By Calvin Palmer
The Supreme Court in Mexico appears to have taken a sensible decision today in deciding to uphold the law passed by Mexico City to permit abortions during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
It is also a brave move in a country that is staunchly Roman Catholic and whose president, Felipe Calderon is a conservative.
Church bells rang out in protest when it was announced the court had ruled, by an 8-3 decision, that Mexico City’s law, passed in April 2007, was not unconstitutional.
Reactions to the verdict were predictable. For the anti-abortion group, Pro Vida, director Jorge Serrano said, “The ruling is a betrayal of the right to life. This tragedy we are living in Mexico City is going to spread to other states.”
I can think of no greater tragedy than a young woman being forced to bring into the world a baby that is not wanted and a baby that she can ill-afford to support. But Jorge is a man and probably incapable of understanding that kind of tragedy.
The decision was welcomed by the director of the international abortion rights group, Ipas, Raffaella Schiavon. “It opens the road for all of Latin America to start visualizing legal paths to abortion,” she said.
The Mayor of Mexico City, Marcelo Ebrard, described the ruling as a “triumph of reason over prejudice.”
North of the border, in the United States, the right-wing of the Republican Party will be incensed by yet another legal validation of abortion. If they had their way, the historic ruling in 1973 by the United States Supreme Court in the Roe versus Wade case, which legalized abortion in the United States, would be overturned tomorrow. In fact, they view barrier contraception on a par with abortion when it comes to preserving the sanctity of life.
But if life is so precious, as the right-wing Pro-Life adherents believe, why do they support the death penalty in states such as Texas; a state that incidentally leads the way in funding the abstinence approach to sex education. Surely the sanctity of life is an absolute. It cannot be reserved for the unborn fetus and then denied to someone found guilty of murder. If you are pro-life, you must be for life, period.
At this point, the Bible thumpers will point to the scriptures and the old eye for an eye argument in the Old Testament. But isn’t Christianity founded on the teachings of Christ, which are contained in the New Testament, and their message of universal love?
Seems to me like these right-wing Republicans like to pick and choose from among the Biblical teachings. How very convenient and yet they deny the right to choose to a woman faced by an unwanted pregnancy.
And why do men become so passionate about the abortion issue, particularly denying the right of abortion to women? As a man, it clearly has nothing whatsoever to do with me or any other man.
In a civilized society, it should be a woman’s decision regarding what happens to her body and whether she wants to go through with a pregnancy or not. I have no objection to a woman being counseled with regard to the alternative of keeping the baby but the final decision is hers and hers alone. Choice in the matter should never be denied.
[Based on reports by the Associated Press and Agence France Presse.]
3 Comments
August 28, 2008 at 8:06 pm
This is a general comment, Calvin. Some good stuff lately. You’re certainly not backwards at coming forwards on issues you feel need an airing. Goodness knows what else you have tucked away in your Jacksonville attic, but I just know I’m going to sit at my pc nodding, shaking my head or just simply dumbfounded at your utterings. They make bloody good reading material though. Keep it up.
M.
August 28, 2008 at 11:21 pm
I thought it was time to get back to a bit of substance after the froth of the Olympic Games.
Viewing figures are down though, so I guess people must prefer the light and frothy stuff.
I will keep it up, if you keep reading.
August 29, 2008 at 9:11 am
I second OS’s motion. These things have to be said Calvin and I’m glad you are saying them.