Louisiana bans late-term abortion
Jul 20th, 2007 by Amanda
Louisiana is the first state to ban late-term abortions since a federal ban was upheld earlier this year.
The new law allows the procedure only when the mother’s life would be endangered without it. It would be a crime in all other cases, including when the pregnancy is expected to cause health problems for the mother.
The statute mirrors a federal ban that President Bush signed into law in 2003 and upheld in April by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Lawmakers in other states are expected to consider similar bans. Louisiana is the first to enact one, according to the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights, an abortion-rights group.
Under the Louisiana legislation, doctors face fines of between $1,000 and $10,000, and jail terms of between one and 10 years.
This is a great first step to banning all abortion, everywhere.
“It would be a crime in all other cases, including when the pregnancy is expected to cause health problems for the mother.”
There’s where you lost me. I’m not particularly fond of abortion used as a form of contraception, especially late in the pregancy when you should have decided months earlier to give it up. However, I become a strong abortion advocate when the mother’s life or health are at risk. How in the hell can you require someone else to put themselves in harm’s way based on your religous beliefs? The mother’s life and health must ALWAYS come first in my book. We need to spend more time worrying about the living, BREATHING humans on this earth!
Bottom line– it’s not my body, and I should have no say over what mom decides to do. And like it or not, you shouldn’t either.