Partial Birth Infanticide: A Constitutional Right to Murder Children?

WARNING: The procedure described below (which two members of the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Court yesterday ruled to protect) is a disturbingly, heinous act.

"Standard Dilation and Evacuation (D&E). According to testimony given the three judge panel of the 4^th Circuit Court, a "Standard D&E" abortion:

"Is by far the most common method of previability second trimester abortion, used approximately ninety- five percent of the time. In this procedure the doctor dilates the woman's cervix and uses suction and forceps to remove the fetus. The doctor also uses instruments to hold the vagina open and to gain access to the cervix and uterus. As the doctor uses forceps to pull the fetus out of the cervix during a D&E, friction usually causes parts of the fetus to break off or disarticulate. As a result of disarticulation the fetus is removed in pieces. Throughout the process, the fetus may show signs of life, such as a heartbeat, although disarticulation ultimately causes fetal demise."

[In] the final days of pregnancy (right up until the day of birth) the "procedure" used would have been an "intact D&E":

"A doctor intending to perform an intact D&E uses certain methods, such as serially dilating the cervix or rotating the fetus as it is pulled out of the uterus, to increase the likelihood of intact delivery. In an intact D&E, as generally described, the fetal skull is typically too large to pass through the cervix, and the doctor compresses or collapses the skull to complete the abortion."

This is the procedure that just two judges yesterday decided is "Constitutional."

[This is] what is done to an unborn child in a second or third trimester abortion - many of which take place well after the moment of "viability" ..despite this graphic testimony, two judges still voted to allow the second procedure to go on!

It must be noted that the procedures being discussed, a "dilation and evacuation" (D&E) abortion and an "intact D&E" both require the dismemberment of an unborn child past the known date of viability."

For more details on this case regarding Virginia's Ban on Partial Birth Abortion, a law passed in 2003 and patroned by Delegate Bob Marshall (R-13, Manassas), read the following news stories:

4th Circuit panel again strikes down Virginia's partia birth abortion ban - Richmond Times Dispatch

Va. Abortion Law Overturned Again - Washington Post

Court strikes down late-term abortion ban - CNN/Associated Press

Victoria Cobb, President

The Family Foundation of Virginia

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