Politicians may be held responsible
New abortion laws will have profound effect on real people
The Front Page
Morning Update
Monday, June 27, 2022
By Ken Tingley
Politicians will now be held accountable on the abortion issue. That may be the unexpected result of Friday’s Supreme Court decision on abortion.
For decades, the abortion issue has been part of the Republican DNA as political candidates sought endorsements from conservative religious group. But because of the Roe vs. Wade decision nothing could be done about it. It was a wedge issue used to turn voters against any Democrat who was pro choice. But Friday’s Supreme Court decision makes this a legislative issue.
The Republicans opposed to abortion will now be responsible for statutes making it illegal and the effect it has on the lives of voters.
Missouri was one of six states to immediately put into an effect a ban on abortion Friday. Its one remaining clinic will no longer perform abortions.
The Missouri law makes it a class B felony to induce an abortion and carries prison sentences from 5 to 15 years. Medical providers could also lose their licenses.
The law makes no exception for rape or incest where there have been real-life instances of young girls who have been raped by relatives and stepfathers. In places like Missouri, those young girls will be forced to give birth.
No one ever wants to get an abortion. It is an emotionally charged and painful decision for women and couples. Each year, there are fewer and fewer abortions because of the continued emphasis on contraception in schools and the general decline in the birth rate overall. Between 2011 and 2019, the number of abortions dropped nearly 20 percent.
But unwanted pregnancies happen and will continue to happen. For places like Missouri, that means politicians who have backed policies that make abortion illegal are now responsible as regular people see the ramifications.
In May, a Remington Research Group poll of likely Missouri voters found that 44 percent of respondents thought the new law was too restrictive while 30 percent thought it was about right. Another 17 percent thought the restrictions did not go far enough.
Politicians in Missouri and many other states will now have to be responsible to that 44 percent who do not agree with the new law. Even in places like Missouri, there is still not overwhelming support for these laws.
Voters do have the power to change the voices they have elected. Making the Supreme Court irrelevant might not be the worst thing to happen.
Consider these sobering thoughts from the New York Times editorial board about outlawing abortion:
“Some will likely die, especially those with pregnancy complications that must be treated with abortion or those who resort to unsafe means of abortion because they can’t afford to travel to states where the procedure remains legal. Even those who are able to travel to other states could face the risk of criminal prosecution. Some could go to prison, as could the doctors who care for them. Miscarriages could be investigated as murders, which has already happened in several states, and may become only more common. Without full control over their bodies, women will lose their ability to function as equal members of American society.”
That was not the America we had a week ago.
As many of these new policies become a reality, there could be blowback on the people who pass these laws. As this becomes law of half the land, the red states enacting these laws might want to consider the words of Archbishop of New York Timothy Cardinal Dolan.
“We must remember that this is a judicial victory, not a cultural one," Dolan said in a statement signed by other Catholic leaders. "The culture remains deeply divided on the issue, which will be evidenced by the patchwork of state statutes pertaining to abortion across the country. To change the culture and build a culture of life, we need to enact family-friendly policies that welcome children, support mothers, cherish families and empower them to thrive ... we rededicate ourselves to helping every expectant mother to carry her baby to term."
The question is whether our leaders are up to developing “family-friendly” policies. Will Missouri do that. So far, it has not.
I agree with Archbishop Dolan but I think that is not likely to happen. My heart goes out to that eleven year old girl.
Paladino was removed from a Buffalo area school board by the NYS Education Dept in 2017. Paladino has made racist remarks. Congresswoman Stefanik, so far, has failed to rescind her endorsement of candidate Paladino.