I wish I could say I was surprised, but I had a feeling that this would happen. Of course, I'd hoped it would take a little longer, but even that is not surprising really. Just disappointing.

Two days ago Kermit Gosnell, the abortionist, was arrested on eight counts of murder. One of a grown woman, and seven for children he had delivered alive and then stabbed to death. Predictably the abortion apologists--desperate not to be required to admit that this man is actually doing something they support just doing it the wrong way--are quick to blame the pro-life movement, claiming that it was "limited access" that caused this situation.

The Grand Jury report does not bear this out.

The first line of defense was the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The department’s job is to audit hospitals and outpatient medical facilities, like Gosnell’s, to make sure that they follow the rules and provide safe care. The department had contact with the Women’s Medical Society dating back to 1979, when it first issued approval to open an abortion clinic. It did not conduct another site review until 1989, ten years later. Numerous violations were already apparent, but Gosnell got a pass when he promised to fix them. Site reviews in 1992 and 1993 also noted various violations, but again failed to ensure they were corrected.

But at least the department had been doing something up to that point, however ineffectual. After 1993, even that pro forma effort came to an end. Not because of administrative ennui, although there had been plenty. Instead, the Pennsylvania Department of Health abruptly decided, for political reasons, to stop inspecting abortion clinics at all. The politics in question were not anti-abortion, but pro. With the change of administration from Governor Casey to Governor Ridge, officials concluded that inspections would be “putting a barrier up to women” seeking abortions. Better to leave clinics to do as they pleased, even though, as Gosnell proved, that meant both women and babies would pay.

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