Public Debates Effectiveness of Bill Banning Sex-Selection, Race-Based Abortions
A controversial bill that has been pushed in recent years by Republican Rep. Trent Franks that seeks to outlaw abortions based on the gender and race of a baby is causing great public debate.
The Arizona congressman wants the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act, PRENDA, which he reintroduced last week, to be approved and passed into law in order to protect minorities, such as African-American babies and girls, from parents who want to get rid of them at the prenatal stage. According to a 2008 U.S. Census report, minority babies are aborted at a five times higher rate than Caucasians, and some areas in the country have a predominantly male population - due to girls being aborted more often, The Daily Caller reported.
Although the bill is seen as an attempt to protect minorities and young girls, it is stirring a lot of debate in the public by people who are saying that it might be counter-productive, and discriminate against women of color seeking to have abortions for legitimate reasons. The bill will punish practitioners, and not parents who try to have race or gender-based abortions, but it might still make it harder for women to get the assistance they request.
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“I wasn't aware that women had to give a reason for why they wished to abort. Do doctors have to report the gender of aborted babies? Most are first trimester, early abortions. I doubt they even know much of the time. Very strange legislation,” said user "romalove" on CafeMom.com.
Shiku, at CBN.com, raised another issue: “I am interested to know how they can tell babies are aborted because of their skin color? Do they mean to target white women as it is optional for them whether to have a white or black baby? I ask this because no matter how many abortions an African-American woman gets she will always give birth to a baby with brown skin color. Will they also assume all Asians are getting sex-based abortions if they have one?”
Others with a pro-life stance found it problematic that the focus of discussions seem to be on preventing some abortions, and not all:
“How about let's STOP MURDERING ALL the unborn?! The Israelites were punished severely because of the practice of causing their children to be 'passed through the fire' of Molech (among other things). How is what we are doing as a nation any different? God help us repent,” wrote Lucy on the CBN.com website.
"Firedove2011" shared another viewpoint from a biblical perspective on The Daily Caller: “The problem would be solved if America would go back to its moral roots. Every child is a creation of God and should be accepted as such. Why murder the child because the parent is selfish? There are thousands of couples who want to adopt a baby.”
