The vast majority of Americans recognize sex-selection abortion for the loathsome practice that it is. A recent poll found that 77 percent of Americans oppose abortions sought strictly because the parent(s) don’t like the gender of the unborn child. It’s rare, in our nation divided down the middle on so many issues, to achieve that degree of unity.
For that reason, Republicans in the U.S. House have the wind at their backs as they take a vote on the Prenatal Nondescrimination Act, scheduled for today. The bill would subject abortionists who perform sex-selection abortions to fine and imprisonment for up to five years. Organizations — such as Planned Parenthood — that perform such abortions would forfeit federal funding under the proposal. Women who seek the abortions would be exempt from prosecution.
Having a debate over sex-selection abortion is important because it exposes core weaknesses in pro-choice philosophy. As I wrote in December, pro-choice ideology claims to place the highest value on women and womanhood. Yet they are forced to accept, as both moral and legal, the aborting of an unborn baby strictly because she is female. To do anything less would violate their core beliefs about the un-personhood of the fetus and the absolute autonomy of the parents (specifically, the mother) in deciding whether to terminate the unborn life.
The effort is likely to die in the U.S. Senate, but kudos to a cadre of courageous Republicans (chief among them Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona) for furthering the debate on ending this evil practice.
