her child up for adoption, is beyond me.

[Aquinasfan]

And at 7 weeks 3 days IT LOOKS LIKE A BABY TO ME!!!!!!

And to most mothers. At crisis pregnancy centers, 80-90% of abortion-minded women who see ultrasounds of their unborn child decide to give birth, as opposed to 10-20% who receive counseling alone.

It should come as no surprise then that Planned Infanticide points the ultrasound monitor away from the mother. Another reason: Planned Infanticide performs "abortions" on non-existent babies. Another profit-maker for the merchants of death.

[History is truth]

That's a travesty. I agree, elective abortions should be outlawed. Abortion should be a procedure performed only upon medical necessity and not for any other reason. Birth control or adoption is the right thing to do. By the way, I raised five sons and an adopted son and daughter. My daughter is the light of my life....