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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Will the Mississippi law targeting the state's only abortion clinic work? [Megan]

Perhaps. For a little while.

The Mississippi Legislature passed a law in April that requires any abortion clinic's physicians to be certified OB/GYNs with admitting privileges to local hospitals. The state's only abortion clinic, the Jackson Women's Health Organization, does employ certified OB/GYNs, but they travel from out-of-state to perform abortions and do not have local admitting privileges.

The law, which was supposed to be in effect July 1, was blocked by an injunction issued by U.S. District Court Judge Daniel P. Jordan III. Days ago, Judge Jordan ruled that the injunction remain while he examines more evidence. His decision on the matter is expected soon, though he did not say when.
Critics claim the law was designed to keep women from obtaining abortions and that, if passed, will cause harm to women who will not be able to have abortions without crossing state lines (which, they say, may not be feasible for some).

It would make Mississippi the only state without a functioning abortion clinic.
See the latest on the injunction issued to block the law's enactment from the NY Times and the LA Times.

If passed the law, while perhaps intending to put a stop to abortions in Mississippi or at least "send a message," may be considered a victory for the pro-life movement. Certainly, legislation that keeps even a few abortions from happening saves those lives. But it only takes aim at the tip of the iceberg.

A law that ties the hands of abortion providers without local admitting privileges does little to stop them from providing abortions elsewhere. Neither does such a law directly address why abortion is wrong to begin with.

To make that kind of difference, minds must be changed from believing the lie — that abortion is right because it is "a right" — to the truth — that it is wrong because it takes the lives of defenseless human beings without justification.

I am grateful that LTI works very hard to do just that by tackling the ideas behind the issue.
I'm afraid that before the law reflects what is right the culture must hear and see the truth, and believe it.


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