Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Abortion, Speech, and the 8th Circuit

It all goes back to South Dakota, really:

A federal appeals court will hear arguments Wednesday in a potentially groundbreaking case that -- for the first time, according to attorneys -- addresses the question of whether an abortion terminates a human being's life.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit in St. Louis will consider a 2005 South Dakota law that requires abortionists to tell women that their abortion will terminate the life of a living human being.

...The 2005 modification to the informed consent law holds that an abortion ends "the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being," and that a mother-child relationship, which exists "during the entire period of gestation," is terminated by an abortion.

The legislation requires doctors to inform women of this, in writing and in person two hours before an abortion, and also to disclose the medical risks of the procedure, including the possibility that it could lead to depression and an increased risk of suicidal thoughts.

Worth watching.

HT: ProEcclesia

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