Is There Widespread Elective Infanticide?
Ms. Roth provides evidence that “partial-birth abortions” are in fact performed for “elective” reasons. I have already agreed that the ethics of very late terminations is at least questionable, and that laws against it would be appropriate for a democratic society–so long as they do not prevent the procedure for what I described in my opening statement as justifiable medical reasons. So I could leave it at that. But I think the facts need a little straightening here. First, the medical community is unanimous in supporting my view that third-trimester pregnancy termination should never be performed electively. The American Medical Association recommends that “abortions not be performed in the third trimester except in cases of serious fetal anomalies incompatible with life,”[1] the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is “opposed to abortions of viable fetuses” (where “the decision of whether or not a fetus is viable must be left to the judgment of the responsible attend
