Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Freethinker

Home
Nonreligious
‘Pro-lifer’ claims Texas abortion ban saved over 4,700 ‘babies’

‘Pro-lifer’ claims Texas abortion ban saved over 4,700 ‘babies’

Last updated on: October 7, 2021 at 5:07 pm by Barry Duke

‘Pro-lifer’ claims Texas abortion ban saved over 4,700 ‘babies’ 2021-10-07T17:07:50+02:00 Barry Duke

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Image via YouTube

FUMING over a decision by a judge who temporarily blocked Texas’ draconian new anti-abortion law yesterday, Marjorie Dannenfelser, a Catholic who headed Donald Trump’s “Pro-Life Coalition“, said in a statement that the “Heartbeat Act” is estimated to have saved more than 4,700 “babies” since it took effect over a month ago.

The statement, issued by anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List, declared:

Now an unelected judge has interfered with the clearly expressed will of Texans. For two generations, the U.S. Supreme Court has tied the hands of states to enact laws protecting unborn children and their mothers. It is time to restore this right to the people and update our laws.

This is utter bullshit. In April of this year a Progress Texas poll showed that only 36 percent of Texans favoured proposals to introduce the abortion ban. Fifty one percent were against the ban and 12 percent were not sure.

District Judge Robert Pitman granted a request by the Biden administration to prevent any enforcement of the law while its legality is being challenged.

The law, which prohibits women in Texas from obtaining an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, was drafted and approved by Republican politicians.

People across America protested against the Texas abortion ban. Image via YouTube

The White House praised the latest ruling as an important step. Press Secretary Jen Psaki said:

The fight has only just begun, both in Texas and in many states across this country where women’s rights are currently under attack.

Texan officials immediately appealed against the ruling, setting the stage for further court battles.

Judge Pitman, of Austin, wrote in an 113-page opinion that, from the moment the law came into effect on 1 September:

Women have been unlawfully prevented from exercising control over their lives in ways that are protected by the Constitution. This court will not sanction one more day of this offensive deprivation of such an important right.

One doctor who admitted breaking the state’s new abortion legislation has already been sued. Writing for the Washington Post, Dr Alan Braid said:

I acted because I had a duty of care to this patient, as I do for all patients, and because she has a fundamental right to receive this care.

Whole Woman’s Health, which runs a number of clinics in Texas, said it was making plans to resume abortions “as soon as possible”.

But the anti-abortion group Texas Right to Life, accused judges of “catering to the abortion industry” and called for a “fair hearing” at the next stage.

This is the first legal setback for Texas since the law was implemented.

Writing today for Slate, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern explained beneath the headline “The Decision Blocking Texas’ Abortion Ban Is A Meticulous Rebuke To The Supreme Court” that the “Heartbeat Act” bans terminations after the detection of what anti-abortion campaigners call a foetal heartbeat, something medical authorities say is misleading.

This effectively bans abortions from as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, at a time when most women will not be aware they are pregnant.

It is enforced by giving any individual – from Texas or elsewhere – the right to sue doctors who perform an abortion past the six-week point. However, it does not allow the women who get the procedure to be sued.

Despite the court ruling, some clinics remain hesitant to resume procedures as there is some uncertainty over whether they could be sued retroactively during the ban.

The law itself (S.B. 8) includes a provision that stipulates clinics and doctors may still be liable for abortions carried out while an emergency injunction is in place, legal experts say.

Nancy Northup, President of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement:

The threat of being sued retroactively will not be completely gone until [the law] is struck down for good.

Lithwick and Stern concluded:

Perhaps most importantly, Pitman chose not to center the sufferings of the Supreme Court justices who feel beleaguered by the demands of the shadow docket, or of Texas, which seeks to overturn Roe v Wade without being hassled by precedent or legal arguments.

Instead, in footnote after footnote, Pitman centers the pregnant people who have relied on the courts to vindicate their rights, and excoriates the state for hurting them, for lying about it, and for its cynical attempts to circumvent the rule of law.

“From the moment S.B. 8 went into effect, women have been unlawfully prevented from exercising control over their lives in ways that are protected by the Constitution,” he wrote. “That other courts may find a way to avoid this conclusion is theirs to decide; this Court will not sanction one more day of this offensive deprivation of such an important right.”

One can only guess what will happen to Pitman’s order at the 5th Circuit – which could quickly halt his injunction. It is even less clear what could happen at the Supreme Court, where five ultra-conservative justices seem to think S.B. 8’s devious design lets them off the hook.

But for the first time in over a month, Texas women were visible and their needs were urgent to a federal court. And while that may not suffice to reinstitute the right to choose, it is the first glimpse of justice since the twisted Texas law took effect.

• Please report any typos/errors to [email protected]

If you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee – and boy, do I get through a LOT of coffee keeping this site active – please click the link below.

I’d love a cup of coffee

News

District Judge Robert Pitman

Marjorie Dannenfelser

Texas abortion law

Previous Post

October 6, 2021

Teen charged with drowning his dad while exorcising demons

Next Post

October 7, 2021 Home-schooled teens, members of a cult, tried to kill their mom

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Archive My Atheism News Opinion Reviews Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 March 2007 April 2006 February 2006

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

According to James, what is pure and undefiled religion?

Select your answer to see how you score.

To pray without ceasing To obey all the commandments To love your neighbor as yourself To care for orphans and widows in their distress and keep oneself from being polluted by the world

Books by This Author Books by The Freethinker

See All Titles »