Friday, June 01, 2012

On banning sex-selection abortions

Apparently, Republican congressmen are working to ban an apparently common practice in some cultures; that of sex selection abortions.  While I agree with them as to its barbarity, I have to wonder how you would prevent it.   You see, only the most hardened abortion clinic workers are willing to look at the child on ultrasound before the prenatal infanticide, so it's unlikely that too many clinics are advertising "We'll kill your baby girl for you!" 

Rather, what would most likely happen is that the couple would go to an ordinary ob/gyn who does not perform prenatal infanticides, learn the sex of the child through ordinary ultrasound, and then make their appointment at the clinic that does perform prenatal infanticide.  So how exactly you would pass a law that would prevent this is beyond me.

So nice thought, but......let's think of some laws that will actually help someone, OK?  And if there are indeed clinics where the "doctors" advertise "We'll kill your baby girl!", well, let's make that public, and see what falls out.  I'm guessing that even NARAL will have trouble defending that one.

6 comments:

K-Rod said...

Well, regarding the federal government, the argument should be phrased: Is it the government's duty to protect innocent human life?

Bike Bubba said...

Agreed--I think we would also agree that government should act in ways that have a reasonable hope of success, no?

In short, 5mph speed limit? No. Ban prenatal infanticide? Absolutely.

Elspeth said...

You're right. There is no way to prevent it.

Gino said...

this bill was never meant to pass. it was intended to provide election year fodder.

today, the War On Women slogan no longer has merit. that was the point all along... to take the woman issue away from Obama.

pentamom said...

If I were cynical, I'd think this bill was a secret plot by the pro-abortion side to make pro-life look silly and hand us a defeat.

There is no possible way that any abortions could be prevented by such a law. Passing it would make a travesty of law (basically creating a law that can be perfectly evaded merely by a verbal lie), failing to pass it allows some to claim that "we're not really serious about stopping abortion," illogical though that charge may be.

Honestly, though, I'm NOT that cynical. I consider cynicism a sin and fight against it. So I think in reality it's just extreme well-intentioned stupidity.

Bike Bubba said...

Oh, shoot, Pentamom--you're talking about me. Sigh. OK, time to remember the old adage; never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

:^)