January 26, 2018: Del Rio News-Herald * From Page 1A * Meditation Corner * Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act

Community Pride Page Column

Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act

The United States House of Representatives passed the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act” by a vote of 241-183. Every Republican representative voted in favor of the bill, and all the Democrats voted against it, with six exceptions: among them Henry Cuellar of Texas.

The Act “requires any health care practitioner who is present when a child is born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion to: (1) exercise the same degree of care as reasonably provided to any other child born alive at the same gestational age, and (2) ensure that such child is immediately admitted to a hospital. The term "born alive" means the complete expulsion or extraction from his or her mother, at any stage of development, who after such expulsion or extraction breathes, has a beating heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles.” The Act contains actual enforcement mechanisms to protect these children.

Professor Peter Singer, one of the founders of the revolutionary modern animal rights movement, was once asked in an interview: “If you were standing in front of a burning house, where there were 200 pigs and a child, and you could save either the animals or the child, what would you do?” He answered, “The suffering of animals at some point is so great that you should decide to free the animals and not the child. One must not burn countless animals in order to save a child’s life.” Would he still say that if it was his child: Esther Singer, Ruth Singer, or Marion Singer?

A similar question we might ask: If you were standing in front of a burning house, where there were the 183 Representatives who voted against the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act” and a baby, and you could save either the politicians or the baby, what would you do? What would your response be? Do you save the cute and cuddly baby or do you save those politically correct politicians?

Words cannot fully express the joy experienced by the birth of a baby. These are but a few:  A baby is precious. A baby is a bridge from heaven to the human heart. The jewel of a family home is a baby. You cannot buy happiness, happiness is born. A newborn baby is like the beginning of all things - love, hope, a dream of possibilities.

What would you rather hear: The crying sounds coming from a baby born-alive or the unspeakable, vitriolic verbiage of 183 House Democrats? Is that what they really believe or were they simply voting along party lines in keeping with their radically pro-abortion platform?

Votes have consequences.

Marian Casillas, Ed.D.