Life on the line

Last week, the House of Representatives passed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act (see page 9). This bill was necessitated by the Supreme Court's latest assault on life, its June 28 Stenberg vs. Carhart ruling, which gave the go-ahead to partial-birth abortion. In that procedure, a child is pulled, feet-first, from the womb. Before she is completely delivered, her skull is punctured and her brains removed. The child's lifeless body is then fully delivered.

Some congressional representatives began to wonder, in the wake of that horrendous decision, what other horrors the Court would tolerate. If a child survives abortion (which has happened), would the Court permit the baby to be killed in the delivery room to complete the abortion? What if a mother decided, an hour or a day after giving birth, that she didn't want the child after all? Might enough justices being found to okay her decision to smother the baby? Why wouldn't such a "retroactive abortion" be endorsed? Might not the Court rule that if a woman wants her unborn baby dead, she has a right to her born baby being dead, too?

What once were ridiculed as ridiculous questions posed by extremists trying to make a point became a serious discussion that led to the bill passed last week to ensure protection for babies once they are born. Two signs that the law is needed are that 15 congresspeople (including three from New York State) voted against it and that the Senate will probably not bother to vote on the bill before adjourning.

This week, as Respect Life Month begins, The Evangelist starts a series of articles and columns informing Catholics about the upcoming presidential elections (see page 1 and pages 13-16). We hope the material proves useful not only on that level but also as a reference for voters to use in assessing races for the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives and State Legislature.

Wise Catholics determine their vote on a number of respect life issues, including capital punishment, war and peace, justice for the poor, and euthanasia. For starters, they should examine candidates' position papers, websites and town hall meetings to find out where they stand on the right to life of human beings -- not only within the womb but also beyond.

(10-05-00)