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Too Soon Does Not Apply To Us!
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.
And when local places began to avoid referring patients to him?
The problem here is not "limited access," but far too much access, without concern for legality or the safety, even of the patients an abortionist is not supposed to kill. In fact, from all appearances, other abortionists knew full well he was operating outside the law and referred patients from long-distances to his office for that very reason.
But rather than having the decency to at least take a week's break from complaining that regulatory agencies have the unthinkable effrontery to consider abortion a medical procedure that might fall under their purview, the folks at the Abortion Gang plastered up a post the day after Gosnell's arrest complaining that Maryland might be thinking about regulating abortion mills. The entry draws from another article, here, which was released over a week before Gosnell's arrest.
So, first off, a surgical procedure isn't happening in a building regulated as a surgical center 95% of the time. But simply quoting the original article that noted this deficiency in regulation the day after Gosnell's arrest is not tacky and tone-deaf enough for the Abortion Gang. No, they can not even wait until after the arraignment to complain about how this is all part of a SOOPER SEKRIT PLOT.
First off, pro-life opposition to abortion in general is not sneaky. It's the whole point of our movement. There's no sneakiness about it.
Second, abortion clinics are surgical facilities. There's no way around this, and the Grand Jury report is quite clear.
Failure to regulate abortion mills as surgical centers is exactly what got two of Gosnell's patients, that he wasn't supposed to kill, murdered right along with their children. Complaining that Maryland would do this is, on most days, stupid and churlish. On the day after Gosnell's arrest it is inhumane, shockingly callous, and demonstrates a stupendous disregard for the lives of the two women Gosnell killed.
This is what the defenders of Choice advocate on behalf of: dangerous, unsafe, unregulated death, served up as quickly as possible. It's not enough that they want to kill as many children as they can. Their mothers might die occasionally getting abortions, too, but that's fine as long as no one slowed them down on their way there.
Lest we loose track of just how horrific Gosnell's little crew really was, think about this quote.
This is Choice. When someone says they are pro-choice, this is what they mean.
* All bolding is mine. All italics are from the originals.
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.
And when local places began to avoid referring patients to him?
As a result, Gosnell began to rely much more on referrals from other areas where abortions as late as 24 weeks are unavailable. More and more of his patients came from out of state and were late second-trimester patients. Many of them were well beyond 24 weeks. Gosnell was known as a doctor who would perform abortions at any stage, without regard for legal limits. His patients came from several states, including Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, as well as from Pennsylvania cities outside the Philadelphia area, such as Allentown. He also had many late-term Philadelphia patients because most other local clinics would not perform procedures past 20 weeks.
The problem here is not "limited access," but far too much access, without concern for legality or the safety, even of the patients an abortionist is not supposed to kill. In fact, from all appearances, other abortionists knew full well he was operating outside the law and referred patients from long-distances to his office for that very reason.
But rather than having the decency to at least take a week's break from complaining that regulatory agencies have the unthinkable effrontery to consider abortion a medical procedure that might fall under their purview, the folks at the Abortion Gang plastered up a post the day after Gosnell's arrest complaining that Maryland might be thinking about regulating abortion mills. The entry draws from another article, here, which was released over a week before Gosnell's arrest.
Delegates Adelaide C. Eckardt and Pamela Beidle have… introduced a bill requiring abortion providers to be regulated as surgical centers. Senator Nancy Jacobs plans to introduce a similar bill in the State Senate.
Surgical centers are held to tougher requirements than clinics and doctors offices, where 95% of abortions are performed, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
So, first off, a surgical procedure isn't happening in a building regulated as a surgical center 95% of the time. But simply quoting the original article that noted this deficiency in regulation the day after Gosnell's arrest is not tacky and tone-deaf enough for the Abortion Gang. No, they can not even wait until after the arraignment to complain about how this is all part of a SOOPER SEKRIT PLOT.
So what is this really about? Is it about the patient as the dressing of the bills would have us believe? In this case, it is only about the patient in so much as they are attempting to keep the patients from having access to abortions. By enforcing unnecessary regulations like these, anti-choice advocates are attempting to find a way to sneak their agendas in through the back door without anyone paying attention to their true motivations. This has nothing to do with the patient experience or well being. It is simply about shutting down as many clinics as possible through their inability to finance the reconstruction these new regulations would demand. If you think that I am just being paranoid, just look a little deeper.
First off, pro-life opposition to abortion in general is not sneaky. It's the whole point of our movement. There's no sneakiness about it.
Second, abortion clinics are surgical facilities. There's no way around this, and the Grand Jury report is quite clear.
The Health Care Facilities Act defines an Ambulatory Surgical Facility as:
A facility or portion thereof not located upon the premises of a hospital which provides specialty or multispecialty outpatient surgical treatment. Ambulatory surgical facility does not include individual or group practice offices of private physicians or dentists, unless such offices have a distinct part used solely for outpatient surgical treatment on a regular and organized basis. For the purposes of this provision, outpatient surgical treatment means surgical treatment to patients who do not require hospitalization, but who require constant medical supervision following the surgical procedure performed.
This is precisely what Gosnell’s clinic was – a facility that provided specialty outpatient surgical treatment. And, by definition, so are all freestanding abortion clinics (those not associated with hospitals).
Failure to regulate abortion mills as surgical centers is exactly what got two of Gosnell's patients, that he wasn't supposed to kill, murdered right along with their children. Complaining that Maryland would do this is, on most days, stupid and churlish. On the day after Gosnell's arrest it is inhumane, shockingly callous, and demonstrates a stupendous disregard for the lives of the two women Gosnell killed.
This is what the defenders of Choice advocate on behalf of: dangerous, unsafe, unregulated death, served up as quickly as possible. It's not enough that they want to kill as many children as they can. Their mothers might die occasionally getting abortions, too, but that's fine as long as no one slowed them down on their way there.
Lest we loose track of just how horrific Gosnell's little crew really was, think about this quote.
When Massof left the clinic in 2008, Lynda Williams took over the job of cutting baby’s necks when Gosnell was not there. Cross saw Williams slit the neck of a baby (“Baby C”) who had been moving and breathing for approximately twenty minutes. Gosnell had delivered the baby and put it on a counter while he suctioned the placenta from the mother. Williams called Cross over to look at the baby because it was breathing and moving its arms when Williams pulled on them. After playing with the baby, Williams slit its neck.
This is Choice. When someone says they are pro-choice, this is what they mean.
* All bolding is mine. All italics are from the originals.