Jurist reports that the North Dakota House of Representatives passed SB 2368, the so-called “fetal pain” bill and it is expected that the governor will sign it.
The emotions run high around the subject of abortion, especially in this very Red state of North Dakota. Abortion has become the sound bite of fractionalism, the sword of Damocles in this state, and with single issue politics, these legislators would watch the capital building burn down in the name of their own concept of correct.
I suggest that a reading of North Dakota’s SB 2368 is enough to chill the bones of any reasonable person.
For starters, the bill shows a profound lack of understanding of the simplest medical facts. Much of what this bill outlaws cannot be determined by science or physicians. But we knew from experiences those in support of this bill discounted physician input from the public hearings in Bismarck.
There were physicians at the legislative hearings regarding the abortion legislation, and according to one of my friends who attended, they were treated with great derision, and there was much reading of Bible verses in response to objections.
This most recent bill outlaws abortion on the basis of a fetus “feeling pain.” This is subjective at best, but certainly not medically certifiable.
Think about it. In emergency rooms, physicians are required by law to treat the pain of anyone who presents with pain, even though the medical staff may recognize the person as a drug seeker. The reason? There is no substantive medical means to measure pain. Do you wonder why nurses and physicians always ask “on a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?” If the medical profession had a device to quickly and easily determine levels of pain, it would be used.
Fantasizing about “fetal pain” simply illustrates the lengths those opposing abortion will go to to try to create emotional support for their cause.
But there’s a far greater danger in this bill. This bill attempts to define natural pregnancy, but does not deal with caesarian section, an outcome that is, let’s face it, not a natural delivery. An outcome that by the definitions in this bill could be construed as criminal.
Nor is spontaneous abortion addressed. Spontaneous abortion happens. No person or particular incident is necessarily attributable to spontaneous abortion. Physicians must deal with the aftermath of these events, but these laws don’t even recognize that these kinds of medical emergencies exit, much less provide protection for physicians required by law to deal with such happenings.
Is the next step stoning women who have spontaneous abortions?
This is clearly a law put together by persons who have no real understanding of medicine, the complexity of pregnancy, the genuine issues at stake in any pregnancy, and last but certainly not least, one iota of genuine feeling or understanding for the reality of life. As such, these North Dakota laws are nothing more than a one-issue soapbox for gathering votes in a politically conservative state, a very real sword of Damocles.
Senator Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has stepped forward to hold the clarion call for banning abortion in Congress. While mouthing the words “labels can be misleading,” Senator Ryan said “We don’t want a country where abortion is simply outlawed. We want a country where it isn’t even considered.”
So, it’s not enough to control abortion “traffic,” but Senator Ryan holds a lead position on the forefront of a movement to control our very thoughts. Delusional thinking? Or George Orwell’s 1984 redux?
