Point-Counterpoint: Partial Birth Abortion Ban rulings

Papincak, Mike

Michael Papincak is a member of the College Republicans

In the past few weeks, federal courts in San Francisco and New York have been ruling against legislation signed by President Bush in 2003. This legislation would be the ban on partial birth abortions, which, as most see it, is a first step to completely banning any type of abortion. I will have to start by saying that I am pro-life and do not agree with abortion. However, there are some cases that deal with the mother’s health, rape or incest, and I see how an abortion can be justified in those cases.
These federal courts have been ruling against this legislation because it infringes upon a woman’s right to choose and limits her options. This is relevant because some people think that a partial birth abortion is actually safer for the mother than an abortion that takes places entirely in the womb. If this is so, then these abortions should probably be allowed. But then there are people who think that they are not safe at all, especially for the baby.
To tell you the truth, I was not fully aware of the procedure of a partial birth abortion until I was asked to write this article. However, after doing some research I can see why the Bush administration and other opponents of this kind of abortion exist. I agree that this kind of abortion is completely inhumane and harmful to a living fetus. I also agree that this procedure, like any kind of abortion, is not necessary at all. The way the life is taken from the baby is completely unacceptable. I would go into details, but it is too disgusting for this article.
I will agree with proponents of this kind of abortion on one point: it should be allowed when the mother’s health is at risk. That is the one type of abortion that I have trouble disagreeing with, especially if there is no one to care for the baby after the mother has passed away.
We also have to look at where this law is being overturned – in two of the most liberal states in the U.S. The Bush administration is appealing all of the rulings to the Supreme Court, and with two new Bush appointees on the bench, I am not sure that the rulings of the lower courts will stand.
Overall, I stand behind Bush’s legislation on this type of abortion, though I hope that it is adjusted to fit specific circumstances, such as those in which the other’s life is at risk.