Editor,
For the sake of the people of Albuquerque, who deserve to know the truth about the upcoming election to ban late term abortion, let’s set the record straight.
There is no question that when a woman becomes pregnant unexpectedly she deserves love, compassion and help. But it is time to start considering if abortion is truly the help she needs. It is time to start considering that women deserve better than abortion and that we need to start addressing the problems that lead to women getting abortions, rather than concentrating on eliminating her unborn child.
In light of the upcoming special election in November, for the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Ordinance, pro-life advocates have been challenged by pro-abortion activist, Dolores Huerta, that the ordinance in unconstitutional due the ruling of Roe v. Wade. The ordinance would restrict abortion in Albuquerque after a woman is 5 months along in her pregnancy. I am hoping to address this concern by reviewing the ruling of a more recent U.S. Supreme Court decision from 1992, Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey.
In Casey, the Supreme Court upheld the Roe v. Wade decision that the state cannot ban most abortions; however, it established that the state does have the authority to regulate abortions in order to protect the health of the mother as well as the life of the fetus. In addition, the state does have the power to restrict abortions of viable fetuses.
This precedent is crucial when dealing with the upcoming election because the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Ordinance will only restrict abortion after 5 months, which is considered post-viability. Since the state has the authority to restrict abortions of viable fetuses, the ordinance does not interfere with the ruling of Roe v. Wade, therefore it is not unconstitutional.
Huerta also mentioned that the attorney general would have to take the ordinance to court in the event that it passed and had to be implemented, which would cause tax payers money. She failed to mention that Albuquerque citizens are already paying for abortions through Medicaid that can cost up to $16,000.
What Mrs. Huerta does not acknowledge is that if the ordinance passes, it will be because the citizens of Albuquerque want it to pass. It is the citizens who get to decide if they are willing to let abortions continue past 5 months of pregnancy when an unborn child is capable of feeling pain.
Why is Mrs. Huerta trying to take away the rights of Albuquerque voters? Don’t the citizens of Albuquerque have the right to refuse to pay for a woman’s abortion, especially when it violates their conscience?
If Dolores Huerta is truly fighting for women, then she should be fighting to help women in unplanned pregnancy succeed in life without resorting to killing their unborn child. We should all be seeking to help these women reach their dreams.
When a woman decides to have an abortion for any reason, it is because we have failed her.
Fortunately, it does not have to be that way because there are free organizations willing to help pregnant women in need such as Project Defending Life, Students for Life UNM, Birthright, CareNet, and Catholic Charities.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Our city has an opportunity to provide real solutions for its citizens in the upcoming election. Now is the time for everyone to step up to the plate and offer women the help and respect they deserve.
Samantha Serrano
President of UNM Students for Life
