Partial Birth Abortion
Information gathered by the American Policy Roundtable
Partial Birth
Abortion Defined
A late-term
abortion, especially one in which a viable fetus
is partially delivered through the cervix before
being extracted. - American Heritage Dictionary
Background
U.S. Supreme Court hands down a Pro-life
Victory!
On
April 18, 2007 the U.S. Supreme Court upheld
action taken by Congress in 2003 to prohibit the
gruesome practice of partial-birth abortions.
While this decision does not completely affect
the precedence established by Roe v. Wade, it
substantially confirms the “legitimate interest
of the government in protecting the life of the
fetus that may become a child.”
The
Partial-Birth Abortion Act of 2003 (PL 108-288)
declared that there exists a moral, medical, and
ethical consensus that the practice of
performing a partial-birth abortion is gruesome
and inhumane because the physician partially
delivers a child with the intention of killing
him/her by piercing or crushing the skull. The
federal law prohibited this practice and
provided criminal penalties for the physician.
This
ban on partial birth abortions was challenged by
Dr. Leroy Carhart, an abortionist from Nebraska,
as well as three others. Their complaint alleged
that the federal ban was unconstitutional
because it did not include an exception for the
health of the mother and it restricted a woman’s
right to choose a late term abortion. This week
Gonzales v. Carhart (No. 05-380), was decided by
the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 5-4 split decision
the Court ruled that The Partial-Birth Abortion
Ban Act of 2003 does not violate the U.S.
Constitution due to the absence of a “health
exception.”
Justices in the majority were Chief Justice John
Roberts and Associate Justices Alito, Kennedy,
Scalia, and Thomas. Justices in the
minority were Breyer, Ginsburg, Souter, and
Stevens. This was a close decision, but will
clearly have the effect of saving many young
lives!
Full text of Gonzales v.
Carhart, et al
Full text of federal law
under review in Gonzales v. Carhart
(Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, PL
108-288; Effective November 5, 2003)
"The Hand of Hope" - Samuel Armas
There is a picture you have to see - picture
that may define reality and change your life.
Maybe by now you've heard about this picture. It
is pretty graphic and might not be something for
kids to see. But the picture is both amazing and
real.
It is a picture of
Samuel Armas. Actually a picture of little Sam
holding his doctors hand. But little Samuel has
not yet been born. He was only 21 weeks old at
the time.
Doctors were performing
an amazing in utero surgery to limit the impact
of spinal bifida on this preborn child. As the
doctors surgically reached inside the womb to
repair Sam's spine - his tiny hand reached out
and embraced the doctors finger. The surgery was
so sensitive that the doctors were heard telling
their staff to stay quiet and not wake the baby.
The surgery went well
and chances are very good the young Sam will
make it. He may even see the day when he gets to
shake that surgeons hand again.
I've seen the picture.
It is the most compelling case for unborn life
yet made. Without a single word being spoken -
Young Samuel Armas and his loving mother are
sending a message to the world.
Sam is only 21 weeks
old. Old enough to be sick. Old enough to be
healed. Old enough to be loved, and old enough
to hold the hand of one who could save his life
or end it.
The Public Square
Transcript, Samuel Armas
Photo
Courtesy of Michael Clancy |
