Controversial South Carolina Abortion Bill Becomes Law


Since 1973, and the notorious Roe v. Wade ruling which allowed women the right to legally seek an abortion, terminating the lives of unborn babies has become commonplace in the United States. Using the “my body, my choice” argument, countless women have believed, perhaps erroneously, that because the life of her child resides inside her body, it is somehow her own possession. If she does not want the child, then that life means nothing and erasing the baby from existence is perfectly acceptable.

On the flip side, if a pregnant woman is murdered, the killer is charged with two counts of murder. I definitely agree with this, but it’s a double standard. Is the fetus a person or isn’t it? Why is abortion not looked at as murder, but if a fetus dies within the body of a slain woman, it is considered murder?

Finally, many states are proposing, as well as passing, abortion bills to place limitations on the freedom of abortion. There are procedures to abort babies from conception to the minute before birth. How could anyone refute the idea that an 8- or 9-month-old fetus is not truly a person?

South Carolina is the latest state to pass a strict abortion bill into law. According to Fox News,South Carolina governor Nikki Haley made her stance on abortion well known during her campaign in 2010. For Governor Haley, the subject of abortion is personal, as she feels greatly blessed that her husband’s birth mother chose to give him the gift of life.

“I’m strongly pro-life, very pro-life and not because my party tells me to be, but my husband was adopted, and so every day I know the blessings of having him there.”

This is not the first abortion bill that the South Carolina Governor has signed into law. In 2012, another abortion-related bill, the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act, was approved by Haley. As Life News reported at the time, this bill was proposed in the effort to save babies born from failed abortions that may be left without care to die a lonely, agonizing death.

Holly Gatling, of the South Carolina Citizens for Life, explains the core of the abortion law.

“The measure says an unborn child attains all the rights of any other person at birth even if the baby survives an abortion attempt. It has passed the S.C. House three times but twice died for lack of action in the Senate. If the bill gets third Senate reading, it must go back to the House for further consideration.”

In a 107-0 vote, the House passed the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act, which states a baby born from any means, even abortion, that is breathing, with its tiny heart beating, must receive life saving treatment, and cannot be used as medical waste.

The South Carolina abortion bill signed last week makes abortions legal only up to week 19. Twenty weeks or higher, abortions are banned, making no exceptions for situations of rape or incest. The bill goes even further to save the lives of future children by making it illegal to have an abortion based on “fetal anomalies.”

Simply put, fetuses that may be born with severe disabilities are no longer legal to abort. If the baby has even the slightest chance to survive birth, that child cannot be subjected to abortion. Some common “disabilities” include Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, cancer, and the list goes on.

As the mother of a disabled child, I heartily agree with this law. Terminating the life of a baby who may be disabled implies that his or her life is not worth living. How many of us know the joys of raising a child with special needs far outweigh the challenges? I certainly do. I thank God for my little boy every day.

What do you think of the recent South Carolina abortion bill? What are your thoughts on abortion in general? Share your comments with us.

[Image credit: Suparna Sinha/Flickr]

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