NY Governor Cuomo & Legislature Approve Infanticide
Gone are the days making abortion safe & rare
In an effort to ram through radical social change with their majority in the Assembly and new majority in the Senate, Governor Cuomo along with Democrats have passed amendments to New York's abortion law which have fundamentally altered the thin line between legal abortion and infanticide, proper medical care and substandard care. Gone are criminal penalties for someone who willfully kills a fetus in which the mother meant to carry full term as well as the withholding of medical care for any child surviving a late term abortion.Former NY Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan who was a strong supporter of abortion rights coined the term infanticide when describing a particular late term abortion procedure referred to as partial birth abortion. The procedure was ultimately outlawed by congress. While the legislation does not authorize the procedure, it has removed the limitation on full term abortions. New York previously limited abortion up to 24 weeks of gestation and full term abortion up to 9 1/2 months only if the mother's life was at risk. The new law now allows non physicians to perform abortions such as mid-wives and physician aides. The prior law required abortions to be performed by medical physicians. The new law has also removed criminal liability from someone who attacks a women and causes the death of the fetus. Under the previous law, a criminal who attacks a women could be charged with assault on an unborn child.
It is well known that New York is considered the abortion capital of America with extremely minimal restrictions. New York was also one of the first states to legalize abortion. So with this history, is there any dispute as to whether so called abortion rights will be severely limited or banned in New York should the US Supreme Court rule that there is no constitution right to abortion? Absolutely not. If any change does occur due to a ruling of the Supreme Court, it will likely come in the form of allowing states to enact some further restrictions. Even if the court issues a more broader decision, the issue will then be decided by the states and will revert back to pre-Roe v. Wade jurisprudence.
The reason this legislation was enacted into law was the ideology of abortion and death. It has no shame and no conscious. It is the principal that there is an absolute right to terminate ones child for any reason and at any time of gestation. What was truly shameful was the cheering and the smiles of those politicians that voted for the changes as well as the Governor's directive to light up the Freedom Tower with pink light to celebrate his so called achievement. Celebrating the right to butcher a full term baby is beyond the pale of a civilized society. How ironic is it that while Andrew Cuomo proudly claims the mantle of the Butcher of New York he uses a symbol of freedom to do so. Gone are the days of making abortion safe and rare.
Edward Scharfenberger, bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of Albany, has issued an open letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo criticizing the Reproductive Health Act.