We like to see Kentucky in the national news, but it is unfortunate when this happens due to something tragic, like the West Kentucky tornado that hit Mayfield last December or the decision made by the Kentucky General Assembly to pass a bill that effectively made safe abortions impossible in our state. (Washington Post, 4-14/15-22; Forward Kentucky 4-19-22)
This new law, modeled on those passed recently in Florida and Mississippi, bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, and requires that fetal remains be cremated or buried. It makes no exception for incest or rape, but only allows abortion if a woman’s life is in danger.
Don’t misunderstand. Like many of my fellow Democrats, I am opposed to abortions, just as I am opposed to rape, incest, unnecessary wars, racism, and other sins of violence against humans. This anti-abortion bill is tragic not only because it could end safe and legal abortions in Kentucky but also
because it does not address the issue of the health and freedom of woman, or the moral problem of protecting and supporting human life once a child is born.
It is also tragic that, in what has become a Republican pattern, this bill scores political points at the expense of women, especially poor ones. The Guttmacher Institute reported in 2014 that 49% of women seeking abortions lived below the federal poverty line, and another 26% were close to the poverty level.
Before the Senate’s vote to override Governor Beshear’s veto of the anti-abortion bill, Senator Stephen Meredith called abortion “a stain on our country” and “our greatest sin.” This smugly righteous and moralistic comment shows a callous disregard for the women and their families in his fifth district counties of Breckinridge, Butler, Grayson, Meade, and Ohio.
If our legislators genuinely believe abortion is murder, they would forbid it absolutely, not only after fifteen weeks. This would, of course, mix religion and politics, something many Republicans say we should not do. And since we want to keep crime down, does even the most judgmental Republican really want us to call abortion a capital crime? Really?
Besides, if Republicans were really pro-life instead of just pro-birth, they would help people “womb to tomb,” and pay as much attention to the sad state of many nursing homes and prisons as they do to abortion. They might even introduce legislation that provides free day care for working mothers living in poverty, and make birth control more easily available.
And they could work to end capital punishment, since DNA tells us that we sometimes execute innocent people.
Of course, we cannot keep people from sinning, even if we consider abortion sinful, and we love to punish sinners. Even though Christians know Jesus told the woman at the well to “go and sin no more” without condemning her (John 4:1-42). Whatever our beliefs, we could reduce abortions by making it easier for women to choose pregnancy and adoption as an alternative.
We could show that we care and improve the health of women by providing medical and emotional help to women in such a difficult situation, even if this means using tax money to help those in poverty pay for medical care and counseling when needed. It would also help if we used public money to underwrite some of the costs of adoption for those unable to afford such costs.
That would, of course, make abortion a less effective political issue for Republicans.
Instead, Republicans have just made it more difficult for Kentuckians in need—including hungry children—to receive health care and food assistance [see https://www.wkyfin.org/2022-03-29/kentucky-senate-committee-advances-bill-tightening-rules-for-food-benefits-medicaid]
Republicans know that those who can afford to travel to other states will always be able to secure legal or illegal, safe or unsafe abortions, regardless of anti-abortion laws. These laws are aimed at the poor, not the wealthy, and that makes them both hypocritical and judgmental.
We all make poor choices, and are emotionally vulnerable at times. Legislators who pass anti-abortion bills are making very poor choices, both because they are imposing their moral views on others, and are doing this in a way that opens the way for unsafe abortions.
This behavior is callous and dishonorable for any public servant.