California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
In June of 1967, then California Governor Ronald Reagan signed the Therapeutic Abortion Act into law. The Golden State saw abortions skyrocket from just over 500 legal abortions per year in 1967 to an average of 100,000 abortions per year for the rest of Reagan's gubernatorial term. Abortion data today is sketchy, but The Alan Guttmacher Institute (the research arm of Planned Parenthood) reports that 214,190 abortions took place in California in 2008, the last reporting period. There are more abortions in California each year than in any other state, and an estimated 27+ out of every 1,000 women of childbearing age terminate a pregnancy there each year.
So as things stand, abortion in the state is shockingly high. But in a quest to make elective abortions ever more accessible and commonplace, California lawmakers are considering a bill sponsored by Democratic Sen. Christine Kehoe of San Diego which would allow nurse practitioners, midwives, and physician assistants to perform first trimester "aspiration" abortions.
To support a measure like this, I think, is the point at which one moves beyond holding garden variety "pro-choice" views (preferring, like President Obama, that abortions be "safe, legal, and rare") to taking an unabashed pro-abortion, pro-death stance on the matter.
I have to go to a doctor to get a skin tag removed from my neck, but if Sen. Christine Kehoe and company had their wildest fantasies fulfilled, your yoga instructor or pizza delivery man would be legally qualified to terminate the life of an unborn baby.
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Jan '11
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
It astonishes me that my teen daughter needs my consent to have a cut stitched up, but she can have an abortion/kill her unborn w/o my consent. The culture of death is ruthless.
Oct '11
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
Obama fought hard for partial birth abortion, voting in favor of it 3 different times in Illinois. Remember this is the man who voted present 120 times. He didn't vote for things unless he really cared. Obama may want abortions to be legal, he may want them to be "safe" (for the woman), but he does not want them to be rare.
May '11
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
Isn't one of the reasons for legalized abortion is that it would be administered by professionals? Wouldn't having less skilled professionals performing abortions make abortions less safe for women?
Mar '11
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
We appear to have a temporary reprieve on this one. Two Democrats crossed party lines and joined Republicans in opposing the bill stalling it in committee on a 4-4 vote.
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
I think the goal of broader access to abortion trumps safety for many of the people on this particular crusade.
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
Thanks for the update. I doubt that will be the end of this, though.
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
I thought the utilitarian argument in favor of Roe v. Wade was to ensure access to qualified gynecologic care rather than subjecting desperate pregnant women to surgical procedures conducted by unqualified professionals.
The next step will be to license abortion vans that can conveniently park in urban back-alleys--all in the name of "access" of course. Wait for it.
Edited on April 27, 2012 at 12:52amJul '10
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
Diane Ellis, Ed.:
So as things stand, abortion in the state is shockingly high.
. · · 40 minutes ago
What number would not be "shockingly high" to You?
Sep '10
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
Thank you for this. I just sent an email to my state senator asking him to vote against it. Unfortunately, he is a liberal Democrat, and very likely to vote for it.
I guess that cliche "it is between a woman and her doctor" will make even less sense now in California.
May '10
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
William F. Buckley made the salient point: if abortion is not morally objectionable, why should it be rare?
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
Jimmy Carter
Diane Ellis, Ed.:
So as things stand, abortion in the state is shockingly high.
. · · 40 minutes ago
What number would not be "shockingly high" to You? · 19 minutes ago
Being unapologetically pro-life, I hesitate to quantify this. Every abortion, even those that terminate pregnancies that resulted from rape or incest, seem tragic and immoral to me. I would guess (since there aren't readily available statistics on this) that the number of abortions that are performed when the the very life of a mother is in jeopardy would number in the hundreds, not the thousands.
Apr '11
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
Not too long ago, about after the end of the 2008 elections, I recall someone telling me that Democrats would moderate themselves to keep in power. I retorted that I suspected they'd move faster than ever, seeing themselves as having limited time to accomplish all they want to do in social and economic policy.
In time, I hate being proven correct. Progressive policy is being pushed forward double time. Frequently the idea is that it matters little whether it's a concept that works well or not, the point is to get the policy in place as it'll be impossible to remove entirely in the long run.
I will admit, I'm somewhat surprised at how aggressive abortion and abortion access has been pursued in recent years, but they are using the same tactics here. Expand now as fast as possible so that such things will be set in stone as far as future policy-makers are concerned.
Apr '12
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
Jimmy Carter
What number would not be "shockingly high" to You? · 46 minutes ago
If one takes the claims of why it "has" to be legal at face value (Hard after various excuses made for monsters, but eh) then anything over a tiny fraction of very extreme cases, a number so high that it's obviously being used as birth control is fairly shocking.
Jul '11
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
Resume.
2013-2014 El Segundo, Kinko's Copies. Front desk, repairman, fetal aspirator.
Looking for full time work as manager at Wendy's. Willing to start as fry cook and fetal aspirator until position opens.
Oct '11
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
I'd say you're right, Diane. This whole thing about "rape and incest, and the mother's life" is just a distraction. But ok, let's get rid of the 99.9% of abortions that are elective, and then we'll start worrying about the couple hundred that remain each year. There could never be zero abortions, I realize that. There will always be some. But I'd rather have the 500 per year in California in 1967 than the 200,000+ per year now.
Diane Ellis, Ed.
Jimmy Carter
What number would not be "shockingly high" to You? · 19 minutes ago
Being unapologetically pro-life, I hesitate to quantify this. Every abortion, even those that terminate pregnancies that resulted from rape or incest, seem tragic and immoral to me. I would guess (since there aren't readily available statistics on this) that the number of abortions that are performed when the the very life of a mother is in jeopardy would number in the hundreds, not the thousands. · 1 hour ago
Feb '11
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
Thank you for this post, Diane. This same matter is threatening New York State, which also legalized abortion well in advance of Roe v. Wade.
The Reproductive Health Act first came up in 2007 under Governor Eliot Spitzer, and was somewhat derailed by his debacle, but the same bill is now being petitioned to come out of the NY Senate Rules Committee.
It will also threaten the skimpy conscience protections left in NY for medical personnel, and will be used to close non-compliant (read, Catholic) hospitals that are still open. For years, they have been slowly boiling the frog, starting with "consolidation of services" that resulted in the closure of Catholic maternity wings and pediatric units. There is nowhere within a two hour drive of my home (other than my home) that I could go to to have a baby that does not also provide abortions.
I was told by my State Assemblyman that this law will not do change anything, so I shouldn't worry about it. Well, if that is the case, then why do we need this new law?
Answer: To make it impossible in NY, if Roe is overturned, to ever outlaw or limit abortion.
Sep '10
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
You kind of get the feeling these days that abortion proponents, knowing that Roe and all the other "abortion rights" cases are founded on nonsense legal premises, are preparing our nation more and more for the possibility of the Supreme Court bringing that issue back to where it belongs in the first place: the states.
Jun '11
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
Finally, the mask of "safe, legal, but rare" falls away. The only way these folks could be any more pro-abortion is to start performng abortions themselves.
Apr '11
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
Foxfier, Just followed your link to the description of the Philly abortionist. I remember reading about it initially and feeling near physically ill. I don't think the death penalty should be used as often as it is but that monster has gone so far outside basic morality that I could be persuaded here.
Foxfier
Jimmy Carter
What number would not be "shockingly high" to You? · 46 minutes ago
If one takes the claims of why it "has" to be legal at face value (Hard after various excuses made for monsters, but eh) then anything over a tiny fraction of very extreme cases, a number so high that it's obviously being used as birth control is fairly shocking. · 12 hours ago
Nov '10
Re: California to Consider Further Liberalization of Abortion Access
Diane Ellis, Ed.
I would guess (since there aren't readily available statistics on this) that the number of abortions that are performed when the the very life of a mother is in jeopardy would number in the hundreds, not the thousands. · 14 hours ago
Try dozens.