In the article “Candor and the Court: The Supreme Court will confront as never before the violent nature of mid-and late-term abortion”by Richard Smith, Smith quotes a judge who opposes the partial-birth abortion ban. In this quote, the judge is explaining how abortions by D & E (where the unborn baby’s dismembered in the womb) might be banned by the laws forbidding D & X (partial birth) abortions. He describes the procedure for a D&E abortion. What he is describing is a legal abortion technique that he supports keeping legal:
“In a D&E procedure, the physician inserts forceps into the uterus, grasps a part of the fetus, commonly an arm or a leg, and draws that part out of the uterus into the vagina. Using the traction created between the mouth of the cervix and the pull of the forceps, the physician dismembers the fetal part which has been brought into the vagina, and removes it from the woman’s body. The rest of the fetus remains in the uterus while dismemberment occurs, and is often still living…”
This judge is knows that the common D&E procedure dismembers babies. While he describes tearing the arms and legs off these babies, he uses the term “fetuses” to dehumanize them. The fact that he can describe such a horrific procedure so calmly while advocating to keep it legal is disturbing.
Richard Smith “Candor and the Court: The Supreme Court will confront as never before the violent nature of mid-and late-term abortion” America April 1, 2000
