Quote:
The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a law that banned a type of late-term abortion, a ruling that could portend enormous social, legal and political implications for the divisive issue.
The sharply divided 5-4 ruling could prove historic. It sends a possible signal of the court's willingness, under Chief Justice John Roberts, to someday revisit the basic right to abortion guaranteed in the 1973 Roe v. Wade case.
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Three federal appeals courts had ruled against the government, saying the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 is unconstitutional because it does not provide a "health exception" for pregnant women facing a medical emergency. The outcome of this latest challenge before the court's new ideological makeup could turn on the legal weight given past rulings on the health exception.
In states where such exceptions are allowed, the lists of possible health risks include severe blood loss, damage to vital organs and loss of fertility. Court briefs noted pregnant women having the procedure most often have their health threatened by cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure or risk of stroke. Doctors are given the discretion to recommend when the late-term procedure should be performed.
The federal law has never gone into effect, pending the outcome of nearly three years of legal appeals.
Specifically, the ban encompasses what doctors call "intact dilation and evacuation" (also known as IDX), which Congress in its legislation termed inhumane.
It is a rarely used second-trimester procedure, designed to reduce complications to the woman. More common is "dilation and evacuation" (D&E), used in 95 percent of pre-viability second-trimester abortions, according to Planned Parenthood. Both are generally performed after the 21st week of pregnancy.
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Source:
CNN
I have to admit that I've never been a fan of politicians, but I've always respected what they do. After all, how can a single person find time to read proposed bills, campaign for re-election, make legislation, and keep in touch with their constituents, while also working healing the wounded, conducting surgeries, keeping up with new techniques and technology, and saving lives everyday? It just isn't possible, but somehow, they manage to do all these things, while keeping half of their occupation completely secret...
I understand that the subject of abortion is a touchy one, but I really take offense that politicians suddenly think they know about the practice of medicine. According to this ruling, the ethics which define the Pro-Life movement (i.e, life is more important than anything and everyone deserves life) is completely hypocritical in certain cases. I say this because the SC has just held that the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 is perfectly legal, even if the denial of later-term abortion leads to the death of the mother. The IDX procedure exists for the sole purpose of saving the life of the mother when an irresolvable pregnancy complication will likely lead to severe medical problems or death of the mother. For example, when the umbilical chord wraps itself around the baby's neck, it's deprived of oxygen and irreversibly brain-damaged, and if the mother goes through with labor she would likely die from the trauma. Frankly, in this scenario, I'd rather have the mother survive and be able to reproduce in the future than a dead mother and a brain-dead baby who will likely die hours after birth.
I'm pro-choice, but I can see where some of the objection is coming from when it comes to teens or adults just having unprotected sex and aborting the baby because of irresponsibility. However, the IDX procedure isn't there for aborting an unwanted baby, especially since the procedure is usually conducted in the second trimester, months after the mother should know she's pregnant. It's there to save the mother's life. I've heard several doctors' opinions on this ruling, and not a single one is happy about it, yet politicians who agree with this ruling go on record saying "Oh, they're just over-reacting, etc...". Politicians are now officially practicing medicine by pushing their own ideals and ethics onto the country, regardless of the facts. This is sickening to say the least.