To the Editor:
I would like to address certain statements made by Laura Taylor in her column on April 24 concerning the recent Supreme Court upholding of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. To begin, Taylor argues that the ban could restrict all abortions after 12 weeks. In reality, this bill only bans partial-birth abortions, defined as any abortion in which the baby is delivered “past the [baby’s] navel … outside the body of the mother.” At this point in development, the unborn child is 5-6 months old — much further along than 12 weeks.
Taylor further claims that “partial-birth” abortion is a politicized term, rather than a medical term. However, as Douglas Johnson, Legislative Director for the National Right to Life Committee, stated, “In short, besides being a legal term of art, ‘partial-birth abortion’ is as much a ‘medical term’ as ‘heart attack.’”
Finally, Taylor asserts that the Supreme Court is obligated to protect human lives, implying that this bill endangers women’s health. However, ever since the legislation was announced in 1995 it has included an exception that the method would be allowed if the mother’s life were at risk.
Katie Weible ’10
Member, Cornell Coalition for Life