Abortion, Roe v. Wade, and the Texas Heartbeat Law

 

Abortion, Roe v. Wade, and the Texas Heartbeat Law

 Few topics are as emotionally charged in this country as the topic of abortion, and the laws and practices around it. Charged rhetoric, like “How can you be a catholic, (or any religion), and kill a baby?”, “Abortion? The Supreme Court also legalized Slavery”, “Pro Life: The radical idea that babies are people.”  Or alternately, “My body, my choice”, “Abortion is my Constitutional right!", "Abortion is perfectly legal.", "You can't legislate morality!"

 Since the Supreme Court handed down its 1973 decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, states have constructed a lattice work of abortion law, codifying, regulating and limiting whether, when and under what circumstances a person may obtain an abortion.

 This link is a state-by-state summary of abortion laws in the U.S..

 https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/overview-abortion-laws#

 The most recent controversy concerning abortion, is that on September 1, 2021, the Texas Heartbeat bill went into effect, banning abortions in Texas, as soon as cardiac activity is present in an unborn child—around six weeks after gestation.  The bill also allows private citizens to sue and enforce the new law.  Opponents of the bill appealed to the Supreme Court for an emergency stay and the Court denied relief, allowing the Texas law to go into effect. 

 This link is an analysis of the Texas Heartbeat Bill:

 https://texaslawchanges.com/analysis-of-the-texas-heartbeat-bill

 The result has been an effective cessation of all abortions in Texas, and howls of affirmation and opposition across the country.  “Right-to-lifers” are heralding the Texas law as a major step in rescinding Roe v. Wade.  Abortion advocates threaten to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law.

 This Axios article and embedded links cover responses to the bill reasonably well.

https://www.axios.com/texas-abortion-ban-supreme-court-roberts-sotomayor-29e6b7ee-a947-4ef9-a790-35236b474b38.html.

 This article discusses the impact of the Texas Heartbeat Bill, and the upcoming SCOTUS Mississippi case, “Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization” on Roe v. Wade, and on abortion, in general, across the country.

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/september-web-only/abortion-roe-v-wade-pro-life-heartbeat-bill-texas.html.

  

 After an examination of the science involved, my conclusion back in 2015, is that life begins with         the zygote, immediately upon fertilization, and abortion, however described, terminates or kills             this life.  This is an extract from my 2015 paper. 

             “Science has defined that life begins in that one second that it takes egg and sperm to unite to                 form a zygote, a single cell that is the combination of egg and sperm.  Life does not begin with             syngamy, the first division of the zygote, or at some more recognizable form of an embryo.  Life             begins with fertilization, the formation of a zygote.  A good scientific explanation of the                         beginning of life is given in this link.

 http://bdfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/wi_whitepaper_life_print.pdf

This being the case, any attempt to stop or curtail life’s further development, through abortion or other means is killing life.  Is it ever justified?  Not in my opinion based on scientific fact.  The laws permit abortion.  Scientifically, abortion means killing a human being.  This is not a right wing or right to life position.  It is a scientific fact.  The decision around abortion is an ethical and moral dilemma for every person forced to make a choice whether to let life develop, or kill it.

A difficulty in the debate around abortion is relating to life at a molecular/zygote level.  If you can’t see it, how can it be life…? Etc.  And the rationalizations about the size of the embryo, which trimester, etc. all belie the major issue here.  Do you want to kill it or let it continue to develop into a complete human being?”

Ray Gruszecki

September 8, 2021