One side is fighting for women’s rights; the other, protecting human life.
The battle is heating up in Pennsylvania as a proposed bill introduced last week would ban early abortions.
The proposal, which could be up for a state House vote next week, calls to prohibit the dismembering of unborn babies that are at least 24 weeks and have brain waves, legs, arms, organs and teeth and fingernails. If the bill gets the green light, the legislation will head to the Senate.
“Nothing is more precious than human life, and this bill is about both protecting life and respecting it,” state Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint, told The Era on Thursday. “The procedure that would be outlawed under this legislation, known as dismemberment abortion, is as barbaric as it sounds … the unborn child’s life is ended through the process of dismembering the body.”
In addition to Causer, also signed on to the legislation are state Reps. Matt Gabler, R-DuBois, and Matt Baker, R-Wellsboro. Both legislators did not immediately comment when contacted by The Era on Thursday.
Though the bill is proposing stricter restrictions on late-term abortions, not addressed are safety concerns within clinics and the procedure at any gestational age, said Kim Crouse, executive director for Bright Alternatives, which is a pregnancy resource center with offices in Bradford and Wellsville, N.Y.
“Most abortion clinics are not equipped for invasive surgical procedures or medical emergencies, and lives of women undergoing abortion have been lost or endangered due to uterine perforations and/or hemorrhaging,” she said.
Gov. Tom Wolf’s Press Secretary Jeffrey Sheridan said the governor wishes the abortion legislation would rather not exist.
“The legislation is a blatant attack on a woman’s right to make her own health decisions, and it even goes so far as to prohibit a woman’s right to have an abortion, even in the case of rape or incest,” he said. “The bill is wrong and Governor Wolf will veto it if it reaches his desk.”
Sheridan said the bill is unconstitutional since it changes the time for an abortion from 24 weeks to 20 weeks.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has held that a state does not have an interest in regulating the unborn prior to 24 weeks so a state cannot regulate abortions prior to 24 weeks,” Sheridan said.
While officials at Bright Alternatives do not consider themselves political activists, they believe abortion is not the sole way or best solution to eliminate the crisis of an unplanned pregnancy, Crouse said.
“Our goal at Bright Alternatives is to be a safe place where women can weigh their options and identify the factors in their lives causing their pregnancy to be a crisis,” she said. “By providing practical help, education, and support we can help enable women to make a clear and empowered decision regarding their pregnancy, future, and life.”
Meanwhile, for Catholic Charities Counseling & Adoption Services, life starts at conception, therefore any form of abortion is unacceptable, said Joe Haas, executive director of the agency, which has offices in Bradford and St. Marys. What’s more, the organization also believes all life is precious, such as the life and dignity of the woman who has an abortion, he said.
“We understand the myriad of emotions that some women experience after having an abortion and we want to help them to recover from any negative ramifications — including emotional or spiritual trauma,” Haas said. “Not all women who have an abortion experience these after effects, but many do and have nowhere to turn for help.”
While many people disagree wholeheartedly with the women’s choice to abort, the organization offers care and concern for the woman in her recovery effort, he said.
Meanwhile, officials from Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation consider abortions to be barbaric, saying the method is brutal for babies and harmful for mothers.
“These common abortions are performed on fully developed, preborn babies at their most vulnerable, and when they should be the safest,” said Maria Gallagher, Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation Legislative director. “When doctors in Philadelphia can operate on these tiny humans while they are still in their mother’s womb to save their lives, it is barbaric and cruel to be pulling them apart limb-from-limb in the most excruciatingly painful way possible.”
But the Pennsylvania Medical Society has taken a different stance on the abortion matter. Officials there feel that lawmakers should not “be in the business of practicing medicine by creating laws that dictate the way it should be practiced,” said Pennsylvania Medical Society spokesman Chuck Moran.
In a letter to state lawmakers, Pennsylvania Medical Society President Scott E. Shapiro said the organization believes the bill hinders the relationship between physicians and their patients.
“While we recognize that this measure by the very nature of the medical condition it addresses is both politically and emotionally charged, we are highly concerned that the bill sets a dangerous precedent by legislating specific treatment protocols,” he said.
In the end, Crouse said, each crisis pregnancy tells the story of beautiful individuals who hail from varied backgrounds facing unique struggles.
“It can’t be about bills and laws or you lose sight of humanity,” she said. “Regardless of where you stand on any current issue there are real issues in our community and nation that passing laws will not help.”
