Abortion
I like to think of myself as being open minded on most social issues. If gay people want to form civil unions that doesn’t bother me…if people want to use birth control I say good for them. Abortion has always bothered me but I’ve never considered myself a crusader…I’m reconsidering.
I read an article in Slate by an abortionist today. He is arguing against the new “Partial Birth Abortion ban” saying it is too vague and might threaten his regular practice of conducting abortions. He ends with this story of one of his procedures and a question of whether the new law will keep him from being able to continue to provide this type of service:
Earlier this year, I began an abortion on a young woman who was 17 weeks pregnant. Because of the two days of prior treatment, the amniotic membranes were visible and bulging. I ruptured the membranes and released the fluid to reduce the risk of amniotic fluid embolism. Then I inserted my forceps into the uterus and applied them to the head of the fetus, which was still alive, since fetal injection is not done at that stage of pregnancy. I closed the forceps, crushing the skull of the fetus, and withdrew the forceps. The fetus, now dead, slid out more or less intact. With the next pass of the forceps, I grasped the placenta, and it came out in one piece. Within a few seconds, I had completed my routine exploration of the uterus and sharp curettage. The blood loss would just fill a tablespoon. The patient, who was awake, hardly felt the operation. She was relieved, grateful, and safe. She wants to have children in the future.
Did I do a “partial-birth” abortion? Will John Ashcroft prosecute me? Stay tuned.
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When I was on my mission, I gave baptismal interviews to a lot of women that had had abortions. Every single one of them expressed great remorse for having an abortion. This remorse was completely uncoerced, since there is nothing about abortion in the missionary discussions and the question was something like, “Have you had an abortion.” One woman told me that she was so troubled afterwards he dreamed she saw the gates of hell.
These experiences let me understand a little the emotional pain women feel when they have abortions. Abortions, and especially the type that this doctor performed, are wrong.
Comment by Daniel — October 24, 2003 @ 12:43 pm
I wouldn`t call the act the doctor discribed a partial anything it was murder!!!
Comment by Deb — October 25, 2003 @ 8:20 pm